Damon and the others didn't have much time before sunset, so they built a fire and began roasting the flesh of the monster they had caught from the water. The rest of its body was left scattered among the pile of scraps they had salvaged from the wreckage. They would have to put out the fire the moment night fell, leaving them in the cold, damp darkness of the island. Because what came after dark… was far worse than the chill. Damon held a piece of the meat, sinking his teeth into it with a large bite. His stomach growled, rumbling with a hunger that had become a constant companion—a hunger this kind of flesh couldn't satisfy. Not really. That hunger stemmed from the fact he only kept his shadow barely fed. He had long since learned how to manage the aggression that came with that hunger. To keep it under control. To keep himself under control. The meat was dry, bland, and flavorless. It was barely food at all. They had no salt, no seasoning, nothing to make it taste like anything besides scorched flesh and regret. He wasn't even sure if it was meat or fish. The creature they'd slain had once been human—centuries, maybe thousands of years ago—but whatever it used to be, it was now something else entirely. Something aquatic. Twisted. Corrupted. Another breed born of rot and corruption . 'If I leave this place, I'm filling my shadow storage with anything and everything even remotely useful.' Too bad he hadn't gotten that opportunity. He'd only acquired the skill shortly before arriving here. The fire crackled faintly, barely holding on against the dampness in the air. The island of wreckage was soaked in moisture—nothing truly dried here, not even their spirits. Damon had already sent his shadow to scout the perimeter, searching the edges in case any monsters dared to climb from the cursed waters and cross into their miserable patch of safety. They all turned their eyes to Valarie, waiting. Waiting for her to explain—or rather, teach—them about Runecraft. Rune magic. Valarie, who existed now only as a pair of lips, smiled faintly. "I wanted to ask you… what is magic…" Sylvia answered first, nodding slowly. "Magic is the science and art of shaping the world through the use of mana. Magic dwells in all things… each person channels mana in their heart and is bound by a single magic attribute…" She continued, calmly explaining the fundamentals of how magic worked. Valarie sighed. "That's enough. You have a good understanding—but magic has fallen in the epoch since my time." Her voice carried a scoff. "Then again, I was born in an era only a few thousand years before everyone got restricted to a single attribute." Her lips pressed together for a moment. "The Zero Epoch had the best, most free definition of magic…" "Magic is in everything. That part, you got right, Sylvia. And the part about one's heart is also correct. However… you must understand this if you wish to use rune magic." She grinned faintly. "Rune magic is a way to cheat the system." Damon's eyes widened in surprise. "Does that mean we can use multiple attributes…?" Valarie's smile lingered. He sounded… hopeful. "No. You'll still have only one attribute. You can't change that. But with rune magic, you can bypass parts of the system. Perhaps that's why it was once called witchcraft… witches have a higher affinity for it." Her tone turned thoughtful. They also had an affinity for all types of magic too. "But anyone can use it." She cleared her throat—even though she didn't technically have one. She was, after all, still just a disembodied pair of lips. "I'm teaching you about magic because you need to rework your entire mindset. Now… where was I." Evangeline narrowed her eyes slightly, focusing. "The world is shaped by five basic elements—water, fire, earth, and air. But the one thing that binds them… is spirit. The fifth element." Leona tilted her head, confused. "Ehmm… I'm confused. Is that like spirit magic? The kind that summons spirits?" Valarie's smile deepened at her question. "No. Each element has its own nature. Spirit is what connects—what allows variations and fusions of the basic elements to form more complex ones. Spirit allows you to create spells. Put simply… spirit is desire. It gives things direction." Sylvia nodded in understanding. "I see. That's why… all things that have spirit can create magic. We all have spirit, which is also our will—our hearts, our desires… Without our desires—without our spirits giving things direction—mana can't form into spells." Xander narrowed his eyes. Ever the model student, he raised his hand. "What about mana anomalies and magical disasters? There was no will in those, so… no spirit? How do you explain that?" Valarie smiled, amused by the skepticism on their faces. "All things have spirit. Rocks, wind, mountains, the land… even the world itself. The solar system. The galaxy. The universe. The multiverse. The omniverse… It is this will that forms those so-called disasters." Damon nodded faintly, something clicking in his mind. Yes… the world did have a will. How else could the world call out to them when they awakened their classes? It always said: Your fable has begun. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮 "I see… so that's how it is…" Matia muttered. "So spirit is the element of will." Valarie's smile softened. Seeing them learn brought her a strange sense of joy. "Exactly. Spirit is the element of will." Damon's understanding of magic was beginning to deepen. As Valarie spoke, he suddenly heard a soft chime in his head. [Mastery: Basic Magic +9] He smiled faintly. His grasp on the basics was improving. "What about the other elements?" he asked. "You say they're part of the foundation of all magic attributes…" Valarie's lips paused, as if savoring the next revelation. "They are part of it, yes—but there are exceptions. Things that exist outside the basic structure. For example… the Void attribute. Or Nothingness. These exist beyond the system of four elements….. in a sense that are tied solely to spirit." Her voice dipped into mystery. "But we'll get back to that later." Damon nodded, listening closely. "Each element plays a role. Earth is the element of balance. Air, the element of freedom. Fire is passion… life itself. Water is change. And Spirit—Spirit is will, binding them all together." "Then the question is," she said, her voice sharpening with meaning, "what is rune magic—and how is it different from the magic you've all been taught?" She smiled again. "Rune magic was created by the Unknown God. It is something freely given—a system that doesn't care about your magic potential. It's a form of magic anyone can use…" Her voice grew darker. "It breaks the absolute systems…" She let the silence stretch. "If you dare to learn—"