And just like that, another year has passed.
That's right, it took me an entire year just to learn the fundamentals of their magic system! Put simply, magic in this world is way more complex than it's often portrayed in the role-playing games of the one I come from.
Magic is broken up into four major cores, along with a foundational core.
This foundational core included a ton of basic stuff, like casting cantrips, learning about mana manipulation and the elements, how herbology and potion-making play a role, etc.
Pretty basic stuff, but I guess everyone needs to start somewhere. In order to move from this tier to one of the four major tiers, you had to at least learn how to cast minor spells and manage your mana. The remaining areas of focus, like runes, divination, and meditation, opened up more options for advanced magic, but weren't required unless you were interested in those topics.
Speaking of divination, the first thing I noticed was the ankh symbol that represented it. Mr. Clergyman must've been a divination mage.
"I wonder what he saw about me that freaked him out so much?" I pondered aloud.
"If he saw anything about my past life, it might be a problem."
Oh, wait, I shouldn't be talking about my previous life out in the open like this. I thought, quickly covering my mouth with both hands.
Regardless, it's been three years. If he wanted to act on the visions he saw, I would've found out by now. So there's no real rush for me to track him down. Besides, a three year old is hardly a menacing threat.
I'm itching to try casting something, so let's see what it says about casting your first spell.
Step 1: The Preparation
Before attempting your inaugural incantation, you must first find inner peace with your mind, body, and spirit. Locate yourself a place of pure tranquility. Once there, close your eyes, breathe in deeply, and allow all of your mortal concerns to escape your mind.
"Hmm…" I pondered.
"This sounds more like meditation than preparing to cast a spell, but whatever."
I sat there for a few moments before hopping up to my feet.
"Alright, that settles it!"
The weather had been exceptionally nice as of late, and I've always liked the nearby stream. So I think I know where my "place of pure tranquility" was! The challenge was going to be getting there.
Preferably I'd sneak out of the house so as to not reveal me carrying this book, but given that we had a squeaky hinge on the front door, that was out of the question. I guess I'll need to slyly ask for permission. And by "ask," I mean I'll just book it and ask for forgiveness later. That always worked in my previous life, after-all.
"Mama, I go play outside for a bit," I yelled out as I began to open the door and make a break for it.
"Alright honey, but stay within viewing distance!" I heard my mom shout back, before audibly sighing as I shut the door.
Our town, Yonderton, was fairly safe. Monsters rarely strayed into the city, and those that did were considered more of a nuisance than deadly. As a result, kids had pretty significant freedoms to play outside as they wished. This worked perfectly for me!
As I turned around, I decided not to wait until I reached my destination to get into the right mood. You know, trying to draw myself into a zen mindset and such.
And so I inhaled deeply and did my best to take in the scenery.
I observed the wind flowing gently, carrying the scent of flowers through the summer air. As I continued down the winding dirt path towards the nearby stream, I could hear birds chirping, and cicadas buzzing in the distance.
As the murmur of the gently flowing river grew louder, I could hear leaves crunching beneath my feet. I briefly looked up and caught glimpses of the sun peeking through the tree branches above me.
Finally, I arrived at what I hoped would be the most serene place for this first experiment: an unremarkable rock surrounded by a bed of flowers that bordered the river.
"This oughta do," I said, snapping myself back to reality.
Chapter 2: Echoes of a Past Life (Part 2)The rock was easily twice my height, but with great effort I was able to eventually perch myself atop it.
"Let's see what the next step is before I cleanse my spirit and all of that jazz."
Step 2: The Incantation
With a clear mind, weightless body, and still spirit, extend your hands before you. Envision a shimmering thread of light before you, almost as if it were linked to your very being, and then slowly, yet precisely, speak the following incantation:
"Lumina vitae, arcana potentia, audi vocem meam. Per vis et voluntas, ignis primus enascitur!"
As you chant this, imagine extending your very essence into the palm of your hand. You are not simply reciting an incantation, but leveraging your very being to invoke the natural power of this world.
I blinked a few times as I read this.
"Huh?! It really expects me to remember this gibberish to cast even the most basic of spells?" I shouted like a child that just had their toy taken away.
