"What is magic?"

  "..."

  Mr. Lewis rolled up his sleeves as his gaze swept across the room. "Is there nobody who can tell me what magic is?"

  Silence filled the room. I glanced around, noting the puzzled expressions on my classmates' faces. Everyone appeared lost. Not because the question was difficult, but because it seemed too simple.

  Is it a trick question, perhaps?

  "Magic is the act of utilizing mana to produce a reaction," Violet replied.

  Mr. Lewis smiled approvingly. "Okay, then... Can you tell me what mana is?"

  "Mana is a form of energy that mages can absorb, store, and manipulate," she answered. "It exists all around us, functioning similarly to how potential energy operates in the physical world."

  "Very good, Ms. Violet! Can you tell me where mana comes from?"

  Violet hesitated for a moment before lowering her head. "I... I don't know..."

  "That's alright. You're not the only one. It's one of the biggest mysteries in our world. Even though many theories exist, nobody knows for sure where it comes from."

  Mr. Lewis turned to the board and drew a large circle.

  "Can anyone tell me why humans develop rings around their hearts when they absorb a substantial amount of mana?"

  The room remained silent. No one seemed to have an answer.

  "Has anyone heard of the Mana Resonance Theory?" Mr. Lewis asked.

  Once again, the room was silent.

  "That's okay. I didn't expect any of you to know about it," Mr. Lewis said, before clearing his throat.

  "The Mana Resonance Theory is rather simple. It simply suggests that when mana is absorbed and refined within the body, it seeks a stable structure to prevent chaotic dispersal. In other words, the heart... The heart's rhythmic beating creates a natural resonance that organizes mana particles into rings. These rings help stabilize the mana within the body, allowing it to be stored and accessed when needed."

  I couldn't help but notice the looks of awe and curiosity on my classmates' faces. It was a little surprising that none of them had come across this theory before. I had always assumed it was common knowledge among mages.

  As I scanned the room, I shot a glance at Nicole. She was furiously scribbling notes into her notebook. By the looks of it, she seemed determined to write down the entire lecture.

  "Uh, Mr. Lewis... There's one thing I don't understand. Why do mana particles form around the heart instead of other body parts?" Elijah asked.

  I was a little surprised by Elijah's question. It seemed thoughtful. For some reason, I hadn't expected him to be paying attention.

  "When humans absorb mana into their bodies, the particles interact with their bioelectric field, particularly around the heart. As many of you already know, the heart is a central organ that pumps blood and sustains life. For this reason, the heart becomes a natural focal point for mana convergence... Does that answer your question?"

  Elijah nodded.

  "Good," Mr. Lewis said, turning back to the rest of the class. "Now that we've talked about why mana builds around the heart, let's take a quick step back."

  "Everyone knows there are two types of mages. Augmenting type mages and elemental type mages. Or more commonly known as Augmenters and Sorcerers... Augmenters are mages whose mana holds no affinity, while Sorcerers are mages who possess mana that holds one or more elemental affinities... Can anyone tell me why mana develops differently in some people, even though everyone absorbs the same mana?"

  Haruna raised her hand.

  "Yes, Ms. Haruna?"

  "Even though I don't know the specifics, I believe it has something to do with DNA," Haruna replied.

  "Yes! That's indeed part of the answer," Mr. Lewis confirmed as he raised two fingers in the air.

  "There are two reasons why some mages develop affinities while others don't. The first, as Haruna mentioned, is genetic predisposition. Just as some physical traits are inherited from your parents, a mage can resonate with a particular element as long as it's encoded in their DNA. This genetic predisposition influences which type of affinity their mana will develop into. The second reason has to do with the environment you were raised in. It plays a crucial role... There have been many studies that show how mages that grew near large bodies of water are more likely to develop a natural affinity for water, while those in volcanic regions might resonate more with flame-type mana. To put it simply, prolonged exposure to a certain element can attune an individual's bioenergetic signature to that element."

  I was impressed with Mr. Lewis. He appeared to have a knack for breaking down complicated concepts and explaining them in a way that made sense.

  Mr. Lewis crossed his arms and walked around the room for a few seconds, seemingly deep in thought. Something was up.

  "Just out of curiosity, can anyone tell me which kind of mage is stronger? An Augmenter or a Sorcerer?" he suddenly asked.

