# Chapter 5: Rare Talent

Daniel couldn't stop thinking about his new focus object as he walked home from the community center. He pulled the sodalite and copper creation from his pocket, turning it over in his palm. The deep blue stone caught the streetlights, giving off subtle glimmers that seemed to pulse with his heartbeat.

Five hundred thousand people had material sensitivity. It wasn't rare. It wasn't special. He should feel disappointed again—it was the same pattern repeating itself. But as he held the focus object, he couldn't bring himself to care about the statistics.

This was something he had made. Something that worked better than anything he could've bought. And it had glowed for him.

As soon as he got home, Daniel cleared his coffee table and set up a makeshift practice area. He arranged objects of increasing weight—a pencil, a paperback book, his TV remote, a heavy ceramic mug, and finally a small dumbbell he used for occasional workouts.

He sat cross-legged on his couch, holding the sodalite focus in his left hand. With his right hand extended, he concentrated on the pencil.

It shot up from the table so quickly that it nearly hit the ceiling. Daniel let out a surprised laugh and carefully lowered it back down.

"Okay, need to use a lighter touch," he muttered to himself.

It took a few minutes to adjust to the focus object's amplification. With his old pendant, lifting objects required pushing his energy outward. With the sodalite focus, it felt more like gently guiding his energy. Small adjustments made big differences.

Once he got the hang of it, Daniel moved on to the book, then the remote, then the mug. Each rose smoothly and hovered steadily. He found he could even make them trace simple patterns in the air.

When he tried the dumbbell—ten pounds, the weight that had pushed his limits during the evaluation—it rose as easily as the mug had with his old pendant.

"Holy shit," he whispered.

Daniel practiced for over three hours, losing track of time completely. He managed to lift his small coffee table at one point, though it strained him significantly. Still, lifting furniture would have been impossible with his pendant.

By the time he finally collapsed into bed, exhaustion settling into his muscles, Daniel felt genuinely excited about magic again. His practical side reminded him that his improvement came from a tool, not some hidden talent suddenly emerging. But another part of him wondered if his material sensitivity had allowed him to create something truly special.

---

Daniel spent every free moment over the next two days practicing with his new focus. He discovered he could maintain telekinetic holds for much longer periods without fatigue. He could manipulate multiple objects simultaneously with greater precision. By Friday evening, he managed to lift his armchair a few inches off the ground—something that would have been firmly in the Yellow Zone range with his commercial pendant.

When Monday's accelerated class arrived, Daniel couldn't wait to show Eliza his progress. He arrived fifteen minutes early, finding the classroom empty except for Marcus, who was examining his own focus object—a red jasper wrapped in silver wire.

"Hey," Daniel said, nodding to his classmate. "How's the new focus working for you?"

Marcus looked up and shrugged. "It's definitely better than nothing, but I'm not seeing dramatic improvements. What about yours?"

Daniel grinned. "It's been incredible. I've made more progress in four days than in the two weeks before."

"Really?" Marcus eyed him skeptically. "That much difference?"

"Watch this," Daniel said.

He pulled his sodalite focus from his pocket, took a moment to center himself, then gestured toward one of the twenty-pound weights stacked against the wall. With his old pendant, he'd barely managed to budge this weight during his evaluation. Now, it rose steadily to waist height and hovered there.

Marcus's eyes widened. "Damn. That's solid Yellow Zone work."

"I know, right?" Daniel couldn't keep the pride from his voice.

"What's solid Yellow Zone work?" Jasmine asked, entering the classroom with Veena just behind her.

Marcus pointed at the hovering weight. "Check out what Daniel's doing."

The women stopped to watch as Daniel made the weight perform a slow circle before gently returning it to its place.

"That's impressive," Jasmine said. "Have you been practicing non-stop since Wednesday?"

"Pretty much," Daniel admitted. "The new focus makes everything easier."

"Mine helps a bit," Jasmine said, showing her focus—an amethyst set in a silver cage. "But nothing like that."

As they compared notes, other students began arriving for the regular class that would start after their accelerated session. Daniel noticed a tall woman with short dark hair watching their demonstration from the doorway. Unlike most of the beginners, she carried herself with obvious confidence, observing their practice with a critical eye.

