Lillia sat in quiet vigil, her eyes red-rimmed from exhaustion but unwavering in their focus on Robert's chest. His breaths had been shallow for hours, his body still and pallid. She had clung to hope with every pulse of her magic, willing him to hold on.
Suddenly, her breath caught as a faint glow began to emanate from the cracked crystal embedded in his sternum. At first, the glow was uneven, flickering like a dying ember, but then it steadied, growing brighter with each passing second. The deep fractures spiderwebbing through the crystal began to mend themselves, the cracks fusing seamlessly until the surface was smooth once more.
Lillia's hands hovered above Robert's chest, trembling as she watched the transformation unfold. A sharp hiss filled the room as thin, red tendrils of energy were expelled from the crystal, curling into the air like smoke before dissipating entirely. The oppressive weight that had lingered over Robert lifted, replaced by a sense of calm and harmony.
But then, something extraordinary began to happen. The crystal's shape shifted before Lillia's eyes, the round, familiar orb stretching and elongating. The transformation was almost organic, as though the crystal were alive and responding to some unseen command.
Slowly, it reformed into a nine-pointed star, each point radiating a distinct brilliance. The star pulsed with life, its colors shifting and flashing in sequence, as if testing its ability to hold each element. Lillia's breath hitched as she recognized the hues. Fire glowed a fiery red, bright and searing. Water shimmered a deep, tranquil blue, rippling like the ocean. Earth radiated a rich, earthen brown, solid and grounding. Air flickered a pale, ethereal silver, wispy and elusive. Light shone a golden yellow, warm and radiant. Dark absorbed a deep, velvety black, drawing in the light around it. Life pulsed a vivid green, vibrant and full of energy. Death cast a haunting purple, tinged with an edge of shadow. Spirit gleamed a pure white, soft and otherworldly, tinged with the faintest shimmer of every other color.
Each point of the star held its color briefly before shifting to the next in a mesmerizing dance of light and energy. The room seemed to sparkle with magic, the air alive with potential. Lillia's soft gasp broke the silence, her hand flying to her mouth as tears welled up in her eyes.
She couldn't hold them back as they spilled over, falling onto Robert's chest. She wiped the sweat and grime from his face and neck with a clean, damp cloth, her movements tender and filled with reverence. She knew the significance of the nine-pointed star, a symbol of divine blessing, of a sacred balance and purpose.
This was no ordinary event. This was a gift from a god.
Lillia wiped her tears quickly and turned to Snow, who had been standing frozen, her wide eyes fixed on the transformation taking place. Lillia gestured urgently to her, their unspoken communication needing no words. Snow nodded, her body jolting into action, and darted out of the room to fetch Sorcha.
Moments later, Sorcha burst into the room with Snow trailing behind, her breath catching at the sight of Robert's chest. Cradling Robert's hands, Lillia kissed his knuckles repeatedly, each one a silent promise only she could know. Her tears, a mix of relief and joy, splashed down onto his skin as she held him close.
For the first time in what felt like an eternity, hope blossomed in her chest, warm and unyielding. Lillia looked up at Sorcha, her moist green eyes brimming with fatigue yet shining with joy. Sorcha's gaze locked onto the nine-pointed star glowing on Robert's sternum.
She froze for a moment before uttering a heartfelt exclamation common among their people, one of surprise and deep gratitude for a divine blessing. The air seemed to hold its breath as the women shared a moment of awe at the undeniable mark of the gods. Yet Robert remained asleep.
A faint stir in his mind pulled him into a dream's embrace. In Robert's mind, the man continued his gift of knowledge to Robert. His tone was calm, probing, carrying the weight of profound truth.
"Robert, I have shared with you what Magic is, its source. But I asked you another question as well. 'What is Science?' This may go against everything you believe to know is true, but I will share this truth with you and let you wrestle with this information for as long as you need to, before we move on to the third of three lessons. To understand what Science actually is, you must understand that it does live and think. It has consciousness. Science is not merely a method or a tool; it is an entity, ancient and vast. Its realm, its primary sphere of influence, is your world, your known universe. All the laws that exist that determine how you experience the universe are dictated by Science."
