Chapter 209 - Her Own Moment

Sonder took a deep breath. 

She wasn't used to explaining things—she had always been the student, not the teacher.

But she had offered her help, and if the witches were willing to listen, she had to try. 

"Okay," she said, exhaling slowly. "Let's start simple." 

She crouched down and picked up a smooth rock, holding it in her palm. 

"Magic can be words and gestures, but at its core, it isn't. I read once that spells are just shortcuts—ways to direct our power without having to shape it ourselves. But that's not what we're going to do. Not yet." 

She glanced at the group, gauging their reactions. Some were skeptical, but they were listening. 

"Mana is something you guide. You all know what it is, right?" 

"The intrinsic energy of the world," one of the witches answered. 

Sonder nodded. "Right. But it's also personal. So I'll teach you how I feel it." 

"Think of your mana like water in a stream. You only guide it. Some people have more, some less, but both can be trained. Control and volume. If you try to force it, the spell will fizzle out. If you let it flow naturally, it moves where you need it." 

She demonstrated, channeling energy around the stone. A faint shimmer of blue surrounded it, forming a perfect, contained bubble. It held for a moment before fading away. 

The green witch frowned. "How do we control it like that?" 

Sonder set the rock down gently and gestured for them to sit in a circle. "That's what we're going to figure out. First, just feel your mana. Don't cast anything yet. Just focus on where it sits inside you." 

For a few moments, there was only silence. Then one of them spoke, her voice uncertain. "I feel… something. But it's all over the place." 

Sonder nodded. "That's normal. Mine felt like that too when I began. Try pooling it into one place." 

They frowned in concentration. Some did better than others. The green witch caught on quickly, but the youngest struggled, her fingers twitching with effort. 

Sonder hesitated. Was she explaining this the right way? 

"Don't force it," she added after a pause. "If you feel resistance, ease up. Try again, slower." 

They tried again. And again. And again, for a while.

Vell, who had been silent the entire time, finally spoke. "That's not bad." 

The green witch cracked an eye open. "That almost sounded like praise." 

He laughed.

Sonder relaxed, and only then realized just how tense she had been. 

Her teaching wasn't perfect, nor was the witches' magic, but at least they were trying. And to Sonder's surprise, she felt good about it. 

She had never seen herself as a teacher, but watching the witches grasp something they had struggled with before filled her with a strange sense of satisfaction. 

Maybe she wasn't as bad at this as she thought. 

For the rest of the day, they practiced channeling their mana, getting used to the feeling of control. 

Eventually, one of them asked, "When can we try forming a barrier?" 

Sonder shook her head. "Not yet. A few hours won't be enough. Keep at it." 

She sat down beside Vell, watching the dim glow of his staff. "I think that went okay," she admitted. 

Vell gave her a sidelong glance. "It did." 

She narrowed her eyes. "No criticism?" 

He smirked. "Plenty. But I'll save it for morning."