After breakfast Grey, Miranda and Scarlet went to class still thinking about the implications of a war.
"Hey Grey! Is it true there might be a war?"
Sheldon regardless of knowing that Grey would rather not talk to him questioned him about the war, or likely he did it on purpose to annoy Grey. Grey and Scarlet just glanced at him and ignored him and went to class.
"Yes it's true Sheldon."
Miranda was slightly more receptive to Sheldon whilst the duo of Scarlet and Grey just ignored him.
"Miranda, do you think we will have to join as well?"
Sophia joined the conversation as she slightly glanced at the backs of Grey and Scarlet.
"That would depend on whether the war drags on for too long, such that we graduate while the war is still raging."
Miranda pretended not see Sophia's jealous eyes, some people with really good awareness had started to see Sophia's jealousy.
"Given the chance I would rather not go to war."
Sophia answered, whilst Cassandra nodded on the side.
Miranda nodded, as she understood the gang of Petra and Flynn are slightly off put by killing and war.
"Hey Grey, Miranda, Scarlet."
Petra greeted the trio as she entered the class and went to find a seat, Flynn simply nodded to them whilst they did the same.
The seating that was seen today was different to the one they had when they started here in the Academy, Grey, Miranda and Scarlet were seating the front by themselves.
Flynn, Petra, Sophia and Cassandra sat in a different place away from the trio, Sheldon went to seat somewhere else with his late buddy Paul Cait.
The class had obvious separation, especially the tier 4 talents.
1st Lt Finn Miller came to the stage at 08:00 sharp like he usually does.
"Good morning children."
The children reciprocated by greeting back.
The 1st Lt simply observed the children for a few minutes as he stood at the stage, no one said anything for that period, there was only silence.
"Children today you will not be doing physical work outs like you usually do. Today you are going to go through a Source Ignition process, if you did your self study you should know what that is."
There was a lot of obvious excitement in the eyes of the children, they had been waiting for a long time for this.
"I see you know what Source Ignition is, good. I know that some of you children have not fully developed your magic channels, those who fall under that category will ignite at a later period when your magic channels are fully developed."
It looked like the period that the 1st Lt was observing them, he was actually observing the development of the children's magic channels.
Sophia raised her hand to ask a question.
"Sir are we going through Source Ignition at this time because there might be a war in the near future."
1st Lt Finn Miller did not answer Sophia's question, he just smiled then he went on with his talk.
The kids understood that the answer was a 'yes' to Sophia's question.
"The children with fully developed mana channels will follow me to Ignition building number 02. Those whose magic channels are not fully developed will be excused for today."
After saying that 1st Lt Finn Miller left the lecture theatre, some children started to follow him with excited faces which could not be hidden. Grey was also very excited, but he kept his cool and had a calm face.
The children had already put the war at the back of their minds and left the learning building. They followed after 1st Lt Miller for 10 minutes until they reached the centre of the Academy where they met an old woman.
"This Lady here is the Dean of Witfield Academy, Julia Becker, she is supposed to be here when the Academy does a new ignition process on new children."
1st Lt Finn Miller explained to the children.
The dean did not have an assuming look, she just looked like a normal women who looked like she was in her fifties that could be seen on the road in the city. The dean had auburn hair that has started to grey out with green eyes and was short in height, she was only 1.60m.
But this woman was a tier 5 mage, it was required that the dean of these type of Academies to have strength so as to protect the Academy if an enemy were to discover it.
"Good morning children. Only 17 children? Finn, the rest were tier 1 talents?"
The dean questioned in a neutral voice.
"Yes mam."
1st Lt Finn Miller did not have his signature smile but he had a serious face, which is rare for him, maybe the other times he has a serious face is when he punishes the children who break the academy rules.
"Ok, bring them in then."
1st Lt Miller brought the children inside Ignition building number 02, the inside was very grand and full of grandeur. Inside the building they met 1st Lt Gisela Jones and 2nd Lt Dale Summer.
"With you three here, it should be faster."
Dean Becker commented when 1st Lt Miller and the children were inside.
The children were taken to the next floor of the building, they were taken to a room with three restraining chairs.
"Ok children. I would like to state that Source Ignition is a very painful experience that you never forget, because of that you will need to be restrained."
Dean Becker explained the need for restraining chairs.
'How painful is it to require such a chair full of restraining belts.'
Grey commented in his mind as he looked at the chairs.
"The reason why it is painful is because your magic channels will be having mana run through them for the first time, and that brings forward a lot of pain. Finn you can start calling them."
"Flynn, Grey and Miranda, you will go first."
It looked like 1st Lt Finn Miller still used their introduction order.
'I hope it is not too painful, I don't want to cry in front of the people, that would be very embarrassing.'
Grey thought to himself as he went to the chair in the middle.
Grey was strapped in by 2nd Lt Summer, Miranda was strapped in by 1st Lt Miller and Flynn was strapped in by 1st Lt Jonas. Dean Becker just watched until they were finished with the strapping in, she then she removed three pills from her pocket.
When the three lieutenants saw those pills, they lost colour in their faces, this was so obvious it was even observed by the children.
'Ah. I will definitely cry, 2nd Lt Summer who is usually serious looks like he just got reminded of his worst nightmare.'
Grey was really not a person who liked pain, and he could not guarantee he would not cry like he is some protagonists in a novel.
Dean Becker did not say anything, she just had a neutral face, as she feed the pills to the three children who were strapped in the chairs, the first to be fed was Flynn then Grey and lastly Miranda.
Nothing happened for a minute, then the faces of the children started to get red in colour. Vein like lines started to light up everywhere from the skins of the children, after that there were large amounts of screaming.
The children started to struggle from their restraining chairs.
Some of the children stepped back without even realising.
'Even Grey is screaming?'
Sophia was very shocked, Grey was someone who could be hardly be made to cry, anything that could make him scream must be very painful.
The three children screamed for a full minute until they passed out, the vein lights in their skin disappeared, and the colour of their faces was very pale.
"Take them away."
The Dean commanded the three lieutenants.
The three children were removed from their restraining chairs and brought to the next room which happened to be an infirmary.
"Petra, Sophia, Cassandra, you come next."
1st Lt Miller called the next three children, Cassandra was already in tears, she was the type that definitely hated pain, but the adults in the room did not pity her.
When Grey woke up, he found himself in an infirmary with Miranda in the next bed still passed out.
'Ah, that really hurt, I can see why the three lieutenants made those faces back then. I would not be surprised if some kids get PTSD from this experience.'
Grey started to feel that there was something different about himself.
'Feels like there is something moving around in my body, that must be mana starting to accumulate.'
He was also feeling very good.
'My intelligence has been increased. Those magic problems I was struggling with, now I have multiple methods to solve them. I could get addicted to this feeling, if I as a tier 0 mage feel like this, what about higher tier mages?'
'I am a tier 0 mage now, I wonder if this will work.'
Grey concentrated for a while until a small ball of light materialised in front of him, it was tier 0 spell [Light Ball], he had learned the spell structure a while back during his self study period.
"Ahh! Grey!"
Miranda had woke up and saw Grey using magic, and she was shocked.
Grey turned to see she was awake, before he could answer he felt a pain in his chest. He had drained his small mana pool that had just started accumulating mana, he was surprised first then he started to laugh.
"HAHAHA…"
"Grey are you crazy, did the pain make you lose your mind?"
"No I have not, you could say I am just very excited, after waiting for so long."
"I can use magic."