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"And yes, these aren't holograms or alien tech, as you might be thinking," Kaecilius said, cutting Mia off before she could ask, her mouth already open in preparation.

"So, we start from here?" Michael asked, while Mia stood gobsmacked.

Kaecilius turned to him. "Nope. This was just to show you that this isn't some drug addict's cave," he replied, glancing at Mia, who merely snorted in response.

"Leave her be; mystic things without context really do feel like hallucinations," Michael quipped, earning a nod from Kaecilius.

"You two will first start with the basics—learning what magic truly is and where it comes from," Kaecilius said as Michael walked alongside him.

"Eldritch magic, a type of pact magic that borrows power from higher beings," Michael answered before Kaecilius could finish, earning an approving nod.

"Yes, but not just any higher being. Many of them are... dangerous. So, you'll also learn how to identify whom to form pacts with, ensuring their magic doesn't destroy you," Kaecilius explained.

Mia frowned. "Is borrowing power the only way?"

Kaecilius turned to her. "There is another path. You can assimilate magical creatures and develop your own magic," he said.

"I like this one," Michael commented with a smirk.

Kaecilius shook his head. "It's a great idea... until you go mad. Hosting that many entities often drives people insane, leading to their deaths. That's why most don't use it."

"Sounds more like forbidden magic to me," Mia remarked skeptically.

Kaecilius chuckled. "Do you call slaughtering chickens and their eggs forbidden? Magical creatures are nothing more than beasts—dangerous ones, yes, but beasts nonetheless. Think of them as chickens, only much stronger and capable of haunting you even after death."

Mia nodded slowly, processing his words. "So, is there such a thing as forbidden magic?"

Kaecilius replied, "Not forbidden, but restricted. Knowledge is only shared when you're ready for it."

Michael nodded thoughtfully as they entered the library. Inside, Wong sat at a librarian's desk, flipping through a book.

"This is Wong, the temporary librarian until the real one returns," Kaecilius said, introducing him. Wong greeted them with a polite nod.

"They just need the introductory book," Kaecilius said to Wong, who pulled out two books and handed them over.

"Read these today. Starting tomorrow, you'll join the others to learn how to conjure magic," Kaecilius instructed, sitting down on a nearby chair.

"And I will be your guider until you guys reach a certain point and no longer needs me" he said as Michael and Mia sat and open the book to intro magic.

"Ask anytime if you don't understand something," Kaecilius said, his tone calm. Both Mia and Michael nodded, turning their attention back to their books.

After about half an hour, Mia broke the silence. "How do I sense this mana?"

Kaecilius opened his eyes from meditation and answered, "It's everywhere in the atmosphere. Just recite the mantra written in the book, and with focus, you'll begin to sense it."

"It's pretty simple, actually—much easier than how it's described in the book," he added with a reassuring tone.

Mia shifted in her seat, crossing her legs on the chair. She closed her eyes and started to recite the mantra softly, attempting to sense the mana around her. Kaecilius glanced at Michael, who was still engrossed in flipping through the pages of his book.

"Why don't you try sensing it before moving on?" Kaecilius suggested.

Michael raised his hand, a faint golden glow gathering at his fingertip. "Already learned to control it—sensing it was the easy part," he replied casually, his tone carrying a hint of pride.

Kaecilius nodded, satisfied, and returned to his meditation as Mia continued her attempts to connect with the mana.

After an hour, Michael closed his book and turned to his side, noticing Mia lying back with a glowing golden orb hovering in her hand. Yep, she's got talent, he thought. The book had described sensing and controlling mana as something that typically took an average of 24 hours, yet she was doing it in under two.

"You've learned it," he said.

Mia nodded, a faint smile on her lips. "Yes, though I'm still not entirely sure if that morning tea had any drugs in it," she said with a sigh, though her expression betrayed a sense of accomplishment.

Michael rolled his eyes at her comment just as Kaecilius opened his own. "You both have talent," Kaecilius said, clearly impressed. "A full day was planned to help you learn to control mana, but you've both achieved it in under an hour. That's remarkable."

He stood and added, "Then I suppose we can skip ahead to the next stage today."

Michael and Mia exchanged a glance before nodding in agreement. They stood and followed Kaecilius out of the room, eager to see what was next.

Kaecilius led them through the sanctum's winding corridors until they arrived at a large, circular chamber with intricate patterns etched into the floor. Candles surrounded the space, their flickering flames casting eerie shadows that danced across the walls. In the center of the room stood a pedestal, holding a crystalline orb that pulsed faintly with light.

"This is the Convergence Chamber," Kaecilius explained, gesturing for them to step inside. "Here, you'll begin your first real lesson in conjuring magic. Now that you can sense and control mana, it's time to learn how to shape it."

Mia and Michael stepped into the room, their eyes scanning their surroundings. Michael's gaze lingered on the glowing orb. "Let me guess, we're supposed to channel our mana into that thing?" he asked.

Kaecilius smirked. "Not quite. The orb is a guide, not a vessel. It will respond to the strength and clarity of your focus. Your task is to use your mana to form a tangible construct. Start small—a spark, a wisp, anything. But remember, this is a delicate process. Too much force, and it will backfire."

"Sounds easy enough," Michael said, flexing his fingers confidently.

Mia gave him a sideways glance. "Don't get cocky. Magic need utmost focus, or I will beat you to it."

Michael grinned. "We'll see."

*******

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