Chapter 4: Cast n' Clash

"As you know students, spells are first created by a spellcaster's clear intent, desire, and focus," Marwick began, writing symbols on the whiteboard's projection with a flick of his wrist. The glyphs glowed faintly, hovering in the air before settling onto the board.

"From our understanding, the caster must vividly visualize the desired outcome, channeling their Mana and projecting their intent into reality. In short, spells are an extension of the energy form we call Mana-linked to the mind and soul, responding to the caster's will, and manifesting the desired result."

He tossed the pen into the air, where it spun before landing back in his hand. "All of that, in less than a blink of an eye. Truly fascinating, isn't it?"

Marwick leaned against his desk, his eyes scanning the room. "We don't fully understand how this stuff works, yet it's all around us. It's unpredictable, surprising even the greatest minds who've dedicated their lives to studying it."

"Just when we think we've figured it out, it throws us a curveball, as if it's playing a game with us."

He straightened up, his tone shifting slightly. "But that's how I see it. Ask different people, and get different answers on how they see things."

A student raised their hand. "Mister Marwick, I'm sorry if this is a stupid question, but if magic keeps changing and we're always discovering new things, what's the point in trying? It's not like we'll ever reach a complete understanding then, right?."

Marwick slowly nodded, tapping his pen against the desk before responding. "Well, it gives some purpose in their lives-something to dedicate themselves to. It's a good question. Not stupid at all. And I don't believe in stupid questions, as I told you students at the start of this quarter."

He paced the room, his black shoes clicking against the floor. "Continuing, it also helps us better understand the world around us. Think about it-would you rather have all these crazy things happening around you without any explanation?"

The student scratched their head. "No, but I came to this academy because I wanted to solve the answer behind what magic is and why things are the way they are."

Marwick nodded, rubbing his beard. "Exactly. And that's the same reason a lot of people study it. But It's not about whether we'll reach a total understanding—hell, we might never, at least not in my lifetime." He chuckled.

"But to dedicate your life to it, think about the smaller steps. Break it down. Understand it bit by bit, and share your discoveries. Every bit counts."

He glanced at his watch. "Since we're almost out of time, here's the last question: What's the difference between magic and a spell? Anyone?"

Ikora's hand shot up. "Me! I know!"

"Ah, of course. Go on, Blackhart."

"If I'm correct, spells require both a glyph and a secondary property to your Mana when cast. These effects must fit into one of the classifications: Offensive, Defensive, Charm, or Passive. And sometimes, spells can even cross classifications."

"Correct," Marwick said, nodding. "Now, what about magic?"

"Magic," Ikora continued, "is different because it doesn't require, but can sometimes but not always have secondary effects. It's just the raw usage of pure Mana."

She grinned and held up her pencil. "Here's a good example!"

With a flick of her wrist, the pencil floated into the air, surrounded by a soft blue glow. She precisely moved her hands, guiding the pencil as it sketched a small, glowing star in the air. The class watched in awe as the star shimmered briefly before fading.

"Cool, right?" Ikora said, catching the pencil and twirling it between her fingers.

Marwick glanced at the faintly glowing star above her head. "The coolest."

The class erupted into murmurs, some students impressed, others rolling their eyes. Marwick chuckled, shaking his head. "Well, well, you'd be correct. Another example could be certain healing spells; it depends."

"Now, how about-"

He stopped mid-sentence, seemingly cut off by something.

Then, it came.

A deep hum filled the air, vibrating through the walls and floor.

"Gooonnnggg..."

"Gooonnnggg..."

"Gooonnnggg..."

The bell grew louder, more intense until it felt like the entire Academy was shaking with it.

And then, as suddenly as it began, it stopped.

The noise of the Academy slowly returned-students laughing, bags rustling, footsteps echoing in the halls.

Marwick cleared his throat.

"Right then, well, that's all for today. Don't forget to review for your upcoming test this week, and study those glyph formations and their meanings!"

Ikora blinked and rubbed her headlined, glancing out the window, where Gertrude Living Bell floated high above the Academy.

