Prologue Story

I read the new textbooks I received during the first week of the new semester.

I didn’t read all of them thoroughly, only a few that seemed interesting.

These were mainly Korean, Music, and Magic Theory.

I paid special attention to True Magic while reading Magic Theory.

Spell Magic and Elemental Magic also had many new things, so they caught my interest.

However, True Magic was far more difficult compared to those two.

It felt unbelievable that this was supposed to be the most basic form of True Magic.

You convert attributes into symbols, arrange them rationally, and draw them within a circle following the flow of magic.

The basic form of a True Magic circle is a circle, but there are also triangles, squares, star shapes, and others.

In the third year, we only learn about ten types of magic circles at most.

I was so focused on the basic interpretations and solutions written in the textbook that I lost track of time on my first read.

‘This is why reading books is so important!’

Understanding was necessary for any magic in the beginning.

A solid foundation was essential.

Even for Unique Magic, it was the same.

What does Illusion mean to me? What do symbols and barriers represent?

For me, illusions were dreams, symbols were stories, and barriers were worlds.

That kind of personal understanding was crucial.

Spell Magic and True Magic are systems that combine existing magic into techniques.

Because of this, they required rational knowledge.

Just as I thought when reading the Spell Magic textbook, the moment I started reading about True Magic, I decided I needed to read a lot of elementary-level books related to it.

Only then would I truly understand and use True Magic.

If I got used to it, I might even be able to create my own.

‘If I lack magical knowledge, I’d have to draw it manually, but luckily, I don’t need to. That’s such a relief.’

Most importantly, True Magic and Spell Magic are magic systems based on “symbols.”

Recently, I’ve been wondering if I could modify Spell Magic and True Magic into Written Magic.

However, to do that, I needed a thorough understanding of the corresponding magic circles and the incantations for Spell Magic.

After that, I would rewrite them into sentences using symbols!

For my Written Magic, “imagination” is the most important aspect.

In truth, I could use magic by writing its name in symbols, even without going that far.

But from my experience with Written Magic, I knew that was a superficial approach, which is why I wanted to dig deeper.

To realize my ideas, I read textbooks and books related to the basics of True Magic day and night.

I even used speed-reading glasses to finish twenty books a day, but I still felt I knew less than what I didn’t know.

Even though I could create the image of the magic I wanted to use by drawing circles, something always felt lacking when I tried converting it into Written Magic.

While I could use it as a “symbol (name),” a flaw always appeared when I tried to write it as a “sentence (description).”

Since I wanted both the symbol and the sentence to succeed, I grew increasingly anxious and frustrated after a week with no progress.

“Eun-ha, you’ve been reading books during breaks a lot lately. What are you doing?”

“Studying… I told you, I’m practicing converting True Magic into symbols…”

Maybe because I had been sleeping less and reading too much, my head was throbbing.

It felt like I was forcing useless knowledge into my brain.

Even though I learned a lot, it felt like shallow knowledge at best.

I let out a sigh.

I asked Auntie Suna, who was nearly unmatched in magical skills, and Uncle Jungmin, who had profound academic knowledge of magic, a lot of questions.

However, neither could properly express what they knew in words.

Auntie Suna relied on intuition for more than half of it, and Uncle Jungmin’s explanations were too complex for me to understand.

Still, they quickly spotted and corrected issues when they read what I had written, which was a lifesaver.

Thanks to them, I managed to turn a few magic circles into sentences.

But all of that was thanks to Auntie Suna and Uncle Jungmin’s help.

I hadn’t succeeded in a single one with my own efforts yet.

I sighed again.

It seemed I would have to study diligently for a long time, just like Auntie Suna and Uncle Jungmin.

This really showed the limitations of self-study.

It was something Teacher Joon-hwi and Teacher Min had mentioned several times.

Especially in the beginning, you needed someone to guide you or point the way when paths diverged.

But there was no one to do that for me right now.

‘Should I go find Teacher Joon-hwi or Teacher Min… No, that might be a bother…’

While I hesitated, picturing their faces, Hyun-ho stretched his voice with an exasperated expression.

