Grandmother handed us two worn-out papers with diagrams and spells inscribed on them. She explained with a patient but firm tone, "Now, you two have the basic elemental affinities of lightning and fire. These are your first spells. Remember this diagram carefully. Once you've fully memorized it, shape your essence as closely as possible to the diagram, and at the end, say the name of the spell. It will help you guide your essence into the right form. When you're ready, release it through your hand."
We both nodded eagerly, my focus entirely on the task. "Remember, it's your own essence, so it won't harm you," Grandmother added. "But be mindful of your surroundings."
As I looked at the paper, I saw the name of the spell: Lightning Shock. The diagram was surprisingly easy to remember—at least for me. With a minute of concentration, I raised my hand toward the floor, visualizing the pattern in my mind, and began shaping my essence. Internal essence control was always more natural for me compared to external shaping.
"Lightning Shock!" I said clearly, feeling a sudden rush as a yellow streak of lightning shot from my hand, colliding with the floor. A small black scorch mark appeared where the spell had hit, but there was no other damage. I glanced over at Astor, who was staring at my hand and the floor, his face a mix of awe and excitement.
Grandmother smiled, her eyes glinting with approval. "It's not surprising that you learned that quickly," she said, but then turned her attention to Astor. "Astor, you shouldn't use your spell in here. Come with me."
We followed her out to the balcony. She sat down in one of the chairs, and I followed suit, though Astor remained standing. "Now practice it here," Grandmother instructed as she settled into her seat, watching Astor carefully. I could see him intently studying the formation of his spell.
While Astor concentrated, I decided to fully commit the diagram of Lightning Shock to memory, sitting quietly and observing. After a while, a loud boom erupted, breaking my thoughts. I quickly turned to see smoke rising from one of the pillars. Astor's hands were still raised, facing the now slightly charred column.
Grandmother let out a small chuckle. "It's really fascinating to see an evolved element at play. Your usual flames are blue."
I paused for a moment, processing her words. Blue flames? I thought. If I remember correctly from Earth, blue flames can reach temperatures of around 1,600–1,650°C. Astor's flames were powerful, far more than I realized. His affinity truly was unique.
As I focused back on my diagram, a thought struck me—what if I could fully mold my essence like this diagram without needing the incantation? Curiosity tugged at me, so I asked Grandmother. Her response was calm and clear, "You don't need to speak the incantation." To demonstrate, she cast Lightning Shock without uttering a word. I watched the spell form effortlessly in her hand, the yellow streak flashing toward the ground, and I thought, I can do that too.
I decided to give it a try. At first, the output was weak, barely a flicker of lightning forming in my palm. Grandmother noticed and encouraged me, "Try a few more times. It will get easier with practice."
Following her advice, I kept casting, using up nearly half of my essence. Finally, after multiple attempts, I managed to cast Lightning Shock without the incantation. Excitement surged through me. But then, an idea struck—what would happen if I molded more essence than usual? I directed more essence into the spell and aimed at the pillar. A loud boom echoed as the lightning struck, similar to Astor's earlier explosion. So, I can create a spell just as powerful as his, but I need more essence. Interesting.
My thoughts didn't stop there. If I can do that, can I cast the spell through my leg? The concept intrigued me. I just needed to mold the essence as usual, then guide it through my leg instead of my hand. Determined, I lifted my right leg from my sitting position, aimed at the pillar, and started casting. As I concentrated, a yellow streak of lightning shot from my foot and collided with the pillar. The output was a bit weaker, probably because I lost some essence while navigating it through my body.
I looked up to see both Grandmother and Astor staring at me, their expressions a mix of shock and curiosity. Grandmother broke the silence. "Did you just... body cast?"
"Body cast?" I asked, confused.
She nodded. "Yes, body casting—when you cast spells from parts of your body other than your hand. It usually doesn't happen until Stage 2, because most casters at Stage 1 don't have enough control over their essence to direct it that far from their core."
Before I could process this new information, Astor declared, "I'll do it too!" He mimicked my sitting position and began channeling his essence. A blue flame shot from his foot toward the pillar, but with too much force. The thrust sent his chair sliding backward, and he crashed to the floor with a loud thud. I couldn't help but chuckle at the sight. This monkey, he can learn something just by watching it once?
Grandmother smiled but quickly regained her composure. "Now that I think of it, you both have better control over your essence than most at your stage. You can start practicing body casting, but for now—let's go for lunch."
We both nodded and followed her, Astor rubbing his head, still grumbling about his fall, while I couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction over the progress we were making.
Astor's POV
Nyx always makes things look so easy. I was still amazed, staring at the pillar he hit with lightning from his foot, of all places! How did he even think of doing that? It's cool, though. I mean, if he can do it, I can too. Right?
I sat down, trying to mimic exactly what Nyx did. My mind was buzzing with excitement. Body casting... sounds awesome. I focused on my core, feeling the familiar warmth of my essence swirling inside me. This time, instead of directing it to my hands, I pushed it down, through my legs. It was strange at first, like trying to squeeze a bunch of energy through a narrow tube.
As soon as I was ready, I lifted my right leg, just like Nyx, and aimed at the pillar. Here we go, I thought, my eyes lighting up with determination. I pushed my essence out and let my flame flow.
Boom!
A blue flame shot out of my foot—but I didn't account for the recoil! My chair slid back, and before I knew it, I hit the floor with a heavy thud. My back hit first, knocking the air out of my lungs. "Oof!" I groaned, looking up at the ceiling as it spun for a second. I heard Nyx chuckling, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes. Of course, he'd laugh. The guy loves being the smart one.
I sat up quickly, rubbing the back of my head. "Not funny," I muttered, but even I couldn't help smiling a little. It was kind of funny—just not when it happens to you. Grandmother, on the other hand, smiled softly but didn't scold me. "It's fascinating to see you two progress so quickly, especially with your unique flames," she said.
That got my attention. Blue flames... hotter, stronger... cooler. I didn't know what it meant exactly, but I liked the sound of it. Grandmother didn't praise us unless we really earned it, and knowing I had something unique about my flame made me feel... well, special.
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," she added, standing up. "You've both done well, but for now, let's go have some lunch."
Lunch sounded like the best idea in the world after that exhausting practice. I couldn't wait to show off at lunch, though—Nyx wasn't the only one who could pull off something amazing. As I followed Grandmother, I couldn't help glancing at my hands. Blue flames, huh?