Where Growth Begins

Part 1

Six months have already passed since I started studying at this school. Aria and I became top students. Every day we studied diligently at school, and after school we practiced healing. I managed to break through my stagnation and began to master mid-level healing. Aria wasn’t falling behind. Her progress was even better than mine. She mastered almost any spell on her first try. She has enormous potential.
Besides that, I also became interested in the history of this world. It is quite fascinating. As it turned out, most spells and magical discoveries were made by the Aurians. I also learned that Aurians are the most gifted race in terms of mana reserves. I don’t know why. Perhaps the Creator God loved the Aurians most of all and therefore granted them greater mana reserves.
But I still can’t understand what determines how much mana a person has at birth. I thought that since my parents are mages, I should have had great magical potential. At first I believed that… until I met Aria. In six months she had achieved more than I had in the last year and a half, even though her parents weren’t mages. From this I can assume that the amount of mana at birth is determined randomly, and parents can only slightly influence their child’s mana reserves.
I trained healing magic every day. Unfortunately, I could only practice on plants. I constantly had to break branches off bushes and flowers in order to heal them afterward. I tried to use chants as little as possible. When I use silent magic, I can adjust the power of the spell however I want. As I understand it, when you use a chant, the spell’s power and mana consumption are predetermined, while without a chant you have to configure everything manually.
— I need to train more!
More training, more practice! But damn, why is it so hard? Mastering beginner-level healing was fairly easy, but mid-level is much harder than I expected. Although I’m only five years old, I’ve already achieved quite a lot for my age. Everything takes time and patience.
To master mid-level healing, I practiced every day, but usually training took no more than three hours a day. Since I was a child, my body had its limits.
Recently, an idea came to my mind. Since I can cast spells simply by imagining them in my head and directing mana flow, why can’t I do the same with other magic? For some reason, I had never even thought about it before. In this world, it’s customary to first read the spell and then reproduce it silently to master it. But what if you don’t always need a chant to learn a spell? What if I can create, for example, a fireball without it? I should try.
I went outside. I needed to get far enough from the house so I wouldn’t accidentally hurt anyone with my magic. I found a perfect place to practice — a small hill. From there you could see the whole village and even the city in the distance. The weather was wonderful. The sky was high and blue, and the air fresh and cool.
— Let’s begin.
First, I needed to concentrate and direct the mana flow into my hands. That shouldn’t be a problem. I’ve done it many times already.
— Now I need to close my eyes and imagine the spell.
I tried to imagine a fireball. It’s the most popular destruction spell. I needed to picture what it looks like: a sphere about fifteen centimeters in diameter, glowing bright red. Okay, I think I pictured it. Now I need to increase the mana flow to my hands. Good, everything seems to be going well. I already started feeling a slight tremor. I’ve always felt it when a spell worked. Does that mean I did it? No, I shouldn’t relax. I need maximum concentration. It’s very hard to reproduce a spell whose chant you’ve never read. I was ready for that.
At first — nothing. Emptiness. Silence. I only felt the cool air. I clenched my teeth, desperately trying to cast the spell, and suddenly I felt something warm beginning to gather in my palms. A few seconds later I felt mana rapidly draining from my body. I opened my eyes, and a tiny, unstable flame flickered in my hand. It only vaguely resembled a fireball. It was just a few centimeters in diameter. Yeah… not exactly the fireball I imagined.
Suddenly I felt a chill run down my arm. The fireball I worked so hard to create hissed and went out. I lowered my hand, breathing heavily. Only a faint red trace of heat remained on my palm. When I opened my eyes, I weakened my concentration too much. Apparently that’s why the spell collapsed. Even though the fireball was tiny, I had spent a lot of strength to create it. But I think this can still be called a success. My theory was confirmed. You don’t necessarily have to read a chant to master a spell. But this method is inefficient, because it requires a huge amount of mana. When you use a chant, the spell automatically takes the correct form, while without a chant you have to spend extra effort shaping it yourself.
But even so, I was satisfied. Now I don’t need to wait until the end of the school year for Alak to buy me a destruction magic book. I can create fireballs without it.
— I don’t feel so good.
I spent a lot of mana creating that spell. My legs started trembling slightly. I needed to get home quickly and recover my strength.

Part 2

A month had passed since my discovery. During this time, I began practicing other types of magic as well. It was very difficult; my laziness constantly whispered that I shouldn’t waste so much effort for such a weak result. But despite that, I continued to practice. I could already create a fireball more than five centimeters in diameter. In addition, I managed to create a water sphere too. Surprisingly, it was easier to create than the fire one.

All this time I hid my training from my parents. They might forbid me from using magic as soon as they found out. Alak did say that it was still too early for me to study destruction magic.

But there was one person I could definitely trust — Aria. We had already become friends over this time. After I learned that you could master a spell without a chant, I invited her to the hill to demonstrate it.

— Eiron, where are we going?
— There’s a place nearby where no one will bother us.
— But we’ve already walked quite far from home. Are you sure we’ll make it back before sunset?
— Yes, I’m sure, don’t worry so much.

We came to the place where I practiced destruction magic.

