His hand came closer, covering my vision. I tugged at Asselin, feeling her hold me even tighter. "Anyways sweet dreams." No matter what I did, it was futile. There was nothing I could do. His hand covered my vision. I was enveloped by the void, with the last sensation being Nana's tight embrace and Marduk's chilling touch. Crap! What happened? Where am I? What did he do to me? Confusion washed over me, and the complete darkness only added to my disorientation. But soon, I began to feel a tingle spreading throughout my body. What's this?! Next, I sensed a peculiar energy resonating with me. Hmmm... I felt a sense of calm wash over me as I acknowledged its presence. Compelled to investigate further, I tried to pinpoint the source of this energy. And there it was... in my solar plexus! I couldn't fathom how, but even without any external senses, I could clearly perceive its existence. Even within the encompassing darkness, I could feel, or rather sense, a path, a connection. Focu

Utilizing my breathing technique, I could feel a sense of inner peace washing over me. Now, I know this might sound strange or even scammy, but believe me, it works. Of course, it doesn't magically erase the shame I feel, but the technique itself is quite intriguing. It possesses two distinct abilities. First, it allows me to draw energy from the atmosphere or whatever it may be into my glowing sphere. With each breath and cycle, the energy is refined and the sphere grows a shade brighter. However, the progress is imperceptibly slow, making it difficult to notice. The process involves purifying the motes of various colors in the atmosphere, directing them towards my glowing sphere. After each cycle of expansion and compression, the sphere becomes a shade brighter, and the quality of the energy within it changes as well. The second ability is even more fascinating. It works like a charm. By allowing the energy in the atmosphere to pass through my body and replenish the energy inside

With the misunderstanding now cleared... Truth be told some damages had been done. First things first, Asselin was indeed a witch... or rather, a mage, magician? I guess that sounds more proper and less spooky. And this world houses these beings—magicians, they are the cornerstone, pillars and the most exalted beings on this world. 'Of course, there is a hierarchy. Where there is power, there is a ladder. Someone has to be at the top, overseeing everyone and everything.' And don't even ask me why I have her as a caretaker. but my Nana happens to be one of them. But here's the craziest part, I, too, have the potential to become a mage. As she proclaimed, I was supposedly some sort of chosen one, someone rare. Thanks to her teachings—though I still can't figure out why she bothered explaining all this to me—I've come to learn that everyone in this world can use magic. Magic is a common thing here, but don't be mistaken—it's still considered a rare and wondrous kind of miracle.

Sensing the shift in his demeanor, Asselin calmly asked, "Would you like to open your presents now?" Her composure mirrored her understanding of Yon's temperament, neither surprised nor disappointed by his reaction. It had long been an intriguing observation that Yon, since the day his mother passed, had been slightly off, but after meeting his siblings he was awfully silent and... lost. Even at the tender age of one, when most babies would throw tantrums out of nowhere, especially at night, seemingly to purposefully rob their families of a good night's sleep and peace... ...these miseries! "Eek!" The one-year-old toddler, with twinkling eyes and rosy cheeks, squealed in surprise. Clutching the parchment he had just swiped from the ground, he looked around, realizing he had been caught red-handed by his nana. The look on his face was priceless, as if he had been caught stealing candy. His sudden reaction seemed to have given him away as his caretaker approached him. "My,

'Don't judge a book by its cover, Nana. Just because you happened to guess right doesn't mean you have the full picture,' he admonished, a gentle chiding in his tone. 'I know you don't have the best impression of him, but to think that even you would be blinded by such petty judgements.' Taking a deep, steadying breath, he reached out to grasp the mysterious book. 'I'm not excited, just curious.' He insisted, though the light in his eyes told a different story. He held the book gingerly in his hands, examining its external appearance. On the surface, it seemed unremarkable - a plain yellow cover, devoid of any title or markings. 'Don't judge. The surface is but a surface. Besides... what an interesting choice of color. Let's take a look at it.' Shaking off the prickles of disappointment and unreasonable expectations, he carefully flipped open the cover, to catch a glimpse of what it might hold. Flip. Blank! The first page was completely empty, not a single word or illustratio