Rei stepped inside the office and closed the door behind him.
Professor Arcturus Hale sat behind a wooden desk near the window, reading through a stack of reports. Sunlight filtered through the glass, casting thin lines of light across the room.
Without looking up, Hale spoke.
"Sit."
Rei took the chair across from the desk.
For a few seconds the only sound in the room was the quiet turning of paper.
Then Hale set the reports aside and looked at him.
"How is your body after the frontier patrol?"
Rei considered the question.
"Functional."
Hale nodded once.
"That is better than I expected."
His gaze shifted slightly.
"You remember the energy you produced on the plains."
Rei did.
The small black spark above his hand.
The strange heaviness it created in his body.
"Yes."
Hale leaned back slightly in his chair.
"Normal mages draw almost entirely from atmospheric mana through their Divine Marks."
He raised a finger slightly.
"But the human body also produces its own internal reserve."
Rei already knew this.
Personal mana.
Rarely used.
Dangerous.
Hale continued.
"In modern practice, most mages avoid using it. It is inefficient and directly tied to life force."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"But in your case…"
"…it may be your only option."
Rei listened quietly.
Hale tapped the desk once.
"The energy you produced does not match any known elemental phase."
He paused.
"But the behavior suggests it originates from personal mana rather than atmospheric resonance."
Rei remembered the exhaustion after producing it.
"Yes."
Hale folded his hands together.
"Which means you must learn to control it."
Rei tilted his head slightly.
"You believe it can be trained."
"I believe it must be."
Hale stood from the desk.
"If your Divine Mark awakens later, increased personal mana reserves will still benefit your overall capacity."
His tone remained calm.
"But until then, it may be the only magic you can access."
Rei stood as well.
"What does the training involve?"
Hale gestured toward the door.
"Follow me."
They left the office and walked through the quiet instructor wing before exiting into a smaller training courtyard behind the academy.
Unlike the main arena, this place was empty.
Stone floor.
High walls.
No observers.
Hale stopped in the center.
"First, we confirm the source."
He turned to Rei.
"Try to produce the energy again."
Rei extended his hand.
For several seconds nothing happened.
He focused on the strange internal pressure he remembered from the plains.
Breathing slowly.
Searching for the same sensation.
A faint heaviness formed in his chest.
Then moved toward his palm.
A small flicker appeared above his hand.
Dark.
Unstable.
Barely larger than a candle flame.
Hale's eyes sharpened slightly.
"Again."
The energy collapsed.
Rei's arm felt heavy immediately.
Hale nodded.
"Exactly as expected."
Rei looked at him.
"Expected?"
"Personal mana is inefficient without proper control."
Hale walked slowly around him.
"You are forcing it outward rather than guiding it."
He stopped beside Rei.
"Close your eyes."
Rei did.
"Feel where the energy originates."
Rei focused inward.
The sensation was faint.
Somewhere near the center of his chest.
Like pressure beneath the ribs.
"Your core," Hale said calmly.
"Every human possesses one."
He paused.
"But very few ever learn to use it properly."
Rei opened his eyes again.
Hale's expression remained thoughtful.
"For the next few weeks," the professor said,
"your training will include personal mana control."
Rei nodded.
"Understood."
Hale looked slightly amused.
"You say that now."
He turned toward the training yard.
"Begin again."
Rei lifted his hand once more.
The faint darkness gathered again above his palm.
Unstable.
Unknown.
Rei lifted his hand again.
The faint darkness gathered above his palm.
For a moment the small flame of black energy stabilized.
Then it flickered.
Collapsed.
The sensation in his chest grew heavier.
Rei steadied his breathing and tried again.
The second attempt was weaker.
The dark energy appeared for barely a second before fading.
His arm felt numb.
A thin ache spread through his ribs.
Hale watched silently.
"Again."
Rei inhaled slowly.
The pressure in his chest resisted this time.
Still, he forced the energy outward.
A tiny flicker formed.
Then the strength in his legs vanished.
Rei dropped to one knee.
The energy disappeared completely.
Hale's voice remained calm.
