Test continues!

The Technomancy classroom — laughter, dreams, and small promises

Aether pushed open the door to Technomancy 1 with a satisfied stretch of his arms, a faint grin still tugging at his mouth.

"Hoho… I'm back," he announced to no one in particular, mostly to amuse himself.

Inside, the warm smell of spiced meat and savory broths still hung heavy in the air. Tables were cluttered with plates and half-finished desserts, some students were laughing so hard they nearly spilled their drinks. This happy chaos was a sight that always lightened something in Aether's chest.

His eyes scanned quickly for familiar faces — then landed on Morgan, who was sitting near the center, cheeks puffed from stuffing himself.

Aether strolled over, hands in his pockets, and leaned forward. "Hey Morgan. How's the food? As expected of your princely sponsor, right?" His smirk was pure mischief.

Morgan wiped his mouth on the back of his hand, then flashed a sheepish grin. "Hehe… you know what? Free food always tastes the best."

Aether's smirk twitched into a look of playful irritation. "Ohh? I see how it is. If that's the case… why don't you sponsor us next time, huh?"

He waggled his eyebrows, eyes dancing. Morgan's smile froze, then he started coughing violently, nearly choking on a piece of pork.

"Ahem— I-I'm not as loaded as you, you rascal!" Morgan finally managed. "But… one day, I'll be the one treating everyone. Just watch. I'll get there." He spoke it half as a joke, half with stubborn determination.

Aether paused, studying his friend's confident grin. Then his own face softened into a genuine smile. "Yeah. I'll be waiting to see that day."

Their little exchange didn't go unnoticed. From all around the classroom, other students perked up, suddenly eager to declare their own ambitions.

"Don't forget us too!" someone called, laughing.

"One day, we'll all be sponsoring banquets just like this!"

"Yeah, we'll make the mages jealous for a change!"

Aether took in the grins and bright eyes of his classmates. A warmth spread through his chest that had nothing to do with the food. He gave a small nod, trying not to let too much of his affection show. "You all can do it. As long as you keep that mindset, I'm sure of it."

A brief revelation — and a boy's easy grin

Aether was about to pull up a chair and dig into the leftovers when Akabane Teach approached, her hands folded neatly in front of her. Her expression was somewhere between curiosity and relief.

"Aether," she began, drawing his attention. "While you were out just now… two girls came by asking for you."

Aether tilted his head, an eyebrow quirking up. "Two girls?"

Akabane nodded. "Yes. One was the Dean's granddaughter. The other had striking red hair — likely a Sklies girl, from the look of her. They seemed eager to meet you."

The class, too absorbed in their feasting, hadn't noticed anything. It was just the teacher who had quietly intercepted them.

"The Dean's granddaughter, huh…" Aether scratched his cheek, eyes thoughtful. Then, almost immediately, he chuckled. "Ahh, it's fine. I'll handle it if it comes up again."

Akabane Teach studied him a moment longer, then her lips curved into a soft smile. "Alright. Just make sure you keep that easy way of smoothing things over. Now, go on. Eat before Morgan swallows everything."

Aether laughed, "Oh trust me, I know— Hey! Morgan, leave me some, you food hoarder!"

Morgan gave a wide, cheeky grin. "First come, first served, my princely friend."

"You little—" Aether didn't hesitate to give him a playful knock on the head, then snatched a crispy roll right off Morgan's plate. Morgan yelped in exaggerated pain, then burst into laughter, rubbing the spot with a dramatic whimper.

Their laughter spilled through the class, bright and careless. For that brief stretch of time, all was well. No curses, no complicated family legacies — just boys, girls, teachers, all dreaming their small dreams together.

Meanwhile, in the grand hall — shifting fates

Across the academy, the atmosphere was far different.

The vast hall had filled with the hum of hundreds of voices. Students from year 1 to year 4 milled about, adjusting their uniforms, whispering about who would rank where. The air practically buzzed with youthful nerves.

Vivien and Esme stepped into the hall together, taking in the sight of so many gathered mages. The long banners of Himwarry fluttered from the vaulted ceilings, casting shadows over elegant chandeliers.

Esme glanced around, then leaned closer to Vivien. "Almost everyone's here, huh. I bet half of them are hoping to get picked for the chosen teams."

Vivien's silver eyes drifted across the crowd. "Is it really that important? Being a chosen one?"

"Of course it is!" Esme puffed up, crossing her arms. "It comes with prestige, better resources… and honestly, it's just cool. But you'll only know once you join."

Vivien's lips twitched faintly. Prestige. Resources. In her family's world, those things had always been a given — never something earned through a test of one's own worth.

Before Vivien could reply, a steward's voice called through the crowd, "Esmeralda Sklies, please come forward for evaluation."

"Oh! That's me." Esme grinned, a little of her excitement breaking through. "Wish me luck, okay?"

