Midterms had finally arrived.
The past few weeks had felt longer than they should have—drawn out not by difficulty, but by persistence. Kane's persistence.
He still hadn't used his wish.
That alone made him unbearable.
It hung over everything he did, every smug grin, every casual remark. Like he knew something she didn't. Like he was waiting. Watching.
Lily had considered multiple possibilities—most of them ending with her punching him—but none of them explained why he seemed so… satisfied.
Olivia, meanwhile, looked like she might collapse at any moment.
Dark circles clung stubbornly beneath her eyes, her movements slower, her voice quieter. She still smiled, still tried to keep up—but it was forced now, stretched thin over exhaustion.
Kane, annoyingly, looked completely fine.
Of course he did.
Lily shot him a glare.
He caught it immediately.
Smiled.
She looked away before she did something regrettable.
"Watch your back," she muttered.
"Always do," Kane replied lightly.
That didn't help.
After parting with Olivia, Lily and Kane entered the classroom.
The atmosphere was different.
Quieter.
Tighter.
Even the usual chatter had dulled into whispers, as if the room itself demanded silence.
At the front stood Richard Mios.
Unmoving.
Unimpressed.
"There will be two forms of assessment," he said, his voice carrying without effort. "Written… and practical."
His gaze swept across the class—not searching, not judging—just… passing through.
"Each subject will conduct its own written examination. Practical Magic…" a slight pause, "…will be determined by the instructor."
That was vague.
Too vague.
Lily didn't like it.
She pushed the thought aside as the first set of papers appeared before her.
Magic Theory.
It was straightforward.
Almost disappointingly so.
Questions on mana circulation efficiency, structural stability of spell constructs, theoretical limits of multi-layer casting…
Lily moved through them quickly.
Describe the difference between compressed and stabilized mana spheres.
She answered without pause—compressed mana relied on density and volatility, while stabilized structures required layered control and intent binding. One exploded. The other endured.
Explain why elemental affinity affects mana cost.
Because resonance reduced resistance. Mana didn't fight the caster—it flowed.
Simple.
Too simple.
She finished early.
Again.
Her pen stopped moving.
And her thoughts began drifting.
Kane.
Of course.
Then—
The silver object.
That brief flash when he tried to hide it.
Small.
Metallic.
Reflective.
Important.
Definitely not for his sister.
Lily narrowed her eyes slightly.
So who is it for…
Her thoughts turned, reluctantly, toward a possibility she didn't like.
A girl?
She stared at the blank edge of her paper.
Does Kane… actually have a girlfriend?
The idea didn't sit right.
Not because it was impossible.
But because it didn't fit.
Kane was many things.
Reliable in a fight.
Annoying in conversation.
Unpredictable in intention.
But secretive in that way?
…
She didn't notice when time passed.
"Time."
Richard didn't raise his voice.
He didn't need to.
Every paper in the room lifted at once, gliding through the air before aligning into a perfect stack on his desk.
Lily exhaled quietly.
Herbology.
Her second least favorite subject.
The classroom shifted—tables rearranged, stations prepared. Glassware, burners, measuring tools, and trays of carefully prepared ingredients appeared in neat, identical sets.
Miss Alina Forse stood at the front.
"For this assessment," she said, "you will be given five base herbs. Your task is to explore their interactions and produce as many distinct potions as possible."
A pause.
"You will be working in pairs."
Lily glanced at her assigned partner.
Unfamiliar.
Quiet.
Good.
Less talking.
More doing.
The ingredients were revealed:
Silverleaf – thin, reflective leaves that shimmered faintly with mana; known for amplifying magical flowEmberroot – a reddish, fibrous root that retained heat; commonly used in vitality and heat-based potionsMistcap Fungus – pale, soft caps that released a faint vapor when disturbed; associated with illusion and concealmentBitterthorn Extract – a dark, viscous liquid derived from crushed thorns; highly reactive, often used as a catalystDewdrop Petals – delicate blue petals containing condensed moisture; stabilizing and cooling in nature
Lily immediately began organizing.
