We stood atop a high hill, looking at the city of Terevan as I came to terms with the reality of my existence in this new world.
That's when Ravenna turned to me, and took my hands in hers.
"Lady Ayra," she said, her voice steady yet earnest, "will you help us?"
I exhaled slowly, glancing at Evie and Vae. They watched me in silent anticipation, hope in their eyes. This was more than I had ever imagined being asked to do. But after everything I had seen, could I really turn away?
Besides, I thought, I'd have to sleep with women to restore balance. That wasn't exactly a hardship. It was like a dream cum true.
"I'll help as much as I can," I said, my lips curling slightly.
Ravenna's smile deepened as she lifted my hand and pressed a slow, reverent kiss to the back of it. "I am grateful beyond words, my lady."
Then, her expression shifted. "But there is one problem."
I raised an eyebrow. "And that is?"
"We have to convince everyone that you are the messiah," she said simply.
I frowned. "And how exactly are we going to do that?"
Ravenna turned toward the city, the glow of lanterns dotting the streets below. "We'll need to travel to the capital and request an audience with the queen," she explained. "It's a few hours' ride from here. If she acknowledges you, then we can truly begin our mission."
"Which is?" I asked.
Ravenna met my gaze, her tone unwavering. "You will need to travel the world and sleep with as many women as possible," she said plainly. "Some will bear your children, ensuring human mana continues. Others will undergo dual cultivation with you, and spread your mana with the rest of the world. Either way, your mana will bring balance."
I nodded. "Then let's leave whenever you're ready. We shouldn't waste time."
Vae and Evie exchanged glances before nodding in agreement.
"We are grateful," Evie said softly. "You could have ignored all of this, chosen to live a peaceful life… but instead, you're willing to help us."
Vae smirked. "You say that, but I bet she's excited about the process."
I laughed. "I won't lie, it's not the worst way to save a world."
Ravenna chuckled. "There's something else we need to discuss, your magical abilities. You'll need to learn combat magic, and the sooner we start, the better."
I considered it for a moment. I had always wanted to learn magic, but on Earth, that had been nothing more than fantasy. Now? Now, it was real. How could I pass up this opportunity?
I met her gaze. "Shall we start tomorrow?"
Vae clapped her hands together, her blue eyes shining. "Perfect, my lady! All three of us will train you, and we'll make sure you're ready as fast as possible."
***
The next day, the elven trio led me to the outskirts of the city again. We stepped onto an open field. It was a perfect place for training, quiet, and far from prying eyes.
Ravenna stopped at the center of the field, hands on her hips. "This is where you'll begin your training."
I looked around, noting how Vae and Evie were already moving to prepare the space. Evie set down a small bag she was carrying, pulling out a few stones that shimmered faintly.
Ravenna gestured for me to stand beside her. "Before you can even think about casting a spell or controlling an element, you need to understand the fundamentals." She raised a hand, her fingers curling slightly. A thin wisp of flame flickered to life in her palm, hovering above her fingertips without burning her. "Everything in this world is built from the same foundational energy, split into two expressions."
She closed her hand, extinguishing the flame. "Mana," she continued, tapping a finger against her own chest, "is the internal energy within all living things. It's our willpower, our potential. It's what makes magic possible for us."
Then she gestured toward the ground, trees and every other thing. "Essence, on the other hand, exists outside of us. It's the raw energy of nature, fire, water, earth, air. Everything that isn't alive."
I nodded slowly, trying to process it.
Vae spoke next, kneeling by the shiny stones that they'd laid on the ground. "Since both Mana and Essence are two sides of the same coin, it's possible to mimic essence through mana. That's how magic works. Through replication. The more you understand an element, the better you can replicate it." She picked up a red stone, and he;d it up.
"These are called essence stones," she continued. "They help transform mana into essence. Warriors embed them into their weapons, Mages carry them. But some people, very, very few, can use essence without them. The one you're holding is called an emberstone, it is made by harnessing essence out of fire, and by holding it you can direct your mana to mimic the essence of fire."
