Magic

Summer Camp 2026, Prompt 30: A fundamental law of the universe that most people misunderstand

Those who fear magic do not understand it. Those who understand magic do not use it.

— A human proverb

Magic is a great and powerful force — one of such magnitude that it cannot be ignored when present — but it also comes at great cost. Mages use life — theirs or, more unethically, that of others — to cast their devastating spells of mass destruction upon their foes or to breathe life into their puppets or to control great swathes of matter, shaping it to their will. Those of longer-lived ancestries, or of those with more attunement to the Progenitors may even survive the casting of these Greater Magics. Lesser Magics, used at a smaller scale, use the same blood-currency, though the cost is far more attainable for those without centuries to live.

The Cost

The cost of Lesser Magics can range from hours off your life to years, and any mage worth their salt would tell their pupils to keep meticulous records of how much magic they have used from their first spell. Those who lose track can easily find themselves "running out of time", as is the common saying within mage communities. The records are vital for mages, as there are no consistent physical symptoms of decreasing your lifespan until one is at death's door.

Of course, the cost on the caster can be mitigated by using another living being's life, and the subject does not have to be willing. Whole cities and even planets have been sacrificed by mages to cast Greater Magics in times of war and selfish interest. It is accepted as fact that the Hadean Rift was caused by one such sacrifice. The drawbacks of this method are in its ethics and the time it takes to use, as the sacrifice must be carefully conducted to ensure its proper usage.

Misconceptions

It is commonly believed that magic is a spontaneous force brought about by the conversion of life into 'other forms of energy', thus keeping the balance of the universe as if life itself was a form of energy. This couldn't be further from the truth. Life is a dimension, and magic itself is the manipulation of the non-perceived dimension of life.

Type

Metaphysical