Origins of Everless Magic
- magic originated in Nevermore
- a link was created between Nevermore and Everless in the 1450s.
- originally magic was very well-known, shared between people easily, although only a limited number of people had access to any form of magic.
- it was only in the early 1500s that Everless magic was classified and given names.
- for the early times, informal universities were established in order to teach students magic. (actual schools began to pop up in the very late 1800s)
- the number of those able to connect with Nevermore magic was far higher than the modern times.
- previously it was about .05 of the population, dropping down to .01 over the course of the early 1600s.
- nevermore and nevermore-aligned people dropped even further, almost being completely eliminated in Everless.
- Everless magic was organized heavily and recorded in great detail after this point.
a note written: we can do more magic than our circles! (recommended after taking the circle magic class)
Interactions with Outsiders
- during the late 1500s, a time of persecution occurred towards the magic and people of both Everless and Nevermore.
- Called the ‘Midnight Era’, it represented a shift from public knowledge of magic to the underground and secretive nature now considered normal.
- during this era, the violence and deaths near brought the end of Everless.
- during this era, privacy and secrecy spells were created, becoming some of the first types of spells and potions taught to those learning magic.
- during this era, witches ceased sharing information about magic to all and any outsiders.
- during the 1600s, the era of the Salem Witch Trials, the need to seek out and educate people with magic that were unaware of it was made essential.
- schools were created with the hope of protecting students, both aware and unaware from the threats that come from having magic.
- finally, during the mid-1900s, an outcropping of people calling themselves “Hunters” arose, threatening the safety of Everless and Nevermore alike. (more detail given in Defensive Magic classes)
- “be careful with whom you trust, it’s a difficult thing to have to deal with, but magic and society do not mix easily.” <- direct quote
So my own character of Mira Niemczyk is currently enrolled at @note-katha’s Evenfall University, and it seems that her adventures there need to be detailed! So without further ado, I present Mira’s adventures at Evenfall U!
Mira Niemczyk is brave. Foolishly, recklessly brave. She would die for her friends, and has only survived this long because she doesn’t have that many. Arrogant and stubborn, the type of person to whom warnings are no more than challenges and who very nearly launched her own satellite into orbit (it would have worked, too, if she hadn’t been ripped off with low-grade sulfur).
Mira Niemczyk also does not believe in magic.
This is despite the fact that Mira attends one of the most prestigious magical universities in the country, and perhaps the world: Evenfall University, hidden deep within the forests of the northwest United States. This is also despite the fact that Evenfall only accepts those with proven magical talent or abilities. An impressive feat of cognitive dissonance.
She doesn’t quite remember whether or not she in fact applied to the university, or if she was even aware of its existence until she received her acceptance letter. The tuition was affordable, and a chance for her to leave behind the state of Texas to cooler weather and slightly less irritating inhabitants*. She has cause to regret her decision, and cause not to, and at present rests somewhere in the middle.
Currently, she is sitting in the middle of orientation, listening to the professor drone on about their ‘circles of magic’, which honestly looks like a bootleg version of the Olympic rings. Not the most original design. There’s lots of words, none of them meaning anything - orientations are supposed to be fun, aren’t they, getting to meet the clubs and students and teachers at the school. And instead she’s sitting here, falling asleep with her head in her hands.
“Any idea when this is going to be over?” she whispers to the girl next to her, black-haired with glasses that seem too big for her face.
“No, I - stop talking!” She glares at her, pushing those same glasses up on her nose. “I am trying to listen to the professor! And you should too,” she says in a huff.
Mira rolls her eyes, dropping further into lethargy. Is there really no better way of conveying information than a lecture? A video, maybe, that she could watch in the comfort of her own home - dorm, whatever. Something with better visuals than rings stolen from one Mr. de Coubertin and someone who didn’t speak like they were giving a TED talk. “Any questions?” they ask, staring out across the assembled crowd.
Silence. “You should have lots of questions,” the girl next to her mutters. “Seeing as how you refused to listen to a word of it.”
“Actually, yeah,” she tells her with a wink, standing and trusting in her brilliant red, completely-not-dyed hair to get their attention. Or the fact that no one else wants to say anything. “Magic…-“ she coughs, already coming down with a cold. “See, magic! Isn’t! Real!”
She didn’t have to scream it. It wasn’t even a question like had been asked for. But that wasn’t going to stop her, because she is right and she knows it. It doesn’t matter if they’ve put together fancy special effects to draw circles in the air, if what they’re telling her is no more than a collection of lies.
College is supposed to be a place of learning, isn’t it? Not a place of-
The other girl drags her down, color flushing across her face. “Stop talking!” she hisses, glancing around. “I didn’t intend - you - you cannot do that!” she stammers. “Why would you do that?”
They’re laughing at her. People are laughing at her because she told them magic wasn’t real. “Because it fuckin’ isn’t. Don’t tell me you believe what they’re selling, uh-“ She jabs a finger at her, poking the lens of her glasses. “What’s your name?”
“Samantha Venera, Third Circle,” she recites as if reading it off from a roll. “But - oh, no. Did you have to say that? And now the students are all looking at us - and they’re laughing, why did you even choose to attend if you refuse to believe in magic-“ She tugs at her collar, a fancy outfit in blue and white that looks more suited to an old-timey ball than college orientation. Somebody’s looking to make a good first impression, she notes to herself.
“Not like I had anywhere else to go-“
Her voice rings out a little too loud, and she realizes it’s gotten quiet. “Please! Stop! talking!” Samantha whispers again in desperation, and this time she listens.
“The First Circle of Magic,” the professor is saying, voice low, “is extremely dangerous. I beg you, please do not look into it.” Doesn’t sound like you’re begging, she notes. More like you’re warning us. “You could lose your life by doing so. And for those who think this is a joke, that we are warning you away for our own personal gain-“ Her gaze seems to find Mira- “we’re not. Unfortunately, we’ve been warned by the APA to not disclose the stories, so I’m afraid we can’t provide more details.”
Muttering breaks out among the students. “Absolutely not suspicious at all,” she says, turning back to Samantha. Or turning to where she was, because she and her enormous glasses** have already vanished into the crowd. “…huh.”
Her roommates blur by, their names going in one ear and out the other. Harmony Washington, thespian who is already hogging the shower and slumping dramatically against the walls. Aishwarya Kamal, whose claim to the hardest name to spell is only challenged by Niemczyk, and Nitya Nair, who arrives in the dorm to sleep and that’s it.
She should get to know them, but she doesn’t want to. Just more people. That is, until Aishwarya drags her from her bed and her laptop, to the kitchen and three boxes of pizza. “Look - I didn’t know what you wanted,” she says, flipping the lids open, “so we’ve got pepperoni, cheese, and vegan. So…have some pizza!”
It’s free real estate food. “Why?” she asks through a mouthful of the pepperoni. Aishwarya’s even managed to drag Nitya in from her nigh-incessant soccer practices, though she doesn’t seem pleased by it.
“Because we are going to be friends,” she says, barely managing to keep the smile from her voice as the last of the group sits down. “Right? I mean, we’re living in the same space for at least half a year. I’d like to have that be a good relationship - and everybody likes pizza. No better way to begin, right?”
“Where’d you get it?” Harmony asks, looking at her slice in suspicion. “Not sure I trust the pizza shops around here.”
“Local place, just-“ she gestures vaguely towards the south- “down that way. Can’t remember what it’s called. It’s no, uh, Pizza Port, but - doesn’t matter. I mean, this is mostly for you, Mira, more than anybody.”
“…what?”
She rubs the back of her neck, looking guilty. “We, ah, we all know each other. We went to the same school, actually, and were in the same astronomy club and everything. So we’ve been introduced to each other a long time ago. So this is more about getting to know you, Mira…Niemczyk-“ She mangles the pronunciation, Nee-em-zeek instead of Nehm-check- “and about you knowing us.”
“Not a great start for being included in the group, is it?” she asks, perhaps a little more harshly than she’d like. “Not if y’all know each other and I don’t.”
“Well, there’s only one way around that,” Aishwarya replies, cheery demeanor refusing to be put out, “and that’s if we get to know you! So - where are you from? What’s it like? Why’d you come here?”