Vivien offered the smallest of smiles. "Good luck."

New tensions — and cold sparks

As Esme hurried off, Vivien was left to herself amidst the bustling hall. It didn't take long before another figure approached her — a girl with sharp green eyes and short ash-blonde hair. She carried herself with crisp confidence.

"Hello. You're Vivien, right? I'm Olivia — president of the year 1 chosen team." Olivia extended a hand politely, which Vivien took after a tiny pause.

The two exchanged a few polite words about the ceremony. Olivia seemed genuinely curious about Vivien, her expression thoughtful. Perhaps she's trying to gauge me as competition, Vivien mused.

Their conversation was abruptly interrupted by a snide, too-familiar voice. "Tch. Just because you're the Dean's granddaughter, don't start thinking you're something special."

Vivien turned, her calm expression frosting over. Lucas stood there, arms crossed, an arrogant sneer curling his lips. The same Lucas who strutted about the academy bragging he'd become its strongest mage.

Her eyes narrowed, her posture stiffening. In that moment, a faint pressure rolled off her — cold, graceful, and sharp as polished ice. It was enough that Lucas involuntarily took a half step back. For just a second, a memory flashed through his mind: Aether, standing in the arena, with that same quiet, suffocating force.

Lucas swallowed, then scowled and stormed off, muttering under his breath. Olivia's eyes followed him, annoyed. "Honestly… that boy's more troublesome than he's worth."

Vivien let her breath ease out slowly, forcing her expression neutral once more. Without another word, she drifted away to explore the hall.

A fleeting encounter of eyes

As she wandered, her attention was caught by another figure — a girl surrounded by laughing friends. She was tall and carried herself with a strong yet relaxed grace, short black hair catching the light like silk.

Vivien watched her a moment, studying the girl's easy, friendly manner. Her aura feels… admirable, she found herself thinking. She didn't quite understand why.

Then, suddenly, their eyes met. The girl — Claire — smiled and lifted a hand in a bright wave.

Vivien startled as though caught stealing something. Without thinking, she pivoted on her heel and walked briskly away, cheeks touched by the faintest pink.

Claire blinked, then tilted her head. "Eh? Did I scare her off? Why'd she run?" A puzzled laugh slipped out. Deep down, though, she already guessed the truth. The slight stiffening of Vivien's shoulders had been more embarrassment than fear. Claire just chuckled, shaking her head, and returned to her friends.

Back in Technomancy 1 — small resolves

Hours later, back in the now quiet Technomancy classroom, Aether stretched out on a workbench, hands tucked behind his head. The plates were cleared, the laughter gone, but a gentle contentment still lingered.

Akabane Teach returned from checking on another group and paused by him. "By the way, Aether… I thought about what you said earlier. You know, about using your points to treat your class."

Aether opened one eye, smirked. "What about it? Don't try to pay me back, Teach. It ruins my grand gesture."

She rolled her eyes, but her smile was warm. "It's not that. I just wanted to say… it's admirable. You keep doing things like this for your classmates. You're making a difference — even if you shrug it off."

Aether looked away, a light flush crawling up his neck. "Tch. I'm just buying food. Not exactly saving the world."

But later, long after she left, he found himself murmuring into the empty room, "Still… it feels nice, doesn't it? Having them look up to me."

Outside the hall — two girls, a test of futures

The evaluation inside the hall was finally wrapping up. Vivien reunited with Esme by a courtyard fountain, the girl bouncing on her heels.

"Well? How did your test go?" Vivien asked.

"Hehe, pretty great, if I say so myself!" Esme flashed a grin. "They said my mana density's already close to second year levels. What about you? They must've been shocked by yours."

Vivien was silent a moment. "They were surprised. I suppose it was enough."

It was an understatement — the testers had nearly fumbled their crystals when Vivien's mana spiked. Her control, honed over lonely years inside her family estate, was razor-sharp. Yet inside, she still felt that same dull weight: Even this much power… won't change my fate.

Esme, oblivious to the darker turn of Vivien's thoughts, linked arms with her. "C'mon, let's go see if there's any fruit tarts left in the cafeteria. If not, I'll treat you to something from the bakery later."

Vivien blinked at the casual affection. Her heart gave a tiny, startled flutter — then settled into a warmth she couldn't quite name.

"Alright," she said softly.

✦✦✦

In the quiet spaces of Himwarry

And so the day drifted on.

In Technomancy 1, boys and girls dreamed aloud of futures where they'd be the ones hosting banquets. In the halls, chosen ones tested their growing power, unaware of the fragile lines drawn by fate.

And somewhere in all of it, a quiet boy with clever hands, a cold girl carrying a curse, and a scatter of hopeful classmates each took another small step forward — toward joys, heartaches, and the tangled miracles waiting to find them.