Magical education

Chapter 15

Two months after the hunt for Noctis operatives…

Within Valebryn Academy’s West Wing, several students waited for their teacher in a simple, spacious classroom. They came from a variety of ages and races. Some looked younger than others, but it becomes a bit more complicated when factoring in how different races age at different rates. They populated the rows of seats, some minding their own business, and some chatting with friends.

Over the buzz of conversations, a gentle voice echoes through the room

“Settle down now, young buds. Class is about to start.”

They were surprised, and even more so when they finally noticed the beautiful, ethereal lady standing near the teacher’s table. She wore an elegant, flowing white dress, and several small flowers bloomed all over her body, including her hair and arms. The students settled down in their seats, wondering how she got there.

“Alright then. You may call me Miss Camelline. I’m a nymph from Mortesh Forest’s Court of Flowers, and I’ll be your adviser for this Special Course.” The lady curtsies to her students, who all reply with disjointed greetings.

“Now then, I will start by explaining why all of you are attending this class, and it is quite simple. Each of you carries rare conditions, distinct personalities, and seeds of potential that the Academy believes require special care to truly bloom. The regular courses are designed for nurturing most flowers, but they are not suited for you. Not because you are better than them, mind you, but because your growth requires different conditions, and placing you in the common course would only delay your flowering season.

“Now that you know why you’re here, let’s talk about what we’ll be doing in this class. Goven your abilities, you’ll be studying and mastering every fundamental lesson about magic at a much faster pace, covering mostly around… everything from the regular course’s Year 1 to Year 10.”

Almost all the students were visibly shocked, some passing out in their seats.

“Don’t wilt now, your other teachers and I will tailor the garden specifically for you, so that no one will feel left behind, and the good news is that because of your heavy workloads, you will get special rewards and incentives, which will be kept a secret for now.”

At the mention of rewards, the students’ expressions changed from worry to interest, some regaining consciousness.

“One of those rewards, of course, is what happens once you finish this course. After passing the required exams, you will receive a graduation status equal to completing Year 10, meaning you will have the freedom to choose what to do next, be it follow your dreams or continue to Year 11. And for those who can’t pass this year, they will stay together and attend the course again next year to work on areas they had trouble with. Every student can repeat the course for as long as they need to finish it, so no pressure. Even among talented students like you, very few flowers have bloomed after just after one year. Most do so after three or four.”

The nymph floats backward and phases through the teacher’s table.

“Now then, any questions before we start the first lesson?”

None of the students raised their hands.

“Then let us begin.”

She closes her eyes, places her hand on the table, and from it, a wave of emptiness spreads around the classroom, enveloping every object until the only things left were the students, floating in a dark, silent, and empty void. Some of them panic as everything around them vanishes, their senses unable to perceive anything. No lights, smells, sounds, or feelings.

“In our world, we have a special energy we call the Aether.”

The lady’s voice echoes through the emptiness, and a bright, prismatic sphere of energy appears, illuminating its surroundings and letting the students see around them. The nymph holds the orb in front of her as she continues.

“We do not know how the Aether came about. All we know is that it has existed since time immemorial, shaping the evolution of life and everything we know today.”

She raises the sphere above her, and it disperses into the surroundings. The ground materializes below them, as well as the bright blue sky above, both of which stretch towards the horizon.

“Nature used the Aether to shape itself, forming incredible landscapes and unexplored vistas. Once it was done, it spawned living things to populate the world, to discover its artworks, and to start the cycle of life, death, and rebirth.”

Countless trees appear in the distance, clouds start populating the sky, and the students feel a gentle breeze pass through them.

“These living beings evolved, and over time, they developed something we now call souls, born from their minds and shaped by the life they lived. And with these souls, they could harness the Aether, using it to turn their powerless thoughts into powerful reality, shaping the environment to their will.”

The walls of Valebryn appear in the distance. Paved roads wind along the ground and pass through each other, connecting everything within the walls.

“Living beings studied the Aether, and learned that, of course, it wasn’t an omnipotent power source. It required a from those who wished to wield it. And so they spent their whole lives training themselves to understand this energy, discovering tools and techniques that would help them along the way.”

Structures start emerging within the walls, appearing closer and closer to the students until finally, their classroom comes back into existence.

“Harnessing the Aether is a complex process that tests everything about a living being. And throughout history, we’ve created many ways to simplify that process, like spells, rituals, and glyphs. We also harnessed the magical properties of objects from nature to practice alchemy and create complex magical items and contraptions. So we could accomplish the miracles we want, without having to harness the Aether ourselves.”

The chairs appear beneath them, and they fall back down, scrambling to fix their seats as the nymph stands in front of the class.

“This is how our world works, and in this class, you will learn all of its intricacies and behavior, so that you may better use it in your life,” she finishes her introduction with a smile. “Any questions?”

Several students raise their hands, asking to be excused. They all felt sick after the very immersive demonstration.

…

Naoya leans back in his chair, trying to catch his breath and fighting the nausea as some of his classmates scramble to reach the restrooms. The extreme demonstration of their teacher left most of them feeling sick.

That lady is so pretty, and her projection was so cool too! Buuut I don’t think you remember much of what she said, do you? A small voice says in his head.

“Human bodies aren’t really made for sudden sensory deprivation and shifting gravity. Help me out here, Ori. I don’t wanna ruin my uniform,” Naoya replies as he places his right hand on his head, wearing his new glove from Tessa where Ori rested.

Good thing Trey taught us a healing spell.

He closes his eyes as the fairy heals him, a wave of relief slowly washing over his head.

“Such a beautiful evolution you’ve had there, little bud.”

Naoya jerks upright, surprised by Miss Camelline’s voice, who was suddenly beside him.

“Good morning, ma’am… thanks?” He replies, confused by her statement.

“Oh, I was talking about your fairy friend there. You named her Ori, yes?”

“Yes, ma’am. It’s from the name of the paper flower art I gave her.” He holds out the origami in his glove.

“Quite a beautiful name. It makes me reminisce about my young fairy days, constantly trying to survive in the wild. I’m glad that you’re taking great care of her... Mother’s concerns were unfounded after all,” the nymph replies with a smile.

“Errr… who’s ‘Mother’? And why is she concerned?”

“Take care of my sister, alright? I’m sure she’ll grow well with you,” the nymph replies, completely ignoring his question

Naoya looks down at the pink crystal in his glove. “Ummm, okay ma’am… wait, Ori’s your sister?” He looks back up to ask her again, but she is already in front of the room as his classmates return to their seats.

We’re different evolutions of wisps, so I guess she sees me as a younger sister because of that? Wait, does that mean I’ll turn into a nymph too?! Also, who’s our ‘mother’? Ori curiously asks.

“I mean, we are at school, so I guess we’ll learn about that eventually,” Naoya replies as their first lesson continues, marking the start of his magical education. He has never been this eager about school.