Classes Started!

Aether quietly peeked outside his dorm room, cautiously scanning the hallway. His sharp eyes moved from left to right, scrutinizing every shadow, every gentle flicker of the lamps on the walls. Seeing that the coast was clear, he stepped back inside and locked the door with a small, satisfying click.

"The coast is clear. Looks like no one's around. Ha, I feel like I'm doing some kind of spy operation." Aether grinned to himself. His grin faded into a steady calm as he sat cross-legged on the wooden floor, closed his eyes, and drew in a long breath.

Slowly, his thoughts cleared. He gathered every stray wisp of magic within him — that powerful, relentless mana that always threatened to burst out if he lost focus. As he began rotating his mana, a curious phenomenon started inside his dorm. The ceiling fan overhead began to spin slower and slower, almost like time itself was taking a lazy stroll. Even the curtain by his window, which had been swaying gently with the breeze, seemed to freeze in place.

This was the telltale sign. It always happened when Aether entered this state. The rotation and then release of his mana caused the very flow of the world around him to hesitate, as though air itself thickened for a heartbeat. It was like squeezing a tiny ball of compressed air until it finally popped — only this ball was his mana, and the "pop" was a silent ripple through reality.

"Hmm… that felt good. My mana's stable for now. Everything's smooth… I just hope no one notices tomorrow. Not that they can. Probably."

Even now, though, he couldn't fully compress it. It felt like a heavy, fragile door in his chest, barely keeping back a roaring ocean. Any slip in concentration, and that door might just burst open, exposing everything.

The day slipped by, uneventful. Then came morning.

"Alright… today's the day my classes start. Let's see… Technomancy I, huh? Guess I should head in."

Aether pushed open the classroom door, stepping inside. The room was already buzzing with quiet conversations. As he scanned for an empty spot, he noticed someone vigorously waving at him.

"Over here, Aether!" Morgan's grin was as bright and idiotic as ever.

Aether's expression softened. "Oh? Morgan's here… and he even saved me a seat. What a good idiot."

He walked over and sat down beside him. "Thanks, buddy."

"Hehe, no problem. Gotta stick together, right?" Morgan nudged him playfully.

While Morgan babbled about something Aether didn't care to hear, Aether's sharp eyes wandered over the rest of the classroom. He silently analyzed each student's posture, their faint mana signatures, even the way they breathed.

"Hmmm. Most of them have decent talent, at least physically. But they all look… beaten down. Demotivated. If I'm going to earn a lot of points, I need support. I can't do everything alone forever. The problem is… how do I motivate them?"

He leaned back, arms crossed, lost in thought.

Then the door opened with a soft creak, and their teacher walked in. She was beautiful in a gentle, bookish way — long green-apple hair tied loosely, black eyes behind delicate round glasses. Her lab coat fluttered a bit as she stepped in front of the class.

"G-Good morning, everyone," she began, her voice warm but slightly shaky. "My name is Akabane Lily, and starting today I'll be in charge of your class."

Aether's eyes sharpened immediately. "Oh? That's surprising. They gave us a mage as our class teacher? What's the academy planning…?"

Morgan, reading the heavy silence that followed, shot his hand up with a grin. "Yes, teacher! It's a pleasure to meet you!"

Hearing this made Akabane brighten instantly. "L-Leave it to me! I'll do my best!"

His friend's small gesture opened the floodgates. One by one, the other students started greeting her too. Aether watched it unfold with a tiny smile.

"Not bad, Morgan. He might not look it, but he's smart enough to read a room."

As the introductions quieted down, Aether leaned forward, curious to hear more about their new teacher. But right then, Akabane suddenly fidgeted with her glasses and cleared her throat.

"A-Actually… there's something you should all know. I am… well, I am a mage."

Aether's eyes twitched. "THAT was fast. I was literally just thinking she might hide it."

The class, predictably, fell dead silent again. Some students even slouched lower in their seats, defeated expressions washing over their faces.

Akabane quickly shook her head, her face flushing. "Don't misunderstand me. Even though I'm a mage, I… I don't have enough mana to truly be one. I actually love robotics and technology. I studied it extensively at this academy. So the higher-ups thought maybe I'd be a good fit for your class — since I understand both worlds."

