Falling into a dreamless sleep, Alex rested wonderfully for an hour and a half before slowly stirring back to consciousness. Though still groggy, he felt refreshed as his eyes adjusted to the infirmary's dim lighting. He remained in bed for another ten minutes, letting his mind drift through idle thoughts as the last traces of his headache faded away.
'I guess I should head to class,' he decided, finally feeling clear-headed enough to move. Rising from the bed, he retrieved his clothes from the nearby counter and changed quickly, smoothing out the wrinkles in his uniform. As he made his way toward the infirmary exit, he spotted Nurse Wendy at her desk.
"I see you're feeling better, Alex," Wendy observed with a warm smile.
"Yes, I am. Thank you for suggesting the nap - it was exactly what I needