The Academy Experience

Delphia stood before the tall door marked "Runes & Spellcasting Lab," drawing a composed breath before stepping inside. Despite the winter chill clinging to her clothes, the Academy corridors buzzed with warmth and anticipation. The Lab was a spacious chamber outfitted with protective wards along the walls and ceiling, designed to contain any miscast spells. Large windows admitted a weak winter light, glinting off arcane instruments arranged on side tables.

At the front, an instructor—an older mage wearing practical robes—stood reviewing roll call.

Attending her second-to-last lesson of the day, she found herself with another unexpected group of people.

Scanning the group, Delphia spotted Alaric near the center, commanding attention effortlessly in the Academy's dark-blue uniform. He was a fire-elemental mage—a fact well-known, given his royal lineage. Toward the right, Lucian and Seraphina Vosswell lounged by a desk, both bearing a faintly haughty air. They had inherited water-elemental magic from their late father, though they now bore the Vosswell name.

The tension in their stance told Delphia they still hadn't adjusted to her transformation from 'barely passing' to quietly competent.

"Good morning, everyone," the instructor called while placing a chalk-stick on the board. "Today, we'll expand on synergy spells and layering runic constructs. As many of you know, working with locked elements can be tricky, but we'll also touch on Light and Dark magic fundamentals, which remain accessible to most."

Delphia slid closer to the front but stood a bit off to the side. She had no intention of showing off—only to gain enough knowledge to quietly excel. The instructor began drawing a series of runes, explaining how synergy typically merged an elemental magic with arcane aspects like Light or Dark for enhanced effects.

"All right," he continued, stepping aside, "anyone recall the amplitude threshold for layering an element such as fire or water with an arcane extension?"

A hush fell. Alaric folded his arms, clearly thinking about it. A few students exchanged uncertain glances. Seraphina sniffed, rolling her eyes as if the question were beneath her. Lucian cast an offhand look at Delphia, as though daring her to respond.

She waited; When no one spoke, she raised her hand, ignoring how Lucian and Seraphina's brows shot up. "It's the ratio of the caster's mana-capacity to the rune's elemental requirement, multiplied by the synergy factor for any arcane extension."

The instructor brightened. "Precisely, Lady Delphia. And how might that factor differ for Light or Dark synergy?"

Delphia answered calmly, "Light synergy often requires a stable elemental anchor, so the factor is lower. Dark synergy tends to amplify extremes, so the synergy factor is higher, making the threshold more delicate to manage." A ripple of surprise passed through the class. The teacher beamed. "Excellent reasoning. I see you've improved significantly."

From the corner of her eye, Delphia noticed Seraphina press her lips together, rolling her eyes in exasperation; Lucian's expression soured. She merely lifted a brow and turned back to the board; Check mate, she thought, letting the moment pass.

"Now," the instructor said, "we'll do a brief demonstration. Your Highness, Crown Prince Alaric, if you don't mind—please showcase a basic synergy you might use with your fire element."

Alaric stepped forward with a polite nod. Flame flickered around his hand, and seven interlocking circles gleamed briefly in sight, forming a glowing symbol in midair. "I'll incorporate a simple Light extension," he explained, weaving a faint golden aura around the rune. "It enhances visibility and stability without significantly raising the amplitude demand."

A soft wave of heat radiated from the spell, tinged with a bright sheen. Applause rippled through the students. The instructor nodded in approval. "Good control, Your Highness. Notice how Crown Prince Alaric kept the amplitude moderate while layering Light. Any volunteers to attempt a different combination?"

Seraphina exchanged a glance with Lucian; He gave a casual shrug, apparently uninterested. Instead, Seraphina stepped forward, water magic pooling around her palm. "I'll try mixing water with a small Dark extension." She cast a quick glance at Delphia, as though ensuring Delphia wasn't about to steal her thunder. In return, Delphia raised a brow at her provocation, uninterested.

Seraphina formed a swirling sphere of water, then infused it with a faint shadowy tinge. The sphere darkened, shimmered ominously—then stabilized into a dim sphere that looked vaguely menacing. The class murmured admiration. She smirked triumphantly, sending Delphia a smug look.

The instructor offered a half-smile. "Well done, Lady Seraphina. A bit menacing, but it's stable enough. You see, class, how combining water with Dark mana changes the sphere's properties—disrupting visibility if directed at an opponent for instance."

Lucian snorted, leaning against a nearby desk. "As if that's so amazing," he muttered under his breath, loud enough for a few to hear. Delphia flicked her gaze his way, internally rolling her eyes in silent response, though she said nothing.

"All right," the teacher interjected. "Let's have one more demonstration—someone who hasn't shown synergy yet." His eyes landed on Delphia. "Lady Delphia, would you mind combining your air element with, say, Light synergy? Just for a low-level defense?" She hesitated, noticing Seraphina's glare and Lucian's bored expression. Alaric, too, watched with mild curiosity, recalling how Delphia had remained distant at the Faremont Celebration.

Calmly, she stepped to the front. "Very well."

