[5th of May 2064, Monday, 11:30 AM]
[After his family leaves the mansion, Lucas’ magic training begins in earnest. Lucidia takes Lucas to a reinforced, windowless exercise room, originally designed for her private use.]
LUCIDIA
Lucas. Before we begin, I would like to query about your emotional stability. After what transpired in the garden, I’m not without concern. Distracted thoughts might hamper your training.
LUCAS
I… I, uh , Don’t worry about me. I think. Um. It might actually be best to use the training to distract me from the distractions…
LUCIDIA
Very well then.
Today, I will teach you the core principles of Psychia magic, followed up with some basic practice.
The Psychia, sitting at the emotional centre within your chest, is also sometimes called ‘the soul’. In truth, it is the foundation of a person: the culmination of mind, body, and heart.
With a small magic signal, I can temporarily push your Psychia out from within. Allow me to demonstrate.
[Lucidia sends out a charge of magic, revealing Lucas’ Psychia. It beats vividly yet nervously.]
LUCAS
Wow. I’ve read about this phenomenon before, but to see it with my own eyes? It feels different.
…Can I touch it?
LUCIDIA
Go ahead. As an integral part of yourself, you may touch and observe it however you wish. With due diligence, of course.
[Lucas holds his Psychia in his hands. He rotates it around, observing, feeling.]
LUCAS
It's somewhat warm.. And… it’s glowing brighter than I imagined.
LUCIDIA
When we last spoke, you expressed an interest in learning magic. You also just mentioned having read about The Psychia before. Query: how much do you already know?
LUCAS
Um, not much to be honest. I was just a kid back then, and Dad never approved of my curiosity.
LUCIDIA
Acknowledged. Then, I shall start from the beginning.
Psychia magic, as we know it, is first and foremost a projection of conscious and unconscious thought, powered from within.
In Magus theory, every Psychia consists of one Major Aspect – which colours the Psychia – and one or two Minor Aspects. Aspects are traits associated with a person’s personality that combine to determine one’s magical inclination.
There are seven Aspects in all:
Cyan, the Aspect of Patience.
Orange, the Aspect of Bravery.
Blue, the Aspect of Integrity.
Purple, the Aspect of Perseverance.
Green, the Aspect of Kindness.
Yellow, the Aspect of Justice.
Red, the Aspect of Determination.
That said, this doesn’t mean that two people with the same Aspects will exhibit the same behaviour or talent. A mixture of life experiences, individual decisions, and maturity changes how a person carries themselves. All sorts of factors determine the condition and potential of The Psychia.
Think of the Psychia as a mirror of the self, and the self as a mirror of the Psychia. A person’s overall health translates into lifeforce, and that lifeforce then translates into durability. A strong shine is often indicative of good health, though it may also imply overexertion. Still, in general, a physically fit adult will have a stronger Psychia than a sickly child.
[Upon hearing that, Lucas notices his Psychia flickering and pulsating between a brilliant light and a gentle glow.]
LUCAS
Is it me, or is the shine a bit… unstable? Is there something wrong with my health?
LUCIDIA
Negative. From observation and analysis, I didn’t find any alarming health concerns. I believe this phenomenon is reflecting your emotional state instead.
LUCAS
I guess it’s telling me that I’m a big mess inside…
LUCIDIA
After a family confrontation, some internal instability is to be expected. Give yourself time to regain balance.
LUCAS:
Duly noted…
By the way, about the colour… you said that Red is the Aspect of Determination. Is that why I can cast that Mark thingy?
LUCIDIA
Affirmative. Are you familiar with a ‘skill tree’?
LUCAS
Do you mean those branching diagrams used to customise characters in video games?
LUCIDIA
Correct. To put in visual terms, your skill tree for the Red Aspect is vast and wide. By comparison, the skill trees of your Minors are limited to only their first levels.
Lucas Moriarty, the test on your Psychia returned the following results:
Major: Red, Determination.
