Twenty minutes later, Robert arrived at Axille and transformed back into his normal form outside the large black gates of Solar Springs High School. He adjusted his tie and smoothed out his shirt before pushing the the gates open.
Robert's entrance was met with a thunderous voice that made him flinch. He instantly recognized the gruff tone - Reece, the school's gatekeeper, infamous for his ear-shattering vocal cords and perpetual dual cigarettes, which now dangled from his lips as he roared. "Hey, boy! What's the story with the police?"
"I'll explain later," Robert muttered as he darted past Reece towards the classroom block. He couldn't wait to tell Dora all about...
"Tell her about what?" Poison asked insinuatingly.
"Nothing," he blurted, immediately realising that he wasn't supposed to talk about anything that had happened. It was a shame; Dora's reaction would have been priceless.
The rest of the day passed by quickly. His classmates, including Tom and Zarie, bombarded him with questions as soon as he stepped into the 11th grade art class. Later, Dora dropped by his class and pelted him with queries about the police officers, but luckily, Poison was there to give him suggestions for some juicy lies. Jackson was still looking menacing, Oliver avoided making eye contact with him entirely, and Vanessa had decided to keep her distance after what had happened that night a few weeks ago. At least Jackson had been smart enough not to start a rumour about what had happened, or else Dora might have added to the list of problems Robert had to deal with.
Night fell, and after a long, boring prep, Robert wearily made his way towards the hostel, looking forward to a good night's rest... Wait a minute!
"Hey, where are you going?" Poison's voice rang out in his mind.
"I'm heading to the hostel to sleep," he mumbled drowsily.
"Aren't you supposed to find a spot for me to teach you how to use magic?" Poison asked, sounding a bit stupefied.
"Magic... oh right, I almost forgot," Robert said, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "Behind the laboratory."
Poison released a faint chuckle. "As expected."
Robert quickly made his way to the back of the lab, skillfully navigating through the short bushes. After ensuring that he was alone, he settled down on the grass to begin the lesson.
The area behind the laboratory building was covered in tall weeds, tall enough to reach a person's shoulders. Robert felt safe knowing that he would be hidden from view and that he didn't need to fear snakes or other nocturnal critters bothering him, thanks to Poison's rapid regeneration ability.
A minute of silence passed. Then, Poison's calm voice resonated in Robert's mind. "Now that your magic energy is fully integrated with your soul, it's time to start the next phase of your training." His voice was smooth and soothing, as if he was trying to hypnotize someone. "Close your eyes and relax. Take a deep breath, and exhale slowly."
"Experience inner peace, for the time has arrived for you to officially commence your journey as a genuine wizard," Poison declared, and Robert complied. "Do you feel it now? That new sensation, the feeling of inhaling purified air after being suffocated? What you're sensing is raw magic energy. Embrace that sensation, absorb the magical purity, and become one with it..."
The night bore a cold, humid stillness beneath a starless sky, with a lonely half moon, and a vibrant full moon hanging in the air. Yet upon closer inspection, a young boy sat in the bushes with his eyes closed. Glowing white particles of magic energy swirled around him, gradually permeating every part of his body. It was a marvelous sight.
Robert felt a rush of calm energy filling him, washing away his anxiety and leaving him with a sense of euphoria and clarity. It was as if his consciousness had expanded, granting him the ability to accomplish things that were once beyond his reach and perceive things that he had never noticed before. He had never felt such peace, such satisfaction. It was unlike anything he had ever experienced.
After twenty minutes of meditation and absorbing magic energy, Poison continued with a calm and soothing voice, "You should now be filled with raw and pure magic energy. The first lesson of learning to accumulate magic energy, which is as omnipresent as the air we breathe, is over and your body has automatically stored it. Now, onto the next lesson: releasing your magic energy."
Robert listened attentively.
"Now stand up," Poison instructed, and Robert stood to his feet. "I need you to concentrate and gather a substantial amount of your magic energy in front of you. Your magic energy is already purple because it's been branded by the element which you're attuned to - Lightning. Now, for the final step—casting a spell. Just as I taught you in the hospital, keep your eyes open, visualize the spell you want to cast, envision its desired effect, and will it to happen."
"Okay," Robert said, a smile tugging at his lips. He closed his eyes and focused his mind on imagining Mr. Williams getting lashed with a lightning whip, causing Poison to laugh hysterically. However, nothing happened. The purple magical energy continued to swirl in front of him harmlessly.
"I forgot to mention that the amount of magic energy you release should match the spell you want to cast." Poison pointed out, "If you release an inadequate amount for a complex spell, you'll waste your energy. For instance, you can't expect this small amount of magic energy to form a Mystic spell. Additionally, the amount of magic energy you can gather depends on your own level. As far as Common Lightning spells go, there's only one I remember—Lightning strike. So, concentrate and will your magic energy to form a long lightning bolt and throw it at that tree."
"Alright," Robert replied, and he gave a wave of his hand, imagining what Poison had said. To his amazement, a long and thin lightning bolt crackling with energy appeared in his hand. Feeling ecstatic, he threw his hand forward, and the lightning bolt shot out and struck a nearby tree branch, breaking it.
