"A-Are you okay?"
The next day, Viola visited Emily in her room. She was lying in bed, awake but exhausted. There was a small bandaged spot on her forehead where Viola flicked her, but otherwise she was unharmed.
"I'll be fine," she spoke softly, flashing a weak smile. "Aurelia took care of me, she says that I'm out of danger."
"I'm sorry! All this because of me—"
"Don't blame yourself. We were only training; it was a friendly spar." She chuckled softly. "Besides, I knew what I was doing. My body was reinforced with magic so that I could withstand your hits. But, I suppose, I didn't reinforce enough…"
"Or…I was too focused on winning…"
"Which you did, you have passed your first stage of training!" Her arm slowly stretched out to give a thumbs-up. "You can proceed to the next one. Your new trainer should be waiting at the usual spot. So, go off. Don't waste precious time!"
"You'll be okay, right?"
"Of course!" She laughed. "Give me a day or two, and I'll be back for another round!"
"Alright." Viola nodded and smiled. "Take care then." And, as she turned around to walk away, she heard Emily mumble to herself again.
"My own weakness is the only thing to blame here."
Viola paused, nearly letting out a sharp gasp. Hearing that sentence felt like a knife stabbing her heart. It wasn't a first, and she wanted to do something about it, because Emily was the one who helped her first. But she figured the blue-haired won't open up so easily. Viola thought of another way to break the ice.
"When you look at yourself, make sure it isn't through a dusty mirror."
"W-Where did that come from…?" She gasped softly, her expression widening.
"Oh, just a quote I came up with." Viola turned and flashed a smile at her. "Like it?"
"Y-Yeah, it's good!"
"Emily, if something ever bothers you, don't hesitate to reach out. Or tell me about it, at the very least. And I will happily help, just like you've helped me."
"S-Sure…I will."
With that, Viola opened the door and walked out, closing it behind her.
"Was I that easy to read through…?"
Viola chuckled softly as she heard Emily mutter to herself. "Did that get through to her?" She spoke to herself, sighing deeply as she made her way towards the front yard, where her training would continue. And the closer she got, the more her heart raced in excitement and fear.
What would the next stage be? And who will be the one teaching me? Just please don't be Cervena!
Taking a few deep breaths, she opened the front door and stepped out. The light from the outside world made her shut her eyes for a second. And as her vision adjusted, the blurry figure of a person became clearer until she could recognise them.
"Luna?"
"Violet!" Her face lit up with glee. "Congrats on passing the first stage. I knew you could do it!"
"Thank you," Viola said, glancing around to find no one else. "But where's my next trainer? I was told they were already waiting for me here."
"Uh…your trainer is—"
"Or did I come to the wrong place?"
"Violet…" She smiled awkwardly. "Your trainer is right here…"
"What? Where?" She kept searching the open space. "Oh, are they hidden with some kind of magic? Is finding them my test?"
"Violet!" Luna shouted, immediately gaining Viola's attention to finally look at her, who was frowning slightly with flushed cheeks. "I-It's me…I'm your trainer…"
"Oh…for real?"
"Y-Yes…why are you surprised?" She almost looked hurt.
"I-I apologise!" Viola chuckled awkwardly. "You'd always watch me train and…you didn't look like the type to train…or even fight—"
"Will this prove it then?"
Crossing her arms and glaring with the purple in her eyes lightly glowing, two dark hands sprouted from Luna's shadow on the ground, extending indefinitely, until they pinched and pulled Viola's cheeks.
"I-I may not go on missions, but that doesn't mean I don't have the knowledge and skill!"
"Ow! O-Okay! Understood! I-I apologise!" The shadow hands let go of her after a few seconds, disappearing into thin air, and Luna's eyes stopped glowing. "What was that?!"
"My magic." Luna giggled excitedly. "And if you pass this stage of training, you could achieve similar feats too."
"So we're finally learning magic?!"
"Yep! But it won't be easy. In fact, this might end up being the hardest stage...except for the final one, I suppose."
"I'll do my best!" Viola's smile was full of determination. "I always believed that magic existed in this world in some way. Especially if someone like me can exist. But I never thought that I would get to use magic myself!"
"And you have been using magic." Luna winked playfully. "Did you notice?"
