First Class

Transitioning between buildings, she entered a wider corridor with tall windows that let in the amber light of the afternoon. The echoes of conversations multiplied as she ascended a broad quartz staircase. Some students ran nervously with their satchels, worried about being late, while others chatted animatedly near the columns.

"Class 1-C," Lucy repeated to herself, scanning for a wooden plaque marking her classroom. A cold sweat beaded on her forehead—not from heat, but from nerves. At last, she spotted the door, elegant in its simplicity, with a bronze sign indicating her class.

Upon entering, she was greeted by a symphony of voices. Groups of students were forming early friendships, exchanging laughter and speculations about the teachers. Lucy felt a pang of envy, watching how easily some people connected on the first day. Her eyes roamed the room, searching for a seat far from everyone else, somewhere she could avoid as much attention as possible. She managed to slip through the still-unoccupied desks, and as she glanced at the crowd, she noticed an obvious center of attention: several girls had formed a tight circle. Their questions and exclamations bubbled around someone.

"What's your guardian's affinity?"

"Is it true you're a year older than us?"

Lucy lifted her head and recognized Alan, now surrounded by a swarm of classmates. A bead of sweat ran down the boy's face as he tried to process the sudden barrage of questions. His guardian lay lazily on the desk, seemingly indifferent, even as the girls petted him.

Alan sighed, and amidst the crowd, his eyes met Lucy's. Upon seeing her, he raised a nearly imperceptible hand in greeting. Lucy's stomach churned, and heat crept up her neck like a venomous serpent. She held his gaze for a moment, returned the gesture with a slight nod, and moved determinedly to avoid the cluster of girls. She chose a seat at the back of the room, where the noise began to fade.

The girls surrounding Alan noticed Lucy slipping away and exchanged whispers among themselves. Some giggled softly, while others observed her with distant curiosity. Lucy paid them little mind.

"Just my luck," she thought.

She sat down, setting Pico on the desk. She focused on her breathing, her fingers brushing against the rough surface of the notebook in her bag. She needed the familiar texture to ground herself. Lines she had written earlier that day fluttered in her mind.

The class was about to begin, and the teacher could enter at any moment. Lost in her thoughts, Lucy was startled by a voice at her side.

"Is this seat taken?"

Lucy turned from her notebook to meet the gaze of a girl with long chestnut hair framing purple eyes that glimmered with a hint of mischief. The girl wore the same dark uniform as the other students, but a red jacket draped over it set her apart. Lucy recognized her as one of the girls who had been around Alan. Before Lucy could react, those purple eyes locked onto hers, unflinching, and the girl raised an eyebrow.

"Hey…" Lucy's hair stood on end, as if sensing danger. "Your eyes…" Lucy braced herself for the comment she feared, the one that always came. "They're beautiful!"

The surprise left Lucy speechless. She opened her mouth but couldn't form any words. Finally, she turned her head slowly to confirm she hadn't misheard.

"What did you say?"

"I said your eyes are beautiful," the girl repeated. "I've never met anyone with two different-colored irises. And one of them is red. I didn't even know that was possible. Is it because of your magic?"

"No…" Lucy's voice dropped. "I was born like this."

"Really? That's the first time I've met someone like you," the girl said, her tone filled with genuine fascination, bordering on childlike excitement. "Oh, that's right. Silly me. I haven't even introduced myself." The girl settled into the empty seat beside Lucy and extended a friendly hand. "My name's Chloe Sirva. Nice to meet you."

"Lucy… Bright," Lucy replied, shaking her hand. Pico peeked out curiously to inspect the newcomer. "Oh, and this is Pico. My guardian."

"Pico? That's adorable."

Lucy remained bewildered by the situation. Normally, her eyes provoked rejection at first sight, but since arriving at the academy, this hadn't been as frequent. In just one day, three people hadn't flinched at meeting her gaze. Maybe… maybe attending the academy wasn't such a bad idea after all.

Suddenly, Chloe stopped petting Pico, her pupils darting around the room as if searching for someone. She wrinkled her nose impatiently.

"Where did she go now?"

