"Alright," Silva announced. "First up — Mia. Come here to the front, darling."
"Oh! Okay!"
Mia pulled herself from her seat and skipped down the aisle until she was standing face to face with Silva. Or rather, as face-to-face as it could possibly get. With Silva's towering frame, Mia was like a child standing next to her like that.
"Now, here is what's going to happen. I'm going to take a seat right here, and you lot will try to put me under your spell. I care not for the method, as long as I can clearly tell that I've been trapped in the illusion."
Silva gracefully sat on the chair, crossing her legs.
"Now then, Mia. Remember, illusion spells are cast by hijacking your opponent's senses, making them feel, hear, or see things that aren't there. Maintaining eye contact is mandatory. Otherwise, the spell will collapse. Understood?"
"Yes, Professor!"
"Good. Let us get started."
Mia inhaled sharply and steadied her gaze.
"Okay... Here I go."
She took a step forward, holding her fists at her chest. Her brows furrowed, and she bit her lips as if intensely concentrating.
Meanwhile, the others watched with great anticipation. Zed leaned over his desk, hovering behind Caelus and Castorica.
"Whoa... You guys feel that, right?" he whispered. "I think Mia's actually doing it."
"Indeed," Castorica replied. "Admittedly, I was doubtful of Mia's capabilities, but with such a high concentration of mana... I think it's safe to say that she passed."
"Phew. I'm feeling kind of nervous now."
"Just relax. As long as you follow the professor's instructions, you should be—"
"Mia, darling," Silva's voice cut in.
"Y-yes, Professor?"
"You can go ahead and cast the illusion spell now."
The entire lecture hall fell into a long, deafening silence. It was as if the Ego of Strife himself had turned his gaze on them, and the air grew colder.
"...Eh?" Zed mumbled.
"W-wait, what?" Mia gulped. "You weren't... already under an illusion, Professor?"
Silva tilted her head, confused.
"Mia... you didn't already cast the spell, did you?"
"I... I did..."
Somehow, the silence grew even louder. Mia once said she chose this class because of how unpopular it was. Fewer people meant fewer chances to embarrass herself. But now, standing at the front of a class of three, it didn't feel any less mortifying.
No one dared speak, as Mia looked like she was one word away from crying.
Silva quickly stood up and rushed to her side, holding her while petting her head.
"There, there, darling," she said soothingly. "No need to feel so down. I'm sure the others were aware of your efforts. Right, everyone?"
"Y-yeah, Mia!" Zed quickly said. "Don't worry. We knew how hard you were trying."
"You probably couldn't feel it, Mia, but the mana concentration was abnormally high," Castorica chimed in. "Your mana capacity surpasses a great majority of other students. That much, I can tell."
"R-really...?"
"Of course. So don't cry. It's gonna make things more awkward."
Mia tilted her head to the ground, then took a deep breath and smacked her own cheeks as hard as she could.
"Phew... Okay. I think I'm alright now," she said.
Silva rested a hand on her shoulder with a smile.
"As Castorica mentioned, your mana capacity is astonishing. You just need to work on your focus and efficiency. Without them, proficiency in mana control means nothing. Understood?
"Y-yes, Professor!"
"Hehe, very good. Now, go and have a seat."
While Mia hopped off the stage and rushed down the aisle again, Silva was just about to speak until a sudden ringing plagued her head. First came the dizziness, then she almost lost her footing.
"Huh? Professor?" Zed called out. "Are you alright?"
"Ah... I'm fine, darling."
After recovering from that bizarre moment of daze, Silva turned her attention to Mia, who was chatting away with Castorica.
That wasn't just a simple migraine. Silva had purposely let her guard down to give Mia a fighting chance — sure, but that didn't mean she had let her off easily.
Mia may have missed the initial mark, but the delayed effect was an entirely different story. It means that her mana capacity wasn't just abnormally large. It was enough to break through the barrier around her mind.
If Silva sets her on the right path, Mia could very well become a Grand Master of the next generation. Just the thought of it was enough to make her smile.
"How very interesting..." she mumbled under her breath. "Alas, let us continue. Zed. You're up next."
Reluctantly, Zed made his way to the front while fidgeting with his fingers. Nervous was an understatement to describe the way he felt.
