Location: Verdun Local Academy.
Time: Months 4 to 8.Lirion returned to the academy, but his mindset had fundamentally shifted. In theoretical magic classes, while the instructor explained the First Circle and how to visualize it mentally, Lirion remained detached."Remember, a deviation of even one degree in the angle could cause the spell to backlash!" the instructor barked.While other students painstakingly sketched their fragile mental circles, Lirion ignored them with an iron silence. He wasn't attempting to draw the circle yet; instead, he was using the stone to precondition his neural pathways.During breaks, he would retreat to a secluded corner of the forest to continue his training.
It was there he met Rowan, a quiet boy. Rowan eventually joined him for his morning runs.He also crossed paths with Elara Thorne, who possessed a natural blue root. She noticed the unusual breathing techniques Lirion employed.
"You... you're drawing mana in deeper than I am, even though your root is white!" she remarked, astonished.
She began helping him treat minor injuries with basic healing spells, in exchange for him teaching her breath control to improve her mana efficiency.Even Garek Foss, the primary bully with a red root, started growing suspicious of Lirion. During a combat training session, Garek tried to shove him to the ground, but Lirion activated his "Internal Mana Flow" (a basic physical reinforcement) and stood his ground like a stone.
Garek looked at him with a flicker of respect. "You... you're not the same. Your root is still white, but your vessel is solid."