Dusk was an important time of the day for Evan. It was a quiet time he had to himself for reading and writing. Zed and Wyra would be too tired to bother him after playing all morning and Fel would be busy helping Cara and Leon prepare dinner.

A full hour of doing nothing but sitting on his warm bed, wrapped up in sheets with a lantern by his side, as he drowned himself in the musky scent of paper and ink while making notes using water magic.

It was peaceful, or at least it was.

Until the door to Evan’s room burst open to reveal Wyra with her eyes ablaze.

Evan sighed. ‘This is why we can’t have nice things.’

“Zed, where did you put my hairbrush?”

“How would I know? It’s your hairbrush.”

“You thief! I know you took it!”

“Why would I take it? I don’t even comb my hair.”

Fel’s head popped out from behind the door frame. “Hey Wyra, do you know-”

“I don’t know, Fel. Just look for it in my dresser.”

Evan sighed. ‘Kids…’

A few months had gone by since Fel’s adoption and Maren had invited them all to celebrate the Winter Festival together at his home in Zyra.

The Winter Festival was an annual event special to many people.

Taking place in all human territories on Javik, it was held every winter a week before the end of the year. It was mainly the day where the Attunement Ceremony would be held, but it was also a day for celebrations, coming together as a family, and giving presents to each other.

It was also the time of year when the Royal Palace would open up its doors, hosting a Royal Feast for anyone high enough in the social hierarchy. The Banquet was a great time for them to interact with each other, making new allies and enemies.

Apparently, Maren had gotten invitations for the whole family, which led to the vacation.

They would spend a week touring Zyra before Zed and Wyra participated in the Attunement Ceremony and finally, they would attend the Banquet.

Of course, the children were thrilled to go, so thrilled in fact, that they forgot to pack, which Cara promptly scolded them for. She ordered them to finish packing tonight or they would be left behind when the carriage came tomorrow.

Evan had already finished packing and was reading to pass the time while the others were waging wars with their respective chests.

“Wyra, I swear I don’t know where your hairbrush is!” Zed cried out.

“Lies! I’m telling Mom.”

“No, wait-”

“Is this the hairbrush?” Fel asked.

“It is! Where did you find it?”

“In this drawer.”

“Fel! Why were you looking through my dresser?!”

“You told me to!”

“Shut up, I’m trying to read!” Evan roared angrily.

“Or what, shortie?” Wyra retorted without thinking.

Silence swept throughout the room. Wyra’s hand flew to her mouth as she realized what she had said, but it was too late. The room grew dark and the once bright sunlight seemed to fade a little faster, overtaken by the shadows in the room. Zed and Fel backed away wordlessly from her, saying a silent prayer for her in their hearts.

“H-hey, Evan? You know I didn’t mean it, right?” Wyra asked, gulping in fear.

No response.

“Evan?”

Nothing, again. Wyra knew what this meant.

The hunt had begun.

Wyra could hear own heart beat louder and louder. Sweat dripped down from her forehead as she slowly backed herself into a corner. Her hands felt numb and her shallow breaths fogged up like mist.

“Evan, please. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to!”

Then, she heard the fluttering of clothes behind her, but before she could turn around, a voice whispered softly in her ear.

“Requiescat In Pace.”

Wyra let out a bloodcurdling scream before fainting.

‘S-so cold…’

…

“So kids, are you excited for the trip?” Leon asked as the family sat down together for dinner.

“Yeah!” they chimed.

“Are you alright, Wyra?” Cara asked. “Your legs have been shaking a lot.”

“N-no reason, mom! I’m just shaking them from excitement!” Wyra sputtered, her voice going up a pitch.

“Are you sure? We could always call a sister from the church. We haven’t seen Sister Felicia or Marcel in ages.”

“Yeah, she’s fine, mom.” Evan said with a smile. “Right, Wyra?”

“R-right.”

Cara didn’t pursue the matter any further and soon, the family moved on to other topics.

Evan felt something spread, making him feel warm inside. Eating, arguing, and spending time together.

Together.

It was such an odd word for Evan. Sure, being alone had its perks. No one would be there to bother or annoy him with their problems, but this… This too felt nice.