Minor 1: Blue, Integrity.
Minor 2: Cyan, Patience.
In those terms, you would be considered a Red Major. And out of your two Minors, your Integrity is stronger than your Patience.
LUCAS
I… I see. So, should I focus on improving my Red Aspect?
LUCIDIA
No, not yet.
The materialisation of Determination is Judge Thyme’s area of expertise. I shall instead focus on fostering your Minor Aspects.
Although most Psychia magic practitioners begin training with their Major, the reverse is preferred for Reds. Amplification and magnification is unique to the Red Aspect, for better or for worse. If you lack a stable grasp on your Minors, your Red will amplify them beyond safe operational limits and cause much collateral damage.
LUCAS
Ah. That explains the destruction I’ve been leaving in my wake…
…Did Uncle Mez go through the same training?
LUCIDIA
Yes, he did. And I facilitated his development as well. He wouldn’t have his current proficiency had he neglected his Minor Aspects.
LUCAS
How was it for him? His first activation?
[Lucidia clutches her hands with a pained expression on her face.]
LUCIDIA
…It would be better for Judge Thyme to disclose that information himself, should he choose to.
LUCAS
Sure thing. I guess it must be personal for you both.
LUCIDIA
Anyway, I believe the most efficient exercise would be to focus on this.
[She presents a simple and small octahedron resin prism, with a pointed top and bottom. She lets the young man take and examine it.]
LUCAS
Looks like something out of a tabletop game.
LUCIDA
Your task is to levitate the object and keep it as straight as possible. We’ll do both vertical and horizontal positions. This will require you to synergize both Blue and Cyan.
Imagine yourself as a device, and you have three separate channels to cast magic. You have the choice to use all at once, or adjust by shutting off a specific colour.
LUCAS
Sounds simple enough, I guess? Let’s give it a try.
[Lucas stares intensely at the prism, but nothing happens.]
LUCAS
…How do I even start? Do I just um, concentrate? I’ve always done this subconsciously.
LUCIDIA
Oh, I thought you already had a grasp for magic by the casting of your Mark. Let me help you. The process is hard to describe in words, as it’s more about sensing instead of observing.
[She touches Lucas’ Psychia and sends out a magical signal. The prism starts to glow white in response.]
LUCAS
Whoa… what is this feeling? It’s different from before. It’s… calming. Soothing.
LUCIDIA
This is how it feels like to cast Cyan. Right now, I am issuing a command that isolates the Cyan Aspect. Remember this sensation for future reference.
LUCAS
But, uh, why is this prism not glowing cyan then?
LUCIDIA
All Minor magic will appear white, so please do not be alarmed by the lack of colour.
LUCAS
Ah. Got it. Is it me, or it doesn’t seem to do anything?
LUCIDIA
The Aspect of Patience is rather passive by virtue. Much of its magic centres around focus and honing the senses.
Now, I’m going to switch to only your Blue Aspect.
[Upon isolating his other Minor, the prism begins to float. It bobs up and down, rotating freely in all directions.]
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
LUCIDIA
This is how it feels to cast Blue. The manipulation of gravity is a major factor in the Aspect of Integrity, making levitation one of its basic abilities.
As it is, the object is floating around without guidance. Observe what happens when I combine your Blue with a little bit of Cyan, mixing the disciplines.
[When she adjusts the output to both Blue and Cyan, the prism snaps upright on the pointed end. It slowly spins on its own axis.]
LUCAS
W-wow… It’s… it’s spinning!
LUCIDA
The focusing properties of your Cyan have anchored the prism. However, since your Blue continues to provide motion, it creates a spinning effect. Watch what happens when I increase the amount of Cyan to match your Blue.
[The prism stops spinning, rooted in mid-air.]
LUCIDIA
Down the line, this outcome is what I hope you can achieve on your own. A goal, you could say.
I’ll be releasing my magic now. Please try to replicate what I had demonstrated to you.
