[Yuki's Perspective]
I can barely contain my excitement as we walk toward the main academic building. A real magic academy. With actual classes. And I get to attend!
[Yuki] "Do you think they'll teach advanced elemental combinations? Or maybe summoning theory? Oh, what if they demonstrate high-level spells?"
[Takeshi] "It's just a trial class. Don't get your hopes up too much."
[Aiko] "I'm curious about their teaching methods. The Supreme Mage mentioned they focus heavily on fundamentals."
I'm talking a big game, but inside, my stomach does flips. What if I can't keep up? What if everyone's way ahead of me? What if I do something embarrassing in front of all these students?
Snow buzzes on my shoulder, her wings fluttering faster than usual. Umbra's gem glows softly from within my shadow, and Ignatia floats beside me in her small form, looking regal as always.
[Ignatia] "Try not to embarrass yourself, child. This institution has standards."
That doesn't help.
The classroom is in one of the central towers. We climb a spiral staircase where each step floats independently, glowing with soft blue runes. Students pass us on their way to other classes, some of them doing double-takes when they see Ignatia.
[Student] "Is that a dragon?"
[Student] "It's so small!"
[Ignatia] "I am not small. I am compact."
We step inside. The classroom is circular, with tiered seating arranged around a central demonstration area. The walls display constantly shifting diagrams of magical circles, elemental charts, and complex equations written in glowing script. The ceiling shows a perfect projection of the sky outside.
About twenty students are already seated. They chat with each other, review notes, lean back in their chairs like they own the place.
I try to keep my expression excited and curious, but my hands won't stop fidgeting.
[Aiko] "Let's grab seats in the middle to get a good view of the demonstration area."
Her voice is warm. She's already smiling at a few students nearby. One of them smiles back.
[Takeshi] "Yeah, middle section works. Come on, Yuki."
He moves with that confident stride of his, like he belongs anywhere he goes.
We take our seats. Snow settles on the desk, her buzzing quieter now. I try to look natural, but I'm hyper-aware of every other student in the room.
That's when I see her.
A girl with perfect blonde drill curls stands near the professor's desk at the front, organizing papers and checking demonstration materials. She's wearing an immaculate dress in deep blue with silver embroidery, and her posture is absolutely perfect.
Wait. Those drills. That's—
[Yuki] "That's the girl from lunch! Elowen!"
[Aiko] "Oh, you're right! The one Vesper was rude to."
[Takeshi] "What's she doing at the professor's desk?"
Before anyone can answer, the professor enters.
She's not what I expect at all. She's a merfolk. Her lower body shimmers with scales that shift between blue and green, and she moves through the air as if swimming, her form adapting to be on land through what must be constant magic. Her hair flows around her like she's underwater, deep blue-green strands that drift independently. Her eyes are large and luminous.
[Mirabell] "Good afternoon, class."
Her voice has a musical quality to it, like water flowing over stones.
[Mirabell] "I see some new faces today. You must be the prospective students the Supreme Mage mentioned. Welcome to Fundamental Arcane Principles. I am Professor Mirabell. I will be teaching this course."
My heart pounds. Everyone's going to watch to see if I can keep up.
The professor gestures to Elowen.
[Mirabell] "Miss Virelle will be assisting with today's demonstrations, as usual."
Elowen bows slightly, her movements graceful and precise. Then her emerald eyes scan the classroom and land directly on me.
Her expression shifts. Just slightly. Something dismissive. Her lips curve into a small, elegant smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes.
Oh.
She recognized me from lunch.
And she's not happy about it.
[Mirabell] "Today we continue our study of Projection magic. For our prospective students, Projection is one of the three primary domains of magic, involving the release of mana in specific forms."
She raises her hand and a complex magical circle appears in the air, rotating slowly. Elowen moves to stand beside it, and with a gesture, the circle splits into three sections.
[Mirabell] "Projection, Transmutation, and Binding. These form the foundation of all magical practice."
I pull out my notebook, trying to focus on the lecture. But I keep noticing Elowen glancing in our direction. Each time, that same cool expression.
