The Science of Magic

They drifted from Eric’s bedside into the living space, still moving with the quiet care of people who’d only just stopped worrying. Together they pushed the couch and end tables toward the walls between the desks, clearing a space at the center of the room. When they were done, everyone sank to the floor in a loose circle.

Lyren, still smiling, broke the silence first.

“Alright then,” she said, eyes bright with curiosity. “What does a world without magic know about anatomy?”

Eric smiled. “You’d be surprised. I get the feeling my world’s actually got a lot more experience with this subject than yours.”

He leaned forward a little, his voice taking on that familiar explaining tone.

“For instance, we’ve studied the human body by dissecting it—seeing how everything fits together. Organs, veins… even the tiny cells that make up all of it.”

Lyren raised an eyebrow, her head tilting slightly. “Cells,” she repeated. “That’s the second time you’ve said that word—what are they?”

Welyvyne frowned deeply. “You mean… you cut people up? Into little pieces?”

Eric laughed, shaking his head. “You make it sound like we vivisected people—but yes, we did cut them up. These days we have a system for that. People can volunteer their bodies to science after they die.”

He paused, his tone softening. “Before that, though… yeah, grim times to be sure.”

Welyvyne’s frown deepened. Lyren looked a little annoyed—half at being interrupted, half because Eric had chosen to answer Welyvyne’s question first.

Eric turned to her with an apologetic smile. “I didn’t forget your question.”

Lyren’s expression softened instantly, as if he’d read her mind.

“Cells,” Eric continued, “are some of the smallest building blocks of the body. Different cells make up different organs, and if you look closely enough, you can tell where a cell comes from.”

Welyvyne and Kaelen exchanged a glance. Kaelen gave a crooked grin. “Yeah, I think I’m going to sit this one out. Welyvyne, you want to go play some Runecourt with me?”

Welyvyne nodded quickly and stood, relief flickering across her face as she followed Kaelen to the couch.

Eric glanced toward them as they pulled out the deck of cards.

“There are even smaller things than cells,” he said, turning back to Lyren. “Things cells themselves are made of, but—”

He stopped when he caught the spark in her eyes.

“Hold on,” Lyren said, her curiosity flaring. “You say that like you’ve seen these tiny things. I’ve seen cells—I understand where you were going—but the things that make up cells?”

Eric smiled; he liked seeing that inquisitive spark in her now that he could recognize it.

“Yes, I’ve seen them—well, sort of,” he said. “We all learn about things like the nucleus, chromatin, ribosomes… and a lot more tiny parts. We have microscopes that let us look really close at things too small for the eye to see. I’m sure you have something similar here.”

Lyren frowned. “Maybe—but I’ve never seen anything like that. How does any of this help with healing, though?”

Eric smiled. “I’m not sure yet. But if you have some form of anatomy, then you must already know something about the human body to heal it correctly… am I wrong?”

Lyren smiled. “Yes. We need to know enough not to fuse bone with tendon—or, say, grow bone into an organ.”

Eric nodded. “I thought it might be something like that. So… at what point is someone beyond healing?”

Lyren’s smile faded into a thoughtful frown. “Usually when the heart stops and the blood stops moving. The body can’t respond if it’s already dead. A life mage can bring someone back whose heart has stopped—but they’re exceedingly rare.”

Eric smiled. “Then that’s how this will help. Have you ever heard of cardiopulmonary resuscitation or defibrillation? In a world without magic, we bring people back to life who are clinically dead all the time. We don’t have life mages—so we rely purely on science.”

Lyren’s eyes widened. “You can teach me this? How to bring someone back after their heart stops?”

Eric’s smile broadened. “Yes — absolutely. Once the heart’s restarted, you can heal them. It’s the perfect blend of science and magic.”

Eric and Lyren continued their discussion, the conversation growing more animated as ideas bounced between them. Eventually, Eric called Welyvyne over with a grin, asking if she’d be willing to help — purely as a CPR dummy, of course.

Welyvyne crossed her arms. “This doesn’t involve vivisection, does it?”

Eric laughed. “Only if you want it to.”

Welyvyne frowned, unimpressed.

Eric pointed to a clear spot on the floor. “Lay down there,” he said.

Welyvyne gave him a wary look but, after a few seconds, complied.

“Alright,” Eric said, crouching beside her. “Let’s say they’re not breathing, and their heart has stopped. I’ll show you the technique.”

He placed his hand gently beneath her chin. “First, raise the chin to clear the airway.”

Lyren nodded, eyes sharp. “Okay, following so far.”

Eric turned to Welyvyne with a grin. “Don’t worry — this won’t hurt too much.”

Welyvyne’s eyes widened, then softened when Eric began to snicker.

Eric turned back to Lyren, still laughing quietly. “From here, we use mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.”

Welyvyne’s eyes shot open, and she immediately started to sit up.

Eric looked down at her, wearing that stern—but still teasing—don’t-you-dare-move expression. “Don’t you dare move,” he said, his grin widening. “We’ll just pretend, all right? I’m not actually doing it.”