"Stand."
Rei looked up at him.
"Forcing it further may cause damage."
"Correct."
Hale folded his arms.
"That is how the limit expands."
Rei exhaled once and pushed himself back to his feet.
He raised his hand again.
Nothing happened.
His body refused to respond.
Rei lowered his hand slightly.
"I cannot produce it again."
Hale shook his head.
"You can."
His voice was firm now.
"You simply no longer wish to."
Rei said nothing.
Hale gestured toward his hand.
"Again."
Rei tried to speak.
Hale cut him off immediately.
"Do not waste breath arguing."
Rei focused again.
The pressure returned slowly.
A small spark appeared above his palm.
Barely visible.
The moment it formed, something inside his chest twisted sharply.
Rei's vision blurred.
He staggered.
A thin line of blood slipped from the corner of his mouth.
The spark vanished.
Rei caught himself against the ground before falling completely.
For a moment neither of them spoke.
Hale crouched slightly beside him.
"Good."
Rei wiped the blood from his lip.
"That…did not feel good."
Hale almost smiled.
"That is because you have reached the current boundary of your personal mana."
He stood again.
"This is how it grows."
Rei looked up at him.
"You exhaust it."
Hale nodded.
"You damage it slightly."
"And when the body recovers…"
"…the reserve increases."
Rei sat on the stone floor, breathing slowly.
Hale gestured toward the wall.
"Rest until your breathing stabilizes."
Rei leaned back against the stone.
"And then?"
Hale answered calmly.
"Try again."
Rei closed his eyes for a moment.
"…of course."
Above them the quiet training courtyard remained empty.
For the rest of the academy, the day was a holiday.
For Rei Takeda…
training had just begun.
Night had already fallen over the academy.
Inside the dorm room, Shin Raiga finally woke up.
He rolled over lazily on the top bunk, stared at the ceiling for a moment, then swung his legs over the side and dropped to the floor.
His joints cracked loudly.
"…that was a good nap."
He stretched and walked toward the window.
Outside, the courtyard lamps were already lit.
Students crossed the paths below with books under their arms.
Shin blinked.
"…why is it dark?"
He stared harder.
"…how long did I sleep?"
A knock came from the door.
Shin walked over and opened it.
Then froze.
Professor Arcturus Hale stood in the hallway.
Behind him floated Rei.
Not walking.
Floating.
Rei's body hung in the air, unconscious, carried by a thin stream of wind mana.
Shin stiffened immediately.
Hale stepped inside calmly.
The floating body followed him.
Rei looked terrible.
His clothes were dusty from the training yard.
There were faint traces of blood around his nose and mouth, half wiped away.
Hale gently lowered him onto the bed using wind magic.
For a moment Shin just stared.
"…is this a joke?"
He looked at Hale.
"Professor, this isn't funny."
Hale didn't respond.
That was when Shin noticed Rei wasn't moving.
Shin rushed forward.
"Rei?"
No response.
Shin spun toward Hale dramatically.
"WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM?"
Hale blinked once.
Shin pointed accusingly.
"Why would you do this to him?!"
His voice rose into full theatrical tragedy.
"What did he ever do to deserve this?!"
He grabbed Rei's shoulder.
"Rei! You cannot die like this!"
"REIIIIII—"
Bonk.
Shin froze.
He slowly looked down.
Rei's hand was still raised weakly.
"…shut up," Rei muttered.
Shin stared at him.
"You're alive."
"Yes."
"…you hit me."
"Yes."
Shin paused.
Then turned slowly toward Hale.
Rei pulled himself slightly upright, wiping the last bit of blood from his lip.
He looked perfectly calm again.
"Well," Rei said.
"Thank you for bringing me back, Professor."
Hale nodded once.
Rei gestured slightly toward Shin.
"I will take care of him from here."
Shin frowned.
"…hey."
Hale looked between the two of them.
Then turned and walked toward the door.
Before leaving he spoke calmly.
"He should rest tonight."
Shin nodded seriously.
"Yes, Professor."
The door closed.