It was massive. A jellyfish-like form pulsed with a soft, pinkish-purple light, it's glowing core like a tiny sun.

Long, pink tipped tendrils drifted lazily in the air, casting faint shadows on the ground below. Smaller similarly colored Jellyfish followed Gertrude by its side.

This bell creature was a marvel of the Academy's life school students, served as the academy Bolland, and has also acted as a guardian for both teachers and students alike.

Ikora shook her head and quickly packed her bag, her head racing with plans.

It had only been a day, and the wait to know if her application had been accepted was crushing her inside.

But her mind returned to the Grimoire and how it only accepted what it saw as the most skilled and dedicated students. She vividly remembered the rejection. She needed to find a way to be accepted by it.

She planned out her next moves as she stopped by her locker, its six blue eyes following her as she came into view.

"Hey, I guess? If you can hear me." She rubbed the locker, and it closed its many eyes before she opened it, revealing a giant snow-filled landscape with a cabin further inside.

Taking out the items from her current class period, she stuck her head inside and sat them underneath a tree before shutting her locker.

"I still wonder how they got that to work..." Ikora thought as she turned and continued down the hall. "But I'm getting off track; stay focused."

The bird-like creatures on their platforms watched the transitioning students, ensuring nobody was skipping. Some actively flew around the halls at high speeds.

Then suddenly, the idea came to her: What If she could defeat a student with an element? It would prove her worth and her strength to the Grimoire. It would have no choice but to accept her.

It was a long shot, but it was better than not trying.

Picking up the pace, Ikora raced through the academy hallways and into one of the nearby tunnels leading to Elementis Isle. The dim glow of enchanted lanterns flickered as she ran, her footsteps echoing against the stone. Soon, she emerged at the island's edge, her staff gripped tightly in hand.

The island was unlike anything she'd ever seen before. Earlier, while on tour, she could only see it from a distance, but now, she saw it up close.

Elemental magic-flames danced in the air and cast shadows against the ground, crystal clear streams flowed from waterfalls that glided through the air, storm clouds swirled in the skies-shifting, turning as if they breathed, lightning zapping the air threatening to shock those who get too close. At the same time, magical plants and foliage around them rustled and swayed in response to the abundance of Mana.

She had seen magic before, but nothing like this. Focusing back on her task, Ikora remembered she had come here for one reason: to prove herself.

Her eyes scanned the area as she traveled the island. The students here wore outfits different from the regular blue and gold. Some wore mixes of red and orange, purple and yellow, white and blue, green and brown, gold and white, and many more.

Eventually, her sight landed on a tall student with black hair wearing gold and white robes; he had his back to her as he showed off to his nearby friends.

He moved his staff in the air, golden rings orbiting a yellow ball at the tip as he went on, his movements fluid and precise.

"Hey, you!" Ikora shouted.

The boy stopped and turned around, muttering something to his friend group before speaking.

"Oh, you aren't supposed to be here. A Novice like you could get hurt on this island!"

"Here, allow me to escort you back to the classes." His staff vanished as he stepped away from his group, trying to approach Ikora.

"No thanks, I came for something else."

Ikora summoned her staff and readied herself, causing the boy to stop and hold his hand towards her.

"No, don't point that thing at me! Put it away!"

"Let's start with a civilized conversation, right? I'll go first. I am Riven Brightmoor. What's yours?"

"Ikora Blackhart, and why do you look so scared?"

"You did just pull a staff on me, did you not? Now, what is it you want, Ikora?"

Ikora hesitated. Was this reckless? Probably. But she had to make that book notice her worth somehow. If she won, she would have to be accepted, but If Ikora lost... well, she'd deal with that later."

"I want to duel!"

Riven sat up straight, mouth agape as he raised his eyebrow. "You, uh, pardon?"

"I challenge you to a duel," Ikora said, her voice steady despite the nerves.

"No, sorry. I'm not willing to harm a Novice." Riven replied.

"Please, allow me to escort you back to campus! I won't report you for being here."

A laugh came from behind Riven as he turned his head to his friends.

