Charlotte glanced at the clock again.
It was 10:15 P.M. now.
Still no sign of Cassandra, her roommate.
Her unease deepened. Cassandra wasn't the type to stay out late, especially not without mentioning it.
She didn't have friends to hang out with, and if she were in the library, she'd have at least said something before leaving.
Charlotte bit her lip, unable to focus as she stared at her books.
July was fast approaching, marking the beginning of their first exams, and many students had been staying up late to prepare.
"Maybe she's just studying?"
The room felt quite lonely without Cassandra's usual fidgeting or cheerful chatter.
Pushing those thoughts aside, Charlotte resumed her study session.
The sound of scribbling filled the air as she dissected the intricacies of spellformulas.
She paused, alternating her gaze between the book and her paper.
The spell she was working on required a tri-layered magic circle.
Charlotte began sketching.
The outermost circle represented stabilization. Its symbols were designed to anchor the spell to its caster.
The middle circle on the other hand, was an amplification. It was a framework to magnify the essence channeled through it.
And finally, the innermost circle.
"...."
She hesitated.
The core.
This was where the spell would manifest, but only if the equations dictating its essence flow were perfect.
"Flow coefficient of 7.8…." she murmured.
After double–checking her calculations, her pen hovered for a moment before she added the final symbol.
"Done."
Charlotte took a brief moment to stretch before resuming her next set of problems.
It was then.
Click—
The faint jingle of keys echoed from the other side of the door, followed by the sound of a lock turning.
Charlotte glanced over her shoulder as the door creaked open.
"Oh, Cassandra," she greeted with a smile. "Welcome back. Where have you been?"
Her roommate stepped inside with sluggish movements despite the smile plastered across her face.
"Something came up," Cassandra replied vaguely as she brushed past Charlotte's desk.
Her voice was light, but Charlotte didn't miss the fatigue behind it.
"I'm heading to bed first," Cassandra added, setting her bag down and kicking off her shoes.
"Oh, okay. Goodnight."
"Night," Cassandra muttered before climbing on top of the bunk.
It was strange.
Cassandra was always the one who stayed up late.
But tonight, she seemed different.
Charlotte shrugged it off, telling herself it wasn't her place to pry.
Turning back to her desk, she resumed her work.
***
Today's lecture shifted its focus to practical.
After three weeks of theory, the emphasis had shifted to hands-on application to prepare the students better.
After all, the upcoming exams were split into two parts—theoretical and practical.
Astrid Barielle Aetherion sat in the front, listening intently.
She didn't expect the announcement that followed.
"This will be a pair activity," Professor Vanitas announced.
Each and every student was called upon alphabetically.
Naturally, since her last name started with "A," Astrid was called upon first.
"Astrid Barielle Aetherion," Vanitas called.
Astrid stood gracefully, making her way to the podium.
The lot-drawing system was meant to assign random pairs.
Reaching into the box, Astrid pulled out a folded slip of paper.
Unfolding it, her gaze settled on the number.
[34]
Returning to her seat, Astrid watched as students approached the podium one by one.
Her gaze settled on Professor Vanitas.
"...."
He was an enigma.
On the first day, he had set a strict tone for the class.
But lecture after lecture, despite his stern demeanor, Astrid couldn't deny the effectiveness of his teachings.
He never wasted words, and every lesson was precise.
Complex theories became understandable under his guidance as he broke down intricate spellformulas into simple components.
Step by step.
Layer by layer.
He challenged them.
Pushed them beyond their comfort zones in just three weeks.
Astrid recalled how he demonstrated difficult spells effortlessly. Then encouraged each student to attempt them.
When they struggled, he didn't scold. Instead, he asked probing questions.
"Why did it fail?"
"What could be improved?"
He made them think critically and urged them to analyze their mistakes.
He didn't hand out answers.
He led them to discover solutions themselves.
Astrid appreciated that.
It fostered independence.
She glanced around.
Her peers didn't seem to feel the same. They were children who were accustomed to being spoon fed during their academy years.
They whispered complaints, their fear, some even wanting to drop–out of his course after failing tests consecutively.
