Chapter 13: Awakening Part-2: Mana Core
[3rd-person POV]
'She sure talks a lot,'
Eden mused as he approached the entrance to the chamber, which was located at the extreme end of the castle.
Only his father, saintess Olivia, and head maid Sarah are with him.
[Yeah, she chatted for five hours straight, and all that talking will make your mother want to die of shame.]
Edda responded to his words in his head, as she, too, was listening to stories about his mother.
'yeah'
Eden smiled as he recalled what she had told him about his mother.
"All set, Eden, you can enter now" .
Olivia interrupted his thoughts by reminding him that he needed to get ready. He simply nodded and walked into the chamber.
The air within the hidden chamber was heavy with a whirling mist of mana.
The walls seemed to pulse with a faint blue glow, embedded with beautiful runes that emitted a calming radiance.
The air was thick with healing runes, a never-ending stream of energy that renewed and nurtured the body from within.
Eden sat in the midst of the room, his eyes closed in meditation.
Three individuals stood silently on the other side of the glass wall.
Eden's father and Duke of Morton, Aldric Morton, looked at him with emotionless eyes.
Olivia Sunhaven, Eden's aunt and a respected saintess of the Sun god Apollo, stood beside him.Her gaze was steady and observant, and her expression was a mix of amusement and melancholy.
Sarah, the Morton household's head maid, stood slightly away and stared at him calmly and collectedly.
The atmosphere within the chamber shifted as the minutes passed.
Eden's breathing slowed, matching the ebb and flow of the mana around him.
The chamber seemed to react to his presence, as if it recognized the significance of the occasion.
The awakening process began with a faint, faraway hum.
Tendrils of mana began to form at Eden's fingertips, with thin lines of light coiling around his hands and feet.
Eden's face stiffened as the vines grew, a bead of sweat forming on his brow.Despite his obvious discomfort, he made no sound.
The vines grew and spread throughout his limbs.The procedure was slow, deliberate, and unyielding.
As the new network of mana veins was being formed, the bones changed and the organs realigned.
Eden's lips pinched together and his breath hitched, but he kept his cool.
Outside the chamber, Aldric exchanged a look with Olivia, who nodded reassuringly.
The healing power of the chamber was at work, relieving the pain as best it could.
Sarah's gaze remained fixated on Eden, her concern engraved over her features, her face exhibiting emotion for the first time in a long time.
Eden's body began to emanate a soft light, the hues moving like the elements themselves.
First, a fiery red, reflecting the fire; then a tranquil blue, representing the essence of water; next, a dynamic green, reflecting the spirit of wind; and finally, a warm brown, suggestive of the soil.
It was a demonstration of affinities, proof of Eden's link to the fundamental elements of the world.
Every drop of mana in the chamber seemed to be dragged to Eden by an invisible force.
It swirled around him, making a glowing halo around his upper body.The mana flowed into his body, collecting within his heart, with a final, tremendous rush of energy.
For a little while, time seemed to stand still, and then reality appeared to crumble.
Eden was surrounded by an explosion of light and power that emanated from his entire existence.
The ethereal light illuminated his form, and then, as abruptly as it had begun, the gushing of energy stopped.
"Hah..hah.."
Eden hunched forward, his body heaving with each breath.He was barely conscious, but the mana core within him pulsed, signifying that he had completed his awakening.
'That was difficult,'Even though the pain was unbearable, he was pleased with himself for not screaming.
[Eden !]But before he could savor this new sensation, Edda yelled in his head, frightening him slightly.
'What?'
Eden inquired, as he was feeling uneasy at the urgency in her voice.
[Be prepared; your space-time affinity is about to awaken, and all I can say is that it will hurt like hell].Edda responded.
'What exactly do you mean?'
Before he could comprehend what Edda was saying, he felt time pause for a second and the space around him begin to shift, causing the entire chamber to collapse in an instant.
Just as that happened, he felt excruciating pain in his body.
"Arghhhhh...."
His agonizing scream split the air, filling the area with its power, before he passed out.
Olivia emerged almost instantly, supporting him, followed by Aldric and Sarah, their worried expressions evident.
"How is he?"
As Sarah approached Eden, Aldric inquired.
"Most of his muscles are torn, and his mana vines are damaged, but his life is not in danger."
Olivia's voice was a mix of relief and concern as she explained Eden's situation.
Aldric's attention was locked on his son; his brow furrowed as he took in the destroyed chamber and the unconscious boy within it.
"What the hell happened?" .
Aldric mumbled under his breath as he looked around at the wrecked chamber surrounding him.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone