The sun poured golden light through the stained-glass windows of Astra Magic Academy's great hall, casting shifting mosaics on the marble floor. Hoshizora Airi sat quietly at a table in the farthest corner, her silver hair shimmering beneath her dark hood. Around her, students bustled with excitement—the day of elemental affinity testing had finally arrived.
Airi sipped her herbal tea calmly. In her previous life, she had witnessed thousands of such rituals—where a magician's innate affinity with a natural element was revealed through a test of mana resonance. For most, this day decided their future.
But not for her.
For her, it was merely a performance.
Across the room, students were grouped by rank and background. Nobles clustered together in fine robes embroidered with family crests. Commoners lingered at the edges, clutching worn tomes and whispering anxiously. Airi's name was unknown to most, and she intended to keep it that way.
"Airi-san," a familiar voice called.
She turned and saw Rin Sato, her shy roommate with short brown hair and warm, nervous eyes. She clutched her wand tight, visibly trembling.
"I-I'm so nervous," Rin stammered. "What if I don't have any affinity at all?"
Airi smiled gently. "You'll do fine, Rin-chan. Trust your mana. It already knows who you are."
The announcement bell rang.
"All first-year students, proceed to the Resonance Chamber immediately," the enchanted voice echoed across the halls.
The two girls walked side by side, the buzz of footsteps and whispers surrounding them. As they entered the chamber, a large circular arena greeted them. At the center stood a towering crystal known as the Mana Prism, its surface flickering with the seven core elemental colors—Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, Lightning, Ice, and Light.
The Head Mage, a tall man with a flowing indigo cloak and a staff of runed steel, stood beside the prism. His voice rang out clear.
"Each of you will place your hand on the prism. It will channel your internal mana and reveal your natural affinity—or affinities."
Airi's eyes flickered for a moment. They'll be looking for single-element talents, she thought. Dual affinities are rare. Triple are unheard of.
And yet… she possessed all seven.
But revealing that would shatter the peace she so carefully crafted. She couldn't afford to stand out—not yet.
Rin was called forward. Her hand trembled as she touched the prism. A bright wave of turquoise light surged from within, swirling around her.
"Water affinity!" the Head Mage announced.
Rin beamed in relief and returned to her place, waving excitedly at Airi.
Then came the nobles. Fire. Lightning. Wind. Applause echoed for each of them, especially for a cocky boy named Daigo Hoshino, who ignited a burst of flame from his palm immediately after the prism glowed red.
"And now," the Head Mage said, "Hoshizora Airi."
A quiet hush fell over the room.
She stepped forward slowly. Her fingers brushed the cold crystal, and for a brief moment, the mana inside responded wildly—colors swirling chaotically. She immediately suppressed her internal mana, allowing only a faint green light to pulse outward.
"Wind affinity," the Head Mage said simply.
A few students smirked dismissively.
"Wind? That's average," someone whispered.
"Another background character."
Airi stepped back, inwardly amused. Perfect, she thought. Let them believe I'm weak.
But as she turned to leave, she caught the eye of someone watching her intensely—Professor Akegami, the Advanced Spell Theory instructor. His crimson robes billowed slightly, and his eyes narrowed with suspicion.
He sensed it, Airi realized. I let too much slip…
Later that evening, in her dorm room, Airi opened a hidden compartment beneath her bed and pulled out a tome wrapped in old black silk—The Grimoire of Yami no Tenchi, the legendary spellbook she had created in her past life.
She lit a barrier of silence and turned the pages.
The symbols still pulsed with forbidden mana.
"Mana disturbances in the Prism," she whispered, scanning a report she had stolen from the archives. "A rise in dark-type fluctuations… Could it be… another reincarnator?"
A cold thrill ran through her.
If someone else from her world had also returned—especially someone with malicious intent—they might be hiding just as she was. But she had enemies from her past who might seek vengeance. She had to be careful.
Suddenly, her door creaked.
She spun, snapping her fingers to dismiss the silence field.
Rin stood in the doorway, holding a tray of snacks.
"I-I brought you some fruit mochi," she said. "You didn't eat at dinner."
Airi smiled softly. "Thank you, Rin-chan."
As Rin sat beside her, Airi couldn't help but feel a warmth she hadn't experienced in centuries. A friend. A real one.
They chatted about the resonance tests, professors, and the classes starting tomorrow. Rin's voice eventually faded as she fell asleep on Airi's shoulder.
But Airi's mind remained alert.
She sensed something—just beyond the academy walls.
A mana pulse. Faint. Dark. Twisted.
Something—or someone—was watching.