Science in Magic

The Scientist Without Magic

I am Elias, a man without magic in a world where everyone possesses supernatural powers. As a child, I longed to control the elements or soar through the sky like others, but fate did not grant me such abilities. However, I had something far more powerful: intelligence.

When I was seven, my country was engulfed in war. Orphaned, weak, and without magical strength, I faced death countless times. One day, while fleeing from enemy sorcerers, I stumbled into a valley filled with the corpses of fallen soldiers. Trembling among the ruins, I searched for shelter amidst broken armor and shattered weapons. And there, I discovered something unexpected—a tattered book with two words still visible on the cover: Physics. It was a completely new concept to my young mind. I didn’t know why it was there, but at that moment, I felt a spark ignite within me. From then on, I began to study it. Each page unraveled a world where phenomena could be explained without the need for magic.

In this society, magic dictated everything. Torches were lit by enchantments, cities glowed with light conjured by powerful sorcerers. But I kept asking myself: What if there was a way to create light without magic? What if people like me could illuminate the world too?

Thus began my insane journey—to create light from matter, a concept unheard of in this land. In my small, secluded room, I experimented with metals, glass, and various natural materials. I tested fire, steam, and chemical reactions. At first, every attempt ended in failure. Filaments burned out instantly, glass shattered, and the energy was never enough to sustain light for long.

People around me laughed. "Without magic, you’re nothing but a foolish dreamer!" they mocked. But I ignored them. I knew I was getting closer to the truth.

Then, one day, I discovered a special material—a thin wire made from a rare mineral that could glow when heated in an airless environment. Carefully, I encased it in a sealed glass sphere, conducting hundreds of experiments before perfecting it.

During my search for a more durable material, I encountered a strange metal with an extremely high melting point. I called it tungsten. After many trials, I realized that tungsten filaments not only withstood extreme heat but also emitted a steady, long-lasting glow. This was the key to a sustainable light source!

Finally, at the age of 19, after more than a decade of relentless research and experiments, I watched as my invention came to life. As the mechanical energy I had generated flowed through the device, it illuminated—a pure, stable light requiring no incantation.

I held the small glowing bulb in my hands, trembling. At that moment, I was no longer a powerless outcast in a world of magic. I was a bringer of light.

But my challenges were far from over. When I presented my invention to the world, people did not know whether to be amazed or terrified. The ruling sorcerers saw it as a threat. "You dare to challenge the order of the world!" they roared. I knew that the road ahead would be filled with obstacles. But I also knew that no matter how much they hunted me down, mocked me, or tried to erase my work—

I had ignited a flame that no one could extinguish.