That night, Lily returned to the dormitory in what she believed was a flawless plan.
Which, in hindsight, should have been her first warning.
She moved quietly along the edge of the courtyard, keeping to the shadows where the lantern light didn't quite reach. Every step was deliberate. Every turn calculated. Over the past few nights, she had memorized patrol routes, blind spots, and even which doors creaked.
So far—
Perfect.
Now came the final part.
Lily stopped at the base of a tall tree just outside the dorm building and looked up.
Second floor.
Her window.
Just within reach… if she climbed.
"…Easy," she whispered, more to convince herself than anything else.
She grabbed onto the rough bark and pulled herself up. Her movements were careful but quick—too slow and she risked being seen, too fast and she'd make noise.
One branch.
Then another.
Leaves brushed against her face as she climbed higher. The wind helped, masking the small rustling sounds she made.
Almost there.
She stretched her hand toward the ledge—
"...What are you doing?"
Lily froze.
Her brain stopped.
Her body followed.
Very slowly, she turned her head.
A teacher stood below, looking up at her with the kind of expression that didn't need words.
"…Climbing?" Lily said.
There was a pause.
"…Come down."
Moments later, Lily stood on the ground, head lowered slightly as the teacher spoke.
It wasn't loud.
It wasn't angry.
But somehow that made it worse.
"Students are not allowed to enter dormitories this way."
"Yes, sir."
"It's dangerous."
"Yes, sir…"
"And unnecessary."
"…Yes, sir."
The teacher sighed, rubbing his temple.
"Name."
"…Lily."
There was a brief pause.
Recognition.
That made things awkward.
"…You're one of the top students, aren't you?"
Lily didn't respond.
"…Go back to your room. And don't do this again."
That was it.
No punishment.
No report.
Just disappointment.
By the time Lily got back to her room, the tension had already faded.
She dropped onto her bed, staring at the ceiling.
"…That could've gone worse."
A lot worse.
She rolled onto her side and pulled the blanket over herself.
Within minutes, she was asleep.
The next morning came too quickly.
Lily opened her eyes, immediately regretting it.
Her body felt heavy.
Her mind sluggish.
"…Five more minutes…"
She didn't get them.
By the time she arrived at class, the lecture had already started.
She quietly slipped inside, trying not to draw attention.
The teacher glanced at her.
Paused.
Then continued teaching.
No comment.
No warning.
Nothing.
Lily blinked as she sat down.
That's it?
She wasn't sure if she should feel relieved or slightly annoyed.
Kane leaned slightly toward her and whispered, "Late?"
"…Don't ask."
Once class ended, Lily didn't stay.
She went straight to the library.
It was packed.
Every table was filled, every seat taken or claimed with stacks of books. The low murmur of voices filled the air, mixed with the sound of pages turning and quiet footsteps.
Midterms.
Even the usual slackers had transformed overnight.
Lily walked deeper inside, weaving between students until she found a small empty space tucked between two crowded tables.
"…Good enough."
She sat down and opened her book.
Recently, something had been bothering her.
Her magic.
No matter how many ideas she had, how many combinations she imagined—most of them failed.
Not because they were wrong.
But because she couldn't execute them.
So it has to be knowledge.
That was her conclusion.
If she understood magic more deeply—
She could fix it.
Hours passed.
Pages turned.
Concepts connected.
But something felt… off.
Lily closed her book slowly.
"…I understand it."
That wasn't the problem.
She understood the theory.
Mana flow.
Elemental interaction.
Spell structure.
All of it made sense.
But when she actually tried to use it—
It fell apart.
"…So it's not knowledge."
Her fingers tightened slightly.
"It's control."
Or maybe—
"…Efficiency."
She stood up abruptly.
Decision made.
The training grounds were mostly empty.
A few students practiced in the distance, but compared to the library, it was quiet.
Perfect.
Lily stepped into an open area and took a deep breath.
"…Let's try again."
Multicasting.
Her strongest ability.
Also her biggest problem.
Every time she combined spells, the cost skyrocketed.
Powerful?
Yes.
Sustainable?
Not even close.
"…So I need something small."
Her grip on her staff tightened.
"Compact."
"Efficient."
"But still strong."
She began.
"Particle beam."
Light gathered at the tip of her staff.
"Dark needles."
Shadows formed beside it.
Stable.
Controlled.
But this time—
She didn't stop.
Instead of releasing the spells—
She compressed them.
Forced them together.
Reshaped them.
The light stretched and solidified, forming a long, narrow structure.
A weapon.
A gun.
But different from before.
The barrel was thinner—almost unnaturally so.
The light forming it was bright, but streaks of darkness ran through it unevenly, like cracks in glass.
Unstable.
Incomplete.
"…Still not fused properly."
Lily frowned slightly.
But she didn't stop.
Not this time.
She aimed.
At the target.
Her heart beat faster.
Don't fail.
Her finger pulled the trigger.
A violent surge exploded inside the barrel.
Lily's eyes widened—
Too much pressure—
The projectile shot out instantly.
A cylindrical shell of light and darkness.
Then—
It shattered mid-air.
Dark needles burst outward—
But something changed.
They accelerated.
Faster than they should.
As if something invisible was pushing them forward.
The light.
It wasn't just forming the weapon—
It was propelling the attack.
Each needle pierced straight through the barrier.
Clean.
Precise.
Overwhelming.
Silence.
Lily stared.
"…It worked."
Her voice was quiet.
Almost disbelieving.
Then—
A smile.
"It actually worked."
After everything—
Finally.
She looked at the dissolving weapon in her hand.
"…Purifier."
The word felt right.
Like the spell itself.
Focused.
Refined.
Then—
Another thought.
If light enhances…
If it pushes…
Then dark should—
"…Break it down."
Her eyes sharpened.
"Then the opposite should work too."
She raised her staff again.
This time—
She reversed the structure.
Dark as the core.
Light as the instability.
Something more chaotic.
More destructive.
"...Corrupter."
Hours passed.
Failures.
Adjustments.
More failures.
Mana exhaustion.
Recovery.
Repeat.
Each attempt brought small improvements.
Stability.
Efficiency.
Control.
Not perfect.
But closer.
By the time night fell, Lily collapsed onto her bed.
Her body was completely drained.
But her mind—
Alive.
"…Two spells…"
Not ideas.
Not theories.
Actual spells.
She lifted her hand slightly, as if holding the gun again.
"…Not bad."
A small smile formed as her eyes closed.