Algernon Black

(Chapter 36) What we Don't yet See or Feel

"Since it's been two wonderful weeks of working together," Brickwood said from his podium. "I think it's about time we evaluate your abilities with dark magic." He noticed the look of timidness pass many of his students' faces and chuckled silently to himself. "As you can see, I've prepared a test for each of you."

Lucy glanced down at a round glass beaker of clear liquid before her.

"Inside is a special type of liquid metal that suspends dark magic between particles." Brickwood held up his own flask as he spoke, and ran his hand over the top. The substance instantly started darkening until it turned entirely black. "The darker the color, the more honed your prowess with dark magic is, and will give a good proximation to your skill level." Lucy bit the inside of her cheeks. Another week didn't bring any progress in her dark magic abilities, but not from lack of trying. "But no matter where your abilities lie," The handsome professor spoke in her direction. "I'll make sure you aren't left behind."

Lucy smiled to herself upon meeting Brickwood's gaze.

All the students started to hover their hands over their glasses as Brickwood walked between the rows to track their progress and noticed Algernon made no move to touch his flash and Brickwood doubted he ever would.

He rolled his eyes at his bored-looking cousin. "The essence of light magic comes from tangible contact and is structured to our sense of sight, while dark magic can't be categorized with our palatable perceptions. Though that doesn't mean it isn't just as real as the air filling your lungs."

Lucy swirled the liquid in her glass around. It clung to the edges of the vial and was denser than just water. She stopped her inspection when she noticed the other students had already succeeded in turning the liquid black.

"When channeling dark magic you have to override your natural instincts, to let the unknown lead your practice. It's extremely non-conforming and sporadic, so the more open your idea of it being anything, the easier it can come through you." Brickwood orated as he inspected his students' advances.

To anyone that had grasped the very basics of dark magic, it was easy to infuse the liquid with some traces of the energy. He saw that everyone had successfully altered the color to some degree, all except Lucy.

No matter what she tried, the most that happened was the smallest pall of dark magic formed in her palms before it instantly puttered away as soon as she attempted to merge it into the beaker.

"Having trouble Lucy?" Freya asked from beside her.

Lucy nodded seeing Freya's beaker was already a deep gray. "How did you manage yours?"

"I just thought about something I didn't want to think about and stopped thinking about it," Freya answered as if that made perfect sense.

"Right," Lucy replied, biting the insides of her cheeks. She didn't think the same tactic would work for herself when everything she didn't want to think about was glaring her down from the seats around her.

"Though you do give some excellent advice Miss. Opimhimer," Brickwood said slightly sarcastically to Freya, then turned to Lucy. "Perhaps I could offer some help."

Lucy beamed her appreciation up at the professor as Brickwood guided Lucy's hand over the beaker with her palm faced down.

"Remember, it is an elusive magic that relies on what we don't see or feel more than we do. Concentrating hard on controlling it means you aren't coming at it comfortably. So sometimes it can help to work with someone we already feel at ease with." He didn't pull his hand away but let it linger on top of Lucy's.

She started to lose all focus on magic when a slight blush crept up her neck from the teacher's closeness but the flutters in her chest distracted her worries as dark magic started to seep forth from her hands.