“How nice of you to grace us with your presence again,” Astra hissed as Aldric walked back through the door. Elisa was a few steps behind him, and upon seeing her Astra’s snarl turned quickly into an expression of horror. “Why was she crying? What did you do?!”

  “Astra, please,” Elisa said, talking before Aldric could try to defend himself. “It was an accident.” She turned to face Mister Kainsly. “Sir, Aldric managed to channel his mana into the plate.” Mister Kainsly frowned. He did not appreciate these constant interruptions. He grabbed the plate from Aldric’s hand and gestured for him to get back in line.

  “I was not expecting to have to cover such elementary matters in today’s class,” Mister Kainsly grumbled. “It seems I must reassess my plan for you lot. I want each of you to demonstrate your greatest spell. You need not fear for the destruction you might cause, the fences surrounding this ground have been runically reinforced. Who would like to go first?”

  Like a missile, Astra’s hand shot into the air. She hardly waited for Mister Kainsly to give her permission before she rushed to the centre of the training grounds. With a cocky smirk aimed directly at Aldric, she lifted her hand into the air, and a cone of flame almost twice her size came forth. It spiralled in the air, casting violent shadows for the few moments it lasted. Astra seemed to become somewhat hazy in the eyes of the others as an orange shimmer cascaded around her. As quickly as it appeared, it dissipated along with the fire, leaving Astra slightly winded.

  “That is quite impressive, young lady. I expect great things from you,” Mister Kainsly complimented as she walked back. Astra beamed with pride at the praise, taking her position next to her brother. Vincent did not wait long to move from his position. He scanned the ground, curving his path slightly to pick up a fallen leaf.

  “Lucas, would you mind assisting me?” he asked, his tone even. Lucas smiled and nodded, quickly rushing forward to stand across from Vincent.

  “Of course, how can I help?” he asked.

  “Dodge,” Vincent ordered. Before the word had time to register, he thrust his palm forward, pressing it flat against Lucas’s chest. Roots and branches exploded from where the leaf was pressed between them, wrapping around Lucas’s right arm and pinning it to his body. Lucas tested the strength of the binding, trying to flex through it, but he found it unyielding.

  “I thought your sister was the magical one,” he grunted, breaking the thin branches one by one.

  “She is much more talented than I with spellcasting,” Vincent confirmed, touching the branches and letting them wither away, freeing Lucas. “But it would be unwise to underestimate my magical ability or her martial skill.”

  “Understood,” Lucas said, clapping Vincent on the shoulder. “I suppose I will fight for third place, then.” Vincent nodded, thanking Lucas for his assistance, then returned to the other student. Lucas remained in the centre of the training ground, opting to take his turn while he was there. “Do not expect too much of me.” He pressed his hands together, and small drops of water began falling from between them.

  “An advanced spell, but lacking in power,” Mister Kainsly commented, motioning for Lucas to return. Lucas obeyed, the last of the willing volunteers. Mister Kanisly scanned the remaining five students. Roland was exempt from this task, and he did not feel comfortable calling on the Saint. Aldric seemed like trouble so that left two candidates. He pointed to Mary. “Come, let us see what you can do.”

  “Poor choice of words,” Mary commented. She did not step out of line. Instead, she pulled a pencil from her blazer pocket, holding it between two fingers. Everyone’s eyes remained locked on the drawing tool, but suddenly they found themselves disoriented, their eyes forced to re-focus on whatever else was nearby. The pencil was gone. Mister Kainsly gently reached forward, feeling the space where the pencil was. His fingertips brushed against the familiar sensation of wood.

  “Very well done!” He exclaimed. “Total invisibility! That is quite the skill you have developed, young lady!”

  “Thank you,” Mary said, rolling her eyes. In a blink, the pencil was visible again, and she placed it back into her pocket.

  “Is that the biggest object you can turn invisible?” Mister Kainsly enquired.

  “More or less,” Mary responded. “Anything bigger and I can not guarantee that all of it will disappear.”

  “I see,” Mister Kainsly said, his fingers stroking his chin. He pondered for a moment, then turned to the remaining students. Before he could call one of them out, Seraphina raised her hand.

  “Can I go next?” she asked. Mister Kainsly felt a weight lift off his shoulders. He dreaded putting her on the spot, but if she volunteered then it was another story. Mary put a hand on her shoulder, encouraging her forward. She took a few steps before turning around. “I am still struggling with my abilities,” she said. “I have not been able to do anything that the saint should be able to do, but there is one spell I know.” She paused to take a breath, then extended her hand to the left, where the fence’s shadow ended. Slowly, the shadow seemed to wobble, before a part of it retracted a small distance, then some more, an entire section curving down unnaturally.

  “Are you… manipulating the sun’s light directly?” Mister Kainsly asked irreverently.

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  “I think so,” Seraphina replied, unsure. The shadow snapped back to normal when she shifted her focus from it.

  “That is remarkable,” Mister Kainsly said, beckoning for her to return. “As for your other abilities, you need not worry. I will make it my mission to ensure you unlock your full potential as Saint. Simple light tricks will be the least of your abilities.”

  “She can already do more than that,” Roland interjected. “I apologise for interrupting, but during the tournament, Seraphina created a barrier that withstood both my and Aldric’s strongest strikes simultaneously.”

  “Roland, I have not been able to do it again,” Seraphina said, looking down.