But to Astrid, who had undergone several private tutors, Vanitas stood apart from all of them.
Of every mentor she had encountered, he was the most interesting.
For now, the students might fear him. But sooner or later, they would realize that they were learning.
That much, Astrid admired.
Yet, admiration only extended so far.
While his work ethic was commendable, his reputation and questionable past, as described by Nicolas, painted a different picture.
And that part of him still left Astrid unsettled.
"Now, find your partners," Professor Vanitas said.
The class stirred with activity as the students glanced at their slips of paper and then at each other.
—Number 22?
—Whoever number 6 is, I'm over here!
"...."
Astrid, however, remained seated.
Her gaze lingered on the small paper in her hand.
Something felt…. off.
There was a faint trace of mana on the paper. It was subtle, yet to Astrid's trained eyes, it was perceivable.
Her brows raised, clearly surprised by the small detail. As of this moment, they were being graded already.
'Even this is part of the practicals….'
Vanitas had layered another lesson into a seemingly mundane task.
Astrid placed her palm over the slip, channeling a gentle stream of mana into it.
The paper quivered, responding to her touch.
Swoosh—
Then, it began to hover.
—Huh?
Gasps echoed around the room as the paper rose higher, moving gently in the air.
Like a magnet drawn to its counterpart, the paper darted forward.
—What the?
The students watched. Murmurs of confusion and intrigue rippled through the lecture hall.
The slip zigzagged through the air, weaving between desks, before stopping and hovering over a specific student.
Astrid stood, following its trail.
The students immediately caught on.
Confusion turned into excitement as others began imitating her, imbuing their own slips with mana.
All at once, the room came alive with glowing slips of paper darting toward their partners.
Astrid barely noticed the commotion.
Her attention was fixed entirely on where her slip had landed.
"You…."
It floated directly in front of the student with flaming red hair.
Her steps faltered.
"Ezra Kaelus."
A frown tugged at her lips. In their class, there was an unspoken topic everyone whispered about.
Ezra and Astrid were rivals.
But Astrid refused to acknowledge that idea.
To her, her only rival was her own incompetence—not Ezra.
Ezra stared at the paper hovering before him, then turned his head to meet Astrid's gaze.
His expression was unreadable, but the faint tension in his jaw told her everything she needed to know.
Astrid exhaled through her nose.
'Of all people.'
Ezra gestured for the seat next to him.
"Guess we're partners," he said, clearly unintimidated that he was paired with the Princess herself.
Astrid's lips pressed into a thin line as she walked closer and sat beside him.
"Let's just get this over with."
They sat side–by–side. Whispers quickly broke out among the groups as the odd pairing became apparent.
—The Princess? That's…. unexpected.
—Unexpected? More like unfair.
Ezra's ears caught the murmurs, but his expression remained relaxed.
He glanced at Astrid and grinned. Truth be told, Ezra had paid close attention to her.
Of all the aristocrats he disliked, he hated the Imperial Family the most. Though he knew he shouldn't voice out his thoughts unless he wanted to be executed.
"They're talking about you, Princess," he said in a teasing tone.
Astrid's gaze shifted toward him, her eyes narrowing slightly.
"No," she replied. "They're talking about you."
She emphasized the last word. Her tone was laced with something Ezra couldn't quite place.
Ezra raised an eyebrow. "Me? Guess I'm popular."
Astrid sighed, turning her attention back to the podium, where Vanitas was writing something on the chalkboard.
"This isn't about popularity. Let's focus."
The chatter in the lecture hall gradually subsided as the students settled into their seats.
Vanitas finished writing and turned to face the class.
"Now that everyone has their partner, you'll be working together on a task that will test not only your individual skill but your ability to collaborate."
The room was silent.
Astrid's gaze drifted to the board, where a complex circuit sprawled across the chalkboard.
It was dense, and as she narrowed her eyes, she realized it was layered with intersecting spellformulas and unfamiliar symbols.
"Your task is to decipher, dissect, and activate this circuit."
A collective wave of murmurs swept through the students.
"What in the world…."
Astrid frowned, narrowing her eyes at the complex design.