Eliza arrived a moment later, smiling when she saw them already working. "Excellent, you're warming up. Everyone's focus objects still functioning properly?"

They all nodded, and Daniel couldn't resist adding, "Better than properly in my case."

"Oh?" Eliza raised an eyebrow. "Show me your progress."

Under Eliza's watchful eye, Daniel demonstrated his improved abilities. He lifted the twenty-pound weight again, then moved on to manipulating multiple smaller objects simultaneously—making three tennis balls orbit each other in a complex pattern.

"Remarkable improvement," Eliza said after he finished. "Your focus object is extremely well-matched to your energy signature."

The dark-haired woman who had been watching stepped forward. "Excuse me, I hope I'm not interrupting, but that's quite impressive work for someone who just got their focus."

"And you are?" Eliza asked politely.

"Miranda Zhao," the woman said, extending her hand to Eliza. "Yellow Zone certification, specialization in artifice and enchantment. I teach the intermediate artifact studies course on Thursdays."

"Ah, yes," Eliza smiled. "I've heard good things about your program."

Miranda turned to Daniel, her intense gaze making him stand a little straighter. "May I see your focus object?"

Daniel hesitated, oddly reluctant to hand over his creation. But under Eliza's encouraging nod, he placed the sodalite focus in Miranda's palm.

She examined it carefully, turning it over and closing her eyes briefly. "Sodalite primary with copper conduit... hematite junction points... and lunar dust in the binding agent? Unusual combination."

"Is it bad?" Daniel asked, suddenly worried he'd done something wrong.

"Not at all," Miranda said, returning the focus. "It's unorthodox but executed with surprising precision for a novice. Did you have previous experience with magical crafting?"

"No," Daniel said. "I just... knew which materials felt right."

Miranda's eyes sharpened with interest. "Material sensitivity?"

"That's what Eliza called it," Daniel confirmed, feeling a small surge of pride despite knowing the ability wasn't particularly rare.

"Interesting," Miranda murmured. "And your telekinetic control has improved dramatically with this focus?"

Daniel nodded. "It's like night and day compared to the commercial pendant I was using."

"Your regular class is about to start," Eliza interrupted gently, "and we need to begin our session."

"Of course," Miranda said. "I apologize for the interruption." She turned back to Daniel. "If you're interested in developing your material sensitivity further, I'd be happy to provide some guidance. Not many beginners create such effective focus objects on their first attempt."

Daniel felt a familiar surge of excitement. Not many beginners. Did that mean he had shown unusual talent after all?

"I'd like that," he said quickly, before she could leave.

"Excellent." Miranda pulled a business card from her pocket. "I'm available Wednesday evenings if that works for you."

As she walked away, Daniel stared at the card in his hand. Miranda Zhao, Certified Artifice Specialist, Yellow Zone. Below that was a phone number and email address.

"Looks like you've caught the attention of our resident enchantment expert," Eliza commented. "Miranda doesn't usually take an interest in beginners."

Daniel couldn't help grinning. Maybe his material sensitivity was more significant than he'd thought.

Eliza clapped her hands. "Now, let's begin today's session. We'll be building on the focus work..."

Throughout the accelerated class, Daniel found himself performing at a level that surprised even him. With his sodalite focus, exercises that would have challenged him before now came easily. By the end of the session, even Marcus was asking him for tips.

"Seriously, man," Marcus said as they gathered their belongings, "whatever you did with that focus, it's working. You're looking at a solid Yellow Zone evaluation if you keep this up."

Yellow Zone. The thought sent a thrill through Daniel. Only about 25% of mages reached Yellow Zone, and most not until they'd been practicing for months or years. If he could reach it after just a few weeks...

His eyes drifted to Miranda's card. If his material sensitivity gave him an edge in creating magical objects, maybe he did have something special after all.

