Just as the card in Lyra's hand was about to solidify, an overwhelming weakness surged through her body, leaving her unable to stay conscious. In the blink of an eye, everything went black, and she collapsed.
With the magic power cut off, the enchanted card book vanished into thin air.
Lilith, quick on her feet, sheathed her dagger and caught Lyra just before she hit the ground. "Good thing I was fast!" she muttered, relieved but with a hint of frustration. "Otherwise, you wouldn't have been able to leave your bed for a month!"
Supporting the now-unconscious Lyra, Lilith began guiding her towards her dormitory. Her steps were brisk, but her mind was racing. Just as she reached the front yard, she spotted Sylph and Vasida clearing weeds. Upon seeing the situation, they immediately rushed over to assist.
"What happened to her?" Sylph's voice quivered with concern as she hurried to open the door to Lyra's yard, while Vasida helped Lilith carry their fainted friend.
Lilith sighed. "She tried to tap into her magic too hastily, didn't manage to control it, and well… ended up draining herself. It's no wonder she passed out."
Sylph shook her head in disbelief. Of all people, she thought, Lyra was the steady one. Yet here she was, out cold. Meanwhile, Vasida, the one everyone thought was fragile, was still full of energy! These first-year witches were certainly full of surprises, often too reckless for their own good.
Lilith looked at Sylph and Vasida, her tone turning more serious. "Listen to me, both of you. Don't make the same mistake. When you study your talents, don't rush like Lyra. Wait until after the first week of classes. By then, you'll have a better grasp of your magic and how much power you can safely use. You don't want to run yourself dry."
She shot a glance at Vasida, "You're lucky you can restore some of your strength with that stomach ability of yours." Then, turning to Sylph, she added, "But you, Sylph, need to be extra careful. Overusing your magic doesn't just leave you tired; it makes recovery take way longer, and your body will weaken severely."
Lilith paused, guilt crossing her face for a moment. "It's partly my fault. I didn't explain things quickly enough, and before I could stop her, Lyra's magic was already flowing into the Book of Cards without control. Fortunately, I intervened in time. She'll recover, but she's going to feel it for a while."
Vasida and Sylph nodded vigorously, relieved to hear that Lyra would be fine. But Vasida, ever curious, asked, "Wait, Senior, are you saying we can use magic to study how our talents manifest too?"
Lilith, having learned her lesson, smirked slightly. "You'll find out soon enough. Once you get your witch book, look for a text called The Witch's Path. Read it carefully, and only then should you try. No rushing!"
With their combined efforts, the three witches got Lyra settled in her bed. As they adjusted the covers around her, Vasida couldn't help but ask, "Senior, when will she wake up?"
Lilith chuckled lightly, though there was a bit of exhaustion in her voice. "She spent all night studying her talent. She probably won't wake up until later tonight."
Satisfied for now, Vasida and Sylph left, deciding to return in the evening to check on Lyra.
Sure enough, it wasn't until the evening that Lyra stirred, her head aching as she slowly sat up. Rubbing the back of her head, she blinked, adjusting her eyes to the room; only to jump in surprise at the sight of three shadowy figures sitting silently by her bedside.
"Lyra! You're awake at last!" Sylph and Vasida's voices broke the eerie silence, their faces lighting up with relief.
Lyra, still groggy, tried to recall what had happened. "What… what happened to me? I remember trying to condense the card, and then…"
She instinctively raised her hand to summon her Book of Cards, but before she could, Lilith grabbed her wrist gently yet firmly. "Hold it. You're running on fumes. You've got barely any magic left, and what little you do have could vanish in an instant if you push yourself."
Lyra looked at her, confused. "But I can summon—"
"Yes, you can," Lilith interrupted, "but just because you can doesn't mean you should. You've nearly exhausted all your magic, and your body is telling you it needs rest. Do you really want to risk draining yourself completely?"
Lyra paused, finally feeling the weight of the exhaustion she hadn't realized was there. Her limbs felt heavy, her magic barely a flicker. She sighed, nodding slowly. "I guess I overdid it."
"Exactly," Lilith said, releasing her wrist. "You're lucky I stopped it when I did. Now, rest up. You've got a long week ahead."
Lyra found herself pulled aside by Lilith, who was clearly not letting the incident slide without a talk. The look on Lilith's face made Lyra swallow hard as she listened intently to the lecture. Only then did the full weight of her actions hit her.
