The sun had barely risen over the dim horizon of the World of Shadows. Golden light struggled to pierce through the mist that hung over the landscape, as if even the sky hesitated to begin a new day.

  Yuri woke with a start, her heart pounding wildly. The dream had been vivid. A child with raven-black hair was running down a corridor of polished stone, laughing and calling out a name Yuri couldn’t understand. The place... it seemed like a castle, ancient and imposing, with ruby-colored stained glass windows and symbols pulsing with energy.

  "Another dream?" Kayla asked behind her, calmly sipping from a cup of steaming amber-colored liquid.

  Yuri turned slowly. "It was a child. He seemed... happy. But he was alone, in that place. A castle, I think."

  For a moment, a shadow crossed Kayla's eyes. She said nothing, but her fingers tightened slightly around the cup. "You dreamed of something important. But it's not yet time to talk about it."

  "Why?" Yuri asked, uncertain.

  Kayla turned away, glancing quickly out the window. "Because the truth is like mana: if you handle it without preparation... it will destroy you."

  ---

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  Later, Kayla led Yuri to a clearing bordered by squared rocks and trees with dark, petrified-looking trunks. The air there was calm but vibrated with a subtle, constant energy.

  "Yesterday, we spoke about magic and levels. Today, you will understand who you are in this world," Kayla said, tossing her an opalescent crystal sphere. "Affinity."

  Yuri stared at it, puzzled. "Affinity...?"

  "The type of energy you are most attuned to. Every living being has a dominant element. A few rare ones possess more than one. Very rare... are those who can balance them," she added with a vague gesture toward herself. "Like me, for example."

  Yuri took the sphere, which immediately began to pulse in her hand. A blue shadow emerged at its center, followed by a silver glow, then a thin crimson line. In the end, everything merged into a shimmering vortex.

  Kayla’s eyes widened. "Interesting. You have a triple affinity. Water, Light... and a fragment of Fire. Chaotic, unstable... but powerful. You could become one of the Mages of Balance."

  "Could you stop talking about me like I’m some legendary card from a board game?" Yuri retorted, trying to sound sarcastic despite her confusion.

  "Tsk. You’re just a very rare collector’s edition," Kayla replied with an ironic smile.

  ---

  Training continued with concentration exercises, small elemental spells, and a lot of frustration. Yuri tried to summon a globe of water and ended up splashing herself in the face. She tried to levitate a stone and ended up launching her shoes instead. When she attempted to ignite a flame, she almost singed an eyebrow.

  "Congratulations, you managed to set fire to... the air. I didn’t even know that was possible," Kayla commented, laughing.

  "Maybe my element is embarrassment," Yuri muttered.

  Despite everything, something inside her was beginning to change. Each mistake sparked a little more determination. Each of Kayla’s sarcastic remarks made her realize that, maybe, this absurd universe still had rules... and she could learn them.

  "Focus on your emotions," Kayla said. "Mana doesn’t answer to logic, but to the heart. Fear, anger, joy... everything you are can become strength."

  Yuri took a deep breath, closing her eyes.

  For a moment, the world went silent.

  And a small, steady flame blossomed in the palm of her hand.

  Kayla watched her with a fai

  nt smile. "Welcome to the World of Shadows, rookie."