Shadow Guide

On a quiet night inside the luxurious palace, where dim lights cast shadows on the ornate walls, Oweron sat in his spacious room, contemplating silently. Everything seemed normal until he suddenly felt a strange heaviness inside his chest, as if an invisible burden was pressing on him.

"What is this feeling?" he muttered to himself, placing his hand on his heart.

This feeling was not normal; it was familiar but he had never experienced it personally before. Based on what he had learned, this was evidence of his mana core being full. But how? He hadn't even started cultivating it! He thought about it for a moment, but decided to postpone investigating this matter. The most important thing now was to seize the opportunity.

He sat cross-legged on the floor, closed his eyes, and began to breathe slowly. He remembered all the instructions he had read earlier about how to awaken the mana core. He guided the mana through its channels, trying to achieve balance between them.

Minutes passed in silence, until the atmosphere began to change. The ground shook slightly beneath him, and the walls felt an invisible pressure. After fifteen minutes, a powerful mana explosion occurred.

Instantly, the lights in the palace blazed, and the sound of hurried footsteps approached. The guards, who thought this was an explosion caused by an attack, rushed towards the young master's wing.

They burst through the door to find Oweron sitting in the middle of the room, emitting a radiant purple mana aura. His glowing eyes reflected his newfound power, and the surrounding air screamed with strength.

His father Oberon arrived with his mother Clara quickly, followed by his grandparents Oscar, Mona, Vincent, and Lerai. They were all on high alert, but as soon as Oberon saw his son sitting safely, he raised his hand to the guards.

"You may leave, there is no danger here," he said in a calm but firm voice.

The guards left after a moment of hesitation, but the palace did not calm down, as rumors began to spread quickly about what had happened.

Oberon looked at his son, who seemed completely different from before. "Oweron, are you alright? What happened?"

Oweron raised his head and looked at his father, then said in a calm but powerful voice, "I have awakened."

Silence filled the room. No child in the family had ever awakened this quickly; it was unprecedented even for the most gifted members of the family.

Clara placed her hand on her son's shoulder and asked him gently, "Did you feel anything unusual?"

Oweron thought for a moment, then replied, "I haven't cultivated mana yet, but somehow my core was full. When I started the awakening process, I felt a huge surge of energy suddenly."

Vincent raised an eyebrow, "Full without cultivation? That's... illogical."

The members of Oiron's family thought the same thing, but whatever the reason for Oiron's ability to awaken without cultivation, they couldn't find an explanation

after his family left. Oiron remained sitting on his bed, staring at his shadow stretched before him by the dim lighting in the room. He closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them and said through the mind link:

Oiron: "Am I ready now?"

An ancient and powerful voice echoed in his mind, resonating deeply as if from endless depths:

Anarak: "Of course, you were always ready, you just didn't realize it yet."

Oiron remained silent for a moment, then cupped his hands as he said in a calm but firm tone:

Oiron: "Anarak... There's something I've never asked you before, but it's always been on my mind. Why are you linked to me? Why did you choose me over others?"

There was a moment of silence, as if Anarak was weighing his words before responding. Then came his voice, slower than usual, and more mysterious:

Anarak: "Do you think I chose you?"

Oiron's eyebrows rose slightly as he stared at the shadows before him, then he said, somewhat doubtfully:

Oiron: "So, was it the other way around? Did I choose you?"

A soft laugh, full of secrets, echoed in his mind before Anarak said:

Anarak: "It's not that simple. Some bonds are forced, some are created out of thin air, but a few are... meant to be."

That response was more cryptic than Oiron had expected, but he wasn't prepared to stop there. He sighed briefly, then said more seriously:

Oiron: "Well, why are you helping me? Why do you want me to become strong?"

This time, the response didn't come immediately. There was a long silence, as if Anarak were remembering something distant. Then finally, his voice was quieter, but still filled with a strange sense of destiny:

Anarak: "Because the world is merciless to the weak, and you, Oiron… will never be weak."

Oiron sensed something unfamiliar in Anarak's words, something that carried more weight than he had expected. But before he could ask again, Anarak continued, this time with a firmer voice:

Anarak: "Don't seek answers you don't need now. When the time comes, you will know everything… but until then, you must grow, become stronger, become something this world has never seen before."

Suddenly, something occurred to Orion that he had forgotten because his family had stormed the room. Upon awaken, a screen called the Guide appeared to each person. After awaken, he heard an automated voice saying to him:

[Congratulations Orion Terra on awakening your Mana Core.]