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nRing. Ring. Ring.

nLisa Grayback woke up to the sound of her alarm clock, which was set to 6:00 am. The alarm clock wasn’t some sort of Spell but a Runic Device that she had brought with her to the Academy.

nShe got this during the summer break since most of her classmates were using them so she had to try it as well. 𝙖.𝒄𝙢

n“Ugh…” Lisa groaned and stretched her arms, feeling tired and sore. She had stayed up late last night, studying for a test on the Intermediate Spirit Law.

nShe knew she had to ace it, or else she would lose her only advantage.

nShe got out of bed and put on her uniform, which consisted of a black skirt, a white blouse, a red tie, and a black blazer. She then wore the coat or what she would like to call her Magician Robe on top of it which is considered to be a Regular Mystical Item.

nShe also wore a silver pin on her chest, which had the symbol of the Vermont Academy, a shield with a book, an eye, and a snake.

nShe brushed her teeth and combed her brown hair, which she tied in a ponytail. After fixing her hair, she looked at herself in the mirror and sighed.

n‘Not good enough… Should I join Aubrey and the others in their evening routine?’ She considered for a moment.

nShe wished she could look more attractive and confident, like some of the other girls in her class. But she knew she was just an ordinary girl, with ordinary features. She knows that she can only compensate by working hard with the talent she had.

nShe grabbed her backpack and left her dorm room, which she shared with two other girls who were also commoners.

nWell, they are commoners but unlike her, their family has connections with the Dark Arts Faction so before they attended the Academy, they already recorded a Spell Model.

nThe two were still asleep, as they had different schedules and classes.

nLisa walked to the cafeteria, where she got a simple breakfast of toast and coffee. She ate quickly and headed to her first class, which was Ethical Spellcasting.

nShe arrived at the classroom, which was located in the main building of the Academy. The Academy was a large and impressive structure, made of stone and glass. It had five other buildings, each dedicated to a different branch of Dark Art: Rituals, Dark Alchemy, Dark Magic, Necromancy, and Essential Corruption.

nLisa’s class was in the main building where the first-year to third-year students are.

nShe entered the classroom and took her seat in the back row. She preferred to sit there, as it was less noticeable and less crowded. Furthermore, Vale Chambers was close to her.

nShe didn’t have many friends in her class, as most of them were from noble or wealthy families who looked down on commoners like her. They thought she didn’t belong in the academy, which was supposed to be for the elite and gifted.

nThe only exceptions are Aubrey, Chad, Leonore, and Vale. Of course, there are still a few of her classmates who just didn’t know how to talk to her since they have no topic of conversation.

nShe ignored her lively classmates and focused on the teacher, who was a young woman with blond hair and blue eyes. She wore a blue robe and a hat that had the symbol of Dark Summoning on it. She was Assistant Professor Machley, an alumnus who had just graduated a couple of years ago.

n“Good morning, class. Today we’re going to review your Darkness Manipulation that you should have mastered by now. I hope you’ve been practicing it diligently.” She said.

nShe then proceeded to write some words on the blackboard, it wasn’t through some marker but through her manipulation of Dark Energy.

n“The Darkness Manipulation is probably the Spell that you would use every time when you face other Arcanists. This is the most versatile Dark Spell that can be used for various purposes. To cast this spell, you need to focus your mind not only on your Spell Model but also on the Dark Element you want to manipulate, and chanting some words may make it easier for you if you’re just starting to master it. The more you concentrate and the more vivid you imagine your control, the stronger and more precise your spell will be.” She explained.

nShe then turned to the class and said… “Now I want you to practice this Spell in pairs. One of you will cast the spell while the other will observe and give feedback. You will switch roles after five minutes. Use these targets as your aim. I want you to wrap these dummies with your Dark Energy” She pointed to some wooden dummies that were placed at the front of the classroom.

nThis confused the class since the activity seemed very simple. There was no challenge doing this since all of them should be able to do this much.

n“I can see your confusion… However, these dummies will reject your Dark Energy so it will be tricky… This is actually a training meant for third-year students but due to the recent incidents and the changes in the schedule of the Twelve Academies Competition, we will have to train you guys differently.”

nAs soon as the class heard this, they couldn’t help but feel excited since they were actually advancing their training!

n“Great! Let’s begin, Professor.”

n“I’m excited. I’ll be attending the Competition!”

n“Hmm… The students in Class 1 would probably fill in the numbers.”

n“Hey! We have Vale and Leonore here! I’m sure they’ll enter.”

n“T-that’s true…”

n“What about Neil?”

nAssistant Professor Machley then clapped her hands and announced the start of the activity.

nThe class got up from their seats and formed pairs. Lisa looked beside her and realized that Aubrey had somehow partnered with Chad in reluctance.

nShe couldn’t help but panic as she looked around. She felt a pang of loneliness and frustration as she realized once again that she didn’t have many friends here.

nShe then noticed that there was one person who was also alone: Vale Chambers.

nVale Chambers sat next to her in class. He had black hair and eyes that contrasted with his pale skin. He wore glasses that made him look smart but also nerdy.

nHe was quiet and reserved, rarely speaking or interacting with anyone.

n‘W-wait… When did he start wearing glasses?’ Lisa felt confused as she stared at Vale’s eyes.

n𝑖𝘦.𝑐𝘰𝘮

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