The mana cores of most mages tend to become active at the age of 10. For talented mages, their awakening could come at an earlier age. A year after, their magical ability would surface.

  The nature of these abilities would often be communicated to them by their souls. They appear to them in the form of dreams or visions.

  It was a moment of joy for kids who aspired to be mages. But for Kai? His discovery of his ability marked the beginning of a world of suffering for him.

  Kai awakened his mana core at the age of 12.

  He was not talented, but he was gifted. For Kai's ability was a rare one which could put him leagues above many mages.

  Most individuals would view a powerful ability as a blessing, however, for Kai, his was a curse.

  A curse which brought about a life of strife, hatred, and suffering.

  His ordeal started the day he awakened his ability. At this point, even Kai was not aware that his ability had already manifested.

  As a result, he did not know what he was capable of.

  He was paying attention to a billboard advertising a toothpaste when he felt his body collide with someone.

  He looked up and saw the faces of the three individuals in front of him. They were classmates from the same prestigious school he attended.

  One, a boy named Sai. He was slightly taller than him. He had short white hair and always wore a look of contempt on his face when looking at others.

  The second boy was named Ryan. He was standing on Kai's right side. He was a bit shorter than Kai and had a low cut hair. The last boy standing on Kai's left was named Andre. He was short and chubby.

  Unlike them, Kai's parents were too poor to send him to an expensive school. But Kai was intelligent and skilled in utilizing mana despite his lack of talent. This earned him a scholarship to one of Metreona's best schools for bearers.

  "Are you blind?" Sai said, looking at Kai with disgust.

  "If it isn't average Joe..." Ryan laughed.

  "You can't even walk properly and pay attention to your surroundings. I wonder how you got into our school," Andre backed Ryan up.

  Kai looked at them and remained silent. He shifted his gaze to the floor and walked past them. "I'm sorry, I don't want any trouble," he whispered as he walked by them.

  Sai grabbed his shirt and pulled him back, making Kai lose his balance and fall.

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  "I recognize you now..." Sai said.

  "You're that kid who joined us last session."

  "The one who got a scholarship..."

  "Who do you think you're talking to?" Sai asked.

  "Unlike you, I'm not some poor kid who got to where he currently is by luck."

  "So show some respect when you're talking to me."

  "You tell him, Sai," Ryan yelled, raising his fist.

  "Now apologize properly," Andre ordered.

  Kai got up and wiped the dust off his clothes with his hands.

  "I already apologized. You guys obviously saw me, so why didn't you just avoid me?"

  "That didn't sound like an apology!" Ryan grabbed Kai's collar, delivering a punch that sent him back to the ground.

  Sai placed his hand on Ryan's shoulder, ordering him to stop. He looked at Kai who was sitting on the floor with his nose bleeding from Ryan's punch.

  He smirked and walked towards him, "so that's how you want to be, huh?"

  "I'll teach you some manners."

  He raised Kai to his feet, and delivered a knee to his mid section, making Kai struggle to breathe while grabbing his stomach in pain. He sat on top Kai and began to rush him with a barrage of punches

  The fight was brutal, Kai tried his best to keep his anger in the check but in the end he was still just a child.

  He seized Sai by the collar and delivered a crushing uppercut that sent him flying back. He dashed towards Sai, ignoring the blood dripping from his knuckles. Ryan and Andre tried to block him, but he leaped over them.

  He pinned Sai to the ground and rained punches on his face. He gripped Sai's wrists, immobilizing them.

  "I said I didn't want any trouble," Kai shouted, his voice hoarse.

  He heard Sai screaming in agony, but he didn't care. He thought Sai was faking it, trying to get help. But what he didn't realize was that his ability was active.

  Kai had the power to steal the abilities of other mages.

  A mage's ability was embedded in their mana core, the source of their magic. If a mage lost their mana core, they lost their ability. And if a mage lost their ability, it only meant one thing. Their mana core shattered.

  A mage's mana core was connected to their soul. If the soul was a body, then the mana core was the heart of a mage's soul.

  Stealing one's ability was like ripping the heart out from their soul. The victim felt unbearable pain. If their soul was too weak, they could die.

  Sai was young and inexperienced, and his soul couldn't handle the strain.

  Kai saw Sai's eyes lose their light, his body go limp.

  Almost immediately, he felt a surge of pain in his chest, as if something had torn inside him. And before he knew it, his consciousness faded.

  "He killed him?" Ryan said, stepping back in horror. "He freaking killed him!"

  Sai's friends ran to get help, panic in their voices.

  Kai staggered to his feet, barely able to stand. He dragged himself to his house, leaving a trail of blood behind him.

  His two older brothers, Leo and Zack, were outside playing. They saw him and rushed to his aid, just before he collapsed.

  When Kai woke up, he heard two men talking to his parents outside. They were officers in charge of handling local bearer activities. They had been alerted by Sai's friends, who had found them nearby. So their reason for being there was obvious.

  Kai was still partially unsteady but he heard his mothers screams, "He's still a child, you can't take him!"

  "He murdered his classmate!" one of the officers snapped.

  "He doesn't need to be confined, he needs help!" his father pleaded.

  "Take him and run," his father yelled, suddenly breaking into the room.

  Kai's vision was blurry, his mind foggy. He felt someone lift him up, carrying him away.

  As they ran past the officers, who were held back by his mother and father, he caught the look on their faces.

  They looked at him with fear and disgust, as if he was a monster.

  And that was the last time he saw his parents.

  That was the beginning of Kai's life of hardship and misery.

  And his fall into depravity.