Tiana closed the door behind her and her eyes swept around the house without much thought. It was a simple wooden hut, bigger than most houses in the village, spacious but still very humble overall. A standard one story layout with two rooms, a bathroom, modest wooden furnish and ordinary decorations.

  "Sit."

  At the old man's instruction, Tiana promptly made her way over to sit beside Elder Hofsen at a round coffee table. The old man had both forearms on top of the table, his body leaning in slightly. He turned his head to Tiana and stared at her with a stoic expression.

  "So. Orhen said you can make water float?"

  Tiana nodded with pride.

  "Yeah!"

  It was for a split second, but Tiana could have sworn she saw the old man's eyes changed to a different color. She speculated that it was either because of how the lights reflected off his hazel eyes, or something related to magic which she was more inclined to believe in.

  "Do you know what an Elven Faery is?"

  Elder Hofsen's eyes stayed steadily on Tiana as she answered.

  "No."

  This time, Tiana was prepared. She observed closely and caught sight of how the old man's eye color very briefly changed to a golden yellow again. The strange phenomenon happened twice as soon as she answered his question. It felt as if she was being judged, as if the old man was evaluating her answers. Anyhow, now she had solid proof for her suspicions. Indeed, Elder Hofsen can use magic because he was out of the ordinary. But in what way? Tiana wouldn't know, of course. However, she figured it may have to do with the one word which both Orhen and Elder Hofsen had brought up. Elven Faery.

  "What is Elven Faery, grandpa?"

  Tiana asked frankly and Elder Hofsen answered in the same manner.

  "It's a special race. A fundamentally different species compared to humans. From their looks, way of life, society, culture, beliefs, to the way they interact with mana, innate abilities and weaknesses, all of it is unique to their respective races."

  Tiana was intrigued by this newly found revelation of varied species aside from humans that had been occupying the world she currently lived in since ancient times. It was definitely non-identical to Earth. Honestly, the best she could imagine were something equivalent to the monsters she had fought in gates, though they had little to no intelligence, nor were they sentient and had a will of their own, at least as far as she knew. Elder Hofsen didn't explain in-depth about the history of these so called special races, probably because it will take ages for him to go through every historical event and he was much too drowsy to be up for it, only that Tiana's natural connection to mana was very much akin to them.

  He vaguely added that at some point, special races copulated with humans, hence giving birth to a sub-race referred as mixed-blood. The mixed-blood was further divided into two categories. Halfling and Quasi. Halflings were the origins of mixed-blood. They were brought to existence by the union of a human and a special race. But these occurrences were rare because of the world's primitive social structure back in the day. Fascinatingly enough, no matter what special race it was, the infant will always have a human form and appearance while inheriting the race's prowess.

  Meanwhile, Quasies were what remained of it. The blood of the special race became less potent as Halflings mate with other humans, and although they did try to preserve it by coupling with any willing individual of a special race, it was near impossible unless they risk their lives to do so. The reason was, these noble species were very elusive and prideful of their bloodline and ancestry. There was nothing for them to gain from the humans that which they hadn't already achieved. They were better in all aspect, so humans couldn't possibly provide an appealing offer, even if they forsake generations worth of wealth.

  "I'm actually a Quasi. Oh, don't tell anyone. Let this be a secret between us. Few others that know about it are those I trust with my life. Like Orhen."

  Tiana's hand shot up to cover her mouth. She gasped dramatically, then raised a pinky and swore in earnest.

  "You can trust me, grandpa! I won't say a word! Promise!"

  Elder Hofsen's irises faintly glowed golden for a split second and he chuckled, his heart warmed by her show of sincere conviction.

  "I know. I believe you."

  The old man seemed at ease as he further clarify that he was a Quasi-Elven. He was able to use magic to discern truth from false, as well as magic to enhance healing. Upon hearing this bit of valuable information, the missing puzzle pieces that had been bothering Tiana finally fit into place.

  The day when Elder Hofsen and another person had found her mother near the village entrance in her helpless state, Tiana who was also in a weakened condition, vaguely saw the old man's eyes as he helped her mother, before her consciousness faded. Since then, she was always on the lookout for clues about the old man, but was constantly left on a cold trail.

  'Turns out, I was right. I knew it.'

