Days passed in a blur, and the first day of class finally came. In those days, as he waited, he honed his skills even more—Buying books about magic theory, reading, and constant studying. And while learning about the new environment around him, he simultaneously trained his body, training both his magic and his physical skills.
And now, he is ready.
Tsukishiro made his way back to the Saintellia Academy, excitement swirling within his nerves. After checking his class number and the schedule, he followed the sign towards Class B's lecture hall.
Then, he arrived at the doors.
His heart pounded in nervousness and anticipation. He slowly reached for the door and pushed it open. It was a spacious room—White walls, and to his sides were three rows of semi-circle wooden long tables descending downwards, and wooden seats.
In the middle were stairs, descending downwards, and directly going into the area where the teacher's desk and things were. In front was an enormous board.
The room was filled with students, and most seats were occupied. The students were talking happily among themselves, and some were reading a book. He clutched his brown leather bag tightly as he nervously scanned the room.
And then, his eyes landed on an open spot, at the end of the third row seat to his left. It was the only open spot in the classroom. He slowly walked towards that spot, and pulled the chair, before placing his bag on the table and sitting down.
He silently glanced at the people beside him. To his right was an unfamiliar male person with tousled dark, blonde hair, with red eyes, looking straight in front. He wore a blue tunic.
And to his left was someone familiar.
He immediately recognized the girl beside him. White long hair with streaks of green, emotionless, yet sharp eyes, brown cloak, and white dress—This was the girl who bumped into him on the exam day.
She's in class B too?
He thought to himself.
"It's you," She said, in a soft, almost inaudible voice, her gaze fixed in front.
"O-Oh, uhm, hi." Not knowing how to react, He awkwardly responded.
She only glanced at him, her purple eyes blank, almost digging deep through his soul.
He felt a wave of nervousness wash over him. Just then, the door behind them opened. All of their gazes turned to the person who entered. Descending down the stairs was a woman, green dress, elf ears, brown braided hair, and brown eyes.
Despite her elegant appearance, there was sharpness to her gaze, an authority that made everyone instantly quiet.
She stepped to her desk, her eyes scanning everyone in the room.
"I'm Aurelia Castel, the one who would be handling class B-3. I would be the primary instructor in magic theory and application." She said she is strong and holds authority.
"I will make myself clear. I do not expect mediocrity in this class. B-rank is a fairly easy rank, and by the end of the first semester, I expect you all to ascend to A rank. You all were accepted into this academy because you have the potential. However, the path of your potential is up to you... Do you walk through it, or just let it slip?"
A hush fell over the room.
"I won't bore you all with inspiring messages no longer, so I'll start the class. Lesson 1, magic theory. Open your magic theory books to page 2." She ordered, as she turned around.
However, murmurs of confusion arose from the room. One of the students raised their hand,
"Uhm, Miss Aurelia..."
She turned around and looked in the direction of the student.
"Yes?"
"We weren't given any books..."
"Oh, right."
Miss Aurelia snapped her fingers, and upon doing so, magic theory books all magically appeared in front of them. Amused voices filled the room as they pondered on what had just happened.
"Now, open those books, and let's start."
...
A few minutes into the lesson, Tsukishiro's mind was already beginning to be scrambled. The overload of information was enough to make him somewhat dizzy.
And all of a sudden,
"You, boy with the white hair, at the back. Could you summarize the lesson?" The teacher asked, her gaze directly looking towards Tsukishiro.
He slowly stood up, as he tried to read in the book the answer to her question. However, because too much information was given, he wasn't able to understand the lesson at all.
"Uhm..." He scrambled his mind, trying to look for words to speak. Suddenly, at the corner of his eye, he noticed that the girl beside him slipped a note in front of him. He cautiously and secretly read out the note given to him.
"Magic energy is cast through imagination and exertion. It can manifest in different ways, as magic energy is different for each person."
Satisfied with the answer, the teacher nodded and asked him to sit down.
He let out a sigh of relief as he sat down. He turned towards the girl beside him.
"T-Thank you very much, it was a big help, uhm..."
"Yukari. Yukari Hoshizuki." The girl replied, her eyes fixed on the teacher in front.
"Yukari. Thank you very much!" He said with utmost gratitude.
"It's fine. Just listen."
...
"Now, given that knowledge taught, let's apply it through a simple way to cast a spell. Mana Conduction."
Murmurs spread throughout the class.
"Mana Conduction," the professor continued, "is essential for all magicians, regardless of their specialization. It is a process of transferring magic energy to both animate and inanimate objects. It could enhance armor, sharpen blades, and, to some, enhance physical capabilities. This is the pinnacle and foundation of magic."
Miss Aurelia snapped her fingers once again, and the books had disappeared, replaced by a transparent orb, similar to the orb used in the first exam.
"The goal is this. Make it glow, in a bluish tint."
Everyone was confused. It is thought that it could only cast a single glow—a golden glow.
