The starting point of the Incompetent Magician
“You know I've been waiting all day!” Spreading his arms wide open as if his body was stiffened from waiting for a long time.
“…”
“H-hey, wait...! Where are you going?” The unknown student asked as I turned around thinking I got the wrong room.
“I’ve been waiting, and you didn’t even try to talk to me…no fair.” 'What the hell…’ This girl… I mean guy… he's a dude, right? I struggled to comprehend the situation I am currently in.
“Hey, talk to me…” Shrugging my shoulders I caught a glimpse of the forbidden. “This is my room right…?” I averted my gaze as soon as I saw her---his pouty face. ‘I think I-’
“Ah, you finally talked! I'm Shinra Mavirus, you can call me Shi, Kan!” I wish I could relive this moment forever.
“Kan? You know my name?” Like a swirl, my consciousness got back to reality after leaving dreamland.
“Of course, I do! I saw you back on the practical grounds you were really cool!” Expressing admiration, I didn’t want to remember that scene.
“Anyway, why are you in my room?” I took hold of the ball of the conversation and lay down my bag at the desk.
“Well, you see earlier this morning I was going to do calisthenics when I heard a noise in your room. I hesitated for a few minutes before I heard the sound of the door slamming. That’s when you came out and walked down the floor, I got curious and looked at your room. It was left unattended, the door was open, and so I waited for you to come.” A straightforward and honest response. I recollected my thought and I vaguely remember not closing the door and when I searched for the key it was at the hanging wall.
“I see...it was very rude of me for my behavior earlier, I apologize.” I politely bowed.
“E-eh… you don’t need to I also left to attend some classes earlier and besides I have a favor…” Playing with his fingers he composed himself and uttered the words that could strike the heart of any man. “W-would you be my friend?” “Sure!” I responded too quickly. Impulse…?
A bright smile covered the gloomy and grim atmosphere of the room. ‘I can’t say no to that face…’ I looked at Shinra and accepted this weird encounter from a bright cheerful neighbor and possibly another acquaintance of mine.
Shinra and I talked for an hour introducing ourselves and what we have experienced since we came to Tempest.
“For a moment, I was getting worried you might not go back to your room.” Shinra sighed.
“W-well…I always lose track of time when I’m thinking of something, haha.” I voiced a lower tone than what I had usually done.
Maybe he noticed, but he stood up and said, “I’ll be going now do you exercise in the morning, Kan?”
“I do exercise early in the morning you can find me somewhere around the back of the campus where there is a withered tree.”
“Mmm, okay I'll see you later then!” I waved and closed the door.
I immediately took a deep breath and started taking a close look at the room.
“It’s weird… how come I didn’t notice it?” I complained about the cold air. “I’ve been avoiding it recently but… there’s definitely something going on in this room.” Ever since I woke up after I had claimed my room key and uniform, the room only had the basic necessities, yet now I feel l…
I disregarded the thought of an unknown residing in this room. “It could be that someone came here when Shinra left. However, if, hypothetically there is someone, does that mean they can see me shower?”
We’re not perverts, idiot!
“…!” I quickly turned around and checked my surroundings. “Did I just hear that?”
I was stupid for being paranoid.
After checking out the room and taking a quick bath I lay down in bed.
Thoughts burst forth and flooded my consciousness with things about earlier recalling the practical exam, the struggle of getting in Tempest, and the past of the talentless kid.
“I easily lose once I’m by myself huh?” I whispered with my eyes slowly closing out.
I couldn’t hold on and let the thoughts submerged me giving myself a peaceful sleep next to insanity.
.
.
.
Soon it will be the appointed time of practice. I opened my eyes to the sight of the light coming from the lamp flickering slowly.
“Maybe I should get going...” I woke up earlier than I had planned. Without minding the state of my mind, I readied myself and walked out of the room then left the dorm heading towards the withered tree.
“Such a blissful silence…” I muttered, walking away from the dorm.
Glancing at the dormitories ahead of me with the pathways that were covered with fallen leaves it will soon be fall. It wasn’t as cold as it would be in the winter although I definitely still shiver.
I haven’t read any rules regarding the curfew hours of a student. ‘I probably wouldn’t be punished… right?’ I thought to myself.
Eventually, I reached the withered tree.
“I thought we were going to have the practice at 4:30 am, Kan?” Mika was holding a basket that appears to contain food.
I walked closer and sat a few meters away from her.
“You can sit closer you know…” Mika didn’t show her face as she recommended the offer.
I paused and took up on her offer and got a bit closer where you could tell at a glance, we know each other and there might be more. ‘Ahh, what am I thinking?’ Fidgeting with my hands I barely could withstand this atmosphere; I opened a book and started reading where I left off.
“Don’t you think we should do it now since we’re already here?”
“Ah---” The book slipped from my hands.
“We shouldn’t waste time. Let’s start practicing don’t you think?” Mika stood up and walked towards the plain grass.