All more personal questions than she’d like to answer right now. “Houston, Texas,” she starts with, became that’s the easiest place to. “We’ve lived there for a while, and in Texas my whole life. Until now.” She shoots a glance outside, more to avoid eye contact than anything else, and sees that it’s pouring rain. Maybe she should have noticed from the fact that Nitya’s currently dripping water onto the carpet, but ‘noticing things’’ has never been her strong point. “Is it always this rainy here?”
She shrugs, over by the sink as she pours herself another glass of water. “I think so? That’s the stereotype, at least, but I don’t know if it’s true.”
“I wonder if it’s magic?” Harmony says, standing and walking over to the window. “It’d be fitting, don’t you think? All those stories that they can’t even tell us-“ Lightning flashes, framing her in a halo of jagged light- “and the rain pours down outside, washing away any of the evidence. Footprints, paths, light - it’s all gone, swept away by the unending torrent. Maybe it’s how they keep their secrets-“
“Monologuing,” Nitya says without even looking up. “Because maybe it’s just the damn rain.”
“Alright, alright. I’m just saying. This is literally a magical university, why couldn’t they have magic rain? There’s water witches, air witches, nature witches like you, Aisha - they could do it.” With another faux-forlorn glance out the window, she goes back to her seat - nearly knocking over her drink in the process. “Maybe they just do it for fun. Two students falling in love, they turn on the rain for the dramatic argument that leaves both convinced the other one will never speak to them again-“
“About half - 170 out of 365 - days in Seattle had rain,” she replies, looking at her phone. “So either there are lot of people having their dramatic arguments and falling out of love, or it’s just the weather. Yes, I know there are that many people here,” she says, cutting off Harmony’s counter, “but I don’t think it’s magical rain.”
At least the conversation isn’t on her anymore. Or it wasn’t, until Aishwarya turns back to her and she curses herself for tempting fate with that statement. “So? Houston have less pointless arguments?”
“Not really.”
“Any of your friends going here, too, and you weren’t lucky enough to room with them?”
“No.”
“Do you know what you’re planning to major in?”
“Not sure.”
“What circle - what magic you have? Why did you come to Evenfall?”
“Second-“ though there’s no such thing- “and…“ There’s no good way to put it, so the best she can offer is a shrug and an “eh.” There are some things you don’t start out by telling people, especially not if you want to make friends. Why she came to a magical university while not believing in magic is one of them. “You?”
Though she’s clearly less than satisfied with Mira’s answers, politeness demands she answer. “Nature - I’m studying to be a doctor - have been almost all my life, from those little doctor’s kits to interning with a lab technician. Because I don’t think there’s anything more amazing than being able to save lives-“
“We’ve all heard the spiel, Aisha.”
“Mira hasn’t!” she says, not trying to deny that there is a spiel. “And what’s wrong with trying to convince people? There’s a shortage of doctors in the world, you know, and especially a shortage of magical doctors. What if Harmony there were to get hurt, then who would treat her? Sirens can’t just walk up to any hospital.”
“A siren?” Mira doesn’t even realize she’s asked it until it’s out of her mouth. “I thought - what?”
“You don’t know?”
“Know what? I thought this was a school for people with ‘magic’?” She hates being told she doesn’t know, and hates it even more when the other person is right.
“And those from the Nevermore,” Aishwarya explains. “Magical - well, they’re…people, but with magic…more imbued in them than something they can control. Sirens, for example, don’t have control - technically - Harmony?” she asks at last, finally admitting she’s lost.
She sits up from where she’s thrown herself dramatically into the chair. “Yes? I’m a siren. And I’m studying to be an actress. I mean, it’s kind of the route you go, because we’re good at the whole-“ she gestures to her throat- “voice thing. I could show you,” she says, with the eagerness of someone who almost certainly will whether you accede.
“…sure,” says Mira.
“Alright, I think I’ve got it,” says Harmony, except it’s Mira’s voice. She has to press a hand to her throat to check that it’s not her speaking, because she can see Harmony’s mouth moving but hear her own words. “How is it? I can’t really tell if I’ve got it right-“
She nods hurriedly, just wanting her to stop. “Yes - yes, that’s my voice and I don’t like it.”
“You’re no fun,” she says again, switching back. “But, that’s what we sirens can do. It’s weird, you know, finding out you’re not wholly human. Like, I got a letter and it said “hey, you know all these people? Well, you’re not one of them. Come to Evenfall!”
“And you did?”
The look she gets for that comment - a fairly innocent one, really, given the options - feels overdramatic. Like everything about Harmony, she supposes. “Um, yeah. What was I supposed to do, go to some normal college and pretend that I didn’t have gills? No, I don’t actually-“ she adds, seeing her glance- “but shut up.”
“And that’s the story,” Nitya says. “Now I really do have to go, since I think they’re running practice late. In the rain. Nice meeting you Mira, I suppose-“ it doesn’t sound like it- “but I do have to go.” She picks up the soccer ball from the corner, spinning it in her hands and spraying everybody else with water before pushing through the door.
“That was abrupt,” Aishwarya says, frowning.
Harmony glances out the window, grimacing as a flash of lightning races across the sky. “Her fault for getting into sports,” she says, pulling out her tablet and flicking through it. “At least plays are inside, most of the time.”
The group dynamic has dissolved, and Mira takes that as her cue to leave. It’s a chance to get back to the normal world, a place where things like magical rain and sirens aren’t something she has to deal with. Not that anything at Evenfall can be called normal, not how the word is usually meant. Back to a point where she can pretend things are normal, then.
She’s always been good at that, pretending things are normal. It’s how she got here, and why she’ll stay.
*this message paid for by the State of Washington
**much like Pluto and its moon Charon, Samantha’s lenses are large enough that the two of them should be considered a binary system rather than that of a single body
I’ll use my current tag list for this, since this will be just a short AU/story thing, but please let me know if you want to be added or removed! @lady-redshield-writes, @no-url-ideas-tho, @ratracechronicler, @ken-kenwrites, @ravenpuffwriter, @cirianne, @lonelylibrary @maxbeewriting, @endlesshourglass, @thebloodstainedquill, @anip-ocs, @note-katha @dreamwishing, @incandescent-creativity, @fatal-blow, @danafaithwriting, @wri-tten, @writingwhithotchocolate, @katekyo-bitch-reborn, @klywrites and @dogwrites!
(and if you liked it, don’t forget to check out @note-katha‘s actual Evenfall University story and their stellar characters! We’ll be meeting them soon enough…)
Hello, and welcome to the Magic-Free Space! In here, there’s no magic. It’s that simple. And if anyone tries to bring their Circles of Magic or whatever pierdolę thing they make up next, then - well, they’re not allowed here!
For there’s no magic, no matter what *cough* people *cough* might say. I think the standard Arthur C. Clarke is likely appropriate here - “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic” - and vice versa, you understand. What people think is magic is just technology - hell knows I don’t know how stocks or that works, and it could be magic - but it ISN’T.
Part 4 of Mira’s adventures at Evenfall! And things are starting to take an interesting turn, here in @note-katha‘s university, and who knows where it will lead them…
The problem with grand proclamations like “changing the world” is that there’s a lot of groundwork. Everybody knows the leaders of the revolution, but few the ones who build the stage. “So…how do we find the First Circle?” Mira asks awkwardly, waiting outside her dormitory (and missing her class). “I mean, it’s not like we can just go up to a teacher and ask.”
“You’d be surprised,” Sam says, “but…generally better not to. Keeps them at a distance, at the very least. But they rely on their warnings more than any actual security - trust that we’ll listen to the authorities of the school, mostly.”
“What does that mean? Their authority’s pretty solid if there’s no information,” she says, glancing sideways with a frown. The early-morning sunlight shines strangely off of her, a faint translucence to Sam’s skin. Or maybe it’s just a holdover of her aura, the lighter gold over the darker brown giving it that strange effect. “I mean, no one has to guard any of the scrolls from Alexandria because they’re all gone - have they done the same here?”
Sam motions for Mira to follow, one corner of her mouth ticking upwards into a smirk. “No. They’re still in the library. Just sitting there, on the shelves. After all, they wouldn’t destroy the information that helps them, would they?”
“And…we can just pick them up?”
“No, they’re restricted. There’s a spell - it manipulates you, tells you that you don’t really want the books. People turn away and they’re convinced it’s their own reasoning, and they have no idea. After all, put up a wall and everyone will want to break in - make them think they have a choice, and they’ll willingly give up their own knowledge.” She grimaces. “Insidious, really, prying inside your head.”