She's doing the villainess look. The one from all the academy manga where the elegant rival character looks down on the protagonist.
It's incredible.
I should probably feel intimidated, but this is exactly like those stories.
[Takeshi] "You okay? You're smiling weird."
He's frowning at me with a concerned look.
[Yuki] "I'm fine! Just focused on the lecture."
[Aiko] "She keeps looking over here. Did she recognize us from what happened at lunch?"
[Yuki] "Vesper was kind of rude to her. I think she's upset."
[Takeshi] "Well, that's not your fault. Don't worry about it."
Easy for him to say.
[Mirabell] "Miss Virelle, if you would demonstrate basic projection."
[Elowen] "Of course, Professor."
Elowen steps into the demonstration area. She raises one hand with perfect form, her fingers positioned precisely. A magical circle appears, intricate and flawless.
[Elowen] "Projection magic requires three key components: mana control, elemental affinity, and directional intent."
A flame appears in her palm, perfectly controlled and shaped. She manipulates it smoothly, changing its size and intensity with obvious skill.
[Elowen] "The quality of one's projection directly correlates to one's understanding of magical theory and the precision of one's mana control."
She says this while looking directly at our section.
Several students glance at us.
[Takeshi] "Is she showing off at you?"
[Yuki] "I think so."
[Takeshi] "That's petty. Want me to say something?"
[Yuki] "No, it's fine! Really!"
[Aiko] "Yuki, you're enjoying this, aren't you?"
She's smiling at me.
[Yuki] "Maybe a little? She's so good at the elegant superiority thing!"
[Takeshi] "You're weird."
[Aiko] "Let her have fun. It's harmless."
The lecture continues. Professor Mirabell explains mana flow, elemental theory, and spell construction techniques. Elowen assists with each demonstration, performing every technique flawlessly while occasionally directing pointed glances toward the prospective students. Especially me.
I take notes as best I can, trying to absorb everything despite my nervousness. The material is fascinating, even if I'm constantly aware that I'm probably behind everyone else here.
By the time the class ends, my notebook is full and my hand is cramping. The other students start filing out, chatting with each other about the lesson.
I close my notebook. My heart races for a different reason now.
[Yuki] "I want to talk to her."
[Aiko] "To Elowen? After she spent the whole class giving you those looks?"
[Yuki] "I need to apologize for what happened at lunch."
[Takeshi] "You didn't do anything wrong. Vesper was the rude one."
[Yuki] "I know, but I still feel bad. And maybe I can make this better?"
[Aiko] "I think that's sweet. You should talk to her."
She gives me a bright, supportive smile.
[Takeshi] "If she's mean to you, we're leaving. You don't have to put up with someone being unfair."
[Yuki] "She won't be mean. I think she's just performing."
[Takeshi] "Performing what?"
[Yuki] "I'll explain later. Just give me a minute?"
[Aiko] "Take your time. We'll wait here."
She gives my shoulder a gentle squeeze.
My hands shake slightly as I walk down the steps toward the demonstration area. Elowen is organizing papers at the professor's desk, her back to me. Professor Mirabell has already left.
I take a breath. I can do this. I talked to Spirit Kings and Queens. I can talk to one academy student.
[Yuki] "Um, excuse me?"
Elowen turns. For just a moment, I see surprise flash across her face before she composes herself into that elegant, distant expression.
[Elowen] "Yes? May I help you?"
Her tone is polite but cool.
[Yuki] "I'm Yuki. We were at the same table at lunch. When you talked to Vesper."
A flicker of embarrassment crosses her face. She covers it quickly.
[Elowen] "Ah. Yes. I recall."
Awkward pause. She's waiting for me to continue, her posture perfect, her expression carefully neutral.
My nervousness spikes, but I push through it.
[Yuki] "I wanted to apologize for what happened. Vesper was really rude to you, and I felt terrible about it. You were just excited to meet her, and she dismissed you like that."
Elowen's carefully maintained expression falters slightly.
