The next day—
Aurora and Theodore returned.
The moment they stepped back into the Lunarium, both of them stopped.
"...Woah," Theodore muttered.
No—
That wasn't enough to describe it.
It had grown.
What was once a geode with quiet halls had transformed into something alive.
Towers extended outward like branches, new pathways formed and shifted to accommodate those inside it.
Aurora narrowed her eyes slightly.
"…So he really did it."
They didn't waste time. Both hurried deeper into the coven, searching for Charlotte—and found her exactly where they expected.
Relaxed. Casual. Like she hadn't just redefined the structure of the Witching Hour.
"You're back," Charlotte said, glancing at them briefly. "Good timing. You're joining classes."
Aurora blinked.
"…We are?"
"Mm. You're strong. Doesn't mean you understand everything," Charlotte replied, waving them off like it was obvious.
Theodore didn't argue. Aurora didn't either.
Because deep down—
they knew she was right.
As they moved through the Lunarium, they passed by the instructors stationed across different areas. And that was when Aurora noticed it.
Something… off.
No—
something familiar.
She stopped walking.
"…Theo."
"Hm?"
"…Look closely."
Theodore followed her gaze.
At first, nothing.
Then—
it clicked.
"…They're… like Elowen."
Aurora nodded slowly.
Living constructs. But not just that— They had schemas.
Hidden.
Integrated so cleanly into their existence that no one would notice unless they were looking for it.
"Constructs… teaching?" Aurora thought.
It sounded absurd.
And yet—
These weren't crude creations.
These were the Heretical Witch's creation herself.
"…Then I'll learn," she murmured to herself.
Aurora eventually made her way toward the School of Destruction.
The moment she stepped inside—
she spotted a familiar figure.
Selene Raven.
Sitting at the corner, posture straight, expression focused.
Aurora walked over casually and dropped into the seat beside her.
"Hey," she said, like nothing was out of the ordinary. "How's the class? Just got back from cleanup."
Selene sighed immediately.
"…You really talk like that, huh? It seems Ms. Charlotte's speech pattern has been integrated into you"
Aurora bit into a piece of toast, unfazed.
Selene leaned slightly toward her, voice lowering.
"Should you really be here, Ms. White Calamity?" she teased.
Aurora didn't even look at her. "Shut it. Ms. Charlotte said I could learn something here."
Selene raised a brow.
"Oho?"
Aurora shrugged.
"Something about 'understanding your own magic properly.'"
Selene leaned back, thoughtful.
As they waited for the class to begin, both of them quietly observed the room.
It didn't take long to notice it.
Witches. Supernaturals. All in the same classroom.
No separation. Not by race. Not by origin. Not even by how their power worked.
Selene frowned slightly.
"…It still feels weird."
Aurora nodded once.
It did. She wasn't being racist of course. She just thought that because their foundations were different.
Witches relied on structure. Spellcasting. Formula. Precision.
Supernaturals—
they didn't learn magic.
They were magic.
Instinct. Bloodline. Transformation.
Power that existed before understanding.
And yet—
Charlotte didn't separate them.
Aurora remembered what she said during the morning assembly when she first came.
Clear. Simple. Direct.
"Mana is mana."
Attending their morning class, it was an experience for Aurora. By the time lunch arrived, the coven hall had already filled. Expanded far beyond its original size, it now resembled a proper institution.
Elowen stood at the center.
And around her—
dozens of faceless porcelain constructs moved in perfect coordination.
Cooking. Serving. Cleaning.
Selene crossed her arms.
"I still don't get it," she admitted. "How are we supposed to learn the same thing?"
Aurora took another bite of her toast before answering.
"…It works. It just works. It's the Heretical Witch right?"
Selene glanced at her.
Aurora continued.
"It worked for Theo."
Selene went quiet.
Her gaze drifted across the room— toward the other side. Where Theodore sat. He was surrounded by other students.
Talking. Laughing. Engaged.
Selene blinked once.
"…That's the D'Arcel?"
Aurora nodded.
"Yeah."
Selene narrowed her eyes slightly.
He didn't look special.
Still small. Still quiet. Still unremarkable.
And yet—
there was something different.
Something subtle.
"…He changed," Selene muttered.
Aurora didn't respond.