Lucy tilted her head, intrigued. Then, she heard a faint noise coming from her bag. Leaning down, she discovered a small opossum nibbling on some cookies she had packed for the day. The anima, nearly as small as Pico, had a mischievous glint in its eyes.

"There you are!" Chloe exclaimed, gently scooping up the creature before it could scurry away again. In the process, the half-eaten cookie fell from its grasp, prompting a small, disgruntled squeak. Chloe held the opossum closer, her expression stern. "How many times have I told you to stop wandering off? You're so tiny; I could lose you at any moment."

Lucy observed the little creature wriggling in Chloe's hands. It reminded her of how fortunate she was to have a calm guardian like Pico. She had heard that many guardians caused significant trouble for their binders. If that were true, Lucy considered herself lucky.

After scolding her guardian, Chloe bowed her head unexpectedly, surprising Lucy. She wasn't sure how to react.

"I'm really sorry," Chloe said, making her guardian bow as well. "Trina always does whatever she wants. I'm sorry she ate your cookies."

Before Lucy could assure her it wasn't a problem, confident footsteps echoed at the back of the classroom. A young man entered with a commanding stride, wearing a green tunic. An enormous moth-like creature with iridescent wings flitted behind him. Lucy assumed he might be another student, but his attire differed from the others'. Reaching the front, he struck the desk with the book he held, silencing the room before he began to speak.

"There are more of you than I expected. I thought that, being the first day of class, some of you would skip, assuming we wouldn't cover much. I'm glad to see that's not the case."

Lucy guessed he must be the teacher, though his youthful appearance surprised her. He couldn't be much older than twenty-four. His light brown hair was neatly combed, and his calm blue eyes surveyed the room. He was slender but by no means frail.

"Young lady," he murmured as his gaze swept over the class. "When you're ready, could you please take your seat?"

Lucy turned to see Chloe still standing after having retrieved her guardian. Feeling the weight of everyone's stares, Chloe's cheeks flushed, and she quickly sat down beside Lucy.

"Sorry…"

"Don't worry about it."

The teacher checked the clock on the wall one last time. It was 4:35. His eyes scanned the room, where the students now sat silently, waiting for him to begin.

"Looks like no one else is coming," he said, stepping away from the podium to stand in front of the chalkboard. Raising his voice once more, he continued, "My name is Zareth Carlonni. You can call me Professor Carlonni if you like. I also accept nicknames. This is my first time teaching first-years, so I hope we'll get along well. This year, I'll be teaching you Anima Weaving, as well as Fundamentals of Anima. We won't dive too deep this week, but I will assign you some simple exercises to work on in your free time."

At that, the class erupted into a synchronized groan, taking it as if it were homework.

"Come on, come on. Don't worry; the exercises will be easy," he said, turning to the chalkboard and picking up a worn piece of chalk. He wrote two words and underlined them: Anima and Mana. Turning back to the students, he addressed them again. "This is a practical class, but I think it's best if you understand the basics. I'll start with an easy question. What is anima?"

The question hung in the air. Even the students who had been chatting enthusiastically moments ago fell silent, as if afraid they might be called upon. Lucy wanted to raise her hand, but at the same time, she didn't want to draw the class's attention. The less they knew about her, the better. Carlonni surveyed the room before speaking again.

"No one?" A smile spread across his face. "I'll give one extra point to whoever answers."

Suddenly, almost every hand shot up. Even Chloe raised her hand, though Lucy refrained. Carlonni scanned the eager students with a satisfied grin. No one could resist extra points. His eyes roamed over the raised hands until they landed on Lucy's row.

—The girl in the back. What's your name?

Lucy felt a jolt, a tingling in her chest. She stared at her motionless fingers resting on the desk, dreading the possibility of being chosen despite not having raised her hand. A murmur swept through the rows; other students turned in her direction, trying to locate the one being addressed. Lucy's pulse pounded in her temples. Luckily, Carlonni's gaze was aimed at the girl beside her.

—Chloe Sirva.

Hearing her name, Professor Carlonni raised an eyebrow, mildly surprised. Some students began whispering, leaving Lucy confused.

—So, it's her? —someone muttered. —The third daughter of the Sirva family?

