[All that work was for nothing, huh?]
She pushed open the front door of her room, ready to slide back to her bed like a worm and wallow in her failure.
But as she stepped inside, she heard her parents' voices, sounding very tense, coming from the kitchen.
Curiosity getting the better of her, Melisa crept closer, peaking around the corner.
"... asked everyone I could think of," her father was saying, his voice strained. "Called in every favor, pulled every string. But we're still short."
"How much?" her mother asked, a note of desperation in her tone.
"A hundred suns," Melistair replied, the words like a lead weight dropping into Melisa's stomach. "A hundred damn suns."
[A hundred suns,] Melisa thought, her eyes widening. [The exact same amount as a Spirit Crystal.]
She leaned in closer, hardly daring to breathe.
"What are we going to do, Melistair?" Margaret asked, her voice trembling. "The deadline's almost here. If we don't pay..."
"I know," Melistair said heavily. "I know."
There was a long, tense silence. Then, a scraping of chairs as her parents stood up.
"We'll... we'll think of something," Melistair said, though he didn't sound convinced. "We have to."
Melisa backed away from the door, her heart pounding.
[A hundred suns. That's all they need. That's all standing between us and total financial ruin.]
She slipped away, making her way over to her room.
Once inside, she closed the door, leaning against it.
The twin moons hung low in the sky, their eerie purple light filtering in through her window. Melisa put her runes down, in that light.
"Worthless," she muttered, picking one up and turning it over in her hands. "Completely and utterly worthless."
She tossed the rune back onto the desk, a bitter laugh escaping her lips.
[Yeah... I guess I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up. Not like I was going to change everything in just a day or whatever.]
She slumped down into her chair, burying her face in her hands.
As much as she wanted to, though, she couldn't just give up.
[100 suns,] she thought. [I don't need to change the world. I just need to make something that's at least worth one Spirit Crystal.]
She needed something more, something truly groundbreaking.
She lifted her head, staring out at the moons.
[This family... My family needs me.]
On that note, her mind raced.
She started pacing. Time flew by. Seconds became a great many minutes.
[There's got to be a way. Some new angle, some untapped potential in these runes that I'm just not seeing.]
She picked up another rune, running her fingers over the intricate carvings.
[Come on. Give me a sign. A hint. Anything.]
Nothing.
Melisa growled in frustration, throwing the rune back down.
[Think, Melisa, think! What are you missing? What's the key to making these things more than just shiny paperweights they are right now?]
She stared at the runes, her brow furrowed in concentration.
The answer, tentative answer anyway, didn't come as she looked at them.
It came as she looked at the one she'd used.
She looked back and forth between that spent rune and these unused ones.
[Rechargeable,] she thought suddenly, the idea hitting her like a bolt of lightning. [What if I just recharged them for people?]
She sat up straighter, her mind racing.
A slow smile spread across her face, a flicker of hope reigniting in her chest.
[This might be it.]
---
The next morning, with only two days left until the deadline, Melisa woke up with a sense of urgency.
She immediately started pacing around her room, trying to think of a solution.
[Come on, come on, there's got to be something I'm missing. Some way to make these runes recharge themselves.]
She was so deep in thought that she didn't even hear the knock on her door, or notice when Margaret poked her head in.
"Melisa? What are you doing?"
Melisa jumped, whirling around to face her mother.
"Mom! I, uh... I was just..."
Margaret raised an eyebrow, stepping fully into the room.
"Just burning a hole in the floor with all that pacing?" She shook her head, a small smile on her face.
"I... What's up?" She finally asked, trying to sound a bit lighter.
Margaret shook her head, red eyes softening up. She walked over and knelt in front of Melisa.
"Melisa, I know you've been through a lot lately, and I've let your studies slide because of your illness. But now that you're feeling better... it's time to get back to your lessons."
Melisa's heart sank.
[Lessons? Now? But I'm so close to a breakthrough, I can feel it!]