LUCAS
Alright then. Let me at it.
[Lucas catches the object on Lucidia’s cue. He then proceeds to replicate the sensation of his Minors. After a while, the prism glows white in response to his Cyan, and starts to float from his Blue. Unfortunately, the object began to wander out of his grip, rapidly spiralling out of control.]
LUCAS
Nonononono stop! STOP!
[The prism flies towards the far side of the training room and bounces off the wall. It rolls across the floor in circles before coming to a full stop.]
LUCAS
Dammit, I screwed up again…
LUCIDIA
Observation: it appears that the prism does not provide adequate counterweight for your current strength, due to residual Red amplification. It may be better for you to begin with a larger total mass. Either a single heavy object, or numerous smaller ones, then work your way down.
In which case, I should lead you to one of our specialised training rooms. Those are better equipped for your updated regiment.
LUCAS
S-sure thing.
[Lucidia leads Lucas out of the mansion grounds and to the elevator. From there, they descend past the restricted zones of The Spire, all the way to the middle levels accessible to Magus staff.]
[At Training Room E-5, Mezil Thyme observes Cenna Caraway fly a golden bird around a black obelisk with a white crystal cap. The humans and the target are separated by a translucent green-tinted shield for safety reasons. As the creature flies around, it fires bullets of Yellow Magic at the stone.]
LUCAS
Is that a familiar?
LUCIDIA
Not quite. That’s the caster’s Psychia, artificially modified and rearranged into a more mobile form. It’s an advanced form of magecraft, applicable only to those who have the necessary aptitude.
[Lucidia approaches the two first.]
LUCIDIA
Caraway, is the flight module sufficient for your needs?
CENNA
Oh hey Lucy! Yeah, it flies well and shoots even better. I think we can advance to the next stage soon.
LUCIDIA
I’m glad to hear it. You may end your training now. There’s someone here I would like you to meet.
[The two finish up. Cenna’s bird flies around the shield and returns to the caster’s side, transforms back into a Psychia and enters her body. The young lady looks at the boy – up, down, and around – in curious excitement.]
CENNA
Hey Lucy, is that who I think he is? The Red kid who busted up the mall? Mez’s nephew?
LUCIDIA
He is. Please introduce yourself to him.
MEZIL
And don’t intimidate the young lad. He has gone through enough as is.
CENNA
Way to go raining on the party, old man.
Anyways, name’s Cenna Caraway! That's ‘Vanquisher’ Cenna Caraway! How about you?
[Cenna extends her hand. After an initial meek hesitation at her extroverted personality, Lucas accepts her handshake.]
LUCAS
Lucas Moriarty. Freshman student.
CENNA
So Luc, what are your colours? I’m Yellow-Purple-Green. Sharing your colours to another Magus is a sign of trust, ya dig me?
LUCAS
I… Um… It’s Red-Blue-Cyan. Sorry, I just got my results today and it’s all still surreal to me.
CENNA
Okay, sweet. How old are ya? I’m 18 going on 19.
LUCAS
Just turned 19 this February.
CENNA
Wow, we’re the ‘almost the same age’ gang! Guess you can join the ‘shitty first day gang’ too. Did you manage to catch the headline of three old men and one hot lady newbie raining from the sky? Crazy helicopter incident?
LUCAS
I did. Saw it live too. Huh, so you’re the newbie there.
CENNA
Damn straight I was! My first day on the job with your Supreme Uncle and I had to fight a moron heretical kid high on wind god powers.
Back then, for my graduation, my seniors bought me every lucky charm that’s trendy. At first I thought they were just being paranoid, but who would’ve thunk that Ol’ Mez here is the world’s number one adventure magnet?
[Lucas chuckles, his mood brightening up.]
LUCAS
As far as general adventure magnetism goes, you should ask my grandfather for some of his stories. He’s the gramps who was with you on that ride.
