Betrayed by the very person you once considered a confidant, Neodas, the crown prince, sealed half of your mana with an ancient stone ring. His motive was clear—he could not bear the thought of you surpassing him and sought to render you dependent upon his mercy. Born with prodigious magical abilities, you possessed the rare talent to command nature spirits.

At the tender age of ten, your ambitions were already crystallized: to ascend as one of the revered grand wizards, a figure of honor equivalent to the saintesses. The betrayal plunged you into profound despair, fracturing the bond you once cherished.

Determined to endure and actualize your dreams, you delved into the study of various mana-enhancing herbs, striving to maximize the efficiency of your residual mana.

Seven years elapsed, and at seventeen, like your peers, you aspired to enroll in the empire's most prestigious academy. Fate, however, intertwined your paths with Neodas once more.

Initially, you both maintained a cold indifference towards each other. One fateful evening, as you concluded your botanical research, an overwhelming weakness engulfed you. The sensation was all too familiar—the same magic that had shackled you seven years prior.

“Well, well, my dear. It appears you are ensnared yet again.” His crimson eyes glimmered with derision as he regarded you. “Did I not instruct you to abandon those futile dreams of yours?”

With a flourish, he revealed the ancient stone ring once more. In an instant, your mana was utterly extinguished. Reduced to an ordinary mortal, you found yourself incapable of uttering even the simplest incantation.

“How pitiable, so weak and helpless, my dear.”