After a long talk with Aisha, Aether went to bed.
As the sun rose, Aether woke up in bed, his body trembling with pain. He tried to stand for a shower, but his legs protested. Still, he had no choice—it was the first day at the Academy. Forcing himself up, he walked to the bathroom and began to shower. Lost in his thoughts, he was startled when Lucia's voice suddenly broke through.
"You should take better care of your body. Look at yourself—you were already in bad condition, then you took the Academy's test, and now you're a complete mess."
"It's no worry. I'll become healthier as time passes," Aether said in a reassuring voice.
Aether stepped out of the bathroom, dressed in fresh clothes—a white outfit with blue stripes. As he left the room, he saw Aisha waiting for him just outside.
"What are you doing here? Don't you have to go to class?" Aether asked.
"I was waiting for you. I thought we should go together, and I wanted to ask which subjects you're going to take," Aisha replied, a hint of hesitation in her voice.
She was standing in front of Aether a small fox emerged from behind Aether's shoulder—silver-shadow fur that seemed to absorb light.
"Wait, is this your contracted beast? You didn't even use her in the aptitude test. What were you thinking?" she exclaimed.
Aether answered with a warm smile. "I didn't want her to get hurt, so I kept her safe. I was enough for the tournament, so she wasn't needed."
"When did you start caring for me?" Lucia said, happiness in her voice.
"Affection and care come with time," Aether replied.
As time passed, Aisha asked Aether to go to class together. Agreeing, they started walking toward the classroom. While they walked, Aether asked, "Aren't you mad at me for betraying you in the test? Why are you still with me? It's not like we know each other."
"I thought about it. It was just a test, so I shouldn't take it seriously. We can start over. It's just—I've been betrayed by too many people in my life, so when I finally trusted someone, even if it was just a test, it hurt," Aisha replied quietly.
As they reached the classroom, all eyes turned to them. A broad-shouldered student in the third row leaned forward, scowling at Aether. His friend whispered something behind a cupped hand. Two girls near the window abandoned their conversation mid-sentence, staring.
The boys were enchanted by Aisha's beauty. A few tried to get her attention, hoping she would sit with them, but Aisha ignored everyone and headed to the last bench, taking a seat there.
Suddenly, someone covered Aether's eyes from behind. Immediately, he knew who it was.
"It's you, Vincent, right?" he said.
"Yeah, it's me!" Vincent replied, his smile warm and genuine.
"You got placed in Class A too? Where are the others?"
Vincent told him that he was in Class A, but the other team members didn't make it—they were placed in Class B.
"It's okay. At least you made it to Class A. They'll advance soon enough," Aether said.
Vincent looked at him, a mix of confusion and intrigue on his face. After a moment, he asked, "Bro, how did you get to know Aisha Verdit? Even with special admission, getting close to her is nearly impossible. She's known for ignoring boys."
Aether replied in genuine surprise. "Huh? I didn't approach her—she came to find me because she had something to talk about. She even waited for me outside my room."
Vincent's eyes widened. "Wait, she waited for you outside your room? You're joking, right?"
"Nah, I can at least guess she's interested in me because of my fighting style," Aether said, shrugging.
"Damn, you really are full of surprises—making the heir of the Verdit family wait outside your room. I definitely made the right choice becoming your friend."
After that, Aether walked over to Aisha and asked if he could sit beside her. She nodded. Many eyes turned to them as they sat together—everyone was shocked, and their gazes were filled with envy.
The boys whispered among themselves, jealous and confused.
"Who is that guy sitting beside Aisha Verdit?"
The girls asked each other, "He's handsome, and he placed first in the Academy. Who is he? I should've approached him, but now he's sitting beside Aisha."
A few minutes later, Corin and Kaelen entered the classroom together. Their eyes met Aether's, but no words were exchanged. Instead, they sat down on the opposite side, their faces mixed with anger and shock.
After a short while, the professor entered the class. It was the same professor who had overseen their aptitude test. He introduced himself and began to speak about the Academy.
Aether found it boring—he'd already heard it all during the aptitude test and remembered everything.
Then, the professor explained the subjects available:
"First, there are foundational subjects, which all students must take: Spell Architecture, Mana Biology, and Combat Fundamentals.
Next are the intermediate subjects, available to those with higher aptitude. According to your year, you can choose two out of four: Elemental Studies, Spatial Geometry (if you have the ability), and Runic Linguistics.
Finally, there are advanced subjects, which are taught one-on-one. If you're interested, come to me about advancing to that level."
The professor continued, "Tomorrow, everyone must decide which subjects they want to take. Today, you can try out each subject."
He then began teaching them about his own subject, Spell Architecture.
During class, Aisha leaned toward Aether and whispered, "Have you decided which subjects you want to take?"
Aether nodded. Aisha looked amazed. "Really? It's not even been half an hour, and you already know?"
Aether replied confidently, "I know what I want, so I already have my answer."
He told her about his choices. Aisha explained that all classes were the same, except for Spatial Geometry. Their conversation continued quietly while they learned new things in class.
After all the classes were over, the professor returned and told them about a trip to the ancient ruin: the Castle of Alfar. Class A would be going there with Classes B and C in three days. Everyone was excited about the trip.
Vincent joined Aether and Aisha, and they introduced themselves to each other. Then Aether asked, "Where is the Castle of Alfar? What's special about it?"
Vincent laughed. "Bro, do you even live in the same world as us? You don't know about the Castle of Alfar?"
Aisha explained, "The Castle of Alfar was the home of the Elf King around two thousand years ago. Now it's an ancient site. Even though every artifact and important magic was supposedly taken by the elves, it's said there's still a completely different space connected to the castle, with powerful magic stored inside."
Vincent added, "Even expert mages have tried to decipher the magic runes carved into the castle walls, but no one has succeeded. As for the different space Aisha mentioned, they checked it, but found nothing."
At that, Aether had his own thoughts. Maybe there is a space there, but it can't be reached normally—just like my Anthesis Sanctuary. Well, when we go there, I can find out for myself.
Everyone started leaving the classroom for lunch. Vincent joined Aisha and Aether as they headed out together.