I've always had my doubts about Sympathy, to be honest with you, who really ends up discovering ancient magic secrets while searching online?

And at the bright light of the evidence, laid down on the floor after America had already kicked my ass so many times, those doubts were becoming more than annoying. Something was sure about all of this mess, Arwan's Comprehensive Guide for Sympathy had opened my eyes to an entire new world of wonders, but it hadn't shown me the whole landscape. That was why I wanted to go to the Academy, despite my initial doubts. I wanted to understand things the same way Park and America do.

— Second Lesson —

Said Park, after offering me a hand to stand up.

— Sympathy is just one out of the Three Pillars in which the Faenic Arts cement themselves —

— There is... more than Sympathy? —

Park and Emerica looked at each other with fun, and she let a feeble laugh come out of her mouth. Oliver looked at her with contempt.

— Sorry, you just sounded like a country bumpkin —

Voiced America without any hesitation.

— Don't mind it, some people live most of their lives exploring just the grounds of one of these when most aren't even aware of its existence —

America cleared her throat.

— Just by knowing this, you're a million steps ahead of them —

Oliver thought about all the people on the Archive website.

There and as he walked, Park raised a hand and started drawing in the air, making suddenly burst sparkles as he did.

— Listen, Faenic Arts are structured in three major categories, these are Sympathy, Allure, and Bending —

Following his movements, three figures were drawn from these sparkles in the air. A Pentagon, a Spiral, and something similar to a flame shape, each one remained floating, as Park drew a line under each of them.

— These three Arts, subdivide themself even further. For example... —

And he scribbled three more runic-like symbols under the Pentagon.

— Sympathy splits itself into its three major applications, Witchcraft, Alchemy, and Wielding —

Two more under the Spiral

— Allure spawns into Perceptive and Perspective —

And two more under the flame

— And Bending does the same with it's Binding and Combining natures —

When Park ended his explanation, eight different unknown terms including Sympathy were drawn in the air, much like during a science class. Oliver felt the weight of his poor performance in school at that moment.

— You don't need to memorize them yet, but this is more or less what the Academy teaches about Faenic Arts —

Park trowed a look to Oliver, that he couldn't really understand.

— It's part of our culture, something every Fae comes to know as they grow up —

Park nodded, dropping his hand, and the sparkle schemes with it. Oliver almost felt sorry for all the knowledge that vanished, literally in the air, within a second.

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— What you felt and saw just a moment ago when I punched you, or to better say... when I didn't punch you, and even after, when you fought America thinking it was me, that... was Allure —

Park explained, Oliver instantly remembered the fight against Schram in the forest.

— Kiki, she... mentioned Allure before —

Park showed himself pleased

— Allure allows its users to exercise and block both Perceptive and Perspective manipulation —

— That means... you can trick people and make out illusions? —

— Oh, they're not illusions —

Park corrected

— Allure allows you to influence other people's minds and senses, it can be only one or a thousand and its effects can vary on a wide range, depending on how advanced you are —

Oliver didn't get it on the first try

— Because of the way in which our brain works, these 'illusions' can be even more real than the real thing…. I've seen people die out of fear in the hands of Allure users —

Right there Oliver swallowed and remembered the moment when Schram entered the room for the second time, the day they met. The way in which his presence made him so afraid, that he couldn't even breathe well.

As Oliver realized how close he had been to dying, his face went white. Then, he felt America's hand on his shoulder.

— But Allure users are not such a common thing out there, especially 'that strong' ones. And there are ways to protect yourself, especially with Sympathy —

She then pulled a pendant out of her shirt, it was an Amethyst stringed with golden threads, pending on a leather cord.

— That's right, unlike Sympathy, Allure must be inherited, and it's far less useful for fighting or everything else in general —

Park smiled, and then Oliver asked

— And what's up with Bending? —

— Well, they're mud-heads who waste their time learning to play with elements, there's no real science in there, just raw power —

Said Park rolling his eyes

— Eh? but that sounds cool... —

Oliver looked at America, who shrugged her shoulders saying

— Hey, I can hardly do Sympathy, ask me next time you need to defend yourself from a Bender —

It sounded like a lot, it was complicated, and it looked like only a piece of a much larger thing. It made Oliver feel insecure about his knowledge, worried about his capacity to understand, and wonder if he really had a chance to become good at any of it. But it excited him more than it frightened him, now he just needed to beat that bear.

— So, now what? —

Asked Oliver, making both students throw a look at each other. Park was the first to intervene.

— Now I'm going to prepare you to recognize and defend yourself from this Arts as you fight... while America —

Both looked at the girl

— She's going to teach you how to fight as a Wielder —

The girl jumped in her place

— A Wielder? But, didn't you say he was able to use Dual-links at a Sophomore level? why does he need to Wield? —

Park gave her a friendly look

— We have little more than a week America, and we don't know what to expect from this year's tournament —

He argued

— You must understand that the circumstances in which he learned these things weren't the most common, and we can only teach him so many things on time —

Park seemed more serious than usual.

— I think our best bet for him is for you to teach him a versatile way to Fight, while I teach him how to Defend —

Then he added

— I'll try to do something with his Linking knowledge... he won't be able to make it through without it anyway —

Between them, Oliver stood clueless

— I don't want to sound dumb, but I'm not understanding anything guys—

America looked at Oliver and made a grin.

— I'm already starting to regret this —

— Great, everything's set up then —

Said Park

— We'll start tomorrow's first hour, now, we need to do something first —

Walking over the edge of the cabin, Park's silhouette got lost in the woods for a few minutes. As the sun went down opening the way for the night, Oliver realized he had spent the whole day out of home.

— Who wants dinner? —

And there were they, two rabbits, skinned and ready to fire, as the slanted-eyed student had said before. Oliver couldn't hold his surprise, that was the first time he would eat something hunted in the wild. America? she swallowed in her spot.

That night, Oliver called her mother to tell her he was going to be late. It was a weird feeling, he thought. After moving to Hollow Creek, with everything going the way it went, the last thing Oliver had thought was that he would be living like that. The fire bathing these people's faces with a dim light as they talked, argued, and laughed about nothing special. And he, being a part of it.

Maybe it hasn't been that bad to start nightwalking that night a couple of months ago. Maybe, Oliver thought, it hasn't been that bad having to fight Schram the way they did. After all, if he wouldn't have done it... it wouldn't have met these people either.