Magic is merely a juvenile concept. I never believed in fairy tales, or in their messages. I simply overlooked them as a pure hoax—a trick to the mind and the soul—a limit to one's imagination and chosen to be insurmountable in nature.
But that doesn't mean I never believed in supernatural phenomena. I am a man of science. Otherwise, if something is unproven, I won't believe it.
The fact that the human body works at such a microlevel, from the tiniest tissue and molecule to such a complex organ that comprises the whole body, is simple, breathtaking. You can't deny the possibility of that outcome, surely? And certainly, you can't just birth creation, even if you were to spend a hundred centuries perfecting a lifeform. Not to mention copying it...
We aren't perfect, much to begin with, but the idea is the same.
But I always say this whenever an author wants to root a concept:
"There is a magical operation of maximum importance; the initiation of a new Aeon. When it becomes necessary to utter a Word, the whole planet must be bathed in an ocean of blood and fire."
Those were the first words of the book I would foretell to a newcomer.
Another line mentioned by a mysterious author:
"Many kingdoms rose and fell on this tract of earth; the one you see now was by no means the first. Anything that has a beginning also has an end. No flame, however brilliant, does not one day splutter and fade. But then, from the ashes, the flame reignites, and a new kingdom is born, sporting a new face, sporting a new hope. It is all a curse. And it is our cursed flesh that will inherit the flame."
In short, the world we live in is dominated by a cursed fate, to be destroyed and rebuilt again and again and again, until life itself ceases to exist.
We are all meant to cease to exist in the end.
However:
"But how can we avoid such a fate? How can we break such a cycle of myriad? This can be only authenticated by the proper use of the arts of magic, the same way our world was built. They call it Magic. The arcane power of immeasurable substances."
See this immeasurable substance. Manipulating matter from one form to another is the central symbol of the mystical terminology of science and art. Symbolizing perfection at its finest, divine illumination, and heavenly evolution. You might have an idea of what I am talking about.
In some manner, this is true. Many books I have read presumed theories of reaching such a prodigious goal could not be achieved because it was all fiction-wise.
Some theorists believe that affirmation of such magic (Mana) is mainly due to one's, or to be exact, people's belief in such power. Their willpower to drive that goal to fruition and make it possible and believable.
If we were to go back a thousand years ago and say that entities that have wings like dragons and birds aren't the only beings capable of flying, whereas, in fact, there is more, nearly no one would believe that sentence; everyone would have called you, back then, a madman.
However, with scientific improvement and advancement (especially with the industrial revolution of the white imperials), it's now possible with the creation of thermal airships that the white scumbags have achieved.
Thus, the theme of flying has changed significantly. The idea that creatures with wings are the only beings who can fly remained, although now humans are capable as well in an indirect way.
The same can be said with magic.
Over the ages, humanity started to believe in the work of a miracle in the form of magic. Life eventually flourished onward, for life was bloomed from magic, the five primes, the five maidens:
On the first clock, a light was born, and so did the life. On the second hour, the wind howled, giving purpose to life and freedom of choice. On the third month, the earth sprouted, giving life its fluence brilliance. On the dawn of the fourth, a fire was born, energy thus harnessed and unwavering determination will breed for tomorrow. And the sixth hour, water brought forth hope.
These five elements gave, in short, the existence of life. Thus, if we believe ourselves to be alive, so does the magic.
The theme of magic was introduced into our consciousness; it is we who intercepted and deciphered it over the eons passed.
However, life wouldn't just flourish so blissfully eternally. Like a flower, it will eventually die out of rot and decay.
This is also where the idea of magic disparity comes in.
As the flower blossomed once again from the ashes, from the one peaceful and tranquil age. A new Kingdom rose, and so Magic has changed.
The first of many, the radiance magic, the power of one's fate in their god to bring forth life and light, guiding the lost into a new dawn, and further inviting the folly to their religion. Through the maiden’s will, their fate remains unbroken.
As light dawned on the new empire, shattering the dragons to mere ashes, the holy power loomed over the new world.
And thus, guilt, innocence, repentance and joy, mourning, and every pain of the soul of all kinds were visibly and tangibly manifested, everywhere and in all of us. Sometimes in the form of blessing and grace, sometimes in the form of punishment and corruption. That divine will, equally pious and cruel, which we could not and will never be able to unravel, was called the holy Miracle of Alya.
The power of the miracle was benevolent in nature yet cruel in the eyes of the wicked. A form of power that burned the shimmers of guilt and doubt away like a fading ember within a champion's bosom, which is precisely what makes their yearning for warmth so keen.
All life and existence of Lands Beyond preceded the holy maiden as some sort of a god that shattered the curtains of darkness away and ignited the world in an enchanting flame. Unironically, the exact opposite of what Alya wanted and in return, drenching the future into a bleak world, devoid of hope and only disparity.