—I didn't expect to find her here… —another voice murmured.

—She has a strong gaze, but she's very pretty.

Lucy watched Chloe closely, curious about the sudden interest her classmates showed in her. She never would have guessed Chloe belonged to the highest nobility. The Sirva family was one of the three royal families and had produced many renowned binders.

—I'd heard a Sirva would be enrolling this year, but I never thought I'd have the honor of teaching one. Well then, Miss Sirva. Go ahead.

—Anima is an energy that flows through all living beings; it is the core of our existence and also represents our life force. Without this energy, none of us would be able to live or use magic.

—And could you explain why anima is necessary for magic? After all, they are two separate forces.

Chloe fell silent, trying to think of the answer. Lucy knew it, but she refused to raise her hand. Seeing that he wouldn't get a response, Professor Carlonni turned his gaze to another raised hand and gestured for the student to speak. A young man with dark hair stood up from his seat.

—It's because the anima core gains a new brilliance when it absorbs mana from the environment.

—Exactly, —the professor emphasized. —Ambient mana nourishes the anima, imbuing it with the strength that allows us to use magic. However, there is one species incapable of absorbing mana. Us.

Some students exchanged perplexed looks. Lucy tilted her head, trying to figure out where the professor was going with this. He continued:

—According to a study by Aerius Donvar, our species' anima possesses a property that prevents it from absorbing ambient mana, unlike other species. Elves, for example, can absorb it with ease, but we must rely on guardians.

The room filled with a low buzz. Some students exchanged glances with their guardians, Lucy included. A few furrowed their brows, while others nodded as if the explanation confirmed something they had already suspected. Carlonni scanned the desks, gauging reactions. He paced at the front of the room, never losing sight of his students.

—That connection grants us the mana we cannot absorb on our own and allows us to channel magic.

The professor cleared his throat, inviting everyone to focus on the next lesson. He pointed with a piece of chalk at a diagram drawn on the blackboard: silhouettes intertwined with wavy lines, spiral symbols, and what appeared to be elemental runes. The drawing depicted channels flowing from a circle representing the guardian, connected to the human.

—Now, let's talk about the Anima Weave, —he said, turning back to the students. —Each species is born with a small reserve of mana within them; it's a starting fragment but insufficient to cast spells. To expand that energy, they must absorb the mana abundant in the environment. How do we achieve this? That's what we'll be covering today.

Lucy began taking notes from the drawings on the blackboard while listening to the professor continue.

—This practice is primarily based on meditation, —he explained, carefully sliding the chalk across the board. —It also requires understanding the essence of your own anima. The more you understand your own power, the further you will progress with anima. Some guardians already have part of their anima woven, allowing some of you to use magic, while others will need to start from scratch.

A timid hand rose at the back of the room. It belonged to a young girl with pointed ears, likely a first-year elf. She adjusted her round glasses before speaking.

—When does our core change color?

The professor nodded with a smile.

—That happens when your anima is fully imbued and begins transforming mana into power. The color it acquires depends on many factors, such as your guardian or how you execute your internal patterns.

A murmur of astonishment rippled through the room. Some students craned their necks for a better look at the blackboard, while others jotted notes in small notebooks.

—Alright. That's enough questions. Let's put this into practice. Everyone, link with your guardian and try to focus on your core. You could do it without your guardian, but it will be much easier if you're linked.

Following the professor's instructions, the students linked with their guardians. Lucy extended a hand toward Pico, and the rodent vanished. She closed her eyes, breathed slowly, and felt a warm tug in her chest, almost like the meshing of two gears. A whitish aura began to surround Lucy. Around her, others also emitted faint auras, some more colorful than others.

The professor's voice resonated in the air.

—Remember, don't strain yourselves to maintain the link. For now, you can manage about ten minutes at most. When you can't go on, release the link.

Lucy felt the flame that usually ignited when she linked with Pico, but this time she sought something different. She inhaled deeply, and instead of focusing on her core, she let the environment envelop her. She visualized thousands of golden threads floating in the air, moving with a life of their own. They brushed against each other, intertwined, and sometimes formed luminous knots.