Kaelen shook his head, chuckling. “Careful, Eric — if you keep this up, she’s going to need whatever it is you’re teaching.”

“Okay,” Eric said, looking up from Welyvyne to Lyren. “We’re going to move on to chest compressions. You start here, at the sternum—then two fingers down from there, place your palm.”

He demonstrated as he spoke, pressing lightly. Welyvyne shifted, looking a little uncomfortable with the contact.

Eric paused, noticing her tension. “Are you okay with this?” he asked gently. “I can have Kaelen step in instead if you’d prefer.”

Welyvyne smiled faintly. “No, it’s fine,” she said. “I’m just… not used to being touched.”

Eric nodded with a faint smile. “Okay then, you want to press over and over — about a hundred to a hundred and twenty times per minute. I just hope that translated into a proper time frame.”

Lyren tilted her head. “What do you mean, you hope that translated to a proper time frame?”

Eric smiled a little sheepishly. “Oh — right. It feels natural now, but I don’t actually speak your language. I’ve got a trait that translates and lets me speak any language.”

Lyren practiced for a while, repeating the motions until she found a rhythm that felt right. Meanwhile, Kaelen had taken it upon himself to teach Eric how to play Runecourt.

The game felt oddly familiar to Eric—something about the rules reminded him of a card game from home, though the name danced just out of reach.

By the time Lyren and Welyvyne walked over, Kaelen was already grumbling. “I am not teaching you any more card games. This isn’t even fair—you just learned it! How are you already better than me?”

Eric smiled. “Beginner’s luck, I’m sure. Besides, I figured you were just letting me win so you could hustle me later.”

Lyren chuckled. “No, Kaelen wouldn’t let you win—that’s not his style.”

Kaelen crossed his arms, muttering under his breath, which only made Lyren laugh harder.

Eric just shook his head, a crooked smile tugging at his mouth. “All right, enough of that. Anyone up for learning air affinity? I already promised Welyvyne I’d try—well, at least see if I can. I’ve got a theory, and honestly, the more research subjects I have, the better.”

Lyren’s eyes lit up, a smile spreading across her face. “I’m up for it!”

Kaelen folded his arms, frowning. “I don’t use spells the way you do. My class is more about channeling abilities through my body—I’m not sure there’s anything you can actually teach me.”

Eric took Kaelen in for a moment. “I did not know that,” he said, “but—that’s okay. I’m not teaching spells; I’m the wrong person for that. I’m teaching concepts.”

Welyvyne leaned forward, eyes bright with excitement. “I really hope this works.”

Eric smiled. “So do I. But if it doesn’t, we’ll learn something anyway.”

The group moved back to the center of the room, settling onto the floor as they waited for Eric to begin. The air felt heavier now, charged with quiet anticipation.

Eric leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “So my theory is this — everyone eventually learns every affinity, right? But why is that? Is it just experience with casting? I don’t think so.” He glanced between them, his tone sharpening with focus. “I think it’s familiarity. I’ve had access to every affinity since I arrived here, and my theory is that it’s because my science has a deeper understanding of those principles than what’s taught here. I’m not saying my science is better—just that the lack of magic on my world pushed us to explore in more esoteric directions.”

Kaelen, ever calm, leaned forward slightly. “So you’re saying if we can truly understand an affinity—or the concept behind it—we can gain it?”

Eric nodded. “Exactly. It’s only a theory, but I think it’s a sound one. Still—there’s only one way to prove it.”

Eric smiled. “So let’s begin. When we think of air, most people imagine the wind brushing across their skin—but it’s more than that. Air is movement born of balance—heat rising, pressure shifting, the world constantly trying to even itself out.”

He motioned with his hand, gathering a faint swirl of mana between his fingers. “Fire burns because air feeds it,” he continued, a small flame dancing to life in his palm. “But air itself isn’t one thing—it’s made of countless tiny parts, all moving, colliding, flowing together like water in an invisible river. We call them atoms and molecules.”

He drew the flame closer to the small current he’d conjured, and the group watched as it flared brighter for an instant. “See? Heat consumes what’s in motion. Without air, fire dies—but too much flow and it loses its shape. It’s balance, again and again.”

The room fell quiet as the air settled and the flame faded to nothing.

Eric exhaled slowly, smiling faintly. “That’s the beauty of it. Air isn’t just what we breathe—it’s proof that everything is connected by movement, by exchange. Once you understand that, the affinity isn’t about control. It’s about harmony.”

After nearly an hour of Eric’s explanations, the room fell into thoughtful silence. The air itself seemed to hum faintly — as if his words had stirred something unseen.

Lyren broke the quiet first. “So… do you think it worked?”

Welyvyne’s lips curved into a cautious smile. “There’s only one way to find out.”

They all grew quiet and looked inward toward their cores, searching for any sign that something had changed.

Eric leaned back on his hands, quietly watching as each of them turned their focus inward.

