Theo's POV
The library was quieter today.
Not empty—
But close enough.
Most students were outside, training for the gate.
Getting stronger.
Preparing.
Rushing.
I wasn't.
I sat at the same table.
The same book open in front of me.
"Advanced Water Magic Formations."
My fingers rested lightly on the page.
On the diagram.
The Flow Circle.
Simple.
But not easy.
Water magic is adaptable…
It doesn't follow fixed rules…
You create your own structure…
I closed my eyes briefly.
Then raised my hand.
Water formed slowly above my palm.
More stable than before.
Less resistance.
Less waste.
I exhaled.
Focus.
Thin streams extended outward.
Carefully.
Deliberately.
I didn't copy the diagram exactly this time.
I adjusted it.
Slightly.
A smoother curve.
A softer connection between points.
Less rigid.
More… natural.
The circle began to take shape.
Faint.
Incomplete.
But there.
For a moment—
It held.
The water didn't collapse.
Didn't scatter.
Didn't break.
My eyes opened slightly.
"…Better."
The flow felt different.
Controlled.
But not forced.
Then—
A flicker.
The structure wavered.
Cracks formed in the pattern.
And—
It collapsed.
Water fell away.
Gone.
I exhaled slowly.
"…Still not enough."
But I wasn't frustrated.
Not this time.
Because I could feel it.
Progress.
I looked back at the book.
Then—
Closed it.
"…I don't need this anymore."
Not completely.
Not for this part.
Because the book showed the path.
But I had to walk it.
I raised my hand again.
Water formed.
This time—
I didn't think about the diagram.
I focused on flow.
How the water moved.
How it connected.
How it responded.
I guided it gently.
The circle formed again.
Different this time.
Not identical.
But—
Better.
More stable.
More fluid.
A faint glow appeared along its edges.
Weak.
But real.
The water didn't shake.
Didn't collapse immediately.
It held.
My breathing slowed.
"…So this is it."
Not memorization.
Not imitation.
Creation.
The circle shifted slightly.
Adapting.
Responding to my control.
For the first time—
It felt alive.
Then—
After a few seconds—
It broke.
The water scattered.
Fading into nothing.
I lowered my hand slightly.
"…Still incomplete."
But—
Closer.
Much closer.
I leaned back in my chair.
Thinking.
If I can stabilize this…
Then everything changes.
My control.
My efficiency.
My combat.
My healing.
All of it.
Because this wasn't just a technique.
It was a foundation.
A system.
Something I could build on.
I stood up slowly.
Taking the book with me.
As I walked out of the library—
The noise of the academy returned.
Students training.
Fighting.
Preparing.
I stepped into the sunlight.
My hand tightening slightly.
Water formed again.
Briefly.
Then faded.
"…One more step."
That's all I needed.
Because the next time I used it—
Wouldn't be in practice.
It would be inside a gate.
And it had to work.