However, Evan knew this sense of peace was only the calm before the hurricane.

He felt it.

Maren had been busy over the past few months, advertising the Mercenary Guild in noble circles around Zyra.

Even if half of the news he had written in his letters was true, Evan had severely underestimated the market potential of this business, and he hadn’t even begun looking for suppliers, taking care of logistics, and getting more mercenaries.

Granted, most of the work could be delegated to Jerry, but Evan wanted to at least put in some effort into it.

To add insult to injury, his own Attunement Ceremony was coming in a few years and Evan wanted to be ready for the big day.

The Attunement Ceremony was held for everyone at the age of nine, from the commoners to the nobles. Anxious parents and recruitment officers from the Academies would watch the children go through the Attunement Ceremony, hoping to find talent among them.

Technically, anyone on Javik was able to cast spells, no matter their talent or background. However, what separated ‘magic users’ from regular people was their mana capacity.

Regular people faint from mana depletion after casting one or two spells, making them unable to practice magic.

Attuned were magic users that had undergone the Attunement Ceremony, forming a stable core in their bodies.The core functioned as a reservoir for mana, allowing the Attuned to pool more mana and increase its recovery rate.

Attuned themselves were split into two different categories: the augmenter, and the mage.

Augmenters use mana to ‘augment’ their bodies, increasing their own physical capabilities, while mages use mana to cast spells. Both seemed to be indistinguishable from the other at higher levels as Augementers would be able cast spells of their own and Mages would be strengthened.

The progression system seems to be entirely based off of the Attunement Ceremony.

Children newly attuned are said to be on their First Attunement at the bottom of the ranks. As they grow older though, they would undergo the Attunement Ceremony again to reach higher Attunements.

Students at Claereth, accepted by most to be the best school of magic, would reach the Third Attunement by the time they graduate. Some even reached the fourth.

Fairytales say that there was once a mage that reached the seventh attunement, becoming ruler over an undisclosed kingdom.

Maybe it was just a fairytale, but Evan did manage to find the secrets to forbidden magic in those fairy tales.

Maybe such stories were not so fictitious after all.

Regardless, Evan wanted to get some serious training done outside the city before he participated in the Attunement Ceremony.

His ‘Mana Heart’ was getting stronger.

Evan knew something was wrong when he felt the sealing array inside the construct housing the mana in his heart crack when he killed the thug, but he was only beginning to feel the effects now.

Headaches, shortness of breath, and chest pains; all symptoms of high blood pressure and tachycardia.

Mana seemed to energize his heart, making it pump faster than was normal.

Exercise and mana usage only seemed to worsen it.

Sure, using spells would decrease the mana in his heart and relieve some of the pain, but like a muscle getting exercised, the Mana Heart would only grow stronger with each spell Evan casted.

Like a ticking bomb.

He needed to find a cure, so he thought of exploring the forest near Wistre.

World energy often converged in certain hotspots around Javik. The higher concentrations of energy would often mutate the local flora and fauna, creating magical beasts and plants. The Wisteria Forest was no exception.

‘I don’t have high hopes of finding something that’ll cure me. Still, it’s not like I’m getting any better if I stay at home. Might as well bet on maybe than never.”

“Hey Evan, are you excited for the trip?” Fel whispered to Evan with a mouthful of potatoes.

“Don’t talk while chewing your food.”

Fel pouted, taking a minute to swallow her food.

“Answer the question, jerk.”

“Not unless you ask nicely.”

If looks could kill, Evan would have burnt to death on the spot as Fel shot him a nasty glare.

“Would you perhaps find this excursion exhilarating, honourable brother?” Fel spat, her voice oozing with sarcasm.

“Wrong. ‘Honourable’ is only used when welcoming or thanking a guest or close relation. You should use ‘dear brother’ in this case.”

Fel punched Evan’s arm, only for the doppelganger he had prepared to disappear with a puff of smoke. The real Evan got up from the table and shot her a smug grin.

“Mom, I’m done eating. The steak was great as always, Dad. Maybe a bit more mushroom would be good for the sauce. I’m feeling tired so I’m going to go upstairs and sleep now. Good night.”

“EVAN!!!”