The streets of Elaris shimmered under the morning sun. Thin mana circuits ran through the pavement, glowing softly as the bus moved forward. A steady hum filled the air, vibrating through the seats and metal walls.
Ren Calder rested his forehead against the cool window and watched the city pass by.
Tall towers covered in glowing runes stretched into the sky. People walked below with charm crystals hanging from their belts. Floating carriages drifted smoothly between buildings.
The bus slowed at a corner and stopped with a quiet hiss as its mana engines adjusted. The doors slid open.
A boy stepped in, bringing with him the fresh scent of spring—and trouble.
Watson.
He was lean, with sandy-brown hair falling over bright green eyes. His grin alone was enough to promise chaos. He moved easily down the aisle, scanning the seats until he spotted Ren.
"Finally!" Watson said, dropping into the seat beside him. "I thought you'd skip school and disappear forever."
Ren blinked calmly and tightened his grip on his bag. "I'm here. You're late."
"Late? Never," Watson said, leaning back with a smirk. "The world's just early. Anyway,
today's your big day. First-years showing their mana affinity. The whole school's talking about it. Planning to embarrass us all?"
Ren's lips twitched slightly. "You'd enjoy that, wouldn't you?"
Watson laughed and nudged him with his elbow. "Absolutely."
The bus moved again, passing rune-carved towers that glowed faintly even in daylight. Below, the city buzzed with life. Vendors shouted prices for enchanted items. Children practiced small spells on the sidewalks. Merchants adjusted floating carts using mana tools.
From the window, Ren could feel the balance. Magic and machines working together so smoothly it felt normal.
Watson poked his side. "Hey. You're drifting again."
"I'm just watching," Ren said quietly. His eyes followed a group of students shaping small spheres of mana. "The city feels alive."
Watson snorted. "You think too much. Relax. Exams aren't today."
Ren didn't reply. He kept looking outside.
Soon, the bus turned onto a wide road leading to the academy. The massive building stood tall, made of polished stone and crystal panels. Spires rose from the courtyard, marked with symbols of the five major disciplines: geometry, economics, history, mana control, and magic theory. Floating lamps lit the paths in a soft blue glow.
Students poured in, some chatting loudly, others half-asleep with spellbooks in hand.
Watson jumped off the bus and waved. "Race you inside!"
Ren followed at his own pace, walking through the large doors. Inside, the air smelled of old parchment, herbs, and warm mana.
The halls were crowded. Glowing runes floated above classroom doors. Teachers moved quickly, correcting spells and guiding students.
Ren entered his classroom on the third floor and sat beside Watson on the last bench. It was an ordinary room. Nothing was special about it.
After a while, the first class began.
Geometry.
The subject focused on Qiyun's structure—planetary mapping and spatial calculations.
The teacher, a tall woman with silver-streaked hair, stood beside a large floating holomap.
"Good morning," she said.
"Good morning, ma'am," the students replied.
"Today, we'll revise the continents of Qiyun and their geometric relationships," she continued. "This knowledge is essential for advanced mana applications."
A wave of groans filled the room.
Ren rested his chin on his hand as Watson scribbled notes, whispering complaints about distances between continents.
The holomap glowed with color—shimmering oceans, mountain ranges crossed by leylines, and cities outlined in precise runes.
Watson leaned over. "I hate continental distances. Worst thing ever."
Ren allowed a small smirk. "Everything follows patterns. Mana, land, people. If you observe them carefully, then it's predictable."
Watson grinned. "Ohh! Now I understand it. That's why you're my favorite nerd. But don't call me stupid."
He chuckled.
"Ahem."
Both froze.
The teacher looked straight at them.
"Watson," she said calmly, "do you have something new to share with the class?"
Watson swallowed. "N-no, ma'am."
"Then why," she asked, raising an eyebrow, "are you talking?"
Silence fell over the classroom.
Watson straightened in his seat, eyes fixed on his notebook. "Sorry, ma'am," he muttered.
The teacher nodded once and turned back to the holomap. "As I was saying."
The lesson continued. Lines and symbols shifted across the glowing projection.
Distances, angles, connections. Continents linked by invisible geometry. Most students half listened. A few dozed. Chalk scratched softly. Mana hummed in the air.
