Chapter 6

  Looking through the textbook while class is still happening, I try to find anything about pools of magic water. But nothing really sticks. There's nothing in here, and I guess for now that mystery is going to have to settle itself. Though, for now, I'm still looking and not finding anything. The rest of the class continues to listen as good to Mrs. Loop continues the lecture on in the background. Not that she's background noise since I'd never demote her to that, since she really is a phenomenal teacher and is really good at helping us learn without being condescending or depreciative. 

  "So, innate magic itself is simply imbued magic that can be active or passive. When the innate magic is active, that's when we consider it cursed, and in turn it could be something called a relic. We'll discuss relics in a later section. The secont type, the passive magic, is magic that only reacts to other things.

  "Now," says Mrs. Loop with a grin, "most people would call it reactive magic, but that already exists with a different definition. Passive innate magic though, indicates things like silver. Silver is a great example of an object, or material really, of passive innate magic. It only reacts when other magic encounters it, but remains passive when none of it exists. That's why silver, gold, as well as the combination of both, electrum is such a powerful material when preventing being hexed or casted on, since they repel and prevent certain wavelengths of magic."

  I reach up to around my neck to lightly touch the silver box-chain necklace settled there. That must explain why it's alright to wear silver in CCMS, since it'll only react when it has magic directed at it. I'm guessing the magic imbued into the walls of CCMS don't affect my silver, since it's allowed. I don't feel pride in my necklace, but the emotion within me that appreciates and cherishes it increases, and I think it's probably a good idea to continue to take care of it and make sure it's safe.

  I notice Hala touch her pearl earrings as well, which have silver findings to hold the pearl and the the entire jewelry piece to her ear. I'm guessing she's going through the same thought process, and when our eyes connect as I turn over to look at her, she grins and we point at each other as we confirm that we're thinking the same thing.

  "Now, the imbued magic in idea is part of the static concepts of magic. Dynamic magic is the counterpart of static magic, and this topic of dynamic magic ties into the schools of magic. The reason for the schools being dynamic are because the populations of each school fluctuates through the ages. The reason for this is an ongoing debate among the real genuises, so don't ask. All you need to know is that the school are dynamic. Now, the schools of magic, as you should have read in the textbook, are the parallel, classical, Walpurgis, hypermodern, and Modular—"

  Glancing not at my textbook, my eyes land on Machiv, and I think of the earlier instance with Syl. Syl and Machiv, huh? It doesn't sound impossible, since Syl from what I know tends to be a little more calm compared to Lu at times. At times. Usually they're both as energetic and impactful as lemons. They have bright blond hair anyways, and they smile so bright that they could be a pair of those lemon batteries.

  "Starting with the first, Parallel, which is the oldest, the major presence of this is in elemental magic. The best way to remember the names and functions of the schools of magic is know the reason for their names. The parallel school observes that nature and humans exist alongside each other, and magic is the connecting medium. Thus being the reason for elemental magic that controls raw materials in nature. Rock, air, fire, water. Plants also count, and animals also have some roles—"

    Thinking of everyone and how they're in clubs, maybe I should get in one too. I mean, I do study in my dorm room, and since I'm alone I don't have to bother with anybody else. But being in a club couldn't hurt. I mean, I can make friends, and then maybe find people I could study with, who are good with math or something. I already can ask Tula since she's great, or Machiv, of Hala. But making friends is nice, and I guess I'm a tiny exploring soul so it's out there and I want to go see it.

  "Classical magic moves more into things being used to control magic, such as a wand or staff. Rings and necklaces also are seen here. But there is still a wonder for nature and it incorporates man-made things and nature. This school is primarily  seen prior to the onset of the three major monotheistic religions—"

  I've been getting along with a few of my dorm neighbors, but it seems I should talk more. Machiv makes acquaintances easily, though he keeps a select number of friends. Even if I do go out to explore, my eyes don't find tiny things. Somehow I see people as tiny, though they obviously aren't. 

