Infinite Paths: The Raging Phoenix

Rain embarked on a rigorous training regimen to enhance his mastery over earth magic. Each day, he immersed himself in various exercises and techniques, pushing the boundaries of his abilities and deepening his connection with the elemental forces of the earth.

As the sun gently casts its warm glow in the early morning, Rain finds a serene spot in nature, surrounded by the earth's raw energy. He closed his eyes, taking deep breaths to attune himself to the rhythm of the earth. With focused intent, he visualized roots extending from his feet, delving deep into the soil, intertwining with the earth's essence. This grounding exercise allowed him to establish a strong foundation and establish a harmonious bond with the earth element.

Next, Rain engaged in tactile exercises, his hands immersed in soft soil or coarse sand. He practiced manipulating the earth particles, molding them with precision and control. He would sculpt intricate formations, testing his dexterity and finesse in shaping the earth to his will. Through this hands-on approach, Rain honed his ability to sense the subtle vibrations and energies inherent in the earth, understanding its nuances and harnessing its power.

As it turned out, not only did Rain begin to make a lot of progress faster with earth magic, but he also began to be able to mold it faster than before. Firing Earth Darts was quite fun. He could fire one per second, and it was faster than an arrow.

"I guess this is a good start," Rain thought.

After two weeks, Rain was finally able to reach his next goal, which was to create ten earth orbs around him and make them spin around him automatically. The others were halfway… it seemed like a waste to only train the others now, so Rain made sure to change things a bit. Instead of just making them spin around him in a line, Rain began to make them spin around him in five lines. Forming five rings, they float around him diagonally and horizontally.

"I thought that doing this with fire would be the best option since it would burn the enemies, but the earth orbs can hit the target over and over again until the minute passes," Rain thought and then smirked, " this is quite fun."

After another seventh day of training with his cousins, Rain returned home. While it was only noon, he saw his father walking toward home with another guy. It was one of his brothers.

Rain's uncle cut a striking figure as he stood tall and broad-shouldered, his presence commanding attention. His sharp, piercing eyes, framed by a thick brow, held a glint of intensity, hinting at a mind always in motion. With a closely cropped beard that accentuated his strong jawline and a head of brown-streaked hair, he exuded an air of wisdom and experience.

Rain's keen eyes noticed a peculiar interaction between his uncle and father on this particular day. Their hushed voices carried a mixture of concern and urgency as they conversed. His uncle's gestures were animated, punctuating his words with conviction, while his father, though visibly uneasy, listened intently.

Rain couldn't help but feel a strange tension in the air as if some hidden secret or shared trauma lay between the two men. His uncle's gaze occasionally darted around as if he was wary of being overheard. His words were chosen carefully, carefully crafting his arguments to persuade Rain's father of a shared injustice or wrongdoing that had befallen them both.

"If I am right, he is the third son… he is talking with Dad quite freely," Rain thought. "I imagined that he didn't get along with either of them."

Rain was a bit curious to hear their conversation, but he didn't have much time to pry, he soon arrived home, and those two split up as well. Rain's uncle seemed a bit angry and disappointed since he left while throwing his hands to the sky and then shaking his head.

"Did something happen?" Rain asked since he approached and saw his father looking at his brother going away.

"... No, nothing important," Roan said and then messed with Rain's hair as usual. "It is rare for me to have a half of a day off like this, so let's go home and enjoy the seventh day."

"It is indeed rare. Why are you home earlier?" Rain asked. "Were you fired?"

"Don't joke about that, Leo is the captain of the guards in the wall now, and he decided to give me half days off on the seventh day now," Roan explained.

The uncle was called Leo… he seemed unsatisfied, so Rain assumed that his father won't enjoy that for long. In any case, Rain had a lot of time that day since Dana would always leave him alone when Roan was at home, and she would bother him instead. Since he didn't want to study either, so Rain just helped Kei walk while holding her hands.

"Rain, can you fill the bathtub and help Dana clean herself before dinner?" Leiah asked.

"I am on it," Rain replied.

In any case, Rain finally reached a point in life where he finally could be of some use at home. With his magic, his mother had a lot less work on her hands. Rain used all the chores to train the control of his magic. To sweep the dust from the ground, to dry the clothes, to light the fire, to fill the bathtub… Rain heard that some nobles hired people that could do that much, but he didn't want to get that kind of job, even though he truly believed that all kinds of work were honorable.