Subject

The recent news spread like wildfire, Professor Grayheim had been removed from the academy, and a new professor had replaced him. But that wasn't the topic for today—what mattered was what was happening in the classroom.

The atmosphere was buzzing with energy after the event. Students were flocking around Lumina, their faces filled with admiration and awe. It felt as if the sun itself was casting its glow upon her from all directions. Raven watched from the sidelines as Lumina basked in the attention, but she couldn't help but feel somewhat detached from the whole scene. She knew Lumina deserved the praise, but it was still a little strange to see her friend in the spotlight like this.

"Lumina, you were amazing! The way your light magic shone, I felt so safe!" a student gushed.

"Yeah, if it weren't for you, I don't know what would've happened!" another chimed in.

"That was intense, but you handled it like a pro!" Yet another voice joined in.

Lumina laughed and waved off the praise, her demeanor as graceful and humble as ever. Raven couldn't help but smile at how effortlessly she handled the attention, her joy infectious. Seeing Lumina so confident and at ease in such a moment was oddly comforting. Raven enjoyed the peace and quiet, as no one was crowding her. Thanks to her affinity for dark magic, she didn't attract the same attention.

But just as Raven was starting to feel at ease, she heard a soft voice from behind.

"E-excuse me!"

Raven's heart skipped a beat as she turned around. There stood a shy girl with pink hair and golden eyes. Her cheeks were flushed a deep shade of red, and she looked almost embarrassed.

"Yes?" Raven responded, unsure of how to proceed.

"Y-you're Raven, right?" the girl asked, her voice trembling slightly.

"Yes, that's me. And you are?"

"I'm A-arielle," the girl stammered, clearly nervous.

"Hello, Arielle," Raven said with a friendly smile, trying to put the girl at ease. "Is there something you need?"

Arielle hesitated, clearly struggling to find the right words. Raven could sense her nervousness and tried to be patient.

"Could you... could you please be my test subject?" Arielle asked, her face turning even redder.

Raven blinked, caught off guard. "Eh?"

Arielle quickly added, "I-I learned a new healing spell, and I want to try it on you, if that's okay."

"Oh," Raven said, finally understanding. "Yeah, sure. What's this spell about?"

Arielle's face lit up with a mixture of excitement and anxiety. "It's for... um, well, I just want to make sure it works properly."

Before Raven could respond, the door to the classroom opened with a soft creak, and a voice rang out.

"Hello, everyone. I will be your professor from now on."

All eyes turned toward the door, and there, standing confidently at the threshold, was their new professor. She was an elf, with long, flowing dark blue hair that seemed to shimmer as if it held the very essence of the night sky. Her outfit was elegant and intricate, a black coat with gold accents, a high collar that added a sense of regal authority, and a fitted white blouse that contrasted sharply with a dark, laced corset. Her presence was commanding, yet calm, and the students seemed to instinctively straighten up in their seats.

The students who had been surrounding Lumina quickly dispersed and returned to their own seats. Arielle, still somewhat flustered, took a seat next to Raven, trying to hide part of her face behind her hair, her earlier request to Raven now forgotten in the excitement of the new professor's arrival.

"You can call me Professor Claire, or Miss Claire," the new professor said, her voice smooth and clear, leaving no room for hesitation. "I am a Dualist, as well as a Variant. If you have any questions, feel free to ask." She gave a small nod, signaling that she was ready to begin.

A student near the back raised his hand. "What is your magic affinity?"

Professor Claire smiled, a glint of pride in her eyes. "It's lightning. But remember, there are more than two affinities that are considered Variants. You will all come to understand them soon enough. Now, let's begin with learning about the different affinities that are considered Variants, and how they differ from the more common affinities. For example, how Ice magic differs from Water magic."

The classroom fell into a hush, the students all hanging on her words. It was clear from her confident tone and vast knowledge that Professor Claire was unlike any other instructor they had encountered. Her presence was already more captivating than that of Professor Grayheim.

Raven couldn't help but feel a sense of curiosity spark within her. She had already experienced how varied and powerful magic could be, but hearing about the differences between affinities—especially ones as rare as Variants—made her want to learn more. There was something about Professor Claire's composed yet assertive demeanor that made her eager to see what else she had to offer.

Arielle seemed to be watching Professor Claire with a mix of awe and nervousness. Raven couldn't help but wonder if the new professor's presence had an effect on her too. She knew from their brief interaction that Arielle was kind and reserved, but she couldn't shake the feeling that there was something more to her.

For now, though, the focus was on Professor Claire. With every word she spoke, Raven felt as though the world of magic had opened up just a little more. 

