PROLOGUE: Something New

It was unnerving. All my life I've only known how to shoot balls of notes, wrap myself with magical shields, and search and manipulate my surroundings with elemental and dark magic.

I never thought about it before, but I realized that I was only seven, and I've just barely learned enough about magic. Even with the 18 years of my past life, where I've only ever known rumors about magic, I knew I was completely a beginner.

Sure, I had potential. A really good potential too. But, it doesn't change the fact that I'm new to all this. What little progress I had with my previous teachers was always cut short. Right now, all I can do is use my maturity to somewhat get by.

But from what I've learned the hard way from the Test of Waning and what I've seen in person from the upper years in Mare Desiderii... I still had a long way to go. And instinct and inner maturity won't bridge the gap so soon.

"Go on then," I heard the professor urging me, his ruby eyes shining with expectation. "I've seen you do it before. Now, all you need to do is be conscious about it."

I recalled the piece of branch I had once strengthened with notes. It shook with the power of life, but when it was struck just a few times, it withered into ashes. I didn't want that to happen again.

In my hands was a sword. Smaller than the common short swords and a little less heavier. But no matter, a weapon was a weapon. It wasn't the sets of daggers that I was lent by the Order. It wasn't the twigs I just picked up from nowhere. It was the first weapon I ever owned, no matter how simple or common it was. I didn't want to destroy it like I did with the old branch.

"Focus on controlling the notes," the professor said softly. "Don't rush and don't overdo it."

I let out a long breath, keeping his words in mind. Then, when I felt like I was ready, I aided the notes out from where they gathered in my heart, through my chest, shoulders, and arms... Like a thin stream of water, I allowed it to pour gently along my body, like the blood in my veins.

'This is it,' I thought, feeling as the notes neared the tips of my fingers.

I calmed down, taking measured breaths. 'Now... just let it go.'

And out the notes went. At first, it was too much, but I soon learned how to control the stream. It was almost as though there was a door separating the notes from me and the outside world. With this in mind, it seems like all I've been doing so far was opening the door completely to do magic and then close it entirely shut to end whatever spell I was doing. Now, I was gradually learning how to open the door slowly, quickly, or open it just enough for an arm's width to seep through.

I had been told that I had potential for magic control, so I hoped this would come easily for me.

Alas, it proved harder for me this time.

'I guess I'm not a genius,' I thought dejectedly, and with that, my concentration broke, and the short sword I held quivered enough for the pointy tip to almost chip away. It glowed a brighter sheen of gold, a reaction from the excess notes I fed it.

I took a sharp breath, my mind muddled from the sudden change.

When I finally started to close off the internal door from me to the world, the golden hue too dimmed down back to its normal, healthy state. Alas, I had panicked too much. Losing control, the notes I had enveloped around the blade filtered off into the air, masterless and leaving the short sword dull... and utterly back to normal.

I sighed, and as though it was a signal, my body started to lose strength. Before I hit the ground, I was held up by a pair of sturdy and meaty arms.

I expected to find him in a state of disappointment. Instead, the professor looked up at me with a small but shaking smile.

"Boy," he called me, his smile looking quite suspicious.

I flinched despite my exhaustion. "... Yes?"

"What say you join this cycle's festival?"

It took me a full half minute to answer him. "A... festival?"