chapter 04 the glow of forgotten sparks

m felt tense because there was going to be a confrontation between us, that's natural.
The upright teacher seems ridiculous to me. Well, I'm a kid, so I must be wrong, right?

The professor was pacing back and forth as if we were about to learn the secret of the universe, but he was really just saying the basics.

"Offensive magic is the most common. It allows you to directly attack the enemy using elements such as fire, water, earth, among others.
—Defensive magic, on the other hand, serves to protect oneself. Shields, barriers, and magical armor come in here.
—And finally, support magic. Physical buffs, healings, and all kinds of enchantments to help your allies.

As he spoke, some nodded as if they were experts. Others, like me, just wanted it to move on to the good stuff.

"And now," he continued, "they will have their first practical evaluation. In this room there are seven magicians. They will be divided into two teams. Three in one, four in another. The goal is simple: defeat the opposing team or force them to surrender.

Yes, that was what I wanted to hear.

"You have five minutes to decide on your strategy. Don't forget that you can use any magical branch, but nothing that can seriously injure your companions.

Adam, Selene, Tarek and Liam got together and began to discuss their strategy, I looked at Adam somewhat defiantly because he had expectations

Instead, turning to look at my team.... it's a mess Helena and Kael were arguing about who would be at the front.

Helena—I'll be on the front lines, plus I'm better at offense than defense

Kael—no nonsense, better me...

It was a silly situation on his part of those brats, wait, I'm one too. Now I know why my father calls me a brat... ah...

"That's enough, both of us," I said with a sigh as I scratched my head. If they continue to argue we will lose before we start.

Kael looked at me as if I had no right to have an opinion.

"And what about you?" We don't even know what kind of magic you use.

Helena nodded, crossing her arms arrogantly. Great, I have two stars on my team and none of them shine.

"I'll use whatever it takes to avoid making a fool of myself, do you think?" I replied with a shrug. But if you want to lose, go ahead, keep fighting to see who dies first.

That silenced them a little. Just a little.

We pulled back into a corner and, although the word "strategy" is not the best definition of our talk, at least we agreed that Helena would go forward, Kael would cover her with defense and I... well, I would do what I could from behind.

Five minutes later, the professor snapped his fingers and the magical lights in the room dimmed. The space magically expanded, as if the room was transformed into a mini battlefield.

"Begin!"

Adam was the first to move. He summoned a gust of wind that forced Kael to erect a hurried barrier. It was effective... until Selene appeared from the side throwing spheres of water at full speed. Helena, without thinking much, charged at her like an arrow. Kael followed, shouting things I didn't understand because I was too busy dodging lightning that nearly broke my skull.

"Is this a practice?!" I shouted as I covered myself with a small dome of earth.

Adam, Liam, and Selene were sweeping us away. Coordinated, fast, safe. On the other hand, my team... Helena and Kael were already on the ground, knocked out by a combo of perfectly executed attacks.

And now I was left. Alone. Against three.

Helena and Kael were removed from the arena. Adam smiled confidently, while Liam and Selene stood beside him as if they had already won.

This situation: my defeated classmates, me alone, the three of us getting closer, and the teacher completely relaxed... Perfect. I have never seen such a favorable disadvantage.

I relaxed and began to walk towards them, slowly, snapping my fingers. And with a smile, I said:

"Begin.

Adam was the first. He fired a gust of wind without wasting any time. But I was already prepared. I rested my palm against the ground, and in an instant, a stone wall went up that blocked the attack completely.

Everyone was stunned.

The teacher, more than anyone else.

"How? It's impossible! He did not utter the incantation! That's impossible!" He thought, his eyes wide.

Liam and Selene wasted no time and ran towards me. But I wasn't going to sit idly by. With a simple wave of the hand, the stone magic responded, generating several balls of rock floating around me. I threw them hard at them, who reacted in haste.

Adam's team was completely baffled. They had underestimated my movements, they couldn't anticipate my actions. The spell was basic, but what they didn't understand was that it didn't need words to execute what it wanted.