[Elowen] "I... that's quite unnecessary. I was being presumptuous, interrupting her meal."
[Yuki] "No you weren't! You were enthusiastic about meeting someone you admire. There's nothing wrong with that."
[Elowen] "I could have approached with more decorum."
She sounds less confident now. Less like the poised teaching assistant.
[Yuki] "Actually, I have good news! Vesper felt bad about it too. She agreed to give a guest lecture on artifact theory. It should be announced soon."
Elowen's eyes widen. Her composure breaks completely.
[Elowen] "She... she agreed? To teach?"
[Yuki] "Yeah! Tomorrow afternoon, I think. So you'll get to learn from her after all!"
[Elowen] "That's... that's extraordinary. I never thought... oh, this is wonderful!"
The cool, elegant mask is completely gone now. She's smiling genuinely, her hands clasped together in excitement.
[Elowen] "I must ensure I attend. Oh, there's so much I want to ask her about preservation theory and enchantment matrices!"
[Yuki] "I thought you'd be happy! Your introduction at lunch was so cool, by the way. Seven generations of arch mages? That's amazing!"
[Elowen] "You... you thought it was cool?"
She sounds genuinely surprised.
[Yuki] "Of course! It's like something out of a story. Plus your hair is incredible. How do you get it to stay like that?"
[Elowen] "I... it's a family styling technique. Enhanced with minor enchantments for structural integrity."
[Yuki] "Magic hair! That's so practical!"
Elowen stares at me for a moment, as if trying to figure out if I'm being genuine. Then she laughs. A soft, surprised sound.
[Elowen] "You're... not what I expected."
[Yuki] "What did you expect?"
[Elowen] "I don't know. I suppose I thought you might be upset about my behavior during class. I was rather pointed in my demonstrations."
[Yuki] "You were being a villainess! It was great!"
[Elowen] "A... villainess?"
[Yuki] "You know, the elegant rival character who looks down on the protagonist at first but then they become friends? From stories?"
[Elowen] "I'm not familiar with those stories. Though I hadn't considered that I was embodying the antagonist."
She looks genuinely flustered now.
[Elowen] "I apologize. That was petty of me. I was embarrassed about lunch and took it out on you."
[Yuki] "It's okay! Honestly, it was kind of fun. You're really good at the elegant superiority thing."
[Elowen] "That's... not exactly a compliment I've received before."
Snow chooses that moment to buzz over and land on Elowen's desk, her wings creating tiny patterns of frost on the papers.
[Elowen] "Oh! Your familiar. A frost bee queen, if I'm not mistaken?"
[Yuki] "That's Snow! And this—"
Umbra slides out from my shadow, his gem glowing softly.
[Yuki] "—is Umbra, my shadow carbuncle. And—"
[Ignatia] "I am Ignatia, ancient fire dragon queen and guardian of this child."
Elowen's eyes widen as she takes in Ignatia's small form.
[Elowen] "A dragon. An ancient dragon queen!?"
[Ignatia] "Indeed. You are the elf child from lunch. I see you have dropped your pretense. Good. Authenticity suits you better."
Elowen looks even more flustered.
[Elowen] "I... thank you?"
[Yuki] "See? Even Ignatia approves!"
[Elowen] "I'm not certain that's what she said."
[Ignatia] "It is what I meant."
Elowen sits down in one of the student chairs, looking considerably less composed than she did during class.
[Elowen] "You're very forthright. And earnest. I didn't expect that."
[Yuki] "Is that bad?"
[Elowen] "No. No, it's refreshing, actually. Most people are either intimidated by my family name or trying to use it for connections. You just talked to me like a person."
[Yuki] "Well, you are a person. A really smart person who loves magic and has amazing hair."
Elowen laughs again, more freely this time.
[Elowen] "You're very kind. I apologize for my behavior. Both at lunch and today. I have a tendency to hide behind formality when I'm uncomfortable."
[Yuki] "It's okay. I get nervous too. I was terrified coming to class today."
[Elowen] "You were? You seemed so confident."
[Yuki] "I was faking it! My friends had to encourage me to come talk to you."
