POV: HELENA IVYRA.
Having joined that special class was, without a doubt, one of the best decisions I'd made in recent times.
After all, that training against Professor Miguel was not just instigating; it was excellent. He was strong, but not in a brute and uncontrolled way.
There was technique, objectivity, and, above all, experience in every one of his movements. He demonstrated with his actions that his resume was not just for show; it was a sign of his capability.
I could clearly see that I would learn a lot from that man. Besides his mastery over enchantments and combat, Miguel also had an enviable academic history in the exact sciences.
And that, for me, was gold. I've always been interested in this area. Having someone like him guiding me might be the bridge I needed to finally understand what had previously escaped me.
While I was still processing all this, I heard his voice once more as I emerged from my scattered thoughts.
"Before explaining what JAT and Spike are, I need to know what enchantments you possess…" he said.
"Please show me your signature bookmarks…"
Hearing that, I took a deep breath. I knew the weight and importance of revealing that information.
Revealing your signature bookmark wasn't like telling someone your favorite dish or the name of your closest family member.
It was almost intimate; socially, it was a gesture of trust that meant a lot. I reflected for a moment… Was it worth it?
That was the question that came to mind.
Telling your enchantments was always something many found dangerous, others saw no problem in the gesture itself, but rather in the descriptions of the enchantments.
They said that telling your enchantments was even courteous. However, their descriptions should never be told to strangers.
'It's a step of trust after all… But it's a professor asking…'
I sighed again.
'It's not like I'm going to have to face him in a fight to the death someday, right…'
I paused. The memory came like a flash.
'Damn, that's something Sunny used to say… Good thing I don't have the Destined attribute, phew!'
The truth was, technically, the registration of enchantments was common in IBGEL censuses. But people always avoided it.
It was a custom of the ancients, the elders, those who believed that telling their powers to those who held the means of literature control was wrong.
'Why that sound… slightly communist to me? Strange association…'
But, in the end, that didn't matter so much to me; I chose to take the risk.
I snapped out of my spiral of thoughts when I saw Miguel activate his signature bookmark. His wrists began to glow a light blue, demonstrating that all his marks were active at that moment.
And beneath his left hand, a glow appeared, in the shape of an energetic rectangle with curved, crescent-shaped edges, which listed five different marks.
All with different symbols and different symbol codes.
We learned from the beginning of elementary school to read these patterns and what they could tell us about people's literary marks.
The five main enchantments appeared clearly on that paper, and Miguel showed us his without hesitation, showing that he trusted us.
That was enough to make me take a step forward, out of consideration.
"Alright, professor," I murmured, more to myself than to him.
I activated my enchantments, all at the same time. And there it was. The familiar glow of my own Signature Bookmark appeared before me.
Four of my main literary marks revealed themselves immediately.
'Only one more… I hope I get a good mark that can help me.'
I only possessed four main marks that were important enough for me to feel safe using them there.
Generally, dominators read various books in their lives, but few connect deeply enough for them to become marks.
And even these are not guaranteed to be powerful enough or efficient enough. In my case, I have always been an avid and varied reader.
My marks were proof of that…
Seeing the rectangle appear in my right hand, there it was: In the shape of an hourglass full of sand, there was the symbol of several chains breaking.
That represented the symbol of Chains of Marginal Liberty, my intermediate mastery enchantment closest to advancement.
Originated from Captains of the Sands, written by Jorge Amado. One of the first classic books I read, and honestly, my favorite.
Second, there was a cube symbol, surrounded by various polygonal formulas, with a small pyramid in the center, which had two steps glowing a stronger light blue than the top.
Indicating my mastery over two of the three axiom groups of the enchantment Axiomatic Tessellation. Originated from Elements by Euclid.
Below were the two marks I had the most fun using, due to their variety. The third had a large eye, under a temple that sat atop a figure reminiscent of a mountain.
This eye was open and had some symbols beside it, indicating the properties that Observation of the Shadow allowed me to visualize and understand during combat or study. It was of intermediate mastery, originating from the good old classic Shadow Slave.
And last, but not least…
My beloved mark that forced me to take fencing lessons when I was younger…
Because I thought it would help, and in the end, it was nothing like what the name represented. The King's Sword, of intermediate mastery, was a confusing mark; its name indicated something about armament or combat, but in reality, it was a defense and mental support mark. Originated from The Beginning After The End.
As soon as I finished checking, I looked at those marks for a moment… And thought how crazy that variety was…
Two novels, a classic book, and an old math book.
'What a variety, huh?'
Glancing briefly to the side, I saw Renata with her hand, already channeling her own bookmark…
With different symbols and her characteristic cyan tone.
A strange tone… Yet, intriguing.
If my marks were distinct, hers… were somewhat peculiar.