Professor Elbeth Myra stood before the class, her long robes trailing across the polished stone floor. The air in the room shifted as she lifted a small, ornate wooden box onto the pedestal at the center of the classroom.
She opened it gently.
"This," she began, her voice soft but resonating with authority, "is an Essence Box. And today, we begin with understanding what it means to be a mage."
A faint, glowing mist leaked from the box — swirling lights of white and purple shimmered within it like stardust frozen in motion.
"Elijah," Anna whispered from his left. "It's beautiful."
Elbeth turned to the class and began her lecture.
"Essence is a fundamental power. It exists in all living and non living beings across both the World of Jade and the Astral World. When someone dies, their essence returns to the flow of the universe — a cycle without end.
For ordinary people, essence allows only the most basic abilities: creating barriers or invoking simple household spells. But for Mages... we are different. We do not merely cast spells — we manipulate, govern, and in some cases, even rewrite the laws of essence.
Essence contains the powers of Fate, Destiny, Cause and Effect, and Rebirth. Most of these are bound by the Probability Threads — invisible chains that govern reality. Only Cause and Effect and Rebirth lie outside its full control."
The students listened in quiet awe.
Elbeth raised her hand, and from her palm floated two glowing orbs — one brilliant white, the other purple.
"There are two main types of essence found in all people, based on their mentality and personality:
1. White Essence – the power of Good Will.
2. Purple Essence – the power of Bad Will."
Sylphira raised her hand gently. "Professor… does that mean purple essence is evil?"
Elbeth's expression softened. She walked over and brushed Sylphira's hair tenderly.
"No, my daughter," she said kindly. "We cannot say one is good or bad. Some people are born into darkness, and others are broken by the world. Purple does not mean evil — it can also mean survival, pain, or determination. The essence reflects your truth."
Anna stood next. "Can someone change their essence?"
Elbeth's eyes glinted with approval. "A good question. What's your name?"
"Anna Valentine."
"Come here to the stage, Anna."
Anna did so, gracefully. Elbeth gave her a nod of respect.
"Yes, essence can change. Though rare, as people change through love, trauma, choice, or great resolve, so too does their essence shift. Some have both white and purple. Balance is also a form of strength."
Elbeth gestured to the glowing box again.
"This essence box will allow you to interact with your core for the first time. From here, you will all start at Level 0."
Now Daud raised a hand calmly. "Professor, what exactly is a 'level'?"
Elbeth smiled. "Another fine question."
She turned to the board behind her and waved her fingers. Runes glowed and revealed a tiered ladder of magical progression, each level etched in glowing script.
"Mages do not grow stronger with age. They ascend by Leveling—a structured awakening of essence, understanding, and power. These levels are as follows:
📘 Mage Levels (With 9 Peak Stages):
Total: 19 Progression Stages
1. Level 0 – Beginner
2. Level 1 – Initiate
• 1.5 – Peak Initiate
3. Level 2 – Seer
• 2.5 – Peak Seer
4. Level 3 – Master
• 3.5 – Peak Master
5. Level 4 – Grandmaster
• 4.5 – Peak Grandmaster
6. Level 5 – Saint
• 5.5 – Peak Saint
7. Level 6 – Ascended
• 6.5 – Peak Ascended
8. Level 7 – Sage
• 7.5 – Peak Sage
9. Level 8 – Transcendent
• 8.5 – Peak Transcendent
10. Level 9 – Paragon
• 9.5 – Peak Paragon
11. Level 10 – Supreme Almighty
"To become a Paragon means to govern Essence itself — you gain mastery over:
Fate, Destiny, Cause and Effect, Rebirth And Reality, Time"
The classroom was silent. Even the air seemed to pause.
Then Elbeth raised a single finger higher, above all tiers, where a radiant glyph of creation pulsed.
"But to become Supreme Almighty, the 10th and final level, is to transcend life and death. You become something beyond mortal comprehension. A being who holds the power of Creation and Destruction."
"But take heart… all this is myth. Legends say no one has ascended beyond Saint in the last thousand years — not even Principal Belbub, who is a 1st Rank Monarch."
The students murmured in astonishment.
Then Drake Serpentine raised a hand.
Drake raised his hand, voice steady but curious.
"Professor… can we increase our levels on our own?"
Elbeth turned to him with a knowing smile that made the room feel colder.
"Yes," she said slowly, "but there are conditions."
She raised her hand again, and the floating motes of glowing essence dimmed, as though her words alone could command light itself.
"Essence does not respond to ambition alone. It can only be activated by consuming Elixir. However, before taking the Elixir, you must first refine your body through rigorous training or a sacred ritual.
Only then can you consume the Elixir… the key to beginning your true path as a mage."
The box Elbeth had been guarding now clicked and opened fully. Inside were rows of miniature glass vials, glowing with a soft azure-blue light.
"Come," Elbeth instructed, her voice now ceremonial. "Line up. One by one. Drink. Let your essence bloom."
Students obeyed, stepping forward in solemn order. Each received a vial. One sip, and their bodies began to glow faintly—like kindled stars in a sea of awakening.
Elijah watched in silence as Anna's aura shimmered with a bright white hue.
Sylphira's glow was soft and pure.
Daud's was cold but steady.
Then Drake stepped forward and drank.
A sudden hush fell. His body glowed—but in deep purple.
Some students gasped, but Elbeth raised her hand calmly.
"Purple essence is not evil. It is simply a different path. One forged through suffering, survival, or strong will.
We do not fear power—we learn to guide it."
The class relaxed.
But as Elijah stepped forward, he held up his hand.
"I didn't drink mine," he said, frowning. "I… don't know why."
Elbeth chuckled softly and walked up to him. She reached out and brushed his hair playfully, like an old guardian recognizing something in her pupil.
"Why, Mr. Disciple?" she teased. "Are you waiting for a divine sign?"
Then a student near the box pointed, confused.
"Professor… there's a red elixir in the back row. What is that?"
Elbeth's expression froze.
"Red…? That shouldn't be…"
Before she could reach the box—
BOOM!
A violent explosion erupted.
Smoke and arcane energy spiraled across the room like a living beast. Students screamed, shielding themselves from the blast. Runes shattered, and light flickered. Elbeth's protective barriers surged into place just in time to prevent further destruction.
"Stay together!" she shouted, her voice echoing through the haze. "Form a circle! Don't get separated!"
But in the chaos—
Elijah tripped.
He fell backward, hitting the ground with a grunt. His fingers scraped against something glassy.
He looked down.
The red elixir. It rolled into his palm as if drawn to him.
A voice, ancient and commanding, whispered in his mind:
"Drink… awaken… you are the vessel…"
His breath caught. For a moment, the world felt still despite the chaos around him.
And then, he drank.
The red elixir surged through him like fire. His eyes widened. The veins in his hands glowed—not blue or white, but a deep crimson laced with gold. Something inside him cracked open.
The smoke began to clear.
Elbeth raised her staff and cast a powerful cleansing barrier. The whirlwind vanished.
"Is everyone safe?" she asked, scanning the room quickly.
Everyone nodded—shaken but unharmed.
Then she looked toward the box.
Her face paled.
"The red elixir…" she whispered. "It's gone."
And her gaze fell… to Elijah whose body was still glowing faintly.