Jace's excitement grew as they entered the massive arena, the towering archways casting long shadows that stretched across the ground. Passing through the shaded areas, Jace almost tripped on himself from the sight that greeted him.
Massive stone columns soared into the sky, their surfaces covered in intricate magic circles that glowed with a soft, pulsating light. Waves of magical energy rippled through the air, creating a faint hum that resonated in Jace's chest. The spells woven into the very fabric of the building made it impossibly larger on the inside than it appeared from the outside, a feat of magic that left him awestruck.
The air around them felt dense and heavy, thick with the excess energy leaking from the spells. It pressed against Jace's skin like a tangible force, making every breath feel charged with power. All around them, the constant hum of magic mingled with the excited chatter of other students, creating a low, buzzing symphony that filled the space.
"Who would even have the power to cast that many large spells?" Ethan said, his usual smirk completely missing as he stared wide-eyed up at the magic circuits. His familiar bravado missing, his own loss of words surprising even himself.
"Surely it would've been a group casting to accomplish such a massive scale of magic" Jace replied, just like Ethan he was also lost in the magic circuits, the gentle pulsing reminded him of a heartbeat. His intuition told him to close his eyes, letting the feeling of the dense magic dance across his skin. He wasn't sure if he felt exhilarated at knowing what is possible, or terrified at just how strong people can be. The pure scale of the magic overwhelmed Jace for a moment, but deep down he felt the fire inside to improve again.
After a moment Ethan gave a sharp whistle elbowing Jace. "I hope the baths are enchanted too" he said with a grin, his skill with words returning to him.
Jace snapped out of the moment "yeah because that's what they keep master Elementals around for - making sure your bath is warm" unable to suppress his own laugh.
It was strange though, Jace couldn't help feeling like there was something in the magic that was observing them. And as they proceeded further into the arena heading towards their seats, he kept expecting to see something in the magic. But instead it just kept that same gentle rhythm.
Finally they found their seats, quickly sitting, the chairs surprisingly comfortable. Their excitement finally winning over the apprehension as they waited for the opening ceremony.