  “The boy is right,” Mister Kainsly said. “Just because you have not replicated it yet, does not mean you never will. It is a good place to start, and I will keep it in mind. Now, who is next?” Aldric and Elisa glanced at each other before the latter gingerly raised her hand.

  “I can go, but I would also need someone’s help,” she said. Almost in unison, Aldric and Roland stepped forward. “No, wait,” Elisa stammered. “This spell is not pleasant at all. Mister Kainsly, I do not want to needlessly hurt someone.”

  “I understand,” Mister Kainsly said. “But if these two are aware of that and still wish to volunteer, I see no reason why you can not continue.” Elisa glanced between Aldric and Roland, and both met her gaze, Roland with a kind smile, and Aldric with firm resolve. She sighed softly. “Alright.” She took two steps back so she could have both of them in her line of sight at once. A few tense moments passed, and then Roland collapsed to his hands and knees, suddenly hyperventilating. Everyone stared at him for a moment, then looked up to Aldric. His eyes were wide, his breathing ragged, and his hands shaking.

  “Sorry, I am sorry,” Elisa said, rushing over to them. Both seemed to regain their composure.

  “What was that?” Aldric asked between breaths.

  “That was a fine example of emotional manipulation,” Mister Kainsly explained. “Well done, Elisa. You have exceeded my expectations.”

  “You know our names?” Aldric asked, frowning.

  “Of course I do, Aldric,” he responded. “Now move, it is your turn, and I will not accept excuses again.”

  Aldric grimaced, then walked forward. He had no idea what he was going to do. He had spent the entire demonstration trying to move the dancing lights inside of him, attempting to find some control. He had only just brushed against the surface of true magic, but now he was expected to put on a performance worthy of the Archmage’s apprenticeship. He thought he would have more time, but fate had different plans.

  He took a stance in the centre of the training grounds, facing the wall away from the other students. Unsure of what would come forth, he did not want to risk hurting someone. Closing his eyes and narrowing his focus, he shut away the rest of the world, concentrating only on the new sensation that Elisa had shown him. The light danced underneath his skin, mixing, splitting, then recombining. It felt dense and unfocused. He tried moving different sections around, combining spots that felt similar to one another. Every time he felt like he caught a grasp of the smallest bit of understanding, it slipped from his grip.

  “Any time today,” Astra jeered. Aldric tried his best to ignore her. His focus remained inward, trying to crystalise the muddy beams of light his lens cast into his body into different strands. Slowly, groups began to form, and light that felt the same, strands that he could only imagine were the same colour, gathered. One by one from the cloudy mud he wove larger spots of concentration. For now, he paid little mind where those spots fell. His right hand, his throat, his spine, his stomach, where they fell he let them lie, focusing instead on purifying the light.

  “Honestly, any spell at all would work. We all already know you are just a weak peasant,” Astra called out. Aldric refused to respond. He refused to acknowledge her, or how her words stung his heart. He could feel it, something inside of him shifting. If he let go now, who knows when he would find this feeling again? No matter how much it angered him he could not let her get the best of him.

  “You should just give up your apprenticeship and return to whatever backwater place the Archmage found you,” Astra said.

  “Shut up!” Aldric cried out, the words tearing from his throat. They felt hot, boiling, like his vocal cords set them ablaze and his lungs forced them out. They were deafening, so much so that Aldric did not notice the shattering wood and crumbling stone of the fence, or the orange energy shimmering around him. His head turned to lock his eyes on Astra. “I have every right to be here! I earned my position! If you lost your favour with the Archmage then that is your fault, not mine!”

  “That is enough, both of you,” Mister Kainsly said. “Aldric, I apologise for allowing her comments, but I think it bore fruit.” He pointed towards the fence, where Aldric realised everyone else was looking too. He turned to face it again. The ground between him and the fence was cracked, and the portion of the fence directly in front of him was shattered, blown away into the alley that ran alongside it.

  “How did I…” Aldric asked softly.

  “Rage can be a powerful tool,” Mister Kainsly explained. “Aldric, you have potential, but you also have a mountain to climb. I will not give you preferential treatment because of your lack of education or your position. You must keep up, or I will expel you myself. Let that motivate you.” He spun on his heel. “Class is dismissed early. I need to go adapt my syllabus.” Without another word, he left, leaving the students to their devices.

  “What the hell was that?” Lucas asked, his wide eyes still locked on the fence. Roland was the first to break formation, walking to Aldric and putting a hand on his shoulder.

  “Are you alright?” he asked. Aldric looked up to him and offered a genuine smile.

  “I think I am,” he said. He glanced over Roland’s shoulder, ready to give Astra another piece of his mind, but she and Vincent were nowhere to be found.

  “They are not worth the trouble,” Roland said as if reading his thoughts. The two began returning to the group, but they only made it halfway before Seraphina bounded over, grabbing Aldric’s hands.

  “That was amazing!” she yelped, nearly jumping up and down. “How do you feel? Is your kiln alright?”

  “Seraphina, I’m fine, truly,” Aldric said, still smiling. “Thank you.” Seraphina beamed back at him, then stepped back.

  “I suppose the rest of us are now fighting for fourth,” she said.

  “You think so?” Mary prompted sarcastically. “What could possibly give you that idea, Sera?” Seraphina giggled in response, leading Aldric and Roland back to the group. They both followed. For the first time, Aldric looked at their faces and, instead of towering obstacles, saw people he just might be able to call friends.