Welyvyne’s eyes shot open. “It worked.”

She jumped to her feet, energy sparking through her voice. “It actually worked!”

Lyren and Kaelen stirred a heartbeat later. Kaelen blinked, looking off in quiet contemplation, while Lyren let out a delighted scream. “Do you know what this means, Eric?”

Eric smiled, warm and certain. “I do. It means affinities can be taught—not just known.”

Kaelen turned to Eric, concern flickering behind his calm expression. “Eric… the implications are profound. You realize this kind of discovery could be dangerous.”

Eric tilted his head slightly. “Why? It proves everyone can gain power faster. That means people would be better equipped to handle danger.”

Kaelen shook his head slowly. “No. It means if you tell the wrong people, they might see you as the danger.”

Eric grimaced. “Politics. I hate politics.”

Kaelen gave a dry chuckle. “Everyone does. Until politics notices them.”

Eric frowned. “I’m not going to let this stay a secret when it could help everyone,” he said. “But… I see your point. We’ll have to stay quiet until we can find a safe way to share it.”

Kaelen smiled. “That’s a wise choice, Eric. I understand where your mind and heart are, though.”

Eric smiled. “By the way—about abilities. Could you clarify what they actually do?”

Kaelen nodded. “Sure. Rather than casting spells, I channel mana through my affinities. For example, I use my earth affinity to toughen my body, make myself heavier, and increase my momentum.”

Eric nodded. “So, it’s magic used in a different way, then. My artificing is another—different in form but still using mana. The difference lies in intent.”

“Maybe intent is what shapes every kind of magic,” he mused. “Mana’s just the medium—it’s the purpose that defines the result.”

Lyren tilted her head. “Sounds logical—maybe even factual—but how does that actually change anything?”

Eric shrugged. “Not sure. But I’ll definitely be thinking about it. I’m sure it’s useful to understand.”

He paused, glancing between them. “Which brings me to why this was so important in the first place—it confirms something for me. I’m not going to say what yet; I don’t want to get anyone’s hopes up. But… I’ve got an idea bouncing around in my head.”

Welyvyne laughed. “So you plan on keeping us in the dark—and rewriting how we’ve understood magic for millennia while you’re at it?”

Eric frowned. “One, I have no intention of keeping you all in the dark. When I know something, you’ll know it too. And as for changing how you understand magic—well, that’s a side effect, not the goal.”

Kaelen smiled. “Now I have to learn more abilities. I’ll need to find an air trainer.”

He paused, thoughtful. “Actually, we should consider joining the Adventurers’ Guild as a group. It’d give us a chance to train—and it’s steady income. You’ll need that soon, and the pay’s good.”

Eric raised an eyebrow. “What exactly would that entail? I mean, what would we actually do?”

Lyren grinned. “I like that idea. Honestly, we’re already a solid setup—we’ve got a tank, a healer, a ranged caster, and… whatever you are, Eric.”

Eric crossed his arms. “Okay, that still doesn’t answer my question.”

Welyvyne smiled. “I like the idea too. I think we’d make an excellent group—very balanced.”

Eric frowned, a hint of frustration in his voice. “Mmhmm. And what exactly would we do?”

Kaelen clasped a hand on Eric’s shoulder. “What most adventurers do,” he said with an easy grin. “Fight monsters—and close rifts.”

Eric groaned. “I don’t like the sound of this at all. Did you see how dueling practice went? I’m the guy wearing the red shirt.”

Welyvyne looked at him, puzzled. “No… your shirt’s black.”

Eric rubbed his temples. “Yes, Welyvyne, it is. Isn’t it?” He sighed. “I guess I don’t have a choice here—majority rules and all.”

Kaelen gave his shoulder a firm squeeze. “That’s the spirit.”

“Well,” Eric said, pushing himself to his feet, “on that note, I’m going to start working on that idea I mentioned.”

Eric left the others in the living area and made his way to his bed. Sitting cross-legged in the center, he closed his eyes as the soft murmur of his friends’ card game filled the background.

Turning his focus inward, he looked toward his core. It glowed brighter than it had since the day he first saw it—tighter, more defined. His lightning affinity shimmered closest, with air and fire hovering nearby.

But something had changed. The other affinities were no longer distant, vague shapes; they were moving closer, drawn toward his core. Earth and water had already traveled nearer, while order and entropy lingered further back.

Good, Eric thought. Now I just need to bring earth and water closer.

He began to think not of elements, but of concepts—what earth and water truly meant beyond their names. Solidity and flow, weight and adaptation. For the first time, he wasn’t just thinking about magic as an energy, but as an idea—each piece a part of something greater.

As he sat, Eric focused on water. He imagined its flow, its rhythm—the way it moved not freely like air, but with weight behind it. He thought about how it might interact with his lightning, how its steady current could carry power instead of resist it.

Slowly, the water affinity nudged closer to his core.

That’s it, Eric thought. It’ll take a while… but this is a good start.