The classroom fell silent as the instructor entered, a man in his early thirties with sharp features and silver-rimmed glasses that caught the light. He moved with the easy confidence of someone who had spent years commanding attention.
"Welcome," he said, his voice smooth but carrying an undercurrent of authority. "I am Hugo, your instructor in the arcane arts. Today, we begin with the foundation of all magic: Mana Theory."
He didn't bother with pleasantries. With a flick of his wrist, a three-dimensional diagram of swirling energy materialized above his desk, rotating slowly for all to see.
"Mana is not merely a resource. It is the tapestry that binds reality itself," Hugo began, his gaze sweeping across the room. "It exists in all things, living, dead, and even inanimate. The air you breathe, the stone beneath your feet, the blood in your veins, all of it contains mana."
He paused, letting the weight of that settle.
"As mages, we do not create mana. We shape what already exists. There are two primary sources: internal and external."
"External mana is drawn from your surroundings," Hugo explained. "A forest teems with life-energy, ripe for manipulation. A desert, though sparse, still holds traces in its sands and scorching winds. The key is resonance, aligning your will with the environment's natural flow."
He conjured a small flame above his palm, then snuffed it out.
"Say you wish to cast a fire spell in a frozen tundra. Attempting to draw heat from your surroundings would be futile. In such cases, external mana is inefficient. But if you sought to manipulate ice? The very air becomes your weapon."
"Internal mana is your birthright," Hugo continued, tapping his chest. "It is the energy of your soul, cultivated through practice and discipline. Unlike external mana, it is not bound by environment. You can summon fire in a blizzard or lightning in a cavern, if you're willing to pay the cost."
A murmur ran through the class. Hugo's lips quirked.
"Ah, yes. The cost."
"Internal mana is finite. Exhaust it, and you risk more than just failed spells," he warned. "Your body relies on mana to function. Your muscles, your nerves, even your thoughts are suffused with it. Drain yourself completely, and you will collapse, unconscious, paralyzed, or worse."
He leaned forward, his tone grave.
"However, the body is not so cruel as to leave you entirely defenseless. Even when your reserves are depleted, a small amount remains, emergency sustenance, if you will. Use it, and you may survive a dire situation. But abuse it?"
A shadow crossed his face.
"Cast a complex spell with that last dreg of mana, and your heart may stop. Your lungs may forget to breathe. I have seen mages wither to husks before my eyes, their souls extinguished by their own desperation."
The room was deathly quiet. Even the most restless students had gone still.
Eris listened, unimpressed. All of this was child's play to her, basic tenets she had mastered millennia ago. Still, she had to admit Hugo was a competent teacher. Clear, concise, and with just enough theatrics to keep the students engaged.
When he opened the floor for questions, she raised her hand.
Hugo's eyes flicked to her. "Yes?"
"Where does internal mana come from?"
A few students groaned, as if the answer were obvious. But Hugo didn't dismiss it.
"The soul," he replied. "It is the core of your being, the wellspring of your power. Every entity, living or otherwise, has one. Without a soul, there is no existence, no mana."
Eris tilted her head. "And where do souls come from?"
The groans turned into stifled laughter. Hugo, however, grew still.
"That," he said carefully, "is a question that has haunted scholars for centuries. Some believe they are gifts from the divine. Others argue they are natural phenomena, coalescing like mist over a lake. The truth? We do not know."
Eris smirked internally.
So that's as far as the knowledge of this era goes, huh, Eris thought. After all, she was very familiar with souls and where they come from.
After some more minutes, the lesson ended. Hugo closed his book with a decisive thud.
"Enough theory. Proceed to the lobby. Your admission test awaits."
A nervous energy filled the room. The boy with the crystal orb fumbled it again, cursing under his breath.
"Pass, and you remain at Valandias," Hugo said. "Fail, and you will be escorted beyond the gates. Permanently."
As the students hurried out, Eris lingered, watching Hugo. There was something in his posture, a tension in his shoulders, a stiffness in his jaw.
He doesn't agree with this, she realized. The test isn't his idea.
The Imperium's hand was at work here.
She followed the others, already calculating what lay ahead.