Annoyed, I decided to continue reading to the final step.
Step 3: The Gesture
Once you feel a surge of power thrumming within you, make a sweeping motion with your right hand, as if tracing the arc of the rising sun. At the completion of this motion, pull your hand backwards and push out through the would-be center of the arc. If timed correctly with the completion of the incantation, a fire bolt will be cast.
"All of this for a measly fire bolt? That's, like, the weakest spell in any role-playing game," I sighed.
"Whatever, maybe things become easier once you master the basics."
I cleared my face of annoyed bewilderment, slapped my cheeks with both palms, and swapped in a look of pure determination.
"Okay. Let's do this."
I closed my eyes and began to breathe slowly. In my past life, I read that inhaling through your nose and exhaling through your mouth was key to meditation. It's not mentioned in the book here, but it's worth a shot, I suppose.
After a few moments, when I began to feel calm and started taking in more of the sounds and sensations from the environment. I felt ready.
I raised my hands and began to chant.
"Lumina vitae," I began, starting the arc motion with my right hand.
"Arcana potentia," I continued, taking quick peeks at the book to get the rest of the lines.
"Audi vocem meam!"
I felt a shift in the air around me, as if everything was rushing into the palm of my right hand. Slowly, I opened my eyes and was shocked to see a flickering red light emanating from my hand, casting it in a silhouette.
My body began to feel incredibly warm, almost as if I were in a fire itself. However, from what I've read, I think this was the "thrumming" mentioned in the book, as the sensation came in pulses.
I decided to continue and pulled my hand back as instructed.
"Per vis et voluntas, ignis primus enascitur!"
As the final word left my mouth, I saw a tiny flame, no bigger than the wick of a lit candle, shoot off in the direction I was aiming.
Suddenly, I became extremely light-headed. My vision started to blur and my balance began to falter.
"That's it…?" was all I could muster, as I fell backward off my perch on the rock, blacking out.
Some would say I had the perfect life. As head of the student council, I was well-liked and respected by everyone in high school. I had top marks in my classes to boot, while playing for the tennis club on the side. This opened doors to any college I could dream of. Hell, I even had scholarship offers from some of the lower-tier schools. I mean I'd never accept them, but it was flattering to know they were there.
As for my family, I had a doting sister who idolized me. My parents, though strict, supported me in every decision I made. I also had a strong friend group that propped me up when I was feeling down.
Simply put, I was content with life. I had everything I could ever want. I—
"—I want to go back," I mumbled.
My eyes then suddenly bolted open as I awoke in a cold sweat. My heart was racing. I sat up, gasping for breath, as tears streamed down my face.
"Why was I sent here?"
I could still remember my sister's laughter, my parents' proud smiles, and the camaraderie of my friends. But now those were only memories. A thing of the fucking past.
I rolled over and punched the ground.
"Why me?" I said.
"Why me?" I repeated, my voice trailing off into a cry.
A few moments passed as my panic subsided. My breathing began to steady, and the pounding in my chest started to ease.
I guess all of my memories came flooding back when I passed out, I thought, rolling back over and trying to make sense of it all.
"Well… No point in dwelling on the past."
I must've been out cold for quite a while, as the sun was starting to set.
"Guess I better head home," I said, using my hand to block what little sunlight was reaching me.
I struggled and strained but managed to sit up after a few seconds. My best guess as to what happened? I ran out of mana. Truth be told, I skipped over that chapter because I assumed it wouldn't be relevant until I started trying to cast multiple spells in a day. Guess I was wrong.
I looked over and noticed that the book had taken a few bumps on its tumble off the rock, but it appeared to be more or less okay. Dad likely won't notice anything, but there's a chance Mom will. Actually, speaking of my parents, I'm going to need to explain why I'm getting home so late. Maybe I can sneak in and gaslight them?
Eh, who cares. I'm suddenly not in the mood to worry about what they think.
You know, I wonder if there's anything akin to therapy in this world? I could probably use a session or two. Everything's been moving at lightning speed since I reincarnated, and I just never had time to mourn what I've lost.