Her Magic Circle had grown from a peak Second Circle (the original Delphia's circle level) to a Third Circle with all this recent learning and application she had practiced during her classes, so she felt confident enough to perform this correctly. Raising her hand, she summoned a gentle air rune, a breeze-like swirl forming around her fingers. Then she layered a faint Light extension, giving the swirl a crisp glow. The result was a translucent orb of swirling air that shimmered like morning mist. She kept the amplitude low, ensuring no dramatic show.

The instructor examined it closely. "Excellent. Notice how she's controlling amplitude—no overload, no sudden surge. Nicely done, Lady Delphia." As Delphia dispelled the orb, a few students whispered among themselves. She caught Lucian's frown, and out of habit from her life on Earth, she rolled her eyes at him dismissively before returning her attention forward. Let them think whatever; I'm not here to impress them.

"Now," the teacher addressed the entire group, "we'll break into pairs to practice synergy spells in tandem. One partner supplies the elemental basis, the other adds Light or Dark. Keep amplitude thresholds in mind. I'll circulate to assist."

Pairs formed quickly. Alaric ended up with two noble boys who practically competed for his favor, while Seraphina dragged Lucian over to a station, water swirling testily between them.

Delphia found herself momentarily without a partner—until a quiet girl with mousy brown hair approached shyly, offering a small smile. "Shall we work together, Lady Delphia?"

"Certainly," Delphia said, inclining her head politely.

They stationed themselves at a modest practice platform. Delphia extended an air rune once more, her fingers forming the sigil with practiced ease. "I'll provide the elemental base," she said. "Try layering a Light rune directly over it, but watch your mana output—start low and scale upward."

The girl nodded, forming the appropriate gestures. The moment her Light synergy engaged, the air rune flared erratically—too bright, destabilizing at the edges. Delphia tilted her head, unruffled.

"You're overpowering the junction," she said gently. "The amplitude's too high. Think of it like tuning a stringed instrument—too much tension, and it snaps. Too little, and it goes slack. Here, try reducing your output to just under your natural threshold. It helps if you visualize the Light not overpowering the air, but illuminating it—like sunlight catching wind through sheer curtains."

The girl furrowed her brow and tried again—this time adjusting her mana. The difference was immediate: the swirling air calmed, glowing softly with a steady radiance.

"Much better," Delphia said, nodding approvingly. "Now, if we refine the rune symmetry—angle the Light sigil by three degrees, it'll harmonize better with the directional flow of the air spell. See here?" She sketched a quick diagram in the air with her finger, drawing clean arcs through the residual mana trails.

The girl's eyes lit up in comprehension. "That's so much clearer than how the teacher explained it. I didn't even think about the angle affecting the mana convergence."

Delphia's lips curved faintly. "It's a small adjustment, but it makes all the difference when you're working with cross-element layering. I've just spent time reviewing—nothing special."

But in truth, she'd been reworking these theories in her spare time, mentally cross-referencing magical equations with physics principles she remembered from her first life. Runes were, after all, just another kind of formula—one that this world hadn't yet fully optimized.

From the corner of her eye, she spotted Lucian glaring their way, water swirling too aggressively in his own demonstration. Seraphina shot a jibe at him, eyes darting to Delphia as though suspecting she was somehow overshadowing them. Delphia only raised a brow again, ignoring the step-siblings' silent war.

When the instructor clapped to signal the lesson's end, arcs of mana flickered out, fading into the warded walls. "Very good progress, class. Keep practicing your synergy spells this week. Next time, we'll explore multi-layer synergy for those who can handle more advanced amplitude." A swell of chatter rose as students packed up.

Delphia quietly slid her notes into a leather-bound folder. Seraphina and Lucian bickered in hushed tones near the supply shelves, each looking more irritated than the other. Alaric approached the instructor, presumably discussing advanced Fire synergy.

Just as Delphia finished gathering her things, Alaric cast a sideways glance her way. For a moment, she thought he might speak to her, but he resumed his discussion with the teacher instead. A breath of relief escaped her—she still preferred to avoid entanglements with him. Meanwhile, her partner from earlier offered a grateful, "Thank you!" Before slipping out.

Delphia turned and found herself face to face with Lucian. He studied her with narrowed eyes, water mana still clinging faintly to his fingertips. "I see you're… playing the part of a model student now," he said drily. She calmly leveled him with a pointed sarcastic look, then simply rolled her eyes, stepping around him without a word, undermining his intention to rile her up. The gesture stung his pride more effectively than any cutting remark might have.

Seraphina, joining him, huffed. "She's acting too good for us," she muttered. "Just you wait. She'll slip up eventually." But Delphia was already crossing the lab to the exit, ignoring her stepfamily's whispers.

Outside, in the hallway, the Academy's winter-bright corridor greeted her with the bustle of students heading to their next classes. She walked on, satisfied that she had handled the synergy lesson well enough and that neither Lucian's, nor Seraphina's, jabs would derail her.

One more day of minimal drama, one more step in charting my own path, she mused. As the day wore on and she went to her last lesson, she'd face more challenges—but for now, the small victory of staying calm and quietly competent in front of Alaric and her step-siblings felt like a pleasant shift from the old Delphia's chaos.