Brush, brush, brush. Adrian worked the brush against the stone floor, hands moving in steady circles as he scrubbed away dirt that had collected from the day’s activities. The faint scent of soap mixed with the cool, earthy smell of the convent walls, and small suds formed in trails as he moved. The work was tedious, but he pushed through. I'll be done with this soon.

Next to him, Seven tackled her part of the floor with determined focus, her tiny hands scrubbing vigorously. Every now and then, she’d look over at Adrian with a look of anticipation.

Her face was smudged with a streak of dirt, and the sleeves of her tunic were damp from where she’d accidentally dipped them into the bucket. She looked like she was holding her breath, ready to ask him something but holding back, just barely.

Finally, with one last wipe, Adrian set his brush down and wiped his forehead, catching his breath. The floor now shone in patches, free from dirt and dust. As he straightened up, he caught Seven’s gaze fixed on him, her eyes wide and expectant.

Adrian let out a long, quiet sigh. Of course.

Adrian held Seven’s gaze for a moment, then nodded, letting out a short sigh. “All right, I’ll teach you soon."

Seven’s face lit up instantly, a broad grin spreading across her face. “Really? Thank you, Adrian!”

“Hold on,” he said, raising a hand to temper her enthusiasm. “We still have to finish cleaning. Can’t leave it half-done, or the nuns will have us scrubbing floors all day tomorrow too.”

Seven nodded eagerly, dipping her brush back into the bucket. They scrubbed side by side, working quickly, the room falling into a rhythm of splashing water and brushes against stone.

Within a short time, they had wiped down the floors, rinsed their brushes, and tidied up the scattered supplies. When the last bucket was emptied, Adrian straightened up, brushing his hands off on his tunic.

Then, the two went outside where the cool evening air greeted them, fresh with the earthy scent of the woods bordering the convent. Adrian led the way toward a small clearing just within the tree line, a secluded spot nestled between tall pines and oak trees. The only sounds were the gentle rustling of leaves and the faint call of a night bird somewhere deeper in the forest.

Here, away from curious eyes, Adrian felt more comfortable explaining the basics of magic. “Now that you can control your mana core, the next thing you need to learn is sensing.”

Seven tilted her head. “How do I do that?”

Adrian paused, considering how best to explain it. “First, close your eyes. Then, draw just a little bit of power from your mana core. Let it flow, but don’t force it. Just let it connect with whatever’s around you.”

Seven nodded, closing her eyes with a look of intense concentration. She took a slow, deep breath, shoulders relaxing as she focused inward. Adrian could sense her mana core sparking to life, its energy reaching out like small tendrils around her.

For a few moments, she remained silent. Then, her lips parted in a quiet gasp. “Wow… your mana core is… really bright, Adrian.”

He tensed slightly and put a finger to his lips. “Keep it down, and keep focusing. There’s more for you to sense.”

Seven nodded, her excitement contained but still evident in the small smile on her face. She let her focus drift outward, her mana reaching past Adrian. After a few moments, she whispered. “I see… smaller lights, who do those belong to?”

Adrian gave a small nod of approval. “They probably belong to the nuns. Their auras are softer and more subtle, but since you’re practicing, you’re noticing them.”

Seven’s face tightened with concentration as she scanned the area. Her nose wrinkled slightly, and she opened her eyes, a bit of disappointment creeping into her expression. “I can’t sense anything else."

“That’s normal, everyone has a certain range for sensing. The more you practice, the further out you’ll be able to sense. But that takes time.”

“So it’s like… training a muscle?”

“Exactly, you can’t expect it to go far right away. But over time, you’ll start noticing more things, even from a distance."

Seven nodded eagerly, her earlier disappointment replaced with fresh determination. “I’ll practice every day! I want to get good at this.”

Adrian watched her for a moment, feeling an unexpected pride in her dedication. “Good, with enough practice, you’ll get there."

“What else can you teach me?” Seven asked.

Adrian scratched the back of his head, thinking it over. She’s already managed to channel and sense her mana, he reflected, a bit surprised at her progress.

Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

“Since you can already channel and sense magic, the last basic step is learning how to emit it."

“Emit it?”

Adrian nodded and held up a hand, concentrating. A small flame flickered to life at the tip of his finger, casting a warm glow between them. “Emitting magic means taking the energy from your mana core and projecting it out into the physical world,” he explained, letting the flame dance briefly before extinguishing it.

Seven watched, her expression filled with awe. “I understand!”

“Hold on,” Adrian interjected, raising a hand to stop her. “Before you try that, we need to figure out what your magical affinity is. Your affinity determines which type of magic you’ll be best at using, so it’s important to know it first.”

"How will we find out what mine is?”

“There are a few ways to do it, but I’ll show you the simplest way.”