"The violet glow on my fists that randomly appear every time I fight a creeper?"
"Correct! The only way to kill a creeper is by magic. Actually, it's not even possible to damage a creeper without magic. But…it seems you are an exception. Most likely due to your superhuman strength."
"But I thought you were supposed to aim for the heart of a creeper to kill it."
"Yes, and that heart must be crushed using magic. Otherwise, it would just heal up. It would still weaken the creeper, though." She then remembered the time she witnessed Viola tormenting a creeper and nearly grimaced while thinking to herself.
At least, that was what I observed back then. And it was a first-time occurrence too, since she is the only one capable of hurting a creeper with her bare hands. I wonder if the reason is more than just her being physically gifted. It is possible that there's a deeper reason lurking? I had already informed Aurelia that day, but she doesn't know much either…
"So, Violet, let's begin with the basics!" She set aside her thoughts for now. "Do you know about 'magical auras'?" Viola shook her head, so she continued, "Think of it as a type of scent. Everyone and everything has a scent unique to themselves. But normal humans cannot smell it. Only magic users can, since their aura senses are heightened. But don't be mistaken! It's not a scent, it's something you feel! And it's especially more prominent in creepers and those under the Void. You can feel the pressure when against a magic user far stronger than you." Luna held herself as if it were freezing. "It'll feel suffocating and make your bones shiver. Even though we're not supposed to back down...you'll want to run away as far as you can."
"Does that mean…the entire time in the woods when I felt like someone was watching me," Viola asked, "it was just me sensing a creeper's aura?"
"It could be paranoia, too. But...most likely…yes."
"So it was me scaring myself the whole time?!" Viola looked dumbfounded.
"That's good, though!" Luna chuckled. "It means you can already detect auras. You've already passed the first step! Now, all you have to do is master it. Detecting auras to see whether there's an enemy nearby is one thing. But with practice, you can even perceive an enemy's oncoming magic, or where they're attacking from. And by sensing their level and amount of magic, you can even figure out how powerful they are! This will be a crucial factor, especially when you eventually face other magic users."
Viola was reminded of what Aurelia told her about those bound by His contract. She gulped, shivering at the thought of meeting one someday.
"But that's something you'll learn as time goes on and you face more enemies!" Luna winked. "Onto the next one! Have you heard of 'magic reinforcement'?"
"Oh, Emily mentioned that earlier! Is it like using magic to shield yourself?"
"And more! Reinforcing yourself using magic would mean increasing your speed, durability, and strength. Or, in short, turning you into a superhuman! Unlike us, those under the Void instantly gain superhuman capabilities and regeneration. But we're still human and can suffer mortal wounds. Magic is the only thing that gives us an equal fighting chance."
"But if I'm already physically gifted, would I even need it?"
"Why not? There's no limit to how far one can go with their power. Although it will depend on whether your body can handle it. Maybe try it little by little, so your body can adapt to it."
"And how do I do it?"
"First, you'll need to, obviously, learn how to manifest and control your magic element. For that, we'll need to figure out what your element is. There are several elemental types, each having its unique colour. Like Emily's is 'blue', which means she can manipulate 'water'. Or like mine being 'purple'. And, as you saw earlier, I can manipulate 'shadows'! However, we aren't capable of creating our elements out of thin air. We only hold authority over water or shadow that exists."
"Is that why she carries a dozen water bottles?"
"As funny as that sounds, it's true." She giggles. "But, she only uses them for backup when there's none nearby, and it's the same for every human magic user. We can only control existing elements. You can only create your own if you are a Celestial like Aurelia, or a 'slave' of the Void."
"Of course, our enemies can do it! So very fair!"
"Don't worry, that advantage means nothing if you're more skilled than they." Luna chuckled. "Besides, magic reinforcement itself doesn't require any manipulation of the elements. Though that alone wouldn't suffice." She crossed her arms, clearly annoyed by the limitation, but shook it off and flashed a grin. "Anyway, about your element! Going by what we know so far…your colour is—"
"Violet!" She answered excitedly.
"R-Right, that's quite peculiar because," Luna spoke, with a confused frown, "if I remember correctly…Violet Magic went extinct seven hundred years ago. There are no Violet users…ever since."
