The morning sunlight crept into Kael’s room like a zy cat, warming the wooden walls and filling the air with the earthy scent of oak and dew. He stretched, yawned, and blinked up at the ceiling.
He could hear birds chirping outside and the soft ctter of dishes below. The smell of honey-gzed vegetables and freshly baked bread drifted up the stairs.
It was morning.
Another quiet, peaceful day in a life he still hadn’t fully accepted as his own.
---
“Kael! Breakfast!” his mother’s melodic voice echoed from the kitchen.
He rolled out of bed, threw on a tunic, and padded down the stairs.
His father, Garron, was already at the table, grinning while whittling away at a new wooden figure. His mother, Elira, was setting ptes, her fingertips glowing faintly with lingering traces of healing magic—something Kael had found oddly fascinating ever since the first time he saw her use it on a farmer with a torn arm.
“Good morning, sleepyhead,” Elira said, pcing a kiss on his forehead.
“Morning…” he mumbled, taking his seat.
They didn’t treat him like a savior. Not like the vilgers had begun to.
They just… loved him. Like always.
That meant more than he could expin.
---
After breakfast, Kael strolled through the vilge.
Since the monster incident, things had changed. People smiled more around him. Some bowed. Some called him “savior.” The baker gave him free buns. The bcksmith asked if he wanted to forge his own sword.
He turned them all down politely.
He didn’t want a sword. He knew too well how to use one already.
Back in his previous life, he had mastered Ki, a raw inner force that enhanced body, mind, and spirit. He had perfected every sword form known to man. There was nothing left to learn.
That’s why, in this life, swordpy bored him.
But magic... now that was different.
Magic wasn’t just a tool here—it was a world of its own, filled with mystery, beauty, and possibility.
---
He met up with Arin by the creek just before noon. She was his closest friend in this world—a fiery girl with sharp wit and an even sharper aim with her slingshot. The two had become inseparable after the monster incident.
“Your fan club’s growing,” Arin teased as he approached. “Did you know old man Hargis started calling you ‘Holy Bde’?”
Kael groaned. “I should’ve let that monster hit me once or twice.”
She grinned. “Too te. You’re a legend now.”
They sat together by the creek, skipping stones and talking about everything and nothing. Eventually, Arin asked, “So… magic. You’re serious about learning it?”
He nodded. “I saw my mother heal someone st week. The way her hand glowed… the way the wound closed like time reversed itself… it reminded me of something I knew. Something like Ki.”
“You think it’s the same?”
“Simir… but more vast. More alive.”
She tilted her head. “You’ve been studying it a lot. What’ve you found?”
Kael looked out at the water and began to speak.
---
The Ten Phases of Magic
In this world, magic wasn’t simply cast—it was grown into, step by step. Each phase reflected a deeper bond with mana and the world itself. Every mage walked these stages with patience, discipline, and will.
1. Ember Phase – Awakening
The first sparks. Feeling mana for the first time. Most spells are wild and unstable. Meditation and focus are key.
2. Mist Phase – Awareness
Mana can be sensed in nature and others. Spells require runes and incantations. Basic elemental control begins.
3. Fme Phase – Control
Mana begins to respond directly to emotion and thought. Fireballs, water manipution, and healing are refined.
4. Wave Phase – Flow
Spells can be cast with gestures alone. Mana flows like breath. Mages begin forming their personal Mana Veins.
5. Stone Phase – Anchor
Magic solidifies. The caster can store and channel mana into objects. Magic weapons and artifacts are born here.
6. Bloom Phase – Bonding
Mana and soul intertwine. Elemental affinity emerges strongly. Mages start forming a Core at the heart of their being.
7. Sky Phase – Projection
Magic extends beyond the body. Spells can be set in the air, cast through thought. Illusions and spiritual energy awaken.
8. Star Phase – Creation
Casters can shape pure mana into new spells. Spellcraft begins. Some mages develop unique magic types at this phase.
9. Moon Phase – Echo
Magic echoes with the world. It can be cast silently, reflected, even yered. Cores become like hearts, pulsing with energy.
10. Eclipse Phase – Origin
Mythical. Almost no one reaches it. Magic bends to the caster’s will without effort. Reality can be rewritten—but at a cost.
---
Arin stared at him, dumbfounded. “That’s… a lot.”
Kael smiled. “And I’m just in Phase One.”
“You’re gonna zoom through it,” she said confidently.
He didn’t answer. But inside, he knew… she wasn’t wrong.
---
That evening, Kael helped his father in the garden while Elira read under a tree nearby.
The setting sun turned the sky into a painting of orange and violet.
After dinner, they sat by the fire, and Garron handed Kael a long, curved staff he had carved himself.
“Your first casting focus,” he said. “Made from moonwood. It holds mana well.”
Kael took it gently, feeling the hum of magic pass into his skin.
His mother leaned her head on Garron’s shoulder. “He’s really going to be something, isn’t he?”
“He already is,” Garron said.
Kael looked at them… and for the first time in this life, truly felt at home.
---
End of Chapter 3
