The academy grounds were buzzing with excitement. Students dashed across cobblestone paths, practicing spells, levitating objects, and testing shields. Towers gleamed in the sunlight, and banners fluttered with the academy emblem.
Elian adjusted his satchel nervously. It was his first day as a student, and everything felt enormous—the towering classrooms, the sprawling grounds, and the number of students. He drew a deep breath. First day… time to figure this place out.
The first class was Magic Theory, held in a grand circular room with high arched ceilings. Floating lights illuminated spell diagrams on the walls. Students took seats quickly, whispering about the new boy—the one who could hit every target perfectly despite weak magic.
Elian found a seat near the back, quietly observing the room. Teachers explained elemental spells, magical trajectories, and mana control.
His sparks were small and weak, but his mind worked faster than his hands. He calculated, memorized, and predicted. Every small demonstration he tried hit perfectly. Other students noticed.
"Even without strong magic… he's flawless," whispered a classmate.
"He must be trying to impress Lyra," another added.
The classroom doors opened suddenly. Lyra stepped in, silver hair glinting in the sunlight, eyes scanning the room. Her tall, proud posture drew every gaze immediately. Students whispered, impressed and intimidated.
Elian noticed her instantly. She was attitude-filled, sharp, and clearly used to attention. But today, she seemed almost bored—flipping through her spellbook and scanning the room with a faint frown.
"New student… probably trying to show off," she thought, spotting Elian in the back row. "He looks so calm. Too calm. Is he trying to impress me?"
Elian didn't look away from her, though he didn't act flashy either. His calm confidence seemed to irritate her, and that made him smile faintly inside.
After classes, students moved to the practice grounds. Lyra, restless and looking for excitement, challenged him aloud.
"New student! If your sparks are really that perfect, prove it. Let's see if you can hit my targets," she called, smirking.
A small crowd gathered, whispering and watching eagerly. Elian stepped forward calmly, his sparks tiny but precise. Every fireball hit its target perfectly, bouncing off stones and walls with careful calculation.
Students whispered again.
"He's incredible… even weak magic, and still perfect!"
"He's definitely trying to impress Lyra!"
"First day, and he's already challenging her?!"
Lyra's brow furrowed. She was annoyed, but a flicker of curiosity appeared in her eyes. "How… how is he doing this?"
Elian didn't break concentration. His calm, confident expression never wavered. His sparks hit target after target, and yet, there was something strange about him—an unseen precision beyond normal skill.
As he adjusted a spark for a particularly difficult target, a faint golden glow flashed in his eyes, unnoticed by most. His chest, under his shirt, felt warm—the black-and-white wings of his seal pulsed softly.
He didn't understand it, but the spark of golden light seemed to guide the fireball, making it hit perfectly. He had done it without thinking, almost subconsciously.
Lyra blinked, sensing something odd. She shook her head, pretending to be indifferent. "He's… different. And why does he seem so calm? Weak magic… but perfect? Hmph."
The timer ran out. Lyra hit thirty-nine targets. Elian's tiny sparks, carefully calculated, struck forty.
The crowd cheered.
"He won! He beat Lyra!"
"First day, and he's already remarkable!"
"He must be trying to impress her!"
Lyra crossed her arms, cheeks tinged slightly pink. She glared at him, pretending annoyance, but couldn't hide her curiosity.
Elian smiled faintly, calm and confident. "Looks like I win lunch," he said softly.
"Don't think this means anything," she replied, trying to sound proud.
But the students were whispering, noticing the sparks of tension and romance. Everyone thought he was trying to impress Lyra, while the boy himself only knew he had simply done what he always did: think, calculate, and act perfectly.
By evening, Elian returned to the dorms. His chest seal pulsed faintly, his golden eyes glimmered in reflection, and though he didn't understand it, something within him was stirring.
The child of hope had taken his first steps into the academy, capturing attention, sparking rivalry, and hinting at powers he had yet to understand.