The wind whispered through the crooked trees behind the orphanage, rustling leaves like hushed secrets. Max sat beneath an ancient oak, its roots twisted like the veins of the earth itself. The bark was rough against his back, but the cool breeze and dappled sunlight made the discomfort irrelevant. This spot—secluded and wild—had become his sanctuary.
He inhaled slowly, holding the breath as he let his mind still. The meditation technique, one he'd used in his former life to suppress pain or sharpen focus, felt different here. It was like trying to hum a familiar tune, only to find the air itself singing in harmony.
He exhaled.
And felt it.
A subtle pull. Threads of energy laced the air around him. They tingled against his skin and pooled at his feet, drawn toward him like iron filings to a magnet. They weren't part of him—but they responded to him.
This wasn't a hallucination or biological anomaly. It was real.
Mana.
It wasn't flowing from inside him. Instead, he could feel it in the earth, in the tree, in the sky above. He didn't need to channel it—he simply had to imagine.
He opened his eyes and extended a hand.
The grass at his feet swayed gently, even though the wind had stilled. A single leaf floated up into the air, circling slowly, dancing on an invisible current.
Max smiled.
It wasn't just meditation anymore.
That night, under a flickering oil lamp in the attic, Max devoured the words of an old book he'd discovered tucked beneath a broken floorboard: "Principia Thaumaturgia: The Codex of Magic."
The pages were brittle, lined with ancient ink, but it contained knowledge far more valuable than any encrypted intel from his past life.
The Circles of PowerMages in Avalith wielded magic through a system of Circles—ethereal, internal containers that held and refined mana. The strength and purity of a mage's magic were measured in two ways:
Quantity: The number of Circles they could form.
Quality: The color of their mana within each Circle.
The color progression followed a strict hierarchy:
Black → Crimson → Red → Orange → Yellow → White
Black was raw and unstable, while White represented purity, control, and mastery. Most mages spent years refining a single Circle to white before forming another. A few reckless ones formed additional Circles too quickly, leaving their magic chaotic and limited in long-term growth.
The most powerful known mage in Avalith had 75 Circles—a warlord, philosopher, and icon whose name was whispered with reverence. The mythical 100-Circle Celestial Mage had never been confirmed—only spoken of in songs and scrolls.
Mages could project their Circles as floating, glowing halos behind them—one for each Circle—allowing others to see and judge their strength. In duels or war councils, this display acted like a silent résumé. A show of power, respect, and authority.
Max closed the book for a moment, considering.
He didn't have Circles. Didn't need them.
But he could fake them, if necessary. Just another disguise—another mask.
The Classifications of MagicThe book continued, breaking down the seven known disciplines of magic, each with its own origin, method, and legendary founder.
1. Elemental MagicFounder: Seraphis the Flameborn
A once-blind orphan who meditated near a volcano and gained mystical sight. She claimed to see the "threads of the elements"—and learned to pluck and twist them like a weaver at her loom. Seraphis's teachings birthed the school of Elemental Binding.
Elements and Subtypes:
Common Elements: Fire, Water, Earth, Wind
Advanced Elements: Ice (Water + Wind), Lightning (Fire + Air), Sound (Air + Vibration)
Rare Elements: Light (Emotion + Mana), Shadow (Void + Spirit), Telekinesis (Mind + Mana through brainwave projection)
Each element had properties tied to its emotional resonance. Fire responded to passion, water to adaptability, wind to freedom, and so on.
2. Magic KnightsFounder: Caedros of the Broken Sword
A crippled soldier who learned to channel mana through shattered blades and ruined muscles, creating the art of Mana Fortification. His disciples learned to enhance their weapons, bodies, and reflexes through will and raw mana infusion.
Subclasses:
Bladecasters (mana-infused swordsmen)
Pikewardens (spearmen who manipulate reach and force)
Arcstringers (archers whose arrows carry elemental force)
Handwarriors (unarmed combatants channeling mana into strikes)
Knights were rare but feared. Many ruled border forts or served as champion warriors in noble houses.
3. Beast TamersFounder: Ilriya Wildsong
A nomadic druidess who shared her mana with a thunderbeast and forged a bond of emotion and spirit. Her technique birthed the Summoner's Pact, a magical covenant between mage and beast.
Styles:
Wide Bond: Control many lesser beasts.
Deep Bond: Focus on fewer, stronger companions.
Beast Tamers served as elite scouts and shock troops. Some even rode into battle on wyverns or phoenixes.
4. RidersFounder: Thorne Skypiercer
A dying boy saved by a wounded dragon who offered him a soul pact. The bond they forged became the first Symbiotic Rider Contract—a shared growth path between rider and beast.
Traits:
One beast only.
The stronger the bond, the greater the transformation.
Some Riders and beasts physically merge in battle, becoming hybrid forms.
5. Spirit MagesFounder: Elarin of the Silent Grove
A deaf monk who first heard the voices of elemental spirits in dreams. She created rituals to form Slow Contracts, using spirits for large-scale magic like protective arrays, purification, and weather shaping.
Drawbacks:
Slow casting.
Needs pre-prepared zones or rituals.
Spirits are sentient and can refuse.
Spirit Mages often serve cities, acting as long-term defenders or ritual casters in temples.
6. Necromancers & SoulbindersFounder: The Grave King (real name lost to history)
A scholar-turned-madman who studied death and resurrection. He unlocked ways to bind the dead, animate corpses, and eventually chain living soulsinto contracts of submission.
This gave rise to:
Necromancy: Raising the dead.
Soulbinding: Enslaving sentient beings.
Slavery Magic: Later adapted to bind beastkin and elves for labor and entertainment.
Though outlawed, these practices thrive in secret among nobles and slavers.
7. DemonsNot a type of magic—but a tragic outcome.
When mana saturates the soul beyond what it can bear, some individuals mutate, both physically and spiritually. These are the Demons—beings warped by uncontrolled magic. Hunted, hated, and eventually united, they formed their own militarized empire.
Max exhaled slowly, closing the book.
His world—once narrow and mechanical—now seemed infinite. A playground of endless potential, color, and experimentation.
He walked to the attic window, gazing out at Avalith's golden hills. The sun was setting, painting the clouds in amber and fire.
He had no masters.
No mission.
Just the unknown, waiting to be shaped.
And he was already imagining how.