‘I know what you’re thinking: when will we be able to use fireballs, the famous firewall, or the firestorm, among other attacks or defensive skills? Well, not in less than two months. If you are diligent, you can use some basic magic, like fireball in its weakest form, in a month and a half. As a general rule, those able to read five pages in a row of their magic manual have enough energy and control to use a basic spell.’

‘Does anybody know the basic requirement for the use of magic?’ asked Delfin.

This time, several students raised their hands. The professor gave the word to an entusiastic young magician from the Veldat Kingdom. Veldat had borders with the Poem dynasty, and they hated each other. The young magicians of Veldat would not allow Poem’s magicians to answer all the questions.

‘Visualization. It is necessary to visualize the manifestation of the element in a physical form,’ replied a young man of one hundred sixty centimeters tall with brown skin and more developed facial hair than would be normal for his age. His voice was deep and dull.

‘Right, Mister?’

‘Glover van Fuara, from the Veldat Kingdom, sir,’ said the young man.

‘As Mr. Glover has just explained, magic is based on visualization, on focusing your mind while you imagine that your hand or a particular point is gradually warming up until a flame appears.’ Delfin raised his hand. Gradually, the air around his hand started warming up until the master’s image looked distorted, like when someone looked far away on a hot day on dry ground. Suddenly, his hand lit up and was covered with flames. His own magic did not affect him, so he played with the flames at his pleasure.

‘Water magicians often imagine small drops of water gathering around their hands, like the morning dew. Earth magicians need a small rock to practice and imagine that it moves or changes shape according to their will. The wind magicians practice with a piece of cloth, paper, hair, or something light that rotates in circles, making a tornado. The shadow magicians try to make their own shadow change shape, or...’ Delfin closed his eyes, and the light in the theater dimmed until it became almost dark. Delfin opened his eyes again.

‘But reducing ambient light is very difficult in normal places and can only be brought to this limit. You’d better use your shadow. Controlling the ambient light is easier to do in your room. You have to try to reduce the already dim light to the point where you can’t see anything anymore. Unfortunately, this skill has many limitations: it does not work with the moonlight or with the light of blue flames; we do not know why.’ Delfin explained, taking a break and drinking water again.

‘Enough theory for today. I know you’re anxious, so let’s do some practice. I want you to visualize the effect of your magic. Wind mages, take a piece of paper from the table. Those of the land take a stone. Once you’re ready, start with the visualization exercise,’ the master instructed.

Several students went to the table for the materials and then returned to their seats. The sons of noble descendants of magicians had already received some instruction. Clinton’s hands, for example, were warmed up to the point that some distortion could be seen around them. Maurius and Glover managed to float or spin some pieces of paper. The rest of the nobles without the ancestry of magicians did not have much success.

After unsuccessfully trying to move his shadow, Xavier switched to trying to warm his hand. He began to feel dizzy, but decided to continue his effort. A few seconds later, the world was turning around him, and he was on the ground, vomiting his breakfast.

When he recovered and could realize in detail what was going on, Professor Delfín lifted him up from the ground and placed him over the now cold metal table. After making sure that the boy had recovered, he commented on what had happened.

‘What you have just seen is called complete depletion of magical energy. Usually this does not happen unless you try to use magic that requires a high amount of magical energy when you have insufficient magic energy or, as in this case, when a dual magician with very low elemental affinity tries to use that element and goes over his limit. This situation is not life threatening on its own, but if you do something like that in a dangerous situation, like a battle or a subjugation mission, you are done for,’ Delfin explained, looking at Xavier with a disappointed face. Xavier bowed his head, ashamed.

‘We will end the class for today. Return to your accommodations. Practice and read as much as you can. Fire mages, be sure to drink plenty of water; the temperature of your rooms will not drop, and after using magic, you will have a feeling of thirst. The shadow mages will stay with me a little longer; I got a few words for you,’ the master announced, concluding the class.

When all the students had left the theater and returned to their rooms, Xavier and Aleum paid all their attention to Delfin. The teacher took his time to talk to the boys. He remained silent, looking at them. After a few minutes, he broke his silence.

‘You are wasting your time,’ said the teacher, looking at the young magicians. ‘My intention is to save your lives. Most of the shadow magicians coming out of this tower end up returning to their villages as farmers. Their only work as mages is on subjugation missions. Those who survive these incursions after three or four missions end up with myasma disease. It’s one of the most horrible deaths a human can have. Go back to your life in the countryside and use tax exemptions to improve your families. You have no future as magicians.’

‘But master, you are a shadow magician,’ replied Xavier.

‘Mr. Xavier, I am a dual magician, not a shadow magician. You are a dual magician too, but we’re not the same. See this badge? It has the symbol of shadow magic, but my affinity for shadows is forty percent, whereas my affinity for fire is twenty percent. Even without the shadow magic, I would be an excellent fire magician.’ Delfin explained. His tone of voice indicated a slight anger.

‘You don’t have the affinity to be a fire magician; you only have traces of fire magic, and that doesn’t help much. Aleum, it’s even worse for you; you don’t have a chance at all. Be wise and go home; you can go now,’ the teacher concluded by signaling them to leave with his hands as he concentrated on reading some papers.

The discouraged boys returned to their bedrooms. The teacher made it clear to them.

The reason Delfin was a master at Liev’s Tower was because of his high ability and talent to manipulate magical energy, his ingenuity to create some magical items, and because, in addition, he was an excellent teacher. But if he were only a shadow magician, even with these talents, he would have never been admitted to teach at Liev’s Tower. His affinity for the element of fire, along with his other talents, allowed him the honor to be there.

A few hours later, the students were released from their rooms to go to the dining room. The meal of the day was rations of rustic, cold, and hard bread, curated cheese, and ground meat, seasoned with some spices. Most nobles ate only part of the bread and cheese. Xavier and Aleum ate even the bread crumbs. For them, everything was a great meal, and the food improved their mood a little.

They went back to their bedrooms. After a little reflection, both boys decided to return to their studies. They didn’t have a better choice. Going home to be a farmer was always the same, so they could do it in the future as well. Besides, the food was better at the tower than at home; they had nothing to lose.