"What?"
"Every magic element has at least one user present in the world at all times. If that user dies or grows too old to use magic, then the element will immediately be succeeded by someone else. And once a magic element disappears from existence…it can never return."
"M-Maybe there were users who went unnoticed—"
"Impossible. Aurelia would've known of their existence one way or another, no matter how long it would take to find one. Or even Draven for that matter, like in your case."
"So…am I special?" She nervously fidgeted in her spot. "Or am I…cursed?"
"Who can say?"
An unsettling silence took over as a strong gust of wind blew past them, rattling the grass and trees nearby. Her whole life, Viola was taught by her mother to see her inhuman traits as a blessing. And she had believed it ever since, even when her silver-haired friend disagreed with her in the past. But, upon hearing Luna disclose the truth of her 'gifts', her beliefs began to waver a little.
"But it's most likely a good thing!" Luna forced a smile, breaking the tense silence. "And if you wish to learn more about the past relating to Violet magic, or about anything magic-related, you should ask Aurelia. She has more knowledge about history compared to me. I'm only here to teach you how to use magic." Viola nodded. "So, let's begin!"
Purple eyes glowed slightly again, and Viola jumped in her spot when her shadow on the ground raised and came to life. But the shadow stood immobile in place, like a statue. Viola eyed it curiously.
"So…am I fighting myself?"
"Wasn't my intention, but that sounds like a great idea." Luna put her hands together with glee. "Let's do that!"
"Not again!" Viola facepalmed herself as the white-haired laughed.
"But, before you actually fight your dummy," Luna said, "I would like you to punch it. And not any normal punch. A magic-infused punch."
"A-Are you sure?" A worried frown appeared on Viola. "I still don't understand how I did it before…"
"Try recollecting all the times your hands glowed violet." Luna formed a fist. "See if you can replicate that." Her fist glowed a bright purple, along with her eyes. "Then, give it a shot!" She punched the shadow, and the impact threw it far away in the distance. However, unlike Viola's magical punches, hers did not result in any explosion. "It's okay if you don't succeed the first time." The shadow reappeared in front of them again with no visible harm, and Luna's purple glow went away. "Just do your best!"
"Okay!" Viola faced her shadow clone. It stared blankly at her while she aimed a fist at it, remembering all the times it faintly glowed violet. Closing her eyes, she put focus on recreating those moments. And when her eyes snapped open, she launched a jab at the shadow's face.
"Did it…work?" She asked, albeit hopelessly, upon seeing the shadow barely move an inch when her fist connected.
"As expected." Luna sighed. "Your focus is in the wrong place. You can't will magic into existence. You must feel it from deep within, then let it flow out. Now, give it another go. But this time, put emotion into it."
Viola nodded and repeated the process. But, before launching her fist at the shadow, she shouted at it, "Take that!" But yet again, the dummy did not budge even the slightest.
"That's the wrong emotion!" Luna facepalmed.
"Y-You didn't tell me what to feel!"
"You're right. My bad for thinking you could figure it out from previous moments."
"That doesn't help—"
"Magic comes from the heart, just like feelings. Which then flows out towards the rest of your body, reinforcing it. And, in your case, focusing on your fists to land powerful blows. But you won't be able to manifest this magic if you can't feel the right emotion at the origin."
"And what is this right emotion?"
"Your Will. What you believe in, what you're fighting for, what's important to you in the moment, and who you're trying to protect. Think about all these, focus on the feeling they give you, and the magic within will lend you its power."
Viola remembered the time she saw an image of her silver-haired friend, who guided and helped her protect her family against the creepers. She realised how similar her words were to Luna's. So, she followed them both and focused on manifesting the right emotion. What she believed in, and what she wanted.
Protecting her loved ones and being strong enough to stay by their side, without worry of any threat.
"And when you're ready, give it another go."
Violet fist launched forward and hit the shadow dummy on the face, resulting in a tiny explosion that pushed it slightly backwards. Her hand continued glowing, emitting a faint violet aura.
"That's it! You did it!" Luna clapped her hands with joy. "And on your third try, even, which is impressive!"
"It never glowed for this long before," said Viola, her hand slowly turning back to normal.
"That's already a big improvement! Now, do that a hundred more times."
