Mr. Kenyon walked to the front of the css and started writing as he spoke. “The basis of magic is mana. Mana exists in everything, and mages store magic in their body to use. For a mage to access mana, they must first absorb and condense it into a runic circle around the heart.” He drew a diagram of a human with three circles around their heart before drawing a line to a Sigel with writing in a nguage I didn’t know. I assumed they were Lostonian Runes. The widely accepted written nguage of magic. “What must acolytes have to form the first circle, Jal?” He pointed at me. Not giving me time to speak, he continued. “You don’t know? Well, that’s expected. Princess Selena?”

  “The first circle needs a sufficient amount of mana, a starter potion, and a pre-inscribed runic circle. The mage channels mana into the body using their meditation technique. That technique is from a meditation manual usually provided by the acolytes' family or school; acolytes purchase the starter potion and runic circle but must make sure it is from a reputable source.” She pulled out a swirling silver liquid from her bag. “All three can be general or element-specific. A mage will progress faster with higher quality and specialized manuals, potions, and runic circles.”

  A tugging sensation at my navel tried to pull me across the room and towards the potion. I could feel the chill from across the room. My blood was frozen or sluggish in my veins. It was almost painful, with an itching sensation. I rubbed my arms, crossing my legs to stay seated.

  Dual ice and water root, the words from the system, popped into my mind.

  That can't be. It's your imagination! The system made it clear you could practice martial arts. That's why your body is reacting.

  Hope was such a terrible thing. I tamped it down, paying attention to what they said even when they targeted my sore spots, stabbing at them with their words.

  “Good. The elements are earth, fire, wind, water, and spirit. From this, many combinations exist, like the potion in your hand. Ice is a derivative of water. The Amber Family is known to produce ice mages. What determines your element, Princess Tracy?”

  “A person's Mana Source determines their element. The fewer elements a person is attuned to, the better. For instance, Selena has a single Mana Source of the Ice element, whereas I have a double source of Ice and Earth. Almost everyone has a Mana Source, with only one in a hundred thousand being born without.” Tracy looked at me from the corner of her eye before bowing her head. “Those with low magical talent have three or more Mana Sources. They usually remain acolytes instead of forming circles.”

  “What do your Mana Source and magic affinity determine?” He leaned against his desk, arm crossed over his chest.

  Both of them raised their hands.

  “Princess Selena?”

  “It determines the type of mana you can store in your body and the strength of the spells you can cast. I used a frost meditation manual, a gcier starter potion, and a bck ice runic circle. I can learn any ice-based spell, and the power when casting them is ten times stronger. As a downside, it is almost impossible for me to cast fire-based spells.”

  I shrunk lower in my seat. I couldn’t remember if I’d heard about Mana Source before, but I knew about Magic Circles. There were a million questions in my mind. I raised my hand, ignoring the look the teacher was giving me.

  “Speak.”

  “What about acolytes? How can they use magic if they don’t have a runic circle?”

  He looked at me, assessing whether to answer my question or not. He gnced at me in pity, checked in with Selena, and only spoke when she nodded. “It is a question of scale. Magic spells range from level 0 to level 12, coinciding with the number of circles. Level 0 consists of basic spells, such as clean, heat, or dry. Mages don’t consider them to be ‘true’ spells, since they use half internal and half external mana to create an effect the caster has little control over. Level 0 spells also have a high chance of failing. From Level 1 up, the mage casts with only their internal magic.”

  “That’s why acolytes can make potions,” I said, happy he'd answered when I thought he wouldn't.

  “Yes, but please refrain from speaking out of turn. If you must say something, raise your hand and wait to be acknowledged.”

  It was a win that he answered my question and wasn't as difficult as I thought he'd be, but the whole thing was odd. Selena was fifteen. She wasn't that important, and I wasn't saying that because I was bitter.

  I didn't know how special having a single ice root was, but I'd heard the crown prince say Selena inherited her father's talent, which meant the Duke also had a single ice root. Rare but not unheard of.

  Everything in the castle revolved around her, showing how her parents loved and spoiled her. I felt the same and hated her for it. But now I realized there was a certain group whose devotion and dedication were different, like they were watching her in expectation.

  I scrutinized the teacher, but couldn't figure it out. I added it to the growing pile of things I needed to do or think about, but probably wouldn't get around to. At least this css was passable compared to the others I'd endured.

  Yeah. Mr. Kenyon was cute compared to that old foggy in the capital. That old ghost forced me to attend his practical lessons while banning me from his theoretical csses.

  Not that I would have gone, given the chance. I rarely left my room unless on my scheduled walks, and, given the choice, I wouldn't have gone on those.

  Those nasty creatures who people considered children would toss fire and lightning at me, saying they were practicing, bringing potions when I was close to dying from my injuries.

  They were nasty, like their father and all their mothers, especially that 'Empress' he eventually married. Anyone that man liked had a rot in their soul that made them cruel. He didn't marry them otherwise. The soft ones were his favorite, but he got bored of them quickly or pyed with them too hard and they ended up broken.

  Two faces started to melt together, and I did a double take looking at Tracy. They looked alike. At first, I thought the Crown Prince chose that prostitute as a substitute for Selena, but could he have liked Tracy?

  Or was there no one who looked like Selena and he had to settle?

