Thomas Porter leaned against the stone wall surrounding the combat arena, watching Coralina as she gave instructions to the younger students about the rules of friendly dueling.
That woman… she's a challenge like no other I've ever faced.
From the moment he first saw her, Thomas was struck by her poise, her intelligence, and, of course, her undeniable beauty. But it wasn't just that. Coralina wasn't intimidated by him—not even by his title as the son of one of the academy's most influential officers.
Her indifference to his privileges irritated him.
"You're far too arrogant, Porter," Coralina had told him days earlier after he'd tried to flirt with her for the fifth time. "Learn to measure your words before you open your mouth."
She's a tough nut to crack, he thought, a smirk playing on his lips. But if anyone can win her over, it's me.
He wasn't a man accustomed to rejection. He believed that everything he wanted was within his reach, whether by his own merit or through the influence of his name. Coralina, however, was different. She didn't respond to his clever remarks or his charming smiles, and it drove him mad.
But no matter how much she resists, he thought confidently, she'll give in eventually. They all do.
He had one goal in mind: to impress Coralina enough for her to finally see him as more than just an arrogant boy.
In contrast, Peter Porter, Thomas's younger brother, had a far more complex relationship with Coralina. From the day he met her, she'd left an impression on him.
She has no filter, Peter thought as he adjusted one of the prototypes he'd been working on for weeks. And I like that. But it's terrifying.
In the weeks that followed, Peter found himself constantly looking for excuses to spend time with her. He knew he could never compete with Thomas's confidence or the attention Coralina received from other students, but his approach was different: showing her what he was capable of.
He presented her with several of his inventions, from small magical devices to tools designed to improve combat. Coralina evaluated each creation with a critical eye, pointing out flaws and questioning their functionality.
"This design is off-balance," she said on one occasion, holding one of his combat automatons. "Can't you see the structure is too heavy on the left side? It'll collapse with a single hit."
Her comments were harsh, yet Peter couldn't help but feel a strange satisfaction when he heard them. It was the first time someone had taken him so seriously, and it inspired him to improve.
How can I win over someone like her? he often wondered. I'm not as charismatic as Thomas or as strong as the others. All I have are my inventions. Am I enough?
Thomas was one of the first to face Coralina.
It was the perfect recipe for his disastrous defeat: equal parts confidence and arrogance, taken to the extreme.
"I hope you're ready, Álvarez."
The duel began, and while Thomas demonstrated impressive magical skills, Coralina, fed up with his behavior, utterly humiliated him. The match ended 40 seconds after it started.
"Too predictable."
She slipped behind him and delivered a low blow. "Try not to rely so much on brute strength. Use your brain, idiot."
The public humiliation sent him crawling away, but it only deepened his feelings for her. Someday, I'll make you see that I'm more than you think I am, he vowed silently.
The real twist of the day came when Peter, Thomas's younger brother, finally stepped into the arena.
He wasn't a conventional fighter; his interests lay more in the laboratory than on the battlefield. This time, however, was different.
Peter arrived carrying a large invention, something he'd never shown anyone at the academy before: a mechanical combat suit he'd designed and built himself.
The experimental structure was composed of lightweight metal plates and magical gears that crackled with runic energy.
The mana crystal system glowed on the chest of the armor—the very flaw he had overlooked.
No one expected Peter, the shy inventor who spent most of his time in the library or workshop, to make such a spectacular entrance.
"What are you doing here, little Porter?" Coralina asked.
"I'm here to compete, just like everyone else."
She let out an exaggerated sigh, crossing her arms. "I don't have time for your games, Porter. Go to the library or wherever it is you prefer to spend your time, but this arena isn't for you."
"I belong in this class, Coralina. Why shouldn't I participate?"
She looked at him as if dealing with a stubborn child. "Because I don't want tantrums in the middle of the fight, that's why. If your armor fails or you get tired, what am I supposed to do? Let you die to learn your lesson?"
"I'll be on the front lines too, Coralina. You can't stop me."
"You? On the front lines? How adorable. Listen, little Porter, you're too weak. If they send you to the front, you wouldn't last a minute. You'd be little more than a distraction to the enemy."
Her words stung more than Peter had expected. His face flushed with humiliation.
"And what do you know?" he snapped, trying to maintain his composure. "You can't decide who's strong enough to fight! At least I'm trying something, unlike your people in Mexico, who let their enemies walk all over their lands."
The students fell silent, stunned by the harshness of Peter's words. Even he immediately realized what he'd said, and guilt spread across his face.
