Chapter 8.1: A Ray of Hope I


    Ezekiel sat in his Mana Control ss, trying to pay attention to the lecture. It had been three more weeks since the day of his excursion, marking the beginning of the seventh week of the semester.


    He was struggling to keep up with his sses. This could be partly attributed to the absence of a noble house backing him. Theck of proper food and housing was a constant concern. He also didn''t have a lot of time or energy to practice in his free time. However, The most important reason was his three affinities. He was the only tri-affinity mage at the academy. ordingly, he had three times the amount of specialized ssespared to most of his ssmates.


    Ezekiel was also starting to get disappointed in most of his teachers. He had a feeling that the lectures in his three affinities werecking. He couldn''t tell if the school was hiding knowledge on purpose, or if the teacher were just that bad. This was not something he had expected from the best academy in the empire.


    Often, the teachers couldn''t or wouldn''t answer him when he was asking seemingly basic questions. Especially his teacher for Blood Magic. The man refused to even talk about any potential offensive uses for the art. This was in stark contrast to the teachers of the general sses that all students had to attend, such as the one on Mana control that he was in now.


    The teacher was exining how a mage was supposed to handle the flow of Mana inside their body. This was an important exercise in order to improve control. The ss was quiet as the man held his lecture. Many students even leaned forward so as not to miss a single word of the exnation. The lecture was held by a seasoned war mage with a no-nonsense demeanor. The man was strict but fair, and Ezekiel liked his sses the most out of all his general sses.


    "Mana control is the foundation of any magical practice," he began, pacing back and forth at the front of the room. "Without proper control, your spells will be weak and unstable, and you risk damaging yourself and those around you. That''s why it''s essential that you learn to control the flow of Mana within your core." He paused, eyeing the students intently as they tried toplete his exercises.


    "The key to effective Mana control lies in the maniption of the flow. You have to guide the Mana. It will pass through you from the environment through your body to your core and all the way back again. During this process, you have to keep it under control."


    "First, from the environment to your body. Feel the Mana all around you and pull it into yourself.


    "From your body to your core. It is important that you don''t let the Mana loose inside your body. This can and will damage you. But the worst part is that your spell also loses strength."


    "From your core back to your body. Once the Mana is attuned to your affinity, you guide it from your core back through your body. Again, make sure to keep it tightly under control.


    "From there, you guide it out into the world again. This is the part where a spell actually manifests."


    The students tried to follow along as the teacher spoke. It was a delicate bnce. Too much Mana could overload and potentially damage the core, while too little would result in a weak and insufficient supply of magic. It was a skill that took decades of practice to truly master. Even then, it was different for every individual.


    Each person''s core was unique in its affinity and purity. In most cases, people with a higher affinity struggled more with control. This had initially surprised Ezekiel. He could not wrap his head around the reason. Upon being asked, the strict war mage had actually smirked. He had answered Ezekiel''s inquiry with a question of his own.


    "What do you think is harder to control, a racehorse or a donkey?"


    Today they were learning about different ways to improve control. The students sat with rapt attention. They were taking notes as the teacher demonstrated different versions of control. Some mages used visualization, seeing the flow of magic in their minds as a stream or river that they could direct and control. Others used physical gestures, such as hand movements or even dance, to channel the magic to where they needed it.


    Ezekiel listened intently, trying to absorb as much information as he could. He knew that his non-elemental affinities would always put him at a disadvantage. His perfect and greater affinities would make control all the more important to him. But if he could excel in his control of Mana, it might just be enough to give him an edge.


    As the lesson went on, the teacher called on different students to disy their control. He was offering tips and guidance along the way. The ss sat in silence as the instructor demonstrated how to cast a neutral affinity spell. He held out his hand and a small, glowing ball of Mana appeared in his palm.


    "This," he said, "is a neutral affinity spell. Every mage, regardless of their affinity, should be able to cast this spell. The key is to guide the Mana through your body without attuning it to your core." He paused to let his words sink in before continuing.


    "This may seem simple, but it is actually quite difficult. It requires a high level of control over your Mana and the ability to separate it from your core. That is why we practice this exercise regrly. It is not just about the spell itself, but about strengthening your control over your own magic."


