The next morning, sunlight streamed through the window of Lance’s dorm room, waking him earlier than usual. He stretched, feeling both excited and a bit nervous. Today, he would practice Lesser Gust—his first real step into magic.

Oliver was still fast asleep on the other side of the room, snoring quietly. Not wanting to disturb him, Lance grabbed the spell guide from his desk and quietly slipped out into the hallway. He needed to find a place where he could focus.

William’s voice nudged into his thoughts, dripping with confidence. “Good, up early. I expect nothing less from my mage. Let’s see how you handle this today.”

Lance found a small, quiet courtyard on campus. It was early enough that the space was deserted. The morning air was cool and fresh, with just the faintest hint of wind—perfect for practicing. He sat down on a bench, flipping open the spell guide to the section on Lesser Gust.

As he read through the instructions, confusion crept in. “What exactly am I supposed to do?” he muttered to himself.

“You can’t just will it into existence,” William replied, his tone slightly mocking. “You have to create a spell flow.”

Lance furrowed his brow, still unsure. “Spell flow? What do you mean?”

“Think of it like guiding water through a pipe. You need to create a specific path for the lifestream to follow. It’s all about the flow. And you’re going to need to be better at it than this.”

He nodded slowly, trying to wrap his head around the concept. “So, I need to visualize how the energy should move?”

“Exactly! There’s a pattern in the spell guide. You have to shape the lifestream into that pattern. Easy-peasy .”

Lance flipped through the pages until he found the diagram for Lesser Gust. It depicted a spiral pattern, but the lines were almost abstract, swirling in a way that felt complex. He sighed, feeling the weight of expectation. “This looks… complicated.”

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“Pfft, complicated? You’ll get it. Just focus on that pattern and feel the energy in your palm. You’ve already learned to channel it; now you need to direct it.”

Taking a deep breath, Lance held out his

Lance nodded, trying to shake off his initial nerves. He opened the spell guide, its pages filled with intricate patterns that depicted how to manipulate the lifestream. The concept was still a bit murky, but he felt a flicker of determination ignite within him.

“Okay, I can do this,” he said quietly to himself, holding out his palm. He concentrated, feeling the lifestream gather, but instead of a gust, he only managed a sputter of air.

With excitement bubbling over, he jumped up from the bench. “I did it! It worked! I did magic!”

“Wow, magical farts! Impressive!” William replied, his tone laced with sarcasm.

Lance huffed, shaking his head at his companion's humor. “Alright, alright, I’ll get it this time.” He took a deep breath and tried again.

But again, only a weak puff of air emerged, barely enough to rustle the leaves nearby. “No! Come on!” He felt a mix of frustration and determination wash over him.

As the hours passed, Lance continued to practice. With each attempt, he felt his connection to the lifestream growing stronger, though the results varied. A few more sputters later, and he felt like he was getting closer. He could see the spell flow in his mind, spiraling gracefully as the guide illustrated, but executing it proved challenging.

“Focus, Lance,” William urged. “You’re almost there. Just visualize the flow and let the lifestream guide you.”

Finally, as the sun began its descent in the sky, casting a golden hue over the courtyard, Lance took a moment to regroup. He gathered all the energy he could, channeling it into his palm, concentrating on the movement of the lifestream as depicted in the guide.

With a final deep breath, he pushed the energy outwards. This time, a small gust burst forth from his palm, strong enough to send a few scattered leaves spiraling into the air. The wind swirled around him for about five seconds before sputtering out, leaving him breathless.

“Yes! Yes!” he shouted, excitement bubbling over once more. “I did it! I really did it!”

“Now that’s what I’m talking about!” William laughed. “You’ve got it! Just imagine what you’ll be able to do with a bit more practice!”

Leaning back on the bench, panting but filled with accomplishment, Lance couldn’t help but smile.