Decision

I didn't quite know how to respond to that proclamation. Was I supposed to be happy? Perhaps, yet what surfaced first was relief. My inability to save anyone in Hearthglen had left me feeling powerless, and my time since then made me realize that it gnawed at me more deeply than I'd understood.

Rowena suddenly left the window side and walked towards a satchel resting on the couch she'd been sitting on. The leather bag looked old and worn but cared for. I watched as she rummaged through it.

"Ah, here it is," she muttered more to herself than me.

She turned back towards me, holding a simple-looking ring. It was nothing more than a band of dull metal, marked with swirls and whorls that seemed to dance as the light hit them. Despite its simplicity, something about it caught my eye—it felt...real. More real than anything else in the room.

"Take it," she offered casually, holding the ring out in her palm.

I hesitated for a moment before reaching out. The moment my fingers brushed against the cool metal of the ring, a shiver ran through me as if I had touched something alive.

"What is this?" I managed to choke out.

Rowena's lips curved into a knowing smile as she sat back on the couch. "I'm surprised you're sensitive enough to feel it. Or maybe I shouldn't be given your aptitude. Regardless, that is an Arcane Foci. It is used as a training aid for Initiates of the Order, so they can get a sense for the aether."

Rowena then retrieved a candle from the satchel, however this time, it seemed to really be an ordinary object rather than a mage artefact. She placed it on the table in front of us, and with a flick of her finger, the wick ignited. It was nothing compared to what I'd seen Olvandir do, but even the simplest of magic was still so bizarre to witness.

She nudged the candle closer with a gentle push, its flame flickering in the still air between us. "Igniting a flame is hard for those just starting on their journey. But to snuff one out? That's simpler. Focus. Wear the ring on your forefinger. Point it at the flame as if you intend to extinguish it, with nothing but your will."

"Just remember," she continued, "The Foci is only a tool. It doesn't create magic—it only helps you get a feel for it. The real power comes from within you."

⋆✦⋆───────⋆✧⋆───────⋆✦⋆ 

The thought of wielding magic didn't frighten me. No, what made my heart pound, and my palms sweat was the possibility of failing. I had been helpless once before. That memory stung more than any wound, and I didn't want to experience that feeling again.

I glanced at the ring, then at Rowena. Her gaze was steady, her faith in me clear as day. And for some reason her confidence sparked something within me—a tiny flame of hope.

I couldn't change what had happened, but maybe I could prevent it from happening again. Perhaps I could protect others from experiencing the same heart-wrenching pain and loss that riddled me with scars and nightmares.

A resolve hardened within me then. My fear of failure paled in comparison to the possibility of making a difference. I would not let fear control me.

Without a second thought, I slid the ring onto my forefinger. The cool metal seemed to hum against my skin as I pointed at the candleflame.

Just have to blow on the candle… easy right?

Before I even had the chance to prepare myself to do whatever I had to, it vanished. But it wasn't just the flame that had been snuffed out. The room's temperature had plummeted in an instant, and I could see my breath puffing out in front of me like smoke.

The glow from the windows dimmed as if someone had drawn heavy curtains over them. The warmth that had filled the room moments before was now replaced by a chill. I could feel gooseflesh rising on my skin.

Wha… What happened?

Before I could even register the full extent of what I'd done, something shifted. It was like feeling a pressure change before a storm or sensing someone watching you from across a crowded room. I couldn't see or touch what was happening, but I knew—knew as certainly as I knew my own name—that something was pushing back against what I'd done.

Instinctively, or maybe out of fear of what might happen if I didn't, I let go.

Just as quickly as it had descended, the cold receded. The warmth returned with a suddenness that left me reeling. My breath no longer clouded in front of me and the light in the room brightened once more to its former glow.

I looked over at Rowena, half-expecting her to be angry. But she just sat there with her mouth slightly open and her eyes wide with surprise. For someone who seemed so confident most of the time, it was odd to see her taken aback. I didn't know whether to be proud of myself or scared.

Without a word, she waved her hand, and the ring left my finger. It levitated through the air, before settling into her outstretched palm. She held it up to her eyes, examining it closely before tucking it back into her satchel.

Rowena then turned back to me; her shock replaced by a wide smile that made her eyes crinkle at the corners. She nodded to herself, "Master Olvandir was definitely right," she breathed. "What you did was very impressive Noah, I hope you know that."

I felt a flush creep up my neck at her words. It wasn't often that I was praised—especially for something that didn't feel particularly difficult to do.

"You didn't just extinguish the flame," Rowena continued, leaning forward. "You altered the very nature of this space—lowered its temperature dramatically and quickly."

"And that's good, right?" I asked tentatively.

Rowena chuckled lightly at my question. "It's more than good—it's downright absurd," she assured me. "Most mages take several months to learn how to manipulate their surroundings on such a scale. You didn't even have a hitch."

I had just demonstrated a level of magic that most trained mages took months to master? That didn't seem right.

Rowena continued, her eyes alight with a peculiar fire. "But what's even more impressive, Noah, is that you held out for so long. Five seconds for one who's not yet an Initiate, that's record time."

