...

"Th..."

"...A"

"Fi...e?"

Voices were coming and going from around me, they seemed so far away but so close at the same time. I tried to focus on them trying to understand what they were saying....

"Ugh..." I groaned as pain assaulted my chest and my head at the same time. "Shit..."

Instinctively bring a hand towards my head I could feel it throbbing as the pain subsided by the second. It was at this moment that my eyes opened, they felt heavy as if they had been exhausted from the last thing they glared at.

I was immediately forced to close them tightly due to the strong light right in front of me, I moved my hand to hide the light waiting for my eyes to adjust to the new brightness in the room.

After a moment of absolute silence, reluctantly opening my eyes to see....

A ceiling.

A white ceiling.

A white light that blinded my sight.

With a groan of pain I lifted my body as I looked around the room cautiously....

And immediately let my guard down as I recognized the place as the Academy's infirmary, it seemed to be empty at the moment as no nurse could be seen around or any students on the beds. "Because...- Ugh!"

"This is funny!"

"...An insult!..."

"...You have no talent..."

I held my hands to my head as the memories came flooding back into my mind, it felt like they were drilling into your head as the memories began to connect with each other.

After a couple of seconds - when the pain began to subside - I lowered my hands from my still throbbing head as my gaze rested on the wall of the room, my gaze lost and empty as I delved deeper into my thoughts. I clenched the sheets in my fists as a feeling of frustration and humiliation enveloped my heart...then loosened them with a resigned sigh.

"...I lost...again" I whispered as I let gravity take over my body as I dropped onto the bed, my gaze settling on the white light coming from the ceiling lamp.

I guess I underestimated her...I knew there were rumors, but I never thought a Noble could fight as well as a Royal guard...and especially a woman of all things....

I could feel my cheeks rising to form a weak smile at the thought.

But even then...

"Face it, you have no talent" Whispered a voice in his ear, making him shudder at the heartbreaking memory....

Could it be that... he was right after all...?

Slap

I gave myself a loud slap that rang throughout the room as my gaze hardened, I looked down at my palms before clenching them into fists.

I refuse.

I refuse to give up.

Not now. Not ever.

Just then the door to the infirmary opened to reveal a beautiful girl with red hair with orange tips making it look like her hair was on fire, beautiful red almost ruby-like eyes that looked up at him with joy and a shark smile on her face, the girl gave off an aura of confidence and constant warmth.

Seeing the girl enter I gritted my teeth as I forged my determination with the fire of my soul and tempered it with the spirit of a king.

I swear, even if I have to sell my soul to the devil.

I will not give up.

 

---

 

In a huge but beautiful garden of a great Mansion, two figures could be seen sitting quietly at a beautiful marble table decorated with blue and black details, above it could be seen a tea set and a couple of books.

There was a beautiful girl with silky pure white hair that reached to her waist, soft white skin that looked like with the slightest touch it would break into a thousand pieces, she was dressed in a black dress with small white decorations and a black garden hat matching the girl's dress, although she still possessed baby fat on her face, it was quite obvious to everyone that the young girl would grow up to be a dazzling beauty.

If it weren't for the girl's most remarkable feature.

The girl possessed gloomy lifeless and drab gray eyes that seemed to constantly stare into the very abyss itself, if one were to stare into these empty eyes one would think that the reaper was standing before her ready to tear out her soul without delay.

The other figure was an elegant maid, she had long black hair as dark as the cold space that reached her shoulders, abnormally white skin that seemed to be constantly cold, her eyes were cold and sharp as if winter was permanently fixed in her gaze contrary to her gaze her eyes were a warm electric yellow that could well glow in the depths of the abyss.

These two people were none other than Sophia Flumin and Clair, the Eternal Servant.

"I don't like this..." Sophia complained as she adjusted her hat, as if to hide as much as possible from the sun's rays. "Why did we have to go outside Clair? You know I'm not a big fan of the heat."

"You can't always stay indoors Young Lady" Spoke the maid as she poured tea into the blind girl's cup, she gently took Sophia's small hand directing her to gently take the cup of tea. "It's good for your health and your skin, you must take care of yourself to get a good man someday."

Sophia shook her head resignedly looking into the void with a blank stare before speaking in a more delicate tone than expected. "I'm not interested in marriage...not to mention I don't think there's anyone who wants to marry me of all people, surely there are many better options than me?"

"Don't worry Young Lady, you are very pretty and will surely grow up to become a very beautiful woman" Clair spoke in her typical cold tone as she sat down in front of Sophia. "Don't let those gloomy eyes of yours get to you, as scary as they are someone must want them and if they don't want your eyes they will surely want your last name."

