Chapter 28 Starlight
Evelyn's POV
"Evelyn."
After the bell rang, Kane stood beside me and called my name. I knew he'd heard my entire conversation with Vicky.
"Congratulations!" he said quietly. "Looks like you really do have a talent for this."
"Maybe!"
I smiled at him, my eyes full of happiness.
"Kane, if I really learn all this stuff, then I can help you too."
Kane paused for a moment, then a faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
"Kane, you should go back to the dorm and rest. I can study with Professor Gonzalez by myself."
Kane didn't move. His expression was blank. "I'm not in a hurry."
"But..."
"I'm worried." He cut me off. His tone was calm, but his eyes showed a stubbornness that wouldn't be argued with.
"What if something happens?"
I looked at him and realized he wasn't going to back down. "Well, you can't just stand in the hallway waiting for me!"
Kane said nothing. He silently followed me to the classroom Vicky had mentioned for practice. I knocked on the door, and when I pushed it open, I found Vicky was already inside waiting for me.
When Vicky saw Kane and me walk in together, she asked, "Ms. Gray, this is?"
"He's my friend, Kane. Since I was injured before, so..."
I introduced him a bit awkwardly.
"Professor Gonzalez, I want to sit in." Kane was very direct, his eyes fixed on the professor without any hesitation.
Vicky paused, perhaps only remembering Kane as a student from class. She studied Kane for a few seconds, then looked at me and asked, "Ms. Gray, what do you think?"
"Can I let him stay?" I glanced at Kane, who stood behind me like my bodyguard.
I knew he meant well, and he probably also needed more clues to figure out what kind of shapeshifter I was.
"Since you don't mind, let him come in! As long as he doesn't disrupt the lesson." Vicky's expression didn't change; she just stated the requirement for class.
The practice room was very quiet, with just a table and a few chairs, and some anatomical diagrams hanging on the walls.
Kane found a corner and sat down, his gaze constantly on me. I didn't feel awkward about it—actually, I thought it was kind of nice.
Vicky didn't waste words and got straight to the point.
"Ms. Gray, today we'll practice the most basic healing spell—the 'Heal as New' incantation, specifically for soft tissue bruises and contusions."
Vicky scanned my body. "Do you have any bruises?"
"I think I have one from bumping into a table this morning." I Searched around my arm and Kane immediately stood up. I signaled with my eyes that I was fine.
"This spot..." Vicky looked at it and then had me sit down first.
Vicky continued, pointing at my injury. "Watch carefully. Magic isn't brute force. The essence of healing is accelerating cell regeneration and metabolism. You need to use your mind to guide the magic inside your body, let it flow like water, gently wrapping around the injured area, telling your body: 'hurry up and get better.'"
She explained in great detail, spending a full fifteen minutes on the flow path of magic, the frequency of output, and how to sense the pain points of an injury.
"In theory, this isn't complicated." Vicky looked at me. "But in practice, it's still pretty difficult. Because it largely depends on imagination, intention, and the ability to guide the magic inside your body. You have to go with the flow, not force control."
I nodded, gripping my wand tightly, but my palms were covered in sweat.
"Why aren't you moving? Are you scared?" Vicky keenly noticed my nervousness.
"I..." I lowered my head, feeling a bit discouraged. "Professor, I can't do it. I don't even know how to mobilize the magic inside my body. In Transformation class, I can't even shapeshift. I can't feel where that power is at all. How can I guide it to heal an injury?"
"Am I letting you down? I'm sorry." I felt guilty. Vicky had been so good to me, even willing to teach me privately, but I didn't even know what kind of shapeshifter I was.
This was my biggest hang-up. If I knew what kind of shapeshifter I was, then I could control my magic freely to change forms. But right now I couldn't even do the basics—how could I control healing magic?
"That is a real problem. I'm a witch, so I guess I am a bit lacking when it comes to shapeshifters. Can you try controlling magic with your mind without needing to shapeshift?"
Kane, who had been sitting in the corner, suddenly spoke up. He walked over to my side.
"I might have a way!" Kane's words made both Vicky and me look up at him.
"Evelyn, do you remember how you felt in the library?"
"Tingling... like static electricity..." I answered instinctively.
"Right." Kane's voice was low, carrying a strange calming power. "Don't think about shapeshifting. Don't think about what kind of shapeshifter you are. Just try to find that 'tingling sensation.'"
He looked at me encouragingly, and Vicky clearly agreed with him, nodding at me.
"Imagine that static electricity, like gathering a stream of water, flowing along your arm toward your fingertips." As Kane spoke, he made a gathering gesture in the air with his other hand.
"Like you're catching a butterfly—be gentle, be soft, but aim precisely."
"You did great last time, didn't you?"
Kane's words had a guiding effect. I closed my eyes, and that familiar, tingling sensation appeared again, even more smoothly than last time.
This time, I didn't try to push it down. I just followed Kane's guidance, letting it flow slowly through my arm like guiding a small stream.
Kane's voice was low but very patient. "You're doing great."
"Ms. Gray, hold onto that feeling. Try to channel it into your wand, or release it directly through your palm." Vicky's voice joined in, with a hint of surprise, encouraging me.
"I... I'll try."