According to the classifications of vampires and humans, this form of magic is considered dark magic. In the chaos wastelands, it is known as the magic of the wind and dark matter; the high elves and dark elves refer to it as negative energy. Controlling darkness, orchestrating death—these are the fundamental aspects of dark magic that Norton was about to study.

Though previous discussions about suitability had taken place, for a vampire—creatures of the night—thinking oneself fit to learn positive energy or light-based magic would indeed be a misjudgment. To command the forces of Sylvania, necromancy is indispensable. Mastering necromancy as a critical branch or variant of dark magic requires a solid foundation in dark magic itself.

"First and foremost, you must learn to harness the magical wind. From there, you will purify it further by expelling its positive energy. What remains are the negative energies that form the basic building blocks of dark magic," Miss Triss explained, raising her hand. The ambient magical wind in the room seemed magnetically drawn to her, swirling toward her extended index finger and gradually forming a vortex that grew larger and larger.

Norton could feel the magical wind in the room coming alive under Miss Triss's command. It spiraled intensely, emitting a dazzling, ever-changing light. Yet, despite the vigorous spinning, there was no sensation of air movement—Norton didn’t feel any wind, and the room’s light objects remained undisturbed. The room presented a curious mix of chaos and stability.

This demonstrated Miss Triss's concept of "harnessing the magical wind.” The swirling wind then shook rapidly, its colors shifting to darker shades—pale, silver-gray, pitch-black—emitting an ominous aura. The positive energy had been completely purged, leaving only the negative energy needed for dark magic, as Miss Triss described this "purification" process.

In Sylvania, a vampire nation, and especially within a place like Deckenhoff Castle, an undead stronghold, the concentration of negative energy was much higher compared to other areas. Consequently, this purification step was relatively straightforward, reducing the vortex only slightly in size.

"Indeed, pure energy is far more potent than the chaotic magical wind," Norton remarked, nodding as he sensed the negative energy vortex swirling around Triss's fingertip.

“Yes, and today’s lesson is to teach you how to wield this power,” Miss Triss confirmed with a nod. “Typically, the average vampire takes about three days to master the separation of negative energy. You can start by drawing some negative energy from the magical wind I’ve gathered to feel it yourself… or perhaps, I should say nothing.”

Seeing the intense blackness at Norton's fingertip, Miss Triss felt a slight frustration at having to retract her previous sentence. Had she paid closer attention, she might have noticed the brilliant rainbow-like flicker—red, yellow, blue, green, black, white, gray—emanating from Norton’s finger before it settled into darkness, which would have left her speechless with astonishment.

“So, is this lesson over?” Norton asked, giving his finger a dismissive flick, making the black light vanish, while Miss Triss dispelled her gathered negative energy.

“Almost... but it’s best to reinforce what you've learned,” Miss Triss concluded after a brief thought, deciding it was wiser to proceed slowly.

And so, the afternoon passed in a series of "reinforcement" exercises, sprinkled with engaging activities like “competing for control of the magical wind,” which were both instructional in mana manipulation and entertaining. Norton, of course, let Triss win deliberately at the end, feigning frustration with an adorable pout, nearly causing Triss to lose her composure from his cuteness.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

Time flew by, and soon the castle’s clock tower chimed five times, marking the arrival of evening. At the sound of the bells, Miss Triss rose to take her leave.

“I have some matters to attend to at the academy, so we’ll end here for today. I’ll return tomorrow at noon,” she said to Norton, nodding as she prepared to leave.

“See you tomorrow, Miss Triss,” Norton replied, standing as well to accompany her to the door. As he escorted Miss Triss outside, the ancient crypt guards threw open the castle’s gates. Just as Norton was about to bid farewell, another carriage pulled up. Recognizing the crest on the side, he knew it was his sister Juana returning from school.

Norton was aware that his sister did not get along well with Miss Triss. They had clashed several times before, and he knew Juana would likely be upset seeing them together. If she threw a tantrum, Norton was sure he’d bear the brunt of it. This thought left Norton feeling even more helpless.

While Norton mulled over his predicament, the carriage door opened, revealing Juana’s exquisite leg in black leather shoes and black-and-white stockings stepping onto the footrest. Juana, clad in her gothic dress, emerged into the sunset, looking particularly captivating as the eldest daughter of the Castine family.

Her eyes first landed on Norton rather than Miss Triss, leading her to mistakenly believe he had come to greet her, a thought that seemed to delight her. But her excitement quickly vanished upon noticing Miss Triss. At twelve years old, Juana struggled to conceal her emotions, and her annoyance was evident from her pout.

“Sister…” Norton sighed, feeling a headache coming on as Juana stood still, prompting him to step forward and address her: “Miss Triss just finished my lesson and is leaving for the academy. I came out to see her off.”

“Hmm…” Juana mumbled an acknowledgment, then, as if swallowing something bitter, awkwardly lifted her skirt slightly and bowed her head to Triss. “Good day, Miss Triss.”

Despite her dislike for the teacher, she adhered to basic courtesies... reluctantly.

This left Miss Triss slightly surprised. At the academy, Juana was known for her fearlessness; peers and seniors alike were wary of her. Due to her family background, teachers couldn’t discipline her much. Only Triss, as an acquaintance of the Countess, held a semblance of authority over her, which explained their strained relationship.

Seeing Juana’s uncharacteristic politeness felt like witnessing something rare for Triss. However, being over a century old and having seen plenty, she quickly steadied herself and reciprocated Juana’s greeting. After some brief pleasantries, Triss’s carriage arrived to take her back to the academy, and they all bid farewell.

“How interesting... That young lady who fears nothing, suddenly acting so well-behaved... Was it because her brother was present?” Triss quickly grasped Juana’s unusual behavior. Though not a significant matter, it delighted her to know this troublesome student could be managed; next time, she might leverage Norton’s presence to assert control.

At this moment, Norton, unaware of Miss Triss's plans to use him as a buffer, returned to the castle with his sister, intending to head back to his room.

“You’re home early today. Did you leave early?” Norton inquired as he headed towards the stairs.

“Of course not. The teachers said something happened at the academy, so they let us out early,” Juana replied, slightly irritated, quickening her steps to catch up with Norton before adjusting to his pace.

“Oh, what was it?” Norton asked, maintaining a tone of indifference.

“They didn’t say specifically, but I overheard two teachers talking and exchanged info with some classmates. It seems related to the Red Morel anomaly,” Juana explained.

“Hmm… quite a broad piece of information,” Norton remarked, slightly exasperated. “Everything that’s happened in June could be tied to Red Morel, right?”

“Well, you’re not wrong…” Juana sighed with slight frustration, signaling the end of their conversation. Upon reaching the second floor, Norton and Juana headed to their respective rooms—Norton to read, and Juana to continue her alchemical experiments. By eight o’clock, with the Countess still absent, the siblings had dinner together. When their mother hadn’t returned by ten, they bade each other goodnight and went to bed after washing up.