Chapter 16: Chapter 16 – The First Circle (1)

The night air was cool when Eternia Sinclair returned to the outer estate.

The quiet pathways of the estate were mostly empty now, with only a few lanterns glowing faintly along the stone walkways. Most servants had already retired for the night, leaving the grounds peaceful and silent.

But Eternia’s mind was anything but calm.

Her thoughts replayed the meeting at the Palace of Eternal Solace again and again. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

Godfrey Ender Sinclair.

The War Mage of the Sinclair family.

One of the most terrifying individuals within the entire domain.

And now...

Apparently her mentor.

"...Disciple, huh."

Eternia muttered quietly as she walked down the corridor toward her room.

The word still felt strange.

In her past life, Shatter had learned everything alone.

There had been no teacher.

No master.

No noble family guiding his growth.

Just stolen books.

Forbidden ruins.

And desperate battles against death.

Yet now, in this new life, someone that powerful had decided to train her personally.

She didn’t know whether to call it luck...

Or trouble.

Still, one thing was certain.

"If he’s serious about training me..."

Her silver eyes sharpened.

"...then I need to get stronger before the second trial."

Eternia reached her room and quietly locked the door behind her.

Click.

Silence filled the room.

She walked directly to the small desk near the window.

Several glass vials rested there.

Mana elixirs.

The ones she had received earlier from the mysterious delivery.

And the high-grade one Godfrey had thrown to her just moments ago.

Eternia picked up one of the vials.

The liquid inside glowed faintly with condensed magical energy.

Mana elixirs were extremely valuable resources for mages.

They accelerated mana growth dramatically.

But they also carried risks.

Drinking too many at once could destabilize a mage’s internal circulation.

However—

Eternia wasn’t planning to drink just one.

She opened the first vial.

The liquid tasted bitter as it slid down her throat.

Warm energy immediately spread through her chest.

Her magic circuits reacted instantly, drawing the mana into circulation.

Eternia didn’t hesitate.

She opened the second vial.

Then the third.

Then the fourth.

By the time she finished the last one, her entire body was glowing faintly with unstable magical energy.

Her circuits pulsed like burning wires.

Anyone else attempting this would have collapsed immediately.

But Eternia sat down cross-legged on the floor.

Her hands formed a stable meditation posture.

"...Circulate."

Mana began moving through her body.

Slowly at first.

Then faster.

She guided the energy carefully through every magic circuit in her body.

Up through her spine.

Across her shoulders.

Down through her arms.

Then back toward the center.

Her heart.

The core of her mana system.

The location where every mage formed their first mana circle.

The First Circle.

Eternia inhaled slowly.

"...Now."

She compressed the circulating mana toward her chest.

The energy resisted immediately.

Mana rings did not form easily.

They required precise balance between control, capacity, and stability.

Too much force—

The circuits would rupture.

Too little—

The mana would simply disperse.

Eternia focused harder.

Her mind replayed the countless nights in her previous life when Shatter had attempted this exact process.

Back then, it had been torture.

His magic circuits were weak.

Unstable.

He had failed repeatedly.

Years of effort.

Years of frustration.

Years of slow, painful progress.

But this body was different.

The circuits here were perfect.

Natural.

Flexible.

The mana responded beautifully to her control.

Still—

The pressure built rapidly.

The condensed energy inside her chest felt like a small sun.

Sweat formed on her forehead.

Her breathing grew heavy.

"...Almost..."

The mana trembled violently.

Then—

It began to spiral.

A small ring of compressed mana formed near her heart.

Thin at first.

Fragile.

But stable.

Eternia’s eyes snapped open.

"...Yes!"

The ring solidified.

The First Circle.

Mana now flowed through her circuits in a perfect loop, anchored by the newly formed ring at her core.

Power surged through her body.

Her mana reserves expanded instantly.

Her spellcasting efficiency increased dramatically.

Eternia laughed quietly.

"...Finally."

She leaned back slightly, catching her breath.

Her thoughts drifted to her previous life.

Shatter.

The weak noble who had been cast aside.

It had taken him nearly eight years to reach this same milestone.

Eight years of struggle.

Eight years of humiliation.

Yet Eternia had just achieved it in a single night.

"...What a difference."

Her silver eyes gleamed with pride.

This body truly was superior.

But she wasn’t finished yet.