The morning sunlight spilled through the curtains of Oliver's dorm room, painting the walls with golden hues. On his desk lay the ancient book he had found in the library, its cracked spine and faded pages giving it an air of mystery. Oliver had been poring over it late into the night, absorbing every word about summonology until sleep had overtaken him. Now, as the book lay open to the page with the map, he carefully closed it and tucked it away in his drawer, ensuring it was secure.
Yawning and stretching, he quickly got ready for the day. His Ignis uniform—a sharp combination of red and gold—gave him a sense of pride and belonging. Downstairs, the dining hall was alive with chatter as students enjoyed their breakfast. The aroma of freshly baked bread and sweet honey filled the air. Ethan was already halfway through his meal, while Lily sat nearby, her sleek black cat, Midnight, perched elegantly on her lap. Midnight's green eyes seemed to gleam with intelligence, and her tail swished lazily as Lily fed her tiny morsels of food.
"Magic Combat class today," Ethan said, his mouth half-full of toast. "And it's with Umbra House. This'll be... fun."
Lily sighed, stroking Midnight's fur. "Umbra House. Great. I bet they're already sharpening their insults."
Oliver grinned, a spark of excitement in his eyes. "Let's see if their bark is worse than their bite."
After breakfast, the trio made their way to the Magic Combat classroom. The building was an imposing structure located at the edge of the academy grounds. Its exterior was crafted from dark stone, with large iron doors adorned with carvings of wizards locked in fierce combat. Inside, the classroom was vast, resembling an arena more than a traditional learning space. Targets and enchanted dummies were arranged around the perimeter, while racks of wands and protective gear lined the walls. The circular combat area in the center was surrounded by elevated seating, giving it the feel of a grand coliseum.
The students from Ignis and Umbra Houses gathered, tension thick in the air. It didn't take long for trouble to brew.
Darius Valtor, an arrogant and sharp-featured boy from Umbra, smirked as he surveyed the Ignis students. "Ignis House," he sneered, his voice dripping with disdain. "I still can't believe they let second-rate students into this academy. Clearly, the standards have dropped."
Lily bristled, her eyes flashing with anger, but before she could retort, Oliver stepped forward. "Funny," he said calmly, "coming from someone whose house spends more time gossiping than actually doing anything impressive. Tell me, Darius, what have you accomplished lately?"
The Umbra students snickered, while Darius's face darkened with fury. Before the argument could escalate, the doors slammed open, and the room fell silent.
Professor Kael Draven strode in, his boots echoing loudly on the stone floor. He was a commanding figure, tall and broad-shouldered, with a scar running diagonally across his ruggedly handsome face. His black combat robes bore silver insignias, and his piercing gray eyes seemed to see straight through the students. Despite his intimidating presence, there was an undeniable charisma about him that left the room captivated.
"Enough," Professor Draven said, his voice deep and authoritative. "Save your rivalries for the arena. In this class, you'll need more than words to prove yourself."
The lesson began immediately. Professor Draven demonstrated the basics of offensive and defensive magic, starting with a simple fireball spell. Raising his hand, he summoned a fiery red magic circle that glowed with power. A moment later, a fireball shot forth, slamming into a target with a loud boom. The students erupted into applause.
Next, he showed them how to create a defensive shield using a blue magic circle. The translucent shield shimmered in the air, deflecting an incoming projectile with ease. "Magic is about precision and focus," he explained. "To succeed, you must train both your mind and your instincts."
The students eagerly attempted the spells. Oliver and Lily, having studied the basics in the library the night before, succeeded on their first try. Ethan, however, struggled. His first attempt at a fireball resulted in a tiny spark that fizzled out with a pathetic hiss.
"Nice one, Ethan," Oliver teased.
"Shut up," Ethan muttered, trying again.
Nearby, a student from Umbra accidentally set his own sleeve on fire, prompting a wave of laughter from the class. Another student's fireball ricocheted off a target and knocked over a rack of wands, causing a domino effect that sent half the equipment clattering to the ground.
After some practice, Professor Draven announced a duel between Ignis and Umbra Houses. He chose Oliver to represent Ignis and, to no one's surprise, Darius to represent Umbra.
The arena was cleared, and the tension was palpable as both houses cheered for their champions.
"Don't embarrass yourself, Ignis," Darius sneered.
"Don't worry," Oliver shot back. "I'll keep it quick."
The duel began. Oliver started with a fireball, aiming directly at Darius. The Umbra student dodged with a smirk and retaliated with a powerful gust of wind. Oliver barely managed to summon a shield in time, the force of the wind spell sending him sliding back.
Observing Darius's movements, Oliver quickly devised a strategy. He pretended to stumble, drawing Darius into a false sense of security. When Darius launched another wind spell, Oliver countered with a quick fireball aimed at the ground, creating a cloud of dust. While Darius was distracted, Oliver closed the distance and cast another fireball, this time hitting his opponent squarely in the chest.
The crowd erupted in cheers as Darius staggered, glaring at Oliver with hatred.
"Well done, Oliver," Professor Draven said, nodding in approval. "You used strategy, not just power. A valuable lesson for all of you."
Darius slunk back to his seat, humiliated, while Ignis House celebrated their victory.
After lunch, the trio headed to their Summonology class. Oliver was practically buzzing with excitement. The classroom was dimly lit, with walls lined with ancient tomes and jars containing strange, preserved creatures. The center of the room featured a circular platform inscribed with glowing runes.
Professor Arcturus, a tall man with a flowing gray beard and piercing blue eyes, greeted them warmly. "Welcome to the art of Summonology," he said. "This is a discipline that requires skill, patience, and, frankly, a lot of gold."
He began by explaining the basics of summoning and binding creatures. "In the market, you can purchase skeletons—both humanoid and animal forms—that can be made undead and bound to your will. But let me warn you: Summonology is not cheap. Even a low-quality skeleton of a dog costs around 300 gold coins. A decent humanoid skeleton? That'll set you back at least 1,500 gold coins. And then there's the matter of subspace rings, which allow you to store your undead companions and other belongings. These are extraordinarily rare and expensive. Even the smallest subspace can cost tens of thousands of gold coins."
The students gasped, realizing just how costly the subject was.
To demonstrate, Professor Arcturus waved his hand, and a shimmering crack appeared in the air. From it emerged a skeleton clad in rusty armor, its eyes glowing an eerie red. It held a sword and stood motionless until the professor commanded it to move.
"This," he said, "is an undead knight. It serves me faithfully and can be summoned or stored in my subspace as needed."
Oliver watched in awe, fascinated by the skeleton's movements and the possibilities of summonology. He couldn't help but wonder if he could find a way to afford a skeleton of his own.
After class, the trio returned to the hostel. In the main hall, Oliver couldn't stop thinking about the skeleton and the map he had found.
"You realize summonology is ridiculously expensive, right?" Ethan said. "Even if you somehow got a skeleton, where would you keep it without a subspace?"
"I'll figure it out," Oliver said confidently.
That night, as the moonlight streamed through his window, Oliver retrieved the book from his drawer and began reading. The map with the mysterious cross in the forest seemed to call to him, filling his mind with questions and possibilities.
"I'll find out what's there," he whispered, a determined gleam in his eyes. "No matter what."