Steps to power

I watch him shuffle toward the hearth, muttering about dried sage and bitterleaf root, and I can't help but ask, "What's your name, by the way?"

He pauses, as if surprised I even asked, then glances over his shoulder.

"Alric," he says simply. "Alric of Hollowmere."

"Hollowmere," I repeat. "Sounds fancy."

"It's a bog."

"Ah," I nod. "Sounds miserable."

He smirks faintly and sets a small kettle over a flickering rune-stove built into the wall.

"And earlier," I continue, "you said you were a third-circle mage. What does that actually mean?"

This time, Alric turns and gives me a look that could wither crops.

"Boy," he says, "did your parents teach you nothing?"

"I was a little distracted." I say.

He huffs and leans on his cane. "Fine. Listen closely then, because I'm not explaining this twice."

He taps the side of his cane once. The runes along it pulse faintly as a little trickle of magical light trails around his fingers as he begins.

"There are ten circles of mages," he says, voice shifting into something like a lecture tone. "Ten circles of magic. Each one defines your control over mana, your efficiency in spellcraft, and your resistance to the strain magic places on the body. And each one… lengthens your life."

He raises one crooked finger.

"The first circle, that's the lowest. You've just awakened your mana. You can barely cast a flicker. A cantrip, maybe. Spark a flame or make a coin vanish. You'll age slower, just a bit maybe a 10% boost to your lifespan. Enough to notice."

He raises another.

"Second circle mages have more mana, more control, but they burn out fast. They can cast basic spells, second-tier magic though not for long. Another 10% added to the lifespan."

A third finger joins the others.

"Third circle like me is the mark of a real mage. You can use tier one and two spells efficiently, and cast a third-tier spell if you're willing to pay the price in exhaustion. The lifespan increase jumps 20% this time. That's why I look eighty and feel more like sixty. On good days."

He smiles crookedly, then taps the cane again.

"Fourth circle, and now you're something dangerous. You can handle tier three spells without collapsing, and reach for tier four when needed, though it'll cost you. Another 20% added to life."

I lean forward, absorbing every word. It's the kind of structured system that clicks with me, logical, layered. A ladder built of magic and mortality.

"Fifth circle," Alric continues, "means you've gathered enough mana to efficiently cast tier four, and throw out a tier five spell if you're desperate. Still exhausting. Still costly. But doable. Another 20% lifespan increase."

He lifts his hand now, his tone shifting slightly, a little more reverent.

"The sixth circle is where true legends begin. You're called an Archmage then. Not just a title but a transformation. You can sling tier five spells with ease, and even cast tier six. But again, not without strain. The reward? Another 30% added to your life."

I blink. "So people at that level live… what, 2 or 3 centuries?"

"Some," Alric nods. "The lucky ones. The careful ones."

He keeps going, fingers slowly curling and uncurling to match his words.

"Seventh circle Archmages cast tier six spells like breathing. And they can reach for seventh-tier. Another 30% boost to life. Eighth circle, same thing efficient tier seven, and taxing tier eight. Another 30%."

I whistle low. "That's a lot of longevity. And a lot of power."

He gives me a hard look. "Yes. And it warps the soul, if you're not careful."

I nod, absorbing that, and wait as he finishes the climb.

"Ninth circle mages are called Emperor Mages. They cast tier eight spells easily. They can survive casting ninth-tier magic, though it'll drain even the best of them. Another 40% lifespan increase."

"And the tenth?" I ask, though I can feel the answer looming already.

He lowers his hand.

"Tenth circle… is the domain of the demigods. There's no other name for it. Only the most powerful beings in Florence or across the realms ever reach it. They can cast tier nine spells without strain. And they can cast a tenth-tier spell a spell that could rewrite the laws of nature though rarely more than once. Their lifespan doesn't just stretch… it doubles from what it was at ninth circle."

I stare at him.

Tenth circle. A demigod.

A tier ten spell.

My skin prickles.

"That's the level I'll be up against," I say quietly to myself.

He pours hot water into two chipped mugs and brings one to me with a shaking hand.

"Drink," he says. "You'll need your mind sharp and your heart steady. This world doesn't forgive the unprepared."