Manifest paper

Despite the intense stares of everyone present, Seth walked back to where the other trainees stood, his expression unreadable. It wasn't that he ignored their scrutiny despite being accustomed to such attention- he was simply too lost in his own thoughts to care.

When the essence stone had shattered, a spike of panic had shot through him. For a brief moment, he had feared he had somehow broken it and would be forced to compensate for the damage. Only after the instructor assured him that it was a normal occurrence- caused by overuse- had he finally relaxed.

Now, with that concern put to rest, the true weight of what had happened finally sank in.

'I can use magic!' he thought, elation surging through him.

He glanced down at the palm he had placed on the stone, recalling the affinity it had revealed.

'But did it really have to be Umbra?' he inwardly complained.

Umbra was an affinity shrouded in religious bias. As the essence of shadows and darkness, it was often associated with ominous or even malevolent forces. Its extreme rarity only made matters worse- people feared what they did not understand.

Still, he sighed and shook off the thought.

'Well, beggars can't be choosers, I guess…'

Just as he was coming to terms with his situation, a familiar voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Young master, you did it!" Emily's excited voice rang out.

Before he could react, she lunged at him, pulling him into a tight embrace- one that quickly threatened to suffocate him in her still-maturing bosom.

"E-Emily, I c-can't breathe…!" Seth struggled in her surprisingly strong grasp, already fearing for his life.

Realizing her mistake, Emily quickly released him, and he immediately stumbled back, gasping for air like a drowning man reaching the surface.

"A-are you okay? I got a little excited… I'm sorry," Emily stammered, her face turning red with embarrassment.

Seth shot her a wary glance, still catching his breath. "A little excited? I almost died."

Emily chuckled nervously, scratching the back of her head. "Well… at least you almost died as a magic user, right?"

Seth just sighed, shaking his head. "You're impossible."

Finally catching his breath, Seth allowed his excitement to show as he and Emily walked home, eagerly discussing his newfound magical affinity and the possibilities it held.

When they arrived, Mira was overjoyed at the news. Her elation was so great that she went all out in preparing their dinner, turning the meal into a small celebration. By the end of the night, Seth was completely stuffed, barely able to move.

****

The day after the magic aptitude testing, the trial ground was reorganized, further dividing the trainees into subgroups—one specifically for those with magical potential.

Those who had displayed an affinity for magic were now required to undergo additional training, practicing spell casting for a few hours after their regular sword training. As a result, their time with training swords was slightly reduced to accommodate the new regimen.

For the rest of the trainees, however, nothing changed. They were expected to continue their rigorous training until dawn, as always.

[Aeris: Crescent Slash!]

The instructor recited a quick spell before executing a swift horizontal motion with his hand. A gust of wind, shaped like a crescent blade, shot forward and cleanly sliced through a training dummy.

The trainees watched in awe, their expressions filled with amazement- especially the commoners, who rarely had the opportunity to witness magic firsthand. Even Seth, standing as unassuming as ever at the back, was completely intrigued. Unlike most of the others, he had seen magic before through Mira. However, her spells were limited to healing and basic conjuration. Seeing an offensive spell in action was a completely different experience.

"Essence permeates the world and, by extension, each of you," the instructor began, his tone authoritative. "Possessing an aptitude for magic means you can interact with the natural essence around you. Manifesting magic is simply a matter of weaving your will into that underlying essence."

A hand shot up from the crowd. "Those strange words you spoke before casting the spell- what were they?"

"Excellent question," the instructor replied with an approving nod. "That was the 'Arcane Tongue.' These words serve as a medium to shape and direct magic according to the caster's intent. In simpler terms, they form the basis of a spell."

NB: Words written within [ ] are spoken in the Arcane Tongue.

"Obviously, with the trials around the corner, there isn't enough time for any of you to become adept at using magic. However, if you practice hard enough, you should be able to master basic spells that can prove useful,"

The instructor stated. "And the first step to that is figuring out what attributes you possess from the various essence affinities."

He paced before the group, letting the words sink in before continuing.

"Attributes are the various elements that align with an affinity. For example, 'Solaris' is the essence of fire and light. Those with that affinity will either be able to use fire or light magic," he explained, before beginning to hand out small pieces of paper to each trainee.

Seth glanced at the paper in his hands with curiosity, wondering what it was for.

"This is a magical tool called a 'manifest paper.' When it comes into contact with even the slightest bit of essence, it immediately reacts by manifesting the elemental attribute of the essence it encountered," the instructor explained before demonstrating with the paper in his hand.

Infusing a small amount of essence, which briefly glowed white on his palm, the paper instantly shredded into multiple pieces before being carried away by the wind.

"This reaction indicates that I possess the attribute of wind magic. Now, it's your turn," he said. Afterward, he provided a brief explanation of the different possible reactions and the elements they represented. Once he had also guided them on how to manifest even the tiniest bit of their essence, the trainees began their attempts.

Seth held the manifest paper between his fingers, feeling its thin, fragile texture. Around him, the other trainees were already focusing, trying to release even the smallest wisp of essence into the paper.

All around, different reactions took place. Some papers burned into embers, some crumbled into dust, and others became drenched in water before dissolving completely. A few even shattered like glass. Each reaction was met with murmurs of awe, excitement, or disappointment, depending on the outcome.

Seeing the reactions of those around him, Seth couldn't help but wonder what his own result would be. His affinity was Umbra, the very essence of shadows and darkness. That meant his attribute could manifest as either shadow magic or darkness magic.

"Which one would it be?"

Taking a deep breath, Seth closed his eyes, recalling the instructor's words on how to manifest essence. He focused inward, searching for the power that had been recognized within him just the day before.

A faint, chilling sensation stirred within his core. Acting on instinct, he guided the feeling toward his fingertips, letting it seep into the paper.

The reaction was immediate. The paper didn't burn, shatter, or dissolve—it darkened. Darkness slithered over its surface, consuming it inch by inch, until it simply ceased to exist, leaving behind nothing.

The instructor's eyes widened slightly, though he quickly masked his surprise. The other trainees, however, openly gawked, whispering among themselves.

"What kind of reaction was that?" someone muttered.

"I've never seen anything like it…" another added.

Seth lowered his hand, staring at where the paper had once been. Unlike the others, whose elements had at least left behind some trace of their existence, his had been erased completely.

"Umbra- Dark essence." Seth mumbled somberly.

It seemed his affinity wasn't just rare. It was unnatural.