But then, an idea struck her. She looked up at her mother, a curious expression on her face.
"Actually, Mom, I do have a question. About my lessons, I mean."
Margaret looked surprised, but pleased.
"Of course, dear. What is it?"
Melisa took a deep breath, choosing her words carefully.
"I was wondering... what exactly is Essence? Like, what does that mean? What is it, you know?"
Margaret blinked, clearly taken aback by the question.
"Essence? Why do you want to know about that?"
Melisa shrugged, trying to look innocent.
"Just curious, I guess. It seems like it's important, but I don't really understand what it is."
Margaret sighed, sitting down on the edge of Melisa's bed.
"Well, Essence is... it's the fundamental energy that makes up our world. It's in everything - the wind, the trees, fire, water. It's what allows mages to cast their spells. That's about it."
Melisa's brow furrowed, two key points standing out to her.
"Wait... if Essence is in everything, why don't nim have it? Why can't we use magic like humans and kitsune?"
Margaret's face fell, a touch of old bitterness in her eyes.
"That's just the way it is, Melisa. Nim are... different. For whatever reason, we don't have an inherent connection to Essence like other races do."
Melisa filed that away. It couldn't be that simple.
[If Essence is in everything... then theoretically, I should be able to draw it from any source. Not just Spirit Crystals.]
She looked up at her mother, a glimmer of excitement in her eyes.
"So... if Essence is all around us, does that mean a mage could cast a spell using, say, the Essence from a fire? Or a gust of wind?"
Margaret looked thoughtful, nodding slowly.
"I suppose so, yes. But, although Essence is in everything, it's not in everything in equal amounts."
[Right, right.] Melisa nodded. [But, it is in everything.]
She jumped to her feet, startling Margaret.
"Thanks, Mom! That helps a lot. I think I understand now."
Margaret stood up as well, looking puzzled but pleased.
"I'm glad I could help, dear. But don't forget, you still have your other lessons to attend to."
Melisa nodded distractedly, already moving towards her desk.
"Right, right. I'll get to those. But first, I just need to... check something."
Margaret shook her head, a bemused smile on her face as she left the room.
The moment the door closed, Melisa was in motion, grabbing her notebook and flipping to a fresh page.
[Okay, let's think this through. If Essence is everywhere, theoretically, if I could collect it somehow, I could infuse it into a rune and recharge it. I mean,] she looked over at the rune she'd used, [even though I used that one, it didn't disintegrate or anything. If I could find a way to put Essence in this thing without needing Spirit Crystals or cute fox girls, that would be crazy, right? I'm sure mages in this world have already figured out recharging runes by infusing their Essence into them, but how can I add to that?]
Just then, something came to mind.
Immediately, she ran out of her room and ran throughout the house. Her mother looked like she'd literally just sat down in her own room to read.
"Mommy!" Melisa called out.
Margaret set her book aside, a concerned look on her face.
"What is it, dear? Is everything alright?"
Melisa nodded vigorously, her mind racing.
"Yes, yes, everything's fine. But I have a question. About nim, and our... our need for affection."
Margaret's eyebrows raised, a slight flush creeping into her cheeks.
"Oh. Well, that's... I mean, what do you want to know?"
Melisa leaned forward, her voice urgent.
"Why do we need it? What happens if we can't find any affection?"
Margaret cleared her throat, clearly uncomfortable with the topic.
"Well, you see, Melisa... Nim are different from other races. We need physical affection, like hugs and... and, well, other things, to stay healthy. If we go too long without it, we start to get weak, and sick."
Melisa's eyes widened, the pieces clicking into place.
"It's Essence," she breathed, her voice filled with wonder. "That's what it is, isn't it? Nim get weaker because we're losing out on Essence!"
Margaret blinked, confused.
"Essence? What are you talking about, dear?"
But Melisa was already pacing, her mind whirling with the implications.
