The study smelled of parchment and candle wax, the air heavy with the weight of knowledge. Kael sat at the low desk, chalk in hand, his legs dangling above the floor. Across from him, Elira straightened her robes, her expression a careful balance of pride and nervousness. She was young for a tutor, barely past her own apprenticeship, but she had been entrusted with the heir of House Duskveil.
"Today," she began, her voice steady, "we will speak of the path of magic. You have already touched mana, Kael. You have felt it, shaped it, even coaxed it into flame. But you must understand the structure behind it, or your gift will consume you."
Kael nodded, his face the picture of obedience. "Yes, Teacher."
Inside, his thoughts stirred. Consume me? No. I have already seen the inefficiencies, the wasted flows. Magic is not mystery. It is logic. And logic can be rewritten.
Elira drew a circle on the slate, then nine small marks radiating outward. "There are nine great ranks of mages, each divided into nine steps. The first is Awakening Mage. At this stage, you sense mana for the first time, like a spark in the dark. From Flicker to Stable Core, each step strengthens your awareness."
Kael's eyes narrowed slightly. Flicker, Spark, Kindling… a ladder of micro‑steps. Just like levels in a system. They think of it as mystical, but it is simply calibration.
Elira continued, "After Awakening comes the Initiate Mage. Then Apprentice Mage, Scholar Mage, Adept Mage, Master Mage, Archmage, Transcendent Mage, and finally the Mythic Mage. Each rank has nine steps. Most never rise beyond Apprentice. Archmages are legends. Transcendents are myths. And Mythic Mages… they are the stories kingdoms are built upon."
She paused, letting the words settle. "You, Kael, are currently at Awakening Mage – Step 5: Steady Ember. You can sense mana clearly and coax it into form, but you are still learning to guide it."
Kael tilted his head, his voice soft. "So… Awakening is the start. Like… the first spark?"
"Yes," Elira said, smiling. "The first spark on a long path. Most children your age cannot even light a candle. You are already ahead."
Kael lowered his gaze, feigning shyness. "I only try."
Inside, he thought, Awakening, Initiate, Apprentice… nine ranks, each with nine steps. Eighty‑one in total. A neat system, but rigid. They see it as a staircase. I see it as a circuit board. And circuits can be optimized.
Elira leaned forward. "Now, let us practice. Show me Ignite again. Slowly, carefully. Do not rush."
Kael nodded. He traced the rune in the air, his small fingers moving deliberately. He whispered the word, and a flame flickered above his palm. It sputtered, wavered, then steadied. He let it burn for a few seconds before extinguishing it.
"Good," Elira said warmly. "Very good. You see? With practice, it becomes easier. That is the mark of an Initiate Mage—you are beginning to guide mana, not just feel it."
Kael smiled faintly. "Yes, Teacher."
But when she turned to fetch another scroll, his eyes sharpened. Easier, yes. But still wasteful. Three lines, one circle, one word. Too many steps. If I remove one line, shorten another, compress the flow…
He redrew the rune on his slate, erasing one of the radiating lines. He whispered the word again, softer this time. The flame leapt to life instantly, faster than before, steady and bright. His heart quickened, not with fear, but with exhilaration. Yes. Fewer instructions, faster execution. Just like optimizing code. The result is the same, but the process is leaner.
He extinguished it quickly as Elira returned. She glanced at him, then at the dark candle, and smiled. "You are practicing even when I turn my back. That is good discipline."
Kael lowered his eyes. "I want to learn."
Inside, he whispered to himself, I want to rewrite.
The lesson continued. Elira explained the theory of mana channels, how the body was like a vessel, how overuse could cause backlash. She spoke of breathing exercises, of meditation, of patience. Kael listened politely, nodding at the right moments, but his mind was elsewhere. Channels are circuits. Mana is current. Overuse is overload. Backlash is short‑circuit. They speak of it as mystery, but it is engineering. If I can map the flows, I can prevent overload. If I can optimize the circuits, I can increase capacity without waiting for years of cultivation.
"Kael," Elira said, drawing his attention back. "Do you understand?"
"Yes, Teacher," he replied softly.
"Then show me again. Ignite. But this time, focus on speed. Do not worry if it fails. Just try."
Kael nodded. He traced the rune, but this time he used his optimized version. His fingers moved quickly, his whisper barely audible. The flame burst into life almost instantly, faster than Elira's own demonstration.
Her eyes widened. "That… that was very quick."
Kael blinked innocently. "Was it wrong?"
"No," she said slowly, her voice uncertain. "Not wrong. Just… unusual. Most Awakening Mages at Step 5 struggle to even form the rune. You… simplified it somehow."
Kael tilted his head, feigning confusion. "I just… drew it smaller."
Elira studied him for a long moment, then smiled, though her eyes still held a trace of unease. "Perhaps you have a natural instinct. But remember, Kael—magic is not a race. Speed without control is dangerous."
"Yes, Teacher," he said obediently.
But inside, his thoughts burned. Speed is everything. In battle, in politics, in business. The one who acts faster wins. If I can cast in half the time, I hold the advantage. And if I can refine every spell this way… then I will not just follow their path. I will build my own.
That evening, at supper, his father asked, "What did you learn today?"
Kael hesitated, then said softly, "Teacher showed me the ranks. From Awakening to Mythic. She said I am at Awakening Mage – Step 5: Steady Ember. But… I lit the flame faster than before."
Lord Duskveil grunted approvingly. "Every fire begins with a spark. Feed it well, and it will grow."
His mother's eyes lingered on him. "And what else?"
Kael lowered his gaze. "I think… I made it too fast."
His father chuckled. "Good. In battle, speed is life."
His mother's lips curved faintly, but her eyes were sharp. "But speed without wisdom is folly. Remember that, Kael."
"Yes, Mother," he said.
Inside, he thought, Wisdom is knowing when to hide your speed. Let them think you are only a step ahead, not ten.
That night, alone in his chamber, Kael practiced again. He drew the rune, erased it, redrew it, each time shorter, sharper, faster. He whispered the word, and the flame leapt to life instantly, steady and bright. He timed himself, counting heartbeats. One. Two. Three. Then he refined again, until the flame appeared in less than a heartbeat.
He whispered to himself, "Faster. Always faster. If I can reduce the steps, I can reduce the time. If I can reduce the time, I can outpace them all."
He extinguished the flame and lay back on his bed, staring at the faint glow of the wards on the ceiling. To anyone else, they were protection. To him, they were blueprints. He traced invisible diagrams in the air, circuits of mana woven into machines, spells layered like gears in a clock. He imagined a future where every spell was optimized, every circuit perfected, every inefficiency erased.
He whispered into the darkness, "I was an engineer once. Now I will be an engineer of magic. And when the time comes, no one will be able to match me."
The wards pulsed faintly, like a heartbeat, as if the world itself was listening.
And so, at six years old, Kael Duskveil achieved his first true breakthrough: though officially still an Awakening Mage – Step 5, he had secretly advanced to the efficiency of Awakening Mage – Step 7, by simplifying the Ignite rune into a faster, leaner form.