Energy pulsed everywhere, with students preparing for the first day of school; the air was thick with anticipation. Drake came out of the dormitory, well dressed for class, his strides purposeful, almost wary.
His sharp eyes scanned the unmistakable stares from some of the other students, some bold and direct while others were small and fleeting, their whispers spreading through the morning air like leaves rustling in the wind.
The rumors of him and Xena seemed to have spread like wildfire, building curiosity and intrigue throughout the academy. Drake exhaled a sigh, his shoulders tightening as he sought to brush it off.
Just then, when he had been about to lose himself in thought, the hum that went on was pierced by that voice he knew.
"My Crux. Wait, let's walk together."
Those words clung to the air as unmistakable as the morning dew. Immediately, Drake knew the voice, and as his heart beat faster, frustration and inevitability stamped in.
He tried to get away, but before any decent space was achieved, Xena caught up with him, her presence as undeniable as the rising sun. She wrapped her arms around his right arm with possessive grace, pressing it tight against her chest as they walked together.
"Why are you avoiding me? Is there anything wrong?" she asked, her sharp eyes searching his face.
Drake exhaled a very heavy and exasperated sigh; his face showed traces of annoyance and resignation. "Hey, are you stupid, or do you just act that way? Can't you see the rumor about us is spreading everywhere in this academy?" he growled in a tone that combined irritation and unease.
He tried to squirm his arm out, not to meet her insistent stare. But Xena was ever dramatic, bursting into tears as her face screwed up like some kind of fragile flower in a storm.
"Is that why you're avoiding me? You're so mean!" she wailed, her voice shaking with emotion. "I just came to your room to discuss the divine."
With that, the look of panic crossed Drake's face and his eyes bulged. Immediately, he clamped his hand over her mouth, speaking in a hushed but urgent tone. "Alright, alright, you win. Walk with me."
"Really?" she asked, looking up into his face, her wide eyes welling with tears.
"Yes," he nodded reluctantly.
Xena lit up and, still crying, wiped her tears with her hand's back. Her grip on his arm tightened as a victorious smile crossed her lips and they resumed walking across campus toward the lecture hall.
The height and command of the building itself were complemented by four sub-buildings that seemed to speak volumes of greatness and necessity.
The lecture hall was on the eastern part, the male dressing rooms were on the northern part, and the female on the western side, while the training and evaluation center took the southern part. Three entrances welcomed people inside: one into the male dressing room, one to the ladies', and the third one directly into the lecture hall.
Drake and Xena entered the hall with tiered seating that accommodated 100 students, giving one the feeling of being in some sort of ancient amphitheater. The moment they stepped inside, all eyes turned toward them. Whispers surged like a tidal wave through the room.
"They're the ones everybody's been talking about."
"Really? Who'd have thought a guy like him could be involved in such rumors?"
"But if the rumors are true, why are they still together?"
The speculative murmurs hung in the air like a miasma of oppression. Drake's face tightened, the weight of their stares pressing down on him. Beside him, Xena kept her radiant smile going as if nothing was going to faze her. They found an empty seat in the second-to-last row, the whispers following them like shadows.
A few minutes later, Professor Leo entered; his presence would not miss the attention of any human being that soon. He went to the podium, his poise commanding respect. "Good morning, class," he started off with a firm, measured tone.
"Good morning, sir," the students chorused in response.
With his eyes drilling into the souls of those present, Professor Leo took yet another step closer to the edge of the podium. "I also have an announcement regarding the rumors floating in the academy. It is to let you know that the school has officially acknowledged Drake and his partner's relationship. From now on, they can live together in his dormitory."
Whispers, like sparks on dry grass, flared up in the room.
"So now, they are officially a couple?"
"How is this their status for the academy to permit it?"
Griffin, who sat with an air of deliberation, raised his hand. The professor nodded to him.
"With all due respect, sir," Griffin began, his voice permeating with hypocritical politeness, "aren't you giving special favors to a few over others?"
Mumbles began to swell once more, like an oncoming storm. Griffin turned to Drake with a smirk sharp as a blade.
Professor Leo clapped his hands once more, silencing the room. "Quiet, please. Frankly, I was against it myself. The principal could not refuse, though. That's all I can say. Now, today's topic.
He cleared his throat and turned to the board, leaving the students to stew in their curiosity.
Drake leaned over towards Xena, who gave him a big smile, still clutching his arms. Drake knew very well the truth-only she could have put such a request together, let alone on such short notice. Her actions brought back the memories of his and her past together, like fragmented pieces of a dream.
The voice of Professor Leo cut into his reverie. "As you may well have gathered, my subject is magic. Today, it will be on mana in nature. Mana takes several forms. Water and ice mana, for example, are manifested as moisture.
The absorption of mana is much like breathing-you cannot see it, yet you can feel it, just like the air we breathe in. "
He paused, allowing this metaphor to sink in before continuing.
"Think of the air around us like a wet tea bag. The wetness inside this tea bag isn't water, though, but a substance that pervades everything in the world, an energy known as mana. A mage absorbs mana by pushing on this invisible tea bag, drawing the substance in and into their mana pool.
A warrior allows their mana core to serve as a magnet to draw mana to themselves. That why every family has its own method to do so, which is passed down through the generations. That's one of the main reasons family techniques are so important to a mage's or warrior's identity. Questions?
Victoria raised her hand and got the professor's attention.
"Victoria Luthor, correct?" he asked, pointing at her.
"Yes, sir," she said, rising to speak. "My question has to do with mana circles. There are different mana circles for casting a spell or technique, which I understand makes perfect sense for a warrior and a mage. But for just the mages, it gets a little more confusing. Can you explain that?
The professor cleared his throat. "Mana circles in mages act like gates for the summoned elements, and in warriors, it is a mechanism of transformation of their aura into technique. Spells pronounced aloud help both groups to focus and control mana, easing mental stress in such a way."
And his words just hung in the air, clear yet so intriguing that the students pondered over the intricate mechanics of mana.