Kael sat at his desk, flipping through Lumia’s neatly written notes.
The room was quiet, save for the soft rustling of paper.
He had already wasted too much time.
If he didn’t at least try to understand something, Serena would chew him out.
Taking a deep breath, he focused on the first major topic—Dual Element Synchronization.
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Dual Element Synchronization
Most mages only specialized in one element, as controlling two required immense skill and precision.
However, true mastery lay in synchronizing them, allowing both elements to be utilized in harmony.
Kael’s brows furrowed.
"Synchronization, huh? This is different from just casting two elements separately. It’s about making them work together as a single force."
The notes described that all elements had a dominant nature, either wave-based or particle-based.
Particle-based elements had high impact and force, making them strong in destructive power.
Fire, Earth, and Lightning fell into this category.
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Wave-based elements focused on speed and fluidity.
Water, Wind, and Light were prime examples.
However, some elements—like Darkness and Astral Water—could manifest in both forms, depending on the user’s control.
Kael tapped his fingers against the desk.
"So, mana itself behaves like both a wave and a particle," he muttered.
The particle nature of mana gave it power—the raw destructive force behind spells.
The wave nature gave it speed and fluidity—how fast it traveled or spread.
For example, he thought, a fireball focuses on the particle nature, meaning it’s concentrated and explosive.
But fire magic that spreads like a wildfire emphasizes the wave aspect.
The key to dual synchronization was learning how to switch between these two forms mid-combat, depending on the situation.
Kael closed the notebook and leaned back in his chair.
"This... actually makes sense," he admitted.
It explained why some high-level mages seemed almost untouchable—not only were they skilled in multiple elements, but they also knew when to adjust the form of their magic.
He exhaled. "Alright. That’s one topic down."
Just as he was about to move on, his door suddenly burst open.
"Kael!"
Marcus, Ren, and Shirone barged in, talking loudly amongst themselves.
"Who do you think has the best physique out of us?" Ren asked.
"Definitely not Shirone," Marcus smirked.
"Shut up," Shirone grumbled.
Kael groaned, rubbing his temples. "Can you guys not? I’m trying to study."
"Study?" Marcus snorted. "Since when do you study?"
Kael narrowed his eyes. "Since I don’t want to fail and be stuck in remedial lessons."
Ren waved him off. "You’ll be fine."
Kael sighed. This is going to be a long night.
Kael shut the notebook and pinched the bridge of his nose as Marcus, Ren, and Shirone made themselves comfortable in his room.
"Did you all just decide I didn’t need peace?" he muttered.
Shirone sat on the edge of Kael’s bed, arms crossed. "Relax. We’re just here for a bit."
Marcus plopped onto a chair, stretching his arms behind his head. "We were talking about physique rankings, but since you’re so busy studying, we’ll let you join in."
Kael gave him a deadpan look. "Oh, thanks. I feel honored."
Ren grabbed a cup of water from Kael’s desk, taking a sip before nodding toward the notebook. "What are you even studying?"
"Dual element synchronization," Kael replied, closing the book before any of them could get ideas. "Unlike you idiots, I actually care about passing."
Marcus scoffed. "We’ll pass just fine."
"Yeah?" Kael leaned forward. "Have you written any notes?"
Silence. The three glanced at each other.
"...No," Shirone admitted.
Ren waved it off. "We’ll just borrow someone else’s."
Before Ren could respond, he absentmindedly placed his cup down—except he missed the desk entirely.
The water spilled.
Right onto Lumia’s notes.
For a second, no one moved.
Kael stared at the spreading stain, his expression blank.
The ink smudged, the pages darkened, and his one lifeline to passing was now a soggy mess.
Shirone cleared his throat. "So, uh—"
Kael exhaled sharply.
"Get. Out."
Ren raised his hands. "Wait, wait—"
Kael stood up. "Get out before I —"
Marcus, Ren, and Shirone exchanged glances before quickly retreating toward the door.
"Good luck fixing that," Marcus said before slipping out.
Kael sat back down, staring at the ruined notes.
I should have just stayed in the cave.
Kael ran a hand down his face.
The pages were still damp, the ink a mess of smudges, and there was no way he could return it like this.
Lumia literally told me to keep it safe.
What was he supposed to say? "Oh, sorry, your notes died a tragic death because my friends are idiots"?
No. That wouldn’t work.
Maybe I can dry it? No, that’ll just smear the ink more.
Rewrite it? I don’t even remember what half of it said.
He groaned.
I am so, so screwed.
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POV: Marcus
Marcus walked alongside Ren and Shirone down the hallway, the evening air cool against his skin.
"Hey, Ren," Marcus said. "You did Kael dirty back there."
Ren scoffed. "It was an accident. Besides, why’s he acting like he can’t just rewrite the notes?"
"Because they weren’t his notes in the first place," Marcus pointed out.
Ren waved him off. "It’s Kael. He’ll figure something out."
Marcus sighed. "Fine, whatever. Let’s move on—who are you getting notes from, anyway?"
"I don’t need notes to pass," Ren said confidently. "But if I did need them, I’d obviously take Shirone’s."
Shirone blinked. "What? I don’t written any"
"Don’t act innocent," Ren accused. "I see you in every class. You write everything down."
Shirone narrowed his eyes. "And you don’t?"
"Not a single word," Ren admitted proudly.
Marcus smirked. "So, Shirone, you got notes or not?"
Shirone crossed his arms. "Maybe."
Ren grinned. "Knew it."
Marcus chuckled. "Well, guess Kael’s out of luck. He’ll have to deal with Lumia himself."
The three of them exchanged looks.
"…He’s doomed, isn’t he?" Shirone said.
Ren and Marcus nodded.
"Yeah," Marcus confirmed.
------
POV: Lumia
Lumia lay on her bed, hugging her pillow, her phone in hand.
The room was dimly lit, only the soft glow of the screen illuminating her face.
There were so many students at the academy, yet Kael had come to her for notes.
He could’ve asked anyone… but he came to me.
A small, satisfied smile tugged at her lips.
Well, it’s a good thing I made them so well.
He was probably reading them right now, studying diligently. Or at least, trying to.
She glanced at her phone.
Should I message him?
Her fingers hovered over the keyboard.
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Hey, how are the notes?
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She frowned.
No, too formal.
She deleted it.
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What are you doing?
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She hesitated.
Too casual.
Deleted.
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Are the notes helping?
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Still not right.
Lumia rolled onto her back, staring at the ceiling.
Ugh, why is this so difficult?
After a few more edits, she finally took a deep breath and hit send.
A soft whoosh confirmed the message had been delivered.
Now, all she had to do was wait.