Code stepped into the room, his eyes scanning the space with a mix of curiosity and caution. The air was thick with the scent of old books and dust, and the flickering candles cast eerie shadows on the walls. Van, seated on a worn, velvet sofa, raised his hand, beckoning Code closer. His face was hidden behind his black, silk mask, its edges intricately embroidered with silver thread. "Here, take this," he said, his voice low and gravelly, as he passed Code a very thin, long thread.

The thread sparkled in the candlelight, its surface reflecting the flames like a tiny, golden snake. Code took the thread, his eyes fixed on it in confusion, his fingers wrapping around it with a mix of fascination and trepidation.

"Um...so what do I do with this?" Code asked, his tone inquisitive, his brow furrowed in concentration. He turned the thread over in his hand, studying it from every angle, searching for some hidden clue.

Van let out a loud yawn, his jaw stretching wide behind the mask. "Oh...yeah, cut the thread..." His voice trailed off, and he nodded, his chin dipping toward his chest.

Code's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Cut the thread?" he repeated, a hint of humor in his voice, his lips curling into a wry smile. He glanced at Van, expecting some further explanation, but Van's masked face revealed nothing.

Code watched Van, his mind whirling with questions, before letting out a deep breath. He thought to himself, "I was worried about some thread-cutting training...Nara must have been joking." A wry chuckle escaped his lips, but it was short-lived.

A nagging feeling persisted, making Code wonder if Nara had been right. He shrugged it off, thinking, "Who can't cut a thread? This shouldn't take long." With newfound determination, Code grasped the thread with both hands, ready to snap it.

But as he stretched the thread, he noticed something odd. It felt stiff, like pulling a string of steel. Code's eyes narrowed, his brow furrowed in concentration. He tried stretching it again, but the result was the same. The thread felt soft to the touch, but when he pulled it, it became rigid.

"Uhn?" Code muttered, staring at the thread in surprise, his voice barely above a whisper. He turned the thread over in his hand, studying it from every angle, searching for some hidden clue, his mind racing with questions.

Code tried stretching the thread again, his determination to find a way to cut it growing with each failed attempt. He attempted various methods, each one more creative than the last. First, he tied one end of the thread to the wall, the wooden post creaking slightly as he pulled on the other end. The thread remained stubbornly intact, refusing to yield to Code's efforts.

Undeterred, Code tried another approach. He placed one end of the thread in his mouth, the fibers tickling his lips as he pulled on the other end. The thread stretched, but still it didn't break. Code's frustration grew, his face screwing up in concentration.

He tried a few more methods, each one ending in failure. Code let out a deep sigh, the sound echoing through the room. "Arrrgh!" he exclaimed, his frustration boiling over.

Just as he was about to give up, an idea struck him. A sly grin spread across his face as he thought, "I'll place a part of the thread on the candle fire. That should do it." The candle flame danced on the table, casting flickering shadows on the walls.

With newfound confidence, Code carefully moved towards the candle. He gently placed the thread on the flame, holding it firmly from both ends. The thread sparkled in the firelight, its fibers seeming to glow with an inner light.

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In an instant, the thread began to burn. The fire spread rapidly, the flames dancing across its length. Code's eyes widened in surprise as he dropped the thread. He hadn't expected the entire thread to ignite so quickly.

As he watched, Code's surprise turned to confusion. At first glance, it seemed like the thread was burning, the flames consuming it with a fierce intensity. But upon closer inspection, Code realized that the thread itself was emitting the fire. The flames danced across its length, yet the thread remained intact, unscathed by the blaze.

The fire crackled and spat, casting a warm glow over the room. Code stared at the thread, his mind racing with questions. What was this strange thread? And how was it emitting fire without being consumed by it?

Before he knew it, the fire had spread across the floor, engulfing the scraps of paper and casting a warm, golden glow over the room. Code stared, his face a mixture of fear and surprise, as the flames danced and crackled. The air was thick with the acrid smell of burning paper, and the heat was starting to intensify.

Quickly, Code sprang into action, grabbing a cup of water from the table and rushing to pour it over the strange fire.

Just as he was about to pour, Van suddenly woke up from his slumber on the sofa, his masked face turning towards the fire. The candlelight danced across the black silk mask, casting eerie shadows on the walls.