"Don't you see? When nim engage in affection with other races, we're taking their Essence! That's why we need it so badly, why we get sick without it!"
Margaret stared at her daughter, her mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water.
"Melisa, I don't... I mean, that's not how..."
But Melisa wasn't listening, too caught up in her own revelation.
"This changes everything," she muttered, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "If nim can absorb Essence from other beings through physical contact... then maybe I can use that to recharge the runes!"
She whirled around, grabbing her mother by the wrists.
"Mom, I need you to trust me on this. I'm going to need your help."
Margaret just looked shocked.
"I... I don't understand any of this, Melisa. But a-alright. What do you need me to do?"
Melisa grinned, a wild, exhilarated expression.
"I need you to help me test a theory."
She grabbed her mother's hand, pulling her towards the door.
"Come on, we've got work to do, mom! The future of magic itself is at stake!"
And with that, she dragged a bemused but willing Margaret out of the room, ready to put her bold new idea into action.
"Okay, Mom, here's what I need you to do," she said as they walked outside of the house, her voice brimming with excitement. "Find any friend in the village who isn't a nim. Literally any.]
Margaret laughed, shaking her head in disbelief.
"Why?"
"I need some affection!" Melisa replied. "That's all. A hug, a kiss, anything!"
Margaret raised a brow at her.
But Melisa was insistent, bouncing on her toes with impatience.
"Trust me, Mom! This is crucial for my experiment. Please, just do it for me?"
Margaret sighed, but couldn't resist her daughter's pleading look.
"Oh, alright. I suppose it can't hurt."
She led Melisa to the home of a human lady she knew, knocking on the door with a bemused smile.
"Hello, Lily," she said when the door opened. "I know this is going to sound strange, but my daughter has a bit of an odd request. She wants to... well, to feel some affection, if you don't mind."
Lily raised an eyebrow, but grinned when she saw Melisa's eager face.
"Well, isn't that just the cutest thing!" she cooed, bending down to Melisa's level. "I suppose I can oblige the little darling."
With that, she planted a big, dramatic kiss on Melisa's forehead, making an exaggerated "mwah!" sound.
[Oh. That felt nice.]
Melisa giggled, but quickly composed herself, turning to her mother with a serious expression.
"Okay, but would just that be enough to cure a nim of being sick from lack of affection?"
Margaret shook her head, trying to hide her amusement.
"No, dear, I'm afraid it would take a bit more than that."
Melisa nodded, turning back to Lily with a hopeful look.
"In that case, can I have some more forehead kisses, please? For science!"
Lily laughed, clearly charmed.
"Well, how can I say no to that face? Come here, you!"
She proceeded to pepper Melisa's forehead and cheeks with kisses, making dramatic "mwah!" sounds with each one. Melisa squealed and giggled, but endured the barrage of affection for the sake of her experiment.
Finally, when Lily was done, Melisa turned to her mother with a triumphant grin.
"Okay, that should do it! Thanks, Lily! Mom, I'll be in my room if you need me!"
And with that, she sprinted off, leaving a laughing Lily and a bewildered Margaret in her wake.
Back in her room, Melisa was buzzing with energy, her skin still tingling from the concentrated dose of affection.
[Okay, if my theory's right, I should be all charged up with Essence now. Time to put this theory to the test!]
She grabbed a rock from the pile she had collected from the garden, and carefully carved the illumination spellsign into its surface. Then, taking a deep breath, she placed her hand over the rune and focused, trying to channel the Essence she believed she had absorbed into the stone.
[Come on, come on... Work, dang it!]
For a moment, nothing happened. But then, just as Melisa was about to give up... the rune began to glow. Softly at first, then brighter and brighter, until it was shining like a miniature sun in her palm.
"YES!" Melisa exclaimed, jumping up and down with excitement. "It worked! I can't believe it actually worked!"
She stared at the glowing rune, her face split in a wide, triumphant grin.
[I did it. I actually did it!]