Dawn broke with a thin silver haze over the academy towers the light sliding across the stone like spilled milk. Evan stood in the projection field at the far end of the campus his notes tucked beneath one arm while Serin and a group of projection specialists formed a semicircle around him. Arilon observed from a raised platform behind them the faint spark of anticipation glowing in his eyes.

Today Evan would present the third rule of spell articulation
A rule he had pieced together after hours of listening to a strange pattern inside the oldest chants. A rule he was not fully confident about. A rule that felt almost too simple to be real.

He inhaled deeply the cool morning air filling his chest.

Serin noticed “You look nervous Today is different”

“It is” Evan said “Because the third rule might redefine advanced magic If I am wrong it will at least be amusing If I am right it changes how you cast everything”

The projection specialists shifted uneasily. Many of them had been skeptical yesterday but watching senior mages accept Evan’s teachings had changed the atmosphere. Now they stared at him like he was some sort of oracle of vowels.

Arilon raised a hand “Begin Evan The academy is ready”

Evan stepped forward dropping his notes onto a stone table. “Alright everyone The third rule is simple Rhythm controls mana stability”

The mages blinked Some frowned Others whispered to each other.

One mage called out “You mean pace of speech”

“Yes” Evan said “It seems small but the rhythm of your chant holds the spell together If the rhythm breaks even slightly the mana inside the spell wobbles like a wheel with a missing piece”

Another mage crossed her arms “Prove it”

Evan gestured toward a tall mage with long braided hair “You You said you practice Thunder Arc right”

“Yes I am Master Revor”

“Show me a full charge spell Use your normal rhythm No changes”

Revor lifted his staff took a breath and growled the chant “Thoran vek saar tarin”

A bolt of lightning ripped into the practice target exploding it into rubble. A strong spell but the arc wavered halfway through like a lightning strike dragged sideways.

Evan nodded “Alright Now do the same spell but keep your rhythm perfectly even No rushing No collapsing No sudden pauses Maintain a steady beat as if you are tapping your foot inside your mind One two three four evenly”

Revor frowned “Lightning spells are too fast for rhythm”

“Everything has rhythm” Evan said “Even lightning Even speech Your mouth cannot escape rhythm no matter how chaotic it feels”

Revor inhaled again slower this time. He lifted his staff and spoke each syllable with a steady even cadence
“Tho ran vek saar tar in”

The lightning that burst forward was nothing like the first attempt
It shot straight
It hit harder
It cracked like the air itself was splitting
And the impact blasted the entire target line into shards of glowing dust.

Gasps filled the field Some apprentices screamed Some mages stumbled backward. Arilon grabbed the railing to steady himself.

Revor stood frozen his eyes wide “What did I just do”

Evan walked closer “You did the same spell but with stable rhythm Mana likes consistency When you give it a clean pattern it flows without fighting itself”

A younger mage stepped forward “Does this apply to every spell or just lightning”

“Every spell” Evan said “If your rhythm collapses the spell becomes unstable It might weaken wobble veer explode or die Rhythm is the spine of your chant You cannot ignore it anymore”

Serin whispered “This is bigger than the first two rules Evan Rhythm ties everything together”

Evan swallowed “Yes I think so”

Arilon motioned for another mage “Master Ceryn Try the Water Pierce spell Use uneven rhythm”

Ceryn lifted her staff “Sel moren kai”

A stream of thin water shot forward wobbling near the end.

“Now steady rhythm” Evan said “One even pace all the way through”

“Sel mo ren kai”

A sharp column of water blasted so hard it punched through two dummies and carved a groove into the stone behind them.

Mages shouted
“No way”
“It doubled again”
“This is a field of study no longer theory”
“This man is building a new magical discipline with his mouth”

Evan raised his hands “Stop saying I am doing things with my mouth please that sounds strange”

The mages collectively ignored him.

Arilon spoke with a trembling voice “Evan the third rule confirms your theory Magic is linguistic It follows the same structure as speech at its core”

Evan let out a long exhale “Then we keep going Because if rhythm stabilizes mana direction and airflow control power then we might be able to create new spells entirely”

Serin’s eyes widened “New spells You mean change spell structure not just fix it”

“Yes” Evan said “Because if you change the sound and rhythm you change the shape of the mana If we can map this we can invent spells the world has never seen”

Silence filled the field
Excited
Fearful
Anticipating
Everything at once

Arilon finally spoke “Evan Hartley starting tomorrow you are not just a visiting instructor You are the academy’s first Spell Articulation Master”

Evan felt his stomach drop “Can I refuse that title”

“No” Arilon said without hesitation “The kingdom demands it”

Serin crossed her arms smirking “Congratulations Evan You are now officially the most dangerous teacher in the kingdom”

“I want to go home” Evan whispered

But he was smiling
Because he knew he would not leave
Not yet
Maybe not ever

The world was speaking to him now
And he had just learned how to answer it