The air was thick with tension as Mia crossed her arms, glaring at Kei. They stood at opposite ends of their makeshift workshop, with notebooks, tools, and Essence-infused materials scattered between them. For the first time in a long while, the usual lighthearted banter was nowhere to be found.
“You’re going to learn Runes,” Mia said, her voice firm and unyielding.
Kei raised his hands in mock surrender, taking a step back. “Look, we’ve been over this. Runes are boring. They’re just glorified doodles with rules. I’m a crafter, not a calligrapher.”
Mia’s eyes narrowed, and she took a step forward. “You’re a crafter with a mind for precision and patterns. You’re perfectly suited for Runes, and you know it.”
Kei turned on his heel and started to walk away. “Nope. Not happening. I’ll stick to crafting.”
“Kei,” Mia called, her voice dangerously calm. “Your parents are paying me to teach you, whether you want it or not.”
Kei froze mid-step, turning back to face her with wide eyes. “You’re kidding.”
Mia smirked, the faintest glimmer of mischief in her eyes. “Do I look like I’m kidding?”
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THE CHASE
The next few minutes were a blur of chaos. Kei bolted, sprinting down the beach as fast as his legs could carry him. Mia sighed, shaking her head before raising a hand. Her Essence flared briefly, and the ground beneath Kei shifted subtly, throwing him off balance.
Kei stumbled, catching himself but refusing to stop. “Mia, this is a violation of my freedom!” he shouted over his shoulder.
“And this is your education,” Mia replied, her tone as sharp as her scythe. With a flick of her wrist, a faint telekinetic force wrapped around Kei’s legs, bringing him to a halt.
Kei struggled against the invisible restraints, turning back to glare at her. “You can’t just make me learn Runes!”
Mia approached him calmly, her expression unreadable. “I can, and I will. You’re too talented to waste it on just crafting. Runes and crafting together? That’s where your potential lies.”
Kei groaned, slumping to the ground dramatically. “I’m going to die. This is how I go. Killed by boredom.”
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THE FIRST LESSON
Despite his protests, Kei found himself sitting cross-legged in the workshop, a piece of parchment and a rune etching tool in his hands. Mia sat across from him, her notebook open to a page filled with intricate symbols.
“Runes are about focus and intent,” Mia began, her tone patient but firm. “Each symbol represents a specific effect or concept. When you combine them with Essence, you bring those concepts to life.”
Kei muttered under his breath, “Yeah, yeah, magical doodles. Got it.”
Mia’s glare silenced him. “Let’s start simple. Draw the basic rune for stabilization.”
Kei sighed, picking up the etching tool and carefully tracing the lines of the rune Mia had drawn as an example. His first attempt was shaky, the lines uneven.
Mia inspected his work, frowning. “Sloppy. Try again.”
Kei groaned but complied, his second attempt slightly better. By the third attempt, the lines were clean and precise. When Mia infused the rune with Essence, the parchment glowed faintly, and the air around it grew noticeably calmer.
“See?” Mia said, her tone triumphant. “You’re a natural.”
Kei rolled his eyes. “Great. Now I’m a doodler.”
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COMBINING RUNES AND CRAFTING
As the lessons continued, Mia pushed Kei to think beyond the basics. “Runes aren’t just standalone tools,” she explained. “They’re enhancements. Combine them with your crafting, and you can take your creations to the next level.”
Kei raised an eyebrow. “You mean… like embedding runes directly into equipment?”
Mia nodded. “Exactly. A dagger with a sharpness rune. A shield with a stabilization rune. The possibilities are endless.”
Despite himself, Kei found the idea intriguing. Over the next few days, he experimented with embedding runes into his crafted items. His first few attempts were failures—runes that didn’t activate, Essence that wouldn’t flow. But with Mia’s guidance, he began to see results.
One evening, Kei held up a newly crafted dagger. Its blade was etched with a faintly glowing rune, and when he infused it with Essence, the weapon hummed with resonance.
“It worked,” Kei said, his voice a mix of surprise and pride. “It actually worked.”
Mia smiled, satisfied. “Told you.”
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A NEW PERSPECTIVE
As they cleaned up the workshop that night, Kei leaned against the table, his silver-grey hair falling into his eyes. “Okay, I’ll admit it. Runes aren’t as boring as I thought.”
Mia raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”
Kei nodded, a faint grin tugging at his lips. “Yeah. They’re not just doodles. They’re… extensions of crafting. They take what I’m already doing and make it better.”
Mia smirked. “Glad you finally realized it. Now, no more running away during lessons.”
Kei groaned. “Fine, but only because you’re scarier than my parents.”
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LOOKING AHEAD
With a renewed sense of purpose, Kei began to embrace the combination of crafting and runes. The synergy between the two professions opened new doors, pushing his creativity and understanding to new heights.
Mia watched his progress with quiet satisfaction, knowing that the reluctant prodigy had finally found his footing. Together, they continued to refine their skills, their bond growing stronger with each shared success.
And though Kei still grumbled about “doodles” from time to time, he couldn’t deny the excitement of creating something truly extraordinary.