In shadow and light: waltz of souls

After Aya's first success with light magic, Leticia decided to explain more about her newly discovered ability. Aya sat on the grass, eagerly waiting for an explanation.

"Now that we know you have the power of light," Leticia began, folding her arms across her chest, "we need to understand how it works. It has its strengths as well as its weaknesses."

"Weaknesses?" Aya repeated in surprise. "Isn't light supposed to be all-powerful? You know, like in legends—boom, and all evil just vanishes!"

Leticia smirked.

"If only it were that simple," she said. "Light magic is indeed rare and powerful, but it's not omnipotent. Its main strength is that it can heal, protect, and dispel darkness. Yet, it also comes with limitations."

Aya nodded, indicating she was listening closely.

"Light magic can heal wounds, even fatal ones, if the mage is skilled enough," Leticia went on. "But it doesn't work the same way as healing magic."

"Wait," Aya interrupted, "Healing magic? That's something different?"

"Yes," Leticia confirmed. "Healing magic is based on helping the body restore itself naturally. It speeds up tissue regeneration and helps fight off illness and poison. It's basically an enhancement of the body's natural healing processes."

"And light magic?" Aya asked.

"Light magic operates differently," Leticia explained. "It doesn't simply speed up regeneration; it can actually restore the body, as though returning it to its original, undamaged state. That means it can heal wounds that ordinary healing magic can't handle."

Aya pondered this.

"So, you could say healing magic is a boosted version of natural recovery, while light magic is something broader—maybe even reversing the body to a prior state?"

Leticia smiled.

"Exactly. But because of that, light magic requires a lot more energy. Ordinary healers can use their magic multiple times, but a light mage, even one with a large reserve of power, will get exhausted quickly."

Aya ran her fingers over the grass, thinking.

"Are there any other limitations?"

"Light magic works best on living beings," Leticia continued. "It's almost useless against physical obstacles. It can't destroy things or conjure fire. You can use it for protection, but its offensive potential is limited."

"So how do we test it?" Aya asked.

Leticia paused, then said, as though it were the most logical thing in the world, "We'll test it on a wound. Get the dagger from my pocket, and see if you can heal a cut."

Aya immediately waved her hands.

"No, no, no! I'm not cutting anyone!" she exclaimed. "That's crazy! Why not find another way?"

Leticia frowned.

"Are you afraid of pain?"

"I'm not afraid of pain," Aya replied firmly, "but I'm not going to injure either myself or your body just for an experiment."

Leticia pressed her lips together for a moment, then exhaled.

"Then what's your suggestion?"

Aya perked up.

"In manga, they usually test things like this on wounded animals. We could look for something or someone that needs help."

Leticia raised an eyebrow.

"Manga?" she echoed.

"Yes!" Aya said enthusiastically. "Typically, some girl from another world finds herself in a land of magic, discovers she can heal, and then meets a prince…"

Leticia abruptly tensed. Her shoulders twitched, her lips tightened. Aya felt it too—a sudden chill along her spine. Her hands involuntarily balled into fists.

"Don't mention the crown prince," Leticia said sharply, her voice low yet threatening.

Aya froze, startled by the tension in the air. She hadn't expected such a reaction. Even though Leticia outwardly remained calm, her voice rang with a steely edge.

"Uh…okay, sorry," Aya mumbled, trying to change the subject. "You know I was just making an example, right?"

Leticia took a deep breath, closed her eyes briefly, then nodded, letting the tension drain away.

"Yes, I understand. Let's just find another way to test your magic."

Aya felt a wave of relief. She still had no idea what lay behind Leticia's warning about the prince, but decided not to pursue that topic for now. At the moment, the main goal was to learn how to properly use her power.