The classroom was silent as the woman entered, yet the air itself seemed to grow heavier. A chill settled over the room, prickling against my skin.
Miss Veena.
She moved with precision, her steps sharp, calculated. Her presence alone was enough to command obedience. Tall, with silver-threaded hair pulled into a severe bun, she carried herself like a blade—polished, refined, and dangerously sharp. The flickering sunlight from the stained glass cast shifting patterns across her pale skin, but her dark, piercing eyes remained unchanged. They searched the room, sweeping over us like a hawk measuring its prey.
"Good morning, everyone." Her voice was crisp, clipped. "I am Miss Veena, and I will be your class head for the semester."
A quiet shiver ran through the room. Even the most confident students straightened in their seats.
I exhaled slowly, my fingers curling over the desk's edge. This wasn't like any classroom I'd ever known.
The academy didn't just teach magic. It breathed it.
The stained glass windows weren't just decorations—they pulsed with energy. The symbols carved into the oak walls shimmered faintly, ancient runes flickering between languages I couldn't decipher. And in front of every student, resting in delicate silver holders, were magic crystals.
Small. Harmless-looking.
But I knew better.
As Miss Veena's voice carried through the room, I felt it.
A presence.
My gaze flickered toward the back of the class.
He was there.
A boy, leaning back lazily in his seat, arms crossed over his chest. His black hair fell in unruly waves over his forehead, but there was nothing careless about him. His deep blue eyes held something unreadable—something ancient, something powerful.
It wasn't just his appearance that set him apart.
It was the way the air around him felt different.
A silent pull, a shift in the energy itself.
His gaze met mine.
For a moment, everything else faded.
The flickering torches. The whispers of students. Even Miss Veena's measured words.
A strange sensation curled in my chest—like a spark, like recognition. Like something forgotten trying to surface.
I forced myself to look away.
Mira shifted uncomfortably under the weight of the boy's stare. Her long black hair cascaded over her shoulders, strands catching the soft light filtering through the classroom windows.
Unlike the students around her, her skin carried a golden-white glow, contrasting sharply with the deep purple of her eyes—an unusual shade that often drew attention. She kept her expression calm, composed, but inside, her thoughts churned restlessly.
"Now," Miss Veena's voice cut through the lingering tension. "Before you can wield magic, you must understand its structure."
She raised her hand, and a thin wisp of golden energy curled around her fingers.
"Magic is divided into elements and levels."
A flick of her wrist, and symbols appeared in the air—floating runes of fire, water, earth, air, light, darkness, ice, and thunder.
"The basic elements form the foundation. Every mage must master them before progressing to the advanced arts."
Her fingers traced a sigil mid-air, and the symbols shifted, forming a spiral.
"Beyond that, there are levels—each marking a magician's growth."
Her voice grew sharper, more defined, as she listed them.
"Let's begin with the foundational path of magic—the stepping stones to true power."
Basic Levels
🔹 Novice Magic – "Where every journey begins. At this stage, you will grasp the fundamentals—how to draw mana, shape basic spells, and understand the laws that govern magic itself. A weak foundation will shatter under the weight of true power."
🔹 Elemental Magic – "Fire, water, earth, air—each with its own will and temperament. Mastering the elements is a crucial step, for they form the very essence of magic."
🔹 Rune Magic – "Symbols carved from ancient wisdom, capable of enhancing spells and weaving enchantments that transcend normal limits. Those who grasp this art wield power beyond raw elemental force."
She let the words sink in before stepping forward.
"Now, we ascend to the realm of true magic."
Advanced Levels
🔹 Adept Magic – "Here, spells become more than mere incantations. You will refine your control, expand your abilities, and shape magic to your will. This is where true growth begins."
🔹 Mastery Magic – "Only a few reach this stage. To be a master is to wield multiple forms of magic effortlessly, commanding respect and fear alike."
🔹 Archimage Magic – "The peak of mortal magic. Archmages no longer just wield magic—they become its very embodiment, bending the laws of reality as they please. Few in history have ascended to this level."
Miss Veena's voice carried an unmistakable reverence for those who had reached such heights. I leaned forward unconsciously, drawn into the weight of her words.
"However, magic alone does not define one's standing. Power must be measured."
She raised a hand, and a floating sigil shimmered into existence—a radiant crest marking the path of a magician.
Magician Ranks
⚔ Arcane Novice – "This is where you stand—a beginner, taking the first steps into an endless abyss."
⚔ Spellweaver – "No longer just a student, but a magician capable of weaving magic into forms more intricate and deadly. The true path begins here."
⚔ Mystic Adept – "You will feel the pulse of magic itself, your very soul resonating with its rhythm. Adepts stand above ordinary magicians, their spells refined, their will unyielding."
⚔ Elemental Sage – "Those who devote themselves to the elements will ascend to this title, wielding the forces of nature as if they were extensions of their own being."
⚔ Celestial Arbiter – "Beyond the earthly elements, there lies the power of the celestial. Arbiters draw from the stars, the moon, and the cosmic forces, casting spells that defy mortal understanding."
⚔ Arcane Overlord – "The pinnacle of magic, where few ever stand. Overlords do not just wield power; they command it, shaping the very fabric of reality with a mere thought. They are the rulers of the arcane realm."
Miss Veena's gaze swept over the class once more. "This… is the path ahead. Whether you rise or fall depends on your own will."
Then, she spoke again. "Beyond this lies the realm of the gods. But such heights are beyond you."
Her words sent a ripple through the class. A few students shifted in their seats.
Beyond us. But not impossible.
I clenched my fists beneath the desk.
"And if someone did reach that level?"
I didn't voice the question. But Miss Veena's gaze flickered toward me for half a second—as if she had heard it anyway.
]"Now, place your hands on the crystals before you."
The instruction came without warning.
I hesitated, watching as students eagerly placed their palms against the smooth, glassy surface of the crystals at their desks.
Light flared across the room. Bursts of color—blue, green, gold, violet—each one marking an element, an affinity.
A gasp. Excited murmurs.
Across the room, powers awakened.
I swallowed, placing my palm on my own crystal.
For a moment, nothing.
Then—
A flicker of red.
It was faint, weaker than the others.
My stomach twisted.
Why?
Before I could pull away, Miss Veena stepped forward. Her expression unreadable.
"Again."
I hesitated, but she was already lifting a different crystal—a larger one, pulsing with something deeper.
A heavier presence.
"This one will measure your affinity. The depths of your potential."
Silence.
I pressed my palm against it.
And everything exploded.
Flames surged—not red, but blue and white, twisting in an unnatural dance. The fire wasn't burning. It was alive, shifting like liquid metal, curling toward my fingertips like it recognized me.
A sharp inhale.
Miss Veena's face paled.
"How is this possible?"****
The other students fell silent, eyes locked on the display. The flames flickered wildly, licking the air as though defying logic itself.
The boy in the back straightened.
Watching.
Waiting.
A tension settled over the room, thicker than before.
I forced myself to speak. "Is… something wrong?"
Miss Veena exhaled, her gaze sharp. "You may possess a magic unseen in centuries."
The words hung between us, heavy and unshakable.
She stepped back. "The Grandmaster will decide what happens next."
My breath hitched.
I remembered the dream.
The silver-haired figure. The voice that had whispered to me upon my arrival.
"Was it him?"
The crystal's flames dimmed, but the unease in my chest remained.