Arcane Bonds

The morning sun filtered through the cracks in the dilapidated house as Joy sat cross-legged on the cold stone floor, her eyes wide with anticipation. Eve and Eden were seated before her, their expressions a mixture of seriousness and excitement. Today was the day Joy would begin her foundational training, a crucial step toward unlocking the power she held within.

Eve leaned forward, her voice soft but authoritative. "Joy, the path of a mage is one of patience and discipline. The foundational level is the first true stage of your journey, and it’s divided into ten steps. Each step is designed to hone your control over mana and your body’s capacity to harness it."

Joy nodded eagerly, soaking in every word. Her sisters were the best teachers she could have hoped for, and she was determined to absorb every bit of knowledge they had to offer.

“The ten foundational steps every mage must undergo,” Eden began, her voice calm and instructive. “Each one, more crucial than the last. The first step, and perhaps the most important, is learning to move mana freely through your body.”

Eden began the explanation. "You must move it like a flowing river, guiding it through every channel in your body. The key is to let the mana flow freely, except for the channels connected to your spine and cranium."

Eve, who sat nearby, nodded in agreement. “You must guide it, controlling its current, making sure it reaches every part of you—except for your spine and cranium. Those are too sensitive at first.”

Joy furrowed her brow in concentration. “And why can’t I channel mana into my spine and cranium yet?”

Eden smiled. “Because the spine and cranium require a much deeper connection to your mana. If you try too early, you could hurt yourself—or worse, you could absorb too much mana more than you can handle and end up destroying yourself.”

“The second step,” Eve added, picking up where her sister left off, “involves focusing your mana into your bones. You’ll hone them, strengthening your entire skeletal system. It’s like sharpening a blade—but instead, you’re refining yourself, making your body more resilient.”

Joy nodded, thinking: “So, this is the same shit as the old liar used to tell me back on earth, this is boring as hell.”

Eden said. “Once you’ve honed your bones, the third step is when things start to get really interesting. You’ll need to create a special connection—a channel, if you will—between the mana in your body and your spine. This is the stage where you begin linking everything together, forming a cohesive flow of mana from your bones, through your spine, and eventually to your brain.”

Eve’s voice turned more serious as she continued. “And it’s at this point, Joy, that you’ll be able to connect—just once—to the World of Wands.”

Joy’s eyes lit up at the mention. She had heard of the World of Wands before, but the idea of actually entering it sent a thrill through her. “I’ll be able to get my wand then?”

Eve smiled at her little sister’s anxious enthusiasm. “Yes, but you must be cautious. The connection to the World of Wands is fleeting, and you’ll need to be prepared for what you find there. A wand isn’t just a tool—it’s a partner for life. You must be ready for that bond.”

Eden stepped forward again, continuing the explanation. “After that, the fourth step begins. This is when you hone your flesh and bones again. But this time, in order to pass to the fifth step, you’ll need to fully hone your spine twice.”

“Why the spine again?” Joy asked.

Eden exchanged a glance with Eve. “The spine is the core of your body’s mana flow. It’s like the trunk of a tree—the stronger the trunk, the better the branches and leaves will flourish. But it’s not just about strength. The more refined your body, the greater your potential will be in the future.”

Eve interrupted with her own thoughts, leaning forward slightly. “Actually, I have a theory about that. You see, there are multiple tomes and records that suggest the more you hone your body, the stronger your foundation will be. So I believe it’s better to stay in the fourth step longer than most people do. I believe we’re not using this step to its full potential."

Eden arched an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

“Five times?” Joy blinked in surprise.

Eve took a deep breath before continuing. "I think mages are rushing through the foundational stages too quickly. If you stay in the fourth step and hone your body—excluding the cranium—five times over, you could become far stronger. Our father once told me about a mage from Eldralore who had refined his body four times. Father killed him in the war, but not before nearly losing his life. He said that man was the strongest mage he had ever faced."

Eden’s expression grew somber. “Father always praised him, said he was the strongest mage he had ever met. But Kaelion died young because of that war, if he hadn’t met our father he would have been the strongest mage known in the continent.”

Joy blinked, absorbing this new information. "So, the longer I stay in that step, the stronger I'll be?"