"Surprising? No. Remember the first lesson? Imagination is needed. Imagine the energy twisting around, bend it, and turn it into something. Those imagined things and bent imaginations will be reflected on that orb. Experiment with it until you achieve the color that I want. Finish it in 20 minutes."
With Miss Aurelia starting the timer, the students all immediately hurried. They placed her palms over the orb and exerted magic energy.
Tsukishiro wasn't to fall behind. He immediately placed his hands over the orb and exerted a force.
It glew, but not to the color he wanted. It glowed in a golden color.
"Gold? How do I turn this blue?" He pondered deeply. Imagine. Yes, the key is imagination. But, what would he need to imagine? An animal? A human? An object? What exactly?
He tried imagining different things. Animals, different everyday objects, and even the faces of his loved ones. However, it wasn't enough.
It was still a golden glow.
He already used half of his whole energy, and not just him, but almost everyone hasn't got it yet.
He tried again, however, to no avail. He removed his aching hand from the orb, planning to rest on it for a bit.
He looked around him, and everyone had the same struggle as he did.
However, when he looked over to Yukari, he was surprised to find that Yukari was only reading a book, not even touching the orb near her.
"Are you not going to try?" He asked curiously,
"I'll pass it at the last minute mark." She nonchalantly replied.
"Last minute? Are you sure?" He replied, concerned.
"It's honestly easier than you all make it look like."
"Huh?"
"The key is distortion and control. Magic isn't just about releasing energy, it's about shaping that energy into something. Turn it into a sword, and then, distort that sword into emitting a fiery aura. That is distortion. When you fight in a real fight, you wouldn't see magicians just throwing some ball of magic. You would see them casting a defensive barrier, and distorting that barrier, so that it would deflect the attacks."
Tsukishiro furrowed his brows as Yukari's words echoed in his mind.
"Distortion and control..."
He glanced at the golden glow in his hands. The energy was there, but it was raw, unrefined—almost like a fire with no direction, just burning mindlessly. He needs to alter this energy, make it more refined.
But how?
His mind was running out of ideas, and the golden glow on his orb faltered.
"Don't get too hasty now, emotion affects imagination. It's best done calmly." Yukari said, while flipping through the pages of her book.
"Oh,"
He calmed himself down, taking several deep breaths, before hovering his hands above the orb once again.
With a calm mind, he exerts magic onto the orb. He gently closed his eyes and began.
What is my magic?
Darkness.
I control the dark.
He thought of darkness—a place filled with nothing but black.
Then, distort.
Instead of just exerting energy, he tried to bend it. He visualized the darkness moving, and moving, yet calmly, and with grace. And like waves of water, it moved.
That darkness shifted.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then—a shift.
The golden light faltered and weakened, slowly shifting into a new hue—a bland, white hue. It was changing color, however, it was still wrong. What was needed was blue, not white.
His heart raced as his exertion intensified. The more he exerts magic, the faster he exhausts himself.
Not long after, he caught his breath and opened his eyes. He immediately looked at the color of the orb, and it was white.
"W-W-White?" He blurted out in disappointment as he caught his breath.
He's already tired and can't go anymore.
Before he could compose himself, Miss Aurelia's voice rang through the room. "Time's almost up, 3 minutes left."
Time flew that fast?!
Without having time to breathe, he quickly steadied himself and tried once again. Around him, murmurs of frustration and disbelief filled the air—most of the students were still struggling to change the color.
Then, from the corner of his eye, he saw Yukari finally close her book and place a hand on her orb. Unlike the others, she exerted no visible strain. Additionally, she didn't even hover her hand over the orb.
In just her emotionless, blank, yet sharp gaze, the orb lit up on its own—a bright, polished sapphire.
"W-What?!" Tsukishiro blurted out in surprise.
"Focus, mend it, and bend it. Distort magic, and play with it." She advised.
Tsukishiro quickly returned to focus and returned to his orb.
Control it, bend it!
He exerted all that he could on the orb. His mind eliminated the noises around him and focused. Darkness is calm and not violent. It is the waves of the ocean. Serene, yet unknowable.
Calm and precise, he exerts magic. His nerves calmed down, yet his body screamed in pain. He ignored the pain and continued.
Flowing as smoothly as water, and now, bend it into something. Dancing around like a snake, slithering in the air, it slowly turned into a flowing dragon, smooth and fluid.
Unbeknownst to him, the hue had already changed. The previous, whitish color of his orb turned slowly into a sky blue, pulsing, as his magic was uncontrolled. Yet, he was able to do it.
"Time's up!" Miss Aurelia's voice echoed. Then, in the snap of her fingers, all the orbs of those who passed instantly disappeared.
"W-What happened?!" Tsukishiro blurted out, confused, as he then opened his eyes.
"Now, for those who weren't able to do it, make it a goal for you all to accomplish that task before next week. Beginnings are hard, don't be discouraged. Take the orb with you. For those who passed, the path is laid out now. Continue that path. I took all your orbs, so no need to worry about that."
He looked at his table—his orb was gone. Which means, he passed.
He clenched his fist in joy and happiness, as a proud, yet slight smile appeared on his lips.