As Leo lay in bed, the haunting images from his vision replayed in his mind. Shadows of battles and losses, scenes of the academy destroyed—all of it felt too real. Should I tell anyone? he wondered. Who would even believe me? The burden of this knowledge pressed on him, making it hard to breathe. But he thought about Darian, who had already shown kindness and seemed to genuinely care. Maybe he could offer some advice, Leo thought. It took a while, but finally, he drifted off to an uneasy sleep, though the images lingered in the back of his mind.
The next morning, Leo awoke still feeling the weight of his vision. After getting dressed, he set off to the cafeteria for breakfast, determined to speak to Darian and his friends about everything. But as he walked past the spot where Cassian had attacked him, a chill crept down his spine. Quickening his pace, Leo felt a wave of relief as he reached the cafeteria and saw Darian, Sera, Mira, and Alaric already seated.
He overheard Sera saying, "Did you all hear? A student was sent away for attacking someone."
Alaric's eyes widened in surprise. "Since when did they start sending students away? I mean, fights happen here sometimes, but usually, it's just a warning or detention."
Noticing Leo's approach and the concern written on his face, Darian asked, "Hey, Leo, what's up? You look like you didn't get much sleep. Don't tell me… were you the one who got attacked?"
Leo hesitated, his mind still reeling from the strange vision he'd had the night before, but he nodded, deciding to share what had happened. "Yeah… it was a bit awkward passing the spot this morning," he admitted, glancing around the table as he sat down, collecting his thoughts.
After a deep breath, Leo continued, feeling both embarrassed and grateful for Darian's concern. "It happened when I was heading into the dorms last night. A group of older students surrounded me, and one of them grabbed my shoulder, then hit me with this… icy fist." He rubbed his cheek, still feeling a faint ache. "But thankfully, Mr. Brookfall was nearby. He stepped in before things got out of hand."
Darian's face darkened with anger. "That must've been Cassian. I can't believe he actually went that far. It explains why he was sent home, though, if Mr. Brookfall was the one to handle it. Cassian's family is… complicated. They've spent a lot of money on his training, and he always thought he was untouchable." Glancing at Leo with curiosity, he added, "But what was Mr. Brookfall doing around the dorms?"
Leo gave a small smile, feeling a bit of the tension ease. "Turns out he was actually coming to talk with me. I'd met him before at his shop, but I didn't realize who he was until all this happened. Mr. Brookfall said he wanted to go over what I should expect today. He mentioned we'd start with a few evaluations, and we should be done by lunchtime, more or less."
Darian and Sera exchanged glances, and Sera added, "Well, maybe he'll be able to help figure out what's going on with your scores. I mean, it could be something that just needs a bit of fixing."
Mira, who had been listening quietly, looked at Leo with a puzzled expression. "What do you mean about your scores? The testing machines are supposed to be accurate. What was so strange about your results?"
Leo hesitated, unsure how to explain without sounding like he was bragging or, worse, lying. Darian and Sera gave him an encouraging nod, so he explained, "Well… when I did the tests, my current skill levels came up as Adept 1 or 2 for all the different types of magic I tried. But when it came to my future potential, the machine just showed 'unknown.'"
Mira's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Unknown? I've never even heard of that. Aren't the machines supposed to predict a path for every student?"
Alaric rolled his eyes subtly, though Mira noticed. Leo couldn't tell what he was thinking, but he felt a mixture of relief and curiosity. His friends seemed as baffled as he was about his unusual results, and at least they didn't seem to doubt him.
After finishing breakfast and saying goodbye to the group, Leo waved and set off to meet with Mr. Brookfall. Halfway there, he suddenly remembered that he'd meant to talk to Darian about the visions he'd seen the night before. Frustrated with himself, he resolved to bring it up during lunch instead. Quickening his pace, Leo hurried down the hallway, hoping to get through the evaluations smoothly.
When he reached Mr. Brookfall's office, Leo knocked and waited. The door creaked open, revealing Mr. Brookfall's warm smile. Inside, Ms. Raven was already seated at her desk, watching him with a steady gaze.
"Good morning, Leo," Mr. Brookfall greeted him. "I hope you managed to settle in after last night's incident."
Leo returned his smile. "Yes, thank you. It was alright—I was just more surprised than anything."
Ms. Raven, who had already heard the full story, gave Leo a sympathetic look. "We took care of Cassian on your behalf. I apologize that you had to deal with that. Some of the more privileged students come here thinking they're untouchable. But let's not dwell on it." She stood up, gesturing between him and Mr. Brookfall. "What's more important is that you understand the mentor relationship you two will have."
She continued, "Mr. Brookfall is now officially your mentor. That means he's here to support you with any questions, challenges, or training needs you might have. In fact, he has almost as much authority as I do—aside from a few final decisions that need my approval. His role is to help you grow into the best version of yourself, Leo."
Hearing this, Leo looked at Mr. Brookfall with new appreciation, realizing just how important his guidance would be.
Ms. Raven smiled as she continued, "Alright, let's head over to the testing room to get a sense of where you're at and decide what we need to work on from here."
The walk to the testing room was brief, marked by light conversation between Ms. Raven and Mr. Brookfall, but Leo hardly heard them. As they neared the entrance, his stomach churned with nerves, a growing sense of unease bubbling up. His mind circled back to the unsettling results from his last test: "Potential unknown."
What if they found the same result again? What did "unknown" even mean for his future, his training, and the path he was supposed to follow? The question loomed, casting shadows over his thoughts, and he could feel his pulse quicken as they approached the door to the testing room.
Leo took a steadying breath, forcing himself to focus. This was his chance to finally start understanding the extent of his magic, his abilities, and perhaps even the visions. With Mr. Brookfall at his side as his mentor, maybe he wouldn't have to navigate this alone. Leo squared his shoulders, bracing himself. Whatever awaited him inside that room, he was determined to face it head-on.