"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to worry everyone," Lyra said, lowering her head in embarrassment.
She had been far too impatient, trying to push her magic without proper control, but thankfully, nothing too serious had happened.
Lilith sighed and, seeing that Lyra had understood the gravity of the situation, finally released her hand. "It's good you understand now. But be more careful next time. Aside from being a bit drained, are you feeling any other discomfort?"
Lyra hesitated, then admitted, "Well... there's a bit of pain in the back of my head, but nothing serious."
Lilith glanced away, a flicker of guilt crossing her face. Oops. Maybe I hit her a little too hard when I knocked her out... It was her first time using a hand chop to knock someone out, and it seemed she hadn't quite gotten the strength right.
"Don't worry, you'll be fine," Lilith said quickly, trying to cover up her own mistake. "Your magic power isn't completely drained. Once you recover a bit, the pain and discomfort will fade. But you have to be cautious with your magic in the future."
Lyra nodded earnestly but couldn't shake the anxiety gnawing at her. "Senior! How long will it take for my magic power to fully recover? I really don't want this to affect my classes on Monday!"
Lilith gave her a reassuring smile, though the news wasn't exactly what Lyra wanted to hear. "It'll take at least a week for your body to recover naturally, but if you don't want to miss classes, try eating more breadfruit. It might speed up the process and help you regain some strength before then."
Seeing Lyra's worried expression, Lilith added, "Even if you don't recover to full strength, don't panic. Magic power is about quality, not just quantity. If you get back 10% or 20% and use it sparingly, you'll be fine for your first week of classes."
Just then, a loud rumbling noise interrupted the conversation. Vasida's eyes widened as she clutched her stomach reflexively, but then she realized something. "Wait, that wasn't me! I'm full!" she exclaimed, relieved.
Lyra blushed, rubbing her own stomach awkwardly. "Uh... yeah, that was me."
It hit her that she hadn't eaten anything for an entire day. No wonder her stomach was protesting. She stood up, ready to take action. Sylph moved to help her, but Lyra waved her off with a weak smile. "I'm not that fragile. I can still manage on my own."
Heading downstairs to the utility room, she rummaged through the pile of breadfruits she had brought back the day before. With a resigned sigh, she picked one up, took a deep breath, and took a big bite.
Immediately, her face contorted in agony as the sour taste assaulted her senses. She grimaced, her entire face scrunching up as she forced herself to swallow. There was no getting around it; if she wanted to restore her magic, she had to endure this.
Lilith, watching her from the doorway, turned to Vasida with a knowing look. "This is what happens when you overuse your magic. Breadfruit may restore your magic power, but it's not exactly a pleasant process."
Sylph, wincing as she watched Lyra struggle through the bitter bites, muttered under her breath, "I really envy Vasida right now..."
Lyra, trying to chew the sour fruit without gagging, nodded in silent agreement. The breadfruit was like torture, but she didn't have a choice.
Vasida, sensing the envious stares from her friends, gave a sheepish smile and poked her fingers together. "Hehe... lucky me, I guess?"
Lyra, determined to get through it, gave up on savoring the taste and began gulping down the breadfruit in big bites. The texture was awful, and it was so filling that after just half of it, she already felt stuffed.
Still, despite the torture, she could feel a slight warmth returning to her body. "Senior, how much of my magic power do you think I've restored?"
Lilith gave her a sympathetic look before breaking the news. "Barely half. Breadfruit is too filling to eat too much at once. That's why you'll need to keep at it if you want to recover faster."
Vasida blinked in confusion. "Wait, what? Why doesn't that apply to me?"
Lilith sighed and clarified, "Well... except for Vasida, of course. You're a special case." She turned back to Lyra. "But for the rest of us, magic energy is dense, so breadfruit only helps so much at one time. You'll need to eat a few more if you want to speed up your recovery."
Lyra groaned, looking at the remaining breadfruits like they were her sworn enemy. The lights in the dormitory seemed a little dimmer as she contemplated the sour task ahead of her.
Yesterday, she had been so confident, thinking she'd never need to eat the breadfruit unless she was absolutely desperate. Now, not only was she eating it, but she was praying it wasn't so filling that she could manage more!
The cold storage room felt far too close now, and Lyra knew she'd have to force herself to take another bite sooner than she liked. Magic recovery never tasted so awful...