---

Wednesday evening found Daniel standing outside Miranda's office in the east wing of the community center, nervously adjusting his shirt and checking that his focus was secure in his pocket. The card had mentioned she was a Yellow Zone mage with a specialty in artifice—the creation and enchantment of magical objects. Though she was probably just being polite offering guidance, he couldn't help hoping she'd seen real potential in him.

He knocked on the door.

"Come in," called a voice from inside.

The office was smaller than he expected but meticulously organized. One wall was lined with shelves holding various crystals, metals, and other materials similar to what Eliza had brought for their focus-crafting class. A large desk dominated the center of the room, its surface clear except for a laptop and what appeared to be a half-completed project—a complex arrangement of crystals and metal wire.

Miranda sat behind the desk, her short dark hair framing sharp features. She looked up from her laptop and smiled.

"Daniel, right? The telekinetic with the sodalite focus?"

"That's me," he said, trying to sound confident.

"Please, have a seat." She gestured to a chair across from her desk. "I've been looking forward to discussing your focus object further."

Daniel sat down, trying not to fidget. "Thanks for offering to help. I didn't realize material sensitivity was something worth developing until recently."

"Most don't," Miranda said, closing her laptop. "It's often overlooked because it's not as flashy as telekinesis or elemental manipulation. But in the hands of someone skilled, it can be incredibly valuable."

Daniel perked up at this. "Valuable how?"

"Think about it," Miranda said, leaning forward. "Your focus object amplifies your telekinetic abilities far beyond what a commercial product could achieve. That's because it's perfectly aligned with your magical signature. Now imagine applying that same principle to creating objects for more complex magical purposes."

"Like what?"

Miranda stood and walked to one of the shelves, selecting a small object that looked like a compass. "This is a thaumic resonator," she explained, returning to place it on the desk between them. "It helps locate magical energy sources. A commercial version costs about three hundred dollars and works adequately for most practitioners."

She opened a drawer and pulled out another similar device, though it seemed more intricate. "This is a resonator I crafted myself. It's three times more sensitive and can identify specific types of magical energy, not just their presence."

Daniel leaned closer, fascinated. "And you made this because of material sensitivity?"

"It's one critical component," Miranda confirmed. "Material sensitivity allows me to select precisely the right ingredients and combine them in ways that maximize their magical potential. But it requires training and practice to develop fully."

She eyed him thoughtfully. "May I see your focus again?"

Daniel nodded and handed over his sodalite creation. Miranda examined it carefully, her expression growing increasingly intrigued.

"The binding technique you used here is unusual," she said, pointing to one of the wire wrappings. "Did Eliza instruct you specifically to twist the copper this way?"

"No," Daniel admitted. "It just felt... right."

Miranda handed the focus back with a small smile. "That's exactly what I'm talking about. You intuitively created a modified Carlisle junction—something that typically isn't taught until the intermediate level. Combined with your choice of materials, it creates a remarkably efficient energy pathway."

Daniel couldn't help feeling a surge of pride. "So my focus object is actually special?"

"It shows potential," Miranda corrected, though her tone remained encouraging. "With proper training, you could develop into a skilled artificer. Perhaps even specialize in custom focus objects or other enchanted items."

"Custom focus objects?" Daniel repeated. "You mean like, making them for other people?"

Miranda nodded. "Precisely. Despite mass production of magical tools, there's always a market for custom work. A focus object perfectly tuned to an individual's magical signature can increase their effectiveness by 30% or more, as you've experienced firsthand."

The idea of having a valuable skill—maybe even something he could turn into a career—made Daniel's pulse quicken. If he could create objects that enhanced others' abilities the way his sodalite focus had improved his own...

"I'd really like to learn more," he said eagerly.

"I hoped you might say that," Miranda replied with a smile. "I could offer you some personal guidance, but I think you'd benefit more from joining my study group. We meet twice weekly to work on various artifice projects, and several members share your material sensitivity."

"A study group?" Daniel tried not to sound disappointed. He'd briefly imagined one-on-one mentoring, something exclusive.

"Don't worry, it's a small group," Miranda assured him. "Just a dozen or so mages interested in artifice and enchantment. Most are Yellow Zone, but we have a couple of Blue Zone members working on advancing their skills."