Even with her advanced knowledge, she could barely make out the outer layer, usually the simplest part of every circuit.
"You have three days. This will count as 5% of your practical exam. It's up to you if you want to take on the challenge."
"Wait, Professor," a student piped up from the back. "The exam isn't set until July 7. Why are you starting already?"
Vanitas turned his gaze toward the student.
"Because I am your professor," he said flatly, "and I decide when you start preparing."
"...."
Astrid stifled a sigh. Vanitas's sharpness was notorious. Anyone who tried to argue usually regretted it.
It didn't take long for Vanitas to emphasize further.
"Take my advice. Deciphering this circuit will provide invaluable experience for your upcoming exams, both theoretical and practical. Any questions?"
"...."
The room fell silent.
"Good," Vanitas said "Now, as I said, you have three days. Begin."
The students exchanged hesitant glances before turning back to their partners. Quiet murmurs filled the room as they began dissecting the circuit.
Astrid leaned closer to her notes, her focus narrowing on the first layer of the circuit.
"The outer layer doesn't make sense," Astrid muttered. "Judging from the pattern, it's supposed to stabilize the mana flow, but it's too chaotic."
Ezra, who was scribbling something on his notebook, tapped his pen against the page.
"Maybe it's a diversion."
Astrid frowned. "A diversion?"
"Yeah. Like a decoy. If we spend too much time on the outer layer, we might miss something crucial."
Astrid considered his words.
It wasn't a bad theory.
She hated that he might be right.
"If that's the case," she said, "we should analyze the second layer. It might reveal what's wrong with the first."
"Okay."
Ezra nodded and flipped to a fresh page in his notebook.
Astrid glanced at him from the corner of her eye. For all his infuriating confidence, he had a sharp mind.
Time passed.
Astrid's furrowed brows deepened as she stared at the sparse notes on her page.
"....Why is this so complicated," she muttered under her breath.
The circuit was complex, and every attempt she made to decipher it only seemed to lead to more questions.
She let out a quiet sigh out of frustration.
Then, she glanced at Ezra.
Her eyes widened. An incredulous look spread across her face.
"Excuse me, what is that?"
Ezra paused mid-stroke and looked up. "What?"
"That." Astrid pointed at his notebook. "What in the world is that?"
Ezra followed her gaze, looking at his own notebook. His expression remained blank.
"My notes."
Astrid stared harder.
The page was filled with what could only be described as an artistic mess.
The lines overlapped, with spellformulas pointing in every direction, and squiggly symbols scattered across the page.
It seemed like a poor attempt at the second layer.
"How can you even read that? Let alone make sense of it?"
Ezra shrugged, leaning back in his chair. "It's all about the process, Princess. Doesn't need to look good, just needs to make sense to me."
She shook her head, baffled. "You're impossible."
"Thanks."
"That wasn't a compliment."
"I know."
Astrid sighed, realizing it was going to be a long three days.
From her observation, it didn't even seem like Ezra knew what he was doing.
It was as if it was all written out of instinct.
Vanitas's voice cut through the quiet hum of scribbling and whispered conversations.
"Time's up."
The students stilled. Their pens hovered over their notebooks
"You're all dismissed, but do know this lecture room will remain open at all hours until the task is complete."
Students exchanged uncertain glances. Some had even ignored his announcement and continued scribbling on their notebooks.
"I won't be conducting any more lectures until this exercise is finished," Vanitas added. "You have three days. Use them wisely."
Without waiting for a response, he turned sharply on his heel as he strode toward the exit.
Karina followed close behind, clutching a stack of papers to her chest.
As they left, the room fell silent.
Astrid tapped her pen against her notebook, her gaze flickering toward the empty chalkboard.
Vanitas had erased nothing. The circuit, layered with spellformulas, was still there.
There was an option to copy it. However, copying it perfectly meant nothing without understanding its logic.
It would be akin to reproducing an advanced computer without knowing how its components interact.
Replicating the outer casing and even fastening the circuits together might've been possible.
However, without understanding the flow of electricity, the function of each chip, or the software that ran it, the machine would never function.
Flip—
Astrid flipped to a fresh page in her notebook and began sketching.