Ravenna stretched her arms and cracked her neck as she looked at me. "Most people can use two types of magic, sometimes three, but that's rare. It depends on what elements they have an affinity for."
She held up her hand, and with a flick of her fingers, a small flame appeared above her palm. "I can use Fire and Lightning, I have a natural connection to fire and light essence."
Evie crouched down and ran her fingers through the dirt and a small wall of earth slid out of the ground. "I can use Earth and Water. Those are my affinities." She lifted her hand, and the soil under her fingers rippled, shifting slightly as if responding to her touch.
Vae smirked from where she stood, arms crossed. "I can use Lightning, same as Ravenna. My affinity is to light essence."
"You mean you can't just summon fire or water whenever you want?" I asked.
"Not exactly," Evie said. "We can manipulate an element we're attuned to, but creating it from nothing is much harder. That's where stones come in. They act as catalysts, helping us turn our mana into the right kind of essence for casting."
Ravenna pointed to her belt. "For example, I carry emberstones and lightstones so I can use fire or lightning in a fight. Evie has earthstones and tidestones, and Vae keeps lightstones for her lightning magic. We don't carry anything beyond our affinities, it wouldn't work for us."
I took a moment to process all of this. It was a lot to take in, but one thing was clear, magic wasn't as simple as waving your hands and making things happen. And if I wanted to stand a chance in this world, I needed to learn fast.
Ravenna rolled her shoulders, stepping forward with a smirk. "Alright, let's put on a show for our little messiah." She glanced at Evie. "Think you can keep up?"
Evie scoffed, rolling up her sleeves. "It's you who's going to have a hard time."
Vae stepped between them, arms crossed. "Same rules as always, no holding back, but no aiming to kill. Got it?"
The two nodded.
I took a step back as Evie pressed her hand to the ground. The earth beneath us trembled slightly, and with a sudden jerk of her arm, a chunk of stone rose from the dirt. She launched it toward Ravenna without hesitation.
Ravenna grinned, sidestepping just as the rock whizzed past her. "You always start with that," she teased. Then, in an instant, she flicked her wrist, and a ball of fire roared to life in her palm. She hurled it toward Evie.
Evie was already moving, raising her other hand. A burst of water shot from her fingertips, colliding with the flames midair. Steam hissed between them as the two forces canceled each other out.
Ravenna didn't wait, she lunged forward, fire wrapping around her fist as she swung at Evie. Evie barely managed to dodge, shifting her stance and slamming her foot into the ground. A pillar of stone shot up between them, forcing Ravenna to stop her attack.
"Not bad," Ravenna admitted, already stepping back.
Evie smirked. "Not done."
The pillar suddenly cracked, breaking apart into chunks of stone that Evie sent flying at Ravenna. Instead of dodging, Ravenna's body crackled with energy, lightning arced over her arms as she thrust her hands forward. A bolt of electricity surged through the air, hitting the flying stones. The moment the lightning struck, the stones shattered, turning into harmless debris before they could reach her.
Ravenna dashed forward, closing the distance in an instant. This time, Evie had no time to react. Ravenna grabbed her wrist, and with a quick twist, tripped her off balance, sending her tumbling onto the dirt.
Vae clapped from the sidelines. "Finally! A clean win. Took you long enough, Ravenna."
Evie groaned, rubbing her lower back. "Yeah, yeah." She looked up at me. "This is what you'll be up against, Ayra. Still think magic's easy?"
I grinned, shaking my head. "I think I have a lot to learn."
Ravenna offered Evie a hand, pulling her back up. "You'll get there. But first, let's find out what your affinities are."
We settled next to the essence stones on the ground, each pulsing faintly with different colors, red, blue, gold, deep violet. Evie picked out two and placed them in my hands.
"Tide and ember stones," she said. "Water and fire. The most common affinities. Let's see what happens."
The smooth stones sat against my skin for only a second before I felt it, a reaction. A deep pulse, as if they were alive. A warm throb from the flame stone in my right hand, a cool ripple from the tide stone in my left. And then, they glowed.
Both of them. At the same time.