Silence filled the room.
Shin slowly turned back to Rei.
"…what did he do to you?"
Rei lay back on the bed.
"…training."
Shin stared at him.
Then shook his head.
"The Ascendant program is definitely torture."
Rei didn't argue.
He was already asleep.
After a while....
Rei woke slowly.
The room was dark except for the faint glow of the academy lamps outside the window.
For a moment he didn't move.
His body still felt heavy.
Then he noticed the voices.
Whispers.
"…he coughed blood."
"That's normal?"
"No it is not normal."
"Professor Hale nearly killed him."
"That is an exaggeration."
"…barely."
Rei opened one eye.
The other five were gathered around the room.
Shin sat on the edge of the opposite bed.
Cassian leaned against the wall.
Valen stood with his arms crossed near the window.
Mira and Elira sat on the desk.
They were all staring at him.
Rei spoke faintly.
"…I didn't die, guys."
Five heads turned toward him.
A pause followed.
Then Shin nodded.
"We know."
Cassian shrugged.
"You're breathing."
Valen added calmly,
"It would have been inconvenient otherwise."
Mira rolled her eyes.
"Very reassuring, all of you."
Elira leaned forward slightly.
"Are you alright?"
Rei pushed himself up slowly and leaned against the wall beside the bed.
"I'm fine."
His voice was still tired, but steady.
Mira crossed her arms.
"So what did Hale actually do to you?"
Rei wiped the last dry trace of blood from his lip.
"Training."
Shin groaned.
"Of course it was."
Rei continued.
"He believes the energy I produced comes from personal mana."
That got their attention.
Cassian straightened slightly.
"Personal mana?"
"The internal reserve," Valen said quietly.
"The one tied to life force."
Rei nodded.
"Hale thinks my Divine Mark may awaken later."
Shin snorted.
"So he's preparing you for that?"
"Yes."
Rei explained calmly.
"He wants me to train my personal mana until that happens."
Elira looked worried.
"But using personal mana is dangerous…"
Rei nodded slightly.
"That is why he is forcing my body to expand the reserve."
Mira frowned.
"How exactly?"
Rei answered simply.
"I use it until I collapse."
The room went silent.
Shin blinked.
"…that sounds extremely unhealthy."
Cassian shook his head.
"That sounds like Hale."
Valen thought about it for a moment.
"If the reserve increases, the long-term benefits would be considerable."
Rei nodded.
"That is his reasoning."
Mira still looked unconvinced.
"And you're just going to let him keep doing that?"
Rei leaned his head back against the wall.
"Yes."
Shin sighed dramatically.
"Well."
He stretched his arms.
"Congratulations."
Rei looked at him.
"You now have the most terrifying training schedule in the academy."
Cassian smirked.
"Again."
Rei closed his eyes briefly.
Tomorrow would probably hurt even more.
The next day,
The Ascendant students gathered in the training hall at their usual hour.
The morning air still carried the chill of early sunlight filtering through the high windows. The large stone arena stood quiet except for the six of them and Professor Arcturus Hale.
Hale looked across the group.
Then he spoke.
"Training begins."
He paused.
"Rei."
Rei stepped forward.
Hale gestured toward the edge of the arena.
"With me."
Shin raised an eyebrow.
"That sounds ominous."
Cassian folded his arms.
"It usually is."
Hale ignored them.
He turned back to the others.
"The rest of you will spar."
His gaze moved across them.
"Shin. Elira."
Then to the other side.
"Valen. Cassian."
The four stepped toward the center of the arena.
Mira remained standing near the edge beside Rei.
Hale glanced at her.
"You as well."
Mira blinked.
"Me?"
"Yes."
He gestured for both of them to follow.
Shin looked between them.
"…why do they get to leave?"
Cassian smirked.
"Because they are about to suffer."
Hale turned once more before exiting.
"Begin."
The four students moved into position.
Lightning flickered faintly around Shin's fingers.
Wind gathered softly around Elira's hands.
Across from them, heat shimmered around Valen while Cassian's earth mana began stirring beneath the stone floor.
