Since that day, Riam had been asking me to do strange things—like reducing my meals to just one per day.
She then began to tell me that a skilled manipulator is unmoved by hunger or thirst, or love or hatred.
A good manipulator was like a balloon undisturbed by the wind, or a silent pond that wouldn't be rippled.
And if I were not in harmony with my emotions, my development would suffer.
Slowly, I began to understand this.
Shirley and Alton didn't object to Riam's training. They didn't know exactly what she and I were doing. We were doing strange things... very strange things.
Each time I visited her in the forest, Riam would tie a blindfold over my eyes. She would tell me to imagine things, and to imagine them while practicing the Art of Silence.
One morning, while I was blindfolded, Riam said to me: "Imagination, focus, and isolation—these are what separate a free mana manipulator from others. The blindfold will enhance your imagination, making it capable of manifesting what you desire. Fasting will enhance your focus and bring that manifestation closer to reality. And the more profound your isolation becomes, the more vivid your imagination will shine, and the sharper your focus will become."
At that time, I was only in the first stage of isolation—meditating in darkness while sitting in the lotus position.
Then Riam added, "But beware of isolation. Just as it brings you serenity, power, and clarity, and strengthens your focus and imagination, it may also drag you into the abyss. If you reach 80% isolation, you may forget who you are and hurt those you love. If you reach 90%, you may harm yourself. And at 100%... You will never return to your senses."
Then Riam told me the story of a free mana manipulator named Libra.
Libra was a gifted and awe-inspiring figure in a time when humans were few. In addition to his talent, he once encountered Zeilarto and received some of his wisdom.
That wisdom sent Libra into the spiral of isolation, eventually reaching full percentage—what would later be called the Zero Point.
Libra became like a balloon drifting in the sky—serene one moment, a catastrophe the next.
He destroyed villages and cities, and passed through others without doing anything at all.
A human without awareness, a beast without conscience, a manipulator who crossed the line that should never be crossed.
"Libra's example is taught in free mana schools. A manipulator must be wise—or they might be consumed by themselves."
Strange lessons… but they were useful.
My fasting regimen evolved from one meal per day to one every other day.
After six months, it became two meals a week.
I had grown thinner, but my energy had increased.
"The body draws 75% of its mana from the air and 25% from food," Riam once said.
"Reducing food intake may feel exhausting at first, but over time, your sensitivity to mana will increase."
And that's what happened to me.
My vitality gradually returned, and I became more energetic than before.
That's why Libra was able to fly for ten years straight without food or water, spreading destruction until he died alone, because mana can replace sustenance to an extent.
The training went like this:
At dawn, I would meet Riam in the forest and put on the blindfold.
I'd practice the Art of Silence, then begin to manifest.
After manifesting, I would move the objects I made. The farther the mana got from my body, the harder it became to control. Before sunset, I would return home.
A whole year passed like that.
… … …
At the start of the new year, the weather was freezing and winter was at the doorstep.
Perhaps because of the cold, I woke up before dawn, with darkness still looming outside the attic window.
No matter how tightly I shut my eyes, sleep wouldn't return.
"Well then, Reo… maybe Riam will be happy to see you early today," I told myself.
"I mean, how could someone spend half their day with the same boy for a whole year if they didn't enjoy it?"
But Riam rarely smiled. To me, she was worse than Alton in that regard—stoic, like a fixed picture frame.
But I won't lie, I enjoy her company.
I began to doubt my ability to read eyes. Riam never wanted anything from me. She just liked that I could use magic and tried to teach me some of what she knew.
But… even though she knew much about me, after a whole year, I knew nothing about that mind reader. She told me tidbits of fascinating stories, but never the full versions, and never told me about herself.
… … …
I got out of bed and dressed, carrying within me a strange resolve—a decision to be persistent today.
I wanted to know more about that woman. And maybe for the first time, I felt a need to repay her somehow.
… … …
When I stepped outside, frost danced with the wind, along with dry, crumbling leaves. The season of death had begun. Everything would become scarcer—food, leather, even people.
People wouldn't go out every day, and the market would only open twice a week. Most would stay indoors by the fireplace for most of the day.
I ran past the market, through the temple, from district to district until I reached the Thialis Forest. I entered without any fear or tension, calmed by her teachings in the Art of Silence.
I felt serene in everything, even in the biting winter wind. My natural isolation had reached about 25%. I didn't know how to measure it precisely, but Riam always told me my percentage.
… … …
Before reaching our training ground, I paused behind a cluster of yellowing grass that bordered the clearing.
I was surprised.
I hadn't expected to find her there. But she was…
And she wasn't acting like herself.