The third day of class had arrived.
The first week was designed to be light, an introduction before the true rigor began. By next week, each day would hold at least two classes - and twice the exhaustion.
The students dressed quickly and gathered in the dining hall, where food was served with laughter and chatter.
"Herbology today," one student said excitedly.
"Plants, always my favorite."
"I think it'll be boring," another replied.
"Let's wait and see."
They finished their meals and hurried toward the herbology field.
"Good day, young botanists!" a warm voice called as they entered a vast dome of glass and greenery.
"I'm Professor Lloven Draven, your herbology teacher."
The morning sun poured softly through the glass roof, scattering golden light across rows of lush, shimmering flora. Dewdrops clung to the leaves like tiny gems, refracting faint rainbows. The air smelled of wet soil and mana-rich pollen.
Professor Lloven Draven stood before them - tall, graceful, his hair the color of birch wood and eyes that seemed to see through petals and people alike. His robes were deep green, threaded with silver vines that seemed almost alive.
"Today," he began, "we study not a plant of great power - but of great truth."
He waved a hand, and from the center table, a long vine unfurled as if waking from a dream. Golden tendrils shimmered in the sunlight, curling toward the nearest students. Small blossoms opened along its length - some red, some blue, some white.
Gasps rippled through the class.
"This," Professor Lloven said softly, "is the Auravine - a living reflection of emotion itself."
He paced slowly, his fingers trailing near the vine but never touching it.
"It responds to the mana within us - not our strength, but our hearts. Each hue it displays mirrors the emotional aura of those nearby."
He gestured toward the front row.
"Miss Lira, please step forward."
Lira brushed her palms nervously against her robe before approaching. The blossoms nearest to her deepened into a gentle pink, then brightened into serene white.
"Ah," said the professor, smiling faintly. "Calm, curious, and honest intent. The Auravine approves."
The class murmured in admiration.
"One by one," he continued, "come and give it a try. Do not force your mana - simply breathe."
The first student, Scott, stepped forward eagerly. The blossoms near him burst into pale blue, cool and playful.
"Hmm," said Lloven, "ice affinity... confidence with a hint of mischief. Fitting."
Laughter rippled through the class.
Next was Finn, whose calm presence turned the blossoms earthy green.
"Grounded," Lloven said approvingly. "Reliable, composed - the kind roots admire."
Then came Tessa, whose aura made the vine bloom with gold and white - pure curiosity and wonder.
"Beautiful," someone whispered.
One by one, the students approached. The Auravine danced with color, responding to each in turn - until the professor's gaze shifted to the back.
"You there," he said. "Axel. Step forward."
Axel rose slowly. His presence seemed to dim the air - not dark, but muted. As he neared the vine, the blossoms hesitated. For a heartbeat, no color appeared at all.
A few students exchanged uneasy glances.
Then, at the vine's heart, a single blossom turned violet, flickering between blue and black as though undecided.
Professor Lloven's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Curious..." he murmured. "Violet - the color of duality. Conflict of emotion and will. The Auravine does not judge, Axel... but it remembers."
Axel said nothing. His hand trembled briefly before he turned away.
Thomas Charles, strode forward with a confident grin. "I only hope I don't outshine your class, Professor."
A few Veil students rolled their eyes.
Thomas placed his hand above the vine, and at once its blossoms flared green and gold, crackling with electric energy.
"Lightning - fierce, untamed," Lloven said evenly. "But I sense arrogance. Pride feeds the storm faster than mana does."
Thomas smirked. "A small price for brilliance."
Next came Rhys, his aura steadier. The vine shimmered a soft crimson glow.
"Controlled passion," said the professor. "Rare among water wielders. Keep that balance."
Finally, his gaze turned to the last royal.
"Irys Spartan," Lloven said, voice calm yet expectant. "The vine awaits you."
The room fell silent.
Irys stepped forward, every motion measured. As his hand hovered above the vine, it erupted into white flame - not hot, not blinding, but radiant. The entire greenhouse filled with a serene light, like dawn piercing the morning fog.
The vine bowed, its tips curling as if in reverence.
Professor Lloven smiled faintly.
"Light and authority," he murmured. "A presence that commands - not by force, but by inevitability."
Irys lowered his hand slowly. His eyes met Axel's across the room - white light reflected in one, faint violet in the other.
Then the Auravine dimmed, returning to rest.
Professor Lloven clasped his hands.
"Now you see why the Auravine is sacred to the study of mana. It reveals not what we do, but who we are."
His gaze swept the class.
"Some of you burn. Some of you bloom. And some... walk in shadow. Remember, every power - light or dark - shares the same root."
The bell rang softly outside.
As the students filed out - some whispering, some glancing - the Auravine pulsed one last time, a soft flicker of violet and white intertwining, before fading into stillness.
The sun had already begun its slow descent, spilling amber light across the academy courtyard. Students drifted away from the greenhouse in clusters, still murmuring about the Auravine and what their colors might mean.
Axel walked alone, his hands in his pockets, eyes fixed on the cobblestone path ahead. The faint smell of soil clung to his robe, and though he tried to ignore it, the professor's words echoed faintly in his mind.
"The Auravine does not judge, Axel... but it remembers."
He scoffed under his breath. "So do people," he muttered.
"Talking to yourself already?"
The voice came from above - calm, cool, familiar. Irys was leaning against the marble railing near the fountain, the dying sunlight catching on his silver insignia. His expression was unreadable, but his tone carried the slightest trace of amusement.
Axel slowed but didn't stop. "Didn't realize royalty had time to eavesdrop."
"I wasn't eavesdropping," Irys said, straightening. "I was observing."
"Same thing."
"Not quite." Irys stepped down from the railing, closing the distance between them. "Observation sees what others miss. Like how the Auravine reacted to you."
Axel's gaze flicked upward, wary but steady. "You mean how it couldn't decide?"
Irys's lips curved - not quite a smile, not quite mockery. "Maybe it decided perfectly."
The courtyard fell quiet for a moment, save for the low hum of the fountain and the distant chatter of students heading back to their dorms.
"You think darkness defines you," Irys said finally. "But I don't think it does. It just... reveals what you're fighting to hide."
Axel exhaled slowly, the words cutting deeper than he wanted to admit. "You speak like you understand it."
"I don't." Irys's eyes caught the light, gold flaring against the dusk. "But I will."
They stood there - two sons of the same name, divided by everything yet bound by something neither could name.
Then Irys turned, his cloak brushing the stones as he walked away.
"See you in the next class," he said, his voice calm but carrying an edge that lingered. "Try not to fade before then."
Axel watched him disappear into the orange haze of sunset. A faint shimmer rippled across the cobblestones where his shadow fell - the same flicker of violet from before.
He stared at it until it vanished.