The arena air tightened.
For a moment neither side moved.
Then lightning struck first.
The battle began.
At the edge of the hall, Rei and Mira followed Hale outside.
A few minutes later another instructor entered the arena to supervise the match as Hale disappeared from the building entirely.
They arrived at the same secluded training ground Rei had used the previous day.
High walls.
Empty stone.
No witnesses.
Hale stopped in the center.
"This will be your primary training location."
Mira crossed her arms.
"What exactly are we doing here?"
Hale looked between them.
"Efficiency."
Rei already understood what that meant.
Pain.
Hale continued.
"Rei will continue training his personal mana."
Mira frowned.
"That almost killed him yesterday."
"Yes."
Hale said it calmly.
"And it will happen again."
Mira stared at him.
"That's not reassuring."
Hale gestured slightly toward Rei.
"The limitation is not his mana."
"It is his body."
He looked at Mira.
"That is where you come in."
Mira blinked.
"…me?"
"Yes."
Hale stepped closer.
"Water affinity is uniquely suited for healing."
Mira frowned slightly.
"Water magic isn't usually used for that."
"Incorrect."
Hale raised one finger.
"Fire destroys."
"Earth stabilizes."
"Wind moves."
"Water regulates."
He looked at her carefully.
"The human body is more than sixty percent fluid."
Mira listened.
"Blood flow, temperature, cellular movement, toxin removal."
"All of it depends on fluid balance."
He extended his hand slightly.
"Water mages can manipulate those processes through mana."
Mira's expression shifted slightly.
"You mean… control circulation?"
"Precisely."
Hale nodded.
"With sufficient control, water mana can accelerate recovery by guiding the body's natural repair processes."
Rei spoke quietly.
"So you want her to heal me."
"Yes."
Hale answered.
"Which will allow you to train longer before physical collapse."
Mira immediately protested.
"Or we could just not torture him in the first place."
Hale's gaze moved to her.
"I know exactly what I am doing."
His tone remained calm, but firm enough that Mira stopped talking.
He turned toward Rei.
"Begin."
Rei raised his hand.
The familiar pressure gathered in his chest.
Dark energy flickered above his palm.
Unstable.
Heavy.
Meanwhile Hale stepped beside Mira.
"Focus on internal fluid movement."
He gestured toward Rei.
"Your mana should not force healing."
"It should assist the body."
He placed a hand slightly above Rei's shoulder.
"Imagine guiding blood flow to damaged tissue."
"Stabilizing breathing."
"Reducing internal stress."
Mira slowly raised her hand.
A soft blue glow formed around her fingers.
Rei's dark energy flickered again.
Then collapsed.
His knees buckled.
He hit the ground.
Mira stepped forward instantly.
"Rei!"
Hale didn't move.
Instead he snapped his fingers sharply.
The sound echoed in the courtyard.
Mira froze.
Hale looked at her.
"Focus."
She hesitated.
"But—"
"Your concern is irrelevant right now."
He gestured toward Rei.
"He will recover."
"Your training will not improve if you panic."
Mira clenched her teeth.
Then forced herself to concentrate again.
Water mana gathered slowly in her hands.
Behind her, Rei struggled to breathe as his body recovered from another forced depletion.
Hale watched both of them.
Satisfied.
The training continued.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Rei raised his hand.
The dark energy flickered weakly above his palm.
It lasted slightly longer than before.
Then collapsed.
Rei dropped to one knee.
Mira immediately looked over.
Rei pushed himself back to his feet before she could say anything.
"Again," Hale said.
Rei obeyed.
The black spark formed.
For a moment it held.
Then his breathing faltered.
He fell forward onto the stone floor.
Mira stepped toward him.
Hale's voice stopped her.
"Focus."
Mira clenched her jaw and forced her attention back to the mana in her hands.
A faint blue glow surrounded her palms.
She tried to guide the water mana the way Hale described.
Not forcing healing.
Guiding it.
Stabilizing.
Encouraging the body to repair itself.
Rei coughed slightly behind her.