Robert made to object, his hands curling into fists as frustration surged through him. The absurdity of the statement hit him like a physical blow, clashing violently with everything he had ever learned. His pulse quickened, and his mind raced, scrambling to reconcile the man's words with the logic and structure he held so dearly.
"Science is not an entity. That doesn't make any sense. Science is a process, a method of determining what is real and what is not. It's a set of rules and logic designed to separate fact from fiction, the real from the unreal!" That claim infuriated Robert, its absurdity burning through him.
The man sat patiently, watching Robert struggle with the thought, just as he knew he would. "You mean to make the claim to me," Robert stated, ice in his voice, "that Science, our methodology of learning about our universe without bias or preconceptions, is alive?" His tone incredulous with the obnoxiousness of it.
Patiently, the man spoke to Robert, "Yes. I make that very claim. Science is a being, also born of the Quanta. It gave rise to this universe as you know it, setting the laws in motion that you and your people study. You perform tests and experiments to discover which laws are unbreakable and devise theories to explore where the laws create natural limits that you cannot cross. Take light, for example. I believe your people have determined it is the fastest traveling 'stuff,' if you will, in your reality. It is fast, there is no denying it. And nothing is faster. The greater the velocity of matter, the more it approaches this speed of light, the more like light it becomes, is that correct?"
Robert contemplated his words, comparing it to what he remembered from physics classes, but replied, "Well, yes, I believe so. This is probably more up Langston's specialty, to be honest."
The man nodded slowly, accepting this reply as fair. "Very well. Using your terminology, this speed would be roughly three hundred thousand kilometers per second, I believe it is."
My terminology? Robert asked himself, what in the world does that mean? Is he not human too?
The man leaned forward, his eyes unyielding but kind. "Why, Robert? Why that speed? Think about it."
Robert furrowed his brow, frustration creeping back in. "It's just what we've measured. It's consistent, fixed. It's the limit because, well, because it's how the universe works!"
The man nodded, a faint smile playing on his lips. "And yet, you've just told me what, again, not why. The speed of light, this three hundred thousand kilometers per second you know to be real because it has been measured, is no mere happenstance. It exists as a boundary, a cornerstone. The universe needs that constant, that law, to hold its shape. Were light faster, reality itself would stretch too thin. Time would warp beyond reason. Causality would collapse. Were it slower, the fabric of existence would constrict, choking the energy needed for creation."
He gestured outward as if encompassing everything around them. "Science, this being of thought and design, did not stumble upon this limit by chance. It chose the speed of light, a value that acts as the rhythm to which the universe dances, harmonizing the threads of your reality in a delicate equilibrium. Every law you measure, every theory you test, fits into this grand equation. It is not merely a rule but a foundation. Without it, Robert, the universe you call home would not exist. Science is an ancient being whose only concern is that everything works. It is logic incarnate. In its mind, it is, because it must be to work. It designs the whole system and sets the rules, ensuring everything remains in equilibrium. One of your fundamental laws is its decree: 'Matter may not be created or destroyed, but only change forms.' This, and all the mathematics your people have devised, are representations of this truth. The equilibrium of the universe must be kept, all held together by a small symbol you call an equal sign. An object in motion will stay in motion unless acted upon by another force, is another. That's one of my favorites. I recently utilized this law, using my club and those hyenas. It is known to all of your kind for this to be true. You have seen it with your biological light sensors you call eyes. You have tested the law repeatedly and without end. You've devised sports and games based upon it. It's one of the most central laws that exist, along with its twin, 'an object at rest stays at rest, unless acted upon' in a similar fashion. Again, I ask you, why?"
The man paused, gauging Robert's ability to comprehend, eyes intense and studying, observing Robert think about this. Eventually, Robert's mind ground to a halt. "Because it must be, for reality to function. Because Science dictates it. Language is really not sufficient enough to accurately describe the nature of this entity, is it?"