“Studying~? You’re holding that boring book and calling it studying…? I thought you were reading a novel. You’re really diligent, Eun-ha…”

I briefly glanced up from my book and smiled.

“Thanks. But what about you, Hyun-ho? You said you were working on your sub-magic. How’s it going?”

It wasn’t just Hyun-ho.

It was obvious that Min-hee was also starting to think seriously about her magic.

Han-soo had also begun searching for a sub-magic.

In-ha and I had already created ours, but it was a time for everyone to contemplate.

“I’m not sure yet. Han-soo and I brainstormed a few ideas, but nothing feels right.”

“Well, usually, people create their sub-magic during high school, right? You figure out your combat style while developing your main magic in middle school, and then you create a sub-magic afterward. Unless someone already has a goal from the start. Or doesn’t plan to become a combat magician.”

“That’s true.”

“Since sub-magic is just as important as main magic, don’t rush. Depending on how your magic develops, the path can vary greatly. It’s better to give it more time, don’t you think?”

“Hmm… I don’t know. You and In-ha are lucky. You’ve already made yours.”

Looking at a disheartened Hyun-ho, In-ha and I exchanged glances.

“Well, you know…”

I had a goal from the beginning, and In-ha quickly found magic that suited her own.

You could call it luck.

Seeing Hyun-ho looking so down, I regretted how I brought it up and thought for a moment.

“How about reading some comic books?”

“What? Comic books?”

“Yeah. Comics often have unique worlds and abilities. They could help spark your imagination.”

“Ugh~, I don’t like books, though…”

“Comics are fun! Don’t say that. Give it a try! It’ll cheer you up. Or try watching some animation or movies.”

“Movies? I like movies! Hey, how about we go watch one this Saturday? Or Sunday?”

His expression brightened instantly as he said this, and In-ha and I exchanged another glance.

I needed a break, too.

Reading twenty books a day was too much, even for me.

“Sure, sounds good.”

In-ha nodded right away.

I smiled and added, “I’m in. So, what should we watch? Instead of going to the theater, how about renting a DVD?”

“Then whose house should we meet at?”

“Whose TV is the biggest and best?”

“Probably mine or Han-soo’s.”

Hearing In-ha mention Han-soo’s name with a slight frown, I couldn’t help but suppress a laugh.

The two were close, yet they always acted like this, a mix of love and hate.

“Yeah, In-ha’s family and Han-soo’s family are so rich! Let’s ask Han-soo about it later and decide.”

Chatting like this, we entered the classroom.

As soon as we walked in, all eyes turned to us momentarily, making me shrink my shoulders in discomfort.

Because In-ha was so pretty, the boys had been teasing Hyun-ho, who always hung out with us, out of jealousy.

Thankfully, it didn’t seem like it would escalate into bullying.

At lunchtime, as planned, In-ha, Hyun-ho, and I brought up the idea of watching a movie to our friends.

Everyone smiled and enthusiastically agreed.

“Wow, it’s rare for you to suggest something nice.”

“This sounds fun! What should we watch?”

Han-soo and Min-hee nodded in agreement, and even Shia smiled and chimed in.

I quickly shared my preferred genre.

“I like dazzling fantasy. Since this started as a conversation about magic, it’d be great for brainstorming ideas.”

“Agreed. Let’s skip romance; it’s boring.”

“Totally agree.”

I smiled at my friends’ agreement.

We were still at the age where we didn’t see the appeal of romance.

I chose fantasy to suit my tastes, though.

Besides, everything in this world was essentially fantasy from my perspective.

This was a magical world, after all.

Fantasy movies here were categorized as stories featuring elements “impossible even in this world,” such as superpowers, other species, dimension travel, or reincarnation.

Moreover, nearly every genre here, even romance, included battles.

I thought of it as part of this world’s culture and enjoyed it.

We eventually settled on action and fantasy as our preferences.

Using our student IDs and phones, we searched for good movies online.

We decided to rent DVDs from a store near school or home.

The movie we settled on was Tree of Spirits, a popular hit recently.

We also shortlisted a few others, like You and My Dreams and Mirror World, but we weren’t sure if they’d still have any copies left.