Mira looked back again.
He was already standing.
Blood from his nose had dried across his upper lip.
He wiped it away casually.
Then raised his hand again.
Mira stared at him.
"You can stop for a minute," she said.
Rei shook his head.
"No."
Then he tried again.
The spark appeared.
Collapsed.
He hit the ground again.
The pattern continued.
Hours passed.
Rei collapsed.
Stood up.
Collapsed again.
Each time he forced the energy out of his body until nothing remained.
Not once did he complain.
Not once did he ask to stop.
Meanwhile Mira's training drained her just as quickly.
Every attempt at healing consumed her mana.
Guiding circulation.
Stabilizing breathing.
Reducing the internal strain Rei's body suffered each time he exhausted his personal mana.
Her control slowly improved.
But the cost was severe.
Eventually she leaned against the wall, breathing heavily.
Rei collapsed again a few meters away.
Hale watched both of them quietly.
Finally Mira spoke.
"How long are we doing this?"
Hale answered calmly.
"Until the body adapts."
Mira glanced at Rei again.
He was already standing.
She frowned slightly.
"…he's insane."
Hale shook his head.
"No."
His eyes followed Rei as the boy raised his hand again.
"He is determined."
Rei forced the dark energy out once more.
The spark appeared.
Unstable.
Unknown.
And a little stronger than it had been that morning.
The training continued until the afternoon light began turning orange.
Rei forced the dark energy into existence again.
The spark flickered.
Collapsed.
He fell to the ground.
Mira looked over immediately.
Rei pushed himself up again.
Hale watched silently.
Mira's breathing was already heavy from repeatedly guiding healing mana through Rei's body.
"This is insane," she muttered.
Hale shook his head slightly.
"If you master healing, you will be able to ease the damage his training causes."
Mira frowned.
"So the torture becomes more comfortable?"
Hale did not react to the accusation.
"The training will continue regardless."
He gestured toward Rei.
"But with your help, the process will become more efficient."
Mira sighed.
"That somehow doesn't make it better."
Rei lifted his hand again.
The dark energy appeared.
This time it barely formed at all.
A faint spark.
Then nothing.
Rei's legs gave out.
He collapsed onto the stone floor.
The courtyard fell quiet.
Mira waited.
Normally Rei would already be forcing himself back up.
A few seconds passed.
Then ten.
Rei didn't move.
Hale watched him carefully.
Then he nodded once.
"He's reached the limit."
Mira looked at him.
"You're sure?"
"If he had any strength left, he would already be standing."
Hale walked toward Rei and checked his breathing briefly.
Stable.
Just completely exhausted.
"He pushed himself far enough today."
For once, Hale didn't say "again."
He stood and looked toward Mira.
"Take him with you."
Mira blinked.
"That's it?"
"The class is dismissed."
By the time they returned to the main arena, the battle had long since ended.
Shin, Valen, Cassian, and Elira were sitting along the wall.
Or more accurately…
Half-asleep.
Shin was leaning against a pillar with his eyes closed.
Cassian sat with his arms crossed, trying to look composed while clearly exhausted.
Valen's posture was straight but his eyes were barely open.
Elira looked like she might fall asleep sitting upright.
They looked up when the door opened.
Shin blinked.
"Oh."
He pointed lazily.
"They're back."
Cassian frowned slightly.
"You took long enough."
Then they looked properly.
Mira walked in first, supporting Rei's weight over her shoulder.
Rei's feet barely moved.
He looked completely unconscious.
The four stared.
Then Shin tilted his head.
"…what did Hale do to you two?"
Mira dropped Rei carefully onto a bench.
"You don't want to know."
Cassian looked between them.
"You look worse than we do."
Valen nodded slowly.
"That should not be possible."
Mira wiped sweat from her forehead.
"Apparently it is."
Rei didn't move.
Shin crouched slightly beside him.
"…is he alive?"
Rei opened one eye faintly.
"…barely."
Shin leaned back.
"Good enough."
Cassian shook his head.
"The Ascendant program is definitely torture."
No one disagreed.