"How is he doing this? How can he control magic without speaking?" Adam thought, as he dodged one of the projectiles with a nimbly leap.

Liam and Selene, somewhat more prepared, created force fields in front of them. The rocks slammed into the barriers with impressive force, vibrating the air around them, but they managed to hold on.

"This guy is not like the others," Selene thought, as she kept her field standing.

Chaos reigned, but I remained calm, watching every move. My teammates, Helena and Kael, watched in amazement from the stands as they saw how he attacked and handled several elements at the same time.

Adam, however, was unwilling to back down. He quickly stood up, reciting a spell with a confident smile on his face. A bolt of pure energy streaked through the air and hit me squarely on the arm. The electricity went through me with such force that I felt as if my body disintegrated for an instant.

I looked at my arm, horrified. The skin was burned and the bones were visibly broken. I was bleeding heavily, and the pain made me stagger for a moment. The dust dissipated, revealing the scene. Liam and Selene took the opportunity to meet with Adam, quickly rearranging to close the siege.

My arm was shattered, and all eyes were focused on me. I could hear the murmur of the other students in the stands, surprised at my reaction.

But, despite the pain, something inside me didn't break. My determination was stronger than the damage. Quickly, I pulled out a leaf with a magic healing circle inscribed on it. I carefully placed it on the floor, and as soon as the symbols began to glow, a warm and comforting energy began to envelop my arm. The broken bones would put themselves back together with a soft crunch, the skin would regenerate, and the blood that had begun to gush out stopped flowing.

In the blink of an eye, my arm was completely healthy, as if it had never been hurt.

The silence that followed was deafening.

"Adam, it's not bad at all," I said, with a defiant smile, as I looked at my opponent's surprised face. In truth, you caused me problems.

The fog that had lifted on the battlefield slowly disappeared, revealing the three members of Adam's team, who remained ready, but now, somewhat disoriented. He could deduce that His mana was running low, his movements becoming slower, more calculated. The numerical difference was still a threat, but it was not going to be so easy for them.

The atmosphere was charged with tension. Sweat dripped down my forehead as I watched Adam, Liam, and Selene stand firm, though visibly exhausted. They, too, knew that the battle was not yet decided. The maneuvers became faster and more erratic.

Adam was the first to attack. A bolt of pure energy shot out at me, but this time I was more prepared. I quickly erected a rock wall, but Liam and Selene were not far behind. Liam conjured a torrent of water that enveloped me, while Selene formed a barrier of wind that pushed me hard. The combination was unexpected, and although I clung to my concentration, the push momentarily threw me off balance.

"You can't win against three, Darius," I thought, but I wasn't going to give up. I focused my magic on the ground and erected stone columns around me to protect myself, but exhaustion was beginning to take its toll.

The three of them quickly reorganized, it seemed that everything was in their favor. I couldn't concentrate at one hundred percent, my mana was low and my movements were no longer as agile as they were at the beginning. The three of them approached with a firm step. Adam, confident, smiled with that expression that made me want to hit him.

I tried to counterattack with an earth spell, causing the ground beneath them to open up, but I hadn't calculated it right. Adam reacted quickly and, with his movements, conjured a gust of wind that deflected my attack and threw me to the ground.

"This can't be..." I thought as I fell to the ground with the impact of magic. I felt the pain in my back as I hit the ground. The crowd in the room murmured, and the professor watched silently, clearly impressed.

I got up with difficulty, but I could no longer go on. The weight of the struggle crushed me, and my mana was draining faster than I expected. As I tried to use my magic to get up, a slip caused me to lose my balance, and I fell to the ground, this time with more force.

I couldn't go on. My strength was fading, and at that moment, I understood that I couldn't win this time. I looked at Adam, Liam, and Selene, and with a bitter smile, I raised my hand in surrender.

"Okay, I give up," I gasped. The struggle had been epic, but fate was not on my side. "But next time... it won't be that easy."

Silence reigned for a second, and it was as if time had stopped. The professor raised his hand, signaling the end of the fight. The air felt thick again as Adam, Liam, and Selene approached me. Their faces reflected a mixture of respect and tiredness, but also something else... Restlessness? He didn't know it, but it was clear that he had left an impression.

