Introduction to Magic (Part 2)

Chapter 22

Introduction to Magic (Part 2)

The next magic system was the Dark and Unique Systems. 

Dark Magic had requirements almost identical to Holy Magic, but it leaned to the opposite extreme. 

Dark Magic manifested in those consumed by negative emotions. Hatred, despair, envy—anyone who allowed such feelings to dominate their soul could awaken Dark Magic.

Similarly, those born of demons were naturally attuned to it, their lineage a direct conduit to its power. Finally, anyone who swore allegiance to a demon, regardless of their nature or constitution, could also acquire Dark Magic. 

Thermes' voice was steady as he explained. "Before the Demon King claimed these lands, Dark Magic was not taboo. It was restricted, yes, and closely monitored by the kingdom, but those who wielded it weren't automatically condemned."

His tone darkened. "That's no longer the case. Now, Dark Magic is not only forbidden—it's a death sentence. Anyone found with its power is…" He hesitated, looking at the children before finishing grimly, "put down immediately." 

A sharp silence followed. 

"What does that mean?" Ynez asked, her voice shaky.

She gulped, her small hands trembling slightly. 

For a moment, no one answered.

Even those who didn't fully grasp the phrase seemed to sense its weight. 

"Killed," Nameless said matter-of-factly, her voice cutting through the room like a blade, but it was so casual that it sounded like it didn't matter to her.

The solemnity in the air thickened as the children exchanged nervous glances.

She's the Saintess, but does she have it... Their thoughts trailed off.

To break the heavy mood, Thermes resumed, his voice softening. "Now, let's discuss the final magic system—the Unique System. This one is divided into three subcategories, each with its own quirks." 

He gestured to a worn chart on the wall.

"The first is the Unorthodox Unique System. It's connected to the world's natural elements but doesn't overlap with Elemental Magic. While Elemental Magic governs fire, water, air, and earth, the Unorthodox Unique System targets what grows within these elements— plants and living beings." 

The children leaned forward, curiosity stirring in their eyes. 

"For example," Thermes continued, "magic that manipulates plants or living creatures falls under this category. Beast Taming, Plant Magic, and Summoning are just a few examples." 

Emman's ears perked up at the mention of Beast Taming.

The others noticed, their gazes darting to him. 

Nameless tilted her head, her curiosity unrestrained. "You said living creatures... So beings like us are targets for this magic?" 

Thermes nodded. "It depends on the tamer. To them, a 'beast' is anything stronger or more formidable than they are. The greater the tamer's respect—or fear—for the creature, the stronger their magic manifests. But of course it doesn't only work on the strong, any creature will do." 

Nameless mulled this over, her sharp pink eyes flicking to Emman.

Could this be why the twins, despite their antics, respected him so much?

She glanced at him again, noticing the way he flinched and lowered his gaze as if the attention was too much. 

"Is the magic instinctual?" Emman asked suddenly, his voice barely above a whisper. 

Thermes shrugged. "That's a question we don't fully understand yet. For some, it seems to awaken naturally. For others, it requires training." 

Nameless studied Emman for a moment longer before leaning back.

Her thoughts drifted, but she stopped when Dynil ruffled her hair, the unexpected touch startling her. 

"…What are you doing?" she asked flatly, fixing him with a blank stare. 

"You're scaring them," The sentry chief replied, nodding toward the others. 

Nameless blinked and glanced around. The children looked uneasy, their expressions cautious and unsure. 

"Oh." She tilted her head. "Was I? I was just curious…"

Her voice trailed off, her tone genuinely puzzled. 

Royce, sensing the awkward tension, grinned and nudged Emman. "Isn't it kind of cool, though? It sounds like you might be able to manipulate Nameless if you wanted to." 

Keith chimed in with a teasing laugh.

"Yeah! Maybe if you force-tame her, we can make her do whatever we want!" 

Nameless scoffed, rolling her eyes. "As if."

She crossed her arms and turned away, clearly unimpressed. 

Though their words were playful, Emman shifted uncomfortably.

For a brief moment, he looked ready to speak, but then he caught Nameless' gaze.

Her expression softened, though her blank pink eyes gave little away. 

"It doesn't work like that," she said quietly, almost to herself. 

Royce and Keith, sensing the mood shift, backed off, their teasing fading into silence. 

Nameless let the moment pass, her attention returning to Thermes. She was unbothered by their remarks, but something told her Emman wasn't. She wanted to say something comforting, to explain her thoughts, but the words didn't come. 

Instead, she simply filed the moment away in her mind, saving it for later— like so many other things she was beginning to understand. 

"Right, moving on…" Thermes clapped his hands, drawing the children's attention back.

"The next two types of the Unique System are the Researched Unique System and the Special Unique System."

