The morning air in the castle courtyard was cold, cutting through Sai’s sweat-drenched skin like a thousand tiny needles. His body ached from yesterday’s brutal training, but he couldn’t afford to show weakness. His muscles screamed for rest, but his mind was set. There was no turning back now. If surviving the forest had taught him anything, it was that only the strong could survive in Eryndor, and he wasn’t planning to be anything less.

  Sai stood at the center of the training ground, his breath coming in sharp, jagged gasps. The man overseeing his training, a tall, broad-shouldered figure with a permanent frown etched on his face, stood across from him, arms folded.

  “You survived the physical trials yesterday,” the man said, his voice low and cold. “But that was only the beginning. Today, you’ll learn that strength is not just in your body. It’s in your mind, in your spirit, and in the very energy of the world around you. Today, we start the next phase of your training: magic.”

  Sai’s heart raced. He had known it was coming he’d seen the glimmers of magic around him since his arrival in this strange world, but the reality of it now seemed so much more daunting than he had imagined.

  The man’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts. “You will first continue your Body tempering. We start with the basics again fifty pushups, fifty sit-ups, and fifty squats. Then we move on to your weaponry training.”

  Sai began with pushups, lowering his chest to the ground, then pushing back up with every ounce of energy he could muster. His arms burned, and sweat poured from his body, his vision narrowing as he focused on the movement. Every fiber of his being screamed for him to stop, but he gritted his teeth and pressed on.

  By the time he reached fifty, his arms felt like they were on fire. He rolled onto his back for the sit-ups, his abs protesting with every motion, but he didn’t stop. He couldn’t. Every rep brought him closer to something—something stronger than his old self. Then it was onto the squats. His thighs trembled with each descent, the weight of his body pushing him down further with each squat. But he kept his back straight, his form improving, despite the burning fatigue.

  Sai’s muscles screamed in protest, but he wasn’t about to let up. He continued, each set driving him to the brink of collapse, yet he pushed on.

  When he finished the Body Tempering, his body felt like it was about to give out, but the man motioned for him to pick up a sword. The metal was heavier than he expected, and his arms trembled as he lifted it into a combat stance. The man handed him a shield as well.

  “Your body needs strength. But your mind and spirit need to learn how to wield weapons,” the man said, drawing his own sword. “We’ll begin with basic stances.

  Sai did as instructed, holding his stance with the sword and shield before him. The man moved swiftly, testing Sai’s defenses with quick, powerful strikes. The sound of metal clashing against metal rang out as the man’s strikes tested the limits of Sai’s endurance.

  “Block! Don’t just stand there—counter, deflect, anticipate my moves!”

  Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

  Sai gritted his teeth and tried to focus. He had no experience with a sword, but his instincts began to kick in. The man’s attacks were fast, but not unpredictable. Sai caught his rhythm, deflecting the blows with the shield and parrying the sword with his own.

  The man was relentless, forcing him to dodge, to strike, to counter, to adapt. Time and again, Sai was pushed back, forced to recover and find his balance once more.

  Finally, the man stepped back, his face showing the faintest hint of approval.

  After a brief rest, Sai was ushered to the side of the courtyard, where a circle of glowing runes lay etched into the ground. The air seemed to hum with an unfamiliar energy, vibrating beneath his feet as he stepped onto the circle. The man stood at a distance, watching silently.

  “Magic, in its most basic form, is not something you wield with brute force,” the man said, his tone growing quieter. “It is a force that flows through all things. Through the air, the earth, the very blood in your veins. To wield magic, you must first attune yourself to that flow.”

  The man raised his hand, and a pulse of light emanated from his fingers, a shimmering stream of energy that swirled in the air before dissipating. “This is the most basic form of magic: the manipulation of energy. To start, you will learn how to sense that energy.”

  Sai closed his eyes, focusing on the flow of air around him. At first, there was nothing. But then, faintly, he felt it—the tingling sensation of energy in the air, as though the atmosphere itself was alive with power. It was subtle, but it was there. Sai focused harder, trying to expand his awareness, to reach out and grasp it.

  “You must become one with it,” the man continued. “You cannot control it, not yet. But you must understand it. Let it flow through you.”

  The first few attempts were futile. Sai felt the energy flicker around him, but he couldn’t hold onto it. It slipped through his fingers, like sand falling through a sieve. But he persisted, his mind growing sharper with each passing moment.

  Focus. Focus.

  Gradually, the energy seemed to grow stronger. He could feel the magic now, pulsing through the air, almost like a second heartbeat. He reached out with his mind, not forcing it, but inviting it in. The moment he did, the magic responded.

  The runes on the ground flared brightly, and a soft light enveloped Sai’s hands. His heart raced, but he kept his focus. The magic was inside him now—he could feel it—coursing through his body, connecting him to the world around him.

  “Good,” the man said, nodding. “You’ve made progress. But now, you must learn to channel that energy.”

  The man gestured, and suddenly, a bolt of blue energy shot out from his hand, crackling through the air. “This is an elemental spell—simple for a trained mage. I want you to focus your energy and send it outward, like I just did.”

  Sai nodded, raising his hand as the man had done. He focused on the magic within him, channeling the energy from his core, through his arms, and into his hand. His body trembled with the effort, as the restraining bracelets dug into his skin, blocking the flow of mana. The arcane weights held him back, making every movement harder. His mana was harder to control, slipping in and out of his grasp, his focus flickering as exhaustion set in. Still, he pushed forward.

  At first, nothing happened. But then, a faint crackle of energy sparked from his fingertips. Sai’s eyes widened in disbelief. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to send a bolt of raw magic hurtling forward. It hit the ground with a small explosion, sending dust and debris flying.

  The man raised an eyebrow. “Impressive. You managed to channel the energy on your first try. But now, you must refine your control. Magic is not just power—it’s precision. You need to direct it, control it, and make it bend to your will.”

  The next few hours were spent refining his ability to control the magic. But each time Sai tried to push past his limits, the bracelets resisted, draining his strength, and the effort became even more painful. The toll it took on his body and mind was immense. His body trembled, his movements slower, as the restraining magic tightened its grip.