  "Walpurgis moves more into darker methods, and usually this school of magic prioritizes the will of people. The previous two school never explicitly state the priority of one's ambitions, but Walpurgis does. This is why we see the practice of summoning of the dead, such as in necromancy, in Walpurgis. Some people do confuse Walpurgis as a school with dark magic, but those are two different things. Walpurgis and the schools are philosophies of magic, while dark magic is a method. But that's explained more in chapter five of this book—"

  Glancing at Iverson, he's not looking at me right now, but he definitely is interesting. I realize now that he must've been that kid I almost bumped into on the first day of school. I didn't take in his features then, but his soft brown hair that catches light in soft hues and dark eyes I notice now. I turn away, nervous for some reason, and finger my silver necklace. It's a good thing my hair is a little long so that it hides the top of my ears, since they're no doubt red and scalding like hot coals. 

  "Hypermodern. Where to start. Relatively younger than the earlier three, but very prominent. While Parallel and Classical usually take up somewhere between half and sixty-percent of the magical population, Walpurgis and Hypermodern dominate about thirty-five to forty percent. Hypermodern emerged around the turn of the last century. Things because the residence of magic more. The other school of magic imbued objects, lamps, books, or paintings with curses, hexes, and mesmers, but hypermodern took it one step further. Abandoning nature all together, man-made tools were utilized. It's best to think of Hypermodern as doing indirect magic for direct results—"

  Looking out into the closest garden and courtyard, some trees shake and move. Thinking outside of that pool with Valence, I didn't really think about any other part of my life. Valence said not to worry about him, and I still will a little, but I guess I should do other things too.

  "Ooh, I hope I have time for the last one. I might get cut off. So, Modular. The most recently observed one. This is the smallest population of the five, only about a fifth of a percent, so remember that when we take the midterms. Modular is unique because it has interchangeable methods, and doesn't adhere to one specific philosophy, usually integrating. This is seen in population of people who don't have sufficient magic in their body. As you recall, all people are carriers of magic. Though, 'magical population' refers to people who can control this. Modular practicing individuals have less than the average person, not magical people, but can still control. This also makes their magic highly reactive, as they need to confront magic to in a sense kick-start theirs. This fact is also why they weren't recognized until very recently. They probably have existed as long as Parallel, but were unnoticeable. Though, that hardly makes them weak—"

  The bell, on cue, rings, and Mrs. Loop looks up before clapping her hands, teens in the class packing up and standing to go off. I make sure to subtly glance around, and then bring my eyes back to my backpack and to Mrs. Loop up front.

  "All right, read up on that again, and be ready for a quiz next week. I won't say that we'll have one, but if we do, you'll have wished you studied!"

  There's some groans and a few sounds of acknowledgement, and I pack my things to leave as well. Machiv though lingers behind while I head out with Hala and Syl to ask questions.

  "He needs to take his classes a little less seriously," says Syl, grinning with some bitterness, "and pay attention to other stuff too."

  "Like Keito?" I ask with a grin, and Syl looks at me horrified.

  "Uh, me, obviously," says Syl, "who else?"

  "Have you even told him anything?" asks Hala.

  "Not really."

  "If you're obsessed with him, why don't you?"

  "I mean, it takes guts."

  "And you don't have enough of that?"

  Hala and Syl talk, but speaking about obsessions has me glance around to see if Iverson is around, and I spot him a distance away. He walks with a few other students, and doesn't notice me as I observe him.

  Going to the Central Hall, where lunch time has begun. Eating a meal I glance through some of the textbooks that I used in Majestic Theory, wondering what Machiv had to ask about. As well as keeping the crumbs of the meat pie I'm eating out of my books, I listen to some of the nearby conversation. To my right is Hala, Morgan, Thames, and Tule, while on my other side are the twins, and Keito. Lu and Syl seem to be trying to grill Keito in convoluted and roundabout fashions. Keito seems to just answer, and I can tell that things are going in one way.

  "So why didn't you help Machiv to cut his hair?" 

  "I have no expertise."

  "You could have recommended me as somebody to cut the hair of his," says Syl.

  "True."

  "Man! I wanted to cut his hair!"

  "I would beat you to it!"

  "I'd beat you for that!"

  I smile a little, and Hala talks with Morgan together about basketball, and I'm part of that conversation.