[Elowen] "Then I'm glad they did."
She smiles, and this time it's warm and genuine.
[Elowen] "Would you like me to show you around the academy? I know all the best spots for studying, and there are some fascinating research areas that visitors don't usually get to see."
[Yuki] "Really? That would be amazing!"
[Elowen] "Wonderful. Let me just finish organizing these materials and we can go."
I wait while she tidies the demonstration supplies, feeling considerably lighter than I did before. When she's done, we head out together into the hallway where Takeshi and Aiko are waiting.
[Aiko] "How did it go?"
[Yuki] "Great! Elowen's going to show us around the academy!"
[Takeshi] "So she wasn't actually mean."
[Yuki] "Nope! Just nervous."
I introduce them properly.
[Elowen] "A pleasure to meet you both. Those are unusual names. Are you from a different country?"
[Aiko] "Something like that. We're from pretty far away."
[Takeshi] "Nice to meet you too. Thanks for offering to show us around."
[Elowen] "It's my pleasure. The academy has quite a remarkable history. Shall we start with the Resonance Chamber?"
We spend the rest of the afternoon exploring. Elowen shows us the Resonance Chamber, a room specifically designed to amplify elemental affinities for study. We visit the familiar sanctuaries where magical creatures rest between classes. Snow is fascinated by the other frost-aspected familiars. We peek into advanced laboratories where students are working on complex enchantments.
As we walk, I notice Takeshi's shoulders relax. He stops watching Elowen like she might attack me at any moment. Aiko asks questions about the enchantments on the walls, the design of the corridors, the history of certain buildings. Elowen answers each one enthusiastically.
[Elowen] "The enchantments on these walls actually shift their patterns based on the ambient mana levels. It's quite beautiful, isn't it?"
[Aiko] "It's gorgeous! The color transitions are so smooth. I'd love to sketch this."
[Elowen] "You're an artist?"
[Aiko] "I was in the art club back home. I like drawing magical things. They're so much more interesting than regular subjects."
[Elowen] "How wonderful! Perhaps I could show you the gallery where we display historical magical achievements? The murals there are extraordinary."
By the time evening approaches, we've seen most of the main campus. Elowen has filled our heads with fascinating facts and stories about the academy.
[Elowen] "I should return to my dormitory. I have studying to complete, and I want to prepare questions for Vesper's lecture tomorrow."
[Yuki] "Thank you for showing us around! And for being so nice after everything."
[Elowen] "Thank you for giving me a chance to be myself instead of just performing."
She bows. Less formally than before, but still with that inherent grace.
[Elowen] "I'll see you tomorrow? Perhaps we could have lunch together?"
[Yuki] "I'd love that!"
[Aiko] "That sounds wonderful."
[Takeshi] "Sure, sounds good."
Elowen smiles and heads toward the student dormitories, her drill curls bouncing slightly as she walks.
Once she's out of earshot, Takeshi shakes his head.
[Takeshi] "You made friends with someone who was acting superior to you all class."
[Yuki] "She wasn't really being mean. She was just nervous and hiding behind formality."
[Aiko] "I'm glad you talked to her, Yuki. She seems genuinely nice once she relaxes. And she's clearly passionate about magic."
[Takeshi] "Yeah, she's alright. Still weird that you enjoyed being looked down on though."
[Yuki] "It was like being in a manga! The villainess character who becomes friends with the protagonist!"
[Aiko] "You and your manga."
She's smiling warmly.
We make our way back to our dormitory as the sun starts to set. The academy grounds are beautiful in the evening light, magical lanterns beginning to glow along the pathways.
Snow is drowsy on my shoulder. Umbra has retreated into the shadows. Even Ignatia seems content.
[Ignatia] "You handled that well, child. The Virelle girl has potential."
[Yuki] "I just wanted to make a friend."
[Ignatia] "You did more than that. You saw past her defenses."
I smile.
My first day at a magic academy. Even though I was nervous at first, I attended class, made a friend, and explored amazing places.
It turned out better than I could have hoped.