The children leaned in closer, curiosity flickering in their eyes.

"Researched magic involves techniques tied to the known systems: Elemental, Holy, and Dark—but their methods are so unique they can't be reproduced. That's why they're still being studied. Examples? Spatial magic, like creating portals. Levitation. Or Search Magic, which lets you locate something hidden."

Keith's hand shot up. "But if it's related to other magic, why not just call it part of those systems?"

"Because the techniques don't work for everyone." Thermes smiled, pacing the room. "Take portal magic, the kind of magic you passed through to get here... It might feel like Elemental manipulation, but no one's managed to teach it consistently."

"Oh," Ynez said, frowning. "So it's like… a mystery?"

"Exactly." Thermes nodded.

"Now, the Special Unique System is different. It's entirely innate. It is a magic tied to the user's instincts. For example, some farmers can sense which crop is failing in a field of thousands. They call it Feel magic."

"Feel?" Pamela echoed, raising an eyebrow.

Thermes nodded. "The name is simple, but the magic varies by person. What Royce can 'feel,' for instance, only he would know."

Royce blinked, startled. "Me?"

The others snickered, but Nameless tilted her head thoughtfully, her gaze lingering on Royce.

"Since we know the basics of the systems, let's start connecting with your innate mana," Thermes announced, his commanding presence drawing everyone's attention.

The children split into two groups, settling into their respective circles. Thermes took those with elemental affinities—Royce, Keith, Loyd, Ynez, and Finneas—while Dynil guided Nameless, Eliron, Emman, and Pamela.

Thermes' bear-like aura seemed to grow more imposing as he began, but his teaching was remarkably gentle, like a steady stream shaping stone.

He moved seamlessly between his students, offering guidance tailored to their unique strengths.

Nameless, seated in Dynil's group, observed him closely, her sharp eyes narrowing. "So the old mister has an elemental attribute?"

Dynil chuckled, following her gaze. "My master isn't just an elementalist. People call him the 'Sky.'"

"Sky?" Emman echoed, tilting his head.

Dynil nodded. "It's a title reserved for those who master three or more magic types in each of the five systems. Talent, skill, knowledge, and heart—he embodies them all."

Nameless considered this, her expression thoughtful. Sky…

The title seemed fitting for someone with such fluidity and depth.

Thermes demonstrated why he earned that title.

Loyd, his fire and ice student, struggled to control the contrasting energies within him but Thermes' patient guidance allowed him to create a plate of scorching ice, an object that radiated warmth while remaining solid.

"Like a heated glass!" Ynez exclaimed, holding the plate carefully and marveling at its craftsmanship.

Eliron, under Dynil's instruction, practiced material manipulation.

His task was to copy objects and alter their properties, a skill requiring both precision and imagination. After an hour of focus, he transformed a simple wooden plate into a polished porcelain one, earning nods of approval from Dynil.

Pamela used Search Magic to locate fish near the shore, her spell lighting up pockets of water teeming with movement.

Emman worked in tandem with her, summoning fish closer with his taming skills.

Nameless, the group's sharpest reflexes on display, speared the fish with a stick, her quick strikes drawing cheers from the others.

Of course she couldn't practice as naturally as they could so she focused on the small exercises and physical trainings that Thermes told her. But it was only like that during the day.

Initially, the plan had been to return to the inn each evening, but the children's growing enthusiasm for magic pushed them to beg to stay at the cabin.

Their curiosity and excitement were infectious, and after some persuasion, Dynil relented with a wry smile.

"Fine," he said, "but don't come crying to me when you're too tired to cast tomorrow."

With their wish granted, the children threw themselves into an immersive routine, training by day and reveling in their progress.

By night, the cabin would fall silent, save for the soft breaths of the sleeping group.

Nameless, however, had her own struggles.

Though she participated in the physical training sessions and followed Thermes' advice to improve her reflexes, she couldn't openly practice her magic like the others.

Dark magic.

The taboo art she wielded as a demon, wasn't something she could reveal easily.

Though Dynil, Thermes, Royce and Eliron knew, the other children might feel wary when a sinister magic comes out of her.

Plus it wasn't just dangerous, it was damning.

The secrecy weighed heavily on her, forcing her to focus on honing her physical skills while keeping her true power hidden.

Her nights became an outlet for her frustrations.

While the others slept, Nameless trained alone under the moonlight, she learnt how to wield darkness. Sometimes Dynil would find her and teach her secretly.

On the second night, however, her solitude was interrupted.

Returning to the cabin after a series of drills, she noticed a faint flickering light coming from one of the windows. Narrowing her eyes, she crept closer, her instincts on alert.

Was someone else awake?

Peering inside, she saw Royce, hunched over a book at the edge of the common room.

