Avalon Ravenstein, a demon on the battlefield, returned from battle in a sleek hover car.
He had this presence about him that caught your attention, his tall and imposing figure radiated the power of a Grandmaster rank.
Dressed impeccably in a tailored suit, Avalon could pass for one of the greats. His rugged jawline and intense gaze seemed to pull you in, and his neatly coiffed white hair made him look all the more sophisticated.
He looked up to see his butler standing tall and proud.
Boman had a commanding presence, a living symbol of resilience and bravery, his face etched with the marks of battles fought and overcome. His aura showcased his grandmaster rank. His eyes, a reflection of the harrowing experiences of war, spoke volumes of the trials he had faced and conquered.
With a respectful bow, Boman greeted Avalon, his voice gruff and unpleasant. “Welcome home, Master Avalon,” he said.
It was evident he deeply admired Avalon regardless of his own status and experience. “It is good to see you return safely.”
“Thank you, Boman,” Avalon responded, showing both familiarity and respect towards the butler who had served the Ravenstein family for many years.
“I’m eager to see my son and wife. Where might they be?” he asked, impatient to see his son and wife.
Boman smiled as he had expected this. “They’re in young master’s room, sir” He replied. Avalon smiled, then he walked briskly into the mansion.
His footsteps were heavy and loud, he moved with the swiftness of a soldier.
Before he left, he and Anastasia had decided a room for their new born. After one long year of being away, Avalon’s heart swelled with anticipation as he approached his wife and their seven-month-old son.
The grand doors opened to reveal an elegant setting, with Avalon’s steps echoing through the marble foyer as he made his way to the room where his newborn awaited.
Once inside, Avalon’s eyes immediately found the small bundle of life nestled in his wife Anastasia’s arms.
His features softened involuntarily as he walked towards them, his battle-hardened exterior giving way to tenderness.
Gently, Avalon kissed his wife on her forehead and muttered a gentle “Sorry, I’m late” in her ears. He reached out to take his son into his arms.
As he cradled his son against his chest, a wave of warmth spread through him, an unusual protective feeling.
“What have we named him?” Avalon asked his wife.
“Atticus. Atticus Ravenstein” Anastasia replied with a smile. She was happy to see her husband finally back in one piece.
There was a lingering fear that each time he left would be the last time she saw him. While they’d spoken a lot, it was always better to see him in one piece.
“Atticus” he mused. “It’s a powerful name. I love it!” Avalon exclaimed. She had refused to tell him, asking him to return first.
‘I wonder,’ Avalon thought. As he sneakily tried to sneakily check Atticus’ response to mana. The better a child responded to mana, the higher their talent.
This manner of inquiry wasn’t without its failings, but it would give an inkling into the child’s talent.
Closing his eyes, he concentrated his mana, exploring the depths of Atticus’ being.
A vibrant energy enveloped Atticus, creating a mystical bond between them. The mana saturated Atticus’ body like a gentle breeze, coursing through his veins with a coolness.
Atticus, despite his initial surprise at the feeling, found himself giving in to the overwhelming power. The fire flowing through him was undeniable.
The sensation of the mana moving all around Atticus was both exhilarating and comforting.
It was as if the threads that held his soul together were being gently caressed by the energy, leaving no stone unturned.
‘Wh-what is this sensation!’ Atticus exclaimed.
Although he had been looking forward to meeting him, he was initially taken aback by Avalon’s strong presence. He was a little confused when he saw Avalon close eyes, not expecting this to happen.
‘Is this magic!? Please say yes!’ It came out as a chuckle.
He hoped whatever Avalon was doing was magic.
Anastasia who noticed Avalon suddenly smacked him behind the head breaking his concentration.
“Honey, what the hell are you doing?” said Anastasia, her face squeezing into a forced smile.
Avalon noticed this and suddenly became visibly nervous. He was feared on the battlefield, but he knew he was nothing compared to when his wife got angry.
She was the embodiment of evil, a devil. A beautiful devil.
“Sorry, Anna. I got carried away. I only wanted to check his potential,” said Avalon, meekly.
If people outside got word that Avalon Ravenstein, the Inferno Warlord, was speaking like this, they would deny it with everything they had.
“He’s still too young, honey. He’ll go through his awakening when he grows up, just like every other child.” Anastasia firmly said.
Her husband was very adventurous and would go overboard sometimes.
She grabbed Atticus and placed him gently in his bed. “We should let him rest, I think he’s had enough for today.” Anastasia said while giving Atticus a kiss on his forehead.
“Alright Anna.”Atticus grabbed his father’s finger as he left, trying to get that incredible feeling again. They left the room, leaving Atticus to his bewildered thoughts.
***
In the dead of the night, the moon hung high in the sky, casting a silvery glow through Atticus’ bedroom window. While the world around him slept, Atticus, in contrast, slowly stirred from his sleep.
‘That had to be magic!’ he thought.
‘Hmmm, interesting. I didn’t hear him call out any spells or commands before he used it’ Atticus pondered. ‘Maybe it’s something from the inside then?’ he pondered, ‘I guess it won’t hurt to try’.
Atticus closed his eyes in concentration. He took a deep breath, allowing the air to flow into his lungs, swirling and moving around inside him.
He exhales slowly, clearing his head of distractions that had plagued since his arrival. His mind became like a canvas, blank, ready to be painted with whatever vibrant colors he decided.
After a few minutes without any changes, Atticus opened his eyes, frustrated. He was not used to trying too much at anything.
‘What am I doing wrong?’ he asked himself. ‘Perhaps it’s from the air then? Yeah, let’s try that.
Determined to master it, he closed his eyes again and took deep breaths, allowing the air to fill his lungs. He imagined the air carrying traces of the energy Avalon used, swelling within him.
It was easy because he could remember how the energy felt, it was unmistakable.
Atticus soon discovered that the air held the key to understanding the energy he felt, he could sense traces of the energy in the atmosphere.
He immersed himself further by learning to control the flow of his breath and directing it to different parts of his body.
With each breath, he visualized the energy, coursing through his veins like a river of volts.
As the days turned into weeks and then months, Atticus’ connection with the mana grew stronger.
He could feel the subtle shifts in the wind, sensing the presence of the energy around him.
Atticus’s journey was not without challenges. It was difficult to get time alone so he was usually unable to focus, thus he couldn’t practice as much.
His body was also his Achilles hill. There was only so much he could do with an infant’s body that was programmed to sleep every other hour.
He only had a few hours at night after his mother went to bed before his tiny body begged for sleep. Still, he persevered.
After 3 months of unyielding focus and training, Atticus slowly began to feel the energy within him. It was housed at the tiny core in his navel. Though small, he knew it held the potential to unlock unimaginable abilities.
Mana felt to him like a subtle tingling sensation, tiny electric sparks dancing beneath his skin.
It started at the base of his spine, slowly rising to his fingertips like the awakening of a dormant energy source.
He visualized this sensation as a glowing ball of light, growing brighter and more vibrant with each passing moment when a jolt of pain suddenly broke his concentration. He came face to face with Anastasia, looking extremely concerned.
