It was afternoon.
All the students from Class B-07 were gathered in a wide clearing near the academy, surrounded by tall trees and soft grass. They had walked for nearly half an hour to get there, guided by their new instructor: Elthrea.
Unlike what you'd expect from a magic teacher, Elthrea didn't look old or scary.
Quite the opposite, actually. She had an elegant air, youthful features, and a smile that floated somewhere between calm and sarcastic. Her eyes were light and slightly slanted, and she wore a long, dark blue dress embroidered with silver magical symbols. A classic mage's hat covered part of her long hair, completing the look with a traditional touch that felt straight out of a storybook—but without making her look like a villain.
While the students settled into the grass, Elthrea floated gracefully in front of them with her hands behind her back.
"Each person's magical sensitivity can be measured without physical combat."
With a gentle wave of her hand, dozens of translucent spheres appeared in the air, slowly drifting down like snowflakes and landing in the hands of the students.
"These spheres are used to measure your magical connection. They react to your energy and indicate not just your current control, but also your natural magical traits."
She turned slowly, scanning the students as she spoke.
"Of course, this can vary a lot. Each race responds differently. Not everyone will have a strong or defined glow. And that's okay. It doesn't mean you're not capable of learning magic."
Rowan looked at the sphere in his hand, thoughtful.
'A human learning magic? Is that even possible?'
As if someone had heard his thoughts, a student nearby spoke up loudly:
"Professor, if someone without affinity can learn... can humans use magic too?"
The student was short, with round eyes, shaved sides, and big glasses that kept sliding down his nose. His skin was grayish, and instead of eyebrows, he had small curved spikes.
Elthrea smiled like she'd been waiting for the question.
"Of course they can. What sets humans apart from other races is just their origin. Even so, we're similar in the way we think and feel."
"Then why don't they use magic?"
"Because it became a myth among them. Even if you don't have strong magical traits, you can still learn. But it takes training—and more importantly: constant exposure to places with good mana flow. In the human world, mana is so weak they've practically forgotten magic even exists."
Whispers spread among the students.
"Pfft... imagine a human trying to cast a spell."
"Bet some human thinks 'mana' is a dog's name."
"They forget to drink water, how are they gonna remember to use magic?"
Rowan held the sphere in silence, listening to all of it.
'What kind of arguments are these? Do they really think humans are complete idiots?'
He looked at the crystal sphere.
"Humans and magic..."
He whispered softly...
What would the world be like if that really existed?
And why was magic forgotten?
He couldn't help but wonder.
But now he had a more urgent problem.
'How am I supposed to fake my way through this without making a fool of myself?'
He was getting better at blending in, but still struggled with classes that required anything close to superhuman skill.
"Ahhh! It's working!!"
A girl near Rowan shouted, excited.
Her sphere glowed in a vibrant green, soft like leaves swaying in the wind.
The teacher floated closer.
"Congratulations! Looks like your affinity with natural magic is pretty high."
The girl gave a gentle smile, holding the sphere delicately like it was part of her own body.
Rowan stared at her more closely.
Her skin shimmered faintly in the sunlight filtering through the trees, and her long, pointed ears made her look exactly like one of those elves from old stories.
Rowan looked around. Other spheres were glowing in all kinds of shades. Some purple, others amber, golden, even pale white. Some were faint, while others pulsed brightly like flames.
He swallowed hard.
Sera's sphere glowed a deep crimson. A steady, noble glow, like thick blood under perfect control. The kind of glow everyone had already expected.
Vampires had that kind of presence.
Nina's sphere, close to Sera's, glowed with a soft salmon-orange light, tiny sparks rising from it like a mix of warmth and emotional energy. It looked weak... but alive.
"Mine is glowing! Did you see it, Sera? Look how cute it turned out!"
Nina smiled excitedly, holding the sphere like it was a piece of candy wrapped in colorful paper.
Sera didn't even look up from what she was doing.
"Be quiet."
Nina deflated a little, but then smiled again, like it was impossible to take anything said in a dry tone seriously.
'Damn... this really isn't going to work for me.'
