Barfi woke up as usual, jumping out of his bed with his mischievous energy. The first thing he did was telepathically say, "Good morning, Neha!" It had become a habit over the past three days, and little did he know that Neha would respond with a mental greeting every time. It was their quirky morning ritual.
Lately, Barfi had been having dreams about sitting on a mountain and practicing meditation. In these dreams, a wise old man named Akashi guided him to tap into a mystical energy called mana. Sometimes Barfi wondered if it was all real, but he couldn't deny that he had been unknowingly practicing the techniques Akashi taught him in his dreams in real life as well.
After their daily dose of pranks in the castle, Barfi would retreat to his room in the evenings for his secret meditation sessions. As he delved deeper into his practice, he could feel a strange sensation, like a cool liquid entering his body without his control. At first, he tried to resist it, but the liquid seemed to have a mind of its own, flowing in and out of him unpredictably.
However, Barfi had devised his own method based on Akashi's teachings. He would create a whirlpool-like motion in his stomach using the natural acid, which attracted the mysterious liquid. As the liquid made contact with the acid, it would evaporate, transforming into a gaseous form that travelled through his body. Little did Barfi know that this enigmatic substance was none other than mana itself.
Since the age of four, Barfi had diligently practiced this ritual every day, keeping it a secret from his family. He couldn't explain why, but it felt important to him, a secret power waiting to be unlocked. Once he was done with his practice that morning, he headed outside to find Tanisha.
As Barfi stepped out of his room, he spotted Tanisha soaring through the air with her impressive air magic. Imagining all the pranks he could pull while soaring through the sky.He called out to Tanisha, "Tanisha, Tanisha!"
Tanisha turned her head and replied, "What is it, Barfi?"
Barfi wasted no time and blurted, "I want to fly!"
Tanisha, with a playful grin on her face, interrupted him, "Barfi, remember, when you're making a request, you have to say 'please.'"
Barfi….
Barfi rolled his eyes, understanding the game, and reluctantly said, "Please."
Tanisha, enjoying her teasing role, added, "Please what?"
Barfi…
Barfi fillay responded, "Please, Tanisha, can you teach me how to fly?"
With a mischievous sparkle in her eyes, Tanisha shook her head, replying, "Nope."
Barfi…
Tanisha also wanted to teach Barfi, but she knew that only those blessed with the air magic class could command the air using mana. It was a universal law that those without the class couldn't control it, no matter how hard they tried. Not wanting to disappoint Barfi further, Tanisha decided to find comforting words to soothe him. However, when she prepared to speak, Barfi was nowhere to be found.
Barfi had made up his mind to seek his mother, Emily, and ask her instead. Determined, he headed towards Emily's room. As he knocked on the door, he heard his mother's voice inviting him in. Upon entering, he noticed another woman in her mid-30s with white hair, grey eyes, and thin lips with pointy ears an elf. She appeared to be a guest or an acquaintance of Emily's.
Without saying a word, Barfi immediately went up to Emily and embraced her. It was his way of seeking forgiveness, even though he didn't realize it himself. Emily, surprised by the early morning hug, wondered what mischief Barfi had gotten into this time. To her surprise, Barfi spoke up, saying, "I want to learn how to fly."
Emily understood that Barfi was envious of Tanisha's ability to fly and wanted to learn it as well. However, as his mother, Emily had reservations about Barfi delving into magic, especially now when his talents could potentially be used as a powerful force at the border. She pondered an alternative approach, thinking that perhaps she could engage Barfi in literary pursuits to divert his attention from magic.
Emily explained to Barfi that in order to learn magic, he first needed to understand how to read and write. She introduced him to his new teacher, Emma Moore, who was a friend of Emily's. With a smile, Emma greeted Barfi, saying, "Hi Barfi, I am your mom's friend, and it will be my pleasure to teach you."
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Barfi simply nodded in response, showing his usual lack of emotion. Emma quickly realized that Barfi was not much of a talker and decided to adapt her teaching style accordingly. She said, "Barfi, if you're free, shall we start learning the alphabet now?"
As Emma walked into the classroom, she couldn't shake the feeling that Barfi was up to something. She greeted him with a smile and said, "Alright, Barfi, today we're going to dive into the wonderful world of alphabets! Are you ready?"
Barfi, with his usual emotionless face, simply nodded in response. Emma couldn't help but wonder what mischief was brewing behind that stoic expression.
As they began their lesson, Emma reached for her pen, only to find it mysteriously missing. She turned around, and there was Barfi, his innocent eyes fixed on her. "Barfi, did you happen to see my pen?" she asked, trying to hide her suspicion.
Barfi shrugged, his face giving away nothing. But Emma knew he was behind the disappearing act.