  "I'm super excited for that match though," says Morgan, "I'll be the most excited of everyone there."

  "Eh, I'd have to argue with that," says Hala, "I mean, I might be more interested."

  "What are you talking about?"

  "It's a basketball match that's going to be coming up," explains Morgan, "the girls team has a few matches coming up in a few weeks, and one of them is against one of the rival schools of ours."

  "I thought it was a sister school," says Hala as she tilts her head.

  "Which sister school?" asks Tula, who arrives with Thames.

  "Is ASI a sister school?" asks Morgan to her.

  "Eh, no. That's a rival," answers Tula with Thames nodding.

  "Oops, my bad, Revel. A rival school."

  "What's ASI?" I ask.

  "Aggregate Science Institute."

  "It's a place designated to study predominantly science," says Thames, having heard of it where I didn't, "it's a high school like here, but there's no magic involved. I think they're meant to help students who have a natural inclination to the sciences get s start in high school and then not have to wait until later in life."

  "Why are they a rival?" I ask.

  "They tend to look at us with some disdain because of the magic in our school, and school name too," says Hala with a shrug, "at least, that's what I've heard."

  "Not all the kids there, in an unhealthy way," details Tula, "from what I've heard, it's mostly a healthy rivalry that's present between CCMS and ASI. Only some teens from here and there that are maybe biased."

  "Mmm, well," I say, "what sister schools do we have?"

  "Oh, I know there's one called ISL, Institute of Supernatural Learners. And there's TRES, Traverse Research Educational System. And CCR, Converse Circuitry Repository. I think there was another one, or two, but I can't recall them," says Hala.

  "I think one of the other one was one called Last School of Though, LST, but I'm not sure of the last one," says Morgan.

  "Maybe Machiv knows," says Thames as said Machiv appears, and sits down next to me with Keito on his other side, of course with Syl and Lu not ignorant of that.

  He sits down with a book in his gloved hand, and it immediately comes off as something with me asking a question: Classical Dark Magic.

  "What are you doing reading that?" I ask, pointing at the book, and Machiv glances down.

  "Dark Magic is not illegal," says Machiv, holding up the book so everyone can look at it, "it's just a genre of magic."

  "Are you sure? It sounds pretty evil," says Hala, with Morgan taking a double-take on the book in hand.

  "I mean, Mrs. Loop gave this to me," says Machiv, "to keep. Since I had questions on the topic."

  "How is Dark Magic not dangerous?" asks Syl, and Machiv turns to him and his twin.

  Calmly, Machiv opens the book and reads a part. Somehow he's already read a fifth into the inch-thick book.

  "Dark Magic is a category of magic involved in what most individuals would observe as questionable. This indicates magic that can include mind manipulation, reading hearts, alchemical metamorphosis, and vortex transgress. However, Dark Magic is not by nature evil, and only by the appearance it gives does it have this name. Mind manipulation is utilized in certain majestic psychotherapy. Alchemical metamorphosis is utilized in acquiring rare earth metals such as cobalt, gold, iridium, and holmium. It is only the connotation that causes this magic to appear questionable." 

  Machiv closes the book and then look at the twins. They both have nothing to say, and Keito chuckles, causing the twins to glare at him in a comic fashion. I also giggle, but Hala shields me as she turns her head, her hair lifting up as she also laughs but hides it by turning away.

  "Well, now I guess I'm a little more prepared when we study this chapter," says Tula, holding up the Majestic Theory textbook open to chapter 6, Dark Magic, and I notice that the copy in her hand is mine, which she gives back of course.

  "Me too!" laughs Thames.

  "You don't intend on practicing Dark Magic, right?" I ask with a grin.

  Machiv's mouth twitches a little, but he says simply, "My decisions are my own."

  "If you ever make any silver, give some to me," says Hala, and points to me neck, "I want a necklace like Revel's."

  "Me too!"

  "Yeah."

  "Eh," says Machiv, smiling now, "why not?"

  I grin too, and after checking the bookmark he put in his book, Machiv begins eating, stowing the book away, and I'm back to talking with everyone, enjoying the friendly banter that I'm now accustomed to and am very grateful for.