"Not bad for a first try," Poison commended with a hint of admiration. "But I think you'll improve much faster if you put in more time and effort into meditation, and gain some real-world experience. There are many more spells to learn within each realm, so your Lightning strike is just the beginning. As you progress, you'll be able to use it for much more than snapping a tree branch. And in time, you'll advance to become a Mystic wizard. Just make sure to meditate regularly and gain experience through practice, okay?"
Robert nodded enthusiastically. "Alright, just teach me one more spell and then I'll head back to the hostel," he requested.
"Now, son, that's the job of your teacher at Heiss Magic School," Poison replied, gently but firmly. "when you get to the school tomorrow, they'll teach you everything you need to know, including new spells."
"Please, just one more spell," Robert begged, giving Poison his best puppy-dog eyes... 'I forgot, he's inside my head.'
"Fine, fine," Poison eventually agreed, "but just this once. It's called thunderbolt, and you need to be at least a 5th rank Common wizard to have any real effect. But still, picture a dark thundercloud above the tree and then will lightning to come from the cloud and blast the tree."
"Alright," he followed Poison's instructions, and a small patch of dark cloud, about the size of a pillow, formed above the tree. A tiny spark of electricity jolted out of it and zapped a leaf off.
"See?" Poison said encouragingly, "You're showing promise with the spell, but to truly make a notable impact, you'd need to reach at least the 5th rank as a Common wizard. The point is, the more powerful you become, the stronger your spells will be."
"Fine," Robert said, a note of resignation in his voice. "I'll just practice the Lightning strike one more time." With his eyes open, he tried to recreate the image of the long, thin lightning bolt. As he concentrated, he could see the image of the long and thin bolt of lightning becoming clearer in his mind. When he was able to focus on it completely, the bolt condensed in his palm. With a thrust of his arm, he sent the lightning bolt shooting toward the tree.
"Hey! Who's there?!" Recce's voice suddenly pierced the tranquil night air as the spell snapped another branch. Robert's muscles stiffened as he detected the unmistakable sound of approaching footsteps. His senses snapped into high alert, heightened by the rapid clomping of heavy boots heading straight for the laboratory building. A surge of adrenaline accompanied the sobering realization: the school's armed security guards were on the scene.
"Robert," Poison's forced serenity barely concealed the alarm beneath, "for the love of all things magical, get out of here!"
Robert's flashed a nonchalant grin. "C'mon, that would be too easy," he said, slowly raising his hands. Then, to Poison's astonishment, a swirling storm of brown dust erupted around him, engulfing the area and obscuring the guards' view.
"How and when did you learn to use my magic like that?!" Poison's astonished voice resonated within Robert's mind, amidst the cacophony of swirling sand.
"No idea, just winging it!" Robert replied, his voice carried away by the wind. He burst into a blur of sand and hurtled away from the area. Within seconds, Robert arrived at the boys' hostel and silently slipped in through a window, blending seamlessly into the dorm's silent atmosphere and he transformed back into his normal form.
Robert felt a strange disorienting sensation as he staggered towards his bed, his legs wobbly and his vision blurring. "I feel drained, Poison. Why do I feel drained?" he murmured, collapsing onto his bed in the dark, silent but snore-filled dormitory.
"That's because you've used up most of your magic energy, kid. It's called magic exhaustion," Poison explained. "But don't worry, it'll recover if you rest."
Robert breathed a weary "Alright," his voice lost in the chorus of snores. Within moments, he fell asleep.
In a dream, he saw chaos and destruction, but he felt strangely calm and composed. Suddenly, there was a flash of blue light and a voice that said, "I will come again." When he woke up the next morning, he couldn't quite remember the dream. All that remained was a lingering sense of peace.
The next day went by quickly, and two hours after noon, following three grueling exams, the bell rang, signaling the end of classes for the day. The students rushed out of their classrooms and headed to the dining hall for lunch, and afterwards, they'd head back to their hostels.
Grade 11 art class was emptying out slowly as students filed out. Robert, on the other hand, remained in the classroom and took a seat at the back to have a chat with Poison.
"Poison," he whispered discreetly, "I think I should head to Heiss Magic School now. I can't wait until later in the evening, what do you say?" He was eager to return to the magic school for obvious reasons.
"It's up to you, buddy," Poison replied, seeing no reason to stop him.
Robert immediately noticed a figure walking towards him. When he looked up, his eyes recognized Vanessa's stunning appearance.
"Oh jeez, not her again," Poison grumbled, sounding like he was rolling his eyes.
"Hey, Vanessa," Robert greeted her with a charming smile.
"You know, smiling like that will only make me like you more," she teased.
His smile disappeared immediately.
"I just came to ask you about Oliver," she said. "Have you figured out anything?"
"Oh, that," Robert said, feeling caught off guard. "Well, um, I'll do that, this evening, I promise."
"Hmm," she said, raising an eyebrow. "Just make sure you don't forget. I feel like someone has been following me around lately." She turned and left. Robert watched her go, and couldn't help but notice the way her hips swayed as she walked.
Poison immediately called back his attention. "Ahem, aren't you supposed to be heading out?"
"Oh, right," Robert shook his head, tearing his gaze away from her.
"Look, I have a feeling Xolomon is up to something," Poison said, his voice full of concern, "Who knows what he wants with her."
"We'll deal with that later," Robert replied. After the rest of the students had filed out of the classroom, he transformed into a cloud of fine sand and whisked himself to the outskirts of Prixeo, where Heiss Magic School was located.