A knock woke me.
My eyes opened slowly.
Sunlight cut through the window, stinging as it hit my face.
The door opened, and a maid stepped inside with practiced steps.
Another followed, pushing a small cart that rattled with dishes.
Even in my daze, I recognized her.
Ina.
My personal maid.
She was in her twenties.
Her black hair was tied into a bun and her brown eyes swept the room until they found me.
The ash-grey dress of her uniform fluttered as she stepped closer.
Step.
Ina lowered her head, hands folded neatly in front of her.
"Young Lady Theodora, Lady Rowena ordered us to help you prepare. Your instructor will arrive shortly. We should dress and eat."
I sat up, clutching the pillow to my stomach.
My voice came rough.
"When does the instructor arrive?"
The second maid turned the cart, rolling it toward the small table by the window. She then reached for the lower rack and pulled folded clothes out before handing them to Ina.
They were simple black trousers, a white buttoned shirt, and black shoes.
Ina's voice came firm, though she smiled faintly.
"In fifteen minutes."
I shot to my feet.
Panic rose sharply, burning away the sleepiness.
My voice cracked.
"What?"
Ina stepped closer, with the clothes in hand.
"Please dress yourself, my lady."
I nodded numbly and took them.
I pulled the nightgown off, slipped into the trousers, and shoved my feet into the shoes. I draped the shirt over my shoulders and began to button it.
Ina stopped me halfway.
She stepped closer, quick fingers fastening the buttons to my throat.
Then gestured to the chair.
"Sit. I will do your hair while you eat."
The plates were already served on the desk.
Warm bread, butter, jam, and a cup of milk.
I sat and spread jam on the bread before eating it, while Ina brushed through my hair, tugging it gently.
The only sounds were my chewing and the steady pull of the brush.
By the time I finished breakfast, she had already tied my hair into a high ponytail.
"My lady, we must go, or we will be late."
I stood up at once and turned toward the door, then paused.
The mirror caught me.
A pale girl stared back.
Dark circles hung like bruises under her eyes.
The white shirt made her frame look thinner.
Her ponytail was neat, but the face beneath it not.
I let out a breath.
'He would have scolded me already. Forced me to eat, even when I wasn't hungry, and stayed by my side until I slept.'
My heart ached at the thought.
'I miss him.'
The maids waited in silence.
I drew a long breath and moved to the door.
Ina stepped forward, leading the way.
"Follow me, my lady."
She led me through the corridors while the other maid wheeled the cart away.
Our footsteps echoed on stone until we stopped before the largest door on the floor.
'The library.'
Ina pressed her palms to the handle and pushed.
Creak.
The double doors swung wide, and the estate library opened before us.
Shelves rose in rows that reached for the ceiling, ladders leaning against them.
The air smelled of dust and old ink.
Lightstones glowed above a cluster of long tables.
It brought memories back.
'Lucien loved this place. He spent days here, reading book after book. Sometimes, he even taught us, and we tried to run away, but he caught us every time and forced us to study.'
Ina gestured toward the central table, then stepped back.
"Give it your best, my lady."
I nodded before shifting my gaze toward the central table.
Books were piled high upon it, and a blackboard on wheels waited nearby.
Two figures sat there.
Mother rose first.
Her dress was simple, plain green, and tied at her waist. Her face was pale, but her smile reached her eyes as she saw me.
The man beside her stood as well.
White hair fell to his shoulders, matched by a neatly kept beard. He wore a long blue robe, lined with dark thread at the cuffs. His skin was smooth despite his age, his eyes a clear blue that seemed to watch everything.
He inclined at the waist and bent a knee in a proper courtly greeting.
I answered with a small bow.
Mother lifted her hand toward him, her smile warm.
"Theodora, this is Master Paulus, your instructor."
His mouth tilted in a delighted smile.
A chuckle escaped him as he straightened.
"Nice to meet you, Theodora. You may call me Teacher."
I dipped my head deeper.
"My name is Theodora Ashspire. Thank you for your time, Teacher."
He gestured toward the chair across from him.
"How kind of you. Please, sit."
I sat down, followed by both of them.
Teacher Paulus sat to my right, and Mother sat to my left.
He folded his hands on the table.
"Theodora, why do you want to learn magic?"
I let the question settle for a moment.
I thought of Father and the matches he spoke of.
I thought of Lucien leaving on a horse.
I thought of Adonis.
When I spoke, my answer was simple.
"To get stronger…and to decide my own fate."
His laugh was warm.
"Good. Determination sits well on the young. I like it."
Mother leaned forward, voice gentle but proud.
"Theodora, Master Paulus is among the finest mages in the empire. If anyone can guide you, it is him. Listen closely."
I rolled my eyes a little at her tone, then caught myself and straightened.
"Yes, Mother."
Teacher Paulus pushed his chair back and rose, robe fluttering around his legs.
He dragged the blackboard into place and took a piece of chalk from its tray.
"Let us begin with the basics. What magic is, and how it differs from the path your brothers chose."
He drew a circle, quick and clean, and tapped it.
"Warriors move mana within themselves. They can infuse it into objects, but that is all. Their art is brave, but bound to the self."
Then he drew a couple of arrows around the circle, pointing outward.
"Mages project mana outward. We shape it into forms that obey the laws of the world. We fight from a distance. Not always spotless, mind you, but our clothes survive better than most."
He finished with a wink.
A chuckle slipped out of me before I could stop it.
Mother's hand brushed my sleeve, pleased.
Tap.
He tapped the board with the chalk.
"To do this, you must understand that the world runs on laws. The more precisely you grasp them, the better you can use them. That is the mage's burden, and joy. Knowledge is our sword."
He set the chalk aside and laced his fingers.
"You will hear many phrases. I will make them simple. A warrior's internal circulation is the practice of moving mana through one's body to enhance flesh and steel. A mage's projection is the act of expressing mana beyond oneself to interact with the world."
I nodded slowly.
"So, warriors cannot project?"
He clapped his hands in delight.
"Good question. Here is the tricky part. They can. Everyone can choose either path. Mage or warrior. But the further you walk one road, the harder it is to return to the other."
He tapped the circle again.
"A warrior who has trained his body for internal circulation will never rival a mage who devoted his life to projection. The same is true in reverse. Crossing paths is possible, but mastery belongs to those who walk them fully."
His eyes met mine.
"Is that understandable?"
I nodded.
"Yes. If everyone can start on both paths, then it's possible to use both."
He smiled faintly.
"Exactly. That is the core of it. Good. Now for the next step."
He lifted the chalk again and wrote on the board.
"Since you know the core of what a mage is, you must hear why they can use magic. Scholars divide the world's laws in many ways, but one system has lasted across eras because it is broad enough to cover all, yet exact enough to be useful."
He tapped the board.
[Primal Affinities]
His eyes locked on mine. The playfulness had already faded.
He paused, then wrote a number beneath it.
[16]
Setting the chalk down, he turned back to me.
His blue eyes glinted behind the glasses, his voice calm.
"The sixteen roots from which every branch of magic grows. Learn them. And if you can understand them fully, you may one day stand among the greatest of all mages."