Underneath the shade of an ancient tree that was in the large backyard, Malessa and Xaden began their training sessions some time later. It was the same place where her father had trained her when she first started to learn about Manna and being back here filled her with fond memories. The air resonated with the rhythmic sounds of each movement of the leaves as the wind made the branches sway, a dance of discipline and strength. Malessa, with her wisdom etched on her face, guided Xaden through the fundamental stances, emphasising on balance and precision.“Many people like to see Manna as something to bend to their will to achieve their selfish interests. In doing so they make it a slave and claim to be masters. This might seem like the way because after all, the aim of using Manna is to master it and use it to its full potential. But there is a difference between gaining mastery of an art and proclaiming yourself master over it. Manna is the very fabric of the universe, the heartbeat

[I choose to break the curse on the Alchemist.] He replied to the system.For a few seconds, there was no response from the System, then a list of instructions appeared.[To break the Alchemist’s curse…Access MannaLocate the dark curse binding the core of his powersChannel Manna to the core of his powersDirect the dark curse from his CoreAbsorb the curse.]He was fine with all the instructions except the last one. Absorb the curse? Won’t that be harmful to himself? He didn’t argue though, he knew that he just needed to focus on accomplishing his task.“Before you try to break the curse, let me give you a tip. You’re new to Manna and all it entails so you need to have an anchor.” The Doctor began to speak and Xaden looked at him in confusion.“An anchor? I don’t understand.”“When you access the Manna around you, using it for something small will be of no consequence. But for something of this magnitude, a curse that even I couldn’t break despite my expertise, you need to be groun

President Adrian stood behind a podium, his expression a mix of joy and relief. He was finally fulfilling the promise he made to his late friend, John, Xaden’s grandfather. He had been given a second chance at life just so he could help Xaden reclaim the Knight Consortium which was his inheritance. The media got his word well. The world watched with bated breath as he prepared to share a deeply personal announcement. The room, filled with dignitaries, press, andsome citizens eager for news, hushed in anticipation. "Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed citizens of our great nation," Adrian's voice resonated with a gravity that held the attention of the entire audience. "Today, I stand before you not only as your president but as a grandfather who has experienced the profound joy of a family reunited. The man I am about to introduce to you may not be related to me by blood, but I see him as mine. I made an oath to a dear friend of mine to take care of him and today is one of the many ways I w

“The martial arts teacher, Wang Yu, is an old family friend. Even before I learnt of Manna, we used to visit there when I was much younger and play around his dojo while Father was trained. Later on, he also became my master for a year before I decided to focus my efforts on Alchemy. But my daughter, Rai, has more interest in martial arts, too much interest if you ask me. So he’s her master now, though for a while, she hasn’t been able to attend class because it’s not safe to commute with the council out to get us. I remember seeing that quote on the oak tree in his field. It was carved into it and I never understood it till now because there have never been cherry blossoms anywhere close to the dojo. It’s a riddle so I assume a cherry blossom tree is what the cherry blooms part of the line means instead of the cherry fruit because obviously fruits can’t bloom.”“Master Wang Yu hasn’t accepted a new student in years, Malessa. He only accepted Rai because he owed me a favour and she w

In the confines of the presidential office, Dominique stood before President Adrian, her eyes reflecting a mix of remorse and regret. "I want to apologise," she began, her voice tinged with sincerity. "I cannot excuse or justify what Sylas has done. I'm here to acknowledge the wrongs and take responsibility for my part in this. I should have been more observant of him. I know most of these things happened before I got married to him, but I still feel guilty. I know he will never swallow his pride and apologise so I want to do it on his behalf. I will try and talk some sense into him to avoid further disputes."Adrian, though still carrying the weight of the recent turmoil, acknowledged her sincerity. He knew it would be wrong to blame her unjustly because of her husband’s misdeeds, but he was still mistrustful of her intentions.What if Sylas just sent her here to deceive them and get close to them as a spy? Or what if she was actually here of her own accord, but still with nefarious