  The corner of her mouth stretched into a satisfied grin. Out of the blue, a thought dawned on her. Maybe it was the sight of Elder Hofsen's easygoing manner, or she felt that they had grown close after his expression of trust in her, but the question came out of her mouth before she realized it.

  "Why keep it a secret?"

  Tiana would have been genuinely disappointed if the old man had shown a negative reaction and refuse to answer it by changing the subject. Instead, Elder Hofsen didn't show any apprehension and just placidly went on to simplify a long story.

  The reality was, any pureblood or halfblood Elven Faeries who was found to be roaming out in the world instead of staying in their land, were either exiled criminals or run away strays. The Exolan Cove, where Elven Faeries lived, was a tight-knit society. The Elven Faeries accepted any human with Elven ancestry running in their blood without discrimination. Granted, you have a way to prove it. Though before that, more importantly, you need to be able to even reach the place. According to Elder Hofsen, anyone can visit their land as long as they fulfill the conditions set up by a powerful ancient spell which was conjured thousands of years ago to ensure exclusivity and safety.

  "One of my great, great, grand parent was a stray who abandoned her family to be with a human man. He was one of the rare few that successfully entered Exolan Cove, much to the Elven Faeries surprise. I guess it had been decades since the last time it happened. He had an upstanding character and was a pretty respected scholar among his peers. Maybe that's why he was treated so well and even managed to charm a young Fae. My parents never cared about going there, so I could care less either. It was too much of a hassle."

  He shrugged apathetically. In the meantime, Tiana was screaming in her head about wasted opportunities and how she should've been a Quasi rather than him because she certainly would have gone there just to explore the land and take up on anything they have to offer. Having thought all that, she wasn't entirely sure if it was possible to begin with. After all, it sounded as if only the most morally upright individuals were allowed to pass through. Sadly, or thankfully, she had reasonable self-awareness to admit that she was by far the worst, morally skewed person she knew. Obviously, she practised utmost self-restraint, but there was too much blood on her hand for her to pretend otherwise. Still, the idea of having a bloodline shrouded in mystery sounded cool.

  "I wish I was a Quasi-Elven..."

  Elder Hofsen coughed and cleared his throat.

  "That is what we'll be confirming."

  Tiana stared up at the old man in sheer disbelief.

  "You can do that?"

  Elder Hofsen replied with a gentle smile. He asked Tiana for her dominant hand, and she eargerly put out her right hand towards him. The old man held it and opened his mouth to provide Tiana with a critical warning.

  "Whatever happens, don't pull your hand away. I'm going to pass my mana through your hand. It can be dangerous for me if you don't stay put. I will receive backlash from having the mana abruptly cut off. This old man might bleed and faint. We can't have that, right?"

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  Tiana nodded meekly. Then, the old man closed his eyes and paced his breathing evenly before pressing his thumbs softly into her palm. Tiana felt a subtle jolt at first, but then the energy flowed smoothly from then on.

  'Woah. This is so interesting...'

  Elder Hofsen continued to transfer his mana through Tiana's small hand. The energy didn't feel invasive, it coursed from her palm, following along her veins and spread to her whole body. It felt like a tree's roots searching for a source of water. She watched the whole process inquisitively, engrossed by the nifty technique demonstrated by the skillful old man. Half a minute later, the energy gradually dwindled until none was left, and the old man let go of her hand.

  "S-So am I a Quasi-Elven, grandpa?"

  Tiana's voice slightly escalated at the end in anxious anticipation. On the other hand, Elder Hofsen fell silent. His brows furrowed, the lines on his forehead deepened and he seemed overall perplexed by what just happened. After seeing the old man's expression, Tiana glanced away in a quiet sigh, she could already tell what the answer was.

  "Tiana, how long have you been using magic?"

  The little girl was looking down and playing with her fingers when she spoke timidly.

  "Mm.. starting from this year."

  Of course, that was a lie. Tiana had been using magic since a year old. It sort of pricked on her conscience for lying to the old man, considering he had been nothing but candid towards Tiana. Regardless, she was convinced that the truth was too bizarre for the old man to digest, so she decided to downplay it. Elder Hofsen gazed at the wooden walls of his house, lost in thought as his right hand stroked his well-groomed grey goatee with strands of white hair.