Eve nodded. "Exactly. But it requires patience. And most mages don’t have that. They want power quickly, and they push through the foundational steps without fully realizing the potential they’re missing."

Joy pondered this for a moment before asking, "What step was Father on when he fought that man?"

"He was a second stage mage, known as mana adept" Eden replied. "A whole level above him who was just an arcane initiate a first stage mage. Yet Father nearly died in that battle. It’s a testament to how strong someone can become if they hone their body properly."

With that, she closed her eyes and began her training. She focused on circulating the mana through her body, guiding it through every channel like her sisters had instructed, settling into a meditative state. She could feel the mana inside her, a latent energy waiting to be tapped. But what her sisters didn’t know was that Joy had a unique way of using mana. To unleash her thunder spell against Seraphina or even when she was a baby and launch that burst of thunder she employed some of the random thoughts of Eve when she was making a tantrum and her past life methods and unifying both concepts she was capable of exteriorizing her electric mana even so she doesn’t have a wand, this method was to move her mana through her belly, using her breathing to guide it toward her hands. But now her way of doing the circulation accelerated even more the absorption of mana, also this is the first time she absorbed the surrounding mana and move it around her channels of mana, also her method create in her belly a special space and this space started circulating the mana in her spine.

As she breathed in, the mana swirled in her belly, then shot up her spine with each exhale. Her control was precise, and the energy hummed through her body like lightning trapped in a storm cloud.

At first, the flow was smooth. But soon, the mana around her began to stir. Unknowingly, Joy was attracting the ambient mana of the surroundings. The ruins themselves seemed to come alive, as if the ancient stones were reacting to the surge of energy. Outside, the air grew heavy, charged with electricity.

Eden, who had been watching from a distance, felt a sudden surge of mana in the surrounding area. Her eyes widened as she realized what was happening. "Joy... no..."

“What is she doing?” Eden muttered under her breath, stepping toward her younger sister.

Sparks began to appear around Joy, small tendrils of electricity dancing across her skin as she continued to circulate the mana through her body. The air crackled with energy, and Eden’s eyes widened in alarm.

This wasn’t normal. The amount of mana Joy was drawing in—whether intentionally or not—was far beyond what any mage should be able to handle at her level. And that could only mean one thing.

“Eve!” Eden shouted, her voice laced with urgency. “We need to stop her!”

Eve, who had been reading through an old tome nearby, looked up in confusion. “What? It's too risky, if we stop her we can severely damage her mana channels.”

“The mana—she’s drawing too much of it. If she keeps going, she’ll attract—”

Eden didn’t finish her sentence. A sudden chill swept through the air, so cold that it bit into her skin. Outside the house, everything began to freeze. Frost spread across the ground like creeping vines, and the temperature plummeted. Even the trees at the edge of the ruins groaned under the weight of the ice forming on their branches.

Eden’s heart raced as she realized what was happening. The mana disturbance wasn’t just attracting attention—it was awakening something far more dangerous. "No... this place… it must be the resting place of an elemental spirit of the forest. Maybe even worse... a king magical beast."

She bolted for the door, shouting over her shoulder. “Eve, stay inside! No matter what happens, don’t come out!”

Eve, sensing the seriousness of Eden’s command, nodded, though her heart raced with worry.

Outside, Eden scanned the area, her breath turning to mist in the freezing air. The ruins were deathly silent, save for the soft crunch of frost beneath her boots. But at the far end of the ruins, near a broken stone archway, something stirred.

Water.

It began as a trickle, pooling at the base of the archway before rising into the air, defying gravity. The water twisted and turned, coiling into the shape of a large creature. As it solidified, it took the form of a wolf—massive, with fur the color of ice-blue water and dark blue front paws. A blue gem gleamed in the center of its forehead, pulsing with an eerie light.

"An elemental beast," Eden whispered, her heart pounding in her chest. The creature’s presence was overwhelming, its aura suffocating. It was a water wolf, one of the most feared creatures known.

The wolf let out a low, rumbling growl, its icy breath misting in the air as it turned its gaze toward Joy, who was still drawing in mana at an incredible rate. Eden gritted her teeth, her mind racing. If this beast attacked, they wouldn’t stand a chance.

She stood her ground, her wand glowing with magic as she prepared to face the creature. There was no choice now. She had to protect her sisters at all costs.