The man smiled now. "You are catching on. And the reason Science, with its steadfast dedication to order and consistent laws, was persuaded by the Warlock to turn against Magic and Moira a millennium or more ago lies in the very nature of magic itself. Magic, Robert, is not bound by rules. It is shaped by imagination, a force that defies the structured reality Science works tirelessly to uphold. Whatever you can dream of, whatever you can imagine to create, can break Science's laws. Science was convinced that the breaking of these laws cannot be permitted in its universe. And from its perspective, this is true. If its laws can be broken so easily, the universe itself is at risk, isn't it?"
Robert struggled to wrap his mind around this argument. It made perfect sense in one way, but in another, it was incomprehensible, even in the face of wielding these law-breaking magics himself. Robert grew weary of the scope of this concept. Its weight was too heavy, its challenge too hard.
But he must grapple with this concept if he was going to understand the new world he was on a path to create.
As if reading his thoughts, his teacher told him, "That's right. You do need to understand, whatever it takes. And with that, I have one last gift to give you."
Robert widened his eyes, suddenly not wanting him to go. He wanted to stay with this man and learn more, to have more eye-opening, mind-expanding conversations with him, to learn everything there was to learn. "But what about Faith? You asked about that too, but you haven't explained how Faith ties into all of this!"
Smiling quietly at Robert's thirst for truth, the man praised him, saying, "I respect your desire to obtain wisdom. This speaks to your worth as a soul, and I am proud of your choices thus far. But Robert, my friend, you are not yet ready for that. When you come to realize who I am, you will be nearly ready for that discussion. But I have filled your mind with enough questions and information for now. Now you must digest it. When you believe, when you cry out to me for aid and are ready to experience the results of Faith, we can have that talk. For now, however…" The man pulled forth a small harp made of oak, with silvery gold strings. "This is Uaithne, a representation of my power, my magic. I will weave you a song. I hope you wake with it and keep its melody in your heart when times are dark."
The man began strumming his harp, each silvery note resonating as if the air itself carried its weight. The notes became visible, shimmering as pale light that danced around them. As he sang, the broken tower started to glow softly, its ruined walls exuding an ethereal luminescence.
Beneath their feet, the barren earth stirred, and blades of vibrant grass pushed through the cracks. Wildflowers of every color blossomed as if called from slumber. The scorched sky above shifted, parting the oppressive clouds to reveal glimpses of a cerulean expanse and golden sunlight that streamed down upon the tower.
The shadows that had twisted and swum through the air recoiled from the light, their screeches echoing like the fading cries of nightmares. One by one, they dissolved into nothingness, banished by the harmony of the song. Wherever the light touched, the desolation retreated.
The earth healed as though restored by ancient, sacred hands. As the cauldron vanished, a bubbling spring took its place. Clear water surged forth, pooling gently and spilling into a delicate stream that cascaded down the base of the tower.
Its path shimmered with brilliance, and wherever the water flowed, the ground beneath was revitalized, bursting into lush greenery. Flowers and moss wove a soft, vibrant carpet over the once-bleak terrain. While the teacher sang, these transformations unfolded, creating a small, verdant oasis amidst the cursed lands.
Robert watched, entranced, the beauty of the moment lulling him into a peaceful drowsiness. The song, the light, and the life spreading around him formed a bastion against the desolation beyond. His eyes grew heavy as he listened to the man's voice and the melody of his harp, and he surrendered to the sleep that finally claimed him, cradled in the arms of restoration and hope.
Born of the Quanta, a trinity reigns,
Science shapes order, the laws it sustains.
Magic imagines, boundless and free,
Faith ties the unseen, the roots of the tree.
Fire ignites, water flows, earth stands tall,
Air breathes life through the dance of it all.
Light shows the path, and dark holds its place,
Life and death move in rhythm, Spirit keeps pace.
Albion sings where the rivers collide,
A home for unity where forces reside.
Restoration calls where chaos had been,
Nine points of light bring harmony within...
Robert awoke to the feeling of soft kisses against his knuckles.