Mira walked out of Aiden's medical ward with her mind still clouded by the weight of his words and the reckless way he sought after strength.
The quiet corridors of the building offered little solace, and the soft flickering of the light crystal hanging on the walls cast long shadows that danced across the walls.
Each step she took felt heavier than the last as her thoughts spiraled deeper into concern.
"That idiot," she muttered to herself.
Despite her outward annoyance, the truth was she was worried—worried that Aiden, in his relentless pursuit of power, would one day push himself too far.
His collapse today had shaken her more than she cared to admit.
The chilly evening air greeted her as she stepped out of the medical building, her breath leaving small puffs of mist in the cool night.
The sky was clear, and the stars above twinkled brightly, yet the vastness of the night felt suffocating.
With no particular destination in mind, she wandered aimlessly through the stone pathways of the academy grounds.
Her thoughts kept circling back to Aiden, the way his body had convulsed uncontrollably, the helplessness she had felt as she watched, and the fleeting look of determination on his face even as his consciousness slipped away.
'Why does he keep doing this to himself?' she wondered, her heart tightening in her chest. 'Why does he push himself so hard?'
Without realizing it, her feet had carried her toward the training grounds, the very place where Aiden had collapsed earlier.
The space was mostly empty now, save for two familiar figures off in the distance–Finn and Jaxon, were still there, their postures more relaxed as they leaned against the railing that circled the grounds.
Both of them looked worn out from the day's events, though their expressions were serious, deep in thought.
As she approached them, Jaxon was the first to notice her. "Mira?" he called out in surprise. He had assumed she would keep Aiden company through the night.
Finn, turning his head, noticed her forlorn expression. "You look a bit out of it," Finn added in concern. "Everything alright?"
Mira blinked at them, her face momentarily blank as she was pulled from her thoughts. She forced a small smile, shaking her head lightly. "It's nothing. Just…thinking."
Finn and Jaxon exchanged glances, the kind that communicated a lot without saying anything. But they didn't press her, knowing well enough that when Mira didn't want to talk, pushing her would only make things worse.
An awkward silence settled between them for a moment, the only sound coming from the distant wind rustling the training dummies that were still scattered across the field.
Finally, Mira broke the silence, her voice quieter than usual. "What are you two still doing here, anyway?"
Jaxon shrugged, kicking at a loose stone on the ground. "Just thinking about the fight earlier. About how Aiden—" he hesitated, searching for the right words, "—despite all the effort we put in, he's always on a different level."
"Yeah," Finn agreed, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "We might look strong next to him, but deep down, we both know the truth. He's miles ahead of us."
Mira rolled her eyes at them, trying to inject some lightness into the conversation despite her lingering worries. "What, like it's some new trend or something? Everyone wants to be the next Aiden?"
Her sarcasm hit the mark, and both Finn and Jaxon burst out laughing, the tension that had hung in the air dissipating in an instant.
For a moment, the night seemed less heavy. But as the laughter faded, a solemn silence settled over the three of them. Mira glanced at the ground, her fingers idly tracing the edge of the railing beside her.
The question that had been gnawing at her finally escaped her lips.
"Do you think we'll all survive the invasion?"
Her voice was soft but carried a weight that caused both Finn and Jaxon to stiffen.
She didn't need to elaborate; they all knew what she was referring to—the invasion that had loomed over them for years.
Darkseid's forces. The threat from the stars. The inevitable war that would soon come to their doorstep.
Finn was the first to respond, his usual carefree attitude faltering for a brief second. "No idea. But if there's one person I know who will survive, it's…"
"It's Aiden," Jaxon finished, cutting in with a somber tone.
"Exactly," Finn said with a slow nod, his eyes distant as if he was already imagining the future.
Mira frowned, her gaze sharp as she gave both of them a disapproving look. "You both are stupid as always."
Her voice was cold, almost scolding, but it was the concern beneath her words that stung the most. "What's the point if Aiden survives and we don't? What do you think he'd do if we were all gone, if he was left alone by himself after the war?"
To her question, neither Finn nor Jaxon had an immediate answer.
They both averted their eyes as the weight of her words sunk in as they considered the implications.
The idea of Aiden standing alone, victorious but surrounded by the ghosts of his friends, was a haunting thought.
