Mother sat beside me while Master Paulus waited, chalk in hand, smile patient. My eyes were fixed on the board, where he had written a single word in a steady hand.
[Sixteen]
"Sixteen…primal affinities?"
He nodded, his tone warm.
"Primal affinities. The most fundamental, irreducible traits mana can take. Not flashy elements, not fireballs, but the laws behind them."
He drew five long vertical lines across the board and titled each column.
[Matter & Structure]
[Energy & Change]
[Space & Time]
[Life & Renewal]
[Law & Balance]
He tapped each heading, his voice was steady and clear.
"These are the five groups. Within them, we place the sixteen affinities."
The chalk clicked as he wrote, line by line.
[Matter & Structure: Solid, Fluid, Gas, Binding, Separation]
[Energy & Change: Energy, Radiance, Thermodynamics, Change]
[Space & Time: Space, Time, Cycle]
[Life & Renewal: Vitality, Renewal]
[Law & Balance: Order, Chaos]
I mouthed the words silently as he wrote. Simple at a glance, yet overwhelming when I tried to understand them.
Mother sat with her hands folded in her lap, listening with the calm discipline she once gave to needlework.
Master Paulus continued.
"Primal affinities do not merely allow us to use magic. They shape reality itself. By existing, each generates passive laws. Rules the world obeys without protest."
He paused, giving me a moment to breathe before going on.
"As examples. Solid grants form and mass. Fluid gifts flow to rivers and blood. Radiance ensures that light will travel. Time presses moments forward. Vitality sustains growth and healing."
The chalk hovered, then tapped the board once.
"These laws are constant. If even one primal affinity ceased, the laws it sustains would collapse. Our world, Terros, would descend into chaos."
My fingers knotted together in my lap.
"So these sixteen…they are the foundation?"
His eyes softened.
"And the ceiling."
I had to breathe before my next question could leave me.
"What can we…actually do with them?"
A laugh escaped him, light but not unkind.
"Nothing. And, at the same time, everything."
I must have looked lost, because his smile bent toward mercy.
"It will be clearer if we move to the next step."
He drew a sharp line beneath the five families and wrote a new heading.
[Ten Secondary Affinities]
"These are the tools mages most often use. Usable affinities formed by combining two or more primals."
He listed them in two neat columns.
[Stone, Flame, Water, Wind, Light, Darkness]
[Lifeweave, Death, Pulse, Gravity]
He tapped the first column.
"These six are called soul-bound affinities."
Tap.
Then the second.
"And these four, world-bound affinities."
My brows knit.
"Soul-bound? World-bound?"
His smile softened as he explained.
"Every humanoid being is born with a soul-bound affinity. When you reach the third stage of Awakening, your affinity will reveal itself. For most, it is one of these six. But there are always some exceptions."
I nodded slowly, understanding only fragments of it.
"And the other four?"
His chalk tapped the second column.
"Lifeweave. Death. Pulse. Gravity. These are different. Closer to primals, but weaker. World-bound affinities, as the name suggests, belong to the world itself. They are too powerful for mortals to wield in their pure form. We may borrow pieces of them, use them as support, but to grasp them fully would shatter us. Think of them as borrowed muscles."
I nodded.
Paulus gave a final tap of the chalk, a smile tugging at his lips.
"So. Sixteen primals, ten secondaries. Now the fun begins."
He flipped the board. The wooden frame creaked, and chalk dust drifted through the air.
He drew a horizontal line and wrote the next heading.
[Affinity Blocks]
I asked, puzzled.
"Blocks?"
He clarified with a grin.
"Building blocks. Combinations. However you prefer to think of them. From the sixteen primals and ten secondaries, we form new variations. When named and understood, these blocks can enhance your magic."
He faced me, eyes glinting.
"A question, to wake the mind. If we combine Flame and Stone, what do we get?"
The first thought slipped out before I could stop it.
"Metal?"
His laugh came soft.
"A fair guess. But in the calculations mages use, Flame and Stone create magma."
Heat crept up my cheeks.
"Oh… right. I've heard of magma."
He went on.
"Another. What happens when we combine Thermodynamics with Water?"
I thought hard, then answered, unsure.
"Cold water...Ice?"
He nodded.
"We call it Frost. But yes, you grasp the core of it."
He tapped the board again, chalk clicking.
"From the sixteen and the ten, we can build an almost unlimited amount of affinity blocks. We can then combine the blocks themselves with primals or secondaries to create even more. That is why mages never stop learning. The world keeps offering us new ways to understand it."
I turned his words over in my mind.
'Sixteen primals. Ten secondaries. Then blocks. Then blocks of blocks.'
He must have seen the blur in my gaze, because his voice slowed.
"Let us go through the most common blocks. They are called deviants."
I straightened.
"Deviants?"
He nodded.
"Sub-forms of your soul-bound affinity, built by combining other laws with it."
The chalk scraped as he marked six columns and wrote headings, his hand steady.
[Stone: Metal, Sand]
[Flame: Magma, Lightning]
[Water: Frost, Poison]
[Wind: Sound, Weather]
[Light: Beam, Sunlight]
[Darkness: Void, Shadow]
He tapped the board.
"These are the six soul-bound affinities, with their most common deviant forms. Deviants stretch what your birthright can do without abandoning it. For example: a mage born with Water can wield Frost if they gain enough understanding of its nature."
