A new day is born, the sun illuminates the world. There is a clear sky and a pleasant temperature, just right so that both those who love the cold and those who love the heat can enjoy it equally. An annoying sound is heard; it repeats quickly and continuously, until a hand snakes across the nightstand, which holds the annoying noise. Dragging itself across the surface of the furniture, it finds its target: a modern smartphone, which was carrying out the alarm action.

  Finally, having stopped the annoying noise, a chaotic being gets up from the bed. This one, messy-haired, foul-smelling, with dark circles under his eyes and needing to pee, turns out to be Cain. All his mornings are the same: he goes to the bathroom, gets dressed, eats breakfast and goes to the university.

  Arriving at the complex, Cain meets with one of his second-year classmates.

  —How’s it going, whitey? —says an extravagant young man, walking toward him.

  —Don’t call me whitey —Cain tells him, a bit annoyed.

  —You know I won’t listen to you —the young man tells him cheerfully.

  —And what will you do when there is someone else with my hair color, Amar?

  —I’ll call you Cain.

  —It’s Cáin, with an accent on the “a”.

  —I like Cain better.

  —You’ll pay for that later, but first I must look for the professor.

  —You won’t be able to —Amar tells him, and the two stop.

  —What happened?

  —Oh, nothing serious, he just has a fever, so today they sent a substitute.

  —How strange. Normally they notify beforehand.

  —Well, that’s what I’m doing.

  —I’m not referring to that.

  —If you want them to notify you beforehand, ask one of your relatives.

  —Forget it. Anyway today I had to help the professor with the first-years.

  Amar laughs quietly.

  —Tell me, what does it feel like to teach kids your age? When they see that one of Abel’s grandsons is a genius, you’ll raise people’s expectations about your family even higher.

  —It’s not that big of a deal, it’s only one year. And if that were the case, tell me: what does it feel like that someone younger than you is a better student?

  Dryly, Amar answers:

  —NOTHING. I mean, if there is something I have clear in the world, it’s that there will always be someone better than you. And that also applies to you. I am happy knowing that I am better than someone out there in the universe. And you? Where do you think that person who is better than you at something will be?

  Arriving at the classroom, Cain says goodbye to Amar, who goes to his respective class. While opening the door, he murmurs:

  —Whoever it is, I’m glad he’s not here.

  —Oh, Mr. Akyane has already arrived —says a familiar voice, receiving him as he enters.

  Cain, surprised, fixes his gaze on the person who was apparently directing the class. This person says to him:

  —Well, now that you’ve arrived, you can help me give the introduction to the first-years.

  That person was none other than Ash.

  Cain only stood there with his mouth open. Ash was teaching the class, but this time, unlike the first time he met him, he was wearing a suit and glasses. Cain approached Ash and, whispering to him, said:

  —What the hell are you doing? What did you do with the professor?

  —Relax, he is fine. He didn’t see anything wrong with skipping a day and appointing a substitute in exchange for an afternoon with two nymphs and a luxury hotel fully paid in advance. Besides... it seems he needed it.

  —I find that hard to believe, but I don’t think you did anything worse. And above all, do you plan to teach the class? You? What do you know about teaching?

  —Watch and learn —Ash tells him confidently — Alright, let’s begin the class —he announces to the room.

  With everyone seated and ready to learn, Ash begins:

  —Alright, first of all, I have to tell you that today is also my first day. So we are in the same place. What excitement to learn how to be a teacher! Right?

  Some students let out a laugh, and Ash continues:

  —Now, who here has never done magic before?

  Quite a few students raise their hands.

  —I’m surprised, there are several.

  —That’s normal —Cain tells him.

  —In my time it wasn’t, but well, I suppose technology has a lot to do with it —Ash mentions — Can anyone tell me what magic is?

  No one volunteers, nor does anyone answer.

  He turns and speaks to Cain.

  —Hmm, I didn’t expect that. What about you, Mr. Akyane?

  —If you insist —he replies — Magic is the energy of the soul that we can manifest in the physical world, and it varies from person to person, just like its influence on the mortal plane.

  —Correct —Ash mentions — But how is it used?