For a long moment, none of them spoke.
The only sound was the wind, carrying the distant echoes of their past laughter into the night.
Mira, finally unable to bear the silence, stood up from where she had been sitting.
She dusted off her pants and stared down at Finn and Jaxon, her expression hardening with resolve. "I don't know about you two, but I have no intentions of leaving Aiden in this world alone."
Her words were fierce and filled with a quiet determination that neither Finn nor Jaxon had seen from her in a long time.
Ahe turned to leave, her boots clacking against the ground as she made her way back toward the academy's main building.
Finn's voice called after her. "Where are you going?"
"The library," she called back over her shoulder, not bothering to slow her pace. "Isn't that where Aiden gets all his weird ideas from?"
Finn and Jaxon exchanged a look, one part exasperation and one part admiration, before they both broke into chuckles.
It was just like Mira to take action when the rest of them were still lost in their thoughts. But as the laughter died down, the truth of the situation weighed heavily on them once more.
"She's right, you know," Finn said, his voice unusually serious as he stared at the ground. "We can't just leave this all on Aiden. We've got to be ready too."
Jaxon nodded in agreement, his eyes fixed on the distant horizon, where the stars were barely visible through the gathering clouds. "Yeah. We've got to be ready. All of us."
…
Inspection. Intervention and Manifestation.
These were the three fundamental principles by which magic functions.
Mana sensitivity played a role in the Inspection process since one has to first come in contact with Mana in order to begin the Inspection process.
Inspection is the process of examining and understanding the nature and structure of magical elements or phenomena.
It involves perceiving the magical properties, its flow, and how it interacts with the environment or other magical entities.
Intervention is the ability to directly alter or influence magical elements or phenomena based on one's understanding gained from Inspection. It's the act of manipulating or controlling magic to achieve a specific effect or outcome.
Manifestation is the process of bringing magical energy or concepts into a tangible form or effect. It's about actualizing one's intentions or commands into reality through magic.
In summary, these concepts form a cycle in magic: Inspection to understand, Intervention to alter or influence, and Manifestation to create or realize.
This framework allows Mages to effectively utilize and control magic.
The faster one is in going through this process, the more advantageous they'd be in a fight.
"This is weird." Aiden muttered to himself after reading through this particular part of 'Magic for beginners'.
Magic could be performed through a variety of ways.
From chanting incantations, weaving of handsigns and gestures, drawing of magical symbols, rituals, focus objects, written magic, Mental visualization, symbolic magic, alchemy and many more.
Despite all this, there was no Truly Right way to use magic.
There was only the way most suited for you.
Upon entering the Magic Tower, Aiden had been told that most Humans were born with a single Elemental affinity, some weren't but were gifted with magic sensitivity regardless.
He was taught that as a Wind and Light mage, it would be monumentally hard for him to Intervene in the mana of other elements not to mention manifesting them.
Six years since he was admitted into the tower, he'd found it hard to do that, however just as he went through the near death experience courtesy of his Force…he could manifest whatever Element he Willed.
To any other Mage, this would be a cause for celebration, but to Aiden, it was a curious unknown. Hence his decision to retrace his steps in the Tower's Library.
Just as he was lost in thoughts, he felt a hand land on his shoulder, causing him to jump in fright. "Wha- Mira? What are you doing here?"
It was a rule not to use any form of magic in the Library no matter your status. This was because the library was akin to a holy place to the Magic Tower.
Centuries of knowledge of the Arcane Arts were here and any form of action that could be deemed dangerous to the books, scrolls and tomes were strictly forbidden.
In this same vein, no form of attack could be perpetrated within the Library due to the many safeguarding runes and symbolic magics engraved throughout the place.
"That's what I should be asking you. What are you doing here just after what you went through?" Mira asked with a frown with her hands crossed across her chest.
Looking at the frowning red head in front of him, Aiden couldn't help but smile affectionately. "You don't have to worry about that. I have a super regeneration factor. See…" saying that, he brought out a dagger from his cloak and cut himself on the palm much to Mira's horror.
But just as she was about to rebuke him, she bore witness to an incredulous sight of his skin seemingly stitching itself back, and in less than two seconds, his palm was healed. "You…how?"
With a proud smile, Aiden winked at her and said. "I..am a genius."
***
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