Adaptive Magic

The rest of the night progressed smoothly, each of them taking turns pushing their limits. However, after a few cycles, Aurora's body, after not enduring this kind of training for so long, couldn't keep going. The exhaustion weighed on her, her mana recovery slowing to a crawl.

Realizing she had reached her limit, she shifted her focus elsewhere, practicing a new spell she had been working on. The quiet hum of magic filled the room as she carefully shaped the energy in her hands, refining its form.

Meanwhile, Jace continued the process alone, gritting his teeth through each pulse of searing pain. After a few more cycles, he exhaled sharply, glancing at Aurora between breaths.

"You know," he said, rolling his shoulders to ease the lingering stiffness, "since you're done, you can head to bed. No point in you just sitting here."

Aurora stopped practicing her spell, looking up at him. Her expression was unreadable at first, but her voice left no room for argument.

"We said we're training partners. I'm staying until you're finished."

Her words were simple, direct, but they carried a weight that made Jace pause. Then, after a brief moment, he let out a quiet laugh, shaking his head.

"Alright, alright," he said, raising his hands in surrender. "I just didn't want you to feel obligated to stay."

Aurora simply gave a small nod before resuming her practice, as if the conversation was already settled.

Jace gave a small smile, shaking his head. Gods, she's stubborn. But… It felt good having more than just Ethan he could trust.

Eventually, his body gave in, his mana drained, and his limbs heavy. He and Aurora finally decided to call it for the night, their bodies both pushed to the edge.

Back in his room, Jace collapsed onto his bed, exhaling as the exhaustion truly settled in. His muscles ached, but it was a familiar kind of pain, the kind that came with progress.

Then, as he stared up at the ceiling, his mind drifted to something else. The dream.

He had completely forgotten about it. Between strategizing with the team and the whole thing with Ethan, he hadn't even mentioned it. But now, lying here, his thoughts had nowhere else to go.

That voice, the shifting whirlpool of colors. The way the world bent and shifted around it, it all felt too real to only be a dream. Too real. Too intentional.

It had to be something, have some sort of a purpose. But what?

The thoughts gradually faded as his mind reached the same level of exhaustion as his body. A familiar darkness took over him, the dream he had expected never arriving.

Instead, he slept through the night, only to wake in the morning, well rested, yet stiff from the previous night's training.

Taking his own advice, he set out for a run, letting his body work out the stiffness before heading to class.

The lesson turned out to be far more interesting than Jace had anticipated.

Lord Severian stood at the front of the room, his pitch black eyes sweeping across the students. "As many of you are aware," he began, "magic is typically cast in one of two ways. The first method is through magic circles, structured formations used to stabilize and enhance complex spells. The second relies on will and intent, allowing the caster to shape magic directly to their needs."

He raised his palm, and deep purple writing swirled into existence, forming a magic circle in the air. Unlike the rigid, geometric patterns they were used to, this one shifted, almost as if it were alive, its shape constantly adapting.

"This," he continued, "is an example of Adaptive Magic, an advanced form of spellcasting that is not limited to static formations. Once you master it, you can modify all of your spells in real time."

The circle warped, folded into itself, then reassembled into an entirely different spell.

Jace leaned forward slightly. Magic didn't have to remain in its original shape? The idea that a spell could be adjusted mid-cast was an intriguing prospect. If he could refine his magic enough, he could counter opponents in real-time, altering his attacks or defenses on the fly.

Lord Severian continued, "Here's a basic example."

With a flick of his wrist, he conjured a large fireball above his palm. It burned with a steady, controlled intensity.

"Normally, a caster would need to prepare a separate spell for different applications of fire magic. But if you have enough affinity and control…"

The fireball split apart, its shape twisting, shifting. In the blink of an eye, it had transformed into four sharp fire spears, hovering effortlessly in the air.

Jace sat there, his mouth slightly open.

What he had just witnessed wasn't just control, it was as if Lord Severian had rewritten the spell in real time. He had somehow altered its very structure while keeping the original formula the same.

"After enough time, skill, and attunement to your elements…" Lord Severian continued, his voice steady as he focused on the hovering magic. "It becomes possible to change not just the form of a spell, but the very element itself."

The raging fire spears trembled in the air, their glow flickering. Then, in an instant, the flames snuffed out, their forms twisting into something fluid, shifting, no longer fire, but four spears of pure water, hovering effortlessly where the flames had been.

This time it wasn't just Jace that was shocked, even those who knew of adaptive magic had never seen anyone able to do what Lord Severian just did.

Changing a spell's element was one thing. But shifting it into its direct opposite, fire to water, that was something else entirely.