Silence filled the classroom.
Nobody spoke; nobody dared to move.
The girl that asked that emotional question put her hand down, sniffled back her tears and glared at the professor.
But Gavin noticed something.
Her back appeared straighter, like there was determination to her now-a goal for her to achieve.
"I am not here to be your friend," Professor Okeeba declared.
"I am here to weed out the weak, push those with the right convictions, and train the future Magi of this continent. So, if you don't have the resolve to see battles through, to know that friends or loved ones might be lost because you lacked the strength to protect them, then there is the door. You can leave this program at any time, with no questions asked."
He inclined his head towards the door at the rear of the classroom.
Gavin bristled slightly at the attitude. "Sir, you're supposed to be a professor and teach everyone. Yet, you appear so callous and uncaring to what we went through. The first year students would have been slaughtered that day if…" Gavin didn't finish. His words choked off into an angry curse as tears pricked his eyes.
How many more lives will I have to take before this crap is over?
Professor Okeeba turned to face him. "Boy. Do not mistake practical reality for indifference. Just as you and your friends held off the enemy by the shelter, so too did the staff at other locations around the campus. You are not the only one with blood on their hands. Nor are you the only one affected by the bloodshed."
An ominous pressure filled the room. It was like a weight pressed down on them as Professor Okeeba's mana filled the room around them. His eyes narrowed on Gavin. "You think, because you know first hand what it's like to take a life, that you know better than myself or the other staff? That because you can use all six natural elemental magic, that makes you better than your peers?"
Gavin stood up, his chair scrapping against the floor. Erza grabbed his arm in warning, which he shook off. His eyes were glowing bright red as he glared down at the professor. "You know nothing about me, professor. Where were you, when five other staff members died protecting the shelter? Where were you, when the rest of us where left to die, exposed to those lunatics that wanted to kill us all?" Gavin snarled back, refusing to back down.
Gavin released his own mana in response to the words from Professor Okeeba. The crimson energy battled against the golden mana as they competed for dominance. Other students gasped at the display and cried out in alarm as the tension grew thick and heavy in the air.
Professor Okeeba paused for a moment as he took stock of the situation. Gavin was physically trembling as he stood at his desk. The red headed woman next to him was calmer, yet she was focused primarily on him, as if ready to strike and back up Gavin. With a heavy sigh Professor Okeeba dropped his mana and held his hands out. "The simple truth of the matter, we were caught unprepared."
The honesty in that tone took most of the fight out of Gavin as he did a double take. "Sir?" he asked.
"We never imagined the enemy, named The True Lord's Army, would be bold enough to attack one of the academies or large institutions directly. We failed you, when you all needed us most. Because of that failure, lives were lost." Professor Okeeba spoke loudly to the class.
"I had hoped by authorizing direct action of the students, that some of the casualties would be minimized. But, we underestimated the sheer number of enemy combatants they brought with them." He bowed his head low in apology.
"I can't change the past, students. But I can promise to train you, to push you to the extreme, to do everything in my power to make sure none of you ever fall victim to that kind of powerlessness again."
More students sat straighter in their chairs; Professor Okeeba's words resonating with them.
"I think to start with, I'll introduce you to something normally only taught to third year students." Professor Okeeba said. He turned and walked toward the board. His hands moved quickly as they drew diagrams of the human body, complete with internal pathways.
"Who can explain the concept of Mana circuits, and the core principal of magic itself?" Professor Okeeba asked.
Erza raised her hand. "Everyone has a degree of Mana flow inside their bodies naturally. Some have more, some have less. It can be increased over time through patience, practice and dedication. Like a muscle that needs to be exercised to grow and strengthen." Erza began.
When Professor Okeeba inclined his head to her, she continued. "Mana circuits, are the pathways inside the body that mana flows through. Like arteries our blood uses. The mana flows through the circuits that run our entire bodies, from the center of our chest out to our limbs. It's what enable us to control and bend mana to our will, using Magic."
"Very good. Not a bad answer to either question. Yes, the mana circuits control the flow of internal mana inside the body, but they also have another purpose." Professor Okeeba drew another diagram. This time it was a human figure with two parrallel running lines running the same course internally as the first one.
"Long ago, mankind discovered a different source of energy resided within every soul. While mana directly affected the world outside the body, this energy affected the body internally. It is known as Qi energy. Energy of the body and life itself." He used different colors for each of the paths on the diagram; blue for magic, red for Qi.
Gavin's brow furrowed. "Sir, if there is another form of energy we can harness and use, why only teach this to third year students normally?"
Professor Okeeba turned to face him. "Because, learning and practicing harnessing your Qi is a dangerous gamble. Your body can only handle so much Qi at one time. Harness too much and it can have dangerous consequences. For example. Say you wanted to harness Qi energy into your legs. You could propel yourself forward with incredible speed, jump over large obstacles, brace your body for a rough landing from a high fall. Use too much Qi that your body isn't used to, or can't tolerate and your likely to literally cause your legs to explode." His tone was deadpan with no humor or mirth and several students gasped in alarm.
"The only reason I am willing to start teaching this to you first year students now, is due to the events that you all have survived. You all went through something traumatic and yet still chose to return, to grow and be of service in life. That kind of dedication deserves its own recognition and respect." Professor Okeeba explained.
"Qi is the counter balance to Mana, as everything in life is balanced. Learning to control both of these energies is the pinnacle of what a great Magi is."
The bell rang out overhead, breaking the serious tone of the class.
"Everyone, meet tomorrow at the small arena for the start of class. We will have a small demonstration planned of sorts." Professor Okeeba announced as he began clearing the board.
For the rest of the day, Gavin noticed a similar, repeating pattern with each of his classes. Each of the professors had some speech about surviving through the attack, learning to become strong, great Magi etc. In each class there were students that were still resentful, angry, or emotionally upset with the staff over the events that transpired.
Several students walked out, apparently thinking the responses from the staff unsatisfactory, throwing their arm bands on the ground behind them.
Gavin glanced down at his, still surprised by the rank eight the academy gave him following his test that was interrupted and the consequential attack on the academy. He had the highest rank among the first year students, while Erza was given a five. Principal Shepard said the decisions were based off their combat skills in protecting the other students and surviving countless enemy soldiers.
The end of the first day couldn't come soon enough. Hours of classes, drilling in the same warnings about magic, the enemy out there, and being protected for the future wore Gavin down mentally as they walked out of the school building into the bright afternoon sun.
Erza stretched her arms over her head and groaned. "I thought that day would never end. Honestly, the amount of students that wanted to attack the staff kinda surprised me."
Gavin nodded as he kept walking. "I'd have thought, if they were that unhappy with the way things were handled, they wouldn't even come back. Kinda seems pointless. But, maybe that's what they needed for their own form of closure or something?" Gavin mused.
"That makes a strange kind of sense. Not every can mentally handle going through something that dark. I think we can, only because it isn't our first time around death and battle, or maybe we are just more fucked up in the head than I want to admit right now," Erza admitted with a laugh.
Gavin's laughter joined with hers. "Probably a mixture of both honestly. Let's face it, we've been through some messed up shit over this last six months. We aren't the same people we were when I first asked you out," Gavin intertwined his fingers with hers as they walked.
"Still no regrets on that first date?" he asked her.
She glared at him out of the corner of her eye. "Oh I know you did not just ask me that again wolf boy." She playfully smacked the back of his head, a sly grin on her lips. "You know better."
Gavin rubbed the back of his head, feigning injury and flashed her a woflish grin. "Just checking."
He turned down the path, moving between the crowds of students towards the administration building. "Come on, let's get those documents we found to my grandfather."