Chapter 50: Paths That Never Cross
The first school year was drawing to a close. Only one day remained before Christmas holidays.
Regulus closed his eyes and let his consciousness plunge inward.
Star-Orbit Guided Meditation had become his daily foundation — as natural as breathing.
Nearly half a year of growth had been built entirely on this meditation. Body and soul were tempered in tandem through the orbiting of the stars.
Magic was no longer a stream of energy flowing through him but an integrated whole, deeply bound to sinew, bone, blood, and will.
The magical circulation he once had to guide consciously was now instinct. Every breath carried magic that nourished flesh; bone density and muscle fiber grew tougher without visible change.
Even without a Shield Charm, ordinary spells could scarcely harm him in any fundamental way — the natural consequence of a body, as vessel, achieving resonance with its magic and soul.
The transformation at the soul level was even more pronounced.
Occlumency's three-layered barrier no longer required conscious maintenance. The star-orbit model itself had become the sturdiest defense.