Activity invaded the usually calm academy. It was the first day.
New students were preparing mentally, while older students focused more on research. The academy was bustling with people.
In a small dorm room, a 16 year old was sleeping.
The dorm room looked average. Just a bed, a closet, and a bathroom.
*Ringgg*
As the alarm clock by the bed hit 7 AM, a loud ringing filled the room.
The teenager got up and turned the alarm clock off.
....
*Yawn*
I got up from my bed, putting the academy uniform on as I went to the lecture hall.
On my way there, a massive gathering of students blocked the small hallway.
They were mostly standing around, taking a step every few seconds.
Their unhurried attitude annoyed me. Couldn't they just find another place to talk?
Silence suddenly filled the small hallway as the students split up, forming a straight line in the middle.
I found it strange that they would suddenly open up a path, but it served me good nonetheless.
A silver haired girl, her stride filled with confidence, cut through that bundle of students. She was the reason they had made a path.
Scary.
Gratitude filled my eyes as I looked towards her, before passing through the now re-forming group of students.
Multiple conversations rang in my ear, some were second year students, some third year, and some first year like me.
"Did you hear about the new professor?"
"The principal gave a scolding this morning to a few first year students who tried magic without formulas. Remember when you tried the same thing? You were reckless and almost got me into trouble."
"That magic formula doesn't even work, you need to add your own touch to it so it recognizes your mana."
I couldn't even follow a single conversation, their voices overlapping with each other.
My hands brushed against a few other students as I walked past.
Nervousness caught up to me. I was a bit anxious about today.
The closer I got to the lecture hall, the more it showed on my face.
An open area showed itself to me after the small hallway. It was a training ground covered with grey concrete pathways and divided into circles.
Some second year students were practicing their magic in the training grounds to my left, not everyone succeeding in their casting.
One student's mana moved like a river, smooth and controlled. Another's was jagged, snapping back on itself whenever it touched the ground. A third's fizzled out entirely, leaving a faint smoke trail.
Spells exploded here and there, the formulas used were obviously off.
The casters who had failed all had a pale expression. Their eyelids grew weak. Some even fell.
Thankfully, a nearby Professor noticed their mistakes and immediately sprang to action, casting a quick healing spell, before interrupting the rest of the students' mana with his own.
It wasn't clean control. It seemed even forceful, but that's what happens when you cast magic with an unfamiliar formula.
Mana control was always hard. A small mistake and your mana started going wild inside of you. Magic also required strict formulas, causing mishaps to happen often.
Getting to the lecture hall, the sight of hundreds of students amazed me.
Two students sharing the same appearance glanced at me for a moment, quickly going back to their previous task of arguing.
They looked exactly identical, except for one styling their hair a bit differently.
Behind them, an orb of light floated slowly, a student right below it.
He was focused on his magic. His ability to maintain it for longer than a minute was exceptional.
It was strange that some magic could be cast without supervision, while other magic would mandate punishment if used carelessly.
It wasn't even strong magic that the academy didn't seem to allow, mostly just physical enhancement spells and such.
Maybe it was the backlash that the academy feared, not the spells themselves.
All the desks in the front were already lined with students.
The back seats were mostly empty, only a single student sitting in the back corner talking to her books. She noticed me looking at her and gave me a glance. Not a long one as she started mumbling again.
A nerd-looking girl with black hair gestured for me from a seat near the middle.
She was one of my friends whom I had met before classes began, Penelope.
Walking past a few students as I closed in on my desired seat, one next to the window, a student fell onto me, having been pushed by his friend behind him.
The student apologized repeatedly, their friend laughing from behind him. I told him it was alright, despite my anger bubbling, and continued my walk.
I sat in the desk next to Penelope, engaging in conversation about our new mysterious professor.
"Some people said the professor this time might be the famous magician Damain. What do you think?" I asked while taking stuff out of my bag.
"I doubt it, honestly. What would even convince a man still engrossed in his mana research to come teach some students?" Penelope didn't believe the rumors.
A student with a tall build and slim yet noticable muscles, came and interrupted our talk.
"I still think the rumors hold some merit, didn't the 'magician of the century' visit Arcadia recently?" It was Denis who interrupted us, one of the people I had befriended before classes began.
"Want to bet?" A student in the desk infront of us turned with a grin on his face.
Denis took out 10 dollars out of his pocket, the student's smile growing bigger.
"I bet that our professor isn't the famous Damian." The student also took out some money.
Having finished setting up the bet, Denis went back to me and Penelope.
"Why do you think it isn't the magician of the century, Penelope? Even the list of professors stated his name. Can it even be considered a rumor at that point?" Denis's curiosity was unhidden.
"It should just be a person with the same name. No way a magician of his standing would be here." Penelope shook her head.
"You're talking like this is some backwater academy, but this is the most prestigious academy in the entire continent." I raised an eyebrow at her words. I didn't find it strange that a famous magician would come to teach in this academy. Money moved all.
It was still early for the lecture to begin, so I started talking with Denis and Penelope about some other things.
Students filled the hall as time passed, my excitement showing clearly as we awaited the professor's entry.
The door swung open, revealing a man with a giant-like stature.
Disappointment filled my face.
I had never seen Mage Damian, but this was definitely not him.
Denis sighed, taking the money for the bet and handing it to the student grinning ear to ear in front of us.
The giant man's entrance barely stopped the students' chatter, sound picking up not long after.
Some students even sighed when they saw him.
Reaching the podium in the far front of the hall, the giant spoke:
"My name is Kale Buckel. I'm your close quarters combat instructor from today onwards. You may only refer to me as Professor Kale or Professor Buckel."
The students quieted down, having lost most interest in this class.
We were magicians, we didn't care much about physical training.
What piqued my interest, however, was the professor's use of his own magic in a support type of way.
A pale orb hovered above him, scanning the students' mana streams. Whenever someone dozed off, it glowed, nudging them awake.
Even more impressively, a chalk wrote everything he said as he gave a demonstration.
The lecture didn't take long, but we realized how stupid we were midway through, the professor brought up something we hadn't thought about.
The first lecture was a 'Mana-Basics' lecture, yet the professor who had showed up was a different one.
It seemed like classes had switched.
When Denis noticed, he immediately tried to take his money back from the student he had made a bet with, but the student didn't budge.
He had exploited our idiocy pretty well if I had to say so myself.
A faint light pulsed on Denis's finger as he wrapped his mana around it, daring the student to keep challenging him.
The student grumpily complied, giving back the money.
The professor had left a few minutes ago, and it was still some time before the next lecture.
Deciding on taking a breather, I went outside the lecture hall, getting greeted by bright sunlight falling upon me.
A few students were behind me. They, too, wanted a rest before the next professor arrived.