"What?"
"Consecutively, in a row."
"WHAT?!" Viola's heart sank.
"While that thing is fighting back."
Viola's soul left her body.
"B-But that's impossible! I-I barely could do it once, and you want me to do it…a hundred times?!"
"Precisely!" She grinned widely. "Good luck! I will be watching from a distance as usual."
She walked away, nonchalantly, towards the cherry blossom trees, where she'd always keep watch from. The violet girl was left behind, horrified, barely having time to contemplate her situation as the shadow began attacking her. She'd block its punches, but they would hit like a truck.
So this shadow has not only copied my fighting style…but also my superhuman traits!
Viola would strike back and even land a few blows, but none would affect the clone. It was persistent and merciless, giving her zero breathing space.
"W-Why are my punches doing nothing?!"
"Oh, about that," Luna answered, "I have altered the shadow's body to only take damage from magical attacks. Anything other than that, it is immune to."
"Just great…!"
The training continued for the entire day. Viola kept fighting her shadow clone that never took any meaningful damage, since she failed every time at unleashing Violet Magic. And being constantly hammered by the clone, she could not focus on feeling the right emotion.
Luna was a surprisingly strict trainer, giving the other a hard time and a bit of an unfair disadvantage. But she wasn't cruel either and kept her kind demeanour, even giving Viola frequent breaks in between. She would also let Viola practice on a still clone before it started throwing punches.
This will take forever!
Two weeks passed by, and Viola could barely land ten magical hits in a row. She was exhausted, took far more breaks than the week before, and even stopped manifesting even a tiny bit of magic in her fists. Luna also noticed how Viola's determination and excitement, from day one of this stage of training, had slowly shifted to hopelessness and dispassion.
"Okay, enough!" Luna shouted, and the shadow faded away. Viola punched the air instead and collapsed on the ground. The white-haired girl walked towards her.
"Is it time for another break?" Viola asked, panting heavily, looking at her trainer with lightless eyes.
"No." She sighed. "Your training is over."
"D-Did I fail?" Viola immediately jumped back up. "Don't kick me out just yet! I'll work harder!"
"You've passed."
"J-Just give me some more time, I'll— what?"
"You have completed this stage of the training." She smiled. "You can proceed to the next."
"A-Are you sure?" Viola gave a confused look. "But I haven't even hit a quarter of the goal yet—"
"No need for that." She chuckled softly. "I've realised my mistake. I set the challenge difficulty too high and unfair for you. Magic is something you should be improving over time, not right away. Besides, you are physically gifted. Therefore, magic won't be as essential to you as it is to us."
Luna gave a wide smile and a pat on her head.
"You did your best. And that's enough."
Relief washed over Viola as the world became lighter, and the shine returned to her eyes. The burden of doing an impossible task was burnt away by the flaming joy in her heart. She hugged her trainer tightly in response. "Thank you!" She almost teared up.
"Y-You're holding a little too tight." She returned the embrace, and they laughed. A few moments later, they pulled away. "It's still daytime. You can start the next stage immediately. But it will be held in a different location this time."
Luna pointed at the mansion.
"The basement."
"This place has a basement, too?!"
"Yes, but it's rarely visited by a few. And one of them is your next trainer."
"Shouldn't we inform them before I head there? They wouldn't know that I'm done—"
"Oh, 'She' will know. Don't worry." Luna smiled in assurance, but that only unsettled Viola. "It probably won't be as intensive as mine. So, good luck!" She playfully slapped her back, almost pushing her toward the next location. Viola hesitantly nodded and headed back inside the mansion. Stepping inside, it was quiet and eerily quiet, as usual.
"Everyone is either busy on a mission or resting in their rooms," she said to herself, closing the front door behind her. She scanned her empty surroundings, looking for any kind of opening she hadn't seen before, when a realisation hit her.
"Wait! I forgot to ask her where the basement is—"
"Over here."
Viola flinched in her spot when a voice suddenly spoke in her head. It wasn't her own, but it did sound familiar. She jumped backwards when a part of the floor before her swung open like a door, revealing a wooden staircase leading downwards. Peeking at it, she gulped when all she saw was pitch black darkness waiting for her at the bottom.
"I'm waiting~"