The sun was setting, painting the sky with warm hues of pink and orange as Roderick and Elara stood in a small courtyard at the academy, preparing for his first magic lesson. A gentle breeze played with Elara's hair, and Roderick couldn't help but admire how the silky black strands seemed to dance in the fading light.
"All right, Roderick," Elara began, her voice soft yet encouraging, "Before we start, just try to relax and clear your mind. Magic requires a focused and still mind."
He took a deep breath, feeling the fresh air fill his lungs, following with his senses the air as it filled his lungs, and then slowly exhaled, trying his best to not think of anything. He nodded to Elara, signaling that he was ready to begin.
"Good. Now, try to sense the magical energy within you. It's like a delicate ember, waiting to be ignited," Elara instructed, her eyes radiating calmness and patience.
Roderick closed his eyes, attempting to focus on the elusive ember Elara had described. He could feel something, a faint warmth nestled deep within, but it was evasive, akin to trying to capture a wisp of smoke.
As he failed time after time, doubts began to creep in, making him question whether he was imagining it or if it he was actually feeling something.
His brow furrowed in concentration, frustration mounting with each unsuccessful attempt to connect with the magic residing inside him. As he struggled, the ember seemed to recede, growing fainter and more distant. Eventually, he lost his sense of calm and let out a scoff.
Elara observed him attentively, her intuition picking up on his frustration. "Roderick, remember to breathe," she reminded him gently, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Don't rush the process; let the magic come to you. If we don't achieve it today, we'll try again tomorrow," she encouraged him with her warm voice.
Her warm voice and the hand on his shoulder made his cheeks blush slightly but also calmed his mind, and with a deep breath, he reentered the meditation state.
The ember had returned, but instead of chasing it, he imagined a red carpet path for it to come to him instead. Surprised, he observed the shy little thing, inching closer to him, like a curious animal warily investigating a morsel of food. The ember finally reached his right hand where he gently took hold of it.
As soon as he felt it, fire seemed to shoot up his veins. He could feel the magic coursing through him, leaving him breathless with exhilaration. It was a tingling sensation, and he knew it was a connection to something greater than himself. He couldn't help but feel like something was looking back at him.
However, the feeling of being observed disappeared as soon as it came, leaving him with an exhilarating feeling of power and energy.
With a triumphant grin, Roderick opened his eyes and looked at Elara, his excitement palpable. "I think I've got it now," he said, his voice filled with wonder.
Elara's eyes sparkled with satisfaction at his success. "Well done, Roderick. Now, let's try something simple for your first spell. How about a basic light spell? It should be a good starting point."
He nodded, eager to put his newfound understanding into practice. Focusing on the energy within him, he allowed it to flow through his fingertips, gently guiding it again towards his hand, this time however, he noticed a second ember a bit away from the first one, minding her business, he decided to ignore it for now, focusing on the spell instead.
Roderick took a deep breath and, following Elara's instructions formed the hand sigil for creating a light orb. He extended his thumb, index, and middle fingers outward, ensuring that they formed a perfect triangle, while his ring and pinky fingers remained curled tightly into his palm.
With the hand sigil in place, Roderick closed his eyes and began to focus on channeling his magical energy through his fingertips. He imagined a radiant point of light appearing at the center of the triangle, growing brighter and more vivid with each passing moment.
As Roderick concentrated, he felt the warmth of the magical energy coursing through his hand, a sensation both exhilarating and foreign to him. He could sense the energy converging at the triangle's center, and as he envisioned the light expanding outward, he opened his eyes.
To his amazement, a small, shimmering orb of light materialized, suspended delicately in the air just above his hand. The orb emitted a soft, ethereal glow, casting a gentle, warm radiance upon Roderick's face and the surrounding area, giving the scene a dreamlike quality.
Feeling a surge of excitement, Roderick experimented with controlling the orb's intensity and size. He discovered that with just a slight shift in his focus and subtle adjustments to the hand sigil, he could manipulate the orb to his liking, making it brighter or dimmer, larger or smaller.
"I've done it!" he cheered, his eyes wide with excitement and surprise. Inwardly, he thought, 'I'm a mage! A real one!'
