Can Meda and Eva meet the challenge of learning how to cope with and effectively use their majick and the even greater challenge of practicing for the completions as a part of Dean Bronwen's team in pursuit of Aislinn's cup at Aislinn's College for the Blessed?

Author's Note:

This book, in its entirety, is available on my Patreon. BCTS will get weekly postings on Wednesdays and Saturdays to complete it here. Patreon Free Members can read my new complete book by chapters, Things We Do for Love

Chapter 12: The Magic System

The Midnight Escape
The grandfather clock in the thirteen-year-old dormitory chimed eleven-thirty as Meda and Eva lay perfectly still in their beds, listening to the steady breathing of their sleeping dormmates. The excitement thrumming through Meda's veins made it nearly impossible to remain motionless, but she forced herself to wait until the last snore settled into a peaceful rhythm.

At the stroke of midnight, two figures slipped silently from their beds, bare feet padding across the cold stone floor. They had practiced this earlier—Eva timing each creak of the floorboards, Meda testing how quietly the ancient hinges would turn. Their preparation paid off as they ghosted through the common room and into the corridor beyond.

"I hope Wanda made it out of the graduate dorm safely," Eva whispered as they navigated the moonlit hallways toward their predetermined meeting point.

Sure enough, a familiar figure emerged from the shadows near the main staircase. Wanda's face lit up with relief when she spotted her teammates. "I was beginning to think you'd been caught," she breathed, falling into step beside them.

"This feels like we're in some sort of spy novel," Wanda continued, her eyes bright with adventure as they navigated the moonlit hallways together.

Eva grinned, her analytical mind already cataloging the castle's nighttime security patterns. "I counted three spirit patrols, but they're predictable. We have a clear window if we move now."

The Celebratory Feast
The Great Hall had been transformed for the midnight celebration. Floating candles cast warm, golden light over tables laden with delicacies that seemed to shimmer with their own inner magic. Students from all age groups mingled freely, the usual dormitory boundaries dissolved in the excitement of being chosen.

Meda marveled at the diversity of her fellow competitors—from eleven-year-old Melody Songbird, whose bright smile lit up her entire face, to the graduate students who moved with the confidence of near-mastery. The atmosphere buzzed with nervous energy and anticipation.

"Look at Seraphina Vale," Eva murmured, nodding toward a sixteen-year-old whose hair seemed to shift colors subtly in the candlelight. "Dean Yseult chose well—she's practically radiating transformation magic."

Wanda found herself in animated conversation with Jasmine Brightwater from Dean Molli Rose's team, comparing notes on magical theory while sampling enchanted pastries that tasted like childhood memories. "These taste like my grandmother's kitchen," she laughed, "if my grandmother had been a sorceress."

The feast felt both celebratory and strategic, as team members naturally gravitated toward one another while sizing up their competition. Meda noticed how the graduate students seemed to take on mentoring roles instinctively, offering advice and encouragement to the younger students.

Dean Bronwen's Strategy Session
After the feast, Dean Bronwen led her six team members to a circular chamber lined with ancient tapestries depicting legendary defensive battles. The room felt intimate yet formal, with comfortable chairs arranged around a central table where a three-dimensional map of the college grounds hovered in miniature.

"Welcome to your first official team meeting," Dean Bronwen began, her silver hair gleaming in the soft light. "Before we discuss strategy, I want each of you to understand my philosophy."

She gestured to the tapestries surrounding them. "Every great victory in magical history has been won not through raw power, but through preparation, adaptability, and the courage to protect what matters most. This is what I look for in my team members."

Lydia Ashworth, the graduate student specializing in Ward Construction, nodded approvingly. "Defense as the foundation for all other magical disciplines."

"Precisely," Dean Bronwen continued. "But defense doesn't mean passivity. True defensive magic requires split-second decision-making, creative problem-solving, and absolute trust in your teammates."

She turned to address the younger members directly. "Meda, Eva, Wanda—you three bring fresh perspectives that our more experienced members need. Don't let anyone convince you that youth equals weakness. Some of the most innovative defensive strategies in history have come from minds unburdened by conventional thinking."

The Dean's gaze grew more serious. "My expectations are simple: preparation over improvisation, teamwork over individual glory, and strategic thinking over brute force. We will train together, study together, and support each other through every challenge."

Celeste Chen raised her hand. "What about the Spirits Magic competition specifically? The other teams will likely focus heavily on offensive capabilities."

Dean Bronwen smiled knowingly. "Let them. While they're concentrating on flashy displays of power, we'll be mastering the art of magical chess. Every spell they cast, we'll have three counters ready. Every strategy they employ, we'll have anticipated and prepared for."