"Coralina, I…"
She didn't lose her composure. Instead of reacting with anger, she looked at him with a calmness more frightening than any outburst.
"Spit it out, Porter," she said without a trace of rage. "What do you really want from me?"
He had planned this moment for weeks, rehearsing his words over and over in his head, but now, standing before Coralina, he couldn't help but feel like a complete idiot.
"I… I wanted to ask you out," he blurted out, louder than he'd intended.
"A date?" she finally repeated, letting out a sigh as she brought a hand to her face. "God, little Porter… How am I supposed to take this? You insult me, you challenge me, and then you do this?"
"It wasn't my intention to insult you! I was… frustrated. But what I said doesn't change how I feel. I want to spend more time with you, and I thought… maybe we could try."
"I don't know whether I should be angry or feel sorry for you. But one thing's certain: you can't just insult me and then ask me out, expecting me to say yes."
"You'll get your answer… after you show me you deserve my time. If you really think you can convince me, you'll have to do more than use words. Understood?"
"Understood."
"Now, take off that armor and stop causing a scene in my arena."
What am I supposed to do with this kid? she thought.
The sun was at its peak. Claire Bennett had been one of the few students to stand out from the very beginning.
"Ready when you are," Coralina said, crossing her arms.
Claire didn't wait. She started with a magical burst spell, but instead of firing it directly, she used it to create a smoke ring that concealed her movements. Coralina frowned, impressed by the tactic.
"Well played," she murmured to herself, dodging Claire's first physical attack as she closed the distance in the blink of an eye.
She combined her spells with revolver shots, and Coralina quickly recognized the pattern.
"Those moves…" Coralina dodged a shot that barely grazed her eyes, then blocked a magical burst with her sword. "You've been watching me, haven't you?"
Claire didn't respond, but her brief smile was confirmation enough.
"So you've been spying on me," Coralina said, a hint of amusement in her tone. "Not bad. But copying me isn't enough to defeat me."
Claire changed tactics, combining magical and physical attacks unpredictably, searching for a weak spot in Coralina's defense. She even used a trap spell to try and block Coralina's movement, but the latter was too experienced to fall for it.
Coralina disarmed her with a swift sword maneuver, knocking Claire's revolver to the ground.
"Your style is good," Coralina said as she helped Claire to her feet. "But you need more than technique. Use the element of surprise. For example, if you make your bullets look ordinary, you can hide their magic and activate it from a distance."
"Thank you, Miss Álvarez. I'll try that," Claire replied.
The next student was the complete opposite of Claire. Derek Stone was known as the least remarkable student in his class.
The crowd murmured skeptically. He was infamous for his lack of magical skill and inability to cast basic spells without exhausting himself.
"You want to participate too, Stone?" Coralina asked, though her tone wasn't mocking, just curious.
Derek nodded quickly, though his voice trembled as he replied. "Yes, Miss Álvarez. I want… I want to prove I can do it."
"Go ahead. Show me your best," she said, placing a hand on her hip.
Magical energy crackled faintly as Derek gathered his spell, but when he finally cast it, the fireball fizzled out halfway, leaving only a wisp of smoke.
The crowd erupted in laughter, and Derek lowered his head in shame.
"Silence," Coralina ordered, her sharp tone cutting through the noise.
"Come here," she said, taking Derek by the arm and positioning herself behind him.
Derek, surprised, barely reacted as Coralina guided his hand with hers, adjusting it for a proper spell cast.
"Now, focus. Do the same as before, but trust me."
With her other hand, Coralina infused the spell with a touch of her own magic. This time, when Derek cast the fireball, it soared across the arena and exploded in a brilliant burst of light.
"What did you do?" Derek asked, staring at his hands.
"Nothing you couldn't have done yourself."
"Listen, Stone. You don't have the strength of the others, but you have something many of them lack: determination. That can take you farther than you think. That's why, from now on, you'll be my assistant."
The arena erupted into murmurs. Coralina, known for her high standards and critical eye, had just taken the least remarkable student in the academy under her wing.
The news that Coralina had taken Derek as her assistant quickly reached the Porter brothers.
Thomas let out a sarcastic laugh when he heard. "Stone? Really? What the hell does she see in that loser?"
Peter, however, wasn't so sure. He'd noticed something in the way Coralina treated Derek.
"Maybe she saw something we haven't," Peter murmured, though his voice carried a hint of uncertainty.
Thomas scoffed, crossing his arms. "It's a waste of time. Coralina's throwing her effort away on a nobody while ignoring the ones who could actually make a difference. Like me, for example."