CENNA
Oh yeah? I bet he’s got a mountain of tales about Ol’ Mez. Makes me wonder how Papa and Mama handled the geezer. Then again, I guess they wouldn’t be dragged into every bizzaro mission.
MEZIL
Caraway, is this your idea of making friends? By complaining about me? In my presence at that?
CENNA
Yeah. After that mad stunt you pulled on my first day, why not?
MEZIL
Tsk, show some professionalism. I’m still your boss and your legal guardian. I may let this joke slide, but if you’re caught badmouthing your other superiors like this, you may be suspended or even fired. No amount of talent or family name can cover for poor behaviour.
CENNA
Okay, okay…
[Lucas glances between the two of them, eyebrow raised. Cenna’s dark chocolate skintone contrasts heavily against Mezil’s almost vampiric paleness.]
LUCAS
Is this girl another cousin that I’m not aware of? Did someone else other than Granduncle Scott get married abroad…?
[Cenna bursts into a cackling laughter. Meanwhile, Mezil sighs and shakes his head.]
CENNA
Hey, I don’t mind having more family. But naw. You and I ain’t related in any way. My adoptive parents decided that if anything should happen to them, Ol’ Mez has to take care of me until I’m a fully functional adult.
MEZIL
…Should I be stricter with you then?
CENNA
Whoa whoa whoa there, me ribbing on ya is a good thing! A good thing! It means I feel I can be honest with ya. Bonus points to teamwork stats, right? Right?
MEZIL
Hmph. Let’s not waste any more of Lucidia’s time. If she’s here with the young man, that means she requires this training room.
CENNA
I get ya. Stage is yours, Lucy.
LUCIDIA
Thank you. Please give me a moment to make some preparations. Since he’s not an official Magi staff member, I need to activate a guest profile.
[Lucidia walks over to a console situated in front of the shield, connected to the floor. She then proceeds to save Cenna’s data before starting a new file.]
LUCIDIA
I will also need to switch training modes from target practice to casting rehearsal.
[After keying in several other commands, the obelisk retracts until only the top white cap remains to be seen.]
LUCIDIA
Lucas, please put your hand on the panel here. I want to adjust the emitter settings to your current ability.
[Listening to her instructions, he places his land hand on a flat panel beside the computer. The cap starts to shine from his input.]
LUCIDIA
Calibration satisfactory. Continuing setup.
LUCAS
Um… What exactly is that thing?
LUCIDIA
Think of it as a relay. Your magic is transferred to that device so you can practise casting from a safe distance.
LUCAS
Wait. I don’t just stretch my hand out and do stuff?
LUCIDIA
You can’t at the moment. Your default range is very small. That’s why I’m linking you to the machine.
LUCAS
What about wands? Won’t those extend my range? Like the wizards on TV?
[She pauses the setup, turns her head towards the young man, and squints under her mask.]
LUCIDIA
Are you thinking about the wizard from the Arthurian Legends, Merlin? He uses a staff, not a wand.
LUCAS
Uh, it’s the one where kids go to a hidden school.
LUCIDIA
You mean the one with the trio of girls?
LUCAS
Wha? I thought it’s two boys and one girl… Either way, wouldn’t a wand help?
LUCIDIA
No. The use of wands is now outdated. They’re a novelty relic from a bygone era.
In the modern age, Magi use more practical means of augmentation, such as weapons, clothing, jewellery, and other magitek devices. The miniaturisation of Arcanagrams has opened up a wide array of options not available in ancient times.
By the way, regarding your inquiry on casting range…
[She walks next to Lucas and starts drawing a diagram with magic in the air, using the tip of her index finger as a pen.]
LUCIDIA
Unfortunately you have no Yellow or Orange Aspects to expand your casting range.
The energy levels of the emitted mana correspond roughly to wavelengths of light in the visible spectrum. From shortest to longest wavelength, higher energy to lower energy, it’s Purple then Blue, Cyan, Green, Yellow, Orange and ending with Red. The Blue Aspect by itself thus has the second lowest range.