Ravenna's eyes widened slightly, but she quickly masked her surprise. Evie, however, let out a small gasp. "Both, huh? That's rare."
Vae crossed her arms, nodding. "Very rare."
"Wait, what?" I looked at them, then back at the stones in my hands. "You guys made it sound like this was common."
"Having two affinities is common," Ravenna corrected. "But discovering both at the same time, but not unheard of. Most people only have affinity for one element when they begin and then discover affinity for a second one later. But for you, both stones reacted instantly. That means your affinity is strong."
"Even I am yet to develop my second affinity yet." Vae added.
I stared at my hands, feeling the lingering energy in the stones. "So... what does that mean for me?"
"It means," Ravenna said, "you're going to have an easier time learning magic than most."
Vae tucked the remaining stones back into her bag and pulled something else out, a small, simple candle. She placed it on a flat rock and stepped back. "Let's start with fire."
Ravenna crouched down, holding her hand over the candle. "Watch closely."
With a flick of her fingers, the wick ignited. Just like that. No chanting, no theatrics, just a casual flick, like she was swatting away dust.
I stared at the tiny flame. "Holy shit."
Ravenna smirked. "Impressed?"
"Yes."
She chuckled. "You'll be able to do much more than this, trust me. But for now, let's start simple. Sit down. Face the candle."
I did as she said, sitting cross-legged on the grass in front of the flickering flame.
"Put your hand over it. Feel its heat, its movement." She sat back on her heels, watching me.
I focused on the flame, placing my hand over the flame.
The moment my fingers got close, a strange buzzing sensation spread through my hand, a warmth curling at my fingertips.
The flame shuddered.
Evie leaned forward. "Fire essence responds to passion, rage, and determination. You need to feel it, not just think about it. You're not supposed to feel just fire but also the essence inside it."
I clenched my jaw, forcing my focus. I felt something pulse in flame, some kind of energy as if it was being pulled towards my palm like pieces of iron are pulled towards a magnet, and I felt something inside me pulse too, my hand buzzing pleasantly, it was my mana.
The flame suddenly flared upward, licking my palm but it didn't burn me.
Ravenna smiled. "See? You're already starting to understand."
Vae pulled another stone from the bag, deep blue with swirling patterns, she called it a Tidestone. "Next is, water essence. This one's harder for people who are too impatient." She smirked. "You'll have to be calm, adaptable."
Evie had poured some water in a small bowl which she placed before me and gestured for me to place my hands over it.
I focused, breathing steadily. Doing exactly what I did with the candle and the emberstone.
My hand buzzed with my mana once again, I could also feel the essence of the water, it was as if my mana and the water's essence were pulling each other, I put some more force in my mana. The water trembled slightly.
"Good," Evie said. "Water is about flow. Don't force it, guide it."
I tried relaxing my fingers. The water rippled, then lifted slightly before plopping back into the bowl.
I exhaled, surprised. "That's… actually kind of amazing."
Ravenna chuckled. "You're a fast learner and I know it's too soon but I want to see if you can transform your mana into essence."
Ravenna blew out the candle and asked me to focus over it. "You need to channel your mana. That's your life energy, the thing that makes you, well, you. You're not creating flames from nothing, you're just reshaping what's already inside you. You know what fire essence feels like, just try to transform your mana into the fire essence."
I closed my eyes, trying to focus inward. At first, I felt nothing. But then, something stirred. A faint tingle in my chest, like a small ripple in a still pond. My mana. It spread through me, slow and uncertain, reaching down my arms, pooling into my palms.
Ravenna pressed something into my left hand, the emberstone. "Use this as a guide. Hold it, feel it, let it remind you of the fire essence you just felt."
I tightened my grip on the stone, focusing. The tingling warmth in my chest shifted, I could feel it now, flowing toward my right hand.
"Now, imagine fire," Ravenna said. "It's heat. Its movement. Let your mana mimic that and use it to relight the candle."
I exhaled, reaching for that same flickering sensation. The warmth inside me intensified. My palm grew hot, almost burning but it wasn't painful. My palm pulsed faintly with a purplish glow.