Undeterred, Emma grabbed another pen and continued teaching. But as she turned her back again, the alphabet flashcards seemed to rearrange themselves. Letters jumped from one card to another, leaving Emma bewildered. She turned around to find Barfi pretending to focus intently on his lesson.
"Barfi, did you see what just happened to the flashcards?" Emma asked, trying to catch him off guard.
Barfi's expression remained unchanged, his poker face unyielding. "No" he replied calmly.
Determined not to let Barfi's pranks distract her, Emma approached the whiteboard to write a sentence. To her surprise, the words she penned seemed to come alive, jumbling and rearranging themselves into hilarious nonsense. Emma turned around, suspecting Barfi's involvement once again.
"Barfi, did you have anything to do with this word magic?" she asked, trying to keep a straight face.
Barfi maintained his emotionless demeanor
Unbeknownst to Emma, Tanisha's mischievous wind magic was also at play. She giggled in the corner, secretly aiding Barfi in his pranks. Emma couldn't help but chuckle at their antics. Emma who is also literary teachers of Tanisha deduce beforehand her involvement, but to make it more lively she played along.
"Alright, you two. Let's turn this into a game. Let's see if you can unscramble the words on the board!" saying that she called Tansiha to join as well.
With renewed energy, Emma and Barfi and Tanisha engaged in a lively game of word puzzles, laughter filling the classroom. As they untangled the comical sentences, Barfi's stoic expression never wavered.
Barfi, still maintaining his emotionless facade, couldn't help but impress Emma with his clever pranks. Emma marveled at his ability to bring laughter without showing any signs of amusement himself.
Their interactive lessons continued, with Barfi's pranks adding an extra layer of excitement and laughter. Emma realized that behind Barfi's emotionless exterior was a mischievous spirit longing for playful connection.
After nearly 40 days of dedicated teaching, Emma was thrilled to see Barfi's progress in reading and writing. She decided to take their lessons to the next level by introducing geography and math.
So she asked Tanish to join as well in the classes now Emma can teach both of them simultaneously.
As Emma posed a challenging geography question, Barfi appeared lost in thought, his emotionless face betraying no clues. Suddenly, Barfi, without uttering a word, began drawing on a piece of paper. His pen danced across the page, sketching a remarkably accurate map that showcased his deep understanding of geography. Emma and Tanisha watched in astonishment as Barfi effortlessly answered the question through his artistic interpretation.
Tanisha, usually the one to excel academically, found herself stupefied by her brother's seemingly innate knowledge. She had spent hours studying and preparing, while Barfi appeared to be playing all the time. Yet, there he was, effortlessly demonstrating a mastery of geography without any formal learning.
Emma, trying to comprehend Barfi's unique approach, couldn't help but burst into laughter. "Barfi, you've managed to surprise us once again! Who knew that drawing maps was your secret talent?" she exclaimed.
Barfi simply shrugged, maintaining his emotionless façade. He had never mentioned his secret link with Neha, nor did he reveal how he effortlessly absorbed knowledge through their telepathic connection. It was his silent advantage, a hidden trump card that he played with skillful precision.
With each question, Barfi continued to astonish Emma and leave Tanisha scratching her head in disbelief. His answers were always spot-on, delivered with an air of nonchalance. Barfi had an uncanny ability to tap into his hidden well of knowledge, effortlessly weaving together facts and insights without showing any outward signs of effort.
Tanisha, determined to unravel the mystery, observed Barfi intently during their lessons. She couldn't comprehend how he absorbed information without actively reading or studying. It was as if he possessed a secret well of knowledge that he tapped into whenever needed.
Meanwhile, Barfi continued his silent partnership with Neha, exchanging information and effortlessly acing each quiz. Their telepathic connection remained their little secret, a bond that propelled Barfi's academic prowess without anyone suspecting a thing.
As the days went by, Tanisha's perplexity grew. If someone could answer what was taught in class, they were considered good learners. If someone could solve complex mathematical questions, they were hailed as geniuses. But how could Barfi answer questions about geography, which were completely new to him? This thought freaked her out.
Tanisha had spent hours studying geography, even though it bored her to preserve her pride as the big sister. She was determined to study even harder. However, when the next day's class arrived, Emma asked a question, and to Tanisha's astonishment, Barfi answered it correctly without any mistakes.
This only deepened Tanisha's curiosity and made her question the unfairness of life. She wanted to know the secret behind Barfi's sudden knowledge. Unable to bear it any longer, Tanisha mustered the courage to ask Barfi, "Hi Barfi, can you teach me how you answered the question without studying?"
Barfi, with his emotionless face, replied, "Then say please."
Tanisha understood what Barfi was up to, but with a glimmer of hope, she earnestly asked, "Please, Barfi. Can you teach me how you answered the question without studying?"
To her surprise, Barfi responded with his signature poker face, "I am a genius."