Everyone in the room held their breath. No words were necessary. My next action would determine the rest of my stay at Lumiere.
I placed one foot slightly firmer than the other, centring my balance. The crystal sphere rested on a metal stand, its smooth surface reflecting not only the light from the room, but also the hungry eyes of the students who wanted me to fail.
I closed my eyes.
Not to concentrate, but to perceive. To feel the pulse of mana in the air in my mental world. That subtle, almost imperceptible vibration that has always been there as tiny particles.
In that other world, I was born with the innate ability and talent for it, so it took me no more than a few hours... the process wasn't really that difficult, perhaps because the concentration of mana was much greater than it is now.
Carefully, I opened my eyes and reached out my hand halfway to the sphere, without touching it.
—Whenever you're ready —said Aron, his irritated tone grating on my nerves.
