The sound of the girls moving around downstairs pulled me from a heavy, dreamless sleep. My body felt like I’d been used as a punching bag, a deep, bone-deep ache that had nothing to do with the athletic activities from last night.

The only one still in bed was Astra, curled up on my side, her silver hair a mess spread across the pillow.

Swinging my legs over the edge of the bed I tried to stand but a sharp, internal pain lanced through my chest, making me grunt loudly. It wasn’t like a normal cramp. It felt like a tiny earthquake was happening just inside my ribcage.

Stumbling into the washroom I splashed cold water on my face. When I looked up at my reflection, I saw my eyes looked different.

A faint, almost imperceptible silver ring surrounded my irises. I clenched my fist, trying to focus, and instinctively tried to call on a simple heal spell to soothe the ache.

Mana gathered in my palm, then folded in on itself like something hijacking the pattern halfway through. The warm pressure I expected turned sharp and freezing instead. My wrist locked as a sharp pain shot up my arm.

A thin black crack spread across the surface of the vanity mirror before the spell collapsed entirely.

The power was there, but it was a frayed wire, sparking without any control.

A soft gasp came from the doorway. Astra was standing there, wrapped in a sheet, her silver eyes wide with alarm. "I felt that," she whispered, her hand on her own chest. "A... a jolt. Like my own magic was lashing out."

I looked at her, and for the first time, the emotional bleed wasn’t a chaotic mix from everyone. It was focused. It was just her. I was hit by a wave of profound, ancient sadness that wasn’t mine. It was a fleeting image of being alone, of stone walls, of endless silence stretching for centuries. I stumbled back, gripping the doorframe to keep from falling over.

"It’s... your memories," I said, breathing heavily. "I can feel them."

Tears welled in Astra’s eyes. "I’m so sorry. My power... it’s too much. It’s hurting you."

The others were drawn by the noise. Celeste was the first to arrive, her expression immediately shifting to concern. "Adrian? What’s wrong? Your mana feels... fractured." Valka appeared behind her, her arms crossed, her expression grim. Reika peered between them, her ears flattened. "You smell wrong," she whined softly.

We moved to the sitting area. I explained what happened, like the physical jolts, the chaotic spell, the vision of Astra’s memories.

Valka was, as always, blunt. "The power is settling. It will either kill you or you will master it."

Celeste, ever the strategist, suggested they needed an expert. "Someone who understands ancient and forbidden magic. This isn’t normal mana sickness."

Valka reluctantly agreed, mentioning her father might know someone, but it was a last resort. "He will see this as a weakness. Or an opportunity."

Reika, tapping her chin, offered a different idea. "Back in the woods, I found places where the ground felt... calm. Where the magic was clean. A Mana Spring! Maybe that could help?"

As they were debating, I felt another quake coming on. This one felt like it was going to be stronger.

I doubled over, clutching my chest. The air in the room grew heavy. The candle flames flattened. It wasn’t a vision this time. Instead it was a pure unbearable physical pain.

Astra rushed to my side, her hands glowing with a soft silver light, but she didn’t know what to do. She could only watch in horror as my body trembled.

"It’s my power," she whispered, her voice trembling. "It’s rejecting yours."

[ URGENT QUEST: THE MANA SPRING ]

[ OBJECTIVE: LOCATE AND BATHE IN THE PURE WATERS OF THE HIDDEN SPRING BEFORE THE NEXT SYNCHRONIZATION SPIKE ]

[ FAILURE CONDITION: PERMANENT MANA CORE SHATTERING ]

[ TIME LIMIT: 72 HOURS ]

The system window blinked out of existence, leaving me panting on the couch. The pain subsided, leaving a dull, throbbing ache behind. "A Mana Spring," I repeated, looking at Reika. "You think you can find one again?"

She nodded, her fox ears perking up with determination. "I can try. The scent is... unique. Pure water, clean earth, no corruption. It’s a faint scent, but it’s there."

"Then that’s our only option," Celeste said, her voice firm. "Valka, contacting your father is too risky right now. We can’t have him showing up while Adrian is... unstable."

Valka grunted in reluctant agreement. "Fine. We follow the fox. But if she leads us into a goblin nest, I’m holding you responsible."

"I’m so sorry, Adrian," Astra said for the tenth time. "If you hadn’t–"

"–It’s not your fault," I said, trying to stand up. My legs felt like jelly. "I’m the one who couldn’t handle it."

"No," she said, her voice firm. "My power is... ancient. It’s not meant to be contained like this. We need to fix it. Together."

Her words gave me a sliver of strength. Together. That’s what we were. A fucked-up, overpowered, mana-unstable family.

We set out just as the sun was fully up. Reika took the lead, her nose twitching as she tried to follow the faint trail. The rest of us followed, a tense, silent procession.

The morning air was cool, but I felt like I was burning up from the inside. Every few minutes, another small quake would hit. A jolt of pain, a flicker of scales on my skin, a sudden, unwanted emotion.

Once, I was overwhelmed by Reika’s sudden, intense craving for a rabbit. Another time, I felt a surge of Valka’s dark, possessive pride. It was disorienting, maddening.

"Anything?" Celeste asked Reika, her voice tight with anxiety.

"It’s faint," Reika replied, her ears drooping slightly. "But it’s there. We’re getting closer."

We walked for what felt like hours. The forest grew denser, the path less clear. My condition was getting worse. The quakes were coming more frequently, more intensely.

"Adrian?" Astra’s voice was worried. "Your nose is bleeding."

I wiped at my face, and my fingers came away wet with blood. "Fuck," I muttered. "This is bad."