I waved goodbye to Brother Zegion as he headed off for the Sona Merchant Guild. He said he’d be gone three days for work. My brother’s something else—smart and cool, even though he’s just three years older than me. I’m not the brainy type, never have been. I’ve always gotten by on hard work, but three days ago, everything changed.
I was sitting by the Adventurer’s Association doors, like usual, waiting for Lady Bree to toss me some odd jobs. My stomach was growling, and I was worn out from hustling. Then Zegion showed up—quiet, like always—staring at me for a second before saying, “Come with me.” Just like that, I had a pce to stay and real food—three meals a day. Not scraps, but proper stuff that filled me up.
Us alley kids knew Zegion. He was like a ghost who brought us food sometimes. He didn’t look at us with pity or anything—just did it, calm as can be. The grown-ups took his help too, but I’d hear them grumble behind his back, jealous and mean. Zegion knew they talked smack. He’s sharp like that. But that didn’t stop him, though.
Those three days of good meals felt like a dream, but now I’ve got to earn it. Before he left, Zegion gave us a job: awaken my mana and figure out my attributes. By myself. In three days. I almost ughed. What was he thinking? Did he reckon I was some fancy noble kid who grew up learning magic? Yuna might have a shot—she’s got that quiet smarts—but me? I’m an orphan from Zilt’s streets. Old Amanda and Rhonda kept me alive when I was little, that’s all I’ve got. Mana? Attributes? It’s crazy. And to make it worse, he told me not to ask Yuna for help. “Do it yourself, Jin,” he said, serious but not harsh.
It sounds impossible, but I trust him. So I headed to Old Amanda’s pce, kicking dirt as I walked, my head all jumbled. She’s smart, knows a lot, and if anyone can help, it’s her. When I got there, Buga and his two buddies were hanging around outside her little house.
“Ohhh, look who’s here!” Buga said, smirking. “Sorry, Jin, we’re done. Go somewhere else.”
“I’m not here for your jobs, Buga,” I snapped. “I need to talk to Old Amanda.”
He snorted and shuffled off with his crew. “Whatever”
Was he mad? I didn’t care. A creaky voice broke through my thoughts.
“Jin, that you?” Old Amanda poked her head out. She’s got a bent back now, but her blue eyes were bright, looking me over. “Been a while, kid. You look good—like you’re eating right. Makes me happy.” She ughed, rough but warm.
I told her everything—Zegion taking me in, the food, and this wild task. “He wants me to awaken my mana, Granny. Me! I don’t even know how. Got any books I can use?”
She grinned. “That Zegion’s a weird one, but I think you can do it, Jin.” She grabbed a dusty old book off her shelf and handed it to me.
I stared at it, my stomach dropping. “Granny, I can’t read this. It’s too hard. Can you help?”
“Sure, kid,” she said with a nod. “Let’s get started, or I’ll have to get back to my potions.”
We spent the whole day together, her scratchy voice walking me through mana stuff. She made it easy: to use magic, you need three things. First, you’ve got to be able to feel mana—turns out I’ve got a bit of that, lucky me. Second, you need an attribute, like fire or water, which picks what spells you can do. Third, you cast it—either with magic circles and some old nguage called Praxis. All three have to work together, or nothing happens.
By the time the sun went down, I sort of got it. But casting was the problem. I didn’t know Praxis, and Granny didn’t have anything about it. That left feeling it with my soul—whatever that means. I leaned on her table, tired and stuck. Two days left, and I was still lost.