Water was once one whole element of emotions. Now it's nothing more than a shell of what it used to be:
Ice signified the separation of one's emotions and thoughts into one cold being, devoid of all that is love and hatred, sadness and happiness. Something that the white imperials are known for, as if they harbored themselves some kind of a wall to protect themselves from others.
While the water chooses to be more open and susceptible to change, like the tides of the waves, they walk the same path as everyone does these days, bound by fate.
But the glaze remains ceaseless, rigid, and naive.
It is human emotions that speak volumes of its crimes. If one cleanses from it, you are no longer susceptible to graft.
But what would you be then? A demon? Or something worse?
Earth is among the greatest to experience chaotic change.
It all started when the elves suddenly decided to separate from one another. Or it's more fitting to say, the theme of earth and life has changed drastically over the years. That included the humans who harnessed earthy powers. It's not just the elves who committed the crime, after all.
The so-called new golden kingdom nation became gullible, selfish, grudging Aristocats who seemed to forget everything that breeds life on earth from trees and water. Everyone pays attention to the wealth that brought forth their majestic and towering edifice. Forgetting the seeds of the old world.
The wooden elf became connected with trees more than the earth, as they have changed their homes from one place to another over the ages, no longer tied to their ancient homes, and chose the wilderness as their own.
The night elves are much the same, but they are now more connected with the moon spirit, clinging to their dark vengeful nature. They shrouded in the darkness of the moon under their trees as they vindictively hunted down humans and their traitorous brothers.
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The Goldhama, who lost their connection to the earth, became slowly dependent on their technical advancement, buried away underground with their discoveries as they continued to flourish only for them to fade away. Though one might disagree with that approach. Perhaps they became more terrestrial than their brothers? Who knows.
But they all share one common finality, home and tomorrow. But each one shares a distinctive view.
The calling of the cyclone is among the ones to remain fixed to this day.
Accepting one's weakness opens up a new path. If one wants to be freed from the tatters that shackled him down, one must be willing and understand the consequences of walking such a feverish path and the changes it demands.
While on the other hand, thunder calls for tenacity and strength. It demands to fight fire with fire, to face onward at all costs, even if it means facing your creator. But questions beg, for how long are you going to face that foolish view? And how long until the truth is revealed?
Air and lightning share many concepts; however, it depends solely on how one will face such a path. Will he be accepting and welcoming? Or enraged and motivated to walk such a path.
Fire is the element of energy. Passion runs down their spirit to strive for that goal at all costs, regardless of what others may say. Strength of the mind, the body, and the soul to direct their long-lost childhood dream into fruition.
The tribunal of the fire swamp knows too well what I am talking about...
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However, the seed of corruption was already implanted before the dawn of the five primes.
Every element in this world, in the whole existence, has a polar opposite to it. Its shadow, its contradiction.
While these five primes are righteous in nature and virtuous, they can be immoral like every living being in this world.
They call it heresy or the demonic form of the five primes.
Like the sacrificial blood element—emotion driven out of the blood and the desire to walk down the path of the virtue of vampirism!
Other magical incantations hatched like an egg, like the art of necromancy or conjuration, are nowadays considered a heretical art for those untouched by the grace of the blessed ones.
There are a lot of unproven theories suggesting what such magical divergence had occurred. The most acceptable theory to the believers is that the fault lies within those who became corrupted, like how the white imperials had dishonored the water magic and founded ice magic as a separate magical house. The same can be said for the earth element, with its nation divided like a missing piece of the puzzle.
Others assume that the fault is within humanity themselves, that they were the ones who brought this imbalance, that the whole masses who view this world the way it is now of chaos and anarchism reflected on magic, which as we said, represented life and existence.
I will leave it to your interpretation, Umbra.
As for how each person is gifted with such magical potential, it's apparently random. There is no system in which people are more exclusive than others. In a nutshell, it's dependent on luck.
However, there are some studies that associate supernatural events playing a major role in appointing who is to be born with magical potential. For example:
Long ago, during the dark ages when the maiden's powers started to disintegrate, the world was once endangered by a separate faction of demons—they were called demons of the inferno. The inferno demons invaded the elven world. They were on the brink of utter complete genocide and extinction. But one elven empress, none other than the elven maiden Selen Lindir, later changed to Selen of Ithil, on one dark night, sang a rhythmical song that was said to be so powerful that it shook the moon to half, creating a cosmic imbalance throughout the stars and planets. Meteorites rained down on what was once called terra firma, killing everything as it landed; nearly the whole inferno legion was wiped out in an instant.
They won, but at the cost of their homeland being ravaged and disintegrated, becoming nothing but a dead wasteland, barely suitable for living purposes. But in return, the empress had to sacrifice her life and offer her soul, to whatever entity guarded the moon, to become the new spirit watcher of the moon as punishment for the transaction.
In return, the void of course, the moon, and the night elves were born with a new gift, the gift of the moon. Supposedly a blessing by Selen of Ithil. Some theories suggested that while the moon bloomed over the world, her songs reached the ears of the living. And thus, the elves were gifted with lunar power.
