Riswyn and Emzam chose the Darkness Spell. The girl seemed passionate about these very "Dark" things; her appearance hinted at it strongly, so she was excited. Emzam, on the other hand, was by far the most skilled in sorcery among the four and wanted to aim for the most ambitious spell. Rirai and Herega, however, chose the Fire Spell. The former had no specific reason, he was simply drawn to it. The Red haired youth thought it would be the most useful for his mission. Generating fire with minimal mana expenditure would indeed prove very helpful.
The man instructing them decided to divide them into two groups, but not to separate them too much; otherwise, he wouldn't be able to address to all the disciples. Emzam and Riswyn were given a blindfold to wear over one of their eyes so they could get accustomed to darkness, like pirates of old times. Herega and Rirai, on the other hand, had to wear heavy clothes to get used to heat. The first two were left to meditate in a dark room. The latter two meditated around a hearth, under the sunlight. The goal was to free their minds, focusing only on what surrounded them: darkness or fire. It was no simple task.
According to an ancient philosopher of a primordial Aostra, Asterceds, the author of The Passions of the Spirit, a book Riswyn had been reading before arriving there, a human cannot stop thinking and thus cannot control unexpected thoughts. Concentrating on something specific is challenging, especially for those who had never meditated before. After two hours of meditation, still in their respective places, they began practicing the so-called "Formation Dance." Before using any magic or dark magic, a specific gesture was needed. For example, Herega's Chain Spell required extending one arm forward, from which the chains would materialize. For Fire Spell, the gesture involved raising both arms to the sides and then crossing them. For Darkness Spell, the gesture was to kneel on one leg, extend an arm forward, and move the hand and wrist clockwise. They began practicing these gestures repeatedly.
The instructor warned them that the first results would typically appear three days after training began. However, Herega managed to produce a small spark on the first day. Though it wasn't substantial, it was highly unusual, and it wasn't the first time the youth exhibited such peculiarities. The other three, however, did not succeed. They still had five days left.
Night fell, marking the end of the second day of training. On their way back to the house, only Herega and Rirai were present, and they found the bed empty, but they decided to sleep outside again. As they stepped out, they crossed paths with Emzam, who was heading to bed. During these days, Riswyn had seemed extremely pensive, always distracted, struggling especially with meditation. That evening, she did not go to bed at the same time as the others. At that moment, she was near the stream a few dozen meters from the house, sheltered by a small wall. Her somber monologue began:
«Kura. You've never spoken, yet I've directed more thoughts to you than to anyone else. It would be amusing if you were hiding something from me, wouldn't it?» The girl said, smiling, «And yet, I've never known how I managed to summon you, or if I summoned you. I've never been able to learn anything about you, whether you have a consciousness, whether you have thoughts of your own. I know nothing about you, and in truth, I know nothing about myself. I don't know why I participated in these trials, why I'm learning new spells, why I let myself be influenced by a youth I've just met, or why I need an instructor when I've always managed on my own.»
The raven perched on her exposed body as she continued to speak. She was sitting by the riverbank, letting the evening breeze wash over her.
«Kura. There are so many things I want to know but can't. There are so many things I won't know until the day I die, even when the answers are whispered right before my eyes. So who granted us life? And why? Why didn't they give us all the answers we need? I'm sure I'm not the only one asking these questions; Kura, do you think so too? Are you also wondering why today, you and I are in front of a river that doesn't belong to us? In a garden that isn't ours? In a world we share with who knows how many people we don't know? Do you, too, have countless questions without answers? Do you, too, have countless answers without questions? Do you, too, want to voice your thoughts without being judged? Do you, too, want both to live and to die?»
Meanwhile, the raven perched on her smooth skin, on her leg, as she caressed it with her delicate hand, tender as the rest of her body.
«Do you, too, Kura, want to reach the stars we're gazing at? Do you, too, admire them with such ambition that will never return? Do you, too, delight in looking at the bare body of a girl? Are you, too, like humans? Do you try to understand things you don't want to know? Do you not try to understand things you do want to know? Do you want to know the truth but are scared of it at the same time? Do you not want to live in ignorance but feel protected by it? Do you seek an end without having a beginning? Do you seek a beginning without having an end? Do you listen without understanding, as you're probably doing now? Do you pay without buying? Do you feel oppressed and can't stop it? Do you want to free yourself? Do you want to be free? Do you yearn for freedom, but freedom doesn't yearn for you? Do you seek company but voluntarily confine yourself to solitude? Do you, as soon as you achieve a goal, set another as if the previous one never existed? Do you eat what you're given, not what you like? Do you sail without a destination? Do you steer the helm of a ship that doesn't belong to you, in a sea you don't know and don't want to explore? Do you want to live by your own decisions? Are you as pensive as I am? Tell me, Kura, do you think all this?»