I strained up, pain still coursing through my body, and my companions, Helena and Kael, rushed to heal me with healing spells. I felt the warmth of magic flowing through me, healing wounds, even though I still felt exhausted.

"You two," I said quietly, as I watched them, "Helena, Kael—" they are idiots for not having coordinated better.

My words echoed in the room, and they both sighed, saying nothing, knowing that he was right. They were embarrassed, and so was I. But just when I thought it was all over, something caught my attention.

In the background, I watched Tarek. He was standing quietly doing nothing, as if nothing that had happened affected him. What the hell was he doing back there?

My gaze became sharper as I watched Adam, Liam, and Selene, still with that confidence. And that's when I understood. Tarek was empowering them. He had been in the rear the whole time, waiting for the right moment to give them that little push.

"Damn..." Thought. If Tarek had been manipulating the battles from the shadows, then things were even more complicated than he had imagined.

"I guess I'm stronger than them. I thought, as an air of determination enveloped me. This fight had been just the beginning. If I wanted to be on par with the others, I would have to improve even more.

With a wry smile, I looked at Tarek, who was still in his position, without anyone noticing his role in all this.

"Next time won't be so easy." I muttered to myself, still feeling the adrenaline coursing through my body, the calm of defeat still hard to digest.

Suddenly, the professor snapped his fingers, and in the blink of an eye, the scene changed. The air briefly distorted, and in the blink of an eye, we found ourselves back in the classroom. The room, which had once been the scene of our struggle, now felt strangely quiet.

The professor, with a serious expression, gestured for us to come closer.

"That's enough for today. A ten-minute break, then we'll continue. His tone was the same as always, without showing a hint of emotion.

"What a relief... I whispered as I plopped down on one of the benches, exhausted but relieved. A little rest wouldn't hurt at all.

My classmates didn't say anything, but some nodded. No one seemed willing to talk about what had happened; We were all too tired, but the mind was still working at a thousand miles an hour. I knew that battle had been only one part of the training, but I had also learned more about the capabilities of my teammates, especially Tarek.

I got up and walked out of the room, taking a deep breath to clear my mind. When I went out to the patio, I met Cris, who seemed a little more relaxed than me, although his face still denoted some tiredness.

We walked around the courtyard together, talking about what had happened to us in our respective classes.

"Really, Cris, it was me against three," I said, shaking my head, still with adrenaline in my body.

"I must acknowledge your determination, Darius," he replied, his tone serious. That surprised me, because I rarely saw Cris so serious.

I was a little curious, so I decided to ask.

"And how did your class go? What happened?"

Cris looked at me for a second before answering.

"Darius, I had to fight the remaining 33 alone," he said calmly. "I beat them easily, but it was... pressure. They had high expectations of me, they wanted to see if I could really handle everything they had taught me so far."

I was silent, shocked. Defeat 33 people... that was something incredible, and everything Cris did seemed natural. Even so, the way he spoke made me understand that not everything was as simple as it seemed.

—"Wow... it impresses me. But what about the pressure? Did it affect you in any way?" I asked, curious.

"Yes, at first it was a bit overwhelming. But then I realized something," he said, looking straight ahead as we walked. "Pressure can be a good engine. If you learn to use it to your advantage, it makes you stronger."

Out of nowhere, Helena stood in front of Cris and me, interrupting our conversation. His face showed an expression between challenging and curious.

"What's the matter, Helena?" I asked in a relaxed tone, though a slight awkwardness crept into my voice.

"Don't tell me you're Darius's advisor now, too," he replied, with a sneer, but his gaze seemed more intrigued than annoyed.

Cris, always so calm, raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. I knew that Helena and I were in a relationship... peculiar. Sometimes we were rivals, sometimes allies, and sometimes simply companions on the same path. But with all that, something else seemed to be emerging between us, though neither she nor I would be willing to admit it.

"I was just giving some advice," I replied, trying to stay calm. Sometimes, even the strongest of us need a helping hand.

