The next morning, just as Khaun had promised, he came early.
He was already sitting on my bed when I returned from training.
He glanced at me once and said,
"Sit."
I didn't argue. I sat down across from him.
He began without wasting time.
"As I told you before, there are different ways to store mana in the heart. Some use circles, some use stars, and some even use lines. It depends on their school or lineage."
He took out a piece of paper and a piece of dark charcoal.
"But the most important thing to remember is this—when you use magic, you don't just draw mana randomly. You must understand the structure."
He drew a simple circle on the paper.
"Most spells begin with a circle. An empty circle."
He tapped it.
"What you fill inside this circle determines how the mana reacts and what form the magic takes."
He continued drawing.
"For example, wind affinity often uses curved patterns."
"For fire, you'll see more oval or flowing shapes."
Then he looked at me.
"For dark affinity…"
He added several small dots inside the circle.
"…the pattern is usually dominated by dots."
He stood up and raised his hand.
A magic circle formed in the air.
Inside it were curved lines, dots, and faint overlapping shapes.
A small gust of wind burst out from it.
I narrowed my eyes.
"You said wind uses curves… but I can also see dots and other patterns."
Khaun smirked.
"Good observation."
"No spell exists in isolation."
"Magic overlaps."
He walked slowly as he explained.
"Where do you think hot wind comes from?"
"When you boil water, steam rises. That's heated air."
"Magic works the same way. Even if one affinity dominates, other elements are always present."
He looked at me directly.
"What matters is which pattern is dominant."
He sat back down.
"Now, about the Black Hand technique."
He drew another circle.
"Think of it like this."
"Water is heated by fire… steam rises…"
"A dark mage uses that 'vapor' as a base and shapes it into a form. Then uses the dark mana to strength the shape"
He began sketching a magic circle.
"In simple terms, you create a structure from invisible particles and give it form."
"That's your hand."
He paused and looked at me.
"This is the simplest explanation you'll understand right now."
"If I go deeper, your brain will break."
He then drew another magic circle.
"This is non-attribute magic." As promised this is the second magic I will teach you.
"Even magicians use this sometimes."
"It doesn't depend on affinity. It uses common mana."
He looked at me.
"I'll teach you one—Mana Shot."
"Gather mana… and release it toward your target."
He stood up again.
A magic circle formed.
This time, it had mixed patterns—curves, dots, and overlapping shapes.
He pointed his finger forward.
The mana shot out instantly.
It struck the wall and left a small hole.
I stared at the mark.
He then gave the papers with magic circle to me.
Then I looked at the pattern carefully, trying to memorize it.
Without warning, Khaun snatched the paper and burned it.
He handed me a blank sheet.
"Now draw it."
I froze.
My mind went completely blank.
"I… don't know how."
He sighed.
Then he pulled out a book and threw it at me.
"This is what we give children who want to become magicians."
"Read until Chapter 4 by tomorrow."
"I'll ask questions."
He looked at me with a grin.
"If you answer wrong… there will be punishment."
Then he walked out of the room as if nothing happened.
I looked down at the book.
"Magic: What Is It?"
I opened it.
The first few pages were already confusing.
"Origin of mana… the great catastrophe… the birth of magical flow…"
My head started to ache.
"…what is this even talking about?"
I closed the book.
"Enough."
I needed to move my body instead.
Thinking too much would only make things worse.
I walked toward the servants' quarters to train.
But when I arrived, I stopped.
Standing there was Lerana va Raonelet.
She was wearing training clothes—not as flashy as before, but still refined.
Beside her stood another woman, likely in her forties.
The moment she saw me, she began walking toward me with a faint smile.