First magic training

After this breakfast, which we might rather call a 'breakfast mission,' I think it must have been the first time I entered a kitchen by breaking in, and I have to admit it was quite funny.

"Now I'm going to my room," I said, starting to walk towards my room, but Zain grabbed my hand to stop me from leaving. He had a mischievous grin on his face, and I knew he was up to something.

"We've eaten well, so it means it's time to train," Zain said, and I couldn't help but grimace; I was eager to learn magic, but right now, I was mostly sleepy.

"But it's still early," I said, pouting, hoping he'd let me go back to sleep, but his expression remained firm. He looked at me with his piercing blue eyes, and I felt a shiver run down my spine.

"You have chores starting at 10 o'clock, and it's currently 7:33, so it's time for training," Zain said, pulling me with his arm, and despite my attempts to resist, it was clearly futile. Zain was stronger than me, both physically and magically, and he was determined.

"Noooo," I said, trying once again to struggle, almost like a child who doesn't want to go home. I knew it was useless, but I still hoped he would change his mind. But no, he was stubborn as a mule, and he dragged me along the corridors of the castle.

A few minutes later, we arrived at a part of the castle I didn't know, it was a training room with mats on the floor and targets, some were still, and others moved. There was a lot of equipment ranging from bows to swords, and I wondered what Zain had in mind for me.

Zain threw me onto one of the mats that were probably used for combat before heading to a cupboard and taking what I think was a crystal ball. It was about the size of a fist, and it had a faint glow to it.

"You're going to read my future," I said, a little surprised, then I saw Zain mocking me before placing the crystal ball beside me. He shook his head and rolled his eyes, as if I had said something stupid.

"We're going to see what magic potential you have and your magical power, Leora, and I'm not a fortune teller," Zain said before gesturing for me to sit down. He sat across from me, holding the crystal ball in his hands.

"Alright, just put your hand on the crystal," he told me, and I placed my hand on the crystal, then an orange and blue color appeared. The colors swirled and mixed together, creating a beautiful pattern.

"So, what does that mean?" I asked excitedly, hoping it's something incredible, like dark magic, which wouldn't be bad, I think. Dark magic was rare and powerful, and it could do things that other magic couldn't. Maybe I had a hidden talent for it, and maybe that's why I was reincarnated here.

"You have a strong affinity with fire and water magic," he said, and I sighed. What a coincidence to be good at cooking and have an affinity with water and fire.

I sighed; I dreamed of having dark magic. Fire and water were common and boring, and they didn't suit me at all.

"You seem disappointed," Zain said, and he was right. I was disappointed, and I felt like I had been cheated by fate.

"I wanted to use dark magic," I said, and I heard Zain laugh. He laughed so hard that he almost dropped the crystal ball, and I glared at him. 

"Well, you can; just because you have a strong affinity with one element doesn't mean you can't use another element," Zain said, and I immediately felt better. Maybe there was still hope for me, maybe I could learn dark magic after all.

"Really?" I asked, my eyes widening.

"Really," he confirmed, nodding. "But it will be harder for you, and you will need more practice and guidance, I won't help you for that Because I don't know how to use it."

"I don't care, I want to try it," I said, feeling a surge of determination. I wanted to prove myself, and I wanted to see what dark magic could do.

"Alright, alright, calm down. You get to that later. First, we need to measure your magical power," Zain said, and I nodded. I was curious to see how much power I had, and how it compared to Zain's.

"Now let's move on to your magical power; your power can evolve later, so it's okay if it's a little weak now," Zain said, and I nodded. I hoped it wasn't too weak, though, because I didn't want to embarrass myself in front of Zain.

"Try to imagine a flow running through your body and try to direct it towards your hand while continuing to touch the crystal," Zain said. He demonstrated by placing his hand on the crystal, and the crystal lit up like a star. A number appeared above it: 9876. I gasped; that was a huge number. Zain was a genius.

He removed his hand and smiled at me, as if it was nothing. He was so casual about it, as if he didn't realize how amazing he was.

"Your turn," he said, pushing the crystal towards me.

I closed my eyes and tried to concentrate until I found the flow he mentioned. It was like a warm current that ran through my veins, and I felt it pulsing in my hand. I opened my eyes and saw the crystal glowing, and a score appeared: 123. I felt proud of myself, but at the same time, I didn't know what it meant. I turned to Zain, who looked surprised.

"So, is it good?" I asked with a big proud smile, then Zain cleared his throat.

"Um, that's actually a very, very low score; children are tested for magic at the age of 4, and they're always at least 700 in power," Zain said, and I felt my smile disappear.

Four-year-old children were stronger than me; did I reincarnate here just to cook?