Page 18 of Barbells, Broomsticks & A Baby

The assembled group follows his lead, some more gracefully than others. My mother, to my surprise, moves into the position with fluid ease, her posture perfect.

“Focus on your magical core,” Atlas instructs. “Visualize your internal energy as a sphere of light at your center. With each breath, we’ll expand that sphere outward, creating a magical-physical connection that reinforces both.”

The room fills with the soft glow of various magical signatures as the participants follow his guidance. Blues, greens, reds, and purples shimmer around the practitioners. My mother’s signature—a deep violet with silver streaks—manifests with particular clarity.

Atlas catches my attention and smiles, clearly pleased by the group’s engagement. This workshop has been his passion project for months, and seeing it finally come to fruition fills me with happiness for him.

That happiness is short-lived as a now-familiar contraction seizes me. This one is different—sharper and more insistent—triggering an immediate magical response. My purple energy flares outward in a sudden burst, colliding with the carefully balanced energies in the room.

The effect is immediate and chaotic. The enchanted yoga mats curl up like startled caterpillars. The floating meditation crystals shoot toward the ceiling like rockets, and most dramatically, the magical dumbbells rise from their rack and begin to orbit the room like miniature planets, picking up speed with each circuit.

“Duck,” yells someone as a particularly enthusiastic dumbbell swoops low over the participants’ heads.

Atlas, always calm in a crisis, moves to the center of the room. “Everyone, maintain your centering stance. Your stable energy will help counteract the disruption.”

Most of the participants comply, though a few dive for cover as the dumbbells continue their erratic flight. My mother not only maintains her stance but actually extends her magical aura outward, creating a buffer that deflects the wayward equipment.

I try to regain control of my magic, but the contraction makes concentration impossible. Another surge ripples through me, and now, the treadmills along the wall spring to life, their speed increasing to alarming levels. One breaks free of its moorings and begins to skid across the floor like a magical mechanical bull. At least no clients are using them at the moment.

“Atlas.” I gasp as the contraction subsides, blinking back tears. “I’m so sorry.”

He makes his way to me, deftly dodging a pair of enchanted jump ropes that have decided to play cat’s cradle without human assistance. “Don’t apologize,” he says, placing a steadying hand on my shoulder. “This is actually a perfect demonstration of why this workshop is necessary. Magical control under challenging circumstances is exactly what we’re practicing.”

His ability to reframe chaos as a teaching opportunity would be admirable if it weren’t so exasperating. “The treadmill is about to break through the wall,” I point out.

“An excellent example of magical momentum,” he agrees, as if this is a planned part of the curriculum.

My mother, having apparently decided that enough is enough, strides through the mayhem with impressive dignity. With a complex series of gestures, she brings the flying dumbbells to a halt, returns the treadmill to its proper place, and generally restores order to the room.

“Perhaps,” she says tartly, “The practical demonstration portion of today’s workshop has been sufficient.”

Atlas beams at her. “Excellent work, Ms. Greenwarth. You’re a perfect example of centered magical response under pressure. Would you mind explaining your technique to the group?”

My mother blinks, clearly surprised by being asked to teach, but after a moment’s hesitation, she straightens her already impeccable posture and addresses the room. “The key to maintaining magical control in chaotic situations is threefold,” she says, slipping into a professorial tone I’ve rarely heard from her. “First, you must establish an unshakable internal rhythm, ideally based on your heartbeat. Second, you must create clear boundaries between your magic and external influences, and third, you must maintain awareness of your entire magical field while focusing on the specific task at hand.”

The participants, many of whom had been ready to flee moments before, are now listening with rapt attention. Even I find myself drawn in by her unexpectedly engaging teaching style.

“Think of your magic as a symphony orchestra,” she continues, warming to her subject. “You are the conductor. Each instrument—each aspect of your power—must be acknowledged and included, but only certain sections are emphasized at any given moment. The rest remain ready but subdued.”

“A brilliant analogy,” says Atlas sincerely. “Would you be willing to demonstrate the application of this approach to a simple levitation exercise?”

And just like that, my mother—who arrived in Evershift Haven convinced Atlas’s gym was a frivolous waste of space—takes over the Witcher Wellness Workshop with the authority of someone born to teach.

I watch in amazement as she guides the group through exercises that combine physical movements with magical techniques, her explanations clear, and her demonstrations flawless. Atlas assists, adding insights about how each movement supports the magical flow, but it’s clear my mother has become the star of the show.

By the end of the two-hour workshop, the participants are glowing with accomplishment. Several approach my mother afterward, asking questions that she answers with unexpected patience.

“That was...unexpected,” I say to Atlas as we observe from the sidelines.

“Not entirely,” he says with a knowing smile. “Your mother’s magical control is exceptional. I suspected she would be an effective teacher if given the opportunity.”

“You set this up? You knew she would take over.”

He shrugs, his massive shoulders rising and falling like mountains in miniature. “I created an opening. She chose to fill it.”

“Sneaky,” I say admiringly, “And surprisingly manipulative for a philosopher.”

“Socrates was an expert at leading others to discover their own knowledge through strategic questioning. Sometimes, the most effective teaching happens when people don’t realize they’re being taught.”

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