— So, Aria, do you know what you need to do to learn a spell?
— First you need to read the chant and reproduce the spell by directing mana into your hands. And then you do the same but without the chant.
— Correct. But did you know that you can learn any spell without reading a chant at all?
— How so?
— When you try to learn a new spell, you read and reproduce it. Then you do the same silently, imagining the spell in your mind, right?
— Right.
— But you can create any spell simply by imagining it and directing your mana. This way, you can visualize any spell and, controlling the mana, reproduce it. There is no need to read a special chant first.
— And you were able to do that?
— Of course.
— Wow… I couldn’t even imagine something like that.
— You can see it for yourself. Try creating a fireball, for example.
— Alright, I’ll try.

Aria focused; her brows furrowed slightly with tension. She extended her right hand forward, palm up, and took a deep breath, trying to gather the flow of magical energy within herself. Her gaze was fixed on the empty space before her, where she imagined the birth of flame.

At first, nothing happened. Her hand trembled slightly, and her mind felt empty. Aria closed her eyes to concentrate better and once again imagined the heat and flicker of fire. She felt warmth begin to spread through her hand, slowly rising from her fingertips to her shoulder. The tips of her fingers began to tingle slightly, and a faint orange glow appeared beneath her skin. The glow grew brighter, turning into tiny sparks dancing around her palm like fireflies.

Aria opened her eyes again. In the center of her palm pulsed a tiny, uneven flame the size of a pea. It was still very weak, barely noticeable, but already real. She tried to strengthen it by pouring more mana into the spell, and the fire flared instantly, nearly burning her hand.

The flame grew, taking the shape of a small sphere, but it was unstable, constantly growing and shrinking, as if breathing. A faint hissing sound came from it. She clenched her teeth, trying to hold it, but it was too difficult. Suddenly the fireball shrank sharply, hissed, and went out, leaving only the faint smell of burning and disappointment.

— I can’t do it…
— It’s okay. When I tried to create a fireball, it went out almost instantly. But you managed to maintain the flame for more than ten seconds.
— Maybe you’re right. I just need to practice more to master this spell.
— Try again, but this time use both hands. Maybe it will work better.
— Alright.

Aria sighed and stretched both hands forward. She closed her eyes to concentrate and imagined the flame — its heat, its flicker, its unrestrained power. A slight tingling appeared in her hands and quickly turned into growing warmth.

At first, a small spark appeared, barely visible, like a firefly. It was unstable, growing and shrinking, but Aria didn’t let it fade. She put all her mana into it, and the flame began to grow, becoming brighter.

The fireball became the size of her fist. It didn’t hiss or flicker — it pulsed with steady, powerful light. Aria opened her eyes, her gaze firm and confident. She watched as her creation took a perfectly spherical shape.

With a loud hiss and a flash of light, the fireball burst forward from her hands, leaving behind a trail of sparks. It flew several dozen meters ahead, heating the air in its wake. Aria leaned back, breathing heavily. A joyful smile lit her face. She did it.

— How did you make the sphere fly?
— I don’t know. I just poured as much mana into it as I could, and it flew on its own.

I was extremely impressed by her second attempt. No matter how much I tried, my fireball simply refused to fly. In a whole month of practice, I only managed to slightly increase its size and hold it for more than five seconds. And she, on her second attempt, created a full-fledged fireball and somehow managed to launch it. Aria’s magical potential is enormous! How lucky she is to have been born with such mana reserves.

— Eiron, I’m tired. Let’s go home.
— Yeah, of course. You should rest well today.

Part 3

Aria came to our house almost every day. We played a lot and, of course, studied a lot.
We were sitting on the shore of a small river where the water was clean and shallow. Aria sat with her knees pulled up, looking a little nervous.

— All right, Aria, — I said, trying to sound as serious as possible. — Today we move from simply gathering mana to controlling its shape.
— I’m trying, Eiron, — Aria answered, puffing her cheeks. She already knew how to cast spells, but her water spheres were always incredibly large and clumsy.
— Gather your mana. Imagine it as a perfectly smooth ball. Not a watermelon, Aria. Just a ball for playing!

Aria obediently closed her eyes. She sat very still. After a minute her brows tensed, and above her palm a sphere appeared. It was the size of an orange, as usual, and was so full of mana that the water around it began to ripple.

— Too much! — I said. — Can you just make a small one? Like a pea?

Aria tried to shrink the sphere, but it suddenly flared up and crashed into the river with a loud splash, throwing up a fountain of water that drenched both of us from head to toe. We were soaked completely.

I sat there coughing and blinking, while water streamed from my hair. Her mana reserves were incredible, but she couldn’t control them.

— Oh! Sorry, Eiron! — Aria panicked for a moment, but then she saw me sitting there completely soaked.
— You… you used way too much mana again!

Seeing that I wasn’t scolding her and was just sitting there shocked and wet, Aria began to laugh.
— You look so funny! — she said, wiping her face.
— Oh really? Then take this!

I gathered a small, fast droplet of water in my hand and shot it straight into Aria’s forehead. Splash! The water was soft, but unexpected.

