First Class

After the speeches concluded, students received their updated class schedules.

Since Eden and Nyxen were both in Class 1, Eden had Nyxen read their schedule aloud.

"Our first class is a lecture with Professor Raella," Nyxen noted. Then, as if remembering something, he added, "Oh, right—I also looked into how the different academies operate."

Eden remained silent, listening.

"Every academy has its own approach to training," Nyxen continued. "Some focus heavily on theory and lectures, while others prioritize practical combat experience. Lorraine Academy does a bit of both, but it leans more toward the physical side of things." He paused briefly, glancing at Eden to make sure he was still paying attention before continuing.

"Monday through Friday, we'll have a lecture in the morning followed by a practical session in the afternoon. And on some Fridays, the professors like to throw in a pop quiz—just to make sure no one's been slacking off."

Eden gave a small nod of acknowledgment.

With that, they were ready to head to their first class.

Nyxen

Like most buildings on campus, the one they entered was massive, its halls stretching high with an air of authority. As they navigated through the corridors, they arrived at a doorway marked with bold lettering:

Class 1.

Stepping inside, they were greeted by the sight of a grand lecture hall—structured much like a smaller auditorium. Rows of tiered seats surrounded a central podium at the front, where lectures would be held.

Nyxen immediately made his way toward the front, spotting Ceris and Seraphine seated together. As he sat down beside them, he realized something.

Eden had disappeared.

Turning his head, Nyxen scanned the room. It wasn't difficult to find him. Even among the sea of students, Eden stood out—not because of his presence, but because of the distinct contrast between him and everyone else.

Blindfold. Caped uniform. Seated alone near the back.

Nyxen furrowed his brows slightly. Why sit all the way back there? He knew Eden wasn't shy, but his choices always left more questions than answers.

He let it go. That guy was a puzzle he had long given up trying to solve.

Ten minutes later, the lecture hall was packed, a steady hum of conversation filling the space. Students were introducing themselves, making connections, and forming what would soon be alliances, rivalries, or lifelong friendships.

Then—

10:00 AM.

The door swung open, and Raella Saint entered.

The energy in the room shifted instantly.

The moment she stepped inside, all conversation ceased. Not because she demanded silence—but because her presence alone commanded it.

Graceful, poised, effortlessly confident—this was the power of a Grade 6 Awakened.

She strode toward the podium, her golden eyes scanning the crowd, assessing them in an instant before she spoke.

A small, almost teasing smile played on her lips. "Good morning, everyone. Welcome to Lorraine Academy. I am Raella Saint, your professor for Class 1."

Her voice was smooth, yet carried an undeniable weight.

"If you are not a Class 1 student, you may have wandered into the wrong room."

A pause.

Her sharp gaze swept across the room, as if daring anyone to stand up.

No one moved.

A satisfied smirk tugged at the corner of her lips.

"Good."

Raella's expression sharpened, her golden gaze sweeping across the room.

"I will begin with attendance," she announced, her voice firm, leaving no room for argument. "Attendance is mandatory—any more than two unexcused absences, and you will be expelled."

A moment of silence followed, her words sinking in. A few students stiffened, some exchanging wary glances.

Then, she began.

"Ceris Sinclair?"

"Here."

"Nyxen Solis?"

"Right here! Good morning, Professor!"

A few chuckles broke out at Nyxen's enthusiasm, but Raella paid it no mind.

"Idris Phoenix?"

"Present."

"Seraphine Valemont?"

"Here!"

"Eden de Sylvain?"

There was a brief pause. Then, a quiet, almost distant voice responded.

"Here."

Heads turned.

The blindfolded student, he was the fifth Chosen One.

Even after the assembly, he still wore it—even during lecture.

A few whispers stirred among the students, but Raella ignored them and continued down the list, calling out names one after another until the roll was complete.

Once finished, she closed the register with a soft snap and placed it on the podium.

"Today is your first class," she said, a sly smirk tugging at her lips. "So we'll keep the lecture short and have some fun in the field."

Raella leaned against the podium, her gaze sweeping across the room before she spoke.

"Today's lecture will cover the basics of Awakening and mana attributes."

"Over two centuries ago, Earth underwent its Awakening. Mana flooded into the world, and Mana Gates began appearing, releasing unknown threats. Humanity, unprepared and unequipped, suffered greatly. Entire countries fell. Billions perished. We fought, we bled, and we lost. For a time, we were nothing more than prey."

She let that fact settle before continuing.

"But we adapted. We discovered that humans, too, could take in mana. That we could Awaken."

The atmosphere in the room shifted. Students who had only read about this in books now heard it from someone who lived and breathed battle.

"Every Awakened is granted a System upon Awakening, which assists in the development of their abilities. Each Awakened also possesses a unique ability, a trait that differs from person to person."

"But what truly changed the tide of battle was the discovery of Mana Attributes."

She held up a hand.

"There are four primary attributes—the most abundant and the easiest to synchronize with. Fire, Water, Wind, and Earth. These elements exist in the natural world and provide a solid foundation for combat and support abilities."

She stepped away from the podium, voice lowering.

"But then… there are the rare ones. The attributes far harder to control, far less common—but infinitely deadlier."

A small smirk tugged at her lips as she counted them off.

"Lightning. Light. Shadow. Ice."

Her eyes flicked across the room.

"Some of you have already claimed an attribute. Others will soon have the opportunity. But remember—power is never freely given."

Her words settled in the air, heavy with meaning.

She continued the lecture a bit longer, covering the foundational knowledge that most of them already knew. But despite the familiarity of the topic, the way she spoke made it impossible not to listen.