I swallowed hard, feeling the heat lingering in my palm. Focus.
I stared at the candle, holding out my hand. The warmth surged again, stronger this time
And then, a spark. A flicker of flame burst to life in my palm.
Excitement rushed through me. "Holy—"
"Refine it," Ravenna interrupted. "Use a finger. If you dump all your mana at once, you'll burn everything instead of controlling it."
I nodded, adjusting my focus. This time, I pointed a single finger at the candle wick and tried again. The fire inside me obeyed, surging forward—
But I had no control over its force.
FWOOOOSH.
A spray of fire shot from my fingertip like a small flamethrower, melting the entire candle into a puddle of wax.
The women burst into laughter.
"That was…" Evie tried to speak between laughs. "That was too much."
I gawked at the ruined candle. "What the hell just happened?!"
"You overdid it," Vae said, shaking her head. "That wasn't a spark, that was a full-on attack."
I looked at my hand, still tingling with residual heat. And then, I laughed. "I actually did it," I said, barely believing my own words. "I can use magic. Magic."
I jumped to my feet, unable to contain my excitement. "I can actually use magic!"
The women watched as I practically bounced in joy, their smiles matching mine.
"Feels good, doesn't it?" Ravenna said.
"Good?" I spun to face them. "Are you kidding me? This didn't even exist in my world! And now I can make fire appear out of thin air."
Evie chuckled. "That's just the start. You've still got water magic to learn."
I exhaled sharply, still grinning. "Yeah, yeah. One step at a time."
Ravenna clapped a hand on my shoulder. "You've got potential, Lady Ayra."
After the intense fire training, we sat together beneath the shade of a large tree. My fingers still tingled with the lingering sensation of fire essence, but my mind had drifted to something else.
If they had spent three whole years trying to summon me here... how the hell had they survived?
I glanced at the three of them, sitting around me. They didn't seem like people who could afford to just sit around waiting for fate to happen.
"How did you guys make money while you were trying to summon me?" I finally asked, wiping the sweat from my brow. "I mean... three years is a long time. You had to eat, pay for shelter, supplies..."
Ravenna gave me a smirk, stretching her arms over her head. "Oh, we worked. And by 'worked,' I mean we killed things."
I blinked. "...What?"
Evie, ever the quieter one, leaned forward, resting her arms on her knees. "Beasts. Corrupt individuals. Bandits. We took on quests wherever we could."
Vae nodded. "The Royal Guild handles most of the work that non-mages can't do. They're an international organization that posts quests, monster exterminations, security jobs, retrieval missions. If it involves magic, odds are a guild request will pay for it."
I frowned. "Wait, so... magic users get paid to do things normal people can't?"
"Exactly," Ravenna said, tossing a small emberstone into the air and catching it. "Think about it, most of the population can't use magic. Maybe 15 to 20 percent of the world can, but even then, only a handful actually train to use it properly."
Vae took over, tucking her dagger away. "And with the mana imbalance getting worse over the last five years, the need for mages has skyrocketed. Some villages have been getting attacked by beasts mutated from the imbalance. Other times, a person gets corrupted by mana imbalance and needs to be... handled."
"So you just... traveled and took jobs?" I asked.
Evie nodded. "Not every village has a Royal Guild branch, only the bigger cities do. But that doesn't mean people in smaller towns don't need help. Sometimes, we'd take direct requests. A farmer offering payment to remove a beast from his land. A town elder asking for protection against traveling bandits."
I exhaled, letting it all sink in. These women had been fighting and risking their lives for years. "That explains why you guys are so good at everything."
"We didn't have a choice," Evie said, a little more seriously. "Not everyone with magic has the luxury of staying in a tower studying spells all day. If we wanted to survive, we had to put our magic to use."
Vae crossed her arms, her blue eyes steady. "You're strong too, Lady Ayra. You learn fast. And if you're going to save the world, you'll need to keep learning. The world's not getting any safer."
I met her gaze and nodded. I wasn't just here to be some prophesied Messiah. I was going to earn my place among them.
And if that meant learning how to fight for real?
Then I was more than ready.