"Water."
The instructor finally looked up, eyes scanning the floating thread of liquid, then the lingering traces of the smoke.
A short pause. Then a small, audible exhale. Not disappointment—more a resigned sort of understanding.
"I thought so," the instructor murmured. "You've been practicing into resistance. It fits, but… not cleanly."
The water flickered briefly in the student's palm before being dispersed.
"You'll be given tailored instruction," the instructor continued, voice level. "It's too late to fully restructure your mana circuit from the ground up—that foundation's already taken root. But we may be able to apply modular corrections. Ease some of the inner conflict between flow paths."
The student nodded slowly, uncertain. "Will that change anything?"
"It will make it harder to break yourself," the instructor said, dry but not unkind. "Which is generally preferable."
Then, with a curt gesture, they signaled to the assistant nearby. "Next."