It doesn’t sound good. She’d like to think she wouldn’t be affected, that she’d be strong enough to break through such a spell, but she can’t even convince herself of that. If it’s even real. Everybody speaks of it as though it’s real, because for them it defines their life, and can she risk otherwise? Can she take the risk of venturing blind into something she knows nothing about?
She doesn’t know. “So…how do we get the books, then, if we can’t even…keep wanting them?”
“Oh, leave that to me,” Sam says. “Because it’s Third Circle magic, manipulating mind and emotion. And that’s a certain speciality of mine - but I do have to be careful, to make sure they don’t know we’re there.”
“You think there’s a warning system or something?”
“I know I’d set up something if my magic was tampered with,” she says with a shrug. “So…Mira. So far you’ve not lent yourself to stealth-“
Stealth. Right. “Yeah. I’ll…leave that one to you, actually.” Mira shakes her head, rubbing her forehead with a rueful grin. “There’s a reason I’m here at Evenfall, a reason it was a good idea for me to be here and not at some normal university. And that reason, or at least all of it you’ll get, is a distinct lack of stealth on my part.”
That gets her a raised eyebrow, but no comment. “I…see. Um.”
“I mean, you don’t have to worry or anything,” she adds, “it’s not like it even made the news. And I’m not planning on trying again, obviously, plus there are less abandoned NASA workshops - well, I thought it was abandoned-“
For whatever reason, that doesn’t seem to reassure her. She pushes open the door of the library, glaring at the single student sprawled in the corner. “Right. The books should be upstairs, on the third floor, directly opposite from where we are now. I assume you know the structure of the library?”
“I’m still new here, Sam.” She looks around, at the old stone drilled into to let cables snake in and out. Lights glow in the ceiling, the filaments gaining the quality of all old libraries - bright, white light fading to yellow, with just enough flicker to make them appear aged. Books covered in velvet and gold, or at least the important ones, others tucked into shelves or stacked on top of them. “I’ve literally never been here before.”
“Oh, yes. Of course. Each floor gets quieter, as you go up - fairly standard, although it’s imbued with its own magic. Fifth Circle and Third Circle, mixed to restrict Voice and Emotion, as well as boost Mind. In a sense. There are several layers, all overlaying one another, and it will be a challenge to break one and not the other.”
You know in movies? When the scientist character says a bunch of what’s supposed to be ‘fancy scientific formulas’ and is really just a bunch of words jammed together? And all the other characters stare blankly and the one Action Hero™ asks ‘speak English’ to general laughter?
That’s what just happened, except with magic. “I…okay…”
“It doesn’t matter,” Sam says. “It’s not your problem. I’ll be the only one heading upstairs, and the only one who has to deal with this. There shouldn’t be anyone in the top floors, not this early. It’ll be your job to keep them out.”
“What?”
“Mind work is delicate, and what we’re doing is very against the rules. If you’ve been breaking into workshops and you’re not in jail, your lying skills are probably better than your stealth. So lie.” Sam picks a book from the shelf, turning it over in her hands. “Make up something, I don’t care what.”
“I thought you said no one was here.” Mira looks around, noting the exactly one (1) student. “I mean, a lot of this is available online - just being on campus wifi gets people access to papers and stuff. We should be fine.” Except in her dorm, of course, where the wifi runs at the speed of a slug. At 1 fps (frame per slug).
Sam blinks, rubbing her head. “Right. Computers, of course. Then…come with me, kay? You’re still lookout.” The stairs spiral up the outside of the library, glass strips running down their length. They climb together, half in sunlight and half in shadow, Sam frowning at a name scratched into the wall. “That wasn’t here the last time…”
The scratch is in jagged script, the sharp edges of something carved with a knife. Into stone, somehow. Remember Alian, it reads, tucked away in the corner. “Do..you know an Alian?”
“No. Something probably happened to them, though, or it wouldn’t say ‘remember’,” she says, sighing. “Come on, we’re almost there. Can you feel it?”
Her voice is dropping, quieter with each step. “I think so, yeah,” she says, and she’s whispering. “How quiet do we get? Or…are forced to get? Does it quiet us just…all the way?”
“Not quite,” she whispers, “for the people who talk to themselves while studying. But close.” The landing onto the third floor is lined with silver, instead of gold, a colder blue replacing the warm light of downstairs. It’s hardly more modern, with embossed panels set into the wooden wall and shelves of dark mahogany, but certainly colder.
Colder, and hostile somehow. “Maybe we shouldn’t be here,” she says, resting a hand on the door. “It doesn’t feel - I don’t know. But I don’t think-“
“You’re not going any further,” Sam says. “It’s already affecting you, here. Just watch the stairs, make sure nobody gets up here. Say there’s, uh, maintenance or something. Bookkeeping that cannot be disturbed, by even the slightest motion.” She sighs, tapping out a asymmetric rhythm on the wall. “Now…have they changed anything?”
“You’ve been here before?”
Sam doesn’t answer. “Mind magic is a tricky thing. Sensitive, see. It’s difficult to manipulate from here, no matter what you do. Maybe…it’s a spiderweb, and so any motion on it will disturb the web, no matter how careful.”
“So…what will you do?”
She gives a small smile, though there’s something unrecognizable behind it. “The perks of not being a first-year. There’s some…uh, manipulation of Mind magic you can accomplish. It’s difficult, and dangerous, but it’s the only way to get past. It’s built for a purpose, a specific purpose - to change things in one way, and it can be bypassed.”
And we’re back to the, uh, magical jargon. “That’s not an answer. I asked what you’d do, not how you’d do it.”
“Impatient.” She takes a breath, staring out across the shelves. “Mind magic doesn’t fight itself. It can’t, or it would tear the web apart from the inside. And magic is part of you - you’ve seen the auras, and all it takes is…letting go, I suppose. Separating mind and body, or just putting one above the other.”
“Still not an explanation.”
Sam glares at her. “Just watch.” She takes a breath, then fades, the floor of the library visible through her. The parts of her in the sunlight are barely there, only a faint outline of gold. “Look. Mind over matter, quite literally.”
“I-“ Mira shakes her head, waving a hand through where she stands. “You…feel like syrup?”
“Don’t do that!” she whispers, swatting her hand away. “Would you want someone waving their hand through you?”
“How - what-?”
She makes a show of brushing herself off, still irritated at her. “It’s like…learning to swim, I guess. That’s the only way I can think of it,” she says at last. “But I’ve heard it’s different for everyone who tries it.”
“What do you mean?” she asks, still hopelessly lost.
“When you first learn to swim, you - you’re scared,” she says, shrugging. “You cling to the shore, barely in the water. That’s how most everybody is, clinging to the world. And it’s terrifying to let go, but…if you can…well, if you can let go of the shore, of the world, then…” She gestures at her transparent self. “But stay in shallow waters.”
That’s ominous. “What’s…what’s in deeper waters?”
“Nothing’s there,” she says darkly. “Nothing at all. If you’ve ever been to the sea, you know how it drops off, how the shore falls hundreds of feet to the ocean floor. You stay in shallow waters because otherwise you drown, and there’s no way back. Those are the realms of…of ghosts, of spirits, mostly, the minds who’ve lost all connection with the world.”
“But you still have one.”
Sam scowls. “Yes. Although it’s still scary, letting go. There’s a reason people cling so desperately to the world, and there’s always that fear, that I’ll never be able to get back. That I won’t hold tightly enough to the world and I’ll be lost, falling back into-“ She sighs, breath shaking a little. “Never mind. Just keep watch.”
“I’ll do that.” Sam strides into the library, vanishing as she walks into the sunlit patches. She leaves no footprints, no trace that she’s ever been there. “Wait-“ Mira whispers after her, though it’s much too quiet. “How are you going to carry the books-?”
She’s gone. “Right, then,” she mutters to herself. “…what more can the First Circle give us? She can - she’s like, psychic or something, and Ardis - that is his name, right? - can control time. Apparently.” Mira can’t get closer to the shelves, her own fear that she doesn’t belong there keeping her away.
Except it’s not her own fear, is it? It’s somebody else’s, manufactured and put into her own head. And she can’t escape it. Mira tells herself it’s not real, and that doesn’t make it any less so. “Get out of my head!” she whispers at it, pacing back and forth on the landing, and it doesn’t.
Maybe that’s what the First Circle does. Maybe it doesn’t do anything but protect her from magic.