Elara grinned and clapped three times, pleased with the result. "As I said, I'm a great teacher," she said playfully, puffing out her chest. However, she couldn't help but feel sorry for Roderick. He had once been a renowned war mage, and now he was excited about a beginner-level spell.
"Haha, indeed," he said, absentmindedly, as he continued to stare at the orb, captivated by its beauty and the realization of his own magical potential.
Suddenly, he had an idea. What if he led the second ember to converge into the spell? With a mischievous grin, he focused on the warmth inside him, the secondary ember he had sensed earlier.
He coaxed the little ember to join her friend, and while it moved, it did so much slower than the first one and maybe he was imagining it, but he felt like the ember struggled to stay away from his hand. Ultimately it's resistance proved futile and it joined the first ember, orbiting it like a twin sun.
Channeling that energy toward his hand, he aimed to combine it with the existing light orb, curious to see what would happen. But what transpired next was beyond anything he could have anticipated.
The small dot of light at the center of the spell, fueled by the additional energy, blazed forth with an intensity rivaling the sun itself, sending waves of scorching heat radiating throughout the courtyard. The stone walls and floor seemed to shudder from the sudden temperature change, and the air vibrated with heat.
He lost control of the spell that exploded with a final bright flash of light that could be seen from miles away.
As the caster, Roderick found himself immune to the spell's effects. However, Elara was not so fortunate.
With a surprised yelp, she quickly conjured forth a sphere of water that surrounded her, creating a protective barrier. As the water made contact with the searing heat, it began to steam and evaporate, her impromptu shield struggling to withstand the onslaught.
"Elara, I'm so sorry!" he exclaimed, genuine concern etched across his face as her water shield also vanished.
Elara's skin had reddened from the heat, and her hair appeared disheveled and damp from the sudden exposure to the extreme temperature. Despite her discomfort, she managed to catch her breath and turned her attention to Roderick.
"What just happened? Explain," she demanded, her tone a mix of curiosity and irritation as she eyed him warily, trying to ascertain the cause of the unexpected outburst of power.
Embarrassed, Roderick scratched his head and recounted everything that had transpired. Elara's eyes widened with surprise as she listened. "A second source, are you sure?" she asked incredulously, for she had never heard of such a phenomenon.
Typically, every living being would possess only one source at the core of their soul. The revelation that Roderick might have two left her wondering what the implications could be.
He nodded earnestly. "I swear on my good name."
"I see," Elara said thoughtfully. "Well, we will need to test a few more things, if you don't mind." With his agreement, she proceeded to lead him through a series of additional spells, examining the effects of his second core on each incantation.
The results were nothing short of astonishing. Every spell that Roderick "Superfueled" – as they had decided to call the phenomenon – improved dramatically. And the power growth wasn't simply linear, it was exponential. For instance, a spell that would normally produce ten spheres of water could now create a hundred.
However, the superfueled state could only last for a few moments before he would lose control, it felt as if the original spell was like leading a horse, the superfueled state was a raging bull.
As they continued their experiments, both Roderick and Elara became more and more excited, realizing that they had stumbled upon something extraordinary, something that could potentially shock the world if they were to learn of it.
As they concluded their experiments, Elara gazed at Roderick with a mixture of awe and admiration. "Roderick, this is truly remarkable," she said, her voice brimming with enthusiasm. "I've never seen or heard of anything like this before. Your magical abilities are extraordinary, more so than before the accident, you could become one of the most powerful mages in history."
Roderick couldn't help but feel a sense of pride at her praise, but he also knew that he owed his success to her guidance and insight. "I couldn't have done it without you, Elara," he admitted, his voice warm and sincere.
Their eyes met, and for a moment, time seemed to stand still. The soft pink light of the magical orb cast a romantic aura around them, and Roderick couldn't help but feel drawn to Elara. Her eyes seemed to hold a hint of a secret, a hidden depth that intrigued him.
Elara seemed to sense his thoughts, and a faint blush colored her cheeks. She quickly averted her gaze, the ghost of a smile playing on her lips. "I think it`s enough for today, let`s call it for today?" she suggested, her voice soft and a little breathless.
With a nod from Roderick, the day was over.