“All Wizards, and Witches, are born with their own Origin Magic,” the beautiful Professor, who had given Ethan the Moulding Ball during Initiation Ceremony said with a smile. “I will not go as far as to say that all Origin Magic is unique in every person, because history has proven that there are some people who have had similar Origin Magic in the past.”
Her name was Professor Violet, and he was Ethan’s, Chloe’s, and Nicole’s teacher in their Spell Casting Classes.
“So tell me, what measures how strong a person’s magic is?” Professor Violet asked as she gazed at her class, looking for someone to answer her question.
“Um, the Appraisal Stone?” a chubby teenager replied. “Back in the ceremony, the Appraisal Stone reacted strongly to the Pillars with the exception of Ethan Gremory. I think it is safe to say that it is a good tool to measure magic, right Professor?”
Professor Violet smiled. “Well, you’re half right. The Appraisal Stone has the ability to measure a person’s ‘current’ Magical Power. The Pillars have stronger magical powers than most because they had been trained by their families from an early age.
“Of course, there are exceptions when someone, who hadn’t been trained in the past, can make the Appraisal Stone react strongly, similar to what happened with the Pillars. However, this is not the answer I am looking for. Anyone else have an answer? What measures how strong a person’s magic is?”
Since someone had already answered first, the class was emboldened and immediately gave their own answers. 𝐎𝑽𝐥xt.𝐂𝗈𝚖
“The quality of their magic!”
“The ability to cast strong spells!”
“If they are able to solo missions!”
“If they have many lovers their magic is strong!”
All the students gave an answer. Some held logic in them, while some didn’t. They were just going with the flow, and Professor Violet allowed them to say whatever they wanted.
“Anyone else?” Professor Violet asked. “How about you, Mr. Gremory? You still haven’t given your answer yet.”
Ethan, who had now become the focus of attention, stood up and said his answer.
“Magic is the power that lies within a person’s heart,” Ethan replied. “The bigger a person’s heart is, the stronger their magic is.”
There was a brief silence before everyone, with the exception of Chloe, Nicole, and Lily, who was also in the same class, laughed after hearing Ethan’s reply.
“Did you hear that? He said Magic comes from the heart! Hahaha!”
“The bigger the heart, the stronger the magic is. Bro, tell me, is my heart big?”
“Your heart is big; as big as your belly. This means your magic is strong as well. Hahaha!”
“As expected of someone who can’t even do magic properly, he is able to say a bunch of nonsense.” The handsome blonde, Langston, sneered. “Magic comes from the heart? If that is true then everyone can learn magic.”
Ethan, who had been laughed at by others, felt his cheeks burning, so he decided to sit down and lower his head. Deep inside, he was feeling very embarrassed for the answer he had given.
For some reason, he remembered the time when he was listening to his Grandma’s story about Wizards and Witches, and she told him in passing that a person’s magic came from their heart.
“Alright, that’s enough,” Professor Violet clapped her hands to quiet the rowdy students.
However, none of them were paying attention to her, so she decided to take out her wand and lightly tapped her neck with it.
“Silence!”
The next time Professor Violet opened her mouth, a deafening roar escaped her lips making everyone cover their ears, with the exception of Ethan, Chloe, Nicole, and Lily.
Professor Violet’s shout had scared her students silly, making them all quiet down.
“Your answer is correct, Mr. Gremory,” Professor Violet said, shocking the students who had made fun of Ethan earlier. “The strength of one’s magic depends on how strong the conviction in their heart is.
“Like I mentioned earlier, the Appraisal Stone is a good tool to measure how strong a person’s ‘current’ magic is. However, even that strong magic can weaken, once they feel fear in their hearts. The moment they lose hope, the moment they succumb to negative thoughts, their magic will weaken, regardless of how powerful a Wizard or Witch is.”
Professor Violet then drew a heart symbol on the blackboard, and lightly tapped it with her wand.
“Always protect your heart,” Professor Violet stated. “Because it is in your darkest moments that cracks appear in it, allowing negative emotions to break past your defenses, and weaken your resolve, which will then weaken your magical power.
“There might come a time when you face helpless situations when you are doing your missions. If you let yourselves be swept away by negative emotions, the power behind your magic will lose its strength.”
Professor Violet then wrote the name of a spell on the blackboard before facing her students with a smile.
“Now then, since you already understand how Magic works, allow me to teach you the first spell that you will need in order to survive in the world,” Professor Violet raised her wand above her head. “I’m sure that the majority of you already know this because it is the most basic of all basic spells.
“However, make no mistake. Even the simplest of magic can save your life when used at the right moment. Now, repeat after me.”
“Lux Aeterna!”
An orb of light appeared above Professor Violet’s head, giving off a radiance that made Ethan feel as if something warm was spreading inside his heart.
“““Lux Aeterna!”””
All the students said the spell that Professor Violet taught them, and before long, the entire room was filled with soft light. It wasn’t enough to blind anyone, but it was enough to illuminate the entire room, casting dark shadows on the floor.
“When there is light, dark will also be there,” Professor Violet explained as she pointed at her feet, where her shadow could be seen. “That’s why, we should always be vigilant because there is darkness in every person’s heart.
“Sometimes, this power can be harnessed to do great things. But, no matter how miraculous, or how powerful you become with this power, never, ever, let it consume you. Because, when that happens, you are no longer a person. You will become a devil, whose sole purpose in life is to extinguish the light of others, in order to temporarily regain what you have lost in the darkness.”
The Professor then taught the students how to freely control the orb of light that hovered in the air, creating a fun activity for everyone.
However, amidst the smiling faces, a blue-haired boy sighed in his heart.
He had already set his expectations very low, but everytime he saw someone use magic, that faint hope in his heart would flutter every now and then, only leaving him to be disappointed once again.
Ethan’s expression didn’t escape Professor Violet’s gaze. But, she didn’t do anything about it.
This was the Fate of all Duds, and they had to find a way to overcome this obstacle before they could have a fulfilling Academy life, and be able to more fully explore the world where Magic ran wild and free.