Chapter 15: Hold Your Ground
"Now," Quen said, floating back to the center of the stone platform, "you've heard the story. You know why it matters."
They hovered a few inches above the ground again, arms folded behind their back, gaze sweeping over the students like they were taking mental notes.
"So let's talk how it works."
The floating island had gone still. Even the air seemed to pause, waiting for the lesson to unfold.
"Anchoring Step isn't a flashy spell. It doesn't burn, or flash, or explode. It's quiet. Subtle. It begins in your body—but it's controlled by your mind."
They landed gently, their boots making a whisper of contact with the stone.
"To anchor yourself, you need to do three things," they said, raising one long, graceful finger. "First—manifest your mana. Let it flow. Don't shape it, don't force it. Just let it exist."
A second finger rose.
"Second—direct it downward. Through your body, into the soles of your feet, until it presses against the surface beneath you. Doesn't matter if that surface is stone or air—you make it real by willing it to be."
And the third:
"Lastly—will yourself not to move. Not just your body, but your presence. Your momentum. Your everything."