The Ascendant Wizard-Chapter 115 - An Unexpected Invitation

Morena sat upright on her bed when the knock came again, a little firmer this time, followed by a hushed whisper that sounded almost frantic.

"Morena? Are you in there?"

It was Ren.

'Of course.'

Morena was somewhat relieved it wasn't someone else; after all, she hadn't interacted with anyone in this place yet. If someone else were looking for her, it would be concerning.

She pushed herself off the bed, rolled her shoulders to ease the lingering pressure from her meditation, and walked toward the door. When she opened it, she found not only Ren, but also Elara and Liri standing behind him.

The three looked strangely close for a group she had only met this morning.

Upon seeing them, she raised an eyebrow slightly, but focused on the boy who was standing in the front.

Ren brightened immediately when he saw her.

"Oh, good, you're here. We thought maybe you went straight to practicing or something."

Morena gave him a small nod; that was in fact exactly what she had been doing.

"I was. What is it?"

The three exchanged glances before Elara stepped forward with her usual air of confidence, though it was softened this time, more approachable than in class.

"We came to see if you would like to join us for something before the next lesson. A study group, of sorts."

Ren jumped in right after her with excitement decorating his entire face.

"Yeah! We wanted to try going over the meditation method again. Liri is the only one who can actually sense the elemental energy, even a little, and Elara and I can't get anything at all."

Liri lowered her head slightly in embarrassment, having been given the spotlight.

"I only felt a tiny bit. It wasn't even clear."

Morena studied them quietly, noting the slight frustration in their expressions. Liri was more nervous about standing out than actually progressing, though Morena felt a sense of happiness under that shyness.

Perhaps the girl was enjoying the attention a bit; after all, she was a mere commoner before this who never had this sort of privilege.

On the other hand, she could see that Elara was the exact opposite. The girl clearly disliked having to ask others for help; it was that sense of pride that came with being noble, but she didn't look down on the others.

Morena respected that; not very often did you see a noble who understood when they needed to lower themselves, and didn't blame others for their faults.

As for Ren, the boy was just a joyful idiot. Morena couldn't even see a speck of doubt or bother behind his eyes; it genuinely seemed like he was just happy to be there.

It was obvious they had tried on their own already and failed.

Elara crossed her arms, her voice slipping into a tired sigh.

"We thought that maybe if we practiced together, it might help. Or at least someone might notice something the rest of us are missing. A different perspective."

She paused, then added with a mild grimace.

"And at this point, anyone is better than asking that arrogant prince. I swear, if I have to hear him boast one more time about how he was born to be a Wizard, I may commit an unforgivable act."

Ren snorted, trying not to laugh.

Liri nodded quietly, as if she agreed but lacked the courage to say so.

Morena exhaled, leaning slightly against the door frame. She had planned to rest for a little before the next class, but studying with them might give her a better grasp of her surroundings here.

Besides, having other perspectives might help her understand the Tower's structure and expectations better. Not to mention, blending in for now was a smarter approach than staying isolated.

However, she had no intention of telling them that she had already sensed elemental energy. Perhaps it was because of her new method, or because she was training as a knight before even coming here, but she had no issue sensing energy like them.

Revealing that might be rude, though; she would just give them hints if they were struggling.

Morena gave a small nod.

"Alright. Where are you planning to practice?"

Ren pointed eagerly down the hall.

"There's a lounge on this floor with open space. A few chairs and tables, but mostly empty. Should work for meditation."

Elara straightened, smoothing a strand of her braid as she spoke.

"And it is at least far away from the prince. He went upstairs after class and has not come back down since. That is reason enough."

Morena stepped out and closed her door, locking it behind her.

"Lead the way."

The four began walking down the corridor together. Ren walked ahead with a spring in his step, clearly excited by the idea of a group activity. Elara walked beside Morena, her posture composed but her tone softer than before.

"I should clarify something before we begin. This study group is temporary. The moment I find better-organized circles of apprentices or anyone with more experience, I intend to join those instead. But for now, starting with familiar faces makes sense."

Morena gave a noncommittal hum.

"I do not mind."

Elara nodded once, satisfied.

Liri lingered at the back, her voice timid.

"I'm glad you're joining... I thought maybe you wouldn't want to. You seem more focused than the rest of us."

"You're not wrong, I am focused."

Morena replied calmly with a glance back at the girl.

"But learning together is fine. As long as it does not waste time."

Liri smiled a little at that, relieved.

They reached the end of the hall, where a spacious room branched out, furnished with several wooden tables, a few cushioned seats, and an open area near the wall where several groups had likely practiced before.

Ren walked straight to the open area and sat cross-legged on the floor.

"Alright. We can start whenever."

Elara settled beside him with a sigh, adjusting her uniform so it lay flat.

"I swear, if I cannot sense anything even after this..."

Her voice trailed off until Morena could no longer hear it, but she could tell the girl was mumbling about some nonsense and paid it no more attention.

It seemed she lacked the patience to take things slowly; Morena wondered how she would make it as a Wizard, given how much patience was needed.

Liri sat down beside Elara and a little back from the group, folding her hands in her lap.

Morena remained standing for a moment, and she glanced around the room to see who else was here. Like Ren had said, the room was relatively large and empty; just some mismatched couches, chairs, tables, and the like.

At further corners, Morena spotted groups like her own, studying together and sharing information; she even spotted a few people who were alone. But none of them stood out to her much.

One person did catch her eye, however, a guy with elemental energy leaking off his body; she could tell he was a warrior apprentice like her. He was one of those who trained alone.

'Another apprentice. I'll have to figure out his name later.'

Morena decided to take note of him, and all apprentices, for that matter.

Warrior apprentices might have a head start compared to normal people due to their bodies being adapted to elemental energy already; as such, they were the people that would be her first competition.

Of course, she didn't plan to challenge anyone outright, just keep an eye on them.

Eventually, she sat down and joined the others.

Ren looked at her with hopeful eyes.

"So... I guess we start by trying the breathing pattern again?"

Morena nodded and even shared a bit of knowledge to help them.

"The method seems pretty simple; all you need to do is follow the breathing pattern and clear your mind. You can't force it. You are all probably rushing too much."

Elara raised a brow at her words.

"And how do you know that exactly?"

Morena met her gaze and smiled.

"Because you are all either nervous, impatient, or thinking about way too much. Meditation requires the opposite, that's what the professor said after all."

Ren scratched the back of his neck with an embarrassed laugh.

"That obvious, huh?"

"Yes."

Liri gave a small, shy nod.

"Okay... let's try again."

The four of them sat together, breathing slowly. Morena didn't actually meditate; she had already absorbed enough energy before and had to give her mind time to adapt.

If she tried to absorb any more, she would injure herself, but she thought about this little group that had gathered. They were odd, but they were the first set of people that she had met at the Tower.

Were they friends? No, they most likely would never truly be friends. After all, Morena had no intention of getting close to those who may become a thorn in her path.

But they were something; a useful group that could help her grow. For now, she would make sure to make the most of them, at least until she couldn't anymore.