First Day of The Class!

On their way down the mountain, as the setting sun painted the sky in hues of orange and pink, a group of second-year witches huddled around their younger counterparts. The air was thick with curiosity as Lilith, the second-year witch, asked, "So, how was your first day of class?"

The first-year witches, still buzzing with excitement, responded almost in unison.

"Great!" one of them chirped.

"We all managed to open our energy vision today!" another added, beaming with pride.

One of the more energetic first-years spoke up eagerly, "I used my energy vision several times! The colors were dazzling, and my sight felt sharper, not worse!"

The second-years exchanged puzzled glances. Lilith's brow furrowed in confusion. This wasn't how she remembered her first day. She had expected tales of frustration, of headaches, maybe a bit of whining. But instead, the first-years seemed to be brimming with confidence.

"Wait a second," Lilith interrupted, her voice laced with concern. "Didn't any of you get headaches? Eye pain? It took us days to adjust!"

"Nope!" a first-year chimed in cheerily.

"I mean, my eyes are a little sore," Cheryl admitted, "but that's only because I kept thinking the greener the developing paper, the better. My best was barely a shade lighter than medium green, though." She let out a frustrated sigh, clearly disappointed in herself.

Lilith's eyes narrowed. Something wasn't adding up. "Hold on, Cheryl… You said the lightest green? How many levels of magical infection did you learn today?"

Cheryl grinned, as if Lilith had just asked a ridiculous question. "Three!"

The other first-years chimed in enthusiastically.

"I've got three too!"

"I've managed two. If I'd known it was this easy, I'd have spent my lunch break practicing more!"

"I have five!" one witch declared with a triumphant laugh.

Lilith and the other second-years were flabbergasted. This wasn't at all how it had gone for them. They had struggled, straining their eyes and minds just to handle the first level of magical infection. The headaches had been awful. It had taken them days, sometimes weeks, to get where these first-years already were by the end of their first day.

"Is this even possible?" Lilith muttered, half to herself, as she glanced at her fellow second-years. They all looked equally baffled. "Were we this powerful last year?" she whispered.

"Definitely not!" one of them replied, still in shock. They had all struggled with the developing paper, and now here were these first-years, casually discussing their mastery over multiple levels of infection magic as if it were nothing. It was beyond belief!

"We're nothing special compared to Lyra, Vasida, and Sylph," Amy chimed in. "Lyra especially; she can already control the magic so well she can draw on the developing paper. At will!"

The second-year witches froze, their eyes immediately darting toward the mentioned trio, particularly Lyra. Drawing on developing paper? That was something they hadn't even attempted yet.

Lilith shook her head, trying to make sense of it all. "But wait," she asked, grasping at straws, "didn't the dean tell you to bring your developing paper back for more practice?"

One of the first-years shook her head. "No need! We already figured out how the paper's color relates to the magic in class."

"Exactly!" another added. "The dean just told us to practice in moderation and not rush things."

"Wait, the dean said that?" Lilith blinked, utterly dumbfounded.

The second-year witches exchanged wary glances. Something was definitely off. Was the dean... going easy on the first-years?

"Hold up," one of the seniors piped up suspiciously. "Are we talking about the same Dean Amisha? The one in the black robe?"

"Yes!" the first-years chorused confidently. "And isn't it amazing? She said that all versions of her are essentially her! Some kind of mind-blowing magic! But we won't know the full details until we graduate."

Lilith let out an exasperated sigh. "I swear, it feels like we're being taught by a different dean altogether! Something doesn't add up. You guys need to spill, what exactly happened in your class today?"

As the first-years began recounting their day in detail, the second-years huddled closer, eager to understand how the magical world had seemingly shifted so drastically in just one year.

"What? You guys practiced on your own for two hours at noon?" Lilith's voice was incredulous as she stared at the group of first-year witches.

"Didn't you visit the castle like everyone else?" one of the second-year witches asked, her brow raised in disbelief.

"Nope!" a first-year chimed in. "We saw you guys heading off to the castle, but we went straight back to the classroom after lunch."

