After deciding to talk to his parents, Kael headed down to the hall where he knew his mother would be. As he walked down the stairs, he muttered to himself, "So… how do I tell her this? Should I just walk up to her and say, 'Hey Mom, I awakened a new elemental affinity. It's the space element—what do you think of that? Oh, and do you know any way to train in it?'"
He shook his head and thought, "No. She'll be in shock the moment she hears the first sentence and won't even register what I say after that."
Deep in thought, Kael sighed and whispered, "Dang it… I'll just say it however it comes out. No matter how I phrase it, this is going to surprise her anyway."
He descended the stairs and made his way toward his parents' room, hoping Helena would be there. "Mom? Are you there?" he called.
Instead of getting a reply from the room, he heard her voice coming from the garden outside. He quickly headed there and found Helena sitting on the corridor, while Lucas was just finishing up weeding and approaching them.
Seeing him, Helena smiled and asked, "What is it, Kael? Do you need something?"
Kael shook his head and said, "No, I don't need anything. I came because of this." He held out the elemental crystal in his hand. Seeing the elemental crystal in his hand, Helena tilted her head and asked, "What about it?"
Kael replied, "Is this crystal working properly? Can you check if the seals on it are intact?"
Lucas, who had stepped onto the corridor, asked, "Why are you asking that? It worked perfectly yesterday. Did you find something wrong with it?"
Helena took the crystal from Kael's hand and examined it. She said, "There's nothing wrong with the formation, Kael. In fact, this one's more refined than the one you used when you awakened."
Kael looked at both of them and said, "I didn't find anything wrong either, but I got confused when I used it. It didn't react like when Emily used it. It reacted… differently."
Lucas casually said, "That's just normal, Kael. This crystal also shows how much one has progressed in their element by glowing brightly. Since Emily awakened yesterday, it glowed faintly, and if you tried it, it will definitely glow brighter since it's been 5 years since you've awakened."
Kael shook his head and said, "No, that's not what confused me. Instead of glowing only neon blue, the crystal also showed another color in it when I infused mana into it."
This immediately got their attention. Lucas raised an eyebrow and asked, "Another color? What do you mean another color appeared in it?"
Helena said, "Yes, Kael, the crystal will only show the color which indicates your affinity. And it will only show multiple colors when you have more than one affinity. Are you sure you weren't mistaken?"
Kael nodded and said, "I'm sure. When I infused mana into it, it glowed in two colors—neon blue… and deep purple."
Lucas asked "Deep Purple?"
Helena's eyes widened. She asked, "That… that's the color for the space element. Are you certain, Kael? Why don't you try again right now?"
Kael said "Okay."
He took the crystal from Helena, channeled his mana into it, and within seconds, the crystal lit up in two distinct colors: bright neon blue and a dark mysterious purple.
Helena and Lucas, who were watching, were immediately stunned. For a few moments, they didn't know what to say because the scene in front of them was just too unbelievable.
The silence broke when Kael tilted his head and asked, "Do you know why this is showing two colors? Does this mean I have two elemental affinities?"
Helena was the first to snap out of her daze. She quickly said, "Yes! You really have two elemental affinities, Kael. And… space? That's an arcane element—it's even rarer than lightning."
Lucas added in awe, "This is… incredible. I've never heard of anyone having both a compound element like lightning and an arcane one like space. Kael, you're incredibly lucky."
Kael put up an excited face and said, "Really?! So I really have dual affinities? I really am awesome, aren't I?"
Helena chuckled, placing a hand gently on his cheek. She said, "Yes, sweetheart. You truly are. This is a blessing—something that gods themselves must've granted you."
Lucas smiled and nodded,"Indeed, you're amazing, Kael." Then, turning to Helena, he added, "Though I still don't get why the crystal he used during his awakening didn't show this. Do you have any idea?"
Helena thought for a moment before replying, "It probably only picked up on his lightning affinity. The seal formation on that old crystal wasn't as refined as this one. That might be why it failed to detect his space element."
Lucas nodded in agreement with his wife's reasoning. After all, back then, they had no reason to doubt the crystal—it had shown his lightning affinity, and even that was a joyful surprise. The idea that their son could have another element, especially something as rare as space, would've seemed impossible at the time.
Kael then turned to his mother and asked, "Mom, do you know how to train in space element? Are there any guidebooks for it, like the ones for lightning?"
Even though Kael already knew the answer, he asked the question naturally, because he wasn't supposed to have that knowledge yet.
Hearing that, Helena's expression turned complicated. She shook her head. "No… there aren't any guidebooks for arcane elements like there are for the others. When someone awakens an arcane element, they're supposed to report it to the noble in charge of their village or town. After that, the noble provides the necessary resources."
