Just a little something to help tie the month long gap between Chapter 2 and 3 together.

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Focus on your breath. Let all the small worries, the looming problems, absolutely everything fall away. Think of nothing but your breath.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

Nothing. I am nothing. Let my ego drift away.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

Extend your sense of self. Become not one being, but everything.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

If this didn't work, I was going to feel like a complete idiot.

I huffed and tried to shake the thought from my head. The book had been very clear; if this was going to work, I needed to focus. Let all superfluous thoughts fall to the wayside. The first time using magic was always the hardest. An apprentice couldn't ever be quite sure if they were doing it correctly until they had cast their first spell.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

Still it didn't make me feel any less silly.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

I was just testing this. I didn't really believe all of the nonsense from that book. I was just a…skeptical reporter, investigating into fantastical claims of magic. Yea, that was it.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

Do not focus on the ephemeral. Gather your ego into yourself and then.

Breathe in.

Spread.

Breathe out.

I could feel them around me. Little pinpricks of light in the edges of my vision, like a million shining stars. All just barely there, barely noticeable to my perception. Still, so very close. I could just reach out and grab them if I tried. I was excited, almost shaking, but I couldn't mess this up now. The book said that with practice this process was almost unconscious, but for now I needed to keep my focus. Feeling them out was the first step but bringing them into motion was just as important.

I cupped my hands and more breathed then spoke the phrase. "Flame." The small nudge I sent out coalesced into a heat that slowly took shape in my hands. It was bright and hot, but not unbearably so. I just stared, not quite comprehending what was going on. I blinked a few times but there it stayed, burning like a miniature flare in the palm of my hands.

I actually was shaking with excitement now. My legs were cramped and asleep, my back was aching, and all this meditating had made me really tired, but I had done it. I had cast a spell. I had magic powers.

Magic was real. I wasn't an idiot.

I thrust my hands up and let out a wail of triumph. I wasn't pathetic, old Taylor Hebert, barely able to pull herself out of bed unassisted some mornings. I wasn't some boring average sick girl, no friends to her name. I was a sorcerer, a magician, a mage, a witch.

Ye'r a wizard Taylor.

I let out a small giggle at that thought. No, I wasn't nearly up to that level yet, but if the book was right about this…I spared a glance over at the leather-bound bargain-sale book sitting on the floor across from me. I could do so much more. Things like this had just been the beginning. An introductory chapter to help those starting out. I hadn't been willing to really admit it, but everything the book spoke of just sounded so appealing. I didn't want to get my hopes up over nothing, build up this nice shiny picture of how great life could be for me. A girl everyone made fun of being able to summon the forces of nature to her aid. It sounded too ludicrous. Something you would read in a book. But now…

I had so much I needed to do. So much I needed to find out. Was all magic real? Was only this kind? What about unicorns and dragons? I didn't know where to get started.

I blinked as I realized that while the magical fire was gone from my hands, I could still feel it burning away on the edges of my awareness. I twisted around a bit before I realized the homework I had been working on for a few hours, while dad was still here, had burst into flames during my introspection.

I gave a wail, as I rushed for my desk, trying to remember the spell for water. Only one thought flashing through my head.

Dad would never believe this; I was gonna be in so much trouble.