It takes exactly 40 minutes and 11 seconds for Sam to return, according to her watch, or enough time for the sun to burn off the last of the fog as it rises. She has a stack of books in her arms, the pages faded to yellow and with dust still thick on the covers. “I got the ones I could,” she says, handing Mira the stack. “The ones that will help you most, anyway.”
“How do you know - how can you tell?” she asks, brushing the dust off one of the titles. The Inner Circles of Magic, it reads, A Comprehensive Guide to Exploring the Second and First Rings. The author is unreadable. “What will be useful and what’s not, I mean?”
“I have my ways,” she says, wincing as she becomes (mostly-, although Mira doesn’t mention it) opaque again. “Probably best to leave, and quickly, too. Come on, you probably already want to-“
She’s not wrong, and Mira hates it. “So what now? We have the books, but…”
“That’s the easy part,” Sam says, shaking her head. “Magic is an art, and - well, any closer to believing in magic?” she asks, almost resignedly.
Yes. “No.”
“Great. Time for you to become an artist, with colors you can’t see.”
Part 3 of Mira’s adventures at Evenfall! They’re heading deep into the forest that surrounds @note-katha‘s amazing university (go check it out on her blog!) and who knows what will happen there…
“Don’t wander off, Mira!”
“I’m not wandering off, am I?” she says, spinning around to walk backwards. “I’m just walking fast. If you can’t walk fast enough, then maybe you have no business being in the dangerous forest-“
The problem with walking backwards is that she can’t see where she’s going, and Mira trips over a tree root. “Don’t say anything,” she growls, pointing at Kal. “Or you,” she adds, to Ardis. Sam and Jules are talking, Jules ducking under a tree branch that Sam doesn’t have to, voices low in the evening light.
“I won’t mention it, so long as we don’t get attacked by anything magical,” she says, obviously on edge but trying to hide it. Her mouth ticks upwards, a slight smile as Mira brushes the dirt from her shoulders, before returning to its worried state. For someone who endorsed this plan, she seems to be the least certain of it - even Ardis pretends to be unbothered. “But we shouldn’t, right?”
She shrugs. “How the hell should I know? Apparently, my prime contribution is that I don’t believe these things exist. So I’m finding it difficult to say whether they’ll kill us.” A breeze blows through the branches, cold wind whistling past, and she shivers. As the sun has crept towards the horizon, it’s gotten colder and colder, and she didn’t bring a jacket. It was warm before they left, why isn’t it warm now?
Don’t answer that, she tells herself. “But - I don’t know anything about them either,” she says, glancing around as if she expects something to be creeping up on her, whether a bear with glowing eyes or a shambling zombie. But it’s only Sam, lenses reflecting a light she can’t see, who’s separated from Jules and come up to the front of the group. “Oh. There aren’t any spirits, are there? Nothing we should be worried about, nothing we have to worry about, right?”
“I don’t see anything,” Sam tells her with a shrug. “But who knows. Spirits can hide themselves. It takes effort and practice, but it could be an evolutionary adaptation. We can’t camouflage, but the predators have learned to - perhaps they’ve evolved to camouflage themselves in other ways, too.”
Kal shivers. “You didn’t have to say that.”
“There are different types of camouflage,” she continues, as if Kal had said nothing. “Some predators lie in wait, an ambush for anyone who walks past, but others...research on some of these magical predators have shown that they actually infiltrate the herds of their prey, the literal ‘wolf in sheep’s clothing’.”
“What? They can do that?” Ardis has been listening, and his voice has a faint but definite shake to it. “But…why? Seems like it’d be a lot harder, and…”
“This is magic,” she tells him. “Where the element of surprise isn’t enough. Magical creatures have defenses, and in the wild some are nearly impossible to break. But alone, with only those they know to be safe? Defenses cost energy, and why bother keeping them maintained when they can be up in a second…?” She stops dead, shaking her head slowly. “Except a second’s too slow.”
Their line has become a circle, Jules finishing it with a gleam in her eye. “So you’re saying one of us could be these…things and we wouldn’t even know it?”
“I think if you were a predator, you’d notice,” Mira points out.
“But the rest of us wouldn’t!” she says. “I mean, I don’t think they would have told us about them, so Sam, you’re probably safe, and they wouldn’t want to isolate themselves - they’d want to fit in, so Mira-“
“You’re the ones who don’t fit in - most of the world doesn’t believe magic exists, much less try and practice it-“
That gets her a flat look. “Proving my point. Kal and Ardis, which one of you stands out more? Ardis, you kinda blend into the background - you don’t want to do anything adventurous - so it’s probably you.” She doesn’t seem overly concerned, looking him up and down as if she expects him to say “the game is up!” and turn into a wolf.
He doesn’t. “What about you, Jules? Seems like the best strategy would be to accuse others, because the only one you haven’t suspected is yourself.”
“But I know I’m fine.”
“That’s just what it’d say, wouldn’t it? You’re not going to say something like-“
“‘The game is up!’ and turn into a wolf?” Mira says. “No, I don’t think it would. Give the game away. Better to deny it and let the suspicion blow over, I’d say.” With a pointed look, she turns and continues her walk down the barely-defined trail. “Feel free to join me once you’ve decided who’s the impostor!” she shouts, rolling her eyes.
It’s darker than she thought, and the trail becomes harder and harder to pick out in the dim light. She doesn’t stop walking, not until she feels the brush of tall grass on her legs and realizes that she’s definitely left the path. “Aw, fuck,” she mutters. She tries to turn around, but can’t tell which way is around in the pitch-black. “Well. This isn’t good.”
“No, it isn’t,” a voice says from behind her.
A voice and a light. Sam, holding out a flashlight to her with another in her hands. “Wouldn’t want to get lost. There are many things in the forest, you know. Some more dangerous than others.”
“What’s - how do we get back?” she asks, shining the light around. She can’t recognize the surroundings, and- “How long - how far are we off the trail?”
“Too far,” she says. “Distance can be strange, stretched or compressed at - somebody’s will. Not mine, and not yours. But - you can learn the distances, and I know where we are. Come with me, Mira.”
She has little choice but to follow, her light landing on Sam’s back. Even her jacket looks old, a faded leather outfit that hangs down to almost her knees - probably warm, though, which is more than she can say for herself. She leads her through a faint path, barely more than a dent in the grass, as if no one has trod it for a very long time. “It’s not far,” she says, glancing over her shoulder.
“How far is ‘not far’-“ she starts, emerging into a clearing. A lantern, emitting a soft yellow glow, hangs over a covered outcropping and a pile of old, worn books. “Wait - have you - why do you have this here?” she asks, looking around in confusion. “If this is only your first year, you couldn’t have been here for that long-“
“That’s the thing,” Sam says, sitting down on a wooden chair that blends into the background. “Here. I didn’t stick these chairs out here for you not to use them.”
She sits down, still completely blank on what is happening. “Sam, what are you talking about? Where are we? And how do we get back, especially before the night is over? I can’t miss my morning classes…”
“Mira, I’ve been lying to you,” Sam says.
“What?”
“I’m not new here,” she says. “You are all first-years, yes, but I’m not. I never said I was, but you assumed-“
“You were at orientation! First-year orientation!” she points out. “Literally only first-years are allowed there, and if you’re not-“
“They don’t check,” she says, leaning back in her chair. “They don’t have a list and check everyone else off against it, and I look young. I’ve always looked young - it’s helpful, sometimes.” Her eyes are tinted a pale yellow from the lantern light, a yellow sheen that almost obscures the copper-brown behind it. “Other times, not so much.”
She’s forgotten Kal and Ardis and Jules - they’ll be fine, probably. “But why?” she asks.
“A good question,” she says, grimacing, “and one without an easy answer. But I suppose that is why I selected you, and why you’re sitting here in front of me, so I will try to explain. You’ll have questions, yes - I’ll answer them, best as I can.”
“I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about.”
“I don’t suppose you will. Nobody questions it, nobody will. Ever since the world lost its magic, ever since the leaders were able to lock it away and hide it from the world. You can see - saw half the picture, yesterday, but not all of it.” She stands, and the light follows her, a halo like the spirits she claims to see.
Mira stands, too, following her out. “What do you mean? That magic isn’t real? Because that’s not new, that’s not something that I came up with yesterday-“
“That magic doesn’t help people,” she says, voice ticking into irritation. “That it’s never been used to help people, because they want it for themselves. You can’t keep power, you can’t keep energy - so they haven’t, they’ve taken the knowledge of how to perform and cast the magic that would help people.”
