As I stood at the door, my heart raced with a mix of excitement and sadness. My family gathered around me, their voices a blend of pride and worry. my mom pulled me in for a tight hug, feeling her warmth and love envelop me. "I'll be okay, Mom," I whispered, trying to reassure her.
"Just remember, we believe in you," she replied, her voice trembling slightly. My dad stepped forward, and patted my head. "You're going to do amazing things, Annabel. Trust yourself."
With one last kiss from my mom and a hug from Ramon "when we meet again we'll spar how does that sound sis?" He told me as we hugged. "You better trust that you'll lose big brother," i stepped back and I mounted the horse to sit behind Johan, feeling the gentle sway of its movements beneath me. As we rode away, the wind whipped through my hair, and I took a deep breath, letting the excitement build. Johan explained how he and my dad used to train at his private facility, a place filled with memories that was also about to be apart of me.
Once we arrived, Johan turned to me, curiosity brimming in his voice . "I've only heard stories about your potential, but now I want to see what you can do." I felt a flutter of nerves but also a spark of determination. It was time to prove myself.
We walked through his home, he talked about how he will keep my family updated through having me send them some letters each month to not only train me physically but also mentally and make me ready for the real world etiquette later on. Eventually we stepped into the training arena, and I was immediately struck by the vibrant energy that filled the space. The air thrummed with mana, and as I walked further inside, I could feel it swirling around me, almost as if it were alive and eager to connect. It wrapped around me in a gentle embrace, a sensation that was both exhilarating and comforting.
I had heard that such a connection with mana was rare that most people can only feel slight parts of it and to add to that; usually, it didn't happen until kids were at around 15 and sometimes a little younger like Ramon and sometimes a bit older, but not to this extent like with me. But here I was, feeling the mana's pull, and I wondered if it was all the concentration I had put into my body as a baby. With my past life's memories, I had nothing better to do anyway, before i could walk and talk that is. So it was kind of the only thing I could focus on. I could sense Johan's presence nearby, i could sense by his breathing that he was a little bit shocked
"Is this girl for real?" he thought, disbelief creeping into his mind. "Five years old and blind, and she's already connecting with mana like this? She's already a step above me. And i'm a stage 6 mage, how on earth?"
With a big smile on my face, I asked, "Do you feel that? It's amazing!" My excitement bubbled over as I reveled in the warmth of the mana.
"Absolutely," he replied, his excitement palpable. "This is incredible, Annabel! Let's see what you can do with it. Let's spar, show me what you got.
As I focused on the mana swirling around me, I could sense the anticipation in the air. I summoned wind magic and sent a powerful gust toward him. "Whoa! That's a strong start!" he exclaimed, barely managing to keep his balance.
Next, I conjured water magic, launching a torrent in his direction. I could hear him laugh "very impressive!" Johan shouted, blocking the attack with his own water magic, which he summoned with the word tide-guard. ("So using chants or names for spells might make them more powerful than just thinking of them, interesting.")
Then, I ignited flames in my hands and sent a fireball hurtling toward him. "What the—? That's incredible!" he gasped, expertly sidestepping the blaze, realizing if that had hit him he would have needed a lot of recovery.
I shifted to earth magic, summoning jagged rocks to shoot up around him. "Try and use a chant Annabel!" Johan said, navigating through the barriers. "They will increase your magic ability by upping your understanding of said spell."
Finally, I unleashed ice magic, which i named "ice shards" sending a flurry of icy shards his way. "This is unreal! You're on another level!" he laughed nervously, my chanting upped my magic by almost 3 fold because i simply did not understand the concept of this worlds magic as good as i thought.
In a flash, Johan closed the distance and tapped my head softly. "Hey, even though your mana tracking and spells are really impressive, being blind as a mage is a huge downside if you're not trained for it, especially in hand-to-hand combat. We'll work on your reflexes and spatial awareness next. Since mana levels aren't an issue for you, we can focus on enhancing your agility and learning some defensive techniques. Sound good?"
"Yes! Sounds good"
Before Johan could begin I interrupted him, "i can also use space magic, i just didn't want to use it as my parents told me its far to dangerous. And that i should only rely on it when absolutely necessary."
I could sense the shock in his face as let out a sigh. "You really are full of surprises Annabel, but yes your parents are right, if you truly are able to conjure space magic, you should be very careful with it."
As Johan began the training, he stood a few steps away, ready to challenge me. "Alright, Annabel, let's work on your spatial awareness. I want you to listen closely and tell me where I am," he said.
I nodded, focusing my ears on the sounds around me. I could hear the soft rustling of leaves and the faint crunch of grass under his feet. "To my left!" I called out, "very Good!" Now I'm moving to the right," he said, and I concentrated, listening intently. "Where am I now?"
"Right in front of me!" I shouted, grinning as I nailed it again.
"Awesome! Let's keep this going. I'll move around, and you just keep track of me by sound," he encouraged, stepping back a few paces.
With my focus sharp, I honed in on the sound of his footsteps. "Where will i be in five seconds?," he asked, and jumped to the other side of the room trying to confuse me. and I turned around, feeling the thrill of the challenge.
"You're behind me!" I replied, smiling as i thought that maybe i could get the hang of this.
