"Our systems must be very different indeed, then, despite some superficial similarities," Raine concluded, idly tapping her fingers. "The majority of our magic is encompassed in eight elements, and while true mastery of any craft may take a lifetime, it certainly doesn't take centuries for high levels of proficiency." Her brother was evidence enough of that.

She was quiet for a moment, turning the idea of something over in her head. "If Adept techniques are based in imagination, what prevents an Adept from simply using imagination to produce elemental effects? Is there a fundamental difference between the approaches that would render use of an element without proper understanding pointless or hazardous?"

For all she knew, it might be an incredibly obvious answer, but she'd rarely gotten anywhere by not asking questions.