“For the purposes of this conversation, we are assuming that magic is real-“
“Yes!” Sam pinches her nose. “Alright. Are you on the appropriate baseline in order for us to start our conversation?”
She shrugs, the whole thing seeming absurd. And if it’s all absurd, what does it matter if magic is real or not? She’s trapped in a magical forest at midnight with someone who’s just told her they’ve been lying. Magic could be real and it wouldn’t make this any stranger. “I think so, yeah.”
Sam sighs, pushing her glasses up. “They told us at the beginning, if only to warn us away. The First Circle of magic, the most powerful known to us. Except it isn’t - known to us. They took it away, they took all knowledge and everything they could get. Warned us it would take our lives, that seeking it out would hurt us, yes?” She doesn’t wait for an answer. “Except giving it to the world could have helped everybody, and they still hide it.”
“Because…it’s dangerous?”
“Everything is dangerous. Chemistry is a tool to kill hundreds, thousands in the wrong hands. Nobody hides that - libraries have countless books which in the wrong hands could hurt others - some are large enough that it’s literal,” she adds with a wink, a moment of laughter that doesn’t last long. “Knowledge shouldn’t be hidden.”
Another gust of wind blows through the forest, but it seems to divert around them, a patch of calm within the dark branches. “Nice speech. What does it have to do with me? Or why you’re lying about who you are?”
Sam turns to her. “It’s - it’s easier to show you, if I can. Don’t worry, it won’t hurt - it’s just easier to share my magic, if I can, and probably more convincing.”
“I don’t suppose I can say no?”
“Oh, you can,” she says, pressing a hand to Mira’s shoulder and muttering something under her breath. The colors of the world flicker, blurring into a uniform grey. “But you won’t.”
The colors of the world, everything tangible, have faded into the background. But they aren’t all she can see now. Behind Sam shines - her shadow, except instead of darkness it’s built of light, gold light bleeding into black. “Is that - is that what you can see?” she asks in a whisper. “Those…auras?”
“Exactly,” she says, motioning for Mira to stay while she searches under the outcropping, tossing the old books aside. “They change, of course, based on the person. That’s why I - that’s why I’ve sought out the new students, because that’s where the possibilities lie.”
“Possibilities of what?”
“Of change.” She pulls something from behind a box, light glinting off it as she spins it in her hand. “Knowledge shouldn’t be hidden, but they have - hidden it, and I can’t take it from them, share it, alone. I don’t have that power, but…” She holds out whatever it is - it’s a mirror, the surface scratched and dirty. “It should still work.”
She takes it, hesitating. Her aura will be the same as Kal’s, won’t it, the green of creation shot through with whatever makes her, her. Maybe it won’t even be there, maybe she doesn’t have one if she doesn’t believe in them.
Behind her is fire.
Her aura, her spirit is a brilliant red, edges jagged and orange against the colorless sky. It blazes almost too bright to see, an invisible light that washes away the shadows. “What - how - this is what I look like to you?” she manages at last. “This is what you see, every time you look at me?”
She nods. “From the first moment. Yours isn’t a spirit of…of placid green or languid blue, not like the others - most dull, nothing more. But yours…yours burns, brighter than I’ve ever seen them.” The lantern light on her glasses seems redder now, as if that’s not the only light the glass is reflecting. “I don’t know - but I can hope.”
“Hope what?”
“That you’ll help. I know you’ve seen it, what magic can do, and what it isn’t doing. And a spirit like yours won’t - it can’t just sit back and watch it happen, not when you know.”
“You’re making a lot of assumptions based on a ‘spirit’-“
“Am I wrong?” she demands.
She has half a reply before she realizes she can’t. That Sam isn’t wrong. “You’re - not, but I don’t think a ‘spirit’ has anything to do with-“
“Your aura is merely a reflection of how your personality and magic mesh, although in your case - creation, which is normally green - your personality seems to have overridden it almost completely. But that’s not important,” she says, cutting her train of thought short. “What’s important is that you’ll help, Mira, that together we can find the First Circle and share it with the world.”
Her fire burns around her, and she gives a small smile. Sam’s right, in the end, that she couldn’t do anything else. “Let’s do it, then. We’ll find the First Circle, whatever it is, and…”
Part 2 of Mira’s adventures at Evenfall, and we’re introduced to some more of @note-katha‘s 1) amazing world of Evenfall, and 2) the main characters of her story!
Her classes, like her time at the university, don’t get off to a flying start. Hard for them to when she doesn’t believe in the course material. Which is why we find her now arguing with one of the professors: one Nina Wyst, Th.D (Doctor of Thaumaturgy), teacher of the Introductory Second Circle class at Evenfall.
“I don’t care whether or not you think I’ll be able to ‘wield the powers of creation and destruction at will’!” she scoffs, standing next to her desk and slamming a palm onto it, “because those don’t exist!”
“Miss Niemczyk,” and at least she can pronounce her name right, “that’s really not my concern. My subject doesn’t hinge on your belief, though your grade may. The midterms and final exams will test your abilities to perform with at least a modicum of power within your given circle - Second, I hope, for all of you, because if not you’re in the wrong class-“
She refuses to take the [obvious] hint to sit down and stop arguing. “So as long as I find a good special-effects crew, I’m set?”
“You will be taking the exams alone, Mira. Otherwise, it would be considered cheating.” She gives a lazy grin, tilting her chair back by another degree. “Look. You chose to come here, why not gain something from it? It’s not my problem if you believe in it, but it’s certainly yours.”
With a snap of her fingers, a marker appears in her hands, and Wyst turns to the board behind her. The rest of the students react half a second later, muttering among themselves. “Second Circle magic, as I’m sure you’re aware, is the highest circle of magic people are gifted with, as well as the highest we are permitted to access. Highest in power, as it were, though lowest numerically, because of…numbering systems. Those old Babylonians were onto something, if you ask me-“
“Ever heard of Clarke’s third law?”
She sighs. “I try to encourage my students to be questioning, and you are succeeding admirably. Too admirably. Be quiet and let me do my job as a teacher, please.”
“‘Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic’ - Clarke, in 1973. You tell us that what you do is magic - well, I don’t believe you. If you went around and showed a laptop, or a movie projector, or - or a car, or a plane, to people from 3000 B.C. then they would say it’s magic, too.”
“You’re interested in technology, then, Mira?” she asks, pinching her nose.
She is, although normally people mean computers and if(else) statements and tiny circuit boards when they ask that. ‘Technology’, to them, is just whatever the newest widespread innovation is, and those are all in computers. They’re done and over aeronautical engineering - except in the fuckin’ military, and she wants nothing to do with that.
“I guess?” is the best she can offer.
“Fine, then. Consider the Second Circle…materials science, of a sort. 3-D printing, engineering, chemistry - whatever field you want to say we’re talking about. After all-“ she smirks- “I am not telling you about magic, but instead about technology. Is that acceptable?”
“Um-“
“Because if it’s not, I may have to ask you to leave. I can only tolerate so many disruptions in my class, Miss Niemczyk, and while I applaud your spirit I find it misplaced. Understand?” Getting a glare - but silence, also - in response, Wyst spins the marker in her hand and turns back to the board. “Great! Before we have a more formal introduction to the magic, or ‘tech’, there is some administrative paperwork to handle - if any of you do manage to injure yourselves be aware that you may have a tricky time getting insurance to cover it…”
Mira sulks - there’s no better way to put it, even to herself. She slumps back in her chair, crossing her arms and muttering indistinctly under her breath. snatching the prerequisite forms from the poor front-row student assigned to pass them out with a grumble. Yes, you can call it technology, but that doesn’t - why do you choose to call it magic, then? she demands, in her inner world where she can win the argument. What do you gain by associating it with the mystical, huh?
Unfortunately, winning the argument with herself does not put her in a better mood, or even a less argumentative one. You ever heard of Klass’ law? Because that’s one thing you didn’t address: any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from a rigged demo, and so is your ‘magic’. Just because you call it something different-
The girl next to her, in a glaring orange sweater - it’s not even pastel, sweaters are supposed to be pastel - taps her on the shoulder. “Hey - aren’t you the one - didn’t you say the same thing earlier?”
“That magic doesn’t exist?” Mira gives her a suspicious look, this unknown factor with dark brown skin and a full page of notes already scribbled on her page. “Were - were you taking notes of that argument?”