    After the exnation, a hand immediately shot up. The teacher had expected this and nodded at the girl. In an exasperated voice, he asked. "What is it this time, udia?"


    udia took no time to ask her question. "If the spell doesn''t need to be attuned to our affinity, why do we need to guide it to our core then?"


    The teacher nodded at this. He seemed to be positively surprised by the girl''s insightful question.


    "You bring up a good point. Does anybody know the answer to this?"


    Zeke had a theory. The reason was probably rted to intent, but he didn''t want to bring any extra attention to himself. It didn''t matter if he was right or wrong. He would be ridiculed for being an idiot or a bookworm, either way.


    After there was nothing but silence, the teacher shook his head in disappointment before exining.


    "The reason is that you still need to imbue intent into your spell. Intent is what gives the Mana its form, its very purpose. This can only be done with your Magic core. That is why you need to guide the Mana close enough to imbue intent, without getting attuned to your affinity."


    The instructor looked around the room, making eye contact with each student.


    "Now, I want you all to try and cast a simple [Light] spell. Try to guide the Mana through your body without attuning it to your core. Remember, this is a test of pure control. Do not worry about the purity of your core at this moment."


    The students took a deep breath and focused on creating a glowing ball of Mana in front of them. They all struggled at first. Though the first small sesses could already be seen after only a little bit of practice. Eventually, most managed to guide the Mana through their bodies without attuning it to their cores.


    Nobody had managed to create any kind of Mana-Construct, but it was still a step in the right direction. Soon, it was Ezekiel''s turn to showcase his results. He took a deep breath and focused on the flow of magic within him. He visualized it as a river, with himself as the source and his core as the dam. The boy had always struggled with control, but this felt different. Without his greater or perfect affinityplicating the process, he struggled a lot less.


    With a steady hand, he directed the flow towards his outstretched palm. He ignored his corepletely, guiding the flow to take a path around it through a newly created channel. When he opened his eyes, he could see that a small ball of light had appeared, hovering just above his skin.


    The teacher nodded approvingly, and the other students looked on with a mix of awe and envy. It was a small victory, but a victory nheless. And as he returned to his seat, Ezekiel couldn''t help but feel a sense of pride in his aplishment.


    "At least little Zeke can find work as amp now," somebody said from among the students. This caused all the surrounding students to snicker. At those words, Ezekiel couldn''t help but feel a sense of dejection wash over him. It seemed that no matter what he did, he couldn''t escape the ridicule and mockery of his ssmates.


    Martin had told his ssmates that Ezekiel only allowed his close friends and family to call him Zeke. Ever since that day, ''Zeke'' was what everyone always called him. Now, even his once-beloved nickname had been twisted into a mocking caricature of the symbol of closeness it once was. But at this point, Zeke was way past caring about such small things. He even thought of himself more as ''Zeke'' rather than as the Ezekiel he once was. He had changed too much over the past seven weeks. He didn''t even recognize himself anymore on some days.


    The ''Ezekiel'' of the past had been a cheerful boy. He was headstrong, had friends, and was always trying to help people out.


    The ''Zeke'' of today was gloomy. He was still headstrong, but it was not confidence but spite that motivated him. The world didn''t like Zeke, and he returned the sentiment in kind.


    Zeke tried his best to focus on the lesson, determined to at least excel in something. But the whispers and snickering behind him were a constant distraction. It was difficult for him to concentrate. He couldn''t even escape the teasing during lunch breaks or after ss. It seemed that everywhere he went, there was someone there to remind him of his inadequacy.


    He threw himself into today''s lessons, determined to be the best mage he could be. He may have been called "Zeke the Lamp" by the end of the ss, but he was going to shine bright and prove everyone wrong. Zeke forced out a small smile at his own terrible joke as he was on his way to his Mind Magic ss. He was trying to raise his spirits before his next lesson. He was always a little excited about this ss.


    Mind Magic was his favorite subject. Not just because there were fewer students. It was also due to the fact that the students themselves seemed to be more mature. There was noparison between the Mind Mages and his other ssmates.