She didn't need to.
The class began shortly after and they returned to their respected classes.
Fleur entered without presence.
No grand entrance. No overwhelming aura.
Just a girl in a hoodie, holding a staff far too large for her size.
And yet—
the moment she started speaking—
the entire room listened.
Aurora's eyes slowly widened. Because what Charlotte had taught her… was simple.
Effective. Direct.
But Fleur—
explained everything.
Step by step. Layer by layer.
Breaking down destruction magic not as brute force but as something much more than a way to destroy.
Aurora leaned forward slightly.
"…So that's why."
Charlotte didn't lack knowledge. She simply didn't teach like this. She showed.
The professors, on the other hand, explained.
Aurora understood why Charlotte made her attend.
As the days passed as they learned, Aurora, Selene, and Valeria eventually found themselves seated at the same table for lunch.
For once—
no hostility.
Just casual conversation between casual friends.
"…So?" Valeria asked. "How was it?"
Aurora leaned back.
"…Good. I really didn't expect I'd be learning more with the professors Ms. Charlotte had chosen."
Selene nodded.
"…Too good."
Valeria smirked slightly.
"Yeah. That sounds about right."
Aurora's gaze drifted again—
toward Theodore.
"…That kid's insane," Valeria added, following her line of sight. "I'm in Alteration with him but he's already in Intermediate compared to us three. Still in the Beginner rank, by the way."
Aurora blinked.
"…Beginner? I'm already at Intermediate. You two should hurry."
Selene nodded in the truth Aurora was saying.
Valeria scoffed.
"Yeah. Makes no sense."
Even she had to admit it. Theodore was evolving.
Fast. Too fast.
With Lilith—and the way he adapted—he was becoming something else entirely.
Days passed. Then weeks.
And the change became undeniable. Families began noticing.
Reporting. Watching.
The Lunarium wasn't just teaching. It was accelerating.
Even Edith Panthera came to see it herself. She had wanted to test how much her granddaughter had changed.
Valeria stood across from her. Weapon in hand. Eyes steady.
"Come," Edith said, grinning.
Valeria moved.
And in that instant—
Edith's expression changed.
Faster. Sharper. More refined.
Valeria's body shifted mid-motion. Panthera activated—but different.
It wasn't like the usual full-body enhancement that it was made to be.
It was focused and condensed in only specific areas.
"Saber," Valeria muttered.
Her legs surged and she vanished.
Edith's eyes widened.
"Fast!"
No—
faster than before.
Even she, The Great Martial Witch, was finding it hard to catch up to her speed.
Valeria reappeared—
slashes landing in rapid succession.
It was clean, precise, and fluid in its motion.
Edith blocked. But even she felt it.
If this was someone else—
they would have already fallen. Cut into several pieces.
Then—
Valeria changed again.
Her weapon had shifted.
It was pure mana. Solidified, harder, and sharper than steel. It's color shone brightly blue signifying the intensity of pureness of the mana on it.
"Soul Armament," she whispered.
Edith clicked her tongue.
"…So that's what they're calling it."
Then—
Valeria raised her weapon that had shaped into a glaive. Mana gathered at its tip.
Condensed at its very utmost.
And with a single swing—
she released it.
A crescent wave tore through the air.
Fast. Clean. Unstoppable.
"Crescent Slash. Enjoy it grandmother!" Valeria shouts, filled with adrenaline from the fight.
Edith moved to deflect but stopped in the last second.
"!!"
She dodged instead.
The attack carved through the wall behind her.
Clean. Untouched. Untankable.
In the end—
Valeria still lost.
Experience still mattered. Edith had surprised Valeria from behind her when she exhausted her entire pool of mana.
Edith could only laugh.
Proud. Excited.
"Good," she said.
And she wasn't the only one. Other families saw it too.
Growth.
Too fast. Too efficient. Too dangerous.
Because what the Lunarium was producing wasn't just skilled witches and spells.
It was potential calamities.
Entire batches of them.
Waiting. Growing. Unpredictable.
Mistress Mildred reassured them. Of course she did.
But even she knew—
this wasn't something that could be fully controlled anymore.
Because whether they liked it or not—
The Lunarium wasn't just a school. It was a turning point.
And the Witch behind it—
had already moved on from asking permission.