The Mage's Forgotten Wand

Morning combat practice had ended, but Zeph lingered in the training hall, watching how magic moved through the crystalline matrices. After Thaddeus's lesson about natural flows, the corporate channeling systems looked different – less like technology and more like elaborate cages built around rivers.

"Your remedial practice session is approved, Mr. Cooper." Professor Kendrick's voice carried the perfect mix of resignation and encouragement for any watching monitors. But as she passed his station, she added quietly: "Hidden section. One hour. Bring your questions."

```

Status Check:

[Cover: Maintained]

[Location: Training Hall]

[Security: Active]

[Meeting: Arranged]

[Questions: Many]

```

An hour later, Zeph sat in the hidden library section with Thaddeus open before him and Professor Kendrick settling into one of the ancient chairs. His sensitivity detected subtle changes in her magical signature – corporate patterns falling away to reveal natural flows beneath.

"You've been asking about corrupt magic," she said without preamble. "About its costs."

"Indeed," Thaddeus added. "Though his timing, as usual, leaves much to be desired. Most students don't wait until after encountering corrupted power to ask about its dangers."

"Most students don't encounter corrupted power in their first year," Kendrick pointed out. "The Crimson Dawn is growing bolder."

The book's pages rustled with ancient concern. "Then perhaps it's time for a more detailed explanation. Nyra, if you would demonstrate?"

Professor Kendrick nodded, raising her hand. Power gathered around her – not in corporate channels or natural flows, but in a carefully controlled distortion. Just a small one, barely enough to make Zeph's sensitivity twinge, but the wrongness of it was unmistakable.

"Watch carefully," she instructed. "Not just with your eyes."

Zeph extended his sensitivity, observing how the distorted magic affected nearby flows. Natural currents twisted away from the corruption, creating tiny ripples of chaos in reality's fabric. But more than that, he noticed how the wrongness seemed to... cling to Kendrick herself, leaving traces even after she released the power.

"That was the smallest possible corrupt working," she said, her voice tight with old pain. "A fraction of what the Crimson Dawn student used. And yet..."

She held up her hands. In his normal vision, they looked fine. But his sensitivity detected old scars in her magical signature – places where repeated exposure to corruption had left permanent marks.

"The cost isn't just physical," Thaddeus explained, his usual sarcasm absent. "Corrupt magic damages the natural flows, yes. But it also damages the user. Each time you force power against its nature, you corrupt yourself a little more."

"I was young," Kendrick said quietly. "Ambitious. Corporate magic felt too limiting, and I hadn't found true magic yet. Someone offered to teach me 'alternate techniques' for achieving greater power."

```

Observation Notes:

[Corruption Effects: Visible]

[Natural Flows: Disturbed]

[Magical Scarring: Detected]

[Reality Impact: Measurable]

[Learning Source: Personal Experience]

```

"What happened?" Zeph asked, though part of him already knew.

"What always happens. The power was intoxicating. Each working brought more ability, more options... and more desire for even greater power. But I was lucky – someone recognized the signs and intervened before I went too far."

"Your grandmother," Thaddeus said to Kendrick. "One of my better students, as I recall. Though her taste in architectural aesthetics was questionable."

A ghost of a smile touched Kendrick's face. "She helped me find true magic, showed me how to work with natural flows instead of against them. But the scars remain. They always do."

She traced another pattern, this time working with natural currents. Power flowed smoothly, beautifully, but Zeph's sensitivity detected how the old corruption marks created tiny disturbances in the flows.

"The Houses know this," she continued. "They've always known. That's why they created the corporate system – not just for profit, but as an attempt to give people a safer alternative to corruption."

"A noble goal," Thaddeus commented. "Initially, at least. Before profit became more important than protection."

Zeph thought about the corporate channeling systems, how they forced magic into standardized patterns. "But their solution was to cage magic rather than teach people to work with it naturally?"

"Easier to control," Kendrick explained. "True magic requires sensitivity, understanding, dedication. Corporate magic just requires following prescribed forms and using approved equipment. And it worked, to a degree. Corruption became rare rather than common."

"Until now," Thaddeus added. "Until groups like the Crimson Dawn began offering quick power again, preying on those frustrated by corporate limitations."

The hidden section's ancient carpet held traces of magic that made Zeph's sensitivity hum. Centuries of true magic practiced in secret, while outside, people chose between corporate control and corruption's touch.

"Show me," he said suddenly. "Not just the effects – show me exactly how corruption twists the flows. I need to understand what we're fighting."

Kendrick and Thaddeus exchanged a look. "Understanding is important," she said carefully. "But some knowledge comes with risks."

"Indeed," Thaddeus agreed. "Though in this case, the greater risk might be in not knowing. Very well. Pay attention, boy. And do try not to let your sensitivity make you physically ill – it would be terribly undignified."

```

Lesson Parameters:

[Topic: Corruption Mechanics]

[Safety Protocols: Active]

[Sensitivity Warning: Issued]

[Knowledge Level: Increasing]

[Reality Status: Stable]

```

What followed was the most uncomfortable hour of magical instruction Zeph had yet experienced. Kendrick demonstrated tiny, controlled corruptions while Thaddeus explained exactly how natural flows were being twisted. Each example made Zeph's sensitivity scream warnings, but he forced himself to watch, to understand.

"The fundamental problem," Thaddeus explained as Kendrick showed how corruption spread through nearby flows, "is that magic wants to move naturally. Forcing it otherwise is like... like folding reality against its own grain. Do it enough..."

"And reality starts to tear," Zeph finished, watching the tiny distortions ripple outward. "Like what's happening in the Wound Zones."

"Precisely. Though your metaphor could use work. Really, the quality of poetic comparison these days is almost as concerning as the magical theory."

But there was approval beneath the book's criticism. Understanding bloomed in Zeph's mind as he watched the interactions of natural flows and corrupted power. Each demonstration made the wrongness of sacrifice magic clearer, even as it explained why some might be tempted by its quick path to power.

"Enough," Kendrick said finally, letting the flows return to normal. "Remember what you've seen. The Crimson Dawn offers power without limit or control. But everything has a price. Everything."

She held up her hands again, letting Zeph's sensitivity fully perceive the old scars in her magical signature. Places where corruption had marked her forever, even after returning to true magic's path.

"Well," Thaddeus commented as they prepared to leave, "at least your understanding of magical theory has progressed from 'utterly hopeless' to 'merely concerning.' Though your technique still needs considerable work."

The crystal spires hummed overhead as they returned to their corporate roles. But Zeph's sensitivity kept catching echoes of what he'd learned – the subtle wrongness of corruption, the way it spread through reality's fabric, the permanent marks it left on those who used it.

He understood better now why some chose that path. When corporate magic felt so limiting and true magic seemed out of reach, the promise of quick power would be tempting. But understanding made the Crimson Dawn's threat feel more urgent than ever.

The question was: how many others would have to learn about corruption's price the hard way?