  Immediately, the class erupted into a heated discussion.

  "Augmenters are obviously much stronger than Sorcerers... Let's not forget, Augmenters are naturally more suited for combat," Robert declared.

  "In what world is that true?!" Nicole exclaimed. I was a little surprised it'd taken her this long to join the conversation.

  "What... what are you talking about?"

  "Statistically speaking, Sorcerers have always been stronger than Augmenters. Keep in mind that we're the only ones who can win battles from afar."

  "Ahem... Winning battles in such a manner is disgusting. If anything, it proves that most Sorcerers are cowards with no honor," said a boy with curly short hair. His name was Roy.

  "A win is still a win," Nicole snapped. "Besides... You're just feeling insecure because you're an Augmenter... A pretty lousy one by the looks of it."

  Oh, wow! She really isn't holding back...

  Before Roy could utter a response, Robert jumped back into the discussion.

  "Your reasoning is flawed, Nicole... I don't know what world you live in, but in the real world, not all fights are fought from a distance... When it comes down to it, everyone knows an Augmenter could easily defeat a Sorcerer in a close-range battle."

  "Pfft... As if... That's only true for weak and inexperienced Sorcerers. A trained Sorcerer could easily go head-to-head with an Augmenter."

  "Oh... You wanna bet?"

  "How much?"

  The discussion was heating up. What was supposed to be a cordial exchange of opinions was quickly turning into a full-blown argument. If this continued, something bad was bound to occur.

  "ALRIGHT, THAT'S ENOUGH!" Mr. Lewis suddenly shouted.

  The class immediately quieted down, but the tension still simmered in the air. I leaned back in my chair, feeling a strange sense of wonder. It was fascinating to see how passionate most of my classmates were about this issue. Some more than others.

  "It's obvious many of you have already made up your minds on this topic. However, the truth is, the question I asked has no correct answer."

  Our teacher let out a sigh.

  "Saying that one kind of mage is stronger than the other is incorrect. Comparing one to the other is illogical. It's like trying to compare a shark to a lion. Neither is better than the other, but they're both vital to their respective ecosystem."

  I was in total agreement. Saying that one type of mage was stronger than the other was premature and shortsighted. Regardless of their class, they both carried their fair share of advantages and disadvantages.

  "The greatest advantage Sorcerers have is their ability to cast spells from afar," Mr. Lewis continued. "Conversely, the greatest advantage Augmenters possess is their superior efficiency in mana refinement. This allows them to cultivate more quickly... These advantages are distinct and should not be compared."

  A dry hush fell over the room. I glanced around, noting the varied reactions of those around me. Some looked intrigued. Others seemed particularly contemplative. It was hard to gauge whether the class was in agreement or disagreement.

  "A few minutes ago, I handed out copies of the Mana Codex. Since everyone here is at least a 1st Circle Mage, you should have all seen this chart before. Nevertheless, I'll explain what the Codex is... In simple terms, the Codex is a chart that shows how the more circles a mage possesses, the stronger they are..."

  Mr. Lewis took a short pause to allow the class to digest what he had just said.

  "About nine, eight years ago, scientists developed a device called the Frame Index. This device was able to read and convert the amount of mana mages possessed into numerical values. Thanks to the device, scientists were able to mathematically prove that with each additional circle, a mage's mana capacity amplifies exponentially... Thus, in theory, a 1st Circle Mage is vastly weaker than a 2nd Circle Mage."

  I wasn't sure if I agreed with that theory. While the amount of mana a mage possessed definitely influenced their strength, it didn't guarantee victory in a battle.

  "Truth be told, I don't necessarily agree with this theory," Mr. Lewis said. "At least not completely... If we look at this from another angle, just because a 2nd Circle Mage has more mana than a 1st Circle Mage, it doesn't mean they have better control over it. This is why you all must take your time cultivating... In fact, speeding up the cultivation process is very risky. It can destabilize the circles you've built, leading to mana poisoning, mana overload, and many other dangerous consequences."

  "Speaking of cultivation... Can anyone tell me what the stages of cultivation are?"

  Violet's hand shot up immediately.

  "You've answered enough questions today, Ms.Violet. I'd like to hear from someone else. Preferably someone who hasn't spoken yet."

