Chapter 17: finding Joel
When it was time for the class, the students trooped in their numbers.
The teacher walked into the class. She was a beautiful blonde lady, and she kept a straight, emotionless face, but Raze knew this person very well. She was Miss Sevana, and, well, she had a little underage moment with Alex.
She was so obsessed with the boy that she allowed him to sleep with her multiple times.
"Now that I think of it, how the fuck was Alex the good guy of the story?" Raze asked himself.
Miss Sevana placed her books on the desk. She looked around the class, and Raze caught her eyes pausing on Alex for a moment before moving on.
"You have to be kidding me. I'm definitely going to kill her one day, I just know," Raze muttered to himself.
"Alright, class, today we will be going into the structure of worded spells and why saying them enables us to cast magic," she started. She picked up a piece of chalk and walked to the board, drawing a circle and pointing to it.
"This circle represents your mind, the image where the whole magic really happens. Your imagination, mixed with your mana, births the spell.
Now, with this, you would expect that anyone with mana should be able to do anything, right? Well, no, because other factors come into play." She faced the board again and wrote a date.
(10–100 years after mana was discovered)
"During that period, a lot of experiments happened—humans testing how to use mana. Most cases of use were accidental, and many led to the death of the caster.
People believed that with the right imagination, you would be able to do anything. For a hundred years, they tried to make sense of that concept and actually make imagination cast a spell.
The results of that experimental period were very bad, and it was marked as a dark period, but it fostered further knowledge.
Some people died, but that was the least of what actually happened. Some turned into abominations—creatures made of twisted mana, so entangled that they transformed into grotesque beings, their souls caged inside their bodies.
There's more, but you can all already understand why pure imaginative casting is not used—it is a death sentence or a life of eternal pain.
So how do we actually cast spells, and what factors make it work? The first is imagination. Even as destructive as it is, it is still the crucial point.
The second part would be mana, the much-needed fuel for any magical spell. We have talked about types of casting and whatnot before, and how mana is pulled into the spell to cast.
After mana, we have affinity. Now, you may not understand this, but the mana in your body is attuned to a specific affinity from birth. If you are a dual caster, that means your mana is tuned to two affinities.
Now, you can only use the affinity you are tuned to in order to cast magic. If you try to use another, you stand the risk of dying or becoming a twisted abomination that would have to be killed.
Now that we have spoken about these factors, let's look at the framework of casting. How exactly do all these elements gather together to make a spell work?
Well, that is simple. Spells and hand signs are tested actions or words that trigger a specific imagination and cast the spell.
They have been tested and tried through the years. The spells act as a guide, taking everything through all the steps and making sure they all do their job before you can finally cast a spell."
She paused and walked to her desk, placing down the chalk before sitting on the desk while facing the class.
"Now, is there anyone with a question concerning this discussion?"
As soon as she asked, many students raised their hands. She picked a boy closer to the front. He got up and asked his question.
"Is it possible for someone to cast spells without talking or actually using hand signs?" he asked.
"This question is asked every year by everyone, and the answer is yes and no. There are people who are born with the ability to silent cast.
You heard what I said there, right? They were born with that ability. They didn't need to learn—it just comes to them over the years.
So, for someone who isn't born with that gift, you can't enter silent casting, no matter how much you try and no matter what effort you put into it.
So that's why the answer is yes and no. If you aren't born with the gift of silent casting, you will never be able to cast without words or signs. Does that cover your question?" she asked, and the boy nodded before sitting down.
"Before we end the class, remember to never try to cast a spell that you aren't certain of because attempting to cast a wrong spell might cost you your life.
Ensure the spells have been put through testing for sure. That will be all for now," she said. She packed up her books. "Class is over for now," she added and left the room.
The class burst into noise, and everyone started talking and doing what they wanted. Raze sat and scanned the entire room, and he spotted someone short—the only fat boy that could match the person he wanted to see, Joel.
"That has to be Joel."
Raze got up and started walking toward Joel. He got through the crowd of students and got close to him, placing his hand on Joel's shoulder. Joel turned around, and when he saw Raze, he flinched, fear showing in his eyes.
From that alone, Raze knew that he was Joel for sure.
"I'm not here to hurt you, Joel," Raze said and walked away, heading for the door of the class. He walked out, leaving Joel terrified.