Cris turned around, visibly annoyed, and blurted out:

"I'm not a woman, don't talk to me like I are, you idiot.

Helena was a little confused, her gaze passed between us without quite understanding the tension that had arisen. And then, in a low whisper, Cris said to me:

"Look at her. She's interested in you. Protect your prey.

My heart skipped a beat. I was shocked, I didn't know how to react. What was he implying? Fortunately, Helena didn't hear any of that. But who would notice me? Even I couldn't understand what was going on at that moment.

Cris walked away without saying another word.

"Hey, where are you going?" I asked him, but he didn't stop, he just ignored me and left me alone with Helena.

The silence between us was palpable. My mind was racing a thousand miles an hour, still processing Cris's words. But there was no time for more, because Helena looked at me with a mixture of curiosity and defiance.

"Well, Helena, what brings you here?" I asked, trying to break the ice.

Helena got a little nervous, I noticed it instantly. But I decided not to comment on it, and she responded with a tone that tried to sound casual.

"It's nothing. It just seemed strange to see you with one of the strongest in the university. They say he carries the moon god's fruit, and that's... Very unlikely.

"Yes, yes, as you like. Are we going to have a drink? I replied, wanting to change the subject and prevent the conversation from becoming uncomfortable.

Helena smiled, and although she tried to maintain her composure, her face betrayed her happiness. However, she wasn't that good at hiding her feelings... and now that I think about it, it's kind of cute. What? Why do I think that? I quickly shook that idea out of my head.

Suddenly, as we rounded the corner, we met Selene, who seemed to be waiting for something. When he saw us, a slightly ironic smile was drawn on his face.

"Wow, what do we have here?" Selene said playfully. Darius and Helena, so comfortable together? I didn't know you two were so... Close.

The way he said it didn't leave much room for interpretation. I couldn't help noticing the slight jealous tone in his voice, although he hid it well with his disinterested attitude.

Helena, visibly uncomfortable, folded her arms and responded with a forced laugh.

"It's not what you think, Selene. We were only talking about a few things.

Selene wasted no time and, with a look that seemed to challenge me, moved a step closer.

"Oh, sure, sure. Just "talking". Make sure you don't lose your way, guys. I don't want them to get too distracted in the middle of all this. He paused slightly and looked me in the eye. Not everyone is lucky enough to be surrounded by so many "interesting conversations", right, Darius?

The tension in the air was palpable. I felt somewhat uncomfortable, but I could also see that Helena was not so calm about the situation. Selene knew how to make any moment a little more awkward, and that's what she was accomplishing now.

"Well, if you don't mind, would you like to join us in the dining room?" I asked, trying to soften the atmosphere and keep things from getting more tense.

Selene gave one last amused look before smiling and nodding.

"Of course, why not?" I could use a little company. Selene said, smiling with some amusement, and the three of us began to walk toward the dining room.

Despite the small tension that had formed between the three of us, something in the air told me that this day still had more surprises in store for us. What else could happen? Everything seemed to be upside down lately.

When we arrived at the dining room, we looked for a free table and sat down. To my surprise, the two of them sat down next to me, something that honestly made me feel a little uncomfortable, but at the same time grateful. God, thank you for this divine blessing! In a sea of chaos, he could at least enjoy some quiet time with them. But of course, not everything was perfect.

As soon as we sat down, the murmurs of the other fencing and fruit students began to rise. Looks full of disdain, half-whispers between them. I knew what they were saying, what they were thinking. It was no secret. They looked down on us, especially the magicians. As if using magic were something inferior.

"Magicians...? No wonder they don't know how to defend themselves in real combat," said one, barely audible, but loud enough for me to hear.

"I'm sure those idiots think magic solves everything," added another, laughing with his friends.

My hands clenched involuntarily on the table. They were not new comments. It had always been like this. Magicians were seen as the weak ones in this world. It didn't matter how much magic I controlled, it didn't matter how powerful we were; We would always be below those who carried swords or carried fruit with "real" abilities.

I was about to answer, but before I could open my mouth, Helena glanced at me out of the corner of her eye and whispered:

"Ignore them. They are not worth it.