"Now, before class ends, I have an announcement to make," Miss Claire began, her voice cutting through the chatter. The students immediately quieted, hanging on to her every word. "We'll be going on a field trip, along with another class. The headmistress has given us permission to explore a dungeon. But don't fret—this dungeon has long been discovered and is deemed safe. There will be no mana beasts present. However, just in case, you will be permitted to bring your weapons. You may only wield them during emergencies."

The room buzzed with excitement.

"Wow, a dungeon for a field trip?" someone whispered.

"That's so cool! I wonder what we'll see," another said.

The murmurs spread quickly, filling the air with anticipation.

"W-what do you think, Raven?" Arielle asked softly from beside her.

"About the field trip?" Raven echoed, watching Arielle nod timidly. "It should be interesting. Make sure to bring your weapon, though—you never know what to expect."

As if remembering something, Raven added, "By the way, about that test thing earlier..."

"Ah, r-right." Arielle's face flushed. She glanced around nervously before holding out her hand. "Uh... just give me your hand."

Raven raised an eyebrow, skeptical. "Okay? We don't need to go somewhere else for this?"

"N-no," Arielle stammered. "It's quick. Just a healing spell I learned earlier. It's called Impact Healing."

Bright green mana flowed from Arielle's palm, wrapping around Raven's hand in a brief, warm glow. As quickly as it appeared, it vanished.

Raven blinked and flexed her fingers. "Uh... I don't feel any different?"

Arielle tilted her head, frowning. "That's strange. You're supposed to feel refreshed or... something healed?"

Raven shrugged. "Maybe you didn't use enough mana? Where did you even learn that spell? I've never seen it before—though, to be fair, I haven't seen much magic in general."

Arielle hesitated before answering. "It's from a book I found in the library. I just... wanted to try it on someone."

Raven noticed Arielle's voice was steadier now, the earlier nervous stammer beginning to fade. "And that 'someone' happened to be me? What if it backfired?"

Arielle turned away, mumbling, "W-well, you're a dark magic user... who would care?"

Raven's hand landed firmly on Arielle's shoulder. "Do you want to die?"

"Ehhhhh?!" Arielle squeaked, flailing her arms. "I-I was joking! Sorry!"

Raven chuckled, letting her grip loosen. "Relax. You're funny when you're not all shy."

"T-thank you," Arielle replied softly. "I'm just not used to talking to people."

"I see. Do you—" Raven began but stopped mid-sentence as someone suddenly put her in a chokehold.

"What's this? Holding hands with some cute girl? Did you get a girlfriend without telling your older sister?!" Celia teased.

"Get off me!" Raven groaned, struggling to free herself. She managed to pry herself loose, glaring at her older sister. "She's just a friend I made, okay? What are you even doing here?"

Celia straightened her uniform with a smirk. "Didn't you hear? This is a joint class field trip. I'll be tagging along."

"And I just happen to be stuck with you," Raven muttered, rolling her eyes.

"Hey, do you want to die?" Celia asked, gripping Raven's shoulders dramatically.

Arielle, watching the two sisters interact, was struck by how different they looked yet how similar their personalities seemed. Celia's boldness was intimidating, but the way she said, Do you want to die? was eerily reminiscent of Raven.

Celia turned to Arielle, smiling. "You must be Arielle, right?"

Arielle nodded nervously.

"You two know each other?" Raven asked.

"Not really," Celia replied. "I saw her in the library the other day. She was checking out some strange book, and I overheard the librarian say her name."

"Strange book?" Raven asked, narrowing her eyes. "Was it related to magic?"

Celia tapped her chin. "I think so... Wait, how do you know?"

"She asked me to be her test subject earlier," Raven explained. "It was some healing spell, but it didn't work."

There was a short pause before Celia grabbed Arielle's collar. "Hey, you really want to die, don't you?"

"Celia, stop!" Raven intervened, pulling her sister back. "She didn't do anything harmful."

Celia finally let go with a sigh. "Raven, you can't just agree to things like that. What if someone curses you?"

"It wasn't a curse," Raven replied defensively. "It was just healing magic."

"And what if she lied?" Celia shot back. "You can't trust appearances."

"She looks harmless," Raven said, gesturing to Arielle.

"Looks can be deceiving," Celia muttered.

Before their argument could continue, Miss Claire's voice rang out. "Students! Gather your belongings and meet at the front of the school! We'll depart from there. Remember to form groups of four."

"Guess it's time," Celia said.

Raven nodded. "Why don't the three of us team up?"

"I'm fine with that," Arielle said. "But don't we need one more person?"

"May I join your group?" a melodic voice asked.

They turned to see Lumina, her presence radiating confidence and beauty.

"Sure," Raven said with a small smile. "Why not?"

And just like that, their group was finalized. Celia, Raven, Lumina, and Arielle.