"And your task now is to discover your own affinity."
The words rang clear, yet heavy, as if they carved themselves into their minds.
Riven lowered his head, brows furrowed. He understood what Ashtoria ant, but understanding sothing in theory was nothing like experiencing it firsthand. How was he supposed to find sothing that wasn't even visible?
Beside him, lly, who had been sitting cross-legged all this ti, raised her hand slightly. Her voice was soft, yet edged with tension.
"You said earlier that everyone has an affinity with the world, right?"
Ashtoria turned, her crimson eyes gleaming in the fading twilight, and gave a small nod.
"In that case…" lly continued carefully, "that ans we also have one. But do you think… our talent is enough to beco Seeker? What if our affinity is… very small? Very distant?"
The question hung in the air, thick with doubt.
Riven fell silent. What lly voiced aloud was the very thought haunting him as well. What if his talent was nothing? Hadn't all the gifted already been taken in and nurtured by the nobles? For ordinary people like them, becoming Seeker was nothing more than a wild dream—unless so anomaly or absurd stroke of luck occurred.
'Luck?' He scoffed inwardly. For poor orphans like him and lly, that word sounded like a fairy tale.
'Wait… isn't that what I am? An anomaly?' Riven thought. 'I'm not even from this world. In the stories I've read, people like always have so "system" or "extraordinary talent." So why… hasn't there been a single sign?'
His thoughts spun aimlessly, struggling to keep himself from drowning in pessimism.
Ashtoria watched them both in silence. The last orange rays of sunlight brushed against her red hair, making her seem like a shadow not entirely of this world.
Her gaze shifted between lly and Riven before she finally answered, calm and steady.
"To know the extent of your talent… a special tool is required. Usually, they can only be found in trade guilds or major academies. We can have it tested later, in Glimfell City."
Riven nodded slowly. He had heard about that tool before.
But that knowledge only made his chest heavier. He knew it cost no small amount to use such a device. Five gold coins—pocket change for nobles, but for him and lly, it was two months' worth of als.
And what if the result was terrible?
What if he paid such a high price… only to be told he had no talent at all?
Riven lowered his head, his expression dark. The shadow of failure felt far more frightening than poverty itself.
"But I am certain… your talent is enough to beco Seekers," Ashtoria said, her voice calm as she looked at them. "In truth, even ordinary people can reach that stage. If they train hard, are taught the right techniques, and given proper resources."
Riven looked up, surprised to hear such conviction from her lips. Even lly smiled faintly, as if her spirit had just been nourished.
Yet in her heart, Ashtoria could not stop the far more realistic thought.
'Of course, their growth will still depend on talent. And those with low talent… are rarely trained properly, because their limits can be predicted from the start.'
She did not say it. Those words were too bitter to voice now.
Unaware of her inner conflict, Riven quickly asked, "Then… how do I discover my affinity?"
lly too fixed her gaze on Ashtoria, her eyes bright with childlike hope.
Ashtoria inhaled slowly, then looked at them both in turn.
"I can help you practice the technique of absorbing mana, so that your connection to the world grows stronger. The deeper that bond, the clearer the whispers you will hear."
She paused, then added in a heavier tone,
"But to know what your affinity truly is… only you yourselves can discover it."
Silence filled the air.
The twilight slowly faded. Orange skies turned purple, then were devoured by darkness. The air cooled, night winds carrying the scent of damp earth from the surrounding forest. A pale moonlight seeped through thin clouds, illuminating their faces.
Riven and lly remained still, waiting for more. But Ashtoria said nothing further. Her gaze was steady, deep, as if to say: this was a journey no one could guide, only they could walk on their own.
At last, lly spoke softly, almost like a murmur.
"So… you an it's like… closing our eyes and calling out to sothing we don't know, and when it cos we can only guess what it is from the feeling we get?"
Ashtoria nodded. "Yes. My advice is that you question everything within yourselves, and let your inner voice and feelings answer."
Riven drew in a deep breath. The night air stabbed his lungs, heavy and cold. He released it slowly, as though trying to expel his doubts with it.
"Easier said than done…" he whispered under his breath.
Ashtoria only looked at him, offering no denial, no further answer.
Riven straightened his back, his gaze lifting to the star-strewn night sky.
"Knowing there is an echo inside is one thing… But hearing it, feeling it, understanding its shape—that's another." He let out a small, bitter laugh. "How do you hear sothing… when you don't even know what it looks like? Will the world whisper to , saying 'your affinity is fire'? Or sothing like that?"
After that long explanation about affinities and the world's echo, the three finally decided to move to the next step: their first practice in absorbing mana.
"Sit and close your eyes," Ashtoria said calmly. Her voice was like a whisper of wind, yet full of authority.
Riven and lly exchanged a brief glance before obeying. They sat cross-legged on the grass, breathing slowly, then shut their eyes.
Ashtoria stepped behind them. Her hands touched Riven and lly's backs at the sa ti. The touch was warm, soothing, yet it felt as though it reached deeper than skin.
"The fastest way to teach the technique of absorbing mana… is by demonstrating it," Ashtoria said. "I will channel my mana into your bodies. Do not resist. Relax and allow the energy to flow in."
Riven almost held his breath, but then nodded inwardly, forcing himself to calm down.
And then it ca, an unfamiliar warmth poured into his body from his back.
It felt like sothing alive yet foreign was seeping through his pores. The energy coursed like warm water being poured into a frozen body. But along with it ca a discomfort. His muscles tensed, as though his body wanted to reject, to push out the intruding force.
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