“No!” she whispers, guilty look giving her away. She’s even worse of a liar than Mira, who at least knows enough to deflect the conversation. “Maybe…look, it was interesting! It’s a compliment!” Even as she says it, though, she flips the pages in what she a) probably hopes is a casual manner, and b) definitely isn’t. “So? Are you the one from orientation?”
No use in denying it. She hoped she’d be noticed, wouldn’t she? She supposes she has only Samantha to thank for the whole school not already knowing her name, and whoever asked that question about the First Circle. “That’s me.”
“Why’d - I mean - what magic do you have? Or…um…” She flounders, realizing the problem too late. “…tech…”
She lets it go on longer than it needs to, a small smile creeping back onto her face. “I’m in here. Only two choices, really. Take a guess.”
Her gaze takes in Mira’s flame-red hair, the burn marks that still creep up her arm (when she finds whoever ran Steve’s Sulfur, they will die, and it will involve copious amounts of their flawed product), and her sullen mood. There’s only one conclusion she could come to: “Destruction?”
It’s the wrong one. “Guess again.”
“You’re…creation? Hey!” She brightens. “I’m creation, too!”
“Statistically, half of this class is,” Mira says flatly. “Nothing special.”
She waves it off. “So, uh, I know your name - Mira, I assume, unless she got your name wrong - but you don’t know mine, obviously. I’m Kalavathi - but you can call me ‘Kal’, everyone does - Nayri.” Kal holds out her hand, realizes it’s currently holding a pen, and quickly swaps hands. “Nice to meet you…?”
She sighs. “Course. Mira Niemczyk, don’t bother spelling the last name.”
“I’ll take your word for it.” Their class is still doing nothing, Wyst going over the particulars with a nervous-looking student. “Hey - want to come over for dinner tonight? I think we’re - well, I’m positive we’re probably making pasta again because it’s what we can cook and what we like. But there’s always extra, too, and our other roommate…um…” Her mouth tightens. “She doesn’t generally come to dinner with us, so the invitation is open to you.”
It’s - an easy choice, actually. Harmony and Aishwarya and Nitya have no cooking skills - probably didn’t need them, at their fancy prep school in California - and her meal options are limited there. Meal options and conversation options, given that they all know each other and seem more content to talk within their group. Her own room - it’s one thing she brought from home, snacks, and the food truly is bigger in Texas - is just lonely. “Sure. Why not?” “Sure. Why not?”
Kal beams. “Great! See you at six!”
They separate after that, Kal heading to her own classes and Mira to Astronomy. It’s a useless class until it can start meeting at night - which the professor promises her is soon, just the moment they know her classmates can tell Mars from Mercury. But for now absolutely nothing is happening, which gives her the chance to fuck around on her laptop (she told herself she was going to get work done, and then she didn’t).
Still, she manages to lever herself out of the dorm and trudge over to where Kal said hers was, the weather only a light drizzle of rain. She doesn’t think she’s seen the sun since she arrived, and is almost starting to believe Harmony’s theory of magical rain. Almost.
She stops. Starts. Turns the other way, to check who she saw leaning uncertainly against the wall. “Samantha? Is that you?”
Her glasses almost fall off her face - they’re horrendously unbalanced, sliding down every time she so much glances at the ground. Samantha does a lot of that, it seems. “Yes - Mira, I wasn’t expecting to see you…”
“It’s not that large of a campus, we’d probably run into each other-“ Wait. “How do you know my name? You told me yours but I never told you mine,” she says with a frown.
“Oh! I, uh, I heard you shouting,” she mutters. “You…are very loud, sometimes. You were shouting, and saying that magic didn’t exist - like you did earlier. She said your name - Mira.”
“And you were just hanging around outside my class?”
“I - I had nowhere else to go,” she says with a hint of something indescribable, an echo of Mira. “The Third Circle class doesn’t start yet…and where else should I have been? You’re the only person I know - that I met - and-“ She drops her head in her hands. “Right. I will stop talking, and just leave, because clearly I am just making things - worse.”
Mira catches her. “Yeah, you’re not getting away that easily. Come on.” Her arm is cold, though it’s probably just the rain. It’s only September, it should be 80 degrees, and instead it’s 50 and wet, she grumbles to herself. “You said you didn’t have anywhere to go, right? I’m extending an invitation - of an invitation, but she did say there’s always extra-“
“I don’t understand,” she says uncertainly.
“Sam - I’m going to call you Sam, unless that’s not alright…” She waits, but the other girl doesn’t give her a response. Probably alright then, she thinks. “I’m heading to food with some not-yet-friends, and you are joining me.” It’s not quite a request, but Sam doesn’t object, and so the two of them arrive at the Melpomene rooms without a problem. Without a conversation, either, because Sam seems happier to stay quiet.
It’s only when she gets there she realizes she has no idea which of the rooms in the imposing - smaller than the others, but no building in Evenfall looks truly modest - structure is home to Kal and her roommates, nor is there an easy way to find out. “You wouldn’t happen to know their address?” she says, looking around the front room to see if there are mailboxes, labelled with name and room number.
“What did you say her name was?”
“Kal - Kalavathi Nayri. Why? Do you know her?” she asks, frowning. No. She can’t, because she said Mira was the only one she knew. “Which dorm are you in, anyways?”
“Nayri,” she says to herself, turning the name over. “Nayri. Creation magic. Creation magic is…” [Sam’s] feet take her, almost of their own accord, into the center of the room. “This level. Somewhere around to the left, I think. Depends where the corridors will take us.”
Mira follows her gaze, but can’t see anything. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“You can’t see it? It’s a…green glow, that of creation - only one in this whole dormitory. Perhaps only those gifted with Third Circle, mind or soul…those who see the spirits of magic that inhabit Evenfall. Everyone has one…” She blinks. “It doesn’t matter. Where can we find the suite?”
She laughs. She can’t help it. “You can see people’s fuckin’ spirits, but not the doors? Over there,” she says, pointing. “It’s labelled. Suite number one, and there’s only two. Don’t think we’ll have to worry about corridors.” She knocks, feeling that there should be something a little bit more to it. “If we’ve got the wrong people, though-“
Her warning doesn’t get finished - she doesn’t know how to finish it, either - because it’s Kal who opens the door. “Oh! Hi, Mira! Welcome to the tragedy dorm, but don’t worry! As far as we know, nobody has died here!”
“Yet,” she says, glancing inside. It looks almost identical to hers, though already starting to bear the touches that will make it a space to live in - a stack of notebooks tilting dangerously on the table and pencils already scattered on flat surfaces. “The ‘tragedy dorm’?”
“They’re named after the Muses,” she answers. “Ours is Melpomene, who deals with tragedy. I think they all are, which makes sense, the Fifth Circle at least is supposed to be artistic,” she says. “And…I don’t know your name,” she continues, pointing at Sam. “Or who you are.”
She leaves the statement open, the implicit question that Sam doesn’t pick up on. “Um…alright…?”
“Introduce yourself,” she says, poking her in the shoulder.
“Samantha Venera, Third Circle,” she says automatically. “And you’re Kalavathi Nayri, Second Circle, creation. Who are the other two people - there is…violet? Indigo? Fifth Circle, time, and a bright orange - voice, I think.” She frowns. “Creation, time, and voice, an interesting combination.”
Both Mira and Kal give her a strange look. “How - yes, but-“ Kal starts.
Sam smiles. “You’re at a magical university, aren’t you? Shouldn’t you be expecting the unexpected? You have a witch in there who can meddle with time itself, perhaps you should broaden your horizons.” An uncomfortable moment of silence follows, her gaze flicking between the two of them. “I’m sorry. Perhaps - never mind.”
“Right then.” Kal doesn’t let it bother her for long. “We have food inside, and I’m sure you’ll be interested to meet my friends. And I’m, um, sure they’ll love to meet you - maybe don’t tell them about their, auras or whatever you’re looking at…”
She doesn’t. “Ardis Akiya-Blair-“ The tall, almost stretched-looking boy at the end of the table gives a wave- “Juli Cárdenas Rivera Silva Vicente-“ Next to him is a girl, slightly shorter (‘shorter’ in this case still towering over Kal, Mira, and Sam), in a mishmash of bright colors that somehow works - even if she can’t look at it directly for more than ten seconds. “This is Mira Niemczyk, from the Second Circle class-“
“Two things: Juli is overrated, call me Jules, and two, aren’t you the one from-“ Jules starts.