"Come on, Riven, you aren't scared of a Novice, are you?" They shouted.

Riven looked at the ground as he thought before slowly looking up at the girl ahead of him.

"Fine, fine..." He stated while summoning his staff.

"But you don't even have an element."

"I don't need an element to beat you," Ikora shot back, her grip tightening on her staff. "I just need skill!"

Riven slowly nodded. "Alright, Novice... Let's see what you've got."

With that, it began.

Ikora raised her staff, aiming it at Riven as several small blue lights flickered around her. The lights condensed into orbs before firing beams of Mana toward him.

Riven darted back, moving effortlessly from side to side as the beams crashed into the ground. Each impact sent up bursts of dust and shattered stone.

The force of the blasts sent white rocks soaring into the air, and Ikora smiled as she watched them ascend.

Riven remained unimpressed. His gaze moved upward at the stones, now glowing blue.

Ikora shot upwards into the air, her staff floating just behind her.

"Bet you've never seen a move... like... this!"

She threw her arms downward. In an instant, the glowing stones rained toward Riven, turning the sky into a storm of falling rock.

"I don't want to hurt you," Riven muttered as his staff vanished in a golden light.

To him, the incoming barrage moved slower than it did in Ikora's eyes. With a flick of his wrist, the thousands of stones twisted midair, curving away from him. They crashed into the ground, carving deep craters into the earth. Trees groaned as chunks of rock embedded themselves in their trunks.

And yet, Riven stood untouched.

The dust settled, and Ikora narrowed her eyes, scanning the battlefield. She reached out with her <Mana Sense> to track him-

A sharp pain shot through her.

Her body was struck by another invisible strike, and then another landed. Her breath caught in her throat as the pain burned through her nerves, like being stabbed and electrocuted at once.

Steam rose from her uniform before gravity took her, her vision spinning as she descended towards the earth.

CRASH.

She hit the ground, rolling onto her back. Coughing, dazed, she tried to push herself up, but her limbs felt heavy, the pain still shooting through her body.

"What was that? I didn't even sense or see anything..."

She clenched her stomach, her palm faintly glowing as she whispered through gritted teeth:

"<Torriven...>"

Nothing happened.

She tried again.

"<Torriven!>"

Footsteps echoed behind her.

"I used a <Dispell> on any healing-related magic you might have," Riven said, his tone calm but firm. "Now would be a good time to surrender, Ikora."

He added, "It's okay to do so."

Ikora panted.

"Hah..."

"Hah... hah..."

A smirk grew from the corner of her lips.

"I'd never surrender..."

"If it means proving myself..."

She staggered to her feet, her body screaming in protest.

Riven raised a brow. "You can still stand after that? That is more impressive than most Novices I've seen."

"And I'll be the first you've ever seen Novice beat you!" She shot back, holding her hand toward him.

A blue glyph materialized in her palm. Three stars shimmered at its center, forming the spell's core, while a secondary glyph layered itself over the first.

Riven watched, analyzing the formation. "Only three stars? A low-end spell, nothing to worry about."

"Ripulsus-!"

A sudden crack ran through the glyph. Ikora's eyes widened.

The spell shattered into glowing blue particles.

Riven stood across from her, his hand raised once more.

"Dispelled. Again, " he said. You lack a counter to it."

"And like that, you wouldn't stand a chance against any mage near my level of study."

Ikora stiffened as the air crackled with energy, golden light gathering around Riven's palm.

The duel was over almost as quickly as it had begun.

Riven's light magic was relentless, his movements too fast for her to counter.

She had fought her best, her mana blasts lighting up the battlefield, but it wasn't enough.

Her body gave out. She collapsed, her staff slipping from her grasp.

Riven stood over her unconscious body, watching her for a long moment.

"Not bad," he muttered. "But you've got a ways to go, Novice."

He knelt, lifting Ikora into his arms.

"Yikes, it seems you've yet to learn the advanced levels of magic."

With a quiet sigh, he carried her off the battlefield. "I'll make sure you get the proper treatment. It's the least I can do."