"That means they've been practicing extra!" Amy gasped, feeling a wave of pressure wash over her. "No way! The other witches are getting ahead, practicing outside of class, and we're just standing around?"
The determination hit her like a spark. Sure, talent wasn't something they could control, but effort? That was something they could give. If the witches had a natural advantage, Amy and Alba couldn't afford to fall behind in their hard work. With a knowing glance, they shared a moment of silent understanding, then hurried back to their seats.
Of course, first things first; they made sure to grab a few quick bites of breadfruit to replenish their magic power. Fully charged, they wasted no time diving into practice, eager to catch up.
As the clock ticked closer to the start of class, more and more witches trickled back into the classroom. Each one paused for a moment, wide-eyed, seeing nearly everyone else immersed in their practice. The shock hit them, and then, almost as if driven by a shared guilt, they too joined the silent effort. Soon, the entire class was absorbed in their magical infection exercises, the energy in the room palpable.
With just a minute to go before class officially began, Ms. Amisha swept into the classroom. She stopped in her tracks, taken aback. Her heart skipped a beat; was she late? Had the bell for two o'clock already rung without her hearing it? Such a mistake would be unheard of in her entire teaching career! She fumbled for her pocket watch, about to check the time, when suddenly, the familiar sound of the bell rang out, clear as day. Ding ding.
Relieved, she realized she was still punctual. But the scene before her was unlike anything she'd ever witnessed. In all her years of teaching, whether students from the wilderness, from beyond, or even from other realms, she had never encountered a class so studious, so self-disciplined, practicing intently even before the lesson had begun.
"Are the little witches this year so driven?" she mused, a warmth spreading through her. Her gaze softened as she looked over them, her heart swelling with pride.
Rather than interrupt their focus, Ms. Amisha quietly walked through the rows of students, observing their work. The more she saw, the more impressed she became. The young witches weren't merely limiting themselves to turning the developing paper a uniform green; they were pushing boundaries, experimenting with various shades of green, carefully trying to achieve an even distribution of color.
And then there were the trio; Lyra, Vasida, and Sylph, who were already testing the waters with shades of yellow, far beyond what the other students had managed. Most astonishing of all was Lyra, who was crafting intricate patterns using a blend of reds, yellows, and greens on the developing paper. It wasn't random or chaotic; Ms. Amisha could tell instantly that Lyra was deliberately practicing more precise infections, fine-tuning her control with great skill.
When all the witches had completed their practice, Ms. Amisha couldn't help but clap her hands, beaming with satisfaction.
"You are the most hardworking and diligent class I have ever taught! Truly! I'm proud of each and every one of you!" Her praise was heartfelt, her voice full of pride.
The room buzzed with energy. The little witches straightened their backs, their chests swelling with pride, their faces lit up with the joy of accomplishment. They had earned that praise, and they knew it.
After the applause died down, Ms. Amisha brought their focus back to the lesson. "Now, it's time to move forward. The next step is to infect your eyeballs with magic power and open your energy vision."
She paused, giving them a moment to absorb the gravity of what was to come.
"I'll give you some time to get comfortable with the green magical infection on the developing paper," she continued. "The green range of magical infection is what will open your energy vision. But remember; the darker the green, the longer the infection will last on your eyes. At the same time, the deeper the color, the more strain it will place on your eyeballs."
Ms. Amisha's voice softened with concern. "So, to start, I recommend using a lighter shade of green. Get used to that first, and then gradually increase the intensity as your eyes adjust. That way, it'll be much more comfortable for you."
She turned her attention to the trio. "Lyra, Vasida, Sylph; you three can begin with a medium green, given how well you've handled the practice so far."
With that, she opened her arms to the class. "When you feel ready, come to me, and we'll attempt the magic infection on your eyeballs together. This is when you will open your energy vision for the first time!"
The excitement in the air was palpable, each little witch eager to take this next monumental step in their magical journey.
Typically, a single morning class was just enough for each young witch to grasp one shade of green in the magic infection process. In the past, when witches opened their energy vision for the first time, they simply worked with whatever level of infection they had achieved, even if the depth of green caused discomfort in their eyes. As long as the infection remained within the green range, there was no real danger, just a bit of unpleasantness.
There was only ever one collective lesson dedicated to magical infection, and after that, the witches were left to adjust and adapt on their own. This was considered an early test of their ability to learn independently. Most young witches had to endure some level of discomfort when infecting their magic into their eyes to open their energy vision, but that was part of the process.
However, this year's group of witches was exceptional. Every one of them had already mastered at least two different shades of green infection. This gave them more control and allowed for a gentler experience when opening their energy vision. Ms. Amisha, recognizing this unique advantage, was more than willing to make their lives a bit easier.
Unaware of how ahead they were, the young witches selected the lightest green they could manage and began practicing on the developing paper once more. Meanwhile, Lyra, who had already grown confident in her ability to manipulate various shades, chose a medium green to practice one more time before heading up to the podium.
When she reached Ms. Amisha, the instructor asked, "Are you ready?"
"Yeah!" Lyra replied with a firm nod.
"Alright, let's begin!" Ms. Amisha said gently. "Just follow my instructions. First, close your eyes and place your fingers on your eyelids; only one hand on one eye for now. That's it."
Lyra complied, her heartbeat steady, focusing on the sensations.
"Now, let the magic flow out slowly, covering your eyelid, just like when you infected the developing paper. Let it spread over your eyelid and seep into the eyeball."
With her prior practice in mind, Lyra controlled her magic effortlessly. A thin layer of magical energy covered her right eyelid smoothly, her progress steady and deliberate. She could feel the cool, gentle flow of energy move over her eye.
Amisha kept a close watch. Once the infection was complete, she said, "Perfect! Stop the magic and open your eyes."
Lyra slowly removed her hand and blinked, adjusting to the light. The first thing she saw was Ms. Amisha, standing before her. For a moment, there was no difference between what she saw in her left eye and her right.
Sensing Lyra's confusion, Ms. Amisha offered an explanation. "Energy vision cannot detect energy stronger than your own. You won't see the magic of anyone stronger than you, but you can observe ambient energy; energy that isn't tied to anyone in particular. Now, try looking at your fellow witches."
Lyra turned to face the class, where all eyes were on her. She could immediately see it; the halos. In her left eye's vision, the world now seemed layered. The normal view of the classroom remained intact, but superimposed on it were soft rings of light; the traces of magic surrounding her fellow witches.
Each witch had a distinct energy signature, manifesting in a colorful halo that seemed to hover around them. Alba, for instance, was surrounded by a large white halo, but within that were flickers of blue, red, orange, gold, green, purple, and green; a swirling mix of magical hues. The other witches also displayed these patterns, with one or two dominant colors swirling together, complemented by smaller, more fleeting lights. Each halo group was roughly the same size, with a diameter of about 20 centimeters, although the brightness varied from witch to witch.
But when Lyra's gaze shifted to Vasida and Sylph, what she saw took her breath away. The halos surrounding them were unlike anything she had seen before. Vast, almost overwhelming, the energy around them engulfed nearly their entire upper bodies. From Lyra's perspective, the diameter of their halos must have been around 1.23 meters; much larger than any of the others. Their halos shimmered with every color, an ever-shifting spectrum that didn't belong to any single shade, as if all the colors were somehow mixed together in harmony, yet distinct at the same time.
The brightness of their energy was blinding, especially Vasida's, whose halo appeared almost solid, a radiant presence that seemed to throb with power.
Curious, Lyra glanced down at her own energy halo.