Elias stepped out of his dorm room early that morning, the door clicking shut behind him with a quiet thud. His hair was still a mess, and his eyes were half-lidded with sleep, but his mind was already racing. A small stack of parchment crinkled in his hands—papers that hadn't been there when he went to bed, but had been waiting for him on his desk when he awoke.
They were his class documents.
He shuffled through them slowly as he walked down the quiet hall. The hallway was unusually still for a school morning, save for the sound of two students up ahead who suddenly stumbled to the floor, sprawling over nothing at all.
"What was that?" one of them hissed, rubbing their ankle and looking around.
"I didn't see anything," the other replied, their eyes flicking toward the faint shimmer in the air before it faded entirely.
Elias glanced at them briefly, arching a brow before turning his gaze back to the papers in his hands.
"Class schedule," he muttered to himself, thumbing through the sheet with his name scrawled across the top in elegant calligraphy. The parchment listed the week's classes in neat columns, and at the top, bolded in glimmering ink, was the name of his tier: Foundation – Class 1.
There was a column for every day of the week, Monday through Saturday. His eyes scanned down Monday's listing:
Elemental Theory & Control (Morning Block)
Magitech Engineering (Elective – Afternoon)
Open Workshop Hours (Evening)
He furrowed his brow and flipped the page to find an explanation of each class and its purpose. Just yesterday, during orientation, they'd been told Sunday was a day of rest and review—a day to explore the grounds and familiarize themselves with the campus. Meaning today—Monday—was his first real day of school.
He slowed his pace as the mess hall doors came into view, the smell of warm bread and roasted meat wafting into the corridor. His stomach rumbled on cue, but he didn't step inside just yet. He skimmed down the next page, one detailing the Foundation Tier Curriculum.
"The Foundation curriculum is structured to provide stability and progression. Your growth here is not just about magical strength, but about forming the habits of a disciplined spellcaster and developing a magical identity. Your Core Classes will be taken with your full class group. Electives are selected independently, and Workshop Sessions are tied to your personal development. Final Exams will be graded quarterly and accumulate to determine your final standing for advancement."
It was a lot. He felt the weight of those words almost as heavily as he felt the previous trial gates. But the challenge ahead of him wasn't a violent guardian or a death-defying flame construct. It was now something far more dangerous.
Routine.
He turned the page again.
Electives:
Magitech Engineering
Alchemy & Potioncraft
Spirit Bonding & Communication
Enchantment Theory
Dimensional Studies
Chrono-Logic Foundations (by recommendation only)
Mystic Literature
Each class name shimmered slightly on the page as if testing his interest. His gaze paused on Chrono-Logic Foundations, his thoughts flicking to Kaelen. Time magic still felt impossibly distant for him, but even the idea that it could be taught here felt surreal.
He lingered for a moment on Enchantment Theory, and then Mystic Literature. That one had a small note beside it:
"A freeform study of magical texts, myths, and poetic incantations. Often overlaps with cultural and historical insight. Recommended for creative casters."
Elias chuckled softly. "Creative casters" He could vaguely imagine himself sitting in the back of a class like that tinkering with fire in verse.
He turned the final page and saw the line that made him pause in the corridor:
"Above all, remember Head Administrator Dorne's question: What kind of wizard do you want to become?"
That question had been lingering in the back of his mind ever since the orientation. At the time, it felt rhetorical—philosophical even. But now, standing here with his schedule in hand, it suddenly felt more urgent. More real.
He could still remember Dorne's gaze when he'd asked it. Steady, but not judgmental. Almost like he was daring them to answer.
"What kind of wizard do I want to be?"
He didn't really know.
He wanted to be powerful, that was a given. But more than that, he didn't want to feel like he did before, as he watched Aeryn walk away, assigned to Ascendent Tier while the rest of them stood together in Foundation.
He wanted to be someone who mattered... probably.
A loud growl from his stomach reminded him he also wanted breakfast.
Finally pushing through the doors of the mess hall, Elias was greeted by the hum of morning chatter and the clatter of cutlery. He saw a few familiar faces scattered at different tables—hopefuls from the Oasis, from the trials, even the two who had sat alongside him up until his battle with Syn.
He grabbed a plate, piled it high with eggs, toast, and something vaguely resembling magical hash browns, and made his way to a quiet spot near the window.
As he ate, he glanced once more at his schedule, mentally preparing himself for Elemental Theory & Control.
He wondered briefly about who would be teaching it. Hallie Iren, who had handled their orientation—what kind of instructor would she be?
A sudden thump snapped him from his thoughts as someone dropped into the seat across from him.
It was Kiran. His hair was a mess, and he looked like he'd either just woken up or fought off a pack of rabid familiars.
"Morning," he grunted, stabbing a fork into a suspiciously jiggling pile of eggs.
Elias smiled. "You look like you lost a duel with your pillow."
"I won, technically," Kiran muttered.
"But at what cost?"
They both chuckled.
"I was just reading the schedule," Elias said. "Elemental Theory first."
Kiran nodded. "Yeah. Can't wait to see who lights the room on fire first."
Elias raised an eyebrow. "You think it'll be me?"
"Definitely you."
They laughed again, the tension of the morning easing just a bit.
As the mess hall continued to fill and the first rays of sunlight poured through the stained-glass windows, the two sat and ate quietly. Around them, the Academy stirred to life.
Classes were beginning.
And so was everything else.