One Question Too Many

Miss Fumiko took off her glasses, and I realized she had a serious face even without them.

"Reincarnation?" She repeated. "We don't teach that in this school."

I feigned a smile. "I think I read it somewhere."

Miss Fumiko threw me a weird glance, then resumed her slow pacing.

"There is a Dark Affinity spell known as Astral Projection. This spell allows the caster to project his soul out of his body for a short while. But the caster cannot possess the body of others." She turned back to me. "Maybe that's what you're referring to?"

"No," I shook my head briefly. "I'm talking about a situation where the soul of a body possesses another body after death."

Miss Fumiko stopped again. Her gaze grew even more intense.

"Reincarnation is a myth," she declared.

"Is it?"

Slight murmurs erupted around me.

"What's your first name?" Miss Fumiko asked, walking towards me, her hips swaying in a gentle rhythm.

"Rin," I swallowed.

"Rin. Why do you think reincarnation exists?"

I leaned back in my chair. "I don't know if it does. Just wondering how it'd work if it did."

Miss Fumiko remained quiet. Then she lowered her voice and moved closer to me.

"Meet me after classes," she said.

Then she walked back to the front of the class and continued her lecture like nothing had happened.

Throughout the rest of the lecture, I was met with weird stares from the rest of the students.

No one liked a show off, and I got the message. But what I was trying to do was much bigger than their tiny brains could comprehend.

Either way, I remained silent for the rest of the class.

*****

The final class of the day was Basic Elemental Manipulation.

But a better name for it was, 'Try Not To Get Killed While Learning Magic'.

It was a practical class, where students practiced spellcasting with common spells that anyone could use.

Basically, a student would come forward to the front of the class, pick a random element, and try to manifest that element.

But it quickly went south.

An elven girl from Erentha tried to create water and set her uniform on fire.

A common boy from the central plains tried to summon a gentle gale, but ended up blowing his own desk out the window.

The girl who tried wind levitation? Well, I hope she recovers from her fall.

It was no surprise to me, or the supervising teacher. Class 1C was the beginner's class, filled with 'potential' mages who were yet to understand simple mana control.

Teaching a practical class here was like giving a five-year-old a bow and arrow and hoping he doesn't shoot you in the eye.

"Unbelievable!" the tutor lamented. "You're the worst bunch of students I've ever seen in the history of this academy."

He was probably exaggerating, but he needed a way to cope.

"You! Get over here."

My heart skipped a beat when I realized he was talking to me.

I pretended not to hear.

"Stormborn. Get over here."

With a timid reluctance, I walked to the front of the class and pulled out a piece of paper from the pile on the table.

Fireball, it read.

Perhaps my magic didn't work because I'd been trying the Affinity Spells. So maybe it would work with the Common Spells.

This should be easy.

I placed my hand in front of me with an open palm gesture. Then I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

"Inferno", I exhaled.

Unlike the others before me, something entirely different occurred.

Nothing.

"Any day now, Stormborn," the instructor muttered.

I turned to the lecturer and put on a half smile. "I forgot to tell you about my mana fever sir."

"Mana fever?"

"Yes," I nodded. "I've been sick for a while and my mana is pretty low."

"That doesn't sound good."

"It's terrible sir. I could lose my magic if I don't treat it."

"Alright then. Go back to your seat and rest."

I sighed. Hiding the fact that I had no magic was going to be much harder than I thought.

I wondered how long I could keep this ruse up, seeing that half the courses taught in the academy actually required practical application of magic.

One of the girls sneered as I walked back to my seat. She had one of those faces that was born to sneer.

I immediately recognised her as one of the three Virillian girls who bullied Lucy the other day.

I made a mental note of her name, as well as a mental note to monitor her movements.

Just in case.

*****

When the final bell rang, I walked to the building that housed the offices of the academic tutors.

It didn't take me long to find Miss Fumiko, as her office was right by the main door.

As I walked toward it, I noticed it was slightly ajar, and I could see within even before I got to it.

Miss Fumiko sat at her desk, with her glasses on, reading a large book.

I paused.

She was knowledgeable, and I had a feeling she could figure out what happened to my magic. But if I tried to talk about my reincarnation with her, I could risk exposing myself to her and to the entire school.

It was a risk I couldn't take.

"Rin?"

I froze. Miss Fumiko had seen me.

"Rin. Come in."

Without hesitation, I turned around and left the building.

*****

I trudged towards the noble dorm when it was dusk.

I survived the first day. One full day of hiding, pretending, and using my instincts to hide my real self.

And yet, I knew there was no way I could keep this up for a week, not to talk about a year, or even three.

I glanced towards my right just in time to see Lucy disappear into the Library, alone. She had grown much colder since Orientation day, and I had a feeling she was avoiding me as well.

Well, it didn't matter as long as I was able to get my magic back. But even that seemed to be impossible.

With a loud sigh, I walked into the dorm and made my way upstairs, toward my room.

To my surprise, I found a small note, roughly folded, and slid beneath my door.

I hesitated, then picked it up, wondering who it was from as I unfolded it.

Maybe Lucy, I thought. Maybe a prank.

The note was short. Only a single line.

But as I read it, my heart stopped.

"You're not supposed to be here."