Stars of Destiny

As he envisioned the majesty of the sea, he felt his understanding of the water element gradually refine. The vision of the ocean seemed to instill in him a newfound strength and clarity. Phaistos felt every wave, every current, and every marine creature as an integral part of his being. This deep connection allowed him to better comprehend the very essence of the water element: fluidity, adaptability, and the capacity to nourish life.

Phaistos opened his eyes and noticed that the water around him seemed to shimmer more intensely. He knew he had reached an important milestone in mastering water magic. Nevertheless, he could no longer connect to the water source. He realized that he had exhausted his cultivation time within this room. Slowly, he stood up and headed toward the exit, determined to share his newfound knowledge with his friends and to use his skills to enrich the discussions they had with his comrades.

"I wonder how they manage to inhibit my connection with the surrounding water," thought Phaistos with a certain fear. Indeed, despite not understanding how they were able to do it, he felt that they could deprive him of his magical abilities with a snap of their fingers.

"I'll need to find a way to ask one of the teachers about this," he thought.

As he walked through the corridors, he heard someone speaking in one of the rooms. He stopped and discreetly approached the slightly open door. Inside, he saw a group of apprentices gathered around a teacher who seemed to be explaining a complex spell.

"And that is how a basic spell like [Water Bubble] can help you learn a more advanced spell like [Water Sphere]," said the teacher in a clear and authoritative voice. "It requires great mastery and a thorough understanding of the basic spell. Remember that the journey to becoming a mage takes one step at a time. It is better to consolidate each step rather than build on unstable foundations."

Phaistos listened attentively, absorbing every word of the teacher. Patience and meticulousness in learning spells seemed essential to fully mastering magic. As he pondered the meaning of the teacher's words, the latter turned his head.

"Young man, as a student in our hall, you have the right to participate in all available courses in our hall," he said in a soft voice that seemed to transcend the very space and appear distinctly in his ear, as if the teacher were right beside him.

Phaistos took a deep breath and entered the room, relieved to have been invited to join. He discreetly settled among the other apprentices, trying to catch up with the lesson.

"As I was saying, each spell has its own nuances and subtleties," the teacher resumed with a slight smile. "Today, we will deepen our understanding of the rank 2 spell [Water Sphere]. You will see that it is not only useful in combat but also for more refined applications."

Phaistos listened with renewed attention. He felt privileged to attend such an advanced lesson. While the teacher explained the precise gestures and incantations needed to master the spell, Phaistos tried to imagine the sensation of the water reacting to his commands.

Since he had entered the academy, it was the first time he felt he was truly learning magic. Indeed, apart from learning to communicate with his peers using the [magical language] spell, he had not had the opportunity to use magic.

"First of all, it is important to understand the primary use of this spell," the teacher continued. "Initially, this spell was designed as a spell to control your enemy by imprisoning them in a sphere of water. It was only later that other practical uses were found for it in everyday life. Based on that, who can tell me why the [Water Bubble] spell impacts the way we learn this spell?"

The apprentices remained silent for a moment, reflecting on the teacher's question. Finally, a young girl timidly raised her hand. "Is it because [Water Bubble] teaches us to manipulate water in a stable and controlled manner?" she asked.

He couldn't resist looking at the person who had answered and he saw a girl whose face would forever be etched in his memory.

The young girl who had timidly raised her hand had long, slightly wavy brown hair that framed her delicate face. Her eyes were a deep blue, reflecting a keen intelligence and natural curiosity. She had a fair complexion, slightly rosy on the cheeks, and wore a light blue dress that recalled the hues of water. Her stature was small but graceful, and her movements were imbued with softness and precision. Despite her apparent shyness, she exuded an aura of determination and willpower.

The teacher nodded: "Indeed, your answer is not complete, but it has the merit of having the right logic. It is true that [Water Bubble] allows young apprentices of the water path to condense their magical power into a stable form. You have surely all encountered the fact that sometimes the water bubble causes no damage. This is related to a lack of condensation in the magical power. However, your answer was not complete, because we must add that [Water Bubble] and [Water Sphere] share the same geometric structure. This allows us as young magicians to internalize mental processes."

Despite his enthusiasm for the young girl, Phaistos mentally noted this explanation. He now understood the importance of each step in learning magic. Every spell, no matter how basic, laid the necessary foundations for more advanced spells.

"Next, you need to be aware of the power of words. Indeed, you have noticed that all spells have a name. These names are not there by chance but are a gateway for you to imagine the spell. The more you understand a spell, the less you will have to pronounce the words. When you move on to rank 3 spells later, you will also have to deal with incantations that will be useful if you have poor spiritual control."

"Finally, you must always be aware of your environment to prevent another magician from disrupting your elemental control. To train for this, you have only one solution: you must fight." As he spoke these words, a wave of murderous intent quickly swept through the class. Although it disappeared as quickly as it had arrived, all the students broke into a cold sweat. It was as if death itself was standing before them.

The apprentices looked at each other with palpable nervousness. The teacher had brutally reminded them of the harsh reality of mastering magic: it was not just a question of power, but also of vigilance and control. By feeling so much murderous intent from the teachers, several students began to unconsciously form a disturbing premonition about the academy.

"Very well," resumed the teacher in a softer voice. "Now that you understand the importance of concentration and presence of mind, we will move on to practical exercises. You will train in pairs to test your ability to maintain the stability of your spells while being distracted."

"The purpose of this session is to try to form a basic understanding of your new spell." As the groups gradually formed, Phaistos found himself alone. He felt that the other students had already bonded, probably because they had arrived much earlier in the week.

By chance, he found himself paired with the girl who had previously answered the question. As he stood facing her, Phaistos realized that he did not even know her name. "Excuse me, I would like to know your name."

The young girl smiled timidly, her cheeks taking on a slightly pink hue. "My name is Naïs," she replied softly. "And you, what is your name?"

"My name is Phaistos. It's a pleasure to work with you," he replied.

"Likewise."

After that, they waited for the teacher's orders to start training together. The teacher finally gave them the instruction to begin. "First, focus on forming the [Water Bubble]. This will allow me to see which students here need more detailed explanations about this spell. The groups I validate will be able to start working on the [Water Sphere] spell."

They positioned themselves face to face and began practicing the [Water Bubble] spell. Phaistos concentrated his energy, forming a stable water bubble between his hands while remaining attentive to the teacher's instructions. Naïs did the same, her movements graceful and precise, reflecting her determination to do well.

At first glance, Naïs's magical power or control had to be much higher than his, as her [Water Bubble] was at least twice the size of his. According to the teacher's explanations, this could have been explained by her inability to effectively compress the water between her hands. But Phaistos knew at first glance that this could not be the case. The water was very well compressed; there was just too much of it.

Phaistos felt the excitement of meeting people stronger than himself. He hurried to ask Naïs, "Can we measure our two spells to see the difference between our strengths?"

Naïs was puzzled by this request, especially when she saw the difference between their two spells, but seeing Phaistos's eager expression, she didn't know how to refuse. "Of course, with an instructor with us, there shouldn't be a problem."

The teacher, who had heard Phaistos's request, approached them with a slight smile. "I see you are curious to measure your abilities. Very well, I will supervise this exercise. This will allow us to evaluate your respective strengths and see how you can improve."