He looked around at the ground around them, spotting a few fallen twigs scattered nearby. “Pick up a branch or twig.”

Seven scrambled forward, searching the forest floor until she found a suitable twig. She handed it to Adrian, her eyes filled with curiosity.

Taking the twig, Adrian drew a circle in the dirt in front of them. Around the edge, he carefully etched symbols for the different schools of magic, placing each one around the circle like points on a compass.

“These symbols represent the schools of magic: Augmentation, Evocation, Abjuration, Transmutation, Conjuration, Illusion, and Divination. Each one corresponds to a direction.”

Adrian placed the twig in the center of the circle and looked at Seven. “I’ll go first, just to show you how it works,” he said, placing his hand on the twig.

“When I channel my magic through it, the twig will point toward my strongest affinity.”

Concentrating, Adrian channeled his mana through the twig. The tip glowed blue and tilted, moving steadily toward the symbol for Evocation. He lifted his hand and looked at Seven. “See? It pointed to Evocation, which means I have a strong affinity for that type of magic.”

Seven looked at him with wide eyes, processing the information. “Hmm, but what if someone has two affinities?”

“Good question,” Adrian replied, nodding with approval. “If someone has multiple affinities, the branch will start spinning around uncontrollably. This test isn’t very sophisticated, so it just picks up on the strongest affinity or spins if there’s more than one.”

Seven’s eyes sparkled with excitement. “Can I try?”

“Go ahead,” Adrian said, stepping back to give her space. “Once the glow on the twig fades, put your hand on it and try channeling your magic through the branch. It’s good practice for emitting magic too.”

Seven took a deep breath, placing her hand on the twig and closing her eyes. Concentrating, she allowed her mana to flow, her expression intense with focus. Slowly, the twig’s tip started to change, the glow turning into a faint, dark hue. The twig crackled slightly as the tip blackened, rotting and decaying, before it pointed resolutely toward the Abjuration symbol.

Adrian’s eyes widened at the sight. Surprising, but maybe it should be expected. Given how her mana core seems to naturally want to absorb magic, Seven having an affinity for a school of magic that focuses on dispelling magic isn't too far off.

“I did it! So… I have an affinity for Abjuration?” Seven asked excitedly.

Adrian felt a momentary lapse of words as he processed what he’d just witnessed. “Uh, yeah,” he stammered. “Not only do you have a strong affinity for Abjuration, but… it’s specifically for the dispelling side of it.”

Seven’s brow furrowed in thought, then she asked, “Is that because of my mana core?”

“Probably. You see, Abjuration has two main aspects. One side focuses on protection: shields, barriers, that sort of thing. The other is about dispelling and countering magic, taking away or neutralizing the power of other spells. You’re more inclined toward the second one.” Adrian explained.

“So, what does that mean for me?”

“Well, it means you’ll have an easier time dismantling magic rather than creating it. That’s probably why the twig rotted, it reflected your core’s ability to cancel or weaken energy around it, instead of projecting it outward like most mages.”

“Does that mean I won’t be able to cast spells the way you do?”

“Not exactly, but it does mean that emitting magic might be trickier. Dispelling magic isn’t the same as producing it. Your core’s nature is to draw in and break apart energy, not necessarily send it out. But you can still learn; it’ll just take practice.”

“So, it’s harder, but not impossible?”

“Right. And there’s something all mages can do, no matter their affinity. It’s a basic exercise, think of it as just making your mana visible.”

Adrian held up his hand, focusing briefly on the energy in his mana core. A small, warm glow appeared at his fingertips, like a tiny floating ember. “This is a light spell, something any mage regardless of affinity can do. Try channeling the energy to your fingers, like you did with the twig.”

Seven watched closely, nodding with determination. She raised her hand, brows furrowed as she focused inward. Adrian observed her closely, watching her breathing steady and her eyes close as she searched for that familiar energy within her.

But the space around her fingers remained dark, her brow creasing deeper with frustration. She looked at her hand, willing the glow to appear, but nothing happened. Finally, she let out a small sigh, her shoulders slumping.

“It’s not working, I tried to do what you said, but there’s… nothing.” Seven said with a frown.

Adrian scratched his chin thoughtfully. Her core’s nature really must be affecting this, he thought.

“It’s okay. With your affinity, it’ll probably take a bit longer to draw magic to the surface like this. The key is not to force it. It’s more like… coaxing it gently, allowing the mana to gather without dispersing.” Adrian said.

Seven took a deep breath, her face resolute as she raised her hand once more, her eyes reflecting both hope and focus. But again, despite her best efforts, her fingers remained dark, the energy staying stubbornly out of sight.

Adrian placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “Hey, don’t worry. Dispelling magic is your strength, and it’s different from emitting magic outward. But with time, you’ll find ways to work with it.”