It turns out that not only the most powerful witches can share their magic; ordinary witches can, too.
However, there's a catch. Most witches lack the innate talent to manifest physical objects, which makes developing unique magic much more difficult for them. Only a rare few, with exceptional ability, ever manage to create something truly special.
Lyra stood silently in the library, her eyes scanning the shelves while her mind committed the book titles to memory. The grand library was not yet open to the apprentice witches, but she had already jotted down the names of several key texts recommended by the dean. She knew these books held knowledge she couldn't afford to overlook.
When the contract to unlock the secrets of the witches' books was signed, excitement rippled through the academy. Many of the younger witches eagerly threw themselves into the practice, just like the time they learned the golden pen technique. They focused hard, their minds casting spells, reciting passages from the witch books with hearts full of hope.
But when they opened their eyes, only a faint, ghostly shadow of a book appeared before them; not the fully-formed witch's book they had imagined.
"Dean, what's happening?" Vasida asked, raising her hand with a mix of confusion and frustration.
Dean Amisha smiled knowingly. "What you've created is merely the energy circuit, the core functions, or the soul skeleton of a witch book. For it to become a real book, it still needs something else."
"A carrier?" A young witch near the back piped up, her voice impatient and curious.
"Exactly! A blank book to bind all that magic into something tangible," Amisha said with a flick of her wrist. Suddenly, scraps of parchment, leather, and debris scattered from her podium like petals falling from the heavens, showering the witches and landing on the tables and floor.
Then the bell rang sharply, signaling the end of class. Amisha gathered her materials and, with a graceful turn, announced, "This afternoon, we'll begin with the basics of papermaking. You'll learn how to craft the very pages of a witch's book using the materials in front of you. Don't worry, you won't need to do this all by hand in the future, but understanding the process will be vital. Class dismissed!"
The young witches stared wide-eyed at the mounds of strange materials now strewn about their desks: hides, bark, hay, wooden boards, nails, and peculiar tools. The room buzzed with uncertainty.
Lyra glanced at the chaotic pile in front of her. Her worry dissolved as quickly as it had come, and a small smile tugged at her lips. At least they wouldn't be expected to churn out books themselves every day. With a sense of purpose, she began organizing the materials with calm precision.
The others watched in silence, slightly confused but trusting Lyra's quiet confidence. One by one, they followed her lead, tidying up their stations even though they had no idea why they were placing things a certain way. In their rush to copy Lyra, none of them had even thought to ask her what she was doing.
When Lyra had finally sorted her materials, she noticed that everyone else had mimicked her arrangements to the letter. Amused, she turned to them, her eyes bright with surprise.
"I think these are for making paper," she explained, pointing to the neatly stacked piles. "These, for binding the books. As for the rest..." She hesitated, glancing at the tools with a slight shrug. "I'm not sure what these are for."
"Ohhh, I see now!" Ai Si exclaimed, turning to her friend Alba. "I knew Lyra had a reason for arranging things like that!"
Cheryl, sitting at the back, craned her neck to get a better look. "Lyra, you seemed so confident picking those materials out. Do you know how to make paper already?"
Lyra laughed, shaking her head quickly. "No, not at all! I just have a bit of knowledge about it from... elsewhere. But I've never actually tried it myself."
That afternoon, under Dean Amisha's guidance, the young witches dived into the art of papermaking and bookbinding. To everyone's surprise, the materials worked exactly as Lyra had predicted. Her guesses, it seemed, had been right on the mark.
As they fumbled with the unfamiliar tools and materials, they couldn't help but notice how gracefully Lyra handled each task, as if she had done it all before.
It was then they realized; Lyra hadn't been entirely truthful. She had played down her abilities, leaving them to assume she was just as new to this as they were.
But in reality, her knowledge came from Blue Star, the planetary memory that lived within her. It guided her with ease, making what should have been a daunting task seem almost natural.
Lyra, however, didn't see it that way. In her mind, she had only scratched the surface of what she knew from the fragments of memory. Just like when she cooked before, using dishes she was familiar with or simple recipes, she hadn't fully realized the depth of her own skill.
The young witches didn't mind, though. To them, Lyra had already become someone to follow, someone who made the impossible seem possible.
This time, when Lyra attempted to make paper and bind books, she discovered something extraordinary about Blue Star's planetary memory. It wasn't just a slide-like database she could access at will, replaying information like a video file. No, it was far more immersive.
