I Have Time On My Side!

“Everything seems in order,” Hestia murmured after a few moments. “Though… your mana core is still in a fragile state.”

Nolan raised an eyebrow but remained silent, waiting for further explanation.

“This time,” Hestia continued, putting away the instrument, “we’ll use a slightly different method.” Her eyes studied him for a moment before adding, “I want you to lie on your back and close your eyes. We’re going to access your mind to induce greater resistance to pain while we use your magic until… well, until your core breaks.”

Nolan looked at her in silence, processing those words.

“Break my core?” he asked, more as a statement than a question.

Before he could say more, it was Emily who, with a concerned expression, intervened.

“Won’t that be painful?”

Hestia, with a serious but calm expression, nodded.

“Yes, it will. But that’s precisely why we’ll use a method to dull the sensation of pain while Nolan pushes his own limits.”

Nolan was watching her closely, analyzing every word that came out of the healer’s mouth.

“Is it really possible to create a new core after destroying the current one?” he asked gravely.

Hestia smiled slightly, surprised by his doubt.

“Oh, it seems you’re not familiar with this research yet… It’s recent, published just a few months ago. You see, when a core is destroyed, it can be replaced by a new one, and this one is even better than the previous.”

As Nolan remained silent, she continued:

“The new core learns from the remains of the old one how it broke. Therefore, the new core is more resilient and better adapted. Before the war, the general belief was that breaking a core was the end of someone’s magical abilities. But this recent research has disproven that.”

Emily looked on with interest, though still visibly worried.

Turning her gaze back to Nolan, Hestia added with a bit of teasing in her voice:

“I know it may sound impossible, and it’s normal to think so. That’s what we all believed before. But now we know forming a new core is a much more advanced technique than using rings.”

Hestia’s face hardened a bit.

“The people of Bravka boast about their magical rings as if they’re the best thing in the world. But that’s just ego. Their technique was good in the long run, but it doesn’t compare to the creation of a renewed core.” Hestia coughed lightly to soften her tone. “Do you have any other questions, Nolan?”

He reflected for a second before asking:

“If this technique is so effective, why did they focus on repairing me before instead of forcing me to break my core?”

Hestia gave a soft, almost playful smile.

“It’s not that repairing is a bad option. In fact, it’s a viable alternative. But… this destruction and renewal technique is superior. It’s just more recent, and… some prefer to stick with safer paths.”

Nolan let out a sigh, feeling a bit indecisive.

He couldn’t deny that all of this sounded risky, but at the same time, the opportunity to regenerate his core and continue his research pushed him to move forward.

And if it were true that the new core would be more resilient, that meant he could undoubtedly travel even further back in time.

Finally, he lay down on the bed, exhaling deeply as he tried to relax.

“Good,” said Hestia with a satisfied smile. “Take several deep breaths, relax. We have time. I won’t start until you’re fully asleep.”

Nolan closed his eyes, trying to find some comfort in the bed.

He shifted positions, but none seemed to relax him enough to fall asleep.

After a few minutes, he opened his eyes and looked at Hestia.

She was sitting nearby, swaying gently from side to side as if patiently waiting for him to fall asleep. When she noticed him looking, she smiled with amusement.

“Having trouble sleeping?” she teased.

“I’m just wondering why no one told me about this earlier,” Nolan remarked, raising an eyebrow. “I could have slept less last night to make this easier.”

Hestia let out a soft laugh as she leaned slightly toward him.

“We weren’t entirely sure if we should use this technique on you,” she admitted. “That’s because there are some beliefs—unfounded in my opinion—that certain mages can’t form another core after destroying their first one.”

“Why?” Nolan asked, intrigued.

Hestia raised a finger thoughtfully.

“It’s a debated issue. Some mages, particularly those who failed to regenerate their cores, claim it’s impossible. But in my opinion, I think they simply didn’t try hard enough or, at worst, wanted to discredit this research. I’m convinced the mages from Bravka have something to do with this, though I have no proof—nor any doubt.”

Then, tilting her head toward Nolan, she looked at him with a mixture of admiration and determination.

“But I don’t think that will happen to you. You’re a great mage, Nolan. I’m sure you’ll succeed.”

Nolan remained silent for a moment, processing what she had just said.

Though doubt still lingered, he knew that if there was a chance to restore and strengthen his magic, he had to try.

It was that or remain stuck in his current state.

“Relax,” Hestia said softly, “we’ve got all the time in the world for you.”

Nolan glanced at Emily, who was sitting nearby on a chair. Though she was still watching with some concern, she seemed comfortable, as the other healer had brought her a small pillow to help her sit more comfortably.

With that thought, Nolan lay back down on the bed, trying to ignore the cold of the room.

He closed his eyes once more and began to take deep breaths, attempting to clear his mind of his worries.