“An excellent question,” the Professor smiled down at Samorn, “you are correct. When the veil is thin, aether can leak through into our realm and – with well-honed Vision – you can be drawn to this, but it is not something that first year or even second year students will be capable of. Detecting native aether within a spiritual being is the same way – possible, but difficult.”

Samorn nodded at his response, looking more thoughtful than gratified at the compliment.

“Can it also be used to detect Titan spawn then?” Shaya asked without raising her hand. “And do their lairs form because they thin the Veil between our reality and whatever plane they’re from?”

“Practical questions, which I’ll allow despite being out of turn,” he chided, “yes and yes - Titan spawn are primitive spiritual beings like their ancestors and thus contain aether. Unless they are actively channeling it, however, it is very difficult to detect.”

Professor Zaal looked about the auditorium, searching for more participants, but tsked when he found no one else willing to speak. “I’m disappointed in all of you. The giant touched upon an important reason to hone your Vision, but all of you have missed the most critical one. Aether is used to shape and channel spells – with enough training, you can use your Vision to identify spells those around you may be casting.”

A number of the students gasped behind her and Shaya blinked as she thought of the possibilities. But...

She raised her hand this time.

“My, you are an inquisitive one,” Professor Zaal said, examining her more closely. Something flickered across his face – amusement? Annoyance? It flashed by too quickly for Shaya to identify.

“I just don’t mind asking stupid questions, sir,” Shaya replied, “Since we only learn spells specific to our Spectrums, how broadly or accurately will we be able to identify spells beyond that?”

The Professor turned away from her and addressed the auditorium. “This barbarian from Kelahk,” he said without particular malice, “who possesses almost no spark of divinity,” now Shaya gritted her teeth, “is impressing me more than any of you tutored and well-bred scions. Have my peers raised timid sheep?”

If that’s how he compliments people, Shaya thought to herself, ears burning as people’s hateful glares burrowed into the back of her head, I’d rather he hate me.

“Tell me Kelahkese,” he turned back to her and his eyes glinted with an almost sadistic joy, knowing full well the target he painted on her, “that you follow the Sapphire path.”

“My name is Shaya Heirosoth,” she replied, “And no, I’m an Amber mage, like my mother before me.”

“What a waste.” His expression turned to scorn, “Your wits will be dulled by Amber’s influence and you’ll become yet another useless slab of meat. Before I discuss that in greater detail, however, I shall answer your question – you touch upon one of the reasons the Empire’s Lances are devised of a mage from each Spectrum. No, you will not learn the Seeds of other Spectrums, but you will be around those who regularly channel them. Those who hone their Vision will begin sensing the shape of their peer’s spells in their second year of study, perhaps even the first.”

Shaya’s wrist already hurt trying to catch up with all of the writing she didn’t do while she was asking questions – or being further marked for social assassination.

“Now, I say that Amber will rot this misguided girl’s brain,” Professor Zaal turned back to address everyone, “but the truth is that each of your spectrums will exert their influence over you. You have felt this already in your child-like exploration of your powers. The way it feels to draw upon your aether.”

Like how Amber aether can make you feel invincible or how Ruby aether drives you into a rage...

“Yes, I see it in your faces – the fear, the elation, the need.” He stopped his pacing and shook his head sadly, “Did you know many hedge mages succumb to their Spectrum? Against the will of the Archon, they choose to pursue magic without sanction and without training, and the aether they channel changes them irrevocably, the drive towards one powerful emotion breaking their minds into something...inhuman. It can happen to you as well...”

He trailed off for effect, not a trace of sympathy crossing his features.

“But,” he paused “there is a special 'muscle’ we use to defend ourselves against this.” He smiled, “You may have even heard of it – it is called Will, gentlefolks. Yes, it is the same kind of Will you exercise every day when you do your homework instead of procrastinate, the same Will you exercise when you resist the negative influence of your peers, and the same Will you shall exercise when faced with life altering – or threatening – decisions.

“Mark my words, though it does not grant you raw power, Will is what separates the legends from the madmen.”

That won’t be me, Shaya thought, underlining Will in her notebook repeatedly, maybe building up my will to extreme levels will even let me control the blood rage...or at least let me channel Ruby aether without triggering it.

Shaya smiled as she imagined hurling fireballs from behind an impenetrable shield of magic.

Yessss, power overwhelming...

“So, you have achieved the correct mind set, drawn the aether you need,” Zaal continued, snapping Shaya out of her day dreaming, “the next part is simple – you shape the spell’s circuit. There is no muscle that makes you better at shaping every spell equally, instead your ability shape a spell circuit is based on your familiarity with the Seed, or Seeds, being used to cast it.”

Wait, you can combine Seeds!?

