The True Magic

I was with Nina in the training hall after classes. It was a large, spacious area, perfect for practicing magic without worries.

The walls were lined with runes and symbols that protected the structure in case anything went out of control. This was where the more advanced classes were held, but now it was empty, except for me and her.

I had asked Nina for help with more intense practice after my conversation with Darin. Even though he had questionable intentions, he was still right about some things, which motivated me to continue.

And even though she often said otherwise and treated me coldly, she never refused a request and always helped me. Being able to count on her for this kind of thing was a real gift, because I wouldn't know what to do if I were here alone without her help.

Nina directed the magic through her jade stone, making it glow intensely. With little effort, she moved her arms in circles and made lines of liquid water appear out of nowhere, which soon merged into a perfect sphere.

Then, the sphere floating in front of her condensed, forming a bubble of ice that quickly vaporized, making the object disappear.

"Come on, your turn now."

I took my amber crystal from my pocket and looked at it before repeating what she had demonstrated. She watched me with her arms crossed as I channeled the magic, performing the same sequence of movements as her, circling my arms.

Then, the same line appeared in front of me. I immediately turned it into a water bubble. Of course, not as smooth and still as Nina's, but firm enough that it wouldn't explode. Thinking of the threads as molecules and atoms had helped me understand how this world's magic worked. And even if I didn't completely master it yet, as I advanced and practiced, I had confirmation that I was on the right path.

I looked at the sphere in front of me. To reorganize the state of the water, I would only need to think about the threads that made it up, imagining their molecular movements.

I took a deep breath and imagined the lines that composed that translucent liquid. To condense it, all I had to do was decrease its energy and force its movements to slow down.

I made another circular motion with my arms, and then a white streak appeared from the edge of the bubble. After that, a crystalline crust spread across the entire sphere, which turned into a globe of ice suspended in the air.

Now, to vaporize that water, I would need to do the opposite. I would have to intensely increase its energy, accelerating its movements and applying force from the inside out. The ice began to vibrate, and soon small cracks formed on the surface.

I kept pushing, imagining the threads that made up the sphere accelerate more and more. Until it wasn't able to resist, and the globe started to shake violently, and for a second, it turned into liquid again before disappearing into a mist in front of me.

Exhausted, I lowered my hand and let my body's weight go, lying on the floor, panting.

"Don't tell me you're tired after doing something so simple."

"Just let me rest for a little bit."

"You were the one who asked me to help you."

She was right. I had asked her to help me, but doing this kind of magic ended up tiring me out in a way I didn't expect.

"Alright. Just for a bit."

Nina sat down beside me, and a brief silence settled in, interrupted slightly by the sounds of my breathing. When I recovered a little, I sat on the floor, sustaining myself with my arms behind me.

I started thinking about my fight with Lyra, about my previous defeat, and about how far away I still was from her as a warrior. I was expanding my magic skills with Nina, but some signs of doubt still haunted me.

"I hope it's enough to impress Lyra," I said without thinking, as if my thoughts had just escaped my mouth.

"Nina is the current tournament winner. Of course you wouldn't stand a chance against her."

"Our sword skills aren't that different, but she still made me look like a complete amateur."

Nina thought for a moment, then stood up and brushed the dust off her clothes. She looked at me with a determined and challenging look in her eyes.

"Come on, get up. I want to test something."

"What do you want to do?"

"Come on, just do what I say."

I got up, still not fully rested. Nina seemed different than usual, as if she were hiding something from me.

"You only act like this when you want to mess with me."

"I just want to be sure of something," she said, crossing her arms. "Conjure your sword."

"My sword? What are you planning?"

Nina raised one of her eyebrows.

"Are you scared?"

I couldn't understand what she was planning to do out of nowhere. But I couldn't let her get so full of herself like this.

"Are you sure about this? I know you're not an arcane warrior."

"Against you, I don't need to use anything but basic magic. Come on, don't make me waste time."

The way she challenged me almost got on my nerves. I had no intention of hurting her, but I at least wanted to put her in her place. This kind of attitude drove me crazy.

I closed my eyes, extended my hand, and felt the energy of the threads flow through my body and go to the crystal in my hand. When I opened them again, I was holding a sword that was already formed, firm, and shining.

"I don't want to hurt you."

"You couldn't even if you wanted to," she said with a smile. "Now, attack."

"Are you serious?"

"Of course I am."

She didn't seem to be lying. She really wanted me to attack her. Even though I was suspicious, I decided to do what she wanted and charged at her with a direct cut, without any fancy moves. Nina moved, and a circle of light shone around her. My sword ricocheted, and I felt the full force of the impact on my arm, throwing me back.

"What?"

"Again," she ordered in an even more direct tone.

I gritted my teeth and attacked again, this time with more force. The result was the same. A flawless barrier appeared, and my attack was completely neutralized.

"You're still far from understanding the true power of the threads."

"What do you mean?"

"You conjure your sword and pray that it doesn't fall apart. Your strikes are messy and lack connection. What you're doing... is nothing more than a trick. Real arcane combat is something else."

"What is it, then?"

"I'm not a warrior, but I know magic when I see it. It's not just about threads. It's mind and body joined in a single movement. In arcane combat, the sword and magic aren't different weapons. They only work when they're together."

I stared at her in silence. And well, she was right. I only thought of magic as an accessory, a tool to create, and not as a part of the combat. It was so obvious, but my blind thinking from the other world kept me from grasping its complexity.

"So that's it..."

Nina looked at me again, even more challenging.

"Come on, attack me."

I tightened my grip on the hilt of the sword and took a deep breath before charging to attack. I acted fast, giving a direct blow, feeling the energy flow through my entire body. The sword in my hand was no longer just a tool, but a part of me, a part of the energy and force I had created.

The strike sliced through the air, heading toward Nina. When I got close enough, the barrier appeared again to block my attack, but this time, it didn't repel me as before. The sword stuck to the barrier's surface, as if it were made of wax. A sharp scraping sound followed, and the barrier started to fall, melting under the pressure.

With a dry crack, it shattered into thousands of luminous fragments, exploding all around us. The energy vibrated through the hall, making even Nina's hair sway back.

As I processed all that had happened. Nina stood still and didn't retreat a single step. She simply raised her face, trying to hide the smile that was forming at the corner of her lips.

"You're not as stupid as you look," she said in that typical blunt tone.

I let out a tired laugh, sweat running down my face. For the first time since my defeat against Lyra, I was no longer stuck in the same place. Something inside me had transformed.

I looked at Nina, and at the fragments of light that were still dissolving in the air.

I couldn't wait to challenge Lyra again.