Lyra could hear the faint, irregular breaths behind him, a subtle reminder that he wasn't truly alone. Something about the sound filled him with an unshakable feeling; though he couldn't quite put his finger on why.
For Lyra and his companions, the draining effects of magical infection were a minor inconvenience, hardly worth worrying about. Even though Lyra hadn't fully regained his magical strength, he refrained from consuming the breadfruit available, knowing it wouldn't hinder his practice in the slightest.
Among the three of them, Lyra was the first to consistently transform the developing paper into a uniform, dark green color; a clear sign of progress.
As the clock tower bell rang out twelve times, signaling the end of the class, other young witches began to succeed with their magical infection techniques as well. Though the hues of green on their papers varied; some darker, some lighter, they were all achieving the desired result.
Ms. Amisha, their instructor, surveyed the room with satisfaction before making her final announcement:
"Remember, when you first open your energy vision, you must do so under the supervision of an adult witch. Don't try this alone during the lunch break. If anything goes wrong, at best your vision will suffer, and at worst, you could go blind!"
She made sure her warning landed with every young witch in the room before leaving, confident that none would be reckless enough to disobey. But rather than stay and supervise, she left them to their own devices.
The moment Ms. Amisha stepped out, a flurry of activity erupted.
"I'm stuffed! I need to walk off this food or I won't be able to eat a thing later!"
"Me too! Let's go for a stroll!"
"I need the bathroom."
"Let's all go together!"
In no time, the classroom emptied as the witches departed in groups, chattering excitedly. Lyra wasn't at all surprised. Despite their young age, these witches displayed a level of maturity far beyond the children she had known on Earth in her previous life. None of them would dare risk damaging their eyesight just to satisfy their curiosity.
Lyra joined Vasida and Sylph on a quick trip to the bathroom before returning to the classroom for lunch. As her companions enjoyed their breadfruit cakes, Lyra opted to stick with plain breadfruit, quietly focusing on the task ahead.
Once they'd finished eating, Vasida and Sylph were eager to explore the castle grounds. They turned to Lyra, expecting her to join them, but she shook her head.
"You two go ahead. I want to practice magical infection some more," Lyra said, determination evident in her voice.
"Haven't we all passed the test already?" Vasida asked, confused.
"Yes, but the shades of green are different. We've only scratched the surface of magical infection. I believe more practice will help us refine our control over magic," Lyra explained.
Vasida and Sylph exchanged uncertain glances.
"But doesn't it come with time? As we learn more magic and use it more often, our control will naturally improve, won't it?" Sylph asked, tilting her head, clearly not as enthusiastic about staying inside after hours of study.
"For sure," Lyra admitted, "but I'd rather build a solid foundation now. It never hurts to practice more."
Seeing her resolve, Vasida and Sylph didn't push the matter.
"Okay, you can have our developing papers if it helps," Vasida offered with a smile.
"Thanks! I won't have to wait for the recovery period now," Lyra said, grateful for the extra resources.
As her friends left to explore the castle, Lyra stayed behind, determined to push her limits. She continued practicing the magical infection technique, striving to perfect every detail. At first, she focused on creating uniform shades of green, but soon she raised the difficulty; attempting to blend yellows, reds, and greens seamlessly across the paper. With each attempt, her precision improved, until she was able to form intricate patterns and designs using different hues.
When her own developing paper needed time to recharge, she didn't pause. Instead, she moved to Vasida and Sylph's desks, using their papers to continue her meticulous practice. She wasn't just honing her skills; she was mastering them.
Taking turns with three developing papers allowed Lyra to drastically increase her efficiency. Each time one paper required time to recover, she switched to another, keeping her practice continuous and effective. With each repetition, she gained deeper insight into her magic, developing a keen understanding of how much magic power was needed, the right output speed, and the desired effects she could create on the developing paper.
Though she was aware that these colorful changes; turning the paper shades of red, yellow, or even multiple hues; were merely part of the magical infection process, Lyra understood the broader value. While this specific technique wouldn't directly enhance her future spellcasting, where magic would demand different outputs, it was strengthening her control over her own magic. The exercise allowed her to refine her power, sharpen her ability to concentrate, and practice the steady, meditative state required for casting.
In the back of her mind, Lyra couldn't forget that her magic-absorbing weapon; still unseen, was housed in the groove of her card book. That day when her magic surged uncontrollably, flooding out in waves she couldn't stop, wasn't just due to her inexperience or the overwhelming emotions she felt. The card slot itself had pulled her magic, draining her faster than she could react. Half of the issue had been her lack of control, and the other half was the intense pull of the card slot.
The memory of fainting from that experience lingered. Determined not to repeat that mistake, Lyra threw herself into more practice. The better her control, the less likely she was to be overwhelmed again.
Vasida and Sylph eventually returned from their walk, spotting Lyra's developing papers. The array of reds, yellows, and greens seemed scattered at first glance.
Vasida raised an eyebrow, confused. "Why does it look like your practice is getting worse the more you do it?"
Lyra pulled her hand back with a satisfied smile. "You're back! How was the walk?"
Sylph sighed. "Most of the castle's off-limits right now, even the library. We could only peek into a few empty classrooms. The castle garden's nice, though; it's full of flowers. But Lyra... what happened to your paper?"
Lyra grinned, her eyes lighting up as she gestured toward her work. "Look at this! Doesn't it remind you of a hillside, with poppies and wild chrysanthemums in full bloom? The colors are limited, and they don't mix well, but if you look closely, you can see it."
Curious, Vasida and Sylph leaned in for a closer look.
"Now that you mention it... it does kind of look like a field of poppies and wild chrysanthemums!" Sylph exclaimed.
"And the different shades of green really do resemble grass," Vasida added, her surprise evident.
What seemed like a chaotic blend of colors at first was actually a carefully crafted picture. It was rough, yes, but the arrangement wasn't random. Lyra had infused intention into each stroke of magic, creating something artistic out of the practice.
"Lyra! Did you really design the paper like this on purpose?" Vasida asked, her eyes widening.
Lyra nodded proudly. "Yup! Not bad, right? Though, this is pretty much the limit of what you can do with developing paper."
Sylph shook her head in amazement. "We've only been gone for an hour, and you're already painting with magic! That's incredible."
Vasida chuckled. "Compared to that, our training was barely scratching the surface."
"There's still time before class starts," Lyra suggested, "you can get some more practice in! It really helps with control."
"Good idea!" Vasida and Sylph agreed. They couldn't resist the urge to start practicing again, inspired by Lyra's progress.
Lyra, too, refused to take a break. She took a few quick bites of breadfruit and continued experimenting, pouring her magic into the papers with varying strengths and intensities, striving to perfect her control.
Not long after, Amy and Alba strolled into the classroom, laughing and chatting with each other. Their voices filled the room until they suddenly stopped, noticing Lyra, Vasida, and Sylph silently absorbed in their practice.
Amy glanced around, puzzled. "Wait... did class already start? Did we miss something?"
Alba frowned, glancing at the clock. "I didn't hear the bell for two o'clock! And Ms. Amisha isn't here yet."
Still confused, the two girls looked toward the podium, half-expecting to find their teacher overseeing the quiet dedication of the three practicing witches. But it was just them, practicing of their own accord, fully immersed in honing their magic.