Kael sat in silence on the bed, his breath unsteady in the cold, crisp morning air. His mind was a whirlwind, struggling to process the memories rushing through him.
The metro rides to work, woodworking with his dad in the garage, and the runs he usually took early in the morning. However, there was also sword training with Sir Dorian, horseback riding with the knights, and studying sessions with his teacher.
His headache was calming down, but his confusion was still growing.
He turned his hands over, flexing his fingers. His hands were smaller and callused from sword training. These were not the hands he remembered.
He focused his thoughts back to magi... mana, trying to process all the information flowing in his head.
Children typically begin to awaken their mana around the age of ten, although this is not a strict rule. Some children need a few months to a year more to awaken.
Kael was twelve years old, and his birthday was a few weeks ago, but he still did not manage to awaken his mana.
His brothers, Damon and Lucian, awakened their mana a month or two after they turned ten years old their power had been a source of envy and admiration.
They were prodigies, while Kael, at 12 years old, still had not awakened his mana. A lingering sense of failure crept in, though he was unsure if it was truly his own… or just another piece of a life he was still trying to grasp.
While he was confused with his memories and feelings, another memory surfaced.
"Again. Focus. Feel it. Try to control it and let it flow through your veins."
Sir Dorian's voice echoed through the training room, his tone was calm and emotionless.
Kael concentrated on his breathing, closed his eyes, and started searching for the mana within him. He could feel the faint flow of mana in his veins but whenever he tried to take controlhe failed.He has been trying for the last two years, hoping that in one of these sessions, he would succeed and awaken.
That weight pressed down on him. Sir Dorian stood still, his shadow stretching across the training room, silent as ever. Kael knew that Sir Dorian was not judging him, but the silence felt heavier than any words.
It was everything else pressing in on him. His family. The kingdom. The expectation of being like his brothers, who had awakened their mana with ease while Kael was still here, struggling to reach something that felt just out of his grasp.
Focus.
That word was the only thing on his mind as he shut his eyes. He tried to block everything else, he focused only on the mana, the energy everyone else seemed to tap into effortlessly.
He could feel the faint traces of mana flowing through his body and he could feel the power within it. He focused on it and attempted to control it, to make it flow through his veins, but the mana, as always, failed to respond to him.
He opened his eyes, the familiar weight of disappointment pressing down on him. With each failure, it felt like a small fracture forming deep within him. Two years of training every day, and it was starting to wear on him. No matter how hard he pushed, the mana did not move.
Sir Dorian's voice could be heard cutting through the silence.
"Control it, Kael"
Kael nodded, forcing down the bitter sting of failure. He attempted to clear his mind and concentrate again. The weight of the last two years pressed on him. He trained relentlessly, pushing himself beyond his limits day after day, yet the power always seemed just out of reach.
Kael snapped out of his thoughts, remembering the words of his mentor. For the first time since waking up, a wave of excitement surged within him.
He cleared his mind, focusing on the mana inside him. Just like in the memories, he could feel it. The faint traces of mana flowed through his body; its power was tangible yet strangely alien, unlike anything he had felt as Lucas.
He concentrated on the current of mana inside him, then willed it to move. Something stirred inside him, as though the mana itself was acknowledging him. Slowly, it began to flow the way he desired.
But now, for the first time, the mana was responding. It was faint and unsteady, but it was there. A gentle warmth coursed through him, unfamiliar yet somehow fitting.
And yet, beneath the excitement, there was something else—a quiet, lingering disbelief. As Lucas, he had never felt anything like this before. In his past life, magic was nothing but fiction, something to be read about, imagined, and longed for. But now, it was real. He could feel it moving, flowing, waiting. The sheer impossibility of it sent a shiver down his spine.
Two lives, two different worlds, yet at this moment, they felt like one. He had spent years trying, hoping, forcing himself to believe that one day it would happen. And now, after so many failures, the impossible was finally within his grasp.
The weight of expectation, the fear of being left behind—it did not disappear, but for the first time, it was not all he could feel. There was something else now.Hope.
The door swung open, and Aurelia dashed in—her dark hair and bright eyes filled with energy. When she saw him, her initial excitement gave way to a look of concern.
Her voice was soft, uncertainty in her tone. "Kael? Are you awake?"
He blinked, still a bit disoriented. "Yeah… I'm awake."
He looked at Aurelia, and despite the fragmented nature of his memories, there was something undeniably familiar about her. Her presence was like a comforting anchor.
Aurelia stepped closer. "You don't look okay. Is something wrong?"
Kael hesitated before responding.
"I'm fine," he said, though the words didn't feel right. He was unsure of himself. But he didn't want to worry her. "Just... feeling a bit worn out."
He rubbed his temples. "And my head hurts a bit," he added, trying to emphasize the discomfort.
Aurelia frowned, but she didn't press. She sat next to him, her hand gently brushing his, a quiet reassurance.
"You've been pushing yourself in training, haven't you?" Her voice was quiet, her concern evident. "That could be why your head hurts."
Kael nodded, but it didn't feel like a real answer. Yes, training had been hard, but the headache stemmed from deeper confusion, a clash of two different lives trying to make sense of each other.
Aurelia leaned in, her eyes filled with worry. "Should I get Mom? She might be able to help with your headache."
Kael shook his head, gently. "I'll be okay. Just need some rest."
She hesitated, studying him for a moment, before standing up and brushing off her skirt. "Okay, I'll let Mom know that you need to rest, and I'll bring you something to eat."
Kael remained silent, his thoughts a swirl. He appreciated her concern, but he didn't want her to stay and worry more.
"Thanks, Aury ", he said, his voice softer than he intended.
With a nod, she left quickly, her steps light, but the smile still lingering despite her worry.
Kael stayed on the bed, lost in thought.
A few minutes later, Aurelia returned with food. She placed the tray on the table beside him and smiled softly. "I'll leave you to eat. You'll feel better once you have something," she said before quietly stepping out.
Kael picked at the food, his thoughts still cloudy. But the warmth of the meal began to calm his mind if only a little.
After he finished, silence returned. His mind still swirled with fragments of memories from two lives, but it felt a little easier to breathe now.
Some time has passed in the silence in his room when a knock on the door interrupted him.
"Kael," came Sir Dorian's steady voice. "It's time for training."
Kael stood, taking a steady breath, ready to face what was next.