Era of Arcane: The Journey Beyond Worlds

Chapter Five: The Six Schools of Magic

    "Professor Umbriel, how can I learn magic?" Though I possess the innate ability to study magic, surely I cannot master it without guidance.

    "That will depend entirely on you." Umbriel's steady gaze held mine. "You must sense the magical elements around you. Some people go their entire lives without ever perceiving them, and thus, they can never become magicians."

    "How can I sense the magical elements?" My curiosity about magic was insatiable; I would never give up on something so fascinating.

    "A magician senses magic through meditation. You simply need to focus and feel." Umbriel paused before adding with a light tone, "It took me, the greatest mage on this continent, an entire day to perceive the magical elements. I haven't encountered anyone who grasped it faster than I did. Lisa, take the next few days to meditate and try to feel the magic that surrounds us."

    I looked at Umbriel's slightly smug expression, and a flicker of defiance sparked in me. An entire day just to sense the elements? I would sense them in far less time—let's see how proud Umbriel would be then! "What should I do?"

    "You just need to open your heart and sense. The rest is for you to discover."

    I frowned. Umbriel's advice felt like no advice at all. It seemed I would have to rely on myself. "Can I meditate here?"

    "This room was designed specifically for your magic studies," Umbriel replied with a smile, settling into a mahogany chair nearby.

    I discarded any notions of ladylike behavior, plopped down on the floor, and began to think hard. How could I sense the magical elements? I slowly relaxed my body, feeling the ebb and flow of my thoughts. Gradually, it seemed as though my spirit merged with the environment around me. I could sense new buds sprouting from trees, birds of peculiar shapes flying across the sky, and another flower blooming in the garden. It was as if a beautiful painting unfurled before my eyes. I could hear the plants breathe, feel the free-spirited wind, the flowing water, the flickering fire, and the vast, peaceful energy of the earth. Just as I became lost in this wonder, flashes of light in different colors appeared before me, accompanied by faint voices arguing.

    "Hey, why are all of you gathered here?" a surprised blue light exclaimed.

    "You're here too! Why is everyone showing up this time?" came a slightly irritated voice from the red light.

    "This feels like a reunion. How long has it been since we were all together like this?" asked a curious green light.

    "It must have been tens of thousands of years," the yellow light mused nostalgically.

    "We were summoned," the soft voice of the white light silenced the argument.

    "Hmph, what a dull gathering," the black light murmured in a low tone.

    "Ah, little black, how cold-hearted you are!" the other lights cried out in unison, and I couldn't help but chuckle—it was quite amusing.

    "Let's just ask the one who summoned us," the white light concluded, and the others fell silent.

    "Wait, the one who summoned us is just a little girl?"

    "Indeed, how remarkable!"

    "Why did you call us?"

    I shook my head, puzzled. "I'm not sure how I summoned you; I only sensed your presence."

    "You can feel us?" All the lights brightened at once, their glow blurring my vision.