Walking was seriously weird, and nobody had properly warned him about it.
He had wobbly legs that seemed to have their own secret agenda, completely ignoring whatever his brain was trying to tell them. Every step felt like trying to walk on marshmallows that had been left out in the sun, squishy, unpredictable, and way too bouncy for his liking. His center of gravity seemed personally insulted by the entire concept of balance, shifting around like it was playing some kind of cruel joke on him.
Ares had spent weeks working his way up from sitting without immediately face-planting into whatever was in front of him, to crawling around like a very determined caterpillar with places to be. Now, at one year old, he could finally manage to walk in short, jerky bursts that probably looked hilarious to anyone watching. His chubby arms stretched out on either side like he was pretending to be a tipsy scarecrow trying to direct traffic in the middle of a windstorm.
Hey, at least it was progress, right?
The whole situation was kind of funny when he thought about it. Here he was, trapped in a baby body that could barely manage to stay upright, while his mind was racing with plans and observations that would probably shock any adult who could peek inside his head.
'Body's finally starting to catch up to where my brain wants to be.'
'And more importantly, my mana is beginning to keep pace too.'
That last part was the real victory. Physical coordination was just a bonus.
---
A whole week had passed since his quiet birthday celebration, since that warm, solid weight had settled into place on the right side of his chest like a faithful companion that would never leave him. The sensation had become as familiar as his own heartbeat, always there, always ready, pulsing gently in rhythm with his breath.
He didn't feel like some kind of magical powerhouse or anything dramatic like that. No lightning crackling around his tiny fingers, no flames dancing in his palms, no mystical aura making the air shimmer around him.
Just... complete. Balanced in a way he hadn't even realized he was missing before the core formed.
It was like spending your whole life with a mild headache and then suddenly having it disappear, you didn't know how much better you could feel until the problem was finally gone.
Now, every single night after the nursery fell into peaceful quiet and the rest of the world drifted off to sleep, Ares had his own private training sessions that nobody else knew about.
Not practicing walking, that was daytime stuff that he did when Beatrix and Junia were around to watch and worry.
This was about something much more important: learning to control his mana.
---
The routine had become as natural as breathing.
He'd sit as cross-legged as a chunky one-year-old could possibly manage in his comfortable crib, wrapped up in the softest blankets with moonlight streaming through the tall window like nature's own personal spotlight. The silver light painted everything in the room with a gentle glow that made even ordinary objects look magical.
No rushing anything. No trying to force results like some impatient fool. Just letting the energy flow like water finding its own natural path through the landscape.
He'd close his eyes, take a deep breath in through his nose, and slowly let it out through slightly parted lips. Then he'd turn all his attention inward, focusing on that gentle warmth in his chest that had become his most treasured secret.
The mana core pulsed once, steady and patient as a sleeping cat.
Then again, keeping perfect time like a metronome.
He let that rhythm become his guide, breathing in sync with the gentle thrumming of energy. Breathe in, hold it for a count of three... breathe out, let everything relax and settle.
Nothing flashy or dramatic about it. No grand displays of power that might attract unwanted attention.
But then, like warm honey spreading slowly through tiny cracks in a stone wall, the mana started to move.
Just a little ripple at first, barely noticeable.
From his chest outward toward his ribs, flowing soft and smooth like it was carefully exploring its new home for the first time.
'There we go. Internal cycling. The foundation that everything else gets built on.'
'Just like in the old stories, you have to learn to walk before you can run, and you have to master your inner energy before you can project it outward.'
---
He kept all his movements tiny and careful, never pushing too hard or demanding too much too quickly. Just breathing steadily and paying close attention to what his body was trying to tell him. Whenever he got impatient and tried to boss the mana around like some kind of tyrant, it would stutter and stop flowing, like stepping on a garden hose and cutting off the water supply.
'Don't strangle it. Don't grab it with a tight fist. Just... gently suggest directions and let it find its own way.'
'Patience. Control. Steady progress instead of dramatic breakthroughs.'
The warmth crept a little bit further through his system each night, like a careful explorer mapping new territory. From his chest to his shoulders one evening. Down his spine the next. Quick little visits to his fingertips before flowing back to its home base near his heart.
No crackling lightning effects. No dramatic flames sprouting from his palms. No glowing aura that would make him look like some kind of magical lighthouse.
Just quiet, steady growth that nobody else could detect.
It was like teaching a shy wild animal to trust you, rushing things would only scare it away, but patience and consistency would eventually win it over completely.
---
The next morning, Beatrix actually gasped out loud when Ares managed to toddle all the way across the room without falling flat on his face even once.
She had been folding laundry in the corner, humming softly to herself, when she looked up and saw him navigating the space between his crib and the window with only minor wobbling. Her face lit up with pure delight, the kind of joy that made her look years younger.
"Ares! Look at you go!" she laughed, dropping the clean clothes and rushing over to scoop him up mid-stumble before he could change his mind about staying upright.
She planted a kiss on his forehead like he'd just discovered the secret to world peace, her smile so bright it could have powered the whole castle.
Ares didn't smile back with the big, goofy grin that most babies would have given in response to such enthusiastic praise.
Instead, he just blinked up at her with a look that clearly said, 'Well, duh. Obviously I can do that. What took you so long to notice?'
From her favorite corner of the room, Junia had been watching the whole scene with sharp eyes. A slight frown creased her weathered forehead as she studied the boy's reaction.
"I swear that child only falls down when people are watching him," she muttered under her breath, just loud enough for Beatrix to hear. "The rest of the time, he moves around like he's been walking for months."
Beatrix's laughter became softer, more thoughtful as she processed what her friend was suggesting. She looked down at Ares with new curiosity, trying to read the expression on his small face.
'Smart lady. She's starting to notice things don't quite add up.'
'I'll have to be more careful about pretending to be clumsy when they're around.'
'Can't have them getting too suspicious too early in the game.'
---
That night, as the castle settled into sleep around him, Ares returned to his quiet routine with renewed focus.
Cross-legged in his crib, surrounded by soft blankets and bathed in gentle moonlight. Eyes closed, breathing steady and controlled.
His mana core pulsed once, then again, like a faithful friend greeting him after a long day.
This time, the energy moved further than it ever had before. Smoother. More confident. Like it was finally starting to understand the rules of this new game they were playing together.
The warmth traced pathways through his tiny body that felt ancient and familiar, like roads that had been traveled by countless others before him. From his chest to his shoulders, down his arms to his fingertips, back up to his neck, then down his spine like liquid starlight.
'Step by step. Breath by breath.'
'Body and mana, finally learning to dance together in perfect harmony.'
'Let's see how far we can take this before anyone figures out what's really going on.'
He smiled in the darkness, feeling that warm energy explore new channels and connections throughout his small frame. Each night brought new discoveries, new pathways to map, new levels of control to master.
The physical walking might still be awkward and clumsy, but his inner journey was becoming more graceful with every passing day.
'This is just the beginning.'
'Wait until they see what I can really do.'