Rowan was already thinking of just giving up.
That's when a soft voice came from the side.
"You're the new student, right?"
It was Elthrea.
She approached with a calm smile. Her gaze didn't carry judgment, only curiosity.
"Yeah... I'm still trying to understand how this all works. And... it seems like I don't have any magical trait."
"Even so, the sphere always reacts to something. Sometimes it's small. But never neutral. It shows what's closest to your essence."
'Is she saying... if I have wind affinity, I'll become friends with the air?'
"I don't think it's gonna work..."
"It will. Close your eyes. And try not to overthink it."
'Damn... she's really going to insist?'
Rowan sighed, giving in.
He closed his eyes.
"Alright... now try to feel what comes from within."
'What comes from within? I haven't even had lunch yet...'
"...."
"Think about your feelings. Push that into the sphere. Like you're channeling your energy into it."
'Feelings... anger, maybe? Toward my parents for sending me here? No... they were just fooled. It's not hate.'
'What then? Fear? Exhaustion? The urge to leave?'
Murmurs started growing around him.
"The glow looks weird..."
"Is it changing? Or am I imagining things?"
"Something's different over there..."
'It's hard to focus...'
"...."
".."
"....Wait. Am I really seeing this?"
"~Whoa... that's a first."
'Damn... what's happening?!'
Rowan opened his eyes.
And saw it.
Light.
Blue.
Clear and intense like the sky on a perfect day. The sphere glowed with a deep, steady brilliance.
It was a different kind of light.
But what made it unsettling was the fact that it didn't flicker or pulse. It was still. Like it had reached a perfect state that shouldn't be achievable through normal means.
Everyone stopped talking.
"Is that a pure blue aura?"
"I thought that didn't even exist."
"Does that mean he... has affinity with every element?!"
"Looks like it..."
Rowan stood frozen, staring at the sphere.
'What the hell is going on? Why is this thing glowing?!'
Professor Elthrea remained silent. Her eyes were wide, still processing what she was seeing.
That light... it didn't move like normal magic.
'No... this isn't just affinity. This is soul purity.'
And that was a problem.
Only beings with pure souls could emit such a noble light. But that wasn't supposed to exist. Not anymore.
Maybe in the past. But today? No matter how good, kind, or balanced someone was—everyone had cracks. Everyone felt anger, jealousy, fear, guilt. Everyone had bad thoughts, judged others, lied to themselves. That was normal. That's what made souls unstable and imperfect.
A pure blue aura demanded something impossible: a completely clean soul.
And no one was like that.
'No one.'
Elthrea swallowed hard. Even among the ancients, even in records of forgotten entities, not even they had this kind of light.
So why a newly arrived student?
'How kind and pure is this boy to have a soul like that?'
Rowan kept staring at the glowing sphere in his hands, completely lost.
'What the hell is going on right now?'
====
◆ Character Sheet – Elthrea ◆
➤ Age: Unknown (young appearance, but clearly experienced)
➤ Height: 1.75 m
➤ Race: ??? (likely a pure mage or descendant of an ancient magical bloodline)
➤ Class: Magic Analysis Professor – Meridiana Academy
➤ Appearance: Sharp features, clear almond-shaped eyes, long flowing hair partially covered by a classic mage hat. Wears a dark blue dress embroidered with silver magical symbols, giving her an elegant yet mysterious look. Her presence is calm, almost hypnotic, with a constant touch of irony in her gaze.
➤ Likes: Silence during class, students who surprise her, magical riddles, hot tea
➤ Dislikes: Flattery, predictability, intellectual laziness
➤ Personality: Subtle, ironic, and observant. Elthrea rarely shows strong emotions, but everything she says carries weight. She often leaves questions hanging rather than giving direct answers. She shows no interest in favoritism or hierarchy, treating everyone with the same level of polite indifference.
➤ Trivia: Elthrea casts no shadow. Even under direct sunlight or magical lighting, her body never projects any silhouette on the ground or walls. Some say it's due to an old contract with a forgotten entity. Others believe she's not exactly alive. No one has dared to ask.
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