  —Well, that already depends on the person. There are some who can use it instinctively, others who manifest a will independent from the user, such as in some cases where people with a vitality core heal automatically. But for any person under convenient circumstances, mental stability, concentration, knowledge and practice of the expressions are required. Then there would be the interpretations, but that is a more advanced subject. And the most basic thing to achieve all of the above would be learning how to expel mana.

  Ash, pointing to his head:

  —Yes, you’re not wrong, but tell me: when you perform a spell, enchantment or sorcery, what goes through your mind?

  Cain reflects on the question for a few moments and, after taking a breath, says:

  —When I perform magic, I only think about the whole formula I learned. I mean, it is a whole process that is achieved through study and meditation.

  —I thought that in this era there would be better interpreters, but I see that the bearded wizard mentality is still alive —Ash exclaims with a tone of disappointment — Next I will explain a way of interpreting magic.

  —Magic… is music. Just as someone learns magic, one learns music. You see, the body is the instrument, mana the sound, enchantments, spells and curses are the sheet music, the poses are the notes —says Ash while making harmonious gestures.

  Ash, mimicking a violinist, explains:

  —At the beginning, when one starts learning to play an instrument, one has to learn how it is played; from there, the notes. Then one learns the sheet music and, once that is learned, one begins to make music. Of course, the first thing you will achieve will be a sonic disaster: you will burst eardrums, insult ancient masters and, in some cases, break the instrument. But with time and practice the mistakes will be corrected, and by the time you master your instrument and know the notes, you will begin to identify them in the music. You will no longer need the sheet music to play the song you want: you will only need the instrument. That is how magic is naturally mastered.

  —That doesn’t make sense —said Cain.

  —Maybe for you. Supposedly you’re a genius, right? Well, this is a way to teach ordinary people. Although ironically, it didn’t work for me —he spoke very unconcernedly.

  —Since we’re discussing learning magic, why don’t you teach us, “professor,” something of what you know?

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  —Well, what would you like? Some spell or enchantment? I also know how to make some curses, and I’ve learned the basics of shamanism —said Ash in the style of a street vendor.

  With that last statement, small whispers and murmurs of amazement begin to arise among the students. Cain, also somewhat surprised but skeptical, asks:

  —So you know something about shamanism? Can you show us?

  —It’s nothing special, but if you insist —Ash says carelessly and then asks the spectators—: Does anyone have a lighter?

  —Aren’t you a lighter yourself? —Cain says skeptically.

  —You know that natural fire is not the same as magical fire.

  As a result of Ash’s request, a short young man approaches to give him the lighter, and then Ash grabs some papers and sets them on fire. He throws the burning papers to the ground and then, as if posing to dance with a lady, begins to make gestures with the fingers of his extended hand, and the fire reacts. As if it had a life of its own, the flames separate from the paper and divide into five flames that take the shape of drops of water; then Ash makes them spin in a circle and they fade away.

  —That’s all I can do with that. If there were a fire, I would do better things.

  The students are amazed by the small spectacle. Cain, a bit jealous, says:

  —Yes, it looks like you know something, but it’s not as impressive as I expected.

  —I agree, it’s like I said before, I only know the basics. But if I had to show my specialty, that would be sorcery.

  —Then go ahead, professor, show us your best spell —Cain said with underestimation.

  —That won’t be possible, unless you want me to change the geography of the place —Ash said quite warningly.

  Thinking it over, Cain then tells him:

  —Well, show us one that is of an advanced level and that doesn’t destroy the building.

  —Well, I can do this —and then Ash brings his palms together, and from inside them a light begins to emerge. Then he separates his hands quickly and, from between them, a line of fire is created. After a moment in that position, Ash creates a sword of solid fire.

  He takes the handle with one hand and begins to wave it to show its firmness and solidity. Then he takes another stack of sheets from the desk and, throwing them into the air, cuts the pile in half with the sword.

  —Well, I think that’s a great demonstration —he says proudly.

  The students stand up and applaud. Ash says to Cain:

  —Well, I think now it’s your turn. Show us what a young man who skipped a year can do.

  Cain, a bit annoyed, replies:

  —Of course.

  Next, Cain, pointing his hand toward the five o’clock position vertically from his body, snaps his fingers and moves his hand to the opposite end of its position while conjuring, saying:

  —“Crono Rewin.”

