Teacher Fern was quite nervous when she saw Theron’s nonchalance. Her original assumption was that even if he threw a tantrum the first time around, he wouldn’t continue to do so in the face of real credits, not to mention the dean.
But this performance left her shell-shocked.
Thinking back, did she truly know this student that well? He had been under her care for half a year and had spent at least two of those months away. He was quiet and never responded much to anything, always taking the path of least resistance.
Rebelliousness wasn’t the word she would use to describe Theron, but now she wasn’t so sure.
The Thistle Clan young man of Teacher Fern’s class had been observing Theron from the start. The bad taste in Sawyer’s mouth only grew.
He was the only Thistle of Teacher Fern’s class who would still participate in this, but he was nowhere near being picked. At his pace, reaching 33 credits was his limit, and it would take all two years he had left to accomplish it.
Seeing Theron down there only stoked his inferiority complex, and he couldn’t help but grip his fists.
…
“Theron!” Malaya whispered to him in a hiss.
Theron replied in a gentle cadence.
“We don’t have much time left. Do you have anything to add? Look at my notes.”
Theron sent a glance over. “It’s fine.”
Malaya was taken aback, not sure how to react. What did he mean by that?
“Time is up. Team Bloom, you will begin.” Dean Grey’s voice echoed.
Syriah cleared her throat and began.
“I thought that I should first begin with a definition. Mana is life is a popular phrase amongst Mancers, but life encompasses far too many things, whereas power can only be defined in a fixed lane. I believe this alone is clear enough to make the correct choice obvious, but I will continue nonetheless.
“Life can refer to raw biology, the configuration of elements that allow a plant to grow and a human to breathe. It can be founded on a more philosophical basis, referring to morality, the meaning of life itself, the standards one sets for themselves. It can refer even to something far more abstract, hinting at the impetus of creation itself.
“We would argue today that only one word could possibly encompass the true meaning of Mana.”
She gave the crowd a smile as she finished.
Malaya was in a state of panic. She had spent too much time trying to catch Theron’s attention and not enough consolidating her ideas.
What she didn’t expect was that Theron would speak without her input.
“A definition is a good place to start,” he began in a gentle voice, “but what we define is more important. The definitions of life and power are less important than the definition of Mana.”
Many frowned when they heard these words. Wasn’t the point of life and power to act as definitions? Wasn’t this circular logic? What was the point in trying to define Mana if they were precisely trying to define that in the first place?
Malaya almost fainted. It was inappropriate to interrupt or inject her opinion here. Refuting her partner would only make the situation worse, but that didn’t stop her from feeling like an ant in a frying pan.
“Mana exists in two states. There is Mana all around us, and there is Mana in ourselves. The reason no one has decided on which definition is true—life or power—is because no one has agreed on what question is being asked in the first place.
“We would argue that the question has no meaning if it does not refer to the Mana in ourselves. Mana, otherwise, is an energy of the Heavens, a force of nature beyond us. What is the point of deliberating on Mana in this form?
“The question then obviously refers to Mana in relation to ourselves… humans. And in this case, it can only refer to a single thing.
“Power.”
Silence fell.
It was a well-thought-out answer, short and succinct, and seemed to leave no room for rebuttal. It cut to the core of the question and made many second-guess themselves.
The answer Syriah gave was excellent, but why did Theron’s feel like it was on another level?
It was like Theron had taken a highly complex issue and distilled it down to its barest parts, and his opening statement became something that couldn’t be ignored.
Somehow, the battle felt over from the moment it began. Theron was right. What was the point in arguing about such an abstract concept of Mana when they were just students? Even if they had dreams of grandeur, shouldn’t they start by understanding Mana in its simpler form?
That was how their academy’s curriculum was built. Often, teachers would tell “lies” to dumb subjects down, only to reveal the truths later on.
What was even more potent was Theron’s closing statement. He spent the entire time arguing that the definition of power was the simpler one and the only one they should acknowledge… until he flipped it on its head, forcing Syriah and Benedik to scrap their original closing statement.
“We have spoken a lot today about the importance of power as a defining characteristic of Mana, but our position shouldn’t be mistaken as power being the inferior definition, only useful to us all.
“Ultimately, power is more profound than it is given credit for. It’s the most basic law of survival, the foundation of evolution and life itself. The reason it is so profound is because it is so simple.
“An ant does not need to understand life or even power, but it does know that it must survive, it must gather food, it must have the strength to protect itself and pass on its lineage so that its children may thrive in the coming generations.
“Power is the simplest and most profound truth of the world. It doesn’t need to be debated upon—it just is. From the most insignificant creature to the mightiest warrior, it rules their life.
“If you want to one day philosophize over the meaning of life and its relation to Mana, wait until you can look down on the Heavens themselves…
“And even then, you’ll only be able to because you had the power to do so.”