Kael hesitated before asking, "Should we report it, then?"
Helena remained silent, but Lucas answered, his tone turning serious. "It's not that simple, Kael. When you report an arcane affinity, the nobles don't just offer resources out of goodwill. You're expected to pledge yourself to their family. You might not know this yet, but mages with space affinity are extremely rare and nobles will go to great lengths to secure them. They'll bribe, adopt, or even threaten families just to make sure someone like you forms a mana contract with them."
He paused, his voice growing heavier. "Lower-ranked nobles, in particular, are desperate to find people like you, they can raise their own status by offering you to high-ranking nobles or even the imperial army. But you don't just have one rare element—you have two. If word gets out, they'll stop at nothing to claim you."
His eyes sharpened as he continued, "So Kael, no matter what happens, you mustn't tell anyone that you have dual affinities. It won't just put you in danger, it could affect our entire family. Especially Emily… they might assume she has space affinity too, just because you're siblings. Even if she doesn't, they'll be happy since she already possess a compound element and they will use her to control you. Do you understand?"
Kael was surprised to see his father this serious. He already knew how dangerous it would be if nobles found out, but hearing it directly from his father made it feel even more real—and a little frightening.
"I understand, Dad," Kael said with a firm nod. "I won't tell anyone." Inwardly, he thought, 'I think I underestimated how much power nobles hold in this world. He must've witnessed someone being forced into a mana contract by a noble family.'
Lucas's expression softened into a proud smile. "Good. I knew you'd keep your word."
Helena added reassuringly, "You won't have to hide it forever, Kael. If you get into the academy, they'll protect you from nobles or other factions who try to claim you."
Kael grinned and said, "You don't have to worry, Mom! I know I'll make it into the Imperial Academy for sure."
Helena smiled, brushing a hand through his hair. "Of course you will, Kael. Your father and I have always believed in you."
Kael asked, "But don't you know anything about how to start learning the basics of the space element?"
Both Lucas and Helena shook their heads. Lucas replied, "The nobles keep knowledge about arcane elements hidden from the public, so that anyone who awakens them has no choice but to turn to them."
Seeing her son look a little disheartened, Helena quickly tried to change the topic, saying, "You don't have to worry about the space element just yet, Kael," she said with a soft smile. "You're already training in swordsmanship and lightning magic. Focus on those for now. Once you join the academy, you'll have proper guidance for space magic."
Lucas nodded and added, "Exactly. You still have two more years before academy selection. Use that time to master what you already have. How far have you come with lightning, Kael?"
Still feeling a little down from the earlier conversation, Kael slouched slightly. But the moment his father asked about lightning, a mischievous glint flashed in his eyes. 'Wait… why didn't I think of this before? Ugh, I've been a fool for two years! Instead of trying to figure out lightning spells on my own, I could've just shown my progress and asked for help.'
Looking at the Lucas he thought 'He may not know any lightning spells, but he's connected with plenty of adventurers. He could probably get me a few low-tier lightning spells if he offers them discounts or favors in return…'
A glint flickered in Kael's eyes, and Helena noticed it right away. Narrowing her gaze, she thought, 'That look…It's the same one he always makes when he's scheming for something. He's up to something again.'
Kael immediately puffed out his chest and said, "I already learned how to produce lightning bolts from the book. Watch this!" Without waiting, he ran outside to the garden, raised his hand to the sky, and channeled his mana. In an instant, four sharp lightning bolts shot upward with a crackle and disappeared into the clouds.
He thought 'Even though I can fire thirty bolts at once, there's no need to flex too hard. This should do the trick,' he smirked internally. 'It's been a while since I used this move. Let's see his reaction.'
Helena and Lucas stared in stunned silence. Helena was the first to break it, clapping her hands in awe. "Kael! That was amazing. You've improved so much!"
Lucas looked equally impressed. He said, "I'm impressed with your improvement, Kael. I remember last year you could barely generate a single lightning bolt, but now you're easily able to do four at once. You've really been working hard. I'm proud of you, my son." He ruffled Kael's hair, genuinely happy, but also hoping the praise would help steer Kael's mind away from the space element issue.
Kael saw through the attempt but played along. He thought, 'Alright, Dad… now for phase two.'
He let his expression fall, feigning a hint of disappointment and said, "Even though I can fire four bolts now, I haven't made much progress beyond that… This is the only spell the book teaches."
Then, turning to Lucas with wide, sparkling eyes, he put on the most dramatic puppy face he could muster. "Daaad! Can you ask your adventurer friends if they have any lightning spells or techniques? Pretty please?"