  A prickling sensation crawled up my neck as his gaze swept the room. I wasn't sure whether to avoid eye contact or meet his eyes. After the disaster that was my introduction yesterday, the last thing I wanted was to speak in front of the class again. Hopefully, he'd pick someone else.

  "Mr. James, care to tell us what the three stages of cultivation are?"

  Crap...

  "Oh, yeah... Um... The three stages are absorption, refinement, and storage."

  "And which stage is the most important?"

  "Um... Aren't all three stages just as essential?"

  If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

  As far as I knew, all three stages worked in conjunction with each other. Each step had to be followed carefully to yield a successful result.

  "You're not entirely wrong. All three stages are indeed crucial. However, the most important stage is the second. Mana refinement. It holds the highest risk. Without proper refinement, the mana in your body won't be purified, which will make it unstable."

  Haruna raised her hand. "Uh, Mr. Lewis... I have a question."

  "Go ahead."

  "A few minutes ago, you mentioned that Augmenters have an easier time refining mana compared to Sorcerers. Can you explain why?"

  "Augmenters have an easier time cultivating because when they absorb mana, they only need to refine it once. Sorcerers, on the other hand, must refine their mana twice. Initially, when a Sorcerer refines their mana, it'll fuse with their elemental affinity. After the fusion occurs, they'll need to refine their mana once more before they can store it... Does that answer your question?"

  "Yes, it does."

  "I have a question too, but it's a bit off-topic," Nicole said.

  Mr. Lewis gestured for her to continue.

  "The Mana Codex you handed out correlates a numerical value to every mage category, except one. The highest value listed is that of an 8th Circle Mage... Why isn't there a value for a 9th Circle Mage?"

  "Well, from my understanding, scientists have been reluctant to assign a value because of the lack of research... You see, every number you see on that chart is an average derived from a culmination of hundreds of studies. Unfortunately, since there are so few 9th Circle Mages in the world, it's been extremely difficult to conduct a reliable study."

  Mr. Lewis let out a chuckle.

  "This is where things start to get complicated... In the very few recorded instances where scientists have used the Frame Index on 9th Circle Mages, the device has failed to produce accurate readings. My best guess is that they possess such vast amounts of mana that it's virtually impossible to calculate their strength."

  A somber air settled over the room. Judging by the looks on everyone's faces, it was clear they viewed 9th Circle Mages as mythical beings. Given how few of them there were, that made perfect sense.

  "Hmm... It looks like our time is almost up. Are there any final questions?"

  Mr. Lewis glanced at the clock on the wall, its hands inching closer to the end of the period.

  "Oh, I have a question!" Ryan suddenly exclaimed. He'd been strangely quiet today.

  "Ask away."

  A large grin spread across his face. "Um... Could you tell us where you rank as a mage, Mr. Lewis?"

  A ripple of curiosity swept through the room. Most of the class leaned forward, eager to hear his response. Even Nicole was looking up from her notebook.

  For a moment, Mr. Lewis appeared taken aback by the question, but then smiled.

  "For those who are wondering, I am a 5th Circle Mage."

  "Oh? For some reason, I thought you'd be stronger," said Ryan. He seemed a little disappointed.

  Mr. Lewis scratched the back of his head and chuckled softly. "When I was your age, I thought so too... I thought I'd be way stronger than I am. Unfortunately, life as a mage isn't easy... With each circle you gain, it becomes progressively harder to increase the number. It's why most mages don't ever go past the fourth circle."

  "How long have you been a 5th Circle Mage, Mr. Lewis?" asked one of the girls.

  "Hmm... Let me think... I've been a 5th Circle Mage for just over a decade," he revealed.

  "Wow... That's a long time."

  "Yes, it is!" He smiled. "Now, can anyone guess whether I'm a Sorcerer or an Augmenter?"

  In an instant, a dozen hands shot into the air. Mr. Lewis smiled, clearly amused by our eagerness.

  "You know what? Let's do it this way. Those who think I'm a Sorcerer, raise your hands."

  I was about to raise my hand, but I hesitated when I saw most of the class lowering theirs. Only Thomas and Arthur kept their hands up.

  "Just two, I see... Now, those who think I'm an Augmenter, please raise your hands," he instructed.

  Following suit, I raised my hand along with the rest of the class. It was easy to see why most people would think Mr. Lewis was an Augmenter. Despite the suit he wore, his muscular frame was hard to ignore.

