Meditation

Q: I am holding <<The Academy>> and as my first spell of the turn, I play <<Meditation>>. What is the maximum amount of cards I am able to draw?

Rules for Context - 131.4., 356.1.b., 356.2.b., 820.1

A: 3.

If the additional cost is paid on finalization and the spell is repeated, you will draw 2 for the initial execution, and 1 for the repeated execution. “As an additional cost to play this, you may exhaust a friendly unit.” and “If you do, draw 2.” are linked instructions. “Otherwise, draw 1.” is not a linked instruction, as much as the “otherwise” might make it seem so. In the repeated execution of the spell, the additional cost instruction is not executed, so the only instruction that can execute is “Otherwise, draw 1.”

You can also think about it from a plain English perspective: you did not pay the additional cost with the second execution of the spell, so you can’t draw 2. Since you didn’t, you can only draw 1.