Now, imagine yourself attempting to lift a load of 100 kilograms from afar. Near the Earth’s surface, gravity exerts a total force of 981 newton on such a load. Work equals force times distance, thus requiring those 981 newtons for every metre of lift.
Furthermore, the required effort scales with the casting distance, in accordance with the dispersal of mana. The further away an object is, the further your reach needs to extend, leading to an exponential loss of energy.
The space where your magic functions is called the ‘field of influence’ and is determined by the quantity of mana within the volume of a sphere. Calculated by taking effective radius cubed times four thirds pi.
At point blank range – directly touching the object in question – your magic operates at 100% efficiency. Near the edges of the field, however, you’ll find near 0% instead. This leads to infinite expenditure, thereby serving as a hard cutoff point for even the best of mages.
Currently, your maximum field of influence has a radius of approximately 1.50 metres, which makes your sphere 14.14 cubic metres. A radius of 1 metre translates into 4.18 cubic metres, which amounts to a total efficiency of 73.08%. Thereby requiring 1.37 times as much mana to produce the same result. At 1.25 metres, this becomes 8.18 cubic metres, 43.75%, and 2.28 times.
In summary, if you were to cast from where you’re standing now, you wouldn’t be able to reach the beanbags. Even up close, at the aforementioned 1 metre, Pythagorean theorem dictates you won’t be able to lift anything beyond 45 degrees.
Also, don’t even consider holding 100 kilograms right above your head. With exertion tallying up over time, the risk of injury is far too high.
All that is why the relay device is required.
CENNA
…Help… My brain is leaking out of my ears… Why does it have to be math? I never needed to compute all that crap when I did my training. I just did what I needed to do, y’know! Feel my limits out.
MEZIL
Hmph. I hope you appreciate these so-called ‘brain-melting unnecessaries’. Without all that specific data, Lucidia wouldn’t have been able to make such a well-crafted module for you.
CENNA
Fair, fair…
LUCAS
Thanks. That was enlightening.
CENNA
Did you really understand all of that?!
LUCAS
Yeah. I get the gist. It’s clearer than a college lecture for sure.
[Once Lucas understands the explanation, Lucidia commands the console to open the ceiling hatch. Beanbags start pouring on top of the relay device until they form a sizable mound.]
CENNA
Say Lucy… How many of those beanbags do you need? Cause those guys ain’t stopping.
LUCIDIA
I inputted a total weight of 100 kilograms, matching the previous example.
CENNA
Damn, that’s a lotta beans! He’s gonna lift them with Blue Magic, right? Ain’t that a bit steep?
LUCIDIA
He tore apart the garden swing just an hour ago.
CENNA
…Forget I said anything. Bring on the beans! Make it 200 kilos!
LUCIDIA
Negative, request denied. I want to acquire a reasonable control sample first.
[While Lucidia is busy, the young man’s curiosity grows. He shuffles closer to his uncle to ask a question, keeping his voice hushed.]
LUCAS
… Is Auntie some kind of a sci-fi magic scientist? The way she speaks and acts is really cyber-techno-ish. Reminds me a lot of a mother-computer AI.
MEZIL
That assessment is not far from the truth, on both fronts. But I shall remind you that she is far from a robot. Beneath her technical speech lies a kind heart.
[The moment she finishes, Lucas quickly slips to his original position, pretending he didn’t ask anything behind his aunt’s back.]
LUCIDIA
The machine is primed. As an extra safety precaution, I have curved the shields for enhanced deflection of out of bounds projectiles. It would be dangerous if any training objects come spiralling in from the side.
You may begin training. Lucas, please try to lift as many bags as you can without relying on your Mark. Keep them together in one heavy clump, anchor the object to one axis of rotation, then attempt to stop the spin.
LUCAS
A-alright.
