After a long sleep, I finally woke up and glanced at the clock beside my bed.
"Six o'clock already?"
I quickly got out of bed and stretched my body before heading to the bathroom. After taking a shower and freshening myself up, I put on my training clothes and neatly made my bed.
Once everything was done, I left my room and headed toward the dining room.
As usual, Mother and Amy were already there.
"Good morning, Mom. Good morning, Amy."
"Morning, Gray."
"Good morning, sleepyhead."
I sat in my usual seat, the one where I could easily see both Mother and Amy. Eating together while chatting with them had become one of my favorite parts of the day.
No matter how much I wanted to become stronger, I never missed breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
Those moments were precious to me.
Today's breakfast was pancakes and fresh fruits.
One of my favorites.
Naturally, I ate with relish.
Seeing me happily devouring my pancakes, Mother smiled softly.
"So, what are your plans for today, Gray?"
I immediately brightened.
"I'm going to create spells using my Space Affinity!"
"I have so many ideas!"
I swallowed my food and continued excitedly.
"Space Storage."
"Blink."
"Maybe even something like a movement skill."
"And I think I can create a Perception Skill too."
"The more I think about Space Affinity, the more ideas I get."
"I have a really good feeling about it."
"I'm very excited!"
Mother quietly listened to me.
As always, she never interrupted my endless chatter unless something was important. She simply enjoyed listening to me talk.
Meanwhile, Amy just smiled while eating her pancakes.
"Hmph. You're getting excited again."
"But knowing you, you'll probably spend the whole day experimenting and forget to rest."
I puffed out my cheeks.
"I know how to rest!"
Amy laughed.
"That's what every training addict says."
"I'm not a training addict!"
Mother chuckled softly at our usual argument.
Once I finished explaining all the things I wanted to do, Mother finally spoke.
"Those are wonderful ideas, Gray."
"But be careful."
Her voice became slightly more serious.
"Space Affinity is one of the most powerful and mysterious affinities in existence."
"Unlike ordinary elements, it's very difficult to control and extremely dangerous if mishandled."
I nodded seriously.
"I know, Mom."
Mother continued.
"Keep Astrid beside you."
"Make sure she's watching over you while you experiment."
"And if anything goes wrong, let her intervene immediately."
Her eyes softened.
"I don't want you hurting yourself."
I smiled.
"Don't worry, Mom."
"I'll be careful."
"And Astrid will be there."
Mother nodded in satisfaction.
"Good."
Then she smiled warmly.
"Creating your own spells is impressive, but don't push yourself too hard."
"You're still eight years old."
"There's no need to rush."
"You have plenty of time ahead of you."
I smiled brightly.
"Okay!"
Then Amy suddenly joined the conversation.
"Mom, if Gray succeeds in making Blink, I want him to teach me too."
Mother blinked.
"Oh?"
Amy nodded confidently.
"Movement skills are useful for everyone."
"And if he really creates a teleportation skill, it would be amazing."
Then she looked at me.
"So work hard, little brother."
"But don't accidentally teleport yourself into a wall."
"Pfft!"
Mother couldn't hold back her laughter.
Even I froze for a moment before imagining it.
"That's scary!"
Amy burst into laughter.
"Imagine Astrid explaining to Mom how you got stuck inside a wall."
"No!"
"I don't want to die like that!"
Mother laughed softly while covering her mouth.
"That's why I'm telling you to be careful."
"Space Affinity isn't something to underestimate."
After finishing our breakfast, we spent some time chatting about random things.
Mother talked about some family matters.
Amy complained about her training.
And I continued talking about my ideas for Space Affinity.
Soon, breakfast came to an end.
Amy stood up first.
"Come on, Gray. We don't want Astrid waiting too long."
I nodded and stood up as well.
Before leaving, Mother gently rubbed my head.
"Take care."
"And remember."
"No matter how strong you become, your safety comes first."
I smiled and hugged her.
"I know, Mom."
"I'll come back safely."
Mother chuckled and patted my head.
"Good boy."
Then Amy and I bid farewell to Mother and headed toward the training grounds.
As we walked together, excitement filled my heart.
Today—
I would finally start experimenting with my Space Affinity.
Space Storage.
Blink.
Perception.
And maybe…
Something even more interesting.
Just thinking about it made my heart race.
I couldn't wait to see what kind of abilities I would create next.
Then Amy and I entered the training ground and immediately spotted Astrid waiting for us.
As soon as we arrived, Amy retrieved her signature katana and headed toward her usual training area to continue practicing her swordsmanship and mana control.
Astrid first walked over to Amy and gave her a few pointers before turning her attention toward me.
She crossed her arms and studied me for a moment before speaking.
"So, what do you plan to work on today, Gray?"
I listened quietly as she continued.
"Your swordsmanship already has an excellent foundation. You possess multiple elemental affinities, a variety of offensive options, and thanks to your newly created skill, you even have a reliable defense against many magical attacks."
She paused before smiling slightly.
"You're surprisingly versatile for someone your age."
"Of course, you still have many weaknesses. Your movement skills, perception, combat experience, and overall refinement all need work. But those things come with time."
Her crimson eyes narrowed slightly.
"What truly surprises me is your rate of improvement."
I blinked.
"My improvement?"
Astrid nodded.
"Your imagination, your ability to create spells, your learning speed, and your willingness to experiment."
Then her expression became more serious.
"You know, most people blessed with extraordinary talent eventually begin believing they stand above everyone else."
"They become arrogant."
"They stop listening to advice."
"Some become lazy because they think their talent alone will carry them to greatness."
"And others misuse their gifts and end up ruining their own futures."
She looked directly into my eyes.
"But you're different."
"You listen when people teach you."
"You work hard."
"You constantly seek knowledge."
"You make mistakes, but you learn from them."
Her smile softened.
"You and Amy have everything most people could only dream of."
"The Starlight Family's wealth rivals entire kingdoms."
"The Matriarch gives both of you the best resources available."
"You could easily spend your days doing nothing."
Yet neither of you do."
"You train."
"You study."
"You treat people with respect."
"And most importantly, you don't use your power to bully others."
"The Matriarch is really lucky to have children like you not just you"
Astrid's expression became unusually gentle.
"That makes me proud."
I immediately felt embarrassed by the praise.
"W-Wait, Astrid, you're exaggerating!"
I hurriedly waved my hands.
"I'm not that hardworking!"
I scratched my cheek awkwardly.
"At first, I only wanted to become strong quickly so I could relax later."
Astrid raised an eyebrow.
"That sounds like something you would say."
I coughed awkwardly.
"B-But after I started training, I actually began enjoying it."
I looked down at my hands.
"Creating new spells is exciting."
"Learning new sword techniques is exciting."
"And every time I train, I can feel myself becoming a little stronger."
A grin slowly appeared on my face.
"It's kind of addictive."
Astrid stared at me for a few seconds before shaking her head.
"A battle maniac in the making."
"I'm not a battle maniac!"
I protested immediately.
"Not yet," Astrid replied.
I could only pout.
After calming down, I remembered today's goal.
"Oh right."
I straightened my posture.
"Today I want to start experimenting with my Space Affinity."
Astrid's expression instantly became more serious.
I continued with a sheepish smile.
"Mother specifically told me to be extremely careful."
"And she also told me to make sure you're watching me."
"So…"
I rubbed the back of my head.
"I'll have to trouble you."
Astrid looked at my guilty smile for a moment.
Then she let out a long sigh.
"Oh, my little ancestor."
She pinched the bridge of her nose.
"One day you're going to be the death of me."
Despite her words, there was obvious affection in her voice.
After all, she had practically helped raise both Amy and me.
Finally, she pointed toward the center of the training ground.
"Fine."
"But the moment I think something is dangerous, I stop the experiment."
"No arguments."
I nodded immediately.
"Deal."
Astrid stepped back and folded her arms.
"Then begin."
A bright smile appeared on my face.
Finally.
The moment I had been waiting for.
I closed my eyes and slowly reached toward the most mysterious affinity I possessed.
Space.
Unlike Ice, which felt cold and familiar.
Unlike Darkness, which felt deep and consuming.
Space felt different.
Vast.
Endless.
As if I were trying to touch something that existed everywhere and nowhere at the same time.
Taking a deep breath, I began channeling my mana.
And for the first time—
I attempted to truly grasp the power of Space.