"The trick to mastering a spell is all about acquiring the right mental image for it," Dariu explained. "Nayumers have it easier because of their vivid imaginations. But this shortcut I'm about to show you? It cuts through all that, making it faster to get the hang of."

Dariu closed his eyes, brought his hands together, then formed a circle with his fingers.

"Moro Treikil Tarlus Roka Nara," he incantatied without any hand movements, causing tiny particles of Lojia to start forming in the centre of his circle.

The rest of the group sat in their places as they closely observed Dariu's demonstration.

"By minimizing hand movements and using this special incantation, you channel only a minimal amount of energy into your hands. This grants you the freedom to let your imagination run wild. You can envision countless different images without the risk of any mishaps."

The particles began to coalesce, forming an orb that quickly expanded in size but became unstable, trembling and losing its shape.

"Stop it, Dariu!" Yelled Bartus, in fear that the orb would cause an explosion.

The others shared Bartus' worry, their concern visible as they feared any potential accident.

"There is no need to worry," Dariu assured them.

The orb began to glow brighter than before, rapidly losing its shape and expanding until it vanished with a harmless poof.

"Just like I said," Dariu said before opening his eyes and lowering his hands, "this method is safe, which makes it highly effective. All we need to do is keep practicing until we achieve the right image for a proper Daishi cast. And because we're using such a small amount of energy, there's no fear of running out of stones; it's very difficult to break a stone using this technique."

The group's faces lit up with expressions of awe and delight.

"This seems like a cheat!" Affirmed Roku in a cheerful tone.

"It is a cheat, a very good one," replied Dariu.

"This is magnificent, Dariu!" Said Naylu.

"It truly is magnificent," agreed Bartus, "with this, we could definitely master the Daishi spells in five days, maybe even less than that."

As everyone expressed their excitement, Marcia quietly stood up and walked away without a word. Everyone else followed with their eyes.

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"Where are you going?" Asked Raishu.

"I need some calm to focus," Marcia said, then chose a secluded spot among the grass. She sat down cross-legged, shut her eyes and formed a circle with her fingers.

"What's the incatation again?" She asked, causing Dariu to giggle.

The whole group began their practice, each one of them seated on the yellow grass, attempting to replicate Dariu's demonstration.

"Do you truly believe this can work?" Naylu inquired, standing beside Dariu and observing the others from a distance.

"I'm uncertain, but we have no other choice."

"I, for one, have faith in you and your mad plans," Naylu remarked, slapping Dariu on the back, "I'm sure we will all be alright."

"Just where do you find all this optimism?"

"Well, when all is dark and somber, all you can do is light a torch."

"That... Was pretty profound."

"I'm quite the wise one, aren't I?"

"Sure you are," Dariu said with a playful smirk as he lightly hit Naylu on the back, then gave him a gentle push forward. "Now get back to your training, dandy."

Naylu settled down to begin his training, and Dariu soon followed suit. They all continued their practice for the remaining time before sunset.

Once the sun turned golden brown, signaling the approaching end of the day, it was time for them to return to their dorms. And so, one by one, they began to depart.

"I can't thank you enough for this, Dariu," Bartus expressed gratefully.

"And you won't need to, I'm just doing what's right."

"Well then, same time tomorrow," he said as he walked away with Raishu, and Dariu waved goodbye.

"Hey, Naylu," greeted Eva as she approached him, "I heard about what happened last night, are you fine?"

"I'm alright, thanks to Noah," he replied, his gaze averted to avoid making eye contact.

"Noah? You mean that stone cold Noah? The one in our section?"

"I was surprised too, but yeah, he turned out to be a good guy apparently."

Dariu observed the two from a distance, waiting for Naylu to return alongside him. However, after some time, he decided otherwise.

"Hey Naylu," he called out, "I'm going ahead."

"Wait!" Naylu shouted and got ignored by his friend who walked away with a smirk and a thumbs up.

"We should get going too," said Eva.

"Yeah... You're right."

As they walked together in the golden glow of the setting sun, the atmosphere of Arcadia's danger and impending war seemed to fade away. For that fleeting moment, peace enveloped them.

"You seem very close to Dariu. Were you friends before coming here?"

"No, we actually met inside. I... Have no friends outside. I wasn't the social type back home," Naylu admitted quietly.

"Really? I'm quite the opposite," replied Eva. "I'm friends with practically everyone in my village."

"You seem like someone who'd say that."

Eva stared at Naylu for a moment, her expression shifting into one of anger before she delivered a punch to his shoulder, causing Naylu to grunt in pain.

"What's that supposed to mean?" She asked angrily.

"I didn't mean it as an insult..."

Eva started to laugh.

"I know, I'm just kidding. I'm an outgoing person, I know that!"

"Well, yeah. That would explain why you're talking to me in the first place."

"Oh, no, that's not it."

"It's not?"

"Yeah, I actually think I like you," she openly admitted in the most casual tone.

"What?"

"I'm not sure though."

"Are you still kidding?"

"I'm...not?"

Naylu halted and froze for a moment before he felt himself blush, quickly hiding his face with his arm in embarrassment.

"Why are you embarrassed?" Asked Eva.

"Why aren't you?!"

"Should I be?"

"I don't know!"

Eva laughed once more, "you're weird Naylu. Cute, but weird." She then proceeded to walk and Naylu followed behind.

At the dormitory's entrance, Dariu stumbled upon Noah, who was seated on a bench, engrossed in a book.

"What are you reading?" Dariu inquired, standing facing Noah.

"Night's Bloom."

"What is it about?"

"A hero who turns villain after losing everything."

That was quite the summary...

"Listen, about what you did yesterday with Naylu, thank you."

"It's him that I saved, not you. Why are you thanking me?"

"Just say you're welcome, man..." He said, walking away in the direction of the dorms before pausing. "Listen, Noah, about The Nayum Tarra... You're not going to... You know."

Noah turned his head to look back at Dariu for a moment before responding, "no, I'm not."

"Good to hear," Dariu said before heading into the dorms.