  The sheets that Ash had cut begin to float in the air. When they reach a certain height, they begin to join together and fly back, following the trajectory in which they ended up on the floor, toward the desk.

  —Impressive —says Ash — If I weren’t aware of your magic, I would say it was telekinesis. But why are they still burned where I cut them? —he asks very curiously.

  —The spell only allows me to manipulate physics, not chemistry, and if I could, I would have to affect the ashes that left the paper.

  The students are also surprised by Cain’s demonstration, and they give him strong applause. Cain grows confident with the ovation, and shrugs his shoulders to say to Ash:

  —And what is the next lesson, “professor”?

  —How about we talk about your magic? —he asks him very confidently.

  Cain answers:

  —There is nothing special to point out.

  —On the contrary, your magic is special. I mean, if someone were looking for a “chronomancer,” they could only turn to an Akyane, right?

  —Well, yes.

  —See? That’s how special your magic is, that even the mages in the world who can use it can be counted. And by chance, Cain, is there anyone in your family who can see the future?

  Cain says:

  —No, that is an ability that disappeared from the world a long time ago. Not even in my family has someone been born with it.

  —Well, it seems that’s true —Ash says a little disappointed — I suppose seeing the future was never chronomancy —he murmurs to himself.

  Ash begins to walk around the space, looking toward Cain.

  —But then tell me, what is the rarest ability that someone in your family has developed?

  —I don’t think I have the right to reveal the private secrets of my family, but if you want me to mention one that is common knowledge, that would be Suren. He can cast a spell to separate the rhythm of time in his mind from the real world and thus he improves his reflexes incredibly.

  —Oh, and does it work for him? What does he do for a living?

  —He streams his video game matches on a channel on an internet website.

  —какого черта —Ash exclaims, while in his mind he thinks “what I would do with that” — I didn’t expect someone to apply something so useful like that.

  —Well, it’s not as if it were allowed in a large part of the activities one can practice in public. I deduce that you are not aware of the restrictions of magic in matters of competition or collective activities.

  —It’s not as if I had never been in a coliseum, but with things like that I highly doubt they can be moderated.

  Cain said:

  —That’s right, because of things like that some doors close for you and others open.

  Suddenly Cain notices that a young woman in the group raises her hand, and he gives her permission to speak. What she asks is:

  —Cain, why does your family have white hair? Or is it that those who can use time magic have white hair?

  —Oh, how interesting, I want to know too —Ash said with interest.

  Cain, unwillingly, stands in the middle of the space between the students and the blackboard and says:

  —To begin with, our hair is not white, it is transparent.

  But Ash interrupts him with:

  —Gray hair. I know that your thing is time, but I didn’t think it hit you that hard —he said ironically, accompanied by some laughter from the students.

  Cain, annoyed, continues:

  —As I was saying, it is transparent, and gray hairs are hairs that lost their color. In contrast, we never had color to begin with, except for a couple of exceptions. And regarding why it is like that, the truth is we do not know. And before someone asks whether our eyes are transparent —(he said looking at Ash)— the answer is no, those are white.

  And Ash exclaimed:

  —Well, at least your body does react naturally to your mana. Which leads to the next question: who knows what mana is?

  Many students raise their hands, except one.

  —Honestly, I expected that more than one would not know it —Ash said with slight surprise — But we have time, and it has to be spent.

  —This is explained with “the theory of the opposing mirrors.” When you place one mirror against another, they will reflect each other indefinitely, and whatever is between them… —Ash said, until Cain interrupted him correcting him:

  —Actually, there is a limit, depending on the size of the mirrors. And besides, I do not know where your point is going —he said politely, but pointing out that he was saying something incorrectly.

  —Mmm… —Ash made — It seems that you have not discovered it yet. Tell me, how do you think mana works?

  Cain, a bit intrigued, began to explain:

  —Well, mana arises from the force that the soul is capable of generating. It comes from the core that each person possesses and that radiates their type of element. Where it is generated from is not known.

  —Very wrong. Or at least, largely wrong, according to the theory that I know —Ash said while pointing with his index finger and expressing himself with a gesture — You see, as I said before, the mirrors will reflect the light between them. Keep in mind that between them will be each one of you. And when you look from one side to the other, you will see almost infinite reflections of yourselves. Now, to be more precise, those mirrors are the dimensional walls that exist between our world. The light: the energy that travels between dimensions. And you: the soul.