[Shaking his head to clear his mind, the young man gingerly places his hand back on the console panel. The whole mound of bags begins to shine and float in the air, spinning ever so slowly. However, after some time, bits and pieces start to drift away from the core. Eventually, the structure picks up speed, flattening out into a disc.]
CENNA
Huh? That’s not what I expected at all. I thought it would stay in place like Lucy’s. Or bob up and down like the other students. This is the first time I’ve seen it… go full galaxy mode? Reminds me of the solar system stuff.
MEZIL
That’s to be expected. His Mark is a spiral, thus he’s naturally inclined to express his abilities in that shape.
[Lucas’ brows frown from the exertion. He tries to fix his errors, but he runs out of stamina. The magic dissipates and all pieces drop on the ground.]
LUCAS
Huff… Puff… I tried…
CENNA
That’s an awesome job though! Much better than a ton of newbies already.
LUCIDIA
Commendable effort. It appears that this might be your current upper limit. Scaling upwards without using any Red is not recommended.
LUCAS
Do I have to hit the gym to improve my, uh, telekinesis?
LUCIDA
Negative, the gym is not required. Your magic is plenty powerful as is. I suggest focusing on honing your control instead. With better mastery of Cyan, your range might also improve.
MEZIL
I have a suggestion. Lucas, lift ten sets of 10 kilograms and split your Cyan evenly between them. Peg a single axis of rotation on each separate object.
LUCAS
Okay. I’ll try, even though I don’t really know how.
CENNA
Don’t worry! Magic is like riding a bike. Once you get it, you’ll always get it. The casting becomes second nature.
LUCAS
…If it’s like riding a bike, then the first thing I did when I got my first motorcycle was to drive down a stunt track and crash it.
CENNA
Aw c’mon, don’t be so hard on yourself, man. It’s easier than you think. Imagine a Cyan dot on every group, then imagine balancing ten weights at once. Eventually you’ll get a good sense of when you’re adding too much or too little.
LUCAS
If you say so… Here goes.
[He manages to hold the ten sets of 10 kilograms he lifts for about the same amount of time. After that, the clumps break apart and spin out of control, flying outward yet again. The soft little cushions slap across every wall, including the Green Magic shield.]
LUCAS
Well, that went swimmingly… Maybe I’m just not cut out for this.
MEZIL
Don’t give up yet. Seeing what transpired, I’ve finally understood what Lucidia is trying to accomplish. This test tells me your Blue is limited by the total weight rather than the individual weight of each object.
The trick now is to find your inner equilibrium. I suggest you return to the singular mound of 100 kilograms until you’re able to completely seal its movement.
[Lucas does as he is told. After an hour of attempts, he is able to hold the single full 100 kilograms of beanbags together in a stationary orb. Cenna whistles, impressed by the display.]
CENNA
Hot damn, would you look at that! You could give me a run for my money!
LUCAS
I… I did it. I actually did it…!
LUCIDIA
Congratulations Lucas, you’ve achieved your goal for today. You may rest now.
[Exhausted, Lucas stops casting. Bags cascaded back on the floor. He almost falls backwards, but Cenna manages to catch him.]
CENNA
Easy there, buddy. Don’t push yourself too hard on the first day.
LUCAS
Thanks! I… wow… I thought I would never… hahahaha!
[A glowing smile beams on the young man’s face. Yet at the same time, a teardrop runs down his face.]
CENNA
Are you crying or are you laughing?
MEZIL
Let him savour his victory in peace.
[Pleased by the outcome, Lucidia saves the data and sends it to the Chronograph.]
LUCIDIA
This is excellent progress. We’ll continue this level of training over the next few days. After that, you may follow my husband’s proposal to split the load. Start with two sets 50 kilograms each. Upon every success, we’ll increase the number of sets to four, then six, eight, ten, and so on, while maintaining the same total weight. By the end of the second week, you should be able to stabilise not just one individual beanbag, but many. Is this training course acceptable?
LUCAS
Of course! It feels like I’m doing something right, for once.
[TRANSCRIPT END]