Selene, as if she sensed my annoyance, also commented:

"They have no idea what we are really capable of. Let them talk. In the end, we won.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm down. Helena was right. Why waste time with people who didn't understand what was going on? But even so, irritation kept bubbling up inside me. He knew that he would have to prove to them somehow that magic was not a weakness. But, for now, I just kept quiet, letting the noise of comments and whispers fade into thin air.

Meanwhile, the girls seemed to enjoy the moment, as if the world was on pause for them. Selene and Helena said nothing else, but their looks made me think that maybe, for once, I didn't have to fight everyone. Perhaps the real battle was elsewhere...

The recess ended, and we returned to class with the two young ladies. As I sat down in my folder, Professor Gesse began the class. I didn't pay much attention, my mind was still lost in other thoughts. But suddenly, I felt a blow to the head.

"Darius, pay attention, you conceited brat!" The professor shouted.

The laughter of my classmates made my embarrassment even more apparent. "Damn, what an asshole I am," I thought.

The professor went back to the blackboard and continued talking.

"As I said before, tomorrow you will all be on an expedition out of town.

I was stunned. I quickly settled into my seat, because now the subject had become really interesting.

"It will be a three-month expedition, so they will have to say goodbye to their parents properly. This expedition is only for magicians, the director has confirmed to me.

"It's just a reconnaissance and conquest of the B-rank dungeon," the professor added.

We were all shocked. Rank B dungeon... It wasn't exactly difficult, but why only the mages?

The classes ended and they returned to my house, but this time, Helena and Selene followed me. I wanted to know where I lived. What a headache with them.

Selene bluntly asked:

"Darius, will you let me go to your house?"

Helena, visibly upset, replied:

"Hey, don't be so direct!" I was going to ask for that first.

I felt exhausted from so much insistence, but I couldn't help but let out a nervous smile.

"Hey, girls, you'd better go back to your homes. After our expedition, I will show you my house.

The two smiled, but then stared at each other, as if they were about to go to war. "What do I do in these situations!?" I thought to myself, feeling the weight of the situation more than I'd like to admit.

Finally, the two quickly retreated.

When I arrived at my house, I met my father, who was looking at me with an expression of pride. "What now, old man?" I thought.

"Good evening family. I'm back from college. I uttered those words as I plopped down on the couch, trying to relax.

My irritating father with a knowing expression.

"Well done, my son. You already have two in your network of women.

I got a little angry and looked at him defiantly, he was spying on me as always

"You have no right to say that, old pervert and stop spying on your children, it's rude," I replied jokingly, but I couldn't help but smile.

At that moment, my mother appeared behind me and hugged me.

"Mother, I've been missing you. I said, letting the hug envelop me.

My mother sounded tenderly and kissed me on the forehead.

"My son, I know, and I'm glad you're safe. My mother said with a smile, hugging me.

"Yes, as you like, but don't treat me like a baby." I replied, somewhat embarrassed by his affection, although deep down I felt good.

"So how was your day?" My father asked with a mischievous smile. "Hey, and what's this about you having an expedition to a B-rank dungeon?"

"Yes, father, I have an expedition to a B-rank dungeon with my fellow mages. We are few, but it is something. I'll be out for about three months. He explained, trying to keep me calm.

My father raised an eyebrow, as if he was about to say something, and I wasn't wrong.

"As you like, but don't get them both pregnant." He said, jokingly, but with that look of concern.

I was paralyzed for a moment.

"Grandpa, have you ever thought about what you're saying?" You're ridiculous! Besides, they are just friends. I replied, feeling a little uncomfortable at his insinuation.

"Friends, of course... however you want to say them. he answered, smiling slyly.

At that moment, my mother, tired of the conversation, gave him a gentle tug on the ear.

"Oh, oh! My father complained a little, but she didn't let go until she apologized.

"Stop talking nonsense. My mother said firmly, though a smile appeared on her face.

After my mother stopped scolding my father, I sat on the couch, letting the tiredness of the day take over. My mother sat down next to me and, after a while in silence, looked at me with a soft smile.