"Alright, Zed," Silva said as she sat down. "Same thing. I'll sit here, and you'll attempt to trap me in your illusion. Are you ready?"
"I think so," he gulped. "Here I go."
Zed locked eyes with Silva, but he folded immediately. Her gentle eyes pierced through his, and all he could think about was how beautiful she was. His body stiffened, his breath came to a halt, and his heart accelerated.
From the seats, Castorica raised a brow.
"Are we sure he's not the one falling for an illusion right now?" she whispered.
"Well, he's certainly doing better than me," Mia said.
"I mean... is he really?"
Eventually, Zed gave up on trying to resist Silva's unintentional charm and went all in. He threw an arm out, maintaining eye contact as best as he could.
Nothing seemed to happen. Silva had no visible reaction, and Zed was still struggling to control the flow of mana.
Then, the professor spoke.
"...Zed, dear..."
"Y-yes, Professor?"
"I know that I told you to put me under your spell, but this seems rather... inappropriate."
Upon this day at Rhodeia College's class for Dark Magic, jaws were dropped.
"...Huh?" Castorica mumbled.
"Zed?" Mia gulped. "What did you...?"
His face immediately lit up like the ripest tomato.
"Hold on! Wait!" he retaliated. "It's not what you guys are thinking! Tell them, Professor!"
"Fufu~ I don't know."
"P-Professor!"
"Hehe, I'm joking, darling. No, he did not place me under a naughty illusion, but it was slightly... interesting. I'm flattered you think of me in such a way, Zed."
He couldn't say anything else after that, so he quietly went back to his seat, keeping his head down the whole way.
"Hmm... We're rather pressed for time today," Silva said. "We might have to do one of you tomorrow. Any volunteers among the last two?"
Castorica shot out of her seat with her hand raised.
"I'll go."
"Splendid! Come along, darling."
Castorica met Silva at the front, and they went through the same drill. Silva sat on the chair while she readied herself.
"Whenever you're ready," Silva said.
With a deep breath, Castorica shut her eyes. The moment she reopened them, Silva felt a rush of cold seeping into her very essence.
The classroom around her melted, replaced by what seemed to be a ruined chapel. The mosaic windows lining the walls were shattered. Shattered rocks littered the ground. Fallen marble columns created an uneven path between rows upon rows of bench seats.
"The Temple of Kazpel," Silva mumbled. "Was there a reason you wanted to show me this, darling?"
From behind a crack column came the student, her pink hair swaying, and her sapphire eyes gleaming with subtle hatred.
"Do you remember when this place fell all those years ago?" she asked. "The White Dragon clan fought a long, grueling battle, but in the end... they were no match for the Black Dragons, who surrendered themselves to the Ego of Strife. So much blood was spilled. So many bodies fell. But most importantly... you were there, Silva Ains. My brother protected you. My family protected you. And in your place... they died."
She recalled the screams of her family, the splatters of red painting these hallowed walls, and the crumbling of the structure as the Black Dragons stormed through the gates.
Silva shut her eyes.
"Yes," she answered. "I remember that day very clearly. You were just a little girl then. Not a day goes by that I am not thankful for your clan and their hospitality."
"Hah. Yeah, I bet. I'm sure they're real happy to receive your thanks in the grave."
"...I'm sorry. Even if it was an accident, I caused the extinction of your clan by leading the Black Dragon clan to them. I understand that, and I regret it. If I could go back, I never would've confided in Archeota."
"You came to that realization a tad bit too late."
"Then what would you have me do, Castorica Lancinox? Should I kill myself? Will that make you happy?"
Castorica narrowed her deathly gaze but ultimately decided against the idea.
"No," she replied, her voice resolute. "As much as I hate you, I love my brother more. And he wouldn't want you dead. So... I'll tolerate you for now, Professor, but put my brother in the same danger you did back then... and I'll kill you."
"...I understand.
The Temple of Kazpel collapsed along with the illusion, and the pair were now standing face to face again. But to the other students, nothing had changed... except, something did change. The atmosphere was a lot heavier, and neither of them was saying a word.
Then, Silva took a deep breath and glanced over to Caelus.
"Looks like we're out of time for today," she said with that usual smile. "We'll get to you tomorrow, Caelus."