Skill Forge: Broken Extra Character

Freya stormed out of the room, her frustration bubbling over as she slammed the door behind her. "You know what…? Do what you like," she muttered under her breath, leaving Jett behind with Ella. Her mind raced, but she didn't want to dwell on the argument. She needed a distraction, anything to get her mind off Jett and his irritating attitude.

*****

Freya found herself at the academy library, hoping the quiet ambiance and shelves of books would offer her some solace. She wandered aimlessly through the rows until her eyes fell on a title: Visualizing Mana and Magic. She hesitated for a moment before reaching for it.

Just as her fingers grazed the spine, a voice interrupted her thoughts. "Visualizing Mana and Magic. That's a good one," said Valetta, her voice soft yet encouraging. She was standing just a few steps away, watching Freya with an approving smile. "A very smart choice."

Freya, startled by the sudden compliment, looked up. "Umm… thank you," she replied, a little shy. Valetta was one of the academy's respected founders, known for her wisdom in magical theory and control. Freya hadn't spoken much to her before, but she knew of Valetta's reputation.

Valetta stepped closer, glancing at the book in Freya's hand. "The theories in that book helped me a lot when I was learning how to manipulate Mana more effectively. It's amazing what you can achieve when you stop thinking of Mana as just an invisible force and start treating it like something you can truly feel and control."

Freya tilted her head slightly, curious. "But if Mana can't be seen, how do you... feel it?"

Valetta smiled, clearly enjoying the conversation. "Mana is like a current, a flow of energy that courses through everything. You can't see it, but once you learn to sense it, you can direct it, manipulate it. It's like when you're in a room full of people: just because you can't see emotions doesn't mean you can't feel the tension, or the joy, or the sadness in the air. Mana is the same.

You have to train your senses to pick up on it."

Freya's eyes widened as she absorbed the explanation. "That makes so much sense. I never even thought of it that way."

Valetta nodded approvingly. "The book you picked up goes into a lot of detail about that. If you keep reading and practicing, you'll start to notice things you couldn't before. The trick is patience and persistence. Magic isn't always about grand gestures. Sometimes, it's the smallest, most precise control that makes the biggest difference."

Freya was astonished. Valetta's perspective on Mana was eye-opening, and it lit a spark in her curiosity. "I never realized how much more there was to Mana control."

Valetta's smile grew as she gently placed a hand on Freya's shoulder. "Keep reading, and you will."

Valetta's perceptive eyes lingered on Freya for a moment, picking up on her subtle distractions. It was clear something was weighing on her mind. She tilted her head slightly and asked, "What's the matter, darling? You look like something's troubling you."

Freya hesitated for a second, then sighed deeply, her gaze falling to the floor. "It's nothing really… just a friend of mine."

Valetta's lips curled into a knowing smile. "Hmm… Boy troubles or did you have a fight with a friend?" she asked with a playful, yet sympathetic tone.

Freya groaned softly. "Both, I think…" She paused, then, almost without realizing it, the frustration she had bottled up began to spill out. "Gosh, he's so annoying. How can one guy be so secretive?"

Valetta gave her a gentle nod of encouragement, and Freya, emboldened by the older lady's understanding presence, continued. "He's always insisting on doing everything on his own, like he doesn't need anyone's help. So what if I don't know what you're thinking. Even when we're all in it together, he still tries to handle things by himself.

He doesn't realize that by trying to protect everyone, he just ends up hurting us more."

Freya's voice quickened with emotion. "I mean, he means well, I get that. But how hard is it to just ask for help? He's constantly acting like the weight of the world is on his shoulders and…" Freya suddenly stopped, her eyes widening in realization. She looked at Valetta, a little embarrassed, having just ranted out her thoughts without meaning to.

Valetta chuckled softly, her eyes warm with understanding. "Oh, I see now," she said gently. Freya's face turned red as she realized how much she had just revealed.

With a calm and reassuring tone, Valetta offered her advice. "Don't be too angry with him, whoever he is. Some people carry burdens they don't know how to share. It's not that they don't want to let others in, sometimes they just don't know how. It sounds like your friend is trying to do the right thing but in the wrong way."

Freya listened intently, her shoulders relaxing as Valetta continued, "Instead of being upset with him, try to help him understand that he doesn't need to shoulder everything on his own. He might not realize that having people around doesn't just mean relying on them when things are tough: it means letting them in so they can help carry the load.

You can be that person for him, to show him he's not alone."

Freya's frustration slowly began to ebb away, Valetta's words hitting home. "Yeah... I guess you're right," she mumbled, feeling a bit calmer. Valetta smiled warmly at her, nodding in quiet approval.

"Thanks, ma'am. I really needed that," Freya said, her face lighting up with a bright smile that accentuated her natural beauty.

Valetta, momentarily taken aback by Freya's radiance, smiled back and replied, "Glad to help. You should keep that smile on you a lot more." She gave a subtle nod, admiring Freya's unexpected charm.

The scene shifted abruptly. Jett found himself standing in a familiar place: an eerie, dreamlike landscape, watching a scene unfold before him.

The dying man's raspy voice echoed close by, filled with desperation and betrayal. "Why are you doing this? Why go against me?" His words were drenched with disbelief, his body slumped against a stone altar, blood trickling from his wounds.

Jett narrowed his eyes, recognizing this moment. He had seen this very scene before, back when he first came into contact with Finn's divine weapon. It was as if he were watching history replay itself, a memory trapped within the weapon's essence.

Another voice answered the dying man, colder and more resolute. "We're sorry, brother, but this has to be done." The speaker's tone was devoid of emotion, yet there was an underlying sadness to his words, like a burden being reluctantly carried.

Jett observed silently, his mind racing. The figures before him were blurry, their faces obscured by the mists of the memory. But he sense the betrayal in the air, the anguish of a brother forsaken by those he once trusted.

The dying man let out a strained, weak breath, his eyes wide with disbelief. As his strength ebbed away, Jett knew this was no dream.

Yet, even as he watched, a part of him couldn't shake the feeling that this was more than just a memory. It felt like a warning.

*

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Remember the first time it happened.