Aria squeaked, but immediately burst out laughing.
— Then take this back!

She gathered water again. This time she tried to be more careful, but even her “small” ball was the size of a fist. She threw it at me. I dodged, and the water hit a tree, leaving a wet dark mark on the bark.

We started running around the riverbank, laughing and shooting at each other. Water, mud, splashes everywhere. Aria laughed loudly and brightly, her golden hair sticking to her cheeks.

I realized I couldn’t beat her in volume. Her spheres were too large, and I couldn’t afford to spend that much mana. But I could beat her in speed and precision.

I crouched behind a large rock, using it as cover. Instead of a droplet, I gathered a thin, sharp stream of water like a needle and shot it exactly where Aria was about to appear.

— Hey! — Aria exclaimed. The stream hit her right on the tip of her nose. — That’s cheating! You’re shooting like a hose!
— This is the “Phantom Step Style”!
— And this is “Aria’s Tsunami”! — she shouted back.

Aria gathered a huge, flat sheet of water that completely covered her. She moved forward using it as a shield. I knew I couldn’t pierce it with my needle, and if I spent more mana, I would just exhaust myself.

Then I remembered what my father said: “A great mage is not the one who can use a lot of mana, but the one who can achieve great results using little.”

I didn’t attack the shield. Instead, I gathered two tiny, barely visible droplets. One flew high, the other — low.

When Aria approached the rock, I attacked.
The first droplet hit the upper edge of her water shield with a loud splash, making her flinch.
The second droplet, flying low, hit right into the puddle at her feet, sending up a burst of dirty splashes that covered her face.

— Ew! Eiron, that’s mud! — She threw her water shield aside and began brushing herself off, laughing and trying to shake the dirt from her hair.

I stepped out from behind the rock with a triumphant grin.
— Victory! I used only two drops to take you out!
— All right, all right, you win, — she said, running up to me. — You’re incredible. You always know exactly where to strike!

Aria laughed. She was covered in water and mud, but her eyes were shining. She sat down next to me on the riverbank, and we both looked at the river reflecting the setting sun.

— Why can’t I make a small sphere? — she asked, her voice quieter and more serious. — I feel the mana, but when I try to make it smaller, it just disappears.

I turned to her, becoming a teacher again.
— That’s because you’re afraid your mana won’t work. So you put too much into it to be sure. Our goal tomorrow is to convince your hand that a single thread of power is enough, not an entire rope.

— All right, — Aria sighed. — I’ll try again tomorrow. And now… — she giggled again, — we’re soaked. Let’s go home before your parents see us.

We stood up and ran along the path toward home, leaving the river and forest behind us.

Part 4

Lately, I had started studying at night. Besides magic, I was also deeply interested in history and geography. During one of those sleepless nights, Alak peeked into my room.

— Eiron, you’re not sleeping?
— No, I’m reading the history of the First Era.
— You have school tomorrow. Why aren’t you sleeping?
— I can’t fall asleep.

Closing the door, Alak stepped into the room. He sat down on a chair beside my desk. Apparently, he wanted to talk to me about something. We didn’t talk that often. I was either at school or reading books, and because of that we barely spoke.

— So, you’ve already started studying Destruction magic?
— How do you know?
— Lira told me. She said she followed you when you left the house and found you on the hill, trying to create a fireball.
— I’m sorry. I just didn’t want to wait until the end of the year, so I started learning this magic earlier.
— You have nothing to apologize for. I never forbade you from studying Destruction. Even though I said you were too young for books on Destruction magic. Honestly, I thought you had already understood that spells can be learned even without first reading the incantation.

Alak smiled.

— You mastered mid-level healing. At five years old. Many students in schools or even in the guild don’t reach that level before the age of ten. Well done.
But you won’t achieve the mastery you need in school. Even a textbook on fire magic doesn’t guarantee that you’ll reach the intermediate level of fire magic.

He raised a finger, and in his hand a tiny, stable tongue of red flame ignited.

— This is the fire of Destruction. But in my hands it is perfect. This is years of practice and hundreds of books read. I only reached the advanced level of fire, but I still have much to teach you.

He extinguished the flame and looked straight into my eyes.

— So, here is our agreement, Eiron. You’ve studied in primary school for half a year. If you finish your first year as an excellent student, if your grades are flawless… — he paused to make sure I was listening. — …I will personally begin teaching you fire magic.

My heart began to beat faster. With a teacher like Alak, I would quickly succeed in this magic.

— And that’s not all. If you show good results, I will take you with me to the Mages’ Guild twice a week. You will have free access to the guild library during hours when it is not crowded.

I jumped up from the chair, almost knocking over the book. Access to the library? There were thousands of magic books stored there.

— You will gain access to knowledge worth decades of study. You won’t have to hide anymore. But this is the condition, Eiron. Without excellent grades — no access. Do you agree?
— Yes! Yes, father! Thank you so much!
— Then go to sleep. And remember: knowledge is power. Use it wisely.

He stood up, extinguished the candle on my desk with a single gesture, and left, leaving me in darkness, overflowing with determination and joy.