“So that’s what she meant… Jeez, what am I thinking?” I was preoccupied with these overflowing thoughts clouding my judgment and attentiveness. I recomposed myself and focused on the task at hand.
“First, let me see how you performed a circulation of wind yesterday.” I signaled her to get ready.
Mika nodded and immediately gave off a strange presence. The concentration of her mana was overflowing causing the direction of the wind to propel clockwise reeling her surrounding towards her. ‘What in the world...?’ It was starting to drag me in.
“S-stop, Mika...Mika!” I shouted as she cannot hear me at first.
“O-okay...” She finally heard and stopped. I walked to her. “You were overkilling it you know?” I glanced at her.
“Sorry, my mind was preoccupied.” Averting her gaze, I crouched down and looked at her in the eyes.
“If you can already, do it like that then I don’t have anything to teach you.” She still turned her eyes away after nodding... red face...? I immediately stood up and told her, “You can take a seat, replenish your mana, I’ll be practicing.”
I narrowly escaped that awkward situation, I thought.
‘If she can create that circulation of wind, why didn’t she showcase it yesterday?’ Fiddling with such thoughts I extended my arms concentrating as I exerted a portion of my mana.
Mana is the basis of energy every person has or to be precise every living thing. It is often associated with the life energy or the life force of a living thing although they are a separate matter. There are different ways people with mana are classified one of which is those who have a large mana pool ever since they were born; mana pool is basically a bucket where you can exert mana and manipulate the particle elements of the environment to create an elemental energy, there is also a way for people to cultivate and enhance their mana pool from a small bucket to become an ocean.
That is by countless hours of honing their mana concentration, mana manipulation and increasing their mana essence. However, not all can be done with just practice and hard work. There is a limit to how one can increase their mana pool, an insurmountable wall.
Whilst, thinking about such things I started by maintaining a small circulation of wind, as I keep exerting more and more mana, I eventually reached my limit, the hidden wall.
No matter how much I struggle I can’t seem to even touch it hence, the hidden wall. Drowned with these thoughts Mika’s voice lifted me back into reality.
“You seem to be having a hard time. Why don’t we take a break for now? I brought a few sandwiches to eat.” She offered as I dispersed the small circulation of wind.
“Hey” I muttered. “Hmmm, what is it?” She replied as she grabbed the basket.
“Why did you ask me to teach you today?” We sat down and I looked at her.
“First take a sandwich...” Mika offered. I didn’t budge and stared at her prying through her eyes.
After staring for a while, she sighed, “Ah fine I’ll tell you... This’ll be a long one so bear with me.” She appeared to be having a hard time when, all of a sudden, she pinched her cheeks to the point it was beet red to power through and tell me the reason.
“It was... ahh... no.” After carefully selecting her words, she spoke as if reliving a dreary past, “Before I came here, I was a princess.” Retelling as if she was reliving those memories her eyes turned bleak. “Mika Torri, a princess who once belonged to a family that ruled the Kingdom Auriora. Her life was all but a play, a dull play.” Staring towards the empty space the air around her changed. ‘Isn’t the Auriora Kingdom... the one that collapsed a few years ago?’ I thought to myself. Continuing, her voice, it toned down.
“Starting from her earliest years, everything that a daughter could yearn for she would get it as easily as she breathes. In return, she would not know the consequences it took just so she could be given happiness. She was the second child of the Torri Family. The Kingdom Auriora was known for its joyful atmosphere radiating throughout day and night. It wasn’t even a Kingdom compared to the neighboring ones, yes, it was a shadow of its former glory. Amidst the cheerful atmosphere, some do not conform to the law, and those who were curious about the lost 10-year history of the battle between the Kingdom Auriora and the Liberalist. In conclusion, ‘a coup d'état’ arise.”
“How long has it been? Ah, it was five years ago before the dull play ended.” Like a girl picking out the most beautiful flower in the field, it was the same expression except her flower was ripped, shredded, and torn apart whilst everything was covered in blood... “To keep those who seek for the truth the Kingdom pushed them back and the result was this.” As if she’s telling the remnants of the Kingdom Auriora was this girl before me...the girl who does not know of the world behind the curtain.
“In short, we fled outside the Kingdom Auriora, and despite our family being safe in the end... in the end... it was all futile.” I could faintly hear the following words, “Ahh, the dull play ended with a boring plot as the world peacefully watches not batting an eye.” I could tell her it’s alright and it will be fine, but I also know the cruel reality. I know that nothing could be done. ‘What sort of lives have we lived in? Except to me it’s not the same I’m just a coward that could not face the truth.’
Mika sat silently. ‘Just this once...’ I told myself. “Before I came here, I lived somewhere from Geonarcha.” Hearing my hometown, Mika looked at me the same way everyone does whenever, I speak of this ‘Ahh, what a bummer,’ I thought.
