The First Lesson

"What is magic?" Nemo began our first class, with Nihil sipping tea beside him.

I'm once again in the now-familiar office of the tower masters; this will be where Helena and I are taught.

Dan and the finally convinced Alex joined Lady Evelyn on the Elementalist path.

Whether due to the display of power or the tight robes, it seems to be the most chosen path among the boys.

Contrary to what one might imagine, Joseph chose the more physical Enhancer path, wanting to become a Knight alongside Joh; well, seems they really do have something in common.

Clara, determined not to enter direct combat, decided to follow the Harmonizer path, becoming a Healer because she wants to heal like her mother, who's a doctor.

Obviously, Helena wanted to follow me and, with the tower masters being twins, they decided it was appropriate to accept 2 disciples instead of one.

About that, there seems to have been quite a commotion in the magical tower about us being the twins' first disciples but, aside from the envious looks from some tower wizards, nothing big enough to bother me happened.

"You first, Helena," Nemo says, pulling me from my daydreaming.

"Hmmmm..." She thinks, looking up, before finally spitting out some definitions.

"Something unexplainable? That defies the laws of physics? Something supernatural?"

Honestly, I believe I would've said something quite similar.

"Do you agree, Oliver?" Nemo asks.

"I agree," I answer frankly.

"That's what most people think and, considering where you came from has no magic, this thinking isn't wrong..." Nemo says while pacing back and forth, until stopping and looking directly at us.

"But you're not in your previous world anymore, are you?" He concludes with a rhetorical question, moving his hand in the air while a red projection is cast, showing a person speaking some words and making fire appear around them.

"There are many other paths besides the path of a wizard, even within general sorcery, those who believe that magic truly defies laws and principles, existing in a mystical and unexplainable way." Nemo narrates while making the sorcerer in the projection be consumed by their own flames, writhing and contorting horribly.

"They're all idiots."

"Magic is the universal law that we sentient beings were gifted; It allows us to shape reality itself, according to our talents and efforts." With a wave of his hand, extinguishing the projection's flames and showing the now completely charred sorcerer.

"The path of a wizard isn't a straight line and has several doors... Even shortcuts. But one thing is certain, each wizard is unique." Nemo finishes, making the projection disappear with another wave.

With the sound of the porcelain cup touching its saucer, Nihil finally gets up, walking to his brother.

"We'll teach a little of everything, but of everything almost nothing. Later, you'll choose the subjects that interest you most and then we'll give more specific teachings," says Nihil, now beside Nemo.

"Any questions?" The two say simultaneously.

⁂

Honestly, I'm proud of myself. Comparing myself to Helena, I seem to have an easier time connecting with magic.

Basically, magic, despite not exactly answering to the laws of physics, still respects the fundamental law of energy conservation, requiring fuel to be used for a spell to be cast and, for a sorcerer, there are three main types of energy sources:

The first is one's own energy, where a sorcerer stores mana within themselves, whether body or soul. Of course, different techniques have different difficulties and give different results.

The second is using environmental energy, that is, from the area itself, to utilize magic.

The third is the least common; using contracts to use another creature or entity's magical source. Thus, the effects can be quite varied.

The pros and cons of the first method are obvious; being the only path where power can be said to belong to the person themselves.

The second method is risky because if your opponent is also a magic user but with even greater control than you, you'll be doomed if you don't have internal magical particles, so this is usually just a complementary method that can help you in exhaustion situations.

A sorcerer who stores magical particles within themselves normally has knowledge about using environmental mana, and vice versa.

The third method is something few are really interested in, including me. Being the method of failures, the desperate, or the incredibly greedy.

That said, here I am, sitting in a meditative position while concentrating on making a perfect circle of magical particles around my heart.

Of the various forms and techniques, this is the one recommended and taught by the twin masters, who use it on themselves.

We'll start by making 10 magical circles around our hearts, then 10 circles of magical particles around our brains and, then yes, 10 magical circles around our soul, whatever that means.

Well, that's for the future, since even the twins say they're only on the 7th soul circle.

The question is: what is a magical circle, and what's it for?

The answer is more complex than expected; not just being a circle made of magical particles.

The point is, the mind itself is already a physical force, capable of manipulating such magical particles, depending on the level of perception a person has of them.

So, like a craftsman, a wizard must create a magical circle with magical particles around their heart and, with the utmost precision possible, engrave this circle with what the twins call runes. Natural symbols, structures created by the universe itself that have the property of attracting magical particles.

In other words, the better and more precise the magical circle, the more magical energy it can contain, the faster it can recharge, and the easier you can use your energy.

Like a pixel artist, calmly, magical molecule by magical molecule, I'm sculpting a perfect circle; in front of me, images of runes are arranged on floating scrolls for Helena and me to use as reference.

And... Done.

I feel a coolness run through my body: A mixture of shiver, cold, and pleasure.

"Wow, that was fast," exclaimed Nihil, looking up from the book he was reading in his cushioned armchair.

In another corner of the room, Nemo, who seemed lost while looking at some herbs spread on a rustic wooden table, also turned. "Already? Impressive..."