Lilith blinked in surprise. "Wait, hold on. You all just started practicing the moment you got back? No chatting, no exploring? It's your first day! Aren't you even a little curious about the academy castle?"

The second-year witches exchanged confused glances. Who in their right mind would skip out on exploring the legendary castle, especially on their first day? It wasn't like there was any academic pressure yet, no real lessons, just an introduction to the world of magic.

Cheryl stepped forward, shrugging her shoulders. "Honestly, I saw other people practicing and felt like I should join in. If I'd known they were going to be that intense, I would've spent less time wandering around the castle. My eyes are still a bit sore because I didn't practice as much as they did."

Several other first-years nodded in agreement, chiming in.

"Yeah, same here!"

"Me too!"

Lilith raised an eyebrow. "So... who started this?"

Amy, another first-year, raised her hand enthusiastically. "Oh, I know! Alba and I came back early, and the moment we got to the classroom, we saw Lyra, Vasida, and Sylph practicing like it was some kind of competition. They were so focused, I couldn't just sit there doing nothing!"

The attention of the second-years shifted to Lyra and her two friends, their curiosity piqued.

"It was Lyra," Vasida confirmed, glancing at her friend. "When Sylph and I got back from lunch, she was already using magic to draw on developing paper. I couldn't believe it! At first, we didn't understand why she was working so hard, but once we saw what she could do, well, we had to jump in too."

Sylph nodded in agreement. "She went to the bathroom after class and started practicing as soon as she got back. We didn't even know what she was aiming for at first, but the results were... impressive."

The first-years didn't seem surprised at all by this revelation. They had spent the entire afternoon watching Lyra set a pace that no one could keep up with, and it had only pushed them to work harder.

The second-year witches, on the other hand, were stunned. Slowly, it dawned on them. It wasn't that the dean had suddenly become easier or that magic had become less challenging; it was because they had Lyra.

One of the second-years slapped her forehead, finally putting the pieces together. "So that's it! It's not the dean that's different... you have Lyra!"

Lilith couldn't help but let out a wry laugh. "Lyra, are you sure your talent manifestation is the Book of Cards? Or is it really the Book of the Overachiever?"

Lyra simply blinked, at a loss for words.

"Alright, no more wasting time! Go, go, go!" Lilith urged, a competitive fire lighting up in her eyes. "Back to the dorms or the classroom; wherever we can practice. We can't let these first-years show us up!"

Another second-year chimed in, "You guys go ahead. I still need to grab the second-year must-read list from the library!"

Suddenly, the second-years lost all interest in chatting, their steps quickening. They weren't about to let the first-years get ahead of them, not on the dean's radar, and definitely not in magical proficiency.

As they rushed off, a few of the first-year witches called after them, "Wait! Seniors, don't leave us behind!"

But hearing that only made the second-years speed up even more, disappearing down the path toward the dorms and the castle.

Vasida and Sylph hesitated for a moment, preparing to run after them, but when they looked back, they realized Lyra wasn't moving.

"Lyra, what are you doing?" Vasida asked. "Aren't you coming?"

Lyra shook her head calmly, her gaze wandering toward the horizon. "Why the rush? We've just learned how to open our energy vision. Wouldn't it be better to walk slowly and enjoy it? The view here is incredible, and the natural energy flowing through the mountains is amazing."

Vasida and Sylph paused, exchanging glances. They weren't burdened by the same pressures as the second-years. Why rush? They, too, opened their energy vision and let it expand, taking in the vibrant flow of magical energy surrounding them.

"Look at that!" Vasida pointed toward the herb garden in the distance. "The energy there is so strong. There must be some powerful magical plants growing!"

Sylph turned her head, her eyes wide with wonder. "And over there! So far away… that has to be the outer area of the academy, maybe even beyond it!"

"Check out the castle!" Lyra added, a quiet smile on her face. "There's so much energy inside it, too. I bet there's more to explore than we even realize."

As they stood there, taking in the magical landscape with their energy vision, they couldn't help but feel grateful that they weren't racing to keep up with the others. Instead, they were savoring the moment, appreciating the magic all around them.