No discussion.
No hesitation.
She reached for the Emberroot first.
Start with something stable… then branch outward.
She sliced it cleanly, grinding it into a coarse paste before adding a measured amount of Dewdrop extract.
The reaction was immediate—
A soft hiss.
Steam curled upward, but not violently.
Controlled.
Good.
She added a fragment of Silverleaf.
The mixture brightened slightly, the mana flow within it becoming visible—thin strands of light weaving through the liquid.
"Record," Lily said simply.
Her partner nodded and began writing.
potion 1
A basic recovery potion—restores stamina and body heat.
Next—
Lily shifted approach.
Mistcap.
She crushed it gently, releasing a faint, shimmering vapor that lingered in the air.
Volatile.
She combined it with Silverleaf first this time.
The mixture destabilized immediately—mana scattering unevenly, forming erratic pulses of light.
Lily reacted quickly, adding Dewdrop petals to cool the reaction.
It settled—
Barely.
The resulting liquid was pale, almost translucent.
Potion 2
an illusion potion Creates a brief distortion around the user—light bends, outlines blur.
Unstable.
Short duration.
Still usable.
She adjusted.
Less Silverleaf.
More control.
This time, she added Bitterthorn Extract—carefully.
A single drop.
The reaction sharpened.
Instead of dispersing, the Mistcap vapor condensed—forming a thicker, more cohesive solution.
Lily stirred slowly.
Evenly.
The mana stabilized.
Potion 3
concealing potion Suppresses presence and reduces detectability.
They moved faster after that.
Falling into rhythm.
Lily handled the combinations.
Belle—efficient, precise—documented everything.
Potion 4: Thermal Resistance Tonic
Emberroot + Dewdrop + trace Bitterthorn
→ Reduces heat damage, stabilizes internal temperature
Potion 5: Mana Flow Enhancer
Silverleaf + diluted Dewdrop
→ Temporarily improves mana circulation efficiency
Lily paused.
Thinking.
She combined Emberroot with Mistcap.
Opposing properties.
Heat and illusion.
The reaction was… strange.
The mixture flickered between visible and invisible, heat distorting the air above it.
Lily narrowed her eyes.
She added Bitterthorn—
Too much.
The mixture surged violently.
She grabbed the container, forcing mana into it, compressing the reaction—
Holding it together.
Slowly—
It calmed.
Potion 6: mirage poison
Creates heat distortions that mask movement.
Difficult to produce.
By the time they finished—
Seven potions.
Seven distinct outcomes.
Each with recorded methods, measurements, and observed effects.
Lily stepped back.
Belle sat beside her.
"My name is Lily."
"…Belle. Belle Vey."
Short.
Simple.
Enough.
They returned to finalize the report.
History came next.
Unpleasant.
They were required to reconstruct historical scenes using magic—partial recreations drawn from recorded mana imprints.
Lily formed the outline of a battlefield.
Broken ground.
Faint echoes of movement.
She filled in the rest from logic.
Fear.
Tension.
Desperation.
Not because she felt it—
But because it made sense.
General Science was different.
Better.
More grounded.
The teacher placed several stones on each desk.
Artificial.
Constructed.
"Identify their elemental composition."
Students struggled.
Lily didn't.
She picked up the first rock.
Heavy.
Grainy texture.
Faint warmth.
Iron… with traces of sulfur.
Second—
Smooth.
Cool.
Almost too uniform.
Silica base. Refined.
Third—
She paused.
There was mana embedded within it.
Not natural.
Constructed intentionally.
Composite.
She broke it down mentally—layer by layer, property by property.
Density.
Reaction.
Energy retention.
She wrote her answers cleanly.
Confidently.
By the end of the day—
Her mind felt… full.
Overused.
Every thought dragged slightly behind where it should be.
Even thinking about tomorrow's practical exams felt exhausting.
She didn't study.
Didn't prepare.
Didn't care.
The moment she reached her room, she collapsed onto the bed.