Star Trail

CHAPTER 3 : The Source of Light

Rai's first class at the Moonlight Academy was Foundations of Sorcery with Master Anom. Master Anom was a thin old man with a long white beard and round glasses that never stopped sliding down the tip of his nose. He spoke slowly, with long pauses between words, as though each one had to be weighed carefully before leaving his mouth.

"Good morning, children," he greeted them, writing on the chalkboard. His handwriting was small and slanted. "Today we will learn about the Source."

He turned to face the class. There were twenty students, Rai among them. Nara sat beside him, her textbook already open to the right page.

"Sorcery is not about spells and power," Master Anom continued. "Sorcery is energy that flows inside every living creature. Deep inside you there is a small light. Your task is to find it, and let it grow."

Rai wrote down every word. He still wasn't sure whether he truly had a "source" inside him. But his father's letter was clear. His father was a sorcerer. And Headmistress Laila had said he was the best student here. That meant sorcery ran in his blood.

"Now, close your eyes," Master Anom instructed. "Feel for something in your chest. Warm. Like a small ember glowing."

Rai closed his eyes. The classroom went silent. He felt a strange calm settle over him. Then, slowly, a warmth bloomed in his chest. Gentle, like a small hand cupping his heart.

"Open your eyes," said Master Anom. "Who felt something?"

Several hands went up. Rai hesitated, then raised his too. Master Anom smiled.

"Good. Now draw that warmth out. Let it flow from your chest, down your arm, and into your palm. Don't force it. Just let it happen."

Rai tried. He felt the warmth travel from his chest, through his arm, and stop at his palm. When he opened his eyes, a faint golden glow hovered above his hand. Soft and calm, like a fallen star.

Nara stared, her mouth open. "You've never done this before and you could already bring out your source? That's insane."

Rai looked at the light in his hand. For the first time, he felt something real inside himself. Not just imagination or hope. Something real. Sorcery was real.

The rest of the class was spent on basic exercises. Master Anom taught them how to control the source, how to direct the energy, and how to pull it back into the body. Rai practiced diligently. He didn't have a natural gift like Nara, who could make flowers bloom just by touching them, but he was hardworking. And Master Anom always said, "Persistence beats talent every single day."

When class ended, Master Anom called Rai to his desk. "You have a strong source, child. Very much like your father's."

Rai looked up, surprised. "You knew my father?"

Master Anom gave a thin smile. "Of course. I taught him. He sat in the exact same seat you are sitting in now." He placed a hand on Rai's shoulder. "I know you are looking for him. And I will help however I can. But remember, Rai — the road ahead will not be easy. Your father went to a dangerous place. You will need to be stronger than you think."

Rai nodded. Master Anom's words were heavy, but they carried hope. His father had sat right here. His father had learned in this very room. And someday, Rai would find him.

That night, Rai lay in his small dormitory room. There was only a bed and a desk. On the desk, his father's letter rested carefully. Night air drifted through the open window, carrying the scent of the Academy's gardens. Rai looked up at the stars.

"I'm here, Father," he whispered. "I will find you."