Abigail sat cross-legged atop a cluttered table.
Papers, half-finished scrolls, and glowing trinkets surrounded her in what could only be described as magical store room.
Across from her, Nero was pacing furiously, his arms flailing in sheer outrage.
"You—You can't just do that!" he shouted, pointing at her dramatically. "You became someone else entirely! The entire building was shaking! I thought you were going to....going to -!"
Abigail's lips twitched, caught somewhere between guilt and amusement. She raised both hands in a placating gesture.
"Alright, alright, I admit I might've gone a little overboard—"
"A little!?" Nero cut in, his voice cracking halfway. "You looked ready to attack me!"
That earned a soft laugh from her. She leaned back slightly, the warm glow of the magic lamps catching the golden strands of her hair. "Attack or not, it got the point across, didn't it?"
Nero huffed, puffing his cheeks.
Abigail watched him for a moment..his shoulders rising and falling, his eyes refusing to meet hers.
Then she sighed softly, swinging her legs off the table.
"I didn't mean to scare you," she said, her voice quieter now. "When I release my true form, it's… easy to lose myself in it for a bit. Creation Magic connects to everything around me. It's like my mind expands beyond what it can hold."
Her gaze drifted toward the mess of relics, crystals, and half-fused magical contraptions that filled the room. "And sometimes," she added with a faint, sheepish smile, "it leaks out more than I intend."
Nero glanced at her then, the edge of his anger softening. "…So you weren't trying to..."
"Of course not," she interrupted gently. "I'd never harm you, Nero."
A long silence followed, broken only by the faint hum of mana in the air.
Then Abigail straightened, dusting off her skirt. "But you understand now, don't you?"
Nero frowned, tilting his head. "Understand what?"
"Why your magic trait hasn't manifested yet." She stepped closer, eyes gleaming with quiet pride. "You're much closer to it than you realize."
He blinked. "Closer…?"
She smiled, but there was a strange glimmer behind it...something wistful, almost reverent.
"You're probably ten times—" she paused mid-sentence, her eyes narrowing slightly as if reconsidering. "No… that's not right."
Nero looked up, curious.
Abigail's voice softened into awe. "You're probably a thousand times closer to true magic than I am."
"…True magic?" Nero repeated, tasting the words like they carried weight beyond his comprehension.
Abigail turned, resting one hand on the table and the other over her heart.
"It's a theoretical term ," she said, eyes drifting to the ceiling as if she could see beyond it. "A magic of dreams. A magic unbound by all rules...capable of manifesting any concept that exists, regardless of strength."
Her voice grew quieter, reverent. "It's not about elements or natures or even mana capacity. It's the magic that exists beyond the framework of the world itself. The origin of every spell, every phenomenon, every breath of power that mortals have ever learned to name."
Nero stood still, his earlier frustration forgotten.
Abigail turned her gaze to him again, her expression soft yet resolute.
"It's what I call… the true state of divinity over magic."
She smiled faintly, her eyes warm again.
And if my gambit is right… you might just be the one who reaches it...one day my love.
Nero stared at her, completely entranced. Every word seemed to light a spark behind his eyes.
Abigail watched him quietly. There was something satisfying...almost nostalgic..in the way he looked at her, that familiar hunger to understand what lay beyond reach.
She exhaled softly, then her expression shifted..smile curling into something mischievous.
"Well then," she said suddenly, dusting her hands, "since you've managed to go through my little demonstration without fainting… I suppose it's time for your first real Spell."
"Spell?" Nero blinked, still half-lost in awe.
Abigail stepped closer, her golden hair catching the light. "Yes. You'll be taught a spell today. My spell, in fact...the very first one I ever learned."
Before Nero could even form a question, her hand moved.
A burst of golden light flared from her fingertips, striking his chest.
He gasped as his upper clothing disintegrated instantly into ash, scattering into the air.
"What—!?"
The protest died in his throat as her other hand pressed lightly against his bare skin.
The touch was warm,then burning.
Symbols of light gathered beneath her hand.
He grit his teeth, feeling the sting but unable to look away as the glowing pattern took form..a five-pointed star.
Abigail withdrew her hand, examining her work with satisfaction. "Perfect," she murmured.
Nero stumbled back, clutching at his chest, eyes wide. "What—what is this!?"
"A magic crest," Abigail said, her tone light but proud. "More specifically...the crest of our family."
Nero blinked, still staring down at his chest where the faintly glowing star pulsed with life. "Magic crest…?"
He didn't get the chance to ask what it did.
Crimson lines crawled outward from the tattoo, spreading across his body like veins of molten fire, winding around his shoulders, his neck, his arms...everywhere.
His breath caught in his throat.
And then it hit.
It wasn't pain at first. It was confusion. Overwhelming noise.
Thousands of words, symbols,numbers and images pouring into his consciousness like a torrent bursting through a dam.
He staggered, clutching his head, the room spinning around him. "Wha...what's...happening—!?"
Abigail didn't move to stop it.. "Don't resist it," she said softly. "Let it in. It's knowledge, not poison."
Nero's eyes rolled slightly before snapping open, burning faintly with the same scarlet hue as the lines crawling over his body as The complete blueprint of just one spell without the need of a grimoore was enough to more than overwhelm his mind.
Images flashed behind his mind...arcane sigils older than language, half-forgotten chants, runes carved on pillars that didn't exist anymore.
He saw the faces of people he'd never met, their voices whispering words he couldn't fully understand.
Nero gasped as the crimson lines retracted, the glow dimming back into the five-pointed crest on his chest.
He slumped forward, panting heavily, sweat running down his temples.
"Trace…?" he muttered, the word falling from his lips instinctively.
Abigail exhaled, the tension slipping from her shoulders as a soft sigh escaped her lips.
"Thank the gods," she murmured, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "For a moment, I thought I might've overloaded your circuits."
Her gaze flickered over Nero, scanning him head to toe with the precision of a craftsman evaluating her work. Then she smiled faintly, almost proud. "But I was right. You can handle it... just right."
Nero didn't respond immediately. He was still catching his breath, the faint shimmer of magic fading from his skin.
His hands trembled slightly as he lifted one, watching the last crimson lines snake back beneath his flesh, retreating into the crest pulsing faintly at the center of his chest.
He flexed his fingers, staring at them as if they weren't his own.
Finally, his voice came ...quieter, steadier.
"This... Spell..." he murmured. "To analyse anything instantly..."
He continued, voice growing stronger with each word. "To trace the composition of anything... the flow of mana, the structure of a spell, even the logic behind it all..." His eyes flicked up to meet hers. "It's like..."
"Limited omniscience," Abigail finished for him, her smile widening. "A uniquely strange form of knowing. Not absolute, not infinite, but as long as you can handle the flood of information… you can perceive everything."
Nero swallowed, feeling the weight of her words sink into him. "So… this is the spell you learned first?"
Abigail chuckled softly, leaning against the cluttered table again. "Mhm. Trace the foundation of all my work. The key that allowed me to build Creation Magic from the ground up." She looked at him with quiet pride, eyes filled with something bittersweet. "It's the spell that separates those who wield magic from those who shape it."
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Power Stones and Reviews please