Then, with a sudden snap, she closed her book.

"That's enough theory for today."

She smiled—a smile filled with wicked amusement.

"Let's take this lesson outside."

The students followed, some eager, some wary. Once gathered on the track, she stretched, rolling her shoulders as if she were about to start something routine. "Since we're ending lecture early, we'll extend our field time. And to start—a warm-up."

Her smirk deepened.

"Follow my lead. Do not stop until I say so."

A murmur passed through the students, some shifting uncomfortably. Something about the way she said it felt off.

Eden, knowing what kind of person she was, felt a familiar sense of unease creep into him.

Then, she started running.

At first, it was easy. A comfortable pace, rhythmic footsteps, measured breathing. Eden focused on conserving energy, maintaining a steady tempo without using mana or Aether. He knew better than to waste energy too soon.

Raella began picking up speed.

Subtle at first, barely noticeable. But lap after lap, the pace increased. Some students didn't even realize what was happening until their legs began burning, their breaths growing heavier.

Eden noticed immediately.

She was pushing them without telling them.

She was seeing who could adapt. Who could endure.

Then, on the tenth lap, Raella's voice rang out, casual yet laced with amusement.

"Oh, I should mention—if you get passed, you fail this week's quiz."

Silence.

Then—chaos.

The students panicked.

A wave of frantic energy surged through the runners. Some immediately tapped into their mana, others pushed their bodies harder than they ever had. Nobody wanted to fail on the first day.

Raella only grinned.

Eden held back as long as he could, conserving his energy. But with each passing lap, Raella kept accelerating.

Eventually, he had no choice.

Mana surged through his body, easing the strain in his muscles, his speed increasing in response. He was now running at a pace beyond normal human limits—but even that wasn't enough.

Raella was relentless.

The laps stacked up. Ten. Twenty. Thirty. The initial murmurs of discomfort had evolved into ragged gasps. The students were deteriorating.

One by one, they began falling off.

Some ran out of mana, collapsing mid-stride. Others simply couldn't keep up, their stamina long since drained.

Still, Raella didn't slow.

She increased her pace.

Just how long did she want to keep going? Some students were beginning to realize why Raella had such a scary reputation, she was the devil. Many students had already dropped out, running out of both stamina and mana.

However the devil kept going, increasing pace every lap. However she wasn't the only one. There were 4 students who unlike the rest, looked unfazed as if this much was childs play, they kept up with Raella the entire time. They were the chosen, obviously for a reason. But that begged the question wasn't there supposed to be 5 chosen? 

Looking around a disqualified student saw that the fifth chosen, Eden was near the middle of the pack. He had started out at the very back but now he seemed to be running with urgency.

40 laps 50 laps. Eventually students began dropping like flies. However Eden still remained. With the 50th lap Raella increased her pace tremendously passing most of the existing students. Even the chosen could no longer keep up with her and began to fall behind. 

Eventually there were only 5 students left. The 5 chosen, Raella was hot on the blindfolded guys tail. It looked like she was talking to him but nobody else could hear what she was saying. But based on the expression changes on his face it looked akin to horror. 

His mana and stamina should have long ran out so how was he still running? How had he only gotten faster?

However it seemed Raella was satisfied as she finally made her move.

With a sudden burst of mana, she surged forward, closing the distance between her and Eden in an instant. In the blink of an eye, she passed him—then the rest of the remaining students—effortlessly overtaking the entire class.

One by one, they collapsed, their bodies giving out from exhaustion.

Frustration and confusion rippled through the students. She had failed all of them.

But why?

Raella clapped her hands, drawing their weary attention. Unlike the rest, she looked completely unaffected, her breathing steady, her expression calm—as if she hadn't just run them into the ground.

"Good job, everyone," she said casually. "You did much better than I expected."

"Oh, and by the way…"

She smiled, her eyes gleaming with amusement.

"I was lying about the F."

Silence.

A few groans of disbelief echoed through the crowd.

"I just wanted you to feel the pressure."

More silence.

Raella clapped again. "Alright! Now that we're done with the warmup, let's move on to the actual training!"

The students deadpanned.

Warmup? Was she serious?

Even the chosen ones looked visibly shaken.

Was she even human? How could she put them through this level of torture?

But there was no time to dwell on it.

Next was sparring.

Each student would face Raella one-on-one, showcasing their mana control and martial arts. Some students actually felt relieved—anything had to be better than running, right?

Yet the expressions of the chosen ones told a different story. It seemed it would not just be a simple spar.

Raella began with the chosen five, each of them demonstrating incredible prowess. The way they fought, the way they moved—it was almost inhuman. It was clear why they had been selected. Even at their young age, their abilities were already a cut above the rest.

And then, there was Eden.

Despite his disadvantage, the way he wielded his lightning mana was nothing short of spectacular. His control, his movement—it was precise, flawless even.

Yet, Raella didn't look impressed.

If anything, she looked… disappointed.

Unlike with the others, she pushed Eden harder. Her movements were sharper, her strikes more relentless—as if she were fighting three steps ahead.

She wanted to see more.

But he wasn't giving it to her.

In the end, it didn't take long for her to overpower him completely.

After Eden's match, she continued down the list, sparring with each student in descending order based on their rank. While she went easier on the lower-ranked students, she still pushed them—studying their every move, testing their instincts, measuring their progress.

It would have been easy to dismiss her as a merciless monster, but it became increasingly clear—Raella was more than that.

She was a teacher in every sense of the word.

No matter their skill level, she gave every student her full attention.

No matter their background, she took her time helping them improve.

And no matter how much they struggled, she expected more from them.

Because to Raella Saint, greatness was never optional.