I emptied my mind and emotions, finding myself in a void that I saw as an endless darkness with no existence.
Then, I saw a giant tree with glowing roots lighting up this empty space.
I approached the massive tree and pressed it hard, making it scream as its endless roots began to shine brightly.
I pressed harder and harder, causing the roots to retreat into the tree, which now radiated light so intensely that my eyes couldn't handle it.
I snapped back to reality. Had I succeeded?
I was gasping for air, feeling like I had just fought a powerful creature, leaving me a bit exhausted.
Now, I felt my mana disappearing from within me, and my chest felt full, but breathing was easier.
I looked at the clock. I had three hours before class started, which made me feel a little relieved, so I lay down on my super comfy bed.
"I did it," I said to myself.
This was the first thing I'd ever done like this, risking my life and soul just to avoid suspicion. It was a crazy move.
I paused for a moment, letting the sleepiness take over, and soon I was drifting off into a peaceful sleep.
---
Theo:
The morning was fresh, and the cool air lifted my spirits as I sat by a lake at the academy. I saw a cute girl walking toward me.
"Good morning, Theo," she said with a smile.
I smiled back at her. "Good morning, Talia."
She bent a little because I was sitting and stared at me.
Talia smiled. "Last night, I was worried you might be nervous," she said.
Her words made me feel calm, like a well-chosen piece of advice.
I smiled at her. "Aren't you nervous?" I asked, staring at her closely.
Her face turned bright red, and she turned away from me. "Uh… I'm... actually a little nervous," she confessed.
"Why are you nervous?" I asked.
She paused for a second, then answered shyly, "Maybe because—" but her sentence was cut off when Aida showed up.
"You guys are here early," Aida said as she arrived.
Aida glanced at Talia, who was blushing. "What did you do, Theo?" she snapped, walking toward me angrily.
I froze. What did I just do wrong?
Talia came over to Aida and patted her on the shoulder, her face still red. "Aida..." she said softly.
Aida's eyes widened. 'So, it's true. She likes this guy,' Aida thought to herself, staring at me with a confused look.
"I'm sorry, Theo, for the misunderstanding," Aida apologized, bowing her head.
Misunderstanding?
I was getting curious about what these two women were thinking. It was like they were somehow connected without speaking, and now I could see them communicating silently, which was even more confusing and intriguing.
I stood up because everyone was gathered, and it was time to head out. "I've informed Sir Arsene about you two being on this mission," I said.
"Then, we'll take the carriage from the academy to get there. Let's go now," I said, leading them to the waiting carriage.
I sat beside Talia, while Aida sat facing her. The journey might be far, but I felt calm, maybe because having them both around made me feel at peace.
The ride began, and Talia and I chatted a lot. Sometimes Aida joined in, but she mostly stayed quiet, probably giving us space since we hadn't seen each other in a while.
The mission we were about to undertake was in a cave called Alburita Cave . My task was just to inspect the cave and report back on its condition to ensure it was safe for exploration.
Honestly, I could guess that Sir Arsene wanted to test me by giving me a mission that was typically handled by second-year students. My first mission wasn't all that difficult.
I snapped out of my thoughts when Talia rested her head on my shoulder, making me smile a little because I thought that after so long, we'd drift apart. But thankfully, she was still the same as before.
I glanced at Aida, who was staring at me with a blank expression, giving me a side-eye. Was she jealous?
This was my first mission outside the academy. I just hoped nothing unexpected would happen.
---
Nao:
I woke up from my dream, my eyes widening when I saw the time—it was already noon.
Great…
For the first time, I had made a huge mistake that might lead to me getting scolded and penalized.
I sighed heavily, then quickly got dressed in my school uniform, already resigned to my fate. I walked out of my room and toward class without rushing or panicking because, at this point, I was already late, and whether I ran or not, the outcome would be the same.
The midday atmosphere wasn't helping my mood. I kept thinking about everything that was about to happen to me. Step by step, I got closer to the classroom, and without looking around, I entered from the back door and sat at my desk.
Sir Arsene was teaching in front without noticing I was there. I just listened to what he was saying until he suddenly stopped and stared at me in shock.
Did I need to be honest?
I just acted normal, and then he said, "Nao, do you feel different today? Is that really you?" he asked, looking at me like I was a stranger.
What kind of question was that? It was so weird.
"I'm Nao, Sir," I said with a blank face, no emotion, ready for whatever punishment or penalty might come my way.
The whole class stared at me, whispering like I looked different today. I was confused. Was there something on my face?
The entire class just stared at me, and I eventually left through the back door, ignoring them. I was feeling frustrated.
Knock! Knock!
The sound of the desk being tapped brought everyone's attention back to Sir Arsene. "Sorry, Nao, you must be disappointed, but I just want to say that you look different today," he said.
Different? How? I went to the academy just like usual. Then I remembered last night—I had done my crazy project.
Oh, right. I realized that everyone in my class—Tetsu, Elysia, Theo, and anyone who had seen me—might feel strange because my mana wasn't overflowing like before. Maybe it affected my physical and mental state, making everyone feel weird without knowing why.
I smiled, thinking about what would happen if the people closest to me saw me like this now.