My confusion must have been evident on my face because Rowena reined herself in, a neutral mask falling over her. I was beginning to guess that that was her mentor face.

"The arcane arts- or magic, is basically a mage impugning on the Authority of the world. When you or I use magic, we are pushing against the natural order of the world with our own Authority to make a certain change."

"But," she added with emphasis, "this influence cannot be permanent. Mages from time immemorial have tried to figure out why, and all we know is that the universe or Omnis, has its own base rules, and there is no mage powerful enough who can alter that. Thus forms the first law of the arcane, the Law of Impermanence. There are nuances to it, but we won't delve too deep into it right now. Just know that lasting 5 seconds on your first cantrip is very impressive."

That must have been what I felt after I cast the magic. The feeling of getting pushed back.

"What's a cantrip?" I asked, completely enraptured with her lecture.

"Cantrips are workings of magic that are very simple. You use Intent and aether as fuel to exert Authority to cause simple effects, like snuffing out a candle. Anything more than a cantrip is called a spellwork, and requires more detailed knowledge of the arcane."

"Is this a spellwork then?" I asked, gesturing to the field that had silenced Rowena's and Harlan's argument.

She smiled at that, "That's right. It's a simple spell that dampens the noise made inside it's perimeters."

"And what about aether?"

"Aether is...complicated. The mysteries of it are many, but for now, understand that it's the energy that permeates everything. It is in you, me, that candle there, the air we breathe—everything."

She paused, her gaze shifting to the satchel at her side before continuing. "Every living being uses aether to a minor amount, like an ember in a sea of fire. Only those gifted with magic have the ability to command it like a flame under their control."

"Beasts too?" I asked, my mind immediately going to Harlan's dire oxen.

Rowena nodded. "Yes, certain bloodlines of beasts have the natural ability to use aether as well. They don't consciously control it as we do but rather their bodies themselves are enhanced to perform tasks beyond their physical capabilities."

I sat there, taking in her words and trying to wrap my head around everything she had said. It was a lot to digest in for someone who thought himself to be a mundane only a few hours ago.

Rowena broke the silence, her soft voice carrying a note of seriousness now.

"Though I hope you understand Noah, that having an aptitude doesn't mean the path will be easy—it simply means you're more likely to succeed if you work hard and practice with diligence. I have no doubt your Authority and Intent are high, but what about your ability to sense aether? Did you feel anything at all when the ring pulled on your reserves?"

I glanced at the ring, now nestled safely in her satchel. When I had used it to snuff out the flame, I hadn't sensed anything from it—nothing that indicated it had played any part in what I had done.

"I didn't feel a thing," I admitted hesitantly, wondering if that was a failing on my part.

Rowena nodded sagely at my confession, a hint of a smile playing on her lips. "That's not surprising," she said. "Even though you were able to exert your Authority by using the aether as fuel to create an effect—you were unable to sense the flow of aether from within you. Given the substantial size of Authority for your level, I have no doubt you'll naturally be able to use more cantrips, you might even be able to use them for far longer. But anything more powerful, like real spellwork, would be impossible to do."

Before I could feel disheartened, Rowena continued.

"But that's where training comes in," she explained. "The ability to sense and control aether doesn't come naturally to us humans—even those with magical potential. It's something that needs to be honed and practiced. Just like a muscle, the more you use it, the stronger it becomes."

Her words were both a relief and a new weight on my shoulders. I had potential, yes, but there seemed to be a lot of work to make good on it.

Rowena leaned back; her hands folded in her lap. "And that is why I want you to come with me."

I blinked at her. "Come with you?"

"Yes," she confirmed, meeting my gaze evenly. "Back to the Order. Back to the Breann Empire."

My mind was reeling. The Breann Empire was not just another village or city—it was in an entirely different Isle, the Isle of Sundara. It meant crossing the Astral Sea. It meant leaving everything I knew behind.

"It will be a long and arduous journey," Rowena conceded, "But it's also an opportunity like no other. The Order's Academy houses the most skilled and knowledgeable mentors in the Empire. They will ensure that you are taught by the best, that your potential is honed to perfection."

Rowena's eyes shone with an intense determination as she spoke. "But make no mistake Noah. If you choose this life, it will be a life of blood and battle. Mages are not forged cooped up in the protective confines of the Academy. No, the true workings of magic come most naturally to us amidst the chaos and adrenaline, in the raw and brutal heat of battle."

I swallowed, my throat dry. "You're giving me a choice," I muttered to myself. My thoughts swirled like leaves in a storm, a flurry of emotions tearing through me. Excitement, fear, curiosity, apprehension—they all clashed and tangled together until I couldn't tell one from the other.

But then another thought hit me: What did I have to lose?

I was alone. The people I loved were gone. My home was destroyed. There was nothing left for me here. I turned my gaze back to Rowena. She had been watching me patiently all this while.

Taking a deep breath, I finally broke the silence. My voice did not waver, there was a firmness to it that surprised even me.

"I will go with you," I said, the words ringing clear and true in the small space between us. "I want to learn. I want to become a mage."