"Huh. Makes sense," Aether thought. He took a good look at her mana flow. It was low, gentle — like a little stream. "She really doesn't seem like someone who relies on magic. Honestly, that might be for the best."

Just when things seemed to settle, one of the students in the back slouched even more dramatically and muttered under his breath — loud enough that everyone heard.

"Well… it's not like we care. No matter who teaches us, we're never going to outshine the gifters anyway."

A ripple of nods and sighs spread through the class. Even Morgan's smile dimmed.

Aether quietly clenched his fist under the table. "Tch. So it's even worse than I thought. They're already giving up on themselves."

Akabane seemed to shrink for a moment — but then something remarkable happened. She drew in a deep breath, her eyes hardening behind those glasses. When she spoke next, her voice was firm and clear.

"Listen here, all of you. Just because you weren't born with magic doesn't mean you're worthless. You only become worthless when you give up on yourselves. You only become weak when you start thinking others are strong. You only turn into prey when you decide to stop fighting."

Her hand clenched at her chest. "Even a rabbit can bare its teeth when it's cornered. So don't ever give up on yourselves. Not for anyone."

The room fell utterly still. Then, slowly, as if something invisible was being sewn back together, the students' eyes started to light up. The hopelessness faded bit by bit, replaced by fragile hope. Aether caught the expressions — small smiles, thoughtful stares, even Morgan's amazed grin.

Aether leaned back, smirking. "Well, what do you know. She really does have it in her to be our teacher. And she did the hard part for me — motivating this sorry bunch."

The rest of the morning went smoother. Akabane asked everyone to introduce themselves. Each student stood, nervously or proudly, to say their name. Finally, it was Aether's turn.

He stood up calmly. "My name is Aether Ryens. You can all call me Aether."

Akabane stared at him for a heartbeat too long. Her black eyes seemed to search his soul. Aether shifted slightly. "Yes…? Something wrong?"

"O-Oh, no! It's nothing!" she squeaked, flapping her hands. Under her breath, though, she muttered just loud enough for him to catch. "I don't know why… but he feels different from the others."

She shook it off quickly. "Alright then! Since we've gotten to know each other a little, let's start today's lesson, okay?"

"Huh? Already?" groaned half the class.

"No complaints! Education is important, after all, hehe."

"Yes…" came the reluctant chorus.

Akabane just giggled, clearly thrilled by their reluctant obedience. "Alright, since it's our first day, we'll start with the basics of technomancy. I promise we'll do some fun projects later."

Thus began Aether's first true class. As Akabane started sketching out intricate blueprints and explaining how to balance mana with machinery, Aether leaned back in his chair, eyes half-lidded, soaking it all in.

"Hmph. So this is where it starts. Better pay close attention — even the basics can hide secrets that pay off later."

[Later that evening…]

Back in his dorm, Aether flopped on his bed, staring at the ceiling fan lazily turning again.

"What a day… That pork with Morgan was the only good part. Huh, wait, I still smell like pork. Sniff, sniff… yep. Gross."

He dragged himself to his tiny bathroom.

"Hot bath, here I come."

Two minutes later—

"ARGHHH! COLD! WHY IS IT ALWAYS COLD?!"

He trembled violently, hugging himself as he forced himself to finish washing.

"Grrr, first thing I'm buying when I have enough points is a water heater. Or maybe a giant furnace to burn this dorm down."

As he dried off, his mind replayed Morgan's casual chatter from lunch.

Helping instructors

Scoring high on exams

Entering school competitions

Assisting with academy research

"Hmph. Those are too obvious. Everyone will be gunning for them. I need more creative ways to earn points. Something others are too lazy or scared to try."

Finally he sat on the edge of his bed, hands resting on his knees, eyes dark with thought.

"Well… that aside, I need to focus on controlling my mana again. Tomorrow, I'll be surrounded by dozens of mages. If I slip up even a little… someone might notice."

He closed his eyes, breathing slow and deep, feeling that heavy door inside him trembling slightly as he pushed mana down, down, down into a tight swirl.

"This is just the start… I can't afford mistakes. Not here. Not now."

[To Be Continued… 🎵 JoJo's theme faintly wailing in the void.]