She felt the room's breeze, the murmur of her classmates' breathing, and the faint warmth radiating from their bodies. She imagined herself weaving those threads into her being, creating patterns that fused with the rhythm of her heartbeat. Each time a new thread joined, she experienced a tingling that rose from the base of her spine to her nape, like a luminous shiver coursing through her.

She captured one of those glimmers and integrated it into her mental weave, as if embroidering a unique design. Each thread responded gently, vibrating for a moment before intertwining with the others.

Minutes transformed into a serene river flowing endlessly. Lucy lost track of time; her breathing steadied, and each inhale brought a trace of mana, while each exhale released a faint, almost imperceptible pulse. Some students loosened their links as sweat beaded on their foreheads or when their guardians emitted a warning sound. The professor, his face calm, encouraged them to release the link without guilt, to rest if their strength waned. A girl with bright eyes sighed in relief as her link dissolved.

The hours passed in a silent ebb and flow of patterns woven into each student's consciousness. Lucy, immersed, let her mind drift through that ocean of essences. At some point, she felt a slight tremor in her legs, a tingling in her arms signaling fatigue. She sensed Pico growing weaker, his inner aura dimming. She decided not to push further. Gently stepping away from the cradle of lights, she carefully dissolved the link. The rodent reappeared beside her in a blink, breathing heavily. Lucy felt a lump in her throat as she watched him, touched by the effort of her loyal companion.

—Alright. That's it for today's class.

Some students were still linked, but they withdrew as soon as they heard the professor's words. He walked among the rows, observing the exhausted expressions and the guardians moving sluggishly or returning after their fusion.

Professor Carlonni stopped by his desk. He raised his hand, commanding the group's attention.

—I understand many of you may feel overwhelmed, but the more you practice, the longer you'll be able to maintain your link. For tomorrow, I want you to review what you've learned. On a scroll, draw how you perceive those threads of energy. Describe them in your own words or with symbols so you can understand how each one connects.

A student raised her hand.

"Should we maintain the bond for this exercise?"

The professor shook his head.

"It's enough to remember the sensation. If you feel capable of maintaining the bond at home, that's fine, but I wouldn't advise overdoing it."

Satisfied, he scanned the classroom, ensuring everyone was following his instructions. The guardians wandered among the desks, some yawning with wide-open jaws, others curling up to rest. A soft murmur spread through the room, a sign that the students were starting to relax. The professor stepped away from the desk and gathered a few documents.

"You may leave."

The students began to rise from their respective seats. Chloe stretched her arms above her head and let out a loud sigh.

"Wow, that class really wore me out."

Lucy packed up her things and carefully settled Pico inside her bag, grateful for his small size. The rodent, with his eyes almost closed, nestled atop a book and prepared to sleep.

"Want to get some fresh air? I can't stand another minute within these four walls," Chloe suggested, looking at her with a smile.

Lucy nodded without a word. She picked up her bag and followed Chloe, who was already hurrying toward the door. By now, many students were chatting about the recent class or lying exhausted on the floor.

"What did you think of today's class?"

Chloe seemed to avert her gaze for a moment, though Lucy only noticed a faint tremor in her companion's eyes. They walked side by side, dodging a couple of students heading in the opposite direction. Lucy still felt very tired.

"I'd say it was interesting. But I feel pretty dizzy... I didn't expect absorbing mana from the surroundings to be so demanding," she said, searching Chloe's face for an explanation, surprised by her calm demeanor. "How about you? Are you feeling okay?"

"Those from the Sirva family have a natural ease with these exercises. I'm sure you'll get the hang of it with practice."

"Can you already use magic? There were quite a few in class who could."

"I can. Thanks to Trina, I'm able to use poison magic." Chloe placed her left hand gently on her chest.

"That sounds cool. Pico doesn't have any elemental affinity yet." Lucy glanced at Chloe, sensing something was missing. "Speaking of Trina... where is she?"

"Huh?"

Chloe scanned the hallway with her eyes, her face turning pale as she realized her guardian was missing… again.

"But she was just here a moment ago."

"I'll help you look for her."

"Thank you so much."