  "Tiana, will you let me check your heart?"

  Tiana blinked at the old man's request which came out of nowhere and pondered for a second, then shrugged and nodded. She put her hands on her waist and puffed out her chest in a superhero pose.

  "Go ahead, grandpa!"

  Elder Hofsen softly chuckled at the four year old's mighty looking pose. He pressed three fingers together, from the index to the ring finger, and placed his fingertips over where her heart was located. As he applied a bit of pressure, Tiana felt a familiar energy flowed through her chest. She watched as the old man's face contorted and his thinned, light grey brows slanted while he muttered under his breath.

  "Oh, dear.. as expected..."

  The sensation she felt slowly dissipated, then the old man lowered his hand. He looked at her with a grave expression. Tiana gulped. That look on his face overlapped with a memory from her previous life, when the doctor told her that the Esper's superhuman body might fail to regenerate one day if she continues to abuse and overexert herself horribly. She could live without her powers, but losing a limb or two was too much, even for her.

  'No.. please, don't tell me...'

  Tiana prayed she hadn't made an awful life-destroying mistake. The old man sighed, while Tiana waited with bated breath.

  "Listen closely, Tiana. From now on, don't ever use magic. If you continue to be stubborn, eventually you will... die."

  Her head and shoulders drooped at the mention of death. Her gaze fell on the wooden floor. She had anticipated all kinds of things, but she wasn't ready to hear about dying.

  "Oh..."

  That was the only faint sound she could muster.

  "I'm sorry, child."

  Tiana didn't understand why the old man apologized. It wasn't his fault. This happened because she decided on something recklessly. There was no one to blame but herself.

  'I guess.. I got too ahead of myself. I'm an adult on the inside, I've lived for over two decades, fought against strong monsters, gone over all kinds of hurdles in life, so I thought I knew better. I thought everything was easy and simple enough that I can figure things out on my own. Turns out, I've been slowly killing myself these past years.. and I wasn't even aware of it.'

  Tiana scowled, seriously upset with herself. Before she could continue beating herself up however, the old man placed a warm hand over her round head. He gently patted the child on the head, comforting her as an affectionate grandparent would. In that moment, she truly felt like a helpless four year old child. She bit her lip and resisted the tears from welling up.

  'No, I am not going to cry. I was done crying like a baby decades ago.'

  Tiana lifted her head, and Elder Hofsen expected her to start sobbing as a small child would, but there was no tears in the little girl's eyes. Instead, her solemn green eyes curved into a sad smile.

  "Grandpa, can you tell me more? I want to know.. how bad it is. Don't worry, I can take it. I won't cry, I promise."

  Elder Hofsen sighed as his gaze lingered on her, eyes full of pity for the disprited child in front of him.

  "You can cry. It's natural for a child to do so. A normal human emotion. Don't hold yourself back like that, it's unhealthy."

  Tiana stared blankly at the old man. She didn't say anything and only nodded. His advise fell on deaf ears because Tiana had long been stubbornly determined never to cry again after a specific tragic incident during her time as an Esper. The old man gave her another light pat before removing his hand and placing it on the table. His gaze landed on the dancing flame of the oil lamp nearby while he tapped a finger as he prepared his next words carefully. The finger halted and he began in a soft voice.

  "I've checked thoroughly. There is no mistake. You are a pureblooded human. Which means, unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, there is no secret to your birth. Which is very odd. Because it doesn't make sense to me and what I know."

  This was an important information for Tiana. Years spent in the village, she understood how special she truly was. No other villager she had met used magic the way she could, nor had she ever seen a traveller that passed through the village with the same ability. She had wondered whether her reincarnation made her an anomaly or there's a secret to her birth. Now, she finally had her answer. Indeed, she was an anomaly. Tiana kept quiet to let the old man continue.

  "You shouldn't be capable of using magic, yet you did.. somehow."

  Elder Hofsen turned his head towards Tiana and smiled.

  "You surprise me everytime with how clever you are. No.. this is more than that actually. If you know what I do, your existence is truly one of a kind. You're a very special child, Tiana. I have no doubt that you are a genius."

  Tiana's cheeks turned pink. Her legs swung back and forth as she giggled shyly over the old man's compliment. She had completely forgotten about her previous upset.