A soft glow of light magic illuminated the pages as he traced each word with his finger, his lips moving soundlessly. His brow was furrowed, his frustration almost palpable as he struggled through the text.

Curiosity piqued, Nameless stepped quietly through the door, her movements so silent that Royce didn't notice her until she spoke.

"What are you doing?"

Royce flinched, nearly dropping the book. His head snapped toward her, wide-eyed and startled. "I— uh— nothing!" he stammered, trying to close the book hastily.

Nameless raised an eyebrow, arms crossed. "Doesn't look like nothing. Shouldn't you be asleep?"

Royce hesitated, clutching the book defensively. "I couldn't sleep," he muttered. "I've been trying to… you know, get better at reading."

Nameless tilted her head. "Reading?"

She stepped closer, her sharp eyes catching the wear on the book's spine and the scrawled notes in the margins. "That's what's keeping you up?"

"It's not just reading," Royce said, a hint of irritation slipping into his voice. "It's understanding. I don't want to be the guy who's always behind everyone else. Keith makes it look so easy, but for me... It's not."

Nameless studied him for a moment. Despite his gruff tone, there was a vulnerability in his words. Royce, for all his physical strength and determination, was haunted by a fear of inadequacy. 

Without a word, she dropped into a seat beside him, pulling the book toward her. 

"What are you—" Royce started, but she cut him off. 

"Relax. Let me see what you're working on. I'll help." 

"You don't have to—"

"Stop talking and start reading," Nameless interrupted, tapping the page. "Here. This line."

Royce hesitated, then slowly began to read, his finger tracing each word. His voice faltered on some of the trickier ones, and Nameless corrected him with a mixture of patience and dry humor. 

"'Construction,' not 'con-struck-shun,'" she said at one point, smirking. 

Royce glared half-heartedly. "It's close enough and how do you even know how to read?" 

"I'm choosing words I'm familiar with, actually." She stuck her tongue out playfully

Royce felt a blood vessel pop.

"So you were messing with me?!"

"I wasn't... kind of..."

The red-haired kid resigned himself to it, "I thought you had learning upperhand cause you're the saintess."

Hearing the word, Nameless fell silent.

She'd forgotten about it.

Since interacting with the mirror's essence, she had not disguised herself. It was only when she came back to gather the children that she did, but when entering the mirror's vicinity her disguise would disappear...

As the light from from Royce's finger flickered, her thoughts came to pass.

Let's think about this next time.

Royce was saying words however he wanted now.

But there was one word he didn't know.

"What word is this?"

"I don't know." Nameless replied. For a moment she felt a shift in the shadows, and turned around.

She smiled.

Though she cannot see him, she could feel him. Just as she was able to from the first time.

"Eliron," She called out. "Can you read this word for us?"

Royce perked up, he knew the dragon knows how to read. "Oh, yes."

The blond child came out of the dark and walked closer.

His calm temperament shown in just his steps and gaze, but... this facade just doesn't work with Nameless.

"Hurry up. I want to sleep."

"Ugh then just go to sleep." He snapped back.

It had always been like this.

A cycle of calm, annoyance, and playfulness.

Eliron knew, from always looking back into the past, that he wasn't a calm nor mature being. But with years of solitude he naturally gained it.

However it wasn't enough in front of Nameless.

She'd always surprised him since the first time.

"Ugh..." Eliron frowned at the girl and sat on the other side of Royce, looking at the word under his finger. "This word is indomitable."

"What does it mean?"

"It means 'impossible to defeat' or undefeatable."

Royce's brown eyes sparked, his finger gliding over the word. "Wow. There's a word like that?"

"Apparently so." She perched her chin up her hand, yawning slightly.

They continued like this, the quiet night broken only by Royce's soft voice and Eliron's occasional corrections. Nameless just watched, sometimes she would say words she didn't know too.

As the hours passed, Royce's confidence grew. His reading became steadier, and his determination burned brighter with each sentence he conquered.

Nameless, for her part, found herself enjoying the unexpected moment of camaraderie.

Helping Royce distracted her from her own struggles, even if only for a little while. 

As the first light of dawn crept through the windows, Royce finally set the book down with a sigh of relief. 

"You're better than you think," Nameless said, standing and stretching. 

Eliron agreed with her. "Don't be too hard on yourself. You're still young and you're even diligent."

Royce gave them a small, tired smile. "Thanks. For this, I mean." 

"Don't get used to it," Nameless teased, her expression softening. "I've got my own stuff to work on. Ask Eliron for help. Well, I'm off to sleep."

She left.

Not even a minute passed by and the other two followed.

The cabin no longer felt as isolating as it had.

For the three of them, the night had become a rare moment of connection—a reminder that growth, even in its most frustrating form, was worth chasing.