  "How interesting... I'm a little surprised so many of you think I'm an Augmenter."

  "So... Are we right?" asked Ryan.

  Mr. Lewis smiled and shook his head. "Unfortunately, you're all wrong... I'm a Sorcerer."

  Gasps and whispers erupted across the room. Everyone but Thomas and Arthur appeared astonished by this revelation. Just then, the school bell rang, signaling the end of the period.

  "Ah... It seems our time is up. That's too bad..."

  With a quick nod, Mr. Lewis bid us farewell before stepping out of the classroom. The chatter resumed almost immediately. Everyone seemed eager to talk about the shocking turn of events.

  "How in the world is he a Sorcerer?"

  "Yeah, I know! Isn't it crazy? He's built like a tank..."

  "Ugh... I was sure his large frame was a dead giveaway."

  From the sound of it, everyone seemed to be thinking the same thing. They were having a hard time believing that our teacher was a Sorcerer.

  Hmm... Is it really that hard to believe he's a Sorcerer?

  I mean, sure, he has some muscle on him... But I wouldn't go so far as to say he's built like a tank.

  Glancing at the clock, I realized it was almost time for gym class. I quickly gathered my things and headed into the hallway.

  ━━━━━━━━┛ ? ┗━━━━━━━━

  Before I knew it, the day was over, and I headed back to the classroom for the class meeting. We had all agreed to meet after school to form study groups for the upcoming test.

  "Alright... Is everyone here?" Violet asked as she walked to the front of the class.

  "Um... Arthur isn't here," said a girl with brownish-pinkish hair. I recognized her face. She was one of the last five girls to drop out of the Beep test yesterday. If I recalled correctly, her name was Amy.

  "Well then, has anyone seen him?"

  "The last time I saw him, we were in the change room," Robert replied. "Now that I think about it, he looked like he was in a rush..."

  "Well, that's because he was going on a date," said Elijah. "By now, he should be at the mall."

  Murmurs and gasps erupted around the room. It seemed most of the class was surprised by the news.

  Violet let out a sigh. "Maybe he forgot we were supposed to meet after school today... I'll make a note to remind him next time the class is having a meeting."

  "I wouldn't bother if I were you," Ryan snapped. "That bastard didn't forget. I tried to convince him to come, but he seemed more worried about his date than the test."

  "Oh, I see... If that's the case, we'll have to proceed without him."

  Violet pulled out a sheet of paper from her bag and began drawing a chart on the whiteboard. The chart was divided into two sections. On one side, she wrote "Students with Averages Over B," and on the other, "Students with Lower Averages."

  One by one, Violet wrote out the names of every student in our class. As she finished, she placed the marker down and faced us.

  "As you can all see, I've divided the class into two sections. Students with high averages and students with lower averages. My original plan was to form one-on-one study groups to produce the best results possible. Regrettably, since there is an uneven number of students in our class, that won't be possible."

  Elijah raised his hand. "Wait a second... Since Arthur isn't participating, don't we have an even number now?"

  Violet shook her head. "While that may be true, there's another problem. That only works if half of the remaining students have high averages. Unfortunately, there are more students with lower averages."

  Violet gave Robert a nod, prompting him to stand up and address the class.

  "Using the Rank Portal app, we were able to determine that there are ten students with averages over B and fourteen with lower averages. This means we'll have to form four groups of three... I realize it's not ideal, but it's the best solution we have. I've already volunteered to be one of the leaders for the groups of three."

  "I've also decided to be in one of the groups," announced Violet. "We need two more volunteers from students with high averages."

  "Oh, um... I'd be glad to help," voiced Haruna.

  A couple of boys quickly perked up in their seats when they heard the sudden news. Maybe it was just me, but it felt like she was getting more popular every day.

  "Thank you, Haruna. We appreciate your help," Violet said with a smile. "Now we just need one more volunteer."

  Silence fell over the room. The remaining students with high averages exchanged reluctant glances. I couldn't blame them. Tutoring two students at once wasn't anyone's idea of fun.

  "Sigh... I'll do it," Nicole suddenly said.

  "Thank you so much! I knew I could count on you!" Violet exclaimed.

  I blinked a few times to make sure I wasn't dreaming. Never in a million years did I think I'd see her step up like that.