Ren watched it carefully. His eyes followed the map, but his thoughts drifted elsewhere. Beneath the clean lines and perfect measurements, he felt something wrong. Tiny distortions, as if the map was hiding cracks it did not want to show.
Watson leaned closer and whispered, barely moving his lips, "You alive back there?"
Ren did not answer.
The teacher suddenly paused. Her fingers hovered in the air as the holomap froze.
"Ren Calder."
The room stiffened.
Ren looked up. "Yes, ma'am."
"Tell me," she said, studying him, "what connects Solara and Noctis geometrically?"
A few students turned to stare. Watson held his breath.
Ren stood slowly. "They are positioned opposite in curvature," he said calmly. "Not just by distance, but by mana polarity. One stabilizes. The other absorbs. That is why direct transport between them is restricted."
The room went quiet.
The teacher watched him for a moment, then nodded. "Correct. Sit down."
Ren sat.
Watson leaned in, eyes wide. "You did not even open the book."
"I did not need to," Ren replied.
The bell rang moments later, sharp and loud. Students stirred. Chairs scraped against the floor as relief spread through the room.
Watson stretched. "Next class is Mana Control. Please tell me you will carry me again."
Ren picked up his bag. "Pay attention this time."
Watson grinned. "No promises."
They stepped into the corridor, joining the flow of students moving through the glowing halls.
The next class came quickly.
Economics.
Students settled into their seats as holographic panels lit up across the room.
Floating ledgers appeared in the air, filled with numbers, trade routes, currency symbols, and shifting graphs that mapped the lifeblood of Elaris.
"Our city is a center of mana commerce," the instructor said, tapping the air to expand one of the displays. "Mana is not just power. It is currency, influence, and control. To understand Elaris, you must understand how resources move."
The projection shifted, dividing the population into layers. Nobles. Merchant guilds. Laborers. Licensed magic users.
Ren followed the patterns quietly. Every group had its role. Every privilege was tied to mana access. Even wealth followed invisible channels, flowing where mana was allowed to flow. It was not chaos. It was designed.
He could see it clearly. Who controlled the gates. Who paid the price. Who benefited without lifting a hand.
Watson leaned closer, whispering, "You ever notice how this feels more like spellwork than math?"
Ren glanced at the displays again. "It is the same thing," he said softly. "Patterns. Predictable, if you pay attention. Mana, money, people."
Watson smiled. "Good. I will keep pretending not to understand while you secretly rule the world. Hehe!"
Ren shook his head, but a small smile slipped through.
The bell rang soon after.
Break time.
They stepped into the courtyard, sunlight reflecting off mana lamps and polished stone. Students gathered in small groups, laughing, arguing, trading snacks and rumors.
Near one of the glowing lamp posts stood Mira.
Watson spotted her instantly. "Well," he said, walking over with confidence, "if it is not the queen of nagging herself."
Mira crossed her arms. "And you must be the prince of poor decisions."
Ren stayed back, watching them trade words like it was a familiar routine. The laughter, the teasing, the way Mira rolled her eyes even while smiling. It grounded him. This place. These people.
Watson leaned closer to Mira and whispered something that made her groan loudly.
"This," Watson announced proudly, turning to Ren, "is why break time exists."
"You are exhausted," Mira said.
"And yet unforgettable," Watson replied.
Ren allowed himself another faint smile. The moment was ordinary, but he felt the mana around them shift slightly, responding to him without effort. He ignored it.
The break ended too soon.
They walked back toward their classrooms, Watson and Mira still trading playful insults as they parted ways.
Magic class came last.
The room felt different from the others. Mana flowed openly here, humming through the walls, the floor, the air itself. It vibrated softly, like a living thing.
The instructor, an older man with weathered hands, stood at the front as a student carefully lifted a small crystal using basic mana channels.
"This is awakening," the teacher said. "Mana responds to awareness before skill. Feel first. Then a guide. Force will only invite instability."
Ren felt his chest tighten.
He clenched his fists slightly, grounding himself as the room's hum masked the subtle tremor moving through his body.
Watson leaned over. "You are going to try, right?"
Ren nodded, eyes fixed on the floating crystal. "Yes."
Watson grinned. "Try not to break the ceiling."
Ren let out a quiet breath. "Hehe! I will not."
For the first time that day, his smile was real.