The mess hall, once a lively and bustling space, was now a shadow of its former self. The long, sturdy wooden tables and benches were scattered throughout the room, their surfaces still mostly intact due to low usage.
A large fireplace dominated one end of the hall, its warm flames casting flickering shadows on the walls and filling the room with a cozy, inviting atmosphere.
Despite the quieter ambiance, there was still a sense of camaraderie among the remaining students and staff. Hushed conversations and laughter filled the air. As Roderick, Elara, and Thane settled into their seats, they couldn't help but feel a twinge of nostalgia.
They were served a hearty, homemade meal consisting of roasted root vegetables, seasoned with fragrant herbs that filled the air with their enticing aroma.
The vegetables were accompanied by a savory, tender roast chicken, cooked to perfection and glazed with a sweet, sticky sauce that added a touch of richness to the dish. A warm, crusty loaf of bread was shared between the three, perfect for soaking up the flavors left on their plates.
To finish, they enjoyed a simple, yet satisfying dessert of baked apples, stuffed with a cinnamon-spiced nut mixture that melted in their mouths.
As they dug into the delicious meal, the conversation flowed easily between the trio. Thane, with a mischievous glint in his eye, recounted an old story from his days as a student at the academy.
"Do you remember the time we snuck into Professor Valthor's office to 'borrow' his collection of rare spellbooks?" Thane began, his grin widening at the memory. "Of course, we didn't anticipate the elaborate magical traps he had set up to protect them."
Roderick tried to laugh, feigning recognition, but inwardly he struggled to recall the memory. "Oh yeah, that. So crazy," he said, hiding his true feelings. But as he saw a mysterious glint in Thane`s eyes he added. "You were always pulling me into trouble.
The glint disappeared and Thane guffawed. "You must have dreamed of that, I was the one getting us out of the messes."
A pearl of sweat ran down Roderick's face. His gamble worked, and for the moment Thane was convinced, but he was sharp, one mistake and he could get unmasked. Luckily, both Alex and Roderick were social animals, able to speak with strangers as if they had been friends forever.
Elara, noticing Roderick's discomfort, decided to share a story from their early days as mages. "Roderick and I went to different places to learn magic, but we met at a magical conference years ago. We discovered that we had a shared interest in elemental magic and spent hours discussing new spells and techniques we had learned." a slight blush betrayed some thoughts that weren`t just about sharing magic.
She continued, "Over the years, we tried keeping in touch with each other, but it gets hard when the other person gets pulled for weeks on end in some jungle or high-risk zone." She said, glaring at Thane.
Roderick listened intently, trying to picture the scenes Elara described. Though he couldn't remember the experiences as if they were his own, he sometimes saw flashes of Elara`s face or heard whispers of important conversations. He appreciated the connection they provided to his new friends.
As the meal came to an end and the memories continued to flow, Roderick knew that he had to find a way to either fix his failing memory or learn more about himself and his two most trusted friends from someone else.
Sipping on their drinks, the conversation took a more serious turn. Elara sighed and fidgeted with her hands. "You know, Roderick, we've been trying so many things over the past few years to turn the academy around." She paused, her voice wavering slightly. "We've attempted reaching out to magical organizations and influential people for investments or partnerships, but it's been tough. I can't help but think that with you here, maybe we'd have better luck."
"We've also toyed with the idea of hosting some public events, like a magical exhibition or tournament, to show off our students' skills and the quality of our education. We've done a few smaller events, but..." Elara hesitated, biting her lip. "I think we need something more significant to truly make a difference."
Roderick nodded in understanding, feeling a sense of responsibility. "What else have you been working on?"
Elara smiled sadly. "We've been working on refining our curriculum and teaching methods. We want the best for our students, but sometimes it feels like we're spinning our wheels. I guess we just need some fresh ideas and a little more support."
Her eyes lit up as she continued, "Oh! And we've been thinking about setting up a scholarship program for talented students who might not be able to afford the academy. It's still in the early stages, and we need more funding, but I believe it could really make a difference." She paused, her eyes glistening. "I just... I really hope we can make all of this work, Roderick."
Thane chimed in, his voice heavy with the weight of their past failures. "We've made many cuts and hard decisions to stay afloat, but it feels like we are running out of options."
Roderick felt the weight of it all, in his last moments the real Roderick had begged him to help *them*. He knew that he had to come up with something, not just for the sake of the promise, or because it was the decent thing to do, but because the real Roderick`s feelings were heavily influencing him, and he couldn`t help but to feel like all of this was somehow his fault.
He racked his 21st-century mind for ideas, all his knowledge of physics that took him years to master seemed so useless in a magic-dominated world, but he had enough knowledge of capitalist society that when mixed with what little he knew about this world he came up with an idea.
"I have an idea." He said with the proverbial light bulb turning on above his head. "Elara, what if we used your enchanting lessons to produce low-level enchanted items we could sell on the market? Students would gain more experience and we could earn back a little money. We could even offer a special tuition plan where as long as a student works an X number of hours a day in the enchanting lab, we could waive all fees and school him for free." He concluded with eyes glittering in excitement.
He could feel even something in the depth of his soul nodding at the idea.
Elara gasped as the gears in her head thought about it. Normally, students would practice on inert, useless cheap materials, like rocks for example, but with some changes to her curriculum, she could train her students to mass produce low-level enchanted iron arrows, or rust-resistant farming tools.
"That`s a great idea!" Boomed Thane slapping Roderick`s shoulder. "Elara, how soon can you start?" He asked with a smile.
She pondered for a second, hard-pressed to think thanks to her heart thundering in her ears. "Give me a week to find the easiest enchantments to teach and get new materials, another two or three to start the new tuition plan." She answered with her most optimistic estimates.
The plans for the future were taking shape between sips of water and bitter fruit juices, they chatted a little more about the idea, then Elara suddenly said, "Oh, almost forgot, one last thing." She reached into a small pouch at her side and carefully withdrew the artifact that had caused the explosion, cradling it in her hands.
"This belongs to you, Roderick," she said gently, offering it to him.
With a mixture of curiosity and apprehension, Roderick reached out and touched the artifact. As soon as his fingers made contact, the artifact seemed to quiver and then dissolve into countless motes of shimmering light.
The luminescent particles swirled around his hand like a miniature galaxy before being absorbed into his body, leaving no trace behind.
The room fell silent as Elara, Thane, and the others stared in shock at what had just transpired. Roderick himself was taken aback, his eyes wide with surprise.
Before anyone could react, an unexpected system interface window appeared in front of Roderick, visible only to him. The text read, "Initializing the Magical Academy System."