She stood, moving to touch the floating map. "Our first training session begins tomorrow after regular classes. We'll start with basic ward construction and move into advanced defensive formations. I expect each of you to research historical defensive strategies and come prepared with questions."

The Return
The team meeting concluded near two in the morning, with each member feeling both exhilarated and slightly overwhelmed by the scope of their commitment. As they prepared to return to their dormitories, Dean Bronwen offered one final piece of advice.

"Remember, you are no longer just students—you are representatives of a proud tradition of magical defense. Carry yourselves accordingly, but never forget that your greatest strength lies in supporting one another."

The three youngest teammates began retracing their path through the castle corridors, moving even more carefully now that exhaustion was beginning to set in. The stone floors felt colder against their bare feet, and the shadows seemed deeper in the pre-dawn darkness.

"Did you see how the graduate students looked at us?" Wanda whispered as they approached the main staircase where their paths would diverge. "Like we actually belonged there."

Eva nodded, her mind already racing with defensive strategies and ward configurations. "Dean Bronwen's approach makes perfect sense. While the other teams are competing against each other, we'll be operating as a unified force."

At the staircase, Wanda paused. "I wish we could all stay together," she said wistfully. "It feels strange having to separate now."

"We'll see each other first thing in the morning," Meda assured her, giving her teammate a quick hug. "And we'll have so much to talk about at breakfast."

"Sweet dreams," Eva added softly as Wanda headed up toward the graduate quarters while she and Meda continued toward the thirteen-year-old dormitory.

As Meda slipped back into her bed and pulled her covers up, she felt a deep sense of rightness settle in her chest. For the first time since her transformation, she felt truly part of something larger than herself—not just accepted, but valued for the unique perspective she brought to the team. Even though their trio would be separated by dormitory assignments each night, their bond as teammates felt unbreakable.

The last thing she heard was Eva's gentle breathing from the bed beside hers, and she smiled knowing that tomorrow would bring new challenges, but tonight had proven that she was exactly where she belonged.

The morning after Wanda's arrival brought with it a new understanding of the forces that governed Aislinn's College. Meda stood before the mirror in their dorm room, watching her glamored reflection while feeling the ancient power of Andromeda stirring beneath the surface. The revelation of her sister's presence had awakened something deeper—not just memories, but an awareness of how magic itself flowed through the cosmos.

Gender and Magic

During their Advanced Magical Theory class with Dean Bronwen, the connection between their transformed identities and their magical abilities became impossible to ignore. The professor was demonstrating complex ward structures when Meda found herself instinctively improving upon the design, her female consciousness naturally attuning to magical frequencies that had been blocked in her previous male form.

"Fascinating," Dean Bronwen observed as Meda's modifications caused the ward to shimmer with unprecedented stability. "Your magical resonance has increased exponentially since your arrival. There's a direct correlation between your current form and your ability to channel cosmic forces."

Eva nodded from her seat nearby, her own empathic abilities allowing her to sense the truth of it. "It's like the magic recognizes us now," she said quietly. "When we were... before... there was always resistance, like trying to force water through a blocked pipe. Now it flows naturally."

Wanda, who had been observing from the back of the classroom, stepped forward with the crystalline artifact fragment still glowing in her hand. "The ancient texts speak of this phenomenon," she said, her voice carrying the authority of years of study. "The greatest magical abilities are unlocked not through force or training, but through spiritual authenticity. When the soul and body achieve perfect harmony, magic becomes as natural as breathing."

Spiritual Authenticity

The concept resonated through Meda like a bell struck in a cathedral. For thirty-six years as Fred, she had felt the constant friction between her male body and female soul, a dissonance that had limited her magical potential despite her desperate belief in teleportation. Now, inhabiting a form that matched her true nature, she could feel power flowing through her with unprecedented ease.

"That's why the Bit Bucket called to us," Eva realized, her emerald eyes bright with understanding. "It wasn't a trap—it was an opportunity. A chance to become who we truly were meant to be."

Dean Bronwen nodded approvingly. "The college has long understood this principle. Why do you think we only accept female students? It's not discrimination—it's recognition of a fundamental truth about how magic interacts with consciousness and identity."

During their lunch break, the three sisters found themselves in the gravity-defying gardens, discussing the implications of what they'd learned. Meda could feel Andromeda's memories stirring, ancient knowledge about the relationship between gender, identity, and magical power.

"The sorceresses of old understood this instinctively," she said, her voice carrying echoes of wisdom that predated human civilization. "Magic isn't just about manipulating energy—it's about achieving perfect harmony between all aspects of the self. When there's conflict between body and soul, that conflict creates interference in the magical field."