  How strange... What in the world made her want to help? Was it Violet?

  The meeting was momentarily paused as Violet and Robert retreated to the corner of the room to discuss something. By the looks of it, it was something important.

  After about a minute or two, Robert walked to the front of the class and held up a tissue box for everyone to see.

  "Violet and I have assigned letters to each of the ten students with the highest averages... I'll be going around with this tissue box. It is full of papers that have letters written on them. The letter you pick out determines which group you are in. Are there any questions?"

  "..."

  "Good."

  Without another word, Robert began making his rounds. I couldn't help but notice how nervous some of the boys seemed when they reached into the box. If I had to guess, I would guess that most of them probably wanted to be matched with either Violet or Haruna.

  Hmm... I wonder who I'll end up with.

  When my turn came, I reached into the box and took out a piece of paper. I waited for about ten seconds before unfolding it.

  Group D.

  I glanced at the board and saw that my group leader was none other than Nicole. I let out a sigh. My luck was proving to be as bad as ever.

  Robert continued making his rounds, and soon everyone had their group assignments. The classroom buzzed with new energy as students began to gather with their assigned leaders.

  "Out of all the choices, you just had to pick D, huh?" Nicole said as she glanced at my paper. She looked just as displeased as ever.

  "I think the universe wants us to be friends."

  "Hmm... I'll be the judge of that."

  No matter what I said or did, the bottom line would always be that she simply didn't like me. There was no way around it, and I had to accept that harsh reality.

  "Um... By any chance, are you Nicole?"

  I turned my head and saw Zach standing a few feet away from us. The poor boy was covered in sweat. He looked just as nervous as I did the first time I spoke to Nicole.

  "Depends on who's asking," Nicole said as she shot him a glare.

  Zach took out a piece of paper from his pocket with the letter "D" written on it.

  "I think I'm in your group."

  "Well then... In that case, I am Nicole."

  Zach bowed his head slightly. "Nice to meet you, Nicole. I'm Zach."

  "There's no need for introductions," Nicole said, waving her hand dismissively. "I already know who you are."

  "Oh, okay..."

  As he fidgeted with his fingers, Zach seemed to notice me for the first time. "Oh. Uh. You must be the other person in this group... Unfortunately, I can't seem to recall your name."

  "I'm James," I said, trying to sound friendly.

  "Well, I hope we get along, James," Zach said with a tentative smile.

  "Likewise," I responded, glancing back at Nicole when I heard her mutter something under her breath. I couldn't make out what she said, but it wouldn't surprise me if she was mocking us.

  Nicole tore two pieces of paper from her notebook and handed one to each of us. I glanced down at mine and saw her phone number written on it.

  "Starting tomorrow, I'll dedicate two hours every day until the day of the test," she announced. "On weekdays, we'll meet in the evenings. If any of you prefer to study on the weekends as well, I'm available from 8 to 9 AM. Any questions?"

  Zach and I both shook our heads, neither of us wanting to prolong the conversation.

  "Good... For our first session tomorrow, I'll be assessing your strengths and weaknesses to get a better understanding of where you both stand. Once I do that, I can establish a plan of action to improve your weaknesses. Any questions or concerns?"

  "Uh... to be honest, I don't think I have any particular strengths," Zach admitted. "My grades have always been pretty bad across the board."

  Nicole rolled her eyes. "That's fine. We'll figure something out tomorrow once I assess you... I'm not expecting much from you anyway."

  "Oh... okay..." Zach mumbled, looking even more distraught.

  "For the record, I'm not expecting much from you either," Nicole added as she shot me a glare.

  I rolled my eyes. "My grades aren't that bad, you know."

  "Anything that isn't an A is bad."

  "You know, not everyone has the same standards as you, right?"

  "Well, that's a given... Ordinary people have never been capable of living up to my standards."

  Before I could even come up with a response, Nicole grabbed her bag and stood up from her seat.

  "I need both of you to text me your names later today so I can make a group chat. Oh, and if any of you give out my number, I'll end your existence."

  With that, she turned on her heels and strode out of the classroom, leaving us in stunned silence.

  Zach let out a long breath. "Oh, man... she's super scary."

  "Yeah... she's something, alright."

  I sighed, feeling the weight of the coming week settling on my shoulders.