As the training continued, I felt more connected to my surroundings, relying on my other senses to keep track of Johan. It was tough, but with each correct call, I felt my confidence grow.
"Remember, being blind doesn't mean you can't be an incredible mage. Just trust your instincts," he encouraged, and I smiled, ready to take on whatever came next.
"Now, let's add a new element," he said, infusing a ball with mana, the energy swirling around it like a small storm. "I'm going to throw this at you, and you'll need to dodge it purely based on your spatial awareness and instincts. Are you ready?"
I nodded, feeling the adrenaline surge through my veins, heightening my senses. He wound up and tossed the ball with a flick of his wrist, the sound of it slicing through the air echoed in my ears. It was like a predator stalking its prey, and I focused intently on the rush of air that followed.
As the ball approached, I could hear the whoosh of it getting closer, and I quickly gauged its trajectory. My heart raced as I sidestepped to the left, feeling the air brush past me as the ball whizzed by, narrowly missing me.
"Nice move!" Johan called out, a hint of excitement in his voice. "Keep trusting your instincts and stay aware of your surroundings."
Emboldened by my first dodge, I prepared for the next throw. But this time, I was caught off guard. Johan launched the second ball almost immediately after the first, and I had barely registered its movement. I turned just in time to hear it hurtling towards me, and before I could react, it struck me squarely in the shoulder.
The impact was jarring, sending me stumbling back. "Ouch!" I exclaimed, shaking off the surprise. Johan chuckled, clearly amused. "You have to stay alert! It's all about anticipating the next move."
"That's enough for today. We have all the time in the world to get you ready, so let's rest."
("It almost looks unnatural. How does she navigate this world? It's incredible that she has such awareness at her age, while blind at that. I just hope she knows how strong she really is.")
Two years had gone by of training day in and day out, and I had improved drastically in close combat and spatial awareness. The sound of wooden swords clashing echoed through the training grounds as I gripped my wooden sword tightly, feeling the familiar weight in my hands. Since i was still a child I couldn't hold heavy metal swords yet but a small wooden one felt perfect. Johan moved toward me with agility, his sword slicing through the air, but I was ready.
"You know," he said, swinging at me, "your father was an incredible warrior. I fought alongside him in battles against the other races. He had a way of bringing everyone together."
I nodded, focusing on his voice, letting it guide my movements. "What was he like?" I asked, dodging his strike with ease and countering with a swift jab.
"He was fearless," Johan replied, trying to regain his footing. "He always had your back, you know? Even if he wasn't the most skilled or powerful on the field. I remember one battle where he jumped right into the thick of it, encouraging us all to keep going when we were fighting beasts taken over by devils. It was like he had this energy that lifted everyone's spirits.
And for you Annabel, you're very quick and your tracking is pretty much better of that of mine, but remember you aren't that physically strong yet, you are still a child after all, its not bad for you to rely on your powerful magic, but remember to always practice like we are doing now."
With each of his attacks, I sidestepped and weaved, feeling my confidence surge. I kept my past life a secret, knowing that revealing it would change everything. "You know, I've got my own strengths," I said, dodging another swing. "I'm just trying to figure things out."
"You're doing great, you've picked up everything i thought you like it was nothing." Johan encouraged, his tone steady as I evaded another strike. "Just keep practicing, and you'll find your own way."
As the sparring session continued, I could feel the excitement of fighting in my veins. With every move, I became more attuned to Johan's rhythm, anticipating his strikes based on the sound of his footfalls and the whispers of the air around me. Suddenly, I sensed an opening. With a swift maneuver, I sidestepped his attack and brought my wooden sword down in a decisive strike, knocking his weapon from his grasp.
Johan stumbled back, his breath hitching in surprise. "Wow, Annabel! I was actually going all out!" he exclaimed, his voice a mix of disbelief and admiration. "You know I'm a higher rank than the average human mage, right? I didn't expect you to take me down like that! Are you really only 7 years old? You sure don't carry yourself like one."
A smile spread across my face as I realized what I had accomplished. "I guess I've been practicing harder than I thought," I replied, feeling a surge of pride but also slight anxiousness, ("maybe i should act a little more child like around other people").
"You've got some serious talent. Keep it up, and you'll be unstoppable!"
"I think it's time for you to head home, Annabel," Johan said, a hint of reluctance in his voice. "But you know, there are so many opportunities waiting for you. You could join your brother at the academy soon, or even head to the mage practice grounds."
I tilted my head slightly, focusing on the sounds around us. "The practice grounds? That's where you can fight beasts and meditate with natural mana, right? It sounds incredible! But... don't you think I'm too young for that? I mean, I'm only 7."
Johan chuckled softly, "Maybe a little young, but you've got skills that no one has at your age. Just imagine what you could learn out there! But remember, if you do go to the training grounds, you should keep some of your abilities hidden. Some of your magic is extremely rare, and people would definitely want to get their hands on you."
I felt a mix of excitement and uncertainty. "I'll think about it," I replied, my mind racing with possibilities.
"Alright get on, lets get you home, by the way Annabel, your last letter was very well written, I'm sure your parents will be so happy you see you again, you've grown a hell of a lot to, at least a head or two." I smiled at his direction as he got on the horse, "Thats all thanks to you teacher."