A dozen. Daniel nodded, trying to maintain his enthusiasm. Still, a dozen people with similar abilities was better than four million mages in general. This could still be a somewhat select group.

"In fact," Miranda continued, checking her watch, "they should be gathering now in Workshop C. Would you like to meet them?"

"Sure," Daniel said, standing as she did. "That would be great."

He followed Miranda through the community center to a large workshop a few doors down from where his accelerated class met. Inside, about fifteen people were setting up workstations on long tables, arranging tools and materials in precise arrangements.

"Everyone," Miranda called as they entered, "I'd like you to meet Daniel Porter. He's shown remarkable intuitive skill in focus crafting and will be joining our study group."

Several people looked up and nodded in greeting. A middle-aged man with a beard approached, extending his hand. "Welcome, Daniel. I'm Thomas, the group's co-founder with Miranda. What's your specialty?"

"Telekinesis," Daniel replied, shaking his hand. "And apparently material sensitivity, though I just discovered that recently."

Thomas's eyes brightened. "Another one! That makes eight of us in the group with material sensitivity. You'll fit right in."

Eight out of fifteen. Daniel tried not to let his disappointment show. So much for being part of some elite specialty.

"Let me introduce you around," Thomas offered, leading Daniel through the workshop.

As they moved from table to table, Daniel met the other members: Sophia, who specialized in protective charms; Raj, who crafted excellent divination tools; Helen and Eduardo, a married couple who worked as a team creating enhanced communication devices; and several others whose names and specialties blurred together.

Nearly all of them greeted him with some variant of "Another material sensitive? Great!"

By the time the introductions were complete, Daniel's initial excitement had faded considerably. Far from being unique or especially talented, he was just another mage with a common secondary ability joining an established study group.

"Everyone, let's begin tonight's session," Miranda announced as she moved to the front of the room. "As you know, we're focusing on resonance harmonization this month. Today we'll be working on attuning focus objects to specific magical frequencies."

She gestured to a cabinet that another member was opening. "We have a variety of materials available. For those still developing their sensitivity, use the reference guides on page thirty-six of your textbooks."

Textbooks? Daniel hadn't realized there would be actual course materials. Looking around, he noticed several people pulling identical books from their bags titled "Principles of Magical Artifice: Intermediate Concepts and Applications."

Miranda approached Daniel with a copy. "Here's a loaner until you can get your own. The community center bookstore carries them, or you can order online. It's the standard certification text for Artifice Level One."

Daniel accepted the thick textbook, staring at the cover. Certification text. Of course there was a formal certification process. Probably with levels and exams and official standards—just like any other skill or trade.

"You should also consider registering for my Thursday class," Miranda added. "It covers the theoretical concepts behind what we practice here. Most study group members take it concurrently."

She pointed to a woman carefully measuring iron filings across the room. "Jamie over there is in her second semester of the program. She's working on her Level Two certification now. Her material sensitivity is quite refined—she can detect magical resonance to within two frequency points, which is nearly professional grade."

Daniel nodded, the familiar feeling of deflation settling over him again. Not only was material sensitivity common enough to have eight people with the ability in one small study group, but it was also an established specialty with formal coursework, textbooks, certification levels, and professional standards.

His "rare talent" was just another magical discipline with its own educational track and career path.

"Tonight, try working with the basic attunement exercise on page forty-two," Miranda suggested. "It will help you understand the principles behind what you did intuitively with your focus object."

She handed him a tray of materials similar to the ones Eliza had provided during their focus-crafting session, though organized more methodically with small labels on each component.

"Questions before we begin?" Miranda asked.

Daniel shook his head, opening the textbook to page forty-two. The page showed detailed diagrams of various wire-wrapping techniques, with mathematical formulae describing their energy conductivity rates. Below that was a step-by-step guide titled "Basic Focus Attunement: Foundation Methods."

He skimmed the introduction:

"Material sensitivity provides artifice practitioners with an intuitive understanding of magical components. However, this intuition must be refined through systematic study and practice to achieve professional-level results. The following exercises establish the fundamental skills required for Artifice Certification Level One..."