“Yes. Problem?” she asks with a pointed glare.
“I was just - well, anyway. Pasta is done, and it’s - not getting any warmer, so let’s eat first?” She’s deflecting, but she doesn’t care because a) she doesn’t want to be known as ‘that one person from orientation’, and b) it does look like good food. Mira takes her bowl with a mutter of “thanks”, the others around the table following as they get theirs.
It doesn’t last long. “So you really don’t believe in magic?” Ardis asks around a mouthful of pasta. “Even now that you’ve had your first classes and all?”
“Am I supposed to?” she replies acidly. “Why should I believe in it? It’s not made our lives better, it’s not being used to - stop wars, or end poverty, or do any of the things magic is supposed to be able to. It’s just for people here in the backwoods to fuck around with, yeah? And I’m not saying society got almost infinitely better when people, as a whole, stopped believing in magic, but…it did.”
“…but none of that denies that it’s real, does it?” He shakes his head, shooting an odd glance at Sam. “Like…being hungry is inconvenient, and if we were able to stop it’d be better for everyone, but - I mean, if we didn’t believe that we were hungry when we were we’d all be dead.”
“And yet magic isn’t essential for life, so…”
Juli clears her throat. “Ignoring the socioeconomic implications of magic - there is a more interesting question: Mira, we’re going to the forest probably tomorrow-“
“Are we?” Ardis asks, at the same time Kal says “Don’t tell her that!”
“What? It’s not like she’s going to report us - are you?” she asks, expression changing in a heartbeat. “You’d better not, and you-“ She jabs a finger at Sam- “um - I don’t know you, but Mira says you’re alright, so don’t.”
“You can trust me,” Sam answers, with another slightly-unnerving grin. “And I don’t know what you are expecting me to report - it’s not against the rules-”
“So you’re going to the forest?” Mira says. “What does that have to do with me?”
Juli looks guilty now, tapping out a rhythm on the tabletop. “So, obviously, we’re warned against going in the forest because of any dangerous magical creatures there. They’re, um, apparently a little more dangerous than the regular types of creatures, although that wasn’t going to stop us-“
“And me?”
“Well - do you believe these ‘magical creatures’-“ she makes the air quotes- “exist?”
“No.” Her pride, at least, won’t let her say otherwise.
“Exactly! There are some, uh, theories floating around that say they’ll avoid you if you don’t believe in them - it’s why no one from outside Evenfall gets killed - probably. So we’re inviting you with us to try and not die to them-“
Kal leans over, tapping her on the shoulder. “We are?” she whispers, not quietly enough.
“Yes! We are now!” she whispers back. For a supposedly dangerous expedition, if the forests of Evenfall are so dangerous, not a lot of planning seems to have gone into it. Not that college students would necessarily plan ahead for anything, regardless of its danger. “So - you in?”
Mira sighs. “Sure-“
“I’m joining you,” Sam says.
“What - I mean, we weren’t planning-“
“Too bad,” she says with a smirk. “You invited Mira to help protect you - there are things in the forest, things of spirits and spectres that I don’t think she’ll protect you from. I can help you - and I will, find what you want to find and avoid what you should.” She shrugs. “And though there’s no official rule against it, I doubt the professors or the TA here would be especially pleased if I were to report you.”
Ardis looks the least convinced. “I suppose there isn’t any way out of this.”
Welcome back! It’s time for...chapter two, right? Right. Okay, let me find my page again, let’s see.
There was a long silence….ah, no that’s too far ahead. We’re not ready for that yet, or at least you probably aren't.
Here’s chapter two! Let me tell you, this chapter is going to be filled with information. Classes and more classes and a few people that I recommend you take a moment to burn into your memory. Not literally though, I should point out. I can’t afford another literalism lawsuit. Well, let’s move on. We have a fresh pot of tea and an enthralling chapter to get too!
As entrancing as orientation can be, especially for new students, we, unfortunately, have to cut through all the chatter to focus! We’ll pick up right about here, where the professors smartly split the group into Witches and Nevermore-originating students. It’s just for ease of communication, I’m sure you understand, yes? There’s such a variety of different material to cover that it’s the only way they’d be able to get everything done.
We haven’t even gotten to the Rings!
Professor Maaya took the group not too far away, leaving Dr. Avali to deal with the Nevermore kids. Maaya, unlike Avali, was endlessly rational, a benefit when it came to describing magic to a few scores of people that hadn’t known magic existed until now.
“Shall we begin?” She asked with a warm smile. The professor turned to trace out the Five Circles of Magic in the air, illuminating it in Energy-based magic. Ah, you might want to see it, I’m sure my explanation wasn’t the most helpful, huh?
Here, hand me that paper, would you? I have a pen.
There we go! I haven’t been drawing this symbol for years to be bad at it. Now you have something to refer to while I keep going.
“The Five Circles of Magic are the most basic concept that as Witches, you all must understand,” Maaya explained. “The Fifth Circle is the most common, containing the spheres of Energy, Nature, Voice, Time, and Space. I’m sure most of you here are attuned to the Fifth Circle. I, myself, am an Energy Witch.”
Ardis and Jules shared a look, one that went “oh, that makes sense”. Ardis and Jules were both separately mildly relieved to know they’d have someone at least somewhat similar to them nearby. Aw, that’s so adorable, isn’t it?
As she spoke, the sigil lit up, starting at the very top and moving around in a clockwise pattern. Yes, this order is important, make a note of it.
“The Fourth Circle of Magic is less common but very important. The Fourth Circle contains the four basic elements, Wind, Fire, Earth, and Water.” The pattern repeated, showing where each one was placed with Wind at the top and Earth at the bottom. “While some countries choose to replace one or two of the elements with others which they feel works best, Evenfall has chosen to follow the Western Arcane theory for the Five Circles.”
She nodded to herself, eyeing the group to see if anyone was lost. No one was tired, though that was rather due to her energy spell currently covering the students. They’d sleep well tonight, luckily.
“Alright, moving onto the Third Circle of Magic, I hope you’re paying attention!” She clapped her hands together with a brilliant grin. Oh, right, did I forget to mention that Professor Suli Maaya was one of those kinds of people. The type that has a switch to flip and suddenly be a disconcerting vibrant (and mildly aggressive) person. “The Third Circle contains, from the top, Mind, Soul, and Emotion! This here is a very dangerous circle, as it relates to altering a person’s self but it’s not necessarily something to be feared,” she adds as a reassurance, “And Third Circle attunement is quite rare.”
Well, I hope that wasn’t too much for you, because we have a little more to go before we can get back into the fun stuff.
“Finally, the Second Circle of Magic, Creation and Destruction. This is the rarest and technically power circle to be a part of.” Professor Maaya scanned the group. Kal squirmed a bit, she was feeling guilty for some odd reason. It’s good to be unique! I would imagine she knew that but now, but she’s an odd one. “I want to preface one very important thing before I ask for questions,” Maaya said, “Despite how it may appear, you are all equal in power and strength. The Inner Circles often appear more powerful but are far more difficult to ever truly use. The Outer Circles may seem limited or small but they will provide you with undeniable abilities and skills. At Evenfall, we want everyone to thrive together and work as a group to hone your powers. Strength comes in multiples not singles.”
Oh my, that was quite cheesy. I told her once she should probably change that line, but it’s managed to make an impact every year. Judging by the baited breathes and silence, it worked once again!
“Any questions?”
There was a long silence, people don’t figure out things that quickly.
Fortunately, something did break the silence.
“Magic...MAGIC ISN’T REAL!” Someone unknown screamed from the back of the group. She’s one of those people I mentioned to remember. Her name is Mira and you’ll be hearing that statement and a variety of variations from her quite often. At least it broke the silence, sending the group into a crowd of laughter.
Kal bit her lip, unconfident. Originally, she was inclined to agree with Mira, but now? She was more unsure if she was capable of surviving at a school like this. Which, is absurd. She’s a main character! Well, she doesn’t know that, but that doesn’t make it not true. It looks like we’ll have to wait for the character development for the rest.
Someone raised their hand for a question, “What about the First Circle of Magic?”
All the energy seemed to drain as a quite deadly serious expression was now on Maaya’s face, “The First Circle of Magic is dangerous, so I beg you, please, do not look into it.”