Training Begins

The afternoon brought their first formal training session in the college's specialized magical laboratories. Unlike the theoretical classes, these sessions were designed to push students to their limits, helping them discover the full extent of their abilities while learning to control them safely.

Meda's instructor, Dean YseuIt, had prepared a series of increasingly complex challenges designed to test her growing connection to Andromeda's legacy. The first exercise involved manipulating matter at the molecular level—a skill that should have taken years to master, but which came to Meda as naturally as breathing.

"Extraordinary," Dean YseuIt murmured as Meda transformed a block of lead into crystalline structures that seemed to contain their own inner light. "You're not just reshaping matter—you're imbuing it with cosmic energy. That's a technique I've only read about in the oldest texts."

Meanwhile, Eva was working with Dean Molli Rose on developing her empathic abilities. What had started as simple emotion-sensing had evolved into something far more complex—the ability to weave emotional energy into tangible magical effects that could heal trauma, inspire courage, or provide comfort to those in need.

"You're not just channeling empathy," Dean Molli Rose observed with fascination as Eva created threads of golden light that wrapped around a distressed first-year student like a healing embrace. "You're transforming the very essence of emotional connection into pure magical force. That's a gift that could reshape how we understand therapeutic magic."

Eva's Development

Eva's magical development was taking a distinctly different path from Meda's cosmic manipulations, but no less impressive in its scope and potential. Where Meda channeled the vast forces of creation itself, Eva worked with the intimate connections between living beings, understanding that love and compassion could be just as powerful as stellar fire.

During their evening practice session, Eva demonstrated an ability that left even Wanda speechless. When a group of older students began bullying a younger girl, Eva didn't intervene directly. Instead, she wove a subtle web of empathic magic that helped the bullies understand the pain they were causing, transforming their aggression into genuine remorse and a desire to make amends.

"That's not just magic," Wanda said afterward, her voice filled with awe. "That's wisdom. You're not forcing change—you're creating the conditions for genuine transformation."

Eva smiled, her auburn hair catching the light from the floating lamps. "Andromeda's memories show me that the greatest magic isn't about power—it's about understanding. When you truly comprehend the connections between all living things, you realize that healing others heals yourself."

Dangerous Experiments

But with great power came great risk. As the days passed and their abilities continued to grow, both sisters found themselves tempted to push beyond safe limits. Meda's connection to cosmic forces was so strong that she sometimes lost herself in the vast scale of universal energy, requiring Eva's empathic touch to anchor her back to human consciousness.

During one particularly intense training session, Meda attempted to channel stellar energy directly, hoping to understand the full extent of Andromeda's legacy. The result was catastrophic—energy exploded outward from her body, cracking the laboratory's reinforced walls and sending magical instruments flying.

"Stop!" Dean YseuIt shouted, throwing up protective barriers as the cosmic energy threatened to tear through the college's reality matrix. "You're drawing too much power! You'll destabilize the entire dimensional framework!"

Eva rushed to her sister's side, her empathic abilities reaching out to touch Meda's consciousness and pull her back from the brink of dissolution. "Remember who you are," she whispered urgently. "Remember that you're not just Andromeda—you're also the person who loved butterflies, who dreamed of magic, who chose love over power."

The reminder worked, and Meda's wild energy gradually stabilized. But the incident served as a stark warning about the dangers they faced as their abilities continued to grow.

The Community Competition

The Great Hall had been transformed into an amphitheater of sorts, with tiered seating arranged in a circle around a central platform where the Community Competition would unfold. Unlike the flashy displays expected in Spirits Magic or the rigorous testing of Scholarship, this competition required something far more subtle—the ability to inspire, unite, and serve others.

Dean Bronwen's team gathered in their designated section, with Meda feeling a familiar flutter of nerves as she watched the other competitors prepare. The Community Competition was unique among the four categories, as it wasn't about individual prowess but about demonstrating leadership, empathy, and the ability to bring out the best in others.

"Remember," Lydia Ashworth whispered to the younger team members, "this isn't about showing off. It's about showing heart."

The first challenge involved organizing mixed-age groups of students to complete a collaborative magical project—creating protective wards for the college's gardens. Each team member would lead a group of volunteers from across all dormitories, and their success would be measured not just by the quality of the wards, but by how well they fostered cooperation and growth among their temporary teammates.

Eva stepped forward when their turn came, her auburn hair catching the light as she surveyed the dozen students who had volunteered to work with her. Meda watched with admiration as her friend immediately began connecting with each volunteer, learning their names, understanding their magical strengths, and gently encouraging the more hesitant students.

"What's your specialty, Melody?" Eva asked the eleven-year-old from Dean Molli Rose's team, crouching down to meet her at eye level. "Harmony magic? That's perfect—we'll need someone to help all our different magical signatures work together."

