[The Spark, a mysterious force, is the origin of all magic. It bestows a rare gift upon a chosen few, enabling them to blur the boundaries between reality and fantasy, to mold the world with their thoughts.]
'Bold words,' Christian thought, but now his interest was piqued, so he continued reading.
[The Spark, a unique thread woven into the very essence of a wizard, not only grants them the power of magic but also the ability to pass it on through their bloodline.]
'So, the spark is an organ that grants magical ability? No, that's not right. I know from Jim's memories that something like a Wizard Gene exists. If that is so, why does this book word it ?'
No matter how Christian translated this passage, it implies that the Spark was not the Wizard gene but what granted it.
'Does that mean the spark involved something smaller than the genes? Atoms? Subatomic Particles? Maybe even small, into the quantum realm? Or, is there no direct science related to it? Is the spark focused more on mystery?'
Christian only read a few words and already had too many questions. So, he reigned in his mind and focused on reading. This theory further confirmed his idea that wizards were low-level reality warpers.
Once he finished, he exhaled deeply. This theorem was both enlightening and disappointing. The theory explained how the spark granted magical powers and its connection to the body and the mind.
A wizard channels their magic through their body but controls it with their mind. As such, the growth of the body and mind dictates how powerful a wizard is. According to this book, the older the wizards, the stronger they are—without considering the mind or skill, simply the body and age.
Then, when the mind is considered, the situation is different. Many things can increase a wizard's mind: age, life experience, discipline, meditation, and, more importantly, knowledge. Education or knowledge is the most fundamental way for a wizard to increase the strength of their mind, which, in turn, develops the strength of their magic or spark.
The main topic of this book is the balance between the body, mind, and Spark. Puberty is a crucial aspect of the development of the body and magic, and once that is done around 25, which is the time for the brain to fully develop, the body will not be as important to the wizard as the mind.
Before then, the changes in the body will affect a person's mood and ability to handle emotions, stressful situations, or even decision-making, making it harder to wield magic. Christian snickered when reading this part, as it was a complicated way of saying that moody teenagers have a harder time practicing advanced magic while their bodies are changing.
This period is also when most wizards develop the most, as their bodies drive the growth of their spark—some people who could barely cast a spell become full-fledged wizards.
'This theorem is interesting; it fits with Mum's definition of what magic is, just more detailed and organized,' Christian thought. 'However, the entire theory is based on the assumption that sparks exist. It offers no evidence of their existence or how to detect them—it simply explains their existence, function, and relationship with the body and mind.'
This observation disappointed him, as he felt the theorem was probably true, but he could not accept it based solely on this book. Christian shook his head before focusing on the second book about Cognitum Aequilibrium to gain more detailed information; he knew what it was, as it had been mentioned in the Spark Theorem, and he realized his mother had told him about it, but she had not given it an official name.
So, Christian read through it quickly with a frown. Once he finished, he pondered for a few minutes before leaving, heading directly into his hotel room. He opened his bag to summon his original wand.
Nothing happened, thus deepening his frown. "Lumos." The wand's tip flickered, but no light emanated. Christian put away the wand and tried using handweaving to cast a spell, and the situation was even more severe. The process of drawing his magical power felt like carrying a two-hundred-kilogram boulder.
"This is a major problem," he sighed.
Cognitive Aequilibrium is a magical disease often found in children when their minds have developed too far ahead of their bodies; the wide imbalance results in their magic going awry. The opposite of this disease is Corpus Aequilibrium, which occurs when a wizard suffers a severe mental blow that makes them unable to use magic. In this situation, the mind is the weak spot in the balance.
Because of years of meditation, all the languages he studied, and his rapid absorption of magical knowledge, Christian suffered a mild case of the disease, resulting in his inability to use nonverbal casting despite having the knowledge and training to do so.
After his 12th birthday, his body felt strange, as it was developing to compensate for the imbalance and ignite his spark. However, the discovery of his soul and his recent enlightenment, following his rescue of Kallista, dramatically increased his mind and further exacerbated the imbalance.
Christian frowned as he thought. He could only use magic because the elder wand forcefully channeled his magic, bypassing his body's restriction. In some ways, the wand allowed Christian to show his full powers without limitations.
'According to that book, I have three ways to deal with the issue: wait for puberty, exercise, and eat healthy to alleviate the problem, and use a Heracles Potion or a True Aging Potion.'
Christian immediately eliminated the True Aging Potion, which would have forced his body to age and caused him to lose a few years of lifespan. He could not wait for puberty, which could happen as early as next year or as late as 16. Exercise and a healthy diet can only alleviate the problem, leaving the Heracles Potion.
'The problem is the potion is on the third layer.' Christian sighed, feeling a little mentally drained. He walked to the window to close it and block the sunlight, but he suddenly paused as he noticed someone hidden in a corner looking at the hotel. At first, he thought it was nothing, but the incessant gaze while trying to look nonchalant told him this person was observing something.
'I was so hurried that I came here without disguising myself. Did Orphelia send someone to follow me?' Although he only briefly met the man, he knew this person perfectly embodied a snake: cold, ruthless, and cunning.
'I don't know if it's true, but it's best to be careful.'
He closed the window, changed his appearance and clothes, and secretly left the hotel while invisible. He went to the Common District and paid for a hotel there. Christian looked at the elder wand in his hand as he lay in his bed.
'I will rely on this for a while, so I should find a way to hide its appearance once I return home.'
The thought of home suddenly brought a flurry of negative emotions, so he hurriedly closed his eyes to meditate and calm down. He fell asleep until early in the morning when he headed for the second test.