  The more I looked at Tracy, the more her features overpped with the features of that nameless ‘Empress’ who ran when she saw me, but always sent people to torment me. They didn't look the same, more like a distant cousin, but she was familiar.

  I shook my head, dismissing the thought. There was no way the Duke’s treasured daughter would be a prostitute picked up from the capital’s back alley. She wasn't treated like Selena, but Tracy had office time with the Duke and tea time with the Duchess.

  I jerked as something hit me in the head. I looked down, seeing a piece of chalk in my p. Looking around, the three people in the room were staring at me.

  “Can I have this esteemed young miss’ attention?”

  Mr. Kenyon didn't care if I was listening. I felt my cheeks burn. Control and flexibility, I chanted to myself. “Sorry.”

  “The type/csses of magic include:

  1.1Abjuration - Protective spells and spells to suppress the magic of others1.2 Conjuration - Calls materials, creatures, or energy to the mage

  1.3 Divination - Spells used to gain knowledge or insight into the future

  1.4 Enchantment - Spells that hypnotize or confound, usually by affecting the mind and senses

  1.5 Evocation - Damage spells

  1.6 Illusion - Altering and bending space, allowing the caster to alter the reality of the viewer

  1.7 Necromancy - Spells involving life, death, and the soul. Often involves working with corpses.

  1.8 Transmutation - Spells that alter form or function.

  2.0 Spell crafting - Creation of spells reting to the categories above3.0 Smithing 3.1 Runesmith - Carving runes onto objects to imbue them with attributes or functions

  3.2 Wordsmith - Using words in a scroll or text to create a spell

  3.3 Tunesmith - Imbuing music with magical properties. Most often associated with enchantments or illusions.

  4.0 Enchanting - Adding effects or functions to an object using a spell5.0 Magi crafting - Creating items that can withstand runesmithing or enchanting. 5.1 Weaponsmith - Creation of weapons

  5.2 Mechsmith - Creation of auxiliary items

  6.0 Alchemy - The practice of changing a chemical element from one form to another with an added magical effect7.0 Potions - A liquid that has magical properties most often associated with healing or poison but has various uses"7.1 Herbalism - Using the magical properties of pnts to create an effect, usually a paste

  I took out a paper and started writing everything down. That earned me weird looks, but they left me to my own devices. I continued even though I felt a bit silly, and the weight of their stares made me want to stop.

  Professor Kenyon pulled out a gss orb mounted on a gold frame with twelve rotating rings. I didn’t see where he took it from and assumed he had a storage item. “That covers the basics. Since we are here and I have a Mana Testing device, why don’t we test everyone's attributes.” He looked at me when he said it.

  I stopped, nails digging into my palms.

  Because of how often I did that, I would soon have scars. I took back every nice thing I thought about Mr. Kenyon. The grandpa in the capital didn’t treat me as human but kept his attacks physical. Mr. Kenyon was well-versed in psychological attacks.

  “Princess Tracy…”

  Tracy walked to the front, her posture perfect but cking in some way that I couldn't identify but knew was there. She pressed her hand to the gss and seconds ter, brown and silver tendrils swirled in the orb. When she lifted her hand, one golden ring orbited the sphere while the others stayed still.

  “1st Circle Mage with Ice and Earth affinity.”

  It was only for a moment, but I saw Tracy gre at the orb, her fingers curling, before she looked resigned, put a smile on her face, and returned to her seat. It stuck with me, different from her usual timid behavior. I checked to see if Selena noticed, but she was writing in her book.

  “Princess Selena…” There was pride in his voice as he called her name. His head tilted back, and he watched her as an artist might gaze at his favorite painting. Then his head fell forward, and he returned to being subservient and ingratiating.

  Selena glided to the front of the room, hands daintily crossed in front of her, back straight, and chin high. Royal, regal, everything I wasn't. Her hand touched the gss, causing a bright light that had me closing my eyes and lifting my hand to shield my face.

  When the light dimmed, I looked. In the orb was a glowing silver mist with two golden circles moving and a third jerking in pce.

  “2nd Circle Mage with Ice affinity, about to advance to 3rd Circle. A true talent. I find it hard to believe you're fifteen.” Now he sounded scared. But he looked at her with even more fervor.

  Mr. Kenyon often peeked at Selena's expression. Was he doing this to make her happy? Not that it changed anything.

  I resigned myself to what was going to happen next.

  “Jal, you next.”

  I didn’t move.

  He smiled, something sharp and toothy. “If you don’t test your affinity, I won’t let you attend subsequent lessons.”

  Someone told him to do this. It was pnned from the start, and it didn't take a genius to figure out by who.

  Did it matter?

  I let out a heavy breath. Insidious and cruel. These were all lessons I should observe and remember, if not to pay them back for what they’d done, at least to be able to use it on others.

  My gaze fell on the instrument. It looked nothing like the stone sb I’d pressed my hand to as a child. However, my apprehension was the same. I knew the results, but as I stood and walked to the front, I would be lying if I said I didn’t have any expectations.

  Dual ice and water root.

  I pressed my hand on the orb and the rings stopped spinning.

  The tugging sensation at my navel returned, and my skin heated where my pendant rested against my skin.

  Minutes passed, and nothing happened. I lifted my hands, and the rings resumed their orbit, calm and orderly, ignorant of the turmoil they caused.

  “As expected.”