As Eva guided her group through the ward construction, Meda could see her friend's natural empathy shining through. She didn't just delegate tasks; she taught, encouraged, and celebrated each small success. When one of the fourteen-year-olds struggled with her part of the spell, Eva patiently worked alongside her until the magic flowed smoothly.

The ward that Eva's group created was elegant and strong, with intricate patterns that seemed to pulse with the combined energy of all its creators. But more importantly, Meda noticed how the volunteers looked at Eva with genuine affection and respect by the end of the exercise.

"She's really good at this," Wanda murmured, watching Eva help a shy twelve-year-old add her magical signature to the ward's foundation.

When the scores were announced, Eva had performed admirably—the best among the three sisters, though Meda could see her friend was still learning to balance her natural analytical tendencies with the emotional intelligence the competition demanded.

But it was Aria Moonwhisper from Dean Molli Rose's team who truly dominated the competition. The graduate student moved through her challenges with a grace that spoke of years of dedicated service to others. During her leadership exercise, she somehow managed to coordinate a group of twenty students from across all age groups, creating not just functional wards but a sense of genuine community among participants who had never worked together before.

"Watch how she listens," Celeste Chen observed quietly. "She's not just hearing what they're saying—she's understanding what they need."

Aria's approach was different from Eva's careful methodology. Where Eva analyzed and planned, Aria simply connected. She seemed to instinctively know which students needed encouragement, which ones needed gentle challenges, and which ones needed to feel valued for their unique contributions.

During the final challenge—mediating a deliberately staged conflict between two groups of students—Aria's legendary dedication to her peers became evident. She didn't just resolve the dispute; she helped both sides understand each other's perspectives and find common ground. By the end, the formerly antagonistic groups were laughing together and planning future collaborations.

When President Aislinn announced the Community Competition results, there was no surprise in Aria Moonwhisper's victory. Her score was so far ahead of the others that it seemed almost unfair—except that everyone who had watched her work understood that this wasn't about natural talent alone, but about years of choosing to put others first.

"That," Dean Bronwen said quietly to her team as they applauded Aria's win, "is what true leadership looks like. It's not about commanding others—it's about serving them so well that they want to follow you."

Eva accepted her second-place finish with characteristic grace, but Meda could see the determination in her friend's eyes. This was just the beginning of Eva's journey in understanding the deeper aspects of community building, and Meda had no doubt that her analytical mind would find ways to grow in this area.

As they filed out of the Great Hall, Wanda nudged both her teammates. "Well, that gives us something to work toward. Aria didn't become legendary overnight—she built that reputation one act of service at a time."

Meda nodded, feeling inspired rather than discouraged. The Community Competition had shown them all what was possible when someone truly dedicated themselves to lifting others up. It was a lesson that would serve them well in the challenges ahead.

Morgana's Influence

As if summoned by the massive magical disturbance, a chill swept through the college that had nothing to do with temperature. The protective wards that surrounded the institution flickered ominously, and for a moment, every student and faculty member felt the touch of something vast and malevolent pressing against their consciousness.

"She felt that," Wanda said grimly, her artifact fragment pulsing with agitated light. "Morgana's attention is fully focused on the college now. Your magical development is like a beacon calling to her across the dimensional barriers."

Dean YseuIt appeared in the damaged laboratory, her expression grave as she surveyed the destruction. "The wards are holding, but they won't last forever against sustained assault. Morgana's power is growing stronger as she awakens more fully to your presence."

Meda felt the weight of responsibility settling on her shoulders like a mantle. The joy of discovering her true magical potential was tempered by the knowledge that every display of power brought them closer to a confrontation that could reshape the magical world itself.

"Then we need to be ready," she said, her voice carrying the authority of both her own determination and Andromeda's ancient wisdom. "If Morgana wants a battle, we'll give her one. But we'll fight on our terms, using the power of love and connection rather than hatred and domination."

Eva took her hand, their sisterly bond providing strength and comfort. "Together," she said simply. "Whatever comes, we face it together."

Wanda nodded, her own magical abilities resonating with theirs despite her different origins. "The artifacts I've studied speak of a time when the forces of light and darkness will clash for the final time. I believe that time is coming, and we're at the center of it."

As night fell over Aislinn's College, the three sisters stood together in their damaged laboratory, feeling the weight of destiny pressing down upon them. Their magical training had revealed both the incredible potential they possessed and the terrible responsibility that came with it. The ancient war between light and darkness was accelerating, and soon they would have to prove whether love truly could triumph over hate, whether healing could overcome destruction, whether the bonds of sisterhood could stand against the fury of the greatest sorceress of shadow the universe had ever known.

The real test of their magical system—and their hearts—was about to begin.