Slowly, Van turned his head to Code, his eyes gleaming behind the mask. But in an instant, his demeanor changed, and he screamed, "No, no, don't pour it!" His voice was muffled slightly by the mask, but its urgency was unmistakable. Code's heart skipped a beat as he hesitated, the cup hovering above the flames.

Luckily, Code heard Van's warning just in time, and he quickly turned the cup, preventing the water from pouring. But however, a single drop of water slipped from the cup, and Code stared at it in horror, knowing he couldn't catch it. Time seemed to slow down as the drop fell, its trajectory heading straight for the burning thread.

In that instant, as the water drop was about to land on the burning thread, Van suddenly appeared right in front of Code, his movements almost imperceptible. A slight flash of air rippled through the room as Van stretched out his hand, catching the drop of water mid-air. The mask glinted in the firelight as Van's face turned onto Code's, their intensity making Code's heart pound in his chest.

Code's eyes widened in awe at the sight of this incredible feat. He knew Van was right behind him a second ago, but how he appeared right in front of him, Code couldn't explain. The room seemed to hold its breath as Code stared at Van, his mind reeling with questions.

Van stared at the fire, his masked face expressionless, before turning to Code. "Good griefs, you could have killed us all," Van said, his voice stern, but a hint of amusement dancing in his tone. Code, still surprised, muttered "Oh...I...I didn't know," his voice barely above a whisper.

Van sighed and replied, "You don't have to feel so bad, most people would do the same thing. Well, maybe not most people, but definitely you." He clapped Code's back reassuringly.

While Van was talking to Code, Code noticed that the thread was still burning, its flames flickering across the floor, casting a pale yellow glow on the ground. "It's still burning," Code exclaimed, as he stretched his hand towards the thread.

Van turned back, and stared at the flame for a few seconds, then he replied, "Leave it, it'll die by itself. Or maybe it'll just get bored and leave." His tone was indifferent, but Code's eyes widened in concern.

"Eh?" Code muttered, his face a picture of disbelief. The room was silent for a few seconds, punctuated by the sound of the burning thread. Code kept staring at it, expecting the fire to subside, but it kept raging on.

Van walked towards the table and picked another strand of thread. "Take," he said, as he stretched the thread to Code. Code hesitated, his confidence shaken by his earlier failure. "I don't think I can cut it," he answered, as he shook his head.

Van's masked face turned towards Code, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "Arrrgh...good griefs. Anyone should be able to do that. Well, anyone except you, apparently." He collected the thread from Code and raised it, holding one end upwards.

Code stared at Van, his eyes fixed intently on the thread. He looked closely, thinking that maybe there was a trick to cutting the thread that he didn't know. With his eyes focused on the thread, he wasn't going to let any clues go by, no matter what.

But before he could notice anything, the thread snapped into two at its middle.

"Uh?" Code exclaimed, as his eyes widened in surprise. He was stunned at how the thread he battled with for hours was snapped instantly in less than a second.

Code opened his mouth, and the words "how did you do that?" rushed out, his eyes coated with awe. Van chuckled, his masked face glinting with amusement. "That's basic sorcery, I'm surprised you couldn't do that. I mean, I've seen snails do this in less than a minute."

Van's tone was mocking, but Code felt a sting of embarrassment. He knew he should have been able to cut the thread, but he had failed miserably. "How did you become a sorcerer when you didn't even know the simplest basics of sorcery?" Van teased, his laughter echoing through the room.

Code's face burned with embarrassment, and he retorted, "Tch...I'll have you know, I'm a great sorcerer. I've just...uh...been having a bad day. Yeah, that's it." But his mind was a mix of guilt and shame. A part of him knew Van was right, while the other felt really embarrassed.

Van's laughter subsided, and he sighed. "Arrrgh...alright, let's get back to training. Maybe we can teach you some basic techniques. Like...uh...how to make a decent cup of tea.", he said, as he burst into laughter again.

Code raised his brows, this time he was angry. "Really, it isn't that funny," he said as he pouted.

Finally, Van's laughter subsided with a long sigh. "Alright, let's get started", he said, as he walked back to the sofa.