The next day, the first ray of sunlight streamed through the window of Luther's room, illuminating the faces of its occupants. The distant murmur of students already awake and bustling through the hallways marked the beginning of a new day. Luther opened his eyes slowly, adjusting to the light, and sat up in bed with a sigh.
"Ugh… Damn it," he muttered, quickly getting up to dress. His uniform, adorned with embroidered details representing his house within the academy, was simple yet elegant. After adjusting it and ensuring his cloak was properly fastened, he stepped into the hallway.
As he walked toward his assigned class, Luther heard quick footsteps behind him. Before he could react, arms wrapped around his arm, accompanied by a familiar voice.
"Hey there!" Elise exclaimed cheerfully, clinging to his arm from behind.
Luther turned his head slightly, seeing Elise with a broad smile and eyes filled with morning energy. "Do you always have this much energy at this hour?" he joked as they walked together down the hallway.
"Of course! Besides, someone has to make sure you get to class on time," Elise replied with a playful grin.
Before they could continue their conversation, they came across Naomi and Borik walking from the other end of the hall. Borik, seeing Luther and Elise together, burst into laughter.
"Well, well! Good thing she's just a 'friend,'" Borik remarked in his usual teasing tone. Naomi, beside him, raised an eyebrow and gave an enigmatic smile.
"You should worry more about not being late to class, Borik," Elise retorted, still clinging to Luther's arm.
"Alright, alright, no need to get feisty," Borik replied, raising his hands in mock surrender. "But I have to admit, you two look cute together."
Luther rolled his eyes, though he couldn't help but smirk slightly. "Don't you have something better to do than annoy people, Borik?"
"Well, actually, I do," Borik replied, pulling a small scroll from his pocket. "Looks like Naomi and I are headed to a different class."
"Good luck with that," Luther said, giving him a friendly pat on the shoulder as they parted ways.
"See you later…" Naomi said, walking alongside Borik as they headed to their classroom.
Elise and Luther continued toward their destination, the Basic Magic classroom. Upon entering, they were impressed by the size of the room, designed as an amphitheater with semicircular tiers surrounding a central platform. In the center, a desk floated slightly above the ground, surrounded by various scrolls and magical artifacts glowing faintly.
Professor Nylaen, a warm-looking woman with bright green eyes, greeted them with a smile as they entered. She wore a light blue robe and had an approachable, enthusiastic demeanor that contrasted with the rigidity of some other professors.
"Welcome to your first Basic Magic class," she said with enthusiasm. "Here, we'll learn to harness the fundamental aspects of mana. This energy flows through every being and is what allows us to use our magical affinities. The first step is to respect and understand it."
Luther listened intently as the professor moved through the room, her presence both magnetic and commanding.
"Today, we'll start with something simple," Nylaen continued, raising a hand. A small orb of light appeared, floating above her palm and glowing with a warm radiance. "This is a basic manifestation of pure mana. Your first task will be to recreate it."
The room filled with murmurs as the students began focusing on replicating the light orb. Elise, seated next to Luther, furrowed her brow as she placed her hands in front of her.
"This should be easy, right?" Elise murmured as she began channeling her mana.
Luther focused as well, closing his eyes and feeling the flow of energy within him. However, instead of a warm light, a small dark spark appeared over his hand, crackling as though charged with unstable energy.
Elise noticed and looked at him with concern. "Luther… that doesn't look very basic."
Luther frowned, trying to stabilize the spark, but it fizzled out with a faint crackle. Before he could try again, Nylaen's voice interrupted his thoughts.
"Interesting," the professor said, approaching him with a curious look. "Your mana flow seems… peculiar."
Luther looked up, meeting Nylaen's analytical gaze. "Is that bad?" he asked.
"Not necessarily," she replied with a faint smile. "But you'll need much more control. If you'd like, I can help you after class."
Luther nodded slowly, grateful for the offer but aware he had drawn the professor's attention—and probably that of the other students.
The rest of the class passed with a mix of failed attempts and small successes from the students. At the end, Nylaen dismissed them with a word of caution.
"Remember: magic isn't mastered overnight. Practice and control are key. We'll continue this exercise tomorrow."
As they left the classroom, Elise looked at Luther with curiosity. "'Peculiar,' huh? Always standing out," she said, laughing.
Luther shrugged, trying to downplay it. "I just see more problems."
"Well, at least you didn't blow anything up," Elise joked, making him chuckle.
After class, Luther and Elise were heading to the dining hall when a tall, slender man dressed in a dark robe approached them. His gaze was piercing, and Luther felt an odd discomfort in his presence. He introduced himself as Professor Seraphis Morvane, the Alchemy instructor.
"Luther," he said, looking the young man directly in the eyes, "I've heard about your unique affinity. I'll be overseeing your private lessons in handling dark mana. It's a challenging field, but I'm confident that with my guidance, you'll learn to control it."
Luther felt a mix of nerves and curiosity. He wasn't sure what to make of this professor, whose cold and controlled demeanor gave him an uneasy feeling.
"Thank you, Professor," he replied with a slight bow of his head.
Elise watched Seraphis walk away, then turned to Luther with a worried expression.
"That professor… there's something strange about him, don't you think?" she whispered.
Luther nodded, sharing her intuition. There was something about Seraphis's presence that set him on edge. However, he knew he needed to learn to control his power, and if that meant accepting the professor's help, he would.