"Maverick spared no expenses on this place," Aiden said as he watched a violet flame escape from his fingertips. "You are calling for me, aren't you? Sitting on your throne of darkness, awaiting a question from me… or a wish?"
Aiden placed a hand on the workshop. Then, without his consent, his flames erupted and rushed into the desk. They traveled down the engraved lines, creating some kind of workspace divided by violet flames.
[You have connected to a Crafting Circle.]
[You can now learn to experiment crafting items with feedback from the Wishbound System.]
[You can craft Wishbound Items by using the Crafting Circle.]
Aiden ignored the messages, because he was mesmerized by the lab of flames in front of him. Each section of the desk was separated by the lines of the flames. Aiden felt his flame stronger than ever, but also the hatred inside him.
"I guess this is where the magic happens," Aiden muttered as he studied the different sections. "You should be the central square," Aiden said while looking at the space in front of him. "I'm guessing the flames keep the ingredients from interacting with each other."
"Smart observation," Maverick said from behind him. "My desk is designed to be the perfect equation between magic and reality. It keeps everything separated, neat, and can only be controlled by the user."
"You created this?"
"I needed the perfect environment to conduct my experiments," Maverick said as he walked to stand next to Aiden. "It took me days to control my flames well enough to use the desk. You did it on your first try."
"The flames have a mind of their own," Aiden explained. "It seems they seek order."
"Everything in the universe seeks order," Maverick said before tapping a section of the desk. A small portal appeared, from which he pulled a handful of ashes. "It's our job to choose what order it has."
"How about… no order?" Aiden asked with a smile.
"If that's what you want to create," Maverick said while pulling a small dagger. "Then it's what your items will be—artifacts of chaos."
"What do you want me to do with these?" Aiden asked.
"This will be your first test and lesson," Maverick said as he laid out the items on the table. "You need to fuse the void ashes with the dagger."
"I don't even know how to do that," Aiden objected.
"You have the flames for it," Maverick said while stepping back. "They will be your hands, your catalyst, and your vision. You will feel, move, and fuse by using them."
"You want me to not use my hands?"
"Your hands, and all of you, are a pollutant to the perfect environment," Maverick explained as he pulled a chair to sit. "Flames, on the other hand, are pure. Their existence, as long as you have the perfect control, is a unifier."
"I'm guessing the keywords here are 'the perfect control,' right?"
"Not even Grandmasters have the perfect control over their flames," Maverick explained. "It doesn't matter if you are a genius or a divine incarnation—all flames are untamed, and all control needs perfection."
"Are you telling me not to be disappointed?"
"I'm telling you that we are equal," Maverick said. "When I first used my flame to craft, I almost killed my master."
"Better be careful then," Aiden said with a smile. "You still need to guide me through it, unless you want me to cook dinner over this desk."
Maverick snorted as he pulled a bag of nuts and began snacking. "Use the flame to pick up the ashes without burning them."
"Your words are contradicting," Aiden said with an eye roll. "How do I use flames without burning the ingredients?"
"Crafting flames are not destructive, but purifying," Maverick explained between chewing. "You need to learn the difference between destroying and purifying."
"I—"
"Just shut up already," Maverick interrupted. "Use the flames to pick up the ashes. You have to purify them before using them on the dagger. Begin."
Aiden glared at the old man, but agreed that practice was the best teacher. He focused his attention on the flames in front of him. The dagger was the central piece, while the ashes were on the side.
He placed a hand on the desk.
The flames responded.
Aiden closed his eyes and imagined a thread connecting him to the flames, and then he began to shape them as he desired. They became tendrils of violet flames as they reached toward the ashes.
He opened his eyes.
His flames were now surrounding the ashes. He used what he knew to be the perfect method to carry the ashes—a spoon made of flames. Once he materialized its shape, he began pushing it into the ashes.
The moment his flames touched the ashes, they began disappearing. The flames erupted from the ashes, burning them until nothing was there.
"Good job—you failed," Maverick said with a wave of his hand, bringing out more ashes on the table. "Again."
Aiden used the same technique, but every time he touched the ashes, they just burned to nothing. After fifteen minutes, he was exhausted, with his face sweating bullets.
"I can't keep going," he said. "My mind… is tired."
"That's because you are thinking too much," Maverick explained. "The flame is a part of your soul now. You don't need to control it, only to command it."
"That sounds like the exact opposite of what you said earlier. I need to have perfect control," Aiden said. "And now you are telling me that I don't need to control the flame."
"That's because for you, life is black and white—but there are colors in between, and moderation is the key," Maverick explained as he emptied the bag into his mouth. "You need to control the flames, but without treating them like a destructive force."
"That's hard given the circumstances," Aiden said.
"Void Flames are the hardest to control, because they erase. That's why we have more problems with resources. We burn them all to nothing. However, once we master them, we have the purest ingredients to create our items."