[Location: Chemistry Lab – 5:17 AM]
Kael rubbed his eyes as Phoebe flipped a page in her notebook and pointed to a set of strange angular symbols.
"Alright, before you can even think of drawing a mana circle," she began, her voice laced with mild exasperation, "you need to understand the basics of the basics runes."
Kael blinked. "I'm guessing I'm not going to like this."
Phoebe rolled her eyes. "Obviously. You don't even know what they are. If you did, you could at least make a proper mana circle without it looking like a toddler's drawing."
Kael put on a sarcastic smile. "Thanks for the vote of confidence."
Phoebe ignored the comment and continued, her tone shifting to something a little more professor-like as she sketched symbols into the air with glowing mana from her pen.
"Runes are magical inscriptions think of them like compressed spells. Each rune holds a concept: motion, heat, barrier, amplify, bind, reinforce, and so on. When mana flows through them, they activate that concept in reality."
Kael leaned in slightly, eyes narrowing. "So they're kind of like command codes for the world?"
Phoebe nodded. "Exactly. You draw them using mana, inscribe them on weapons, items, even flesh if you're insane enough. Alone, they're weak but when combined inside a mana circle, they form spell structures, enchantments, or even artificial consciousness."
She flipped to a more advanced page showing a glowing ring of interlocking runes with notations scribbled in tight cursive. "The arrangement of runes, spacing, and the circle's diameter affect how the spell behaves. Too close, the mana leaks. Too far, the reaction fails."
Kael tilted his head. "So it's less like spellcasting and more like programming reality."
Phoebe blinked, actually looking impressed. "That's... a really good way to put it."
She tapped her pen on the desk.
"Some believe that runes were originally created by a transcendent entity an ancient mage who supposedly ascended into godhood after discovering the runic language. His name was Odin."
Kael's face twitched slightly.
She continued, "Of course, that's probably just a load of historical myth. People will say anything to make their magic system sound cooler."
Kael, hiding a subtle frown, looked down at the notebook.
> Nope. It's not a myth.
Odin's very real.
And right now… he's in the Celestial Realm.
He said nothing out loud, just nodded.
---
[Time: 6:32 AM – After an Hour of Training]
Phoebe closed her notebook with a tired yawn, stretching her arms behind her back. Her tail swayed slowly as she smiled actually smiled, not one of her cold glares or calculating looks.
"For someone who didn't know squat about runes, you're catching on fast."
Kael chuckled. "Well, I had a good teacher."
"Damn right," she said proudly, grinning and nudging him lightly with her elbow.
She leaned back in her chair, fingers interlaced behind her head, her expression turning teasing.
"Soooo… what's the situation with that arcane mana crystal you promised?"
Kael froze.
Phoebe leaned in, voice playful but curious.
"I've been a good little tutor, haven't I? So I know this is early but… payment?"