“Isn’t that...just gonna encourage people to look into it?” Juli whispered quietly. These three were, in fact, the exact type to look into it.
“You could lose your life by doing so.”
“....Nevermind.”
There was far more to do in terms of “beginning”, but it was decided many years ago to place those in the first few days of classes.
All students being required to take their respective Circle Magic class gave a guaranteed spot for students to finish the final steps that would truly allow them to step into the world of Nevermore and Everless.
And allow those scared to run away. Don’t tell anyone I said that, I already got in trouble enough about it before, I would rather remain on good terms with the school.
Anyways, by the unfortunate thing called “organization”, all our wonderful students are all in separate classes.
Well, Kal was guaranteed to be separated but Ardis and Jules wound up in separate classes. Quite tragic, really.
Well, who’s first? Well, we started with Kal first so why not Ardis? He’s in for some, how would I put it, interesting company.
Ardis was humming lightly, as he tends to do, as he entered his class. He didn’t recognize anyone, which makes sense, Ardis you haven’t met anyone yet. Though, that’s probably because he’s in that dorm. A mostly empty place which people rarely actually lived in.
His luck was only evident of his main character status, don’t worry. He took a seat near the front of the class, hoping to be left mostly alone. He wanted to learn! Which, well, he hopefully will at Evenfall. That’s the point of college, isn’t it?
However, as unfortunate is it is for him, there was someone who recognized him.
“Hey, is this seat taken?” The voice of an obnoxiously flirtatious voice called out. Ardis glanced to his side, only to see Mary Sue, his suitemate.
“No?” Ardis answered quite unconfidently. Ardis wasn’t sure if he was relieved to see a familiar face or off-put by the girl’s odd behavior. He was fairly certain that getting involved with someone with a weird name like “Mary Sue” wouldn’t be a very good idea. Though, let me be honest, he’ll be doing far more than she will.
“Hey!” Mary Sue hissed, glaring as she looked around. “Who said that?”
“Who said what?” Ardis asked.
“That, uh,” she stopped. “Whatever it doesn’t matter, it’s just part of my fantastic destiny probably.” Oh dear, I think she can hear us. That shouldn’t be happening.
That’s quite a problem, but it doesn’t matter. We don’t see that much of her! So we can move onto discussing what happens during class. Personally, the Circle classes are always delightful to teach. They’re pass/fail classes and unless you miss all the classes or skip the final, you’ll pass. It’s education on how to use your magic, most students aren't inclined to miss the class.
Mary Sue plopped down with a huff, but caught Ardis’s confused staring.
“I’m sorry, uh, whatever you’re named, I’m not interested,” she said with a weird smile.
Ardis cocked his head to the side, very innocent, “What?”
“I’m not interested in you, so don’t even try.”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“I mean that look you’re giving me!” Mary Sue laughed. “You have something to say, right?”
“I was going to ask if you needed stomach medicine, you had a weird expression,” Ardis said simply. Ah, that’s what I love about this kid. Blunt and innocent, it’s a very fun combination to see. Especially now that that Mary Sue girl’s eye is twitching. Let’s hope that doesn’t become a habit.
“I don’t.”
Ardis gave a nod, finally being able to focus on his own stuff again. A delightful set of pens and paper to take notes with. Oh yes, he’s one of those people. He likely spent a few hours debating which of his colorful stationery he’d bring along.
Class began shortly afterward. Professor Zita Cavallo was teaching this class. I hate Professor Zita Cavallo, she owes me for an incident way back in ‘33. She’s a generally nice person, however, which prevents me from telling you to hate her.
Regardless of owed debts, she was teaching this class. Attuned to Space Magic, she was quite the interesting teacher. Someone stood beside her, a glamour placed upon them. It seemed to be tied to Professor Cavallo but none of the students here were really talented enough to notice that.
“Good morning students,” Cavallo signed, accompanied by their assistant. “My name is Zita Cavallo, this person beside is Luna. This is the Introductory Fifth Circle Magic class,” she paused to cast a spell. The fifth circle emerging behind her. “That includes Energy, Nature, Voice, Time, and Space.” The corresponding points lit up as she signed. “I’m attuned to Space, personally. There’s a lot to discuss! So, we need to discuss and work on the assignment of Rings.”
“Rings?” Someone called out.
“Evenfall and the surrounding area is unfortunately not very safe. So, in order to protect our students, we have made pacts with ancient entities. These old and wise beings have protected our school and students since the beginning of the school’s life. Today, before any classes truly begin, we will be allowing the selection process to occur.”
That got Ardis’s attention. “What do you mean, allowing?” He asked, looking at the professor with confusion.
“You and I do not select your Ring. Their Guardian selects you.” Ah, yes, the stock line every Circle Magic professor uses. I mean, it’s not bad just not creative! “We’ll step outside for a few minutes for the process. It shouldn’t take long but we’re organized into times since there’s quite a few classes to get through and our guardians can’t stretch themselves too far trying to help all of us.”
There were murmurs through the class as Cavallo began to lead them out of the room. It was rather unexpected, after all. The Rings, however, are quite interesting and I always find it fun to watch students in their amazement for what goes on.
They filed out onto an open area, where Cavallo ordered them to circle around. She stepped into the center. The first step to the Ring ritual was the origin summoning.
Cavallo was good at this, she’s done it plenty of times. She stretched out slightly before beginning to cast a very specific spell.
Five circles, well, five rings were illuminated around Cavallo. They burned brightly for a long moment, even despite the sun shining above the students. They soon disappeared and Cavallo grinned. I swear, I hate her cockiness, she did a simple spell, not changing the world. I would know.
“Okay, students. So, the Selection process isn’t very glamorous, but that’s not the point here. This is important, so please listen well.”
Well, we’re not listening to her. I find that Cavallo’s explanations drag on and on and on. She’s the through type and we all know that through means boring.
The Five Rings each represent a Guardian. Fye, Brist, Mir, Sair, and Ravere.
Brist, who manifests as an owl, represents wisdom and creativity. She’s a sweet person but can be terrifying when upset. I don’t recommend making her upset. Mir, who manifests as a deer, represents nature and growth. They’re quite a nice being though a bit of boring. They’re very reliable.
Sair, who manifests as a fox, represents fire and trickery. He was once considered evil but if you give him pets, he melts. Don’t tell him I said that though. Then there’s Ravere, manifesting as a hawk, she represents wind and passion. She’s very strong and appears most frequently to her charges.
Finally, Fye, of ice and courage. A lone wolf, both in personality and form, they’re very selective in who they pick and rarely show kindness. They’re just shy, I think.
Anyways, with that explanation, let us return to the story.
Mary Sue, who had stuck near Ardis for some reason, leaned over. “Obviously, Fye will pick me. I’m the perfect choice!” Ardis nodded half-heartedly, far more curious in the ritual than the girl beside him.
“We’ll begin with…” Cavallo scanned the class. “You! Come here.” Ardis! Wonderful, this chapter was getting long.
Ardis walked over, curiosity suppressing any of his nervousness.
“So, quick explanation, you’ll stand in the center of where the circles were and with a bit of your own magic energy, the Guardians will appear for just a moment, before one selects you. Quick and simple, your magic carries part of yourself, allowing the Guardians to start to understand you.”
Ardis nodded, “How do I use my magic energy?”
“Ah! I forget, not all of you know. Just take a deep breath, focus on whatever it is you feel within you. Search for that energy and cling to it. That’s enough.”
Deciding that was enough of an explanation, mostly because he had been able to do some types of magic beforehand, Ardis figured it wouldn’t be hard.
He closed his eyes, trying to shut out the students around him. He could feel it, the energy and the magic that was there.
He jerked, opening his eyes to see the rings once again bright with light and animals in each one.
The Guardians.
There was only a short moment of tense deliberation before one ring, rimmed in orange with a fox at the center was the only one to remain. Sair, the fox of fire and trickery. He had been selected.
The fox seemed to bow before disappearing as well.
Cavallo clapped her hands to grab Ardis’s attention. “Good job! Let’s get to the next person. You?” She pointed at Mary Sue.
The two switched places as Mary Sue flipped her hair. She was confident, very confident.
Ardis was now able to watch the scene that had unfolded for him, yet slightly different. From the outside, you couldn’t see any of the Guardians, simply the light of the Rings.
For now, Ardis quietly wondered how Kal and Jules were getting along and what it meant for a being of trickery to select him of all people.