“Shaping the spell’s circuit well is integral,” he continued as if he hadn’t granted a revelation to infinite power, eyes glowing with Amethyst as he drew in more aether, “A misshapen circuit can cause a backlash, causing irreparable damage to you, or unleash a spell with unintended or uncontrolled effects. At best, an inefficient circuit will require more aether to function, an especially terrible state for any spell you intend to sustain.”

Tell me about it. Shaya thought back to the quickened versions of her defensive spells, remembering how fast it burnt out her reserves.

The Professor released his spell, a tear appearing into a realm that oozed darkness. A spectre floated from the rift and hovered behind his shoulder.

“Now I know you wish to rush to the point where you can shape spells without invocation or gesture,” he smiled at the classroom, “but you will actually gain better practice when using invocation. The guidance your Esper can provide will help sharpen your understanding of what a good spell circuit looks like, rather than forcing yourself to shape terrible ones. And prevent you from killing yourself in mishaps.”

Easy for you to say, Shaya grumbled in her mind, the tactical advantage of not shouting your next action out loud is HUGE. Speed be damned.

Huh, though... She made a note in the margins of her book to explore later.

“With your circuit shaped, you are ready to channel your aether into it and unleash it in reality. Simple, yes?” Shaya caught a few of the students nod out of the corner of her eye while writing furiously, “Wrong.”

“This is where everything can go awry. If you control the aether channeled into a circuit, you’ll be able to feel if the circuit was shaped incorrectly and poses a threat before it explodes in your face. While drawing aether can tire you out, channeling aether is the most exhausting part of the process, and poses the most danger to you.”

“Circling back to the discussion of Will, every time you channel aether it leaves a mark on your mind and soul – leaving behind a bit of its influence each time.” Shaya’s ears perked up at this. “It is imperceptible, at first, but the more aether you channel the larger the mark becomes. It is not unheard of for even young mages to go mad in times of war, a Spectrum’s influence imbalancing their minds beyond human thought even when they’re not channeling aether.”

Is this why Krebo and Jax never threw magic around?

And why is this information kept secret?

So the Empire’s enemies burn themselves out, of course, the cynical part of her mind answered.

She raised her hand to ask a different question entirely.

Professor Zaal pointed at someone behind her, and a familiar, shy voice murmured something.

“Speak up, child,” the Professor snapped at Apricot.

Apricot took in a deep breath and projected her voice, “I-if channeling too much of one aether imbalances the mind, then wouldn’t channeling all of them in equal measure restore some level of balance?”

“It is good to know that even youth outside the Empire think themselves above tradition,” Zaal nodded, “but no, the more aether one channels, the more unhinged one becomes in multiple directions instead. Being enraged one moment and then utterly empathetic the next does not make your behaviour ‘balanced’ - and that’s assuming you can channel opposing Spectrums, which you cannot.”

He turned his eyes to Shaya, the flames within them flickering with amusement as she lowered her hand, her question answered. “Ahh, yes, you’re all so power hungry and think yourselves special. This will pass with time. Monochromaticism is promoted with good reason, as you will come to understand.”

Bull, Shaya thought to herself, if the Seven can embody the full Spectrum then why couldn’t someone else?

“Let us wrap up our session discussing the final two magical muscles. We have spoken of spell circuits in an abstract manner, but the reality is that they are shaped and channeled in your soul – those circuits are a part of you.” The Professor tapped his chest for emphasis, “Your Heart determines how resilient your circuits are to the rush of aether coursing through them. With exercise, you will be able to channel more and more aether through your circuits safely. Conversely, the Heart also acts as a limit to the raw power of your spells, and channeling more than it can handle will result in backlash and burn out as the aether escapes its safe channels – which leaves a greater imprint on your soul and can damage your magical abilities for a time, or even permanently.”

“Finally, your Spirit is the real estate within your soul that you have to shape circuits. Right now, most of you can only shape basic circuits, and that’s if you’re not sustaining any of your spells. A sustained spell circuit continues to occupy space in your soul, so practice often to gain an understanding of how many of your spells you can sustain and cast.”

Wish I had that advice a month ago...

“And now comes the part where I shatter many of your dreams,” he said, smiling, “life is unfair, and the same is true of magic.”

Oh no...

“Some are born with a greater potential for magic than others,” his smile grew, “many of you have guessed correctly already – the more potent your divinity, the stronger your connection to the Aetherium. The stronger your connection, the stronger your magic.

“Just as we cannot all be born with the strength of giants,” he said, looking at Shaya, “so too, must some of us accept they simply will not be gifted mages.”

If you think that’s going to stop me, you don’t know spit about me Zaal.

Uphill struggle? That’s been my life.

Bring it on.