Sophia closed her eyes as her shoulders slumped a little. "...Thanks, I guess" I don't know if that should have cheered me up or disappointed me.....

She shook her head as a sigh escaped her lips "Anyway, may I know why we're outside?"

Clair smiled slightly making Sophia blink in surprise. "...It's time."

"Huh?" Confused, Sophia tilted her head to the side.

"Magic, ma'am, Magic" Clair replied as she rolled her eyes at her mistress' ignorance. "I'm going to teach you how to wield Outer Mana or at least the theory of it."

Sophia's eyes widened like saucers before she turned her surprised and excited gaze towards Clair, but before she squealed with delight she spoke in a half unsure and half excited tone. "But... Mother had said that I couldn't learn anything related to Outer Mana until I turned 8. She even ordered all the maids and workers of the Manor that it was strictly forbidden to speak or mention Magic."

Sophia remembers that when that rule was made known Anna had panicked before placing her head on the floor in front of Mother as tears streamed from her eyes, she cried out that she was sorry and that she did not know the rule or Sophia's condition....

Mother simply looked at her surprised and puzzled as she said that she was not to blame for anything as it was a newly established rule and she only taught her about Inner Mana and not Outer Mana. Therefore, there would be no punishment for her. "Don't worry, it was just a little slip up, don't blame yourself so much dear" Mother had said as she bent down to lift Anna's head.

Anna had thanked her for the mercy she had shown her, almost as if she was trying to separate herself from her sins. Sophia believed there was a story behind Anna's strange behavior, or perhaps this was how all maids apologized?

"Your Mother has considered that it would be good to bring your training forward a bit" Clair spoke bringing Sophia out of her memories.

"We'll start with the basic concept, then the elements and lastly we'll try to cast a spell, understood?"

Sophia wanted to ask why Mother had brought the training forward, knowing full well that she was someone who didn't change her mind easily. But in the end she simply shrugged, deciding that this was a good opportunity to learn Magic once and for all. "Understood."

Nodding Clair lifted one of the books lying on the table. "Alright, let's start with the most basic and essential of all, 'Mana'. In our world there are hundreds of types of 'Mana, each with mysterious and unique properties that make them stand out from the others. But we Humans can only use two types of Mana, the 'Inner' and the 'Outer'."

"The 'Outer Mana' is linked with the 'Environmental Mana', which as its name says, is a type of Mana of natural origin, that is, it is found anywhere in the world and is the very representation of Nature. 'Outer Mana', is a type of Mana that originates from accumulating 'Environmental Mana' around our bodies unconsciously."

Clair was silent for a few moments as she thought of a good example.

"Imagine it like this. The sun warms the World with its rays, it is a source of heat that affects your body but is not bound to your body, this would be 'Environmental Mana'" Clair explained as she looked slightly at the sun, her expression still immutable as she was lost in thought. "Now imagine the heat your body generates, this heat is bound to you by your human physiology, this would be the 'Outer Mana'"

Clair turned her cool gaze to Sophia, who was frowning slightly and with a hand on her cheek. "When one is exposed too long to the sun's rays the body will begin to sweat in an attempt to cool the body from the great heat. That's what happens with 'Environmental Mana', it transforms into 'Outer Mana' when in contact with our skin for too long, building up until our reserves of 'Outer Mana' are full. Now do you understand?"

Sophia who was immersed in thought nodded slowly, as if coming to a conclusion of her own. "I think I understand. Continuing with the example, I imagine that... the more we use our 'Outer Mana' the colder our body will get from losing its body heat no?"

"Exactly. The more you use the Outer Mana, the weaker your body will feel and a feeling of dizziness, exhaustion and headaches will assail you, this is known as Mana Exhaustion."

"Now do you have any questions?" Sophia shook her head, causing Clair to nod. "Good. Let's move on to the Magical Elements..."

After that Clair explained several more types of concepts, Elements, Rules of Magic, etc. Honestly it was a bombardment of information that took me a while to organize and sort through properly. There was so much information that I had to ask him to repeat several parts as I didn't understand very well what he was referring to or he used some concepts that I didn't know.

...

But with all this information hundreds of doors have opened for me. Sophia thought while she was lying on her bed, she looked at the infinite darkness and it responded wrapping her like a soft and thick blanket, Sophia had already got used to this infinite emptiness where only she and the darkness were.

It took time but we did it, didn't we?

That's right, now we just have to perfect it.

Well that's a bit easier....

Yes, but it's annoying to create another formula...

One step at a time, it doesn't all come at once.

...one step at a time...

...

---