He paused, letting the thought sink in before continuing.
"Now, let's write down how these deviants are built. Perhaps you can already guess some."
Mother leaned forward, her attention sharpened as if the lesson was meant for her.
Master Paulus wrote again, neat calculations appearing behind each word.
[Metal = Stone + Order]
[Sand = Stone + Wind + Separation]
[Magma = Flame + Stone]
[Lightning = Flame + Chaos]
[Frost = Water + Thermodynamics]
[Poison = Water + Death]
[Sound = Wind + Pulse]
[Weather = Wind + Water + Cycle]
[Beam = Light + Pulse]
[Sunlight = Light + Flame]
[Void = Darkness + Separation]
[Shadow = Darkness + Space]
He set the chalk down and brushed the dust from his hands.
"These are the formulas for each deviant form. Some use primals, some use secondaries. Many could be guessed if you think them through. That is the work of researchers. Testing, experimenting, discovering new combinations until a new affinity is confirmed."
I blinked, overwhelmed, my mind struggling to catch each word.
He noticed it and shifted the topic.
"Good. That is enough theory for today. As a final point, let us discuss how you can actually use magic."
Relief loosened my shoulders, and I nodded gratefully.
He explained.
"Mages wield their soul-bound affinity as their primary art. Deviants are used to enhance it. Most mages remain true to their primary art, but there are exceptions, of course. Healers, for example. They focus on the world-bound affinity Lifeweave. With enough study and understanding, they can borrow a portion of it to create healing magic."
He placed both hands on the desk and leaned closer, blue eyes fixed on me.
"Now, about magic itself. Why must we study laws at all? Remember how I said warriors use mana only on their bodies?"
I nodded.
He lifted his hands from the table and clasped them together in a small gesture as he continued.
"Mages are different. What we do, and why we must study the laws, are closely intertwined."
Then he raised one hand forward. A small flame bloomed above his palm, burning steadily.
I flinched. It looked like his hand was burning, but he didn't react. He looked calm, even comfortable, as if the fire couldn't hurt him.
Master Paulus' eyes stayed on me as he spoke, the flame flickering between us.
"Now, young lady, I have a fireball in my hand. What I do now is no different from what a warrior could do. But if I want to use it as a mage, I need to launch it, don't I?"
I nodded, still uneasy about the fire clinging to his skin.
He smiled and waved his hand. The flame rolled with the motion but never left him, stuck tight to his palm.
"Good. If we want to project this fire outward, I can't just throw it. It will cling to me. To release it, we need not force, but wisdom."
I waited for his next words, my heart drumming.
He teased, tilting his head.
"So, what do you think? What law should I add to release it?"
I blurted.
"Wind?"
He chuckled, blowing gently on the flame. It flared a little brighter.
"As you see, wind can feed fire. But it won't launch it. To send this flame outward, we first need gravity to push or pull, and then a pulse to give it an initial burst. That is the simplest recipe. Steering it, strengthening it will need finer layers. But this much is enough for now."
The moment he finished, the fireball shifted.
Whoosh.
It shot forward across the room but scattered just before reaching the shelves, breaking into glowing embers that drifted down like fiery snow.
My eyes widened.
'So this is magic. And one day, I'll be able to do the same.'
Resolve welled in my chest.
I lifted one hand and made a tiny gesture with my fingers, a weak smile following.
"I think…I understand a little. But any more and I'll forget everything."
Mother and Master both laughed at that. After a breath, Paulus nodded.
"Quite right. Enough for today."
He brushed chalk dust from his hands, satisfied.
"At least now you've seen what magic truly is. How laws and affinities support your soul-bound gift."
He gave a light clap.
"Theodora, this is the path of magic. Remember as much as you can."
Relief sagged my shoulders, though I forced myself to sit straighter.
Master Paulus gave a slight bow.
"Young lady, we will meet again tomorrow."
I stood and bowed in return.
"Thank you for the lesson, Master Paulus."
He smiled, then turned to Mother and bowed deeper.
"My lady, thank you for the honor. It is always a pleasure to guide a young mind on their first steps into magic."
Mother rose and returned the bow.
"Sir Paulus, I learned as much as she did. It is our honor to have you here."
He smiled, bowed once more, and left. The robe swayed around his legs as he crossed the floor.
Click.
The door closed softly behind him.
Silence returned.
I sat again, staring at the chalk marks left on the board. My mind turned them over, failing to order them at first, then settling into something fragile.
Mother walked to me and rested a hand gently on my head. Her voice was soft, warm.
"Good work. You don't have to understand it all at once. You only need to keep listening."
I nodded.
"I will try."
Her hand brushed through my hair once more before she drew back.
"Rest now. Tomorrow will be easier."
Her steps echoed across the library until she slipped out, the door closing behind her.
Click.
Only I remained. The library was quiet. I sat a while longer, staring at the rows of shelves, repeating what I had learned.
'Sixteen primals. Ten secondaries. Blocks without end.'
'If I learn this… if I truly learn this, no one will force me to marry. No one will push me around. I will choose for myself.'
I drew a breath, deep and steady. When I let it go, the air felt cleaner.
My voice broke the silence.
"I will learn magic. I will become strong. And I will find him."