Professor Jane walked to the center of the small classroom, the soft white glow from the smart board outlining her snow-colored hair. She folded her hands gently, her calm gaze shifting between Ethan and Sofia.
"Alright," she said softly, "before we begin anything advanced… let me ask you both a simple question."
She turned to Sofia first.
"Sofia… what is Light, according to you?"
Sofia straightened quickly, eager to redeem herself after her earlier outburst.
"Well… Light is something that helps us see," she replied carefully. "It's… brightness. It removes darkness."
Professor Jane nodded with a polite smile.
"Good. A basic but correct understanding."
Then she turned her eyes to Ethan.
"What about you, Ethan? What is Light?"
Ethan took a breath. His voice was calm, steady—deeper and more mature than boys his age.
"Light is an element," he answered. "Just like fire, wind, or water. It's a form of energy that can be shaped and used… depending on how the fragment interacts with it."
Professor Jane's expression brightened immediately.
"Correct," she said warmly. "Very good."
Sofia blinked, surprised at the different reactions.
Professor Jane clasped her hands behind her back and began walking slowly, step by step, as if giving them time to absorb each word.
"Light," she began, "is one of the foundational elements that exist naturally in the world. It's not just brightness… it's energy—pure, active energy."
She raised her hand, and a small glowing orb formed on her palm, white and gentle like morning sunlight.
"Fragments don't create Light. They channel it.
Your fragment core synchronizes with the natural world, pulls in Light energy, and converts it into a form your body can use."
The orb floated, then split into two smaller orbs.
"Every Light user manipulates this energy differently. That depends on the shape of your fragment."
Her gaze went to Ethan.
"A triangle Light fragment, for example… has three points of variation. Three paths your Light can take."
Then she looked at Sofia.
"A rhombus… has four. Four facets, four potential transformations. Quite rare."
The white orb dimmed and faded.
"Light can be used for many things—speed, illusion, destruction, healing, displacement, even shielding. It depends entirely on your control, your understanding, and your fragment's structure."
She tapped her finger against the desk once.
"Ethan, your answer was correct because Light is an element. It has weight, temperature, and intensity. It can push, burn, bend, or break."
She turned to Sofia again.
"And yes, it helps us see… but that is the smallest part of what Light truly is."
Professor Jane walked back to her chair and sat gracefully.
"In this class," she said softly, her voice almost melodic,
"you will learn not how to create Light… but how to shape it, ride it, cut it, and become faster than a blink."
Her eyes glimmered like moonlit snow.
Professor Jane gently lifted her right hand, palm facing upward.
"Now," she said softly, "let me show you something."
A faint hum filled the classroom—soft, steady, like a small vibration moving through the air. Then, a shape shimmered into existence above her palm.
A pentagon.
Bright, perfectly symmetrical, and glowing with a soft white radiance.
But it wasn't only the shape that stunned Ethan.
Across the pentagon's surface were strange markings—dot… space… dot… space—like the stitched pattern on a football. The markings pulsed with light, dimming and brightening in a steady rhythm.
Ethan froze.
A pentagon fragment?
No way…
Pentagon fragments were beyond rare. They were nearly legendary. In his previous life he had never seen one up close. Most people hadn't.
He opened his mouth slightly but no words came out. His throat felt dry. He simply stared—shocked beyond belief.
Sofia also looked stunned, but she tried to hide it behind a blank expression.
Professor Jane smiled, lowering her hand as the fragment slowly sank back into her skin.
"Pentagon fragments," she said calmly, "are special. They offer five pathways for Light manipulation. Each point of the shape gives a different branch of potential."
Ethan still couldn't speak.
His mind was racing.
A pentagon fragment user was sitting right in front of him. Teaching him.
Professor Jane continued.
"You two are very lucky," she said, "to be part of the Dominion of Light. Light has countless natural sources—sunlight, moonlight, star energy, reflective surfaces, spiritual brightness… you name it. It's an element that flows everywhere."
She tapped the desk twice with her finger.
"But talent is not enough. You both must understand your strength and choose a role."
She raised three fingers.
"Attacking.
Defending.
Supporting."
Then in attacking too
"Short-range attacking or
Long-range one ."
Or
"Healers.
Rescuers."
She folded her hands.
"You cannot choose these roles simply because you want them. Your fragment shape and your Light path determine what suits you."
She pointed to herself.
"For example, my pentagon fragment gives me flexibility. I can do almost everything—close range attacks, long range shots, defensive walls, supportive illumination… but despite all of that, my compatibility leans toward defense."
She smiled proudly.
"So I specialize as a defender, with long-range Light strikes as my secondary strength."
She turned toward Sofia.
"Now, Sofia. If you could choose… what role would you want? Or is there a hero you admire?"
Sofia lifted her chin, her voice sharp.
"No one. I don't admire anyone. I want to become someone people admire."
Professor Jane didn't seem offended. She nodded gently.
"A strong ambition. Good."
Then her eyes shifted to Ethan.
"What about you, Ethan? What role do you see yourself in? Or is there a hero you admire?"
Ethan thought for a moment, then answered calmly,
"In the Association… I don't admire anyone. But there are two people I look up to. Our new principal… and the top hero of the Frost Moon Guild, William Carter. He's a defender type too."
Professor Jane's eyes sparkled.
"Ahh, William Carter. Good taste, Ethan. He's one of my favorites as well. Seems we will get along very well."
Sofia stared at Ethan silently, her eyebrows slightly twitching—clearly annoyed for reasons even she didn't understand.
And the first real spark of tension flickered between the three Light users.