"I will introduce a new student today," Professor Cross' voice echoed in the silence of the early morning. She gestured towards the entrance of the courtyard, and someone moved in the shadows.
"Whoa!" Someone whispered as Clara stepped out from the shadows. Her long, platinum hair was freely flowing on her back. She was wearing a dark blue dress, the same colour as her eyes.
"This is Clara Morgan," Professor Cross continued. "She has graciously accepted to aid with today's class, despite being incredibly busy. She is a second year who transferred to this school just a short while ago, so please do help her if she needs it."
"Aw please," Clara said with a sweet, gentle voice. She stepped in front of the students and smiled. "Nice to meet all of you!"
"Fuck, she's an angel." Someone mumbled. Aether's initial surprise at seeing her here immediately turned to annoyance as most of the guys stared at her like a dog would stare at a bone. "Disgusting," He hissed, just loud enough so those around him could hear his voice.
To his surprise, Seth seemed to be the only one to flinch and pull himself together. He even shot Iris a worried glance, only to be ignored. Iris' eyes were filled with… Aether didn't even want to discern what that emotion was. From her clenched fists and narrow lips, it was clear it wasn't anything positive.
"Today, we will teach you the simplest protection spell." Professor Cross explained. "It's simple, but effective. It doesn't specialise in anything, and as such, can protect you from both magical and physical attacks." Her sharp voice brought most of the guys back to their senses as they remembered where they were. "I will demonstrate the spell. Try to see how I do it, and copy."
She extended her hand forwards. "Barrier." She spoke clearly. A somewhat foggy, more or less visible sphere formed around her.
"Now give it a try." She suggested.
"Barrier!" A voice sounded almost immediately. Mara's shy, yet decisive words startled Aether as his gaze snapped to her. A barrier, quite foggy and not very see-through, had already formed around her.
"What the hell?" Seth exclaimed. Aether narrowed his eyes – she was more skilled in learning new spells than he had first imagined.
"Yes!" Mara clapped, jumping up and down with glee.
"Barrier," Someone else tried. Soon, a chorus of voices rose as the class tried to mimic Professor Cross. She walked among the students, helping people one by one. As she neared Aether, the young man reached with his arm. "Barrier." He whispered as a barrier appeared around him. It didn't appear to be foggy at all.
"Nice." Professor Cross nodded with approval as she walked past him. Aether breathed a sigh of relief as woman headed towards Seth. He let go of the spell, allowing it to disperse. At the same time, a beep sounded from his stats bracelet.
Somewhat curious, he tapped on the device. A see-through panel quickly appeared, displaying a message.
"Barrier." Aether said after a moment's hesitation. Straightforward names were always better.
The panel's contents changed, showing him his updated stats.
He looked over the stats, then closed the panel and directed his attention towards the other students. Mara and Erika had started chatting while they tried to strengthen their spells. Iris was once again surrounded by that group of hers – Aether couldn't quite see what she was doing from all the people in the way.
With a sigh, he walked to the edge of the courtyard and sat by the wall, in the shadow. He had no intention of staying in the hot, bright sun for any longer than necessary.
The chaos continued for a while, and Aether leaned his head against the wall. His gaze lingered on Iris, who had finally succeeded in casting the spell. The group gathered around her clapped and congratulated her.
On the other side of the courtyard, Mara and Erika were practicing. Erika's first barrier was foggy and weak, much like Mara's. But now, it was almost crystal clear. Her incredibly fast progress was just as astounding as Mara's ridiculous ability to copy spells.
"They sure are something." A voice sounded in his ears. "But to keep your attention on themselves for so long… I almost feel jealous."
Startled, Aether's head jerked to his left. "Clara!" he exclaimed as the young woman crouched. She flicked her fingers, tapping his forehead. "Oh, at least you remember my name." She giggled.
"Well, yes. Of course." Aether shook his head. "Why would I not?" He suddenly felt more than a few eyes on him. "Uh…" He glanced towards the class, only to be met with the hostile glares of both the guys and the girls. "So… What can I do for you?" He asked hesitantly.
"You sound like a shopkeeper!" Clara chuckled. "But oh well, I guess that's how polite people are." She reached for his head and shuffled his hair. "Come on, let's go." She stood up and motioned him to follow her. Aether did so, all the while feeling the jealous glares on his back. For the first time in his life, he felt truly uncomfortable because of others' glares.
As they approached, Erika and Mara stopped casting. "Hi!" Clara said, waving her hand as she came closer to them. Her cheerful attitude and almost heavenly smile seemed to melt the ice between the three girls immediately as Erika's diplomatic smile vanished, leaving its place to a genuine one. Even Mara didn't seem so on edge.
"Aether?" Erika asked, clearly somewhat confused by his presence. "Wait, do you guys know each other?"
"Yes! I needed help so desperately and he appeared before me like a white knight!" Clara's overly dramatic telling of the story startled Aether.
"I did what now?" He asked as Erika startled laughing. "No, wait. Tell things properly."
"I'm being perfectly proper!" Clara said with a grin. "Not a word of what I said is a lie."
Aether wanted to protest, especially after noticing Erika's mischievous gaze on him, but Clara was quick to change the subject. "Anyways! Let's do some practical exercises! I'll test the strength of your shields. The winner gets a prize!"