  A student suddenly asked:

  —And what kind of dimensions are those? Parallel worlds?

  —I have no idea. And I think no one does… although I believe one person knew something about the subject. But he died without being able to say anything. But well, things that happen.

  —And what comes next? —Cain asked.

  Ash replied:

  —These three elements are what form mana. The energy that travels through dimensions is called “Mother Energy.” This is not affected by anything in our reality: we cannot feel it, nor see it, nor touch it, etc. However, our soul can. Our physical bodies are indifferent to such an element, because it is indimensional, that is, it does not couple with the physics of any dimension. And it is the same property that our soul possesses. Nevertheless, this may sound somewhat contradictory, since we possess it. The explanation for this phenomenon is known as “Anchoring.”

  Ash moves toward the board and draws a circle and inside it another circle. On the first he writes “Soul” and on the second “Core.” Then he begins to point at the diagram and draw on it the following as he explains:

  —The soul acts like a net: it continuously traps the mother energy, and this is absorbed by the core. The core is the strangest part of the soul, but if I had to use an analogy, it would be like a heavy ball on a sheet on the floor. The sheet may wrinkle, get dirty, be spread out or whatever, but it will not be able to move from its place, because the weight of the ball anchors it to the place where it is.

  Then Ash takes a breath so the students can process the information. One asks:

  —If that is so, how is it that the core can interact with the mother energy?

  —It is able to do that because it is a product of the soul. The soul generates the core by retaining mother energy and compressing it, and this has the property of interacting with the mother energy and converting it into mana, in addition to being the portal to the physical world.

  Then Ash draws something more on the board.

  —Now to explain the core in more detail. You see, the function of the core, as many of you will already imagine, is that of a transformer. The core, upon receiving the energy that the soul traps, transforms it into mana. But why are there different types of mana? It is normal that the type of core —whether it is fire, water, earth or another— is inherited by the descendant of the individual.

  —But what determines which type of mana is inherited from which father or mother? —asks the student who already did so before.

  —That is simple: the child will inherit the most compatible mana within their genealogical tree. Yes, it is not about inheriting genes or fifty percent from each parent. The type of mana that you can have extends from the beginnings of our ancestors. Although of course, it is not as if we were going to obtain the same innate abilities that they had.

  —However, new types of mana can also be developed. For example, that of my assistant Cain… or to be more precise, that of Abel Akyane. The fact that there is already a record of all the mana that exists in your family does not mean that the soul will not create its own. This is one of the three possibilities that exist.

  —The other is to adopt several types of mana. For example, I possess a mixed core of fire and lightning. And the third is the multifaceted core. This turns out to be the most complicated, since by having so many compatible options, somehow the core, instead of transforming the energy into some element, generates pure mana. I, who possess the mixed core, when expelling mana from my body, only lightning or fire will come out. But someone with a multifaceted core will be able to expel almost whatever they want. For this, the user has to learn magic in order to transform the mana into the desired element.

  —In a way, it is a disadvantage, because the person must perform the work that would normally belong to the core. But this is more than compensated by the advantages that it brings.

  Ash then moves from the place where he was to one side and lets the students observe the board.

  And then Ash asks Cain:

  —What is your innate ability?

  Indifferently, Cain says:

  —I can only slow down moving objects a little.

  —Oh, really? —says Ash, and immediately throws a pen at him. As it approaches, it reduces its speed. Cain moves to one side and the pen continues its course, resuming its original speed until it falls to the floor.

  —Wow —Ash exclaimed, and the class did not remain silent either, imitating the teacher’s reaction.

  —And yours? —Cain asks.

  —Nothing special, just fire breath —Ash replies. Then he blows a little fire, shows a proud smile and says—: It is useful for cooking.

  Cain looks at his phone and sees the time. Then he announces:

  —Well, it seems the class is over, professor.

  —Oh, well. It was a pleasure, class. Go have lunch.

  After all the students leave, Cain approaches Ash and says:

  —We need to talk.

  —Alright, but meanwhile, let’s go eat as well —said Ash.