As she delicately handled the materials, shaping the paper, she could hear the faint, echoing voices of countless papermaking craftsmen. Their wisdom flowed into her mind like a steady stream, guiding her hands and telling her exactly where she needed to pay attention. It was as though she was surrounded by masters, each offering their expertise in real-time, whispering secrets passed down through generations.
While she couldn't learn everything instantly, she realized it was more like having a whole team of mentors walking her through the process step by step. It dawned on Lyra then; what she had inherited wasn't just memory. It was the rich, invaluable experience wrapped up within that memory, and that was far more precious.
The lesson on papermaking and bookbinding wasn't just a quaint activity, it had a practical purpose. The witches needed to know how to craft their own books in case their witch's books became damaged, or if they found themselves in a place where blank pages and new books were impossible to acquire. Dean Amisha understood the importance of self-reliance, which is why she taught them the two most basic and accessible papermaking methods.
The first method involved using straw stalks, much like the ancient papyrus techniques once used on Blue Star. The second was animal skin paper, which also had its counterparts in Blue Star's history. As Amisha instructed the class, most of the young witches fumbled, making mistakes at nearly every turn. Amisha only stepped in occasionally to offer corrections, allowing the witches to learn from their errors.
Lyra, however, barely needed guidance. With the voices of the Blue Star papermakers whispering in her mind, she moved with the confidence of someone who had been doing this for years. She avoided all the common pitfalls effortlessly, drawing curious glances from her classmates, who marveled at her apparent ease. To them, it seemed as though Lyra had mastered the art long ago.
Unbeknownst to the other witches, Lyra's knowledge came from the vast memories of Blue Star craftsmen, making her appear far more skilled than she truly felt. Nonetheless, in the eyes of her classmates, her stature quietly grew, and they began to look to her as a natural leader.
After mastering the basics of papermaking, from both straw stalks and animal skins, the next task was to learn how to bind the pages and create the book covers. Compared to papermaking, this was a much simpler process. Binding the pages was as straightforward as sewing them together with thread, which could be made from cloth strips, straw ropes, or even vines. For the class, they were taught how to twist straw into ropes for this purpose.
The book covers were easier still, two pieces of bark, slabs of stone, or a simple piece of animal hide would suffice. The idea was to use the simplest materials available to create something durable. As they worked, Dean Amisha used her magic to speed up the more tedious parts of the process, sparing them the long hours of drying and curing that would otherwise be necessary. She reminded them often that her goal wasn't to make them experts in papermaking and bookbinding, but rather to ensure they understood the basics.
By the time class ended, each of the young witches had managed to create a simple book. It wasn't much, just a cover and a few inner pages; but it was a book nonetheless, and it had everything a proper book should have. The witches stared at their creations with pride as Amisha offered her final words of caution.
"Remember, these books need further processing before they can be fully used. Don't try to place them inside the Witch Book's Phantom too early, or they will be damaged."
As soon as the dean left the room, the witches collectively exhaled in relief. The afternoon had been long and exhausting, far more challenging than any of them had anticipated.
Lyra felt the fatigue set in as well. She grabbed her water bag, taking a long, refreshing sip. Her hands ached from the repetitive motions, so she massaged her wrists as she sat back in her chair. After a brief rest, she gathered her things and headed down the mountain with Vasida and the others.
The thought of a hearty meal was more than enough to lift her spirits. With the promise of honey bread and juice waiting for her, she no longer had to rely on breadfruit to fill her stomach. When they reached the base of the mountain, the three girls stopped by the food collection point to pick up some ingredients.
Sylph wandered off to the farm to chat with Bi'er, while Lyra and Vasida returned to the dormitory together, their bags full of fresh produce. It had been days since Lyra had enjoyed a proper meal, and tonight she planned to treat herself. She prepared a simple yet satisfying dinner, careful not to overeat so she could save room for a large pot of honey and breadfruit water.
As she finished her meal, Lyra felt the subtle shift in her energy. Her aura, which had been dimmed from overexertion, slowly brightened. The breadfruit water worked its magic, restoring her depleted reserves of power. With her strength fully restored, she knew she was back to her usual self.
And now, with her energy renewed, she could finally take a look at the Card Book she had been eager to explore. Tomorrow promised new challenges, but for tonight, she was ready to immerse herself in its mysteries.