The movie was decided to be watched at Han-soo’s house.

Although we’ve been friends for almost three years now, In-ha and I have never been to Han-soo’s house.

“Now that I think about it, this is the first time In-ha and I are going to Han-soo’s house.”

After I mentioned it, the others seemed to realize it as well and widened their eyes.

Han-soo scratched his head awkwardly.

“Now that you mention it… Yeah, that’s true.”

“You and In-ha rarely came over to our house in the first place. We usually just visit each other’s houses.”

That was certainly true.

I guess it felt a little burdensome to face a friend’s parents.

It was also slightly awkward to hang out at a friend’s house.

Plus, since In-ha always stuck close to me, she didn’t end up visiting friends’ houses much either.

However, the other friends often visited each other’s houses.

Min-hee, muttering that it made them feel left out sometimes, leaned closer to me and whispered mischievously in my ear.

“Han-soo’s mom is super strict, you know? She has such a commanding aura. Han-soo’s personality probably comes from her. Even her way of speaking.”

Min-hee giggled softly in my ear.

“Agreed!” Hyun-ho chimed in enthusiastically, and In-ha and I looked at Han-soo with curious eyes.

Well…

Even Shia nodded in agreement, leaving Han-soo pouting, unable to say a word.

Having never met Han-soo’s parents, all we could do was let our imagination run wild.

Hearing that she was strict made me feel a bit uneasy.

“Now that I think about it…”

Han-soo, apparently displeased with the topic, casually brought up something else.

“Starting tomorrow, we have level-based classes again. I wonder how it’ll work out for us.”

“……”

However, that topic was like a landmine.

The cheerful atmosphere instantly grew cold.

Min-hee and Hyun-ho, who had been so bright moments ago, became sullen.

Even In-ha, who pretended otherwise, showed a somber expression, and even Han-soo, who had brought it up, grew downcast.

Shia looked around at us, confused.

Among them, I was the only one who remained unaffected.

But, you know, the fact that we were being separated… was just something we had to accept.

I know I can be cold-hearted.

I’ve always been that way when it came to relationships.

For me, connections with people were always fleeting.

The only bonds I truly grew attached to were with family or a boyfriend.

This was my first time having real friends, and my first time seeing a teacher as a true mentor.

Realizing that thought dampened my mood a bit too.

But it wasn’t as much as what my friends were feeling.

I quietly spoke up.

“According to what Teacher Joon-hwi said… we’ll probably get personal tutors, right?”

“Maybe…”

Sighs escaped from everyone at once.

It hadn’t even been a month since we tearfully said goodbye to our previous teachers.

Min-hee and Hyun-ho, who were particularly sentimental, looked like they were about to cry.

But I felt a mix of sadness, fear, and a bit of anticipation.

Lately, while self-studying magic, I had been feeling overwhelmed.

Since the school would assign the new tutors, they were sure to be excellent teachers, well-versed in theory.

If it had been the old me, I would’ve been anxious about meeting someone new one-on-one.

But now, magic was more important than my nerves.

Just like how Hyun-ho was worried about his sub-magic, I had also been thinking a lot about how to train moving forward.

A mentor was important.

There were limits to learning magic through self-study.

Even with Unique Magic, having a mentor or not made a significant difference in growth.

I had countless ideas about techniques that could utilize the strengths of my magic.

Yet I was starting to feel the limits of my ability.

Although Mom and Auntie Suna were helping me a lot, it wasn’t enough.

I needed someone who could teach me more… professionally.

Phew…

I let out a small sigh.

“Anyway, I hope the new teacher we meet is a good person.”

To my surprise, Hyun-ho, who had been sulking, whispered something.

We turned to look at him.

“We’re all struggling with magic right now.”

“…Yeah, that’s true.”

It really was.

Just thinking about True Magic made my head spin.

Even though we were learning so much at school… I ran a hand through my hair in frustration.

And then, I noticed something.

“……”

Shia was staring at us, biting his lip, with an expression that seemed disconnected and lost.

For a moment, I felt a tightness in my chest.

I opened my mouth to say something but couldn’t think of the right words.

In the end, I stayed silent.