Those who knew of the moon goddess and believed in her are the ones who were gifted, yet till this day, no human ever existed who was blessed by the moon spirit.
On that certain day, each age passes by new numbers of elven mostly, and fairly few numbers of human believers would be gifted with lunar magic as they are born into this world.
Other occurrences and similar theme events shared the same purpose on specific days, weeks, and months. Through the year. Such as a familiar case you and I both know, The Wrath of Muradin. Where during this short period, Titians are born further and even humans are gifted with powers to lift the mightiest weapons and armor.
Other factors play a role in determining who has a magical potential or not like genetics, which is unexplained till this day.
It seems the whole world is played under the principle of collective unconsciousness a lot more than I imagined, in fact nearly everything going on here goes in accordance with the mass's reaction to such events.
The spawn of demons, the magical system.
I remember in my old days I was deeply inversed in the Jungian psychology of archetypes.
He presumed such theories that archetypes define humanity itself. Things like the twelve archetypes; The Innocent, Everyman, Hero, Outlaw, Explorer, Creator, Ruler, Magician, Lover, Caregiver, Jester, and Sage.
His work would have been believable if only theme magic did exist in our world. Something this world made it possible.
While some people are born with magical potential, they differ from one another. That doesn’t mean that everyone here in this world doesn’t have mana.
Mana as it described an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us. It binds the galaxy and living beings together.
If the five primes were the ones who gave life and its meaning, via magical powers of the five goddesses. Then by that logic, the magic exists within every single living being in this world, in the form called mana.
Mana is a tool that enables one to connect with one of the five elements or even more. However, as mentioned earlier each and every one has potentializing more than others which would create this differentiation by unexplained third-party involvement.
Begs the question, how to harness this magical power and increase your mana capacity?
Once the mage becomes acknowledged with his or her embryonical magical power, in a way the mind becomes aware of the body's capabilities. They must first establish the connection between the two prims, this is done by the soul. The soul, the essence for someone to exist must inaugurate the meaning of his or her existence with the body and the mind.
For example;
If someone was born with fire aptness. They first must acknowledge their power which is said to be revealed at some point in Their childhood/teenage age. This is not current understanding but some suggest it is treated the same way as puberty. Apparently, there are some studies trying to associate biological and magical senses that are still in working theories to this day.
Once they are, they undergo heavy strenuous training for a period of their life where the aim is to connect the mind (the realization) and the body (In this case the capability to cast fire element) through the soul (The purpose) the bridge between the two previous mentioned primes.
This is also a debatable topic, as a concurrent question of what is that purpose. Such purpose could be unspecified objective or desire.
Returning back to the fire user, his or her goal could be anything. From saving people’s lives or killing them, as in war. Using his magic skills for self-interest like thievery and murder. Even in psychic deterioration, be it psychosis, depression, or fear.
The idea remains the same, as long as spirits cling to life with a certain desire. He or she always be able to cast magic.
You could lie to yourself about your true desire or inner self and still be able to perform and consume mana. However, as of strength and power of the element that’s dependable on the same person.
This is where the theme of self-individuation. the unification of consciousness and unconsciousness in a person and representing the psyche as a whole.
Once it is established, he or she reaches the deepest part of their magical essence, their primal force of living and breathing.
So, in the case of the one who cloaks themselves behind a false desire, their magical power will be weaker in comparison to the true self.
There are other ways to improve your mana capacity aside from physical training or psychological. The old traditional way, broadening your mind.
The body is the essence or the potential to produce such power, whereas the mind is the storehouse of your magical power. Where you transform the unconscious form of magic into consciousness. Interpreting them and then implementing them into the real world.
By that logic, everything that develops the mind into a higher state will automatically have a higher mana capacity in comparison who don’t learn.
The easiest example is studying and reading books. Like any would say the more you learn the more adaptive and ingenious you become. Thus, the stronger your manpower will be.
This is not limited to studying of course. For example; you can be a Merchant trader who is well known for making good business and good persuading ability. Even if he or she isn't a mage, they will have a large mana capacity.
The same can be said for swordsmen, who have no connection to magic whatsoever. However, they can still use their mana energy in a different way. Namely the weapon arts. Meaning they can use techniques that are considered abnormal or unnatural to human capabilities. Welding weapons that otherwise require to have the strength of a titan-like.
But out of every unique form of magic, there is one that caught me the most of all. One that goes against every concept this world and the many worlds stand for.
The power of the warp, the endless void. The Eldrich horror that knows no boundaries, the power of cosmic sorcery.
The power to summon meteorites, to summon the stars! To create black holes! To bring forth celestial mountains and cliffs, painting the world like a canvas! To teleport from one dismission to another! To mutate and evolve to a higher principle! To break time and space!
The endless ocean of nihility itself!
The cosmic power of the upper Aeon!