  "And it's depressing to know that a child as brilliant as you is being held back by the nature of this world."

  Tiana's legs slowed down to a stop.

  "What do you mean, grandpa?"

  She asked, concerned that the bright future she had imagined might have ended before it even started. Elder Hofsen shifted his eyes to a dark corner of the room, he couldn't bear to see the disappointment on her face once he broke the news.

  "You are very young and full of vitality, so you may not have felt anything wrong. You never used magic to a point where it strains your heart and your body recovers quickly at this age. But if you continue to use magic as you grow older, it will have a long term effect. One day, you will start coughing up blood. The next, your heartbeat slows down until you ultimately die. A human heart. It's unable to withstand the process of mana flow. It means, you will never be able to use magic, no matter how brilliant you are at manipulating mana."

  The old man sighed wearily.

  "In this case, it's truly unfortunate. Because you are greatly talented."

  Tiana looked down at her hands clasped on her lap.

  "Does that mean.. I will have to stay a normal village girl...?"

  Elder Hofsen snapped his head towards Tiana and hurriedly corrected the misunderstanding. His voice filled with worry.

  "No! Tiana, I'm not trying to discourage you. I'm telling you this because I need you to understand how dangerous it is for you to use mana in that way. But it didn't have to be so. You may not be able to output magic with mana, but humans aren't cursed beings who aren't blessed by mana. It's just that, a human's sensitivity are very dull but it can be enhanced through training. Fortunately for you, Tiana, you've already skipped that part."

  Tiana's brow twitched over a particular part of what Elder Hofsen said, but she suppressed her curiosity and put it in the back burner for now. She lifted her eyes and stared at the old man with a hopeful expression.

  "You mean, I can't make water float, but I can use mana in a different way?"

  The corner of his eyes crinkled as he smiled at the little girl.

  "Of course. When there is a will, there is always a way. Thankfully, you are at the perfect young age to start learning."

  Tiana stood up from her seat and weaved her fingers together in a praying gesture.

  "I want to know! Please tell me, grandpa!"

  Elder Hofsen chuckled at her enthusiasm. He motioned the child to sit back down.

  "Alright, settle down. I'm not sure how well you can understand, but I'll explain."

  Tiana nodded obediently the moment she sat back into her chair. Hands on her knees, backs straightened, like a soldier ready to receive an order.

  "Okay!"

  Elder Hofsen's gaze drifted back to the flickering light of the oil lamp as he spoke in length.

  "Unlike special races that cultivate mana through their heart, humans cultivate mana in their core."

  The old man placed a hand right below his stomach, before he removed the hand and languidly perched his forearm on the edge of the table.

  "Cultivating mana basically meant that you store mana in our surrounding inside your body. By forming a mana core, even humans may use mana safely."

  Tiana nodded her head vigorously as she listened fervently to the old man's lecture.

  "Through the years, humans have constantly redeveloped new ways to store mana. It had made things easier but.. well, people would call me old school for saying this, but I believe the best way to cultivate mana is through daily cultivation from a very young age. It's painfully slow for most, it also requires a lot of discipline and diligence, yet still the most effective method without a doubt."

  Elder Hofsen leaned back into his chair and raised a finger as he counted.

  "First, is to be able to sense mana around you. Second, you feel and move mana through your body. Third, you start forming a small core."

  His hand lowered back onto his lap.

  "If you continue cultivating without missing a day, the core will gradually increase in size. Because it grows naturally along with your body, by the time you're in your teens, the core will become strong, firmly settled inside you like one of your organ. Of course, in order to utilize the mana core in the best way, you need to train physically and mentally as well. It's the same concept of training your muscles so you can exert more strength."

  Elder Hofsen let out a long breath, signifying the end of his lecture. His half-lidded eyes landed back on the young child with a lazy smile on his face.

  "How much do you understand?"

  Tiana raised her arms and hands wide open, then exclaimed in delight.

  "Everything!"

  The old man chuckled as he shook his head, amused by the four year old's energetic character.

  "Grandpa!"

  Tiana hopped down the chair and stood to the side, then gave him a respectful ninety degree bow as she brightly voiced out.

  "I look forward to your teachings!"

  Elder Hofsen blinked a few times in dozy confusion.

  "Huh?"