The forest rustled around us, the warm late-afternoon wind weaving through the tall trees. The sky above was painted in deep strokes of orange and purple, shadows stretching long across the mossy ground. It was just me and Mili—my newly discovered sister and the only person I could rely on in this strange, magical world.
She crossed her arms with her usual sharp-eyed smirk and spoke like she was lecturing a child:
— "Well, since you're absolutely hopeless when it comes to magic, I guess I'll start from the very beginning."
— "Wow, you really didn't need to roast me while teaching…"
— "Oops. My bad."
I sighed. Sarcasm aside, she was all I had.
— "Mana," she began, lifting her hand as if to summon the word itself, "is like breathing. Natural, effortless. It's something you feel, not learn."
The air around her shimmered, dancing faintly.
— "There are two types of mana users. Manipulators, who shape the world around them. And Destroyers, who channel raw, devastating energy. You, obviously… are a Destroyer."
I clenched my fists. That lined up with everything that had happened.
— "And you're a Manipulator, huh? Since you passed through prison walls like a ghost?"
— "Bingo," she said with a wink. "Now. How do you learn to control your power? You train. Start by focusing your mana into a single point."
I stretched out my hand, hesitantly. The warmth in my veins pulsed like a heartbeat. I focused.
For a moment, it felt right—centered, calm—
— BOOM!
A shockwave erupted from my palm, blue light tearing through the air as leaves and dirt exploded skyward.
— "Okay… maybe not that calm."
Mili only grinned.
— "Actually, that's perfect. The harder it is to control, the stronger your potential. I'm gonna fetch a specialist. You stay here and keep trying."
— "Got it," I said, watching her vanish into the woods.
And I trained.
Hours passed. The forest became my battlefield. Trees were blown apart. Craters formed where I lost control. My muscles ached. My mind boiled with frustration.
— "WHY CAN'T I DO ONE SIMPLE THING?!"
Another flash of blue. Eight trees cracked and fell.
I was panting. Then—
Footsteps.
— "Oi, kid… Hand over everything you've got."
Three figures emerged. Battered armor. Greedy eyes.
— "What?"
— "This is a robbery. C'mon, don't make it hard."
— "Look, I'm not in the mood—just leave."
— "No? Then you're gonna learn the hard way."
FOOSH!
A fireball blasted toward me. I barely dodged it. My heart pounded—I'd never fought another person before. I turned and ran between the trees.
— "Run, and I'll burn this whole forest down!"
I froze. My house—my only home—was wooden. Not far.
I turned back.
— "You wanna rob me? Fine. But I'm done being treated like a scared little kid."
Blue energy surged to my palm again. This time, the bolt was faster, more focused. The bandit dodged and countered with a barrage of fireballs. We danced in chaos—fire and lightning crashing through the woods.
I was faster now, but not fast enough. One fireball grazed my arm.
Pain. Searing, white-hot. I screamed.
Instinct took over. I fired wildly in every direction, bolts slamming into trees and dirt, turning the forest into a warzone.
— "Panicking already? Hahaha!"
The bandit laughed, but I couldn't hear him anymore. My thoughts drifted—to childhood cartoons. My favorite hero. That one move he always did: one hand pulled back, the other forward, channeling energy without being overwhelmed by it.
I had no idea if it would work.
But I had no choice.
I positioned myself just like the hero.
The air thickened. Magic crackled like lightning. The pressure around me became unbearable.
— "BLUE... BEAM!!"
A torrent of blue light ripped through the forest like a divine cannon. The bandit was vaporized before he even knew what hit him. When the light faded, only a crater remained.
I collapsed to my knees, panting. Trembling.
But for the first time in my life…
I didn't feel powerless, and the otheres bandits run, lucky me.