"Well, I'll tell you one thing. The magic I used," Rewan stifled his chuckle as he turned to face Llewyn with swagger, "was the one that took your first kiss during the Test."

Llewyn froze and turned to stare at him with an eye raised. With a bit of amusement, he stared at the roguishly triumphant young mage.

"Just my kiss," Llewyn said, "or all of them?"

Rewan's face grew riper with satisfaction. "All of them," he snickered.

The prince thought back to that duke's daughter, who made such a large commotion of something so obsolete it brought back the headache of that day. Then he looked down at the pleased, proud genius whose expression was the epitome of a mouse getting the cheese and felt a pang of slight displeasement. "If you wanted to take my first kiss, you could've just asked me," he muttered under his crooked smile, turning away from the black-haired youth's curious eyes.

"What?" Rewan asked, leaning closer.

"Nothing, forget it."

----

They sauntered down the first floor of the palace, their footsteps echoing softly against the marble floors. Servants couldn't help but glance curiously at the elite duo as they passed, chattering away.

Rewan's laughter rang out, bright and unabashed. "...and so I said, why bother?" he exclaimed, his excitement bubbling over as he bounced on his toes. His eyes sparkled, and Llewyn couldn't help but snicker, his attention fixed on Rewan's lively expression.

A warmth spread through Rewan's chest at the sound, his tone softening as he turned to meet Llewyn's eyes. "You should be glad you're a prince," he teased, a playful glint in his gaze. "To be able to meet me, the young mage of the century."

Grinning, Rewan leapt forward and slung an arm around Llewyn's relaxed shoulders, his energy infectious.

The second prince smacked the back of Rewan's head with his palm. "You are seriously a dolt, hmm." His tone was light, teasing, though his touch lingered just enough to soften the blow. Still smirking, he slid his arm around Rewan's shoulders and gave a quick, careless tug, as if the entire interaction was a game only he knew how to play.

He hesitated, eyes narrowing slightly before his nose wrinkled in a thoughtful, almost mischievous way. "Let's go this way."

Rewan barely had time to question it before the prince steered him toward a narrow door tucked behind the grand staircase. The silver knob, dull and clouded with dust, glinted dully in the dim light. Shadows from the towering pillars stretched over the hidden entrance, giving it an almost spectral quality. Rewan's eyebrows shot up, and his steps faltered.

"Hey, hey, hey—you're not planning some kind of shakedown just because of my snide comment, are you? Look, man–" Rewan turned to glance at the prince, his eyes narrowing as if weighing the risk of going further.

Llewyn chuckled, a low, careless sound that echoed faintly against the stone walls. "What's a shakedown?" he asked, sounding more amused than curious. Without breaking stride, he slipped through the narrow passage, his silhouette vanishing into the dim corridor. Rewan's wariness spiked, but curiosity clung to him, forcing his legs to move forward despite his instincts.

When Llewyn reached the end of the passage, he raised his hand and whispered an incantation. The air around the door shifted, shimmering like a mirage. Suddenly, a magic rune appeared, glowing in bright blue, its patterns vivid against the wooden surface. The knob seemed to shiver as the dust fell away, and with a creaking groan, the door swung open.

Rewan blinked as light poured out, startling in its intensity. He shielded his face instinctively, peering through his fingers as his heart thudded against his ribs. The light wasn't just blinding—it was vibrant, almost alive. He could feel his mana reacting, humming under his skin as if drawn to the glowing doorway. Excitement buzzed in his veins, and his lips parted in a soft murmur. "It feels like I'm next to–"

"–part of the Elemental Stone. Yeah." Llewyn's voice cut in smoothly, a small smile tugging at his lips as he glanced back, one eyebrow raised. He didn't wait for a response, just gripped Rewan's sleeve and pulled him forward, stepping confidently into the glowing expanse.

Rewan barely had time to brace himself as the light swallowed him. His vision swam, and he instinctively squeezed his eyes shut, feeling warmth ripple across his skin. When he finally opened them, his breath hitched. The cavern they had entered was vast, its high ceiling glittering with countless crystal stalactites that refracted the light into dazzling patterns. In the center, a massive stone pulsed like a living heart, its glow ebbing and surging in a rhythm that seemed to resonate with the very air around them.

His mouth hung open, words failing him for once. Llewyn didn't say anything, just watched Rewan's reaction with a satisfied, almost secretive smile, as if he'd been waiting to see that exact look of awe.

Llewyn reached out and touched the pulsing light, his palm resting gently against the stone's glowing surface. A shiver ran up his arm as he felt the mana from his heart, channel into a steady flow. It was pulled from his heart, through his arm, onto his palm, permeating the beacon. The light seemed to respond eagerly, brightening with a warm blue-purple glow that spread like a soft wave across the room, painting the crystal walls in shifting hues.

Rewan's eyes widened, his curiosity ignited. Without a second thought, he bounded over to the center next to the prince, his movements quick and light. He stretched out his hand and placed it on the stone, feeling a strange tug almost immediately. His mana seemed to leap forward, like a river rushing through a broken dam, and his breath caught in his throat. A thrill buzzed through him, though he couldn't ignore the peculiar sensation of the stone hungrily wrenching mana from his body.

The pull was relentless, as if the stone was trying to consume him. If an ordinary mage touched it their mana would be completely drained—leaving them in a debilitating deficit. Even Rewan's yawning mana pool felt a fast drain in a matter of seconds.

Llewyn watched him closely, noticing the shimmer of excitement in Rewan's eyes even as his face tightened from the force of the mana pull. A knowing smile curved his lips. "The most powerful mage of the royal family gets access to this room from their predecessor," he explained, his tone quieter now. "My mother brought me here after I passed my elemental exam." His hand lingered on the stone for a moment longer before he pulled it away, rubbing his palm with a faint frown. Despite the stone's mesmerizing glow, the feeling of being sapped left his mana heart aching and cold.

He glanced at Rewan. "I figured since you're the prodigal Young Mage, you should know about this place too."

"What does it do?" Rewan murmured, his fingers brushing over the stone's smooth, cool surface. The strange sensation of something siphoning from his skin continued, but his eyes stayed fixated on the glow. "It's not like the one in the Exam," he pointed out, furrowing his brows.

"You're right." Llewyn laughed, though the sound was weaker than usual. "Unlike that spoiled one in the Exam, this one hasn't got nearly enough of its fill." A wave of fatigue crept over him, and he realized with a start that Rewan's hand was still pressed against the stone. Carefree as always, the oblivious black-haired youth had seemingly forgotten about it altogether, holding on for almost thirty seconds without a care.

The stone pulsed again, but this time with a satisfied brightness. The mysterious, ominous cavern seemed to transform, the crystals lighting up with bursts of crimson, brown, and white. Llewyn couldn't help the hint of fondness that surfaced when Rewan finally let go and ambled over to him. The prince ruffled his hair as Rewan approached, his hand colder than the soft, dark strands. For just a moment, Llewyn felt something—a slight barrier between them that faded with a gentle warmth, slipping through his fingers like a fleeting breeze.

The leftover mana radiated from Rewan's body, swirling unsteadily in the air. Llewyn didn't notice it at first, but then wisps of it seeped into his hand. It was odd—like dipping his fingers into a warm, flowing stream. Rewan stiffened, then pushed Llewyn's hand deeper into his hair with a pout, his gaze darting away, embarrassed. "I guess I could help you. Just once," he muttered.

Llewyn raised an eyebrow, leaning closer with a teasing glint in his eye. "What's that?" he asked.

Rewan hesitated, then whispered, "Noren."

A pulse of mana surged out from Rewan, threading through his scalp and palm and flowing directly into Llewyn. The prince inhaled sharply, unprepared for the sensation. It was like molten warmth burrowing through his chest, a subtle but undeniable presence that seemed to caress his heart before settling comfortably. It wasn't intrusive—just startlingly familiar, as if his own mana had been stirred awake after a long slumber.

The flow steadied, and Llewyn could feel his core revitalizing, rich and dense like melted chocolate spreading through his veins. The sensation lingered for a heartbeat longer before the connection faded, and the warmth dispersed back into Rewan.

A faint electric jolt prickled Llewyn's scalp, and he pulled his hand back, almost reluctantly. Rewan's pout shifted to a smug little smirk, his eyes glittering with triumph. "Courtesy of me—" he huffed, his tone light but proud. "—you're welcome."

Even after the spell ended, Rewan didn't move away, his hand still loosely holding Llewyn's. He glanced up, eyes reflecting a hint of expectation for praise he clearly didn't want to admit.

Llewyn couldn't tear his gaze away from him. A flicker of memory surfaced—the worn, faded journal buried deep in the Royal Library, filled with strange runes and incomprehensible diagrams. He had struggled with them for months, trying to adapt the spells despite their incompatibility with his element. They were powerful but elusive—just like the feeling that had just surged through his mana pool a moment ago.

"You..." Llewyn whispered, his hand slipping away from Rewan's head. A hint of disappointment flickered across the youth's face before he quickly masked it with a frown and looked away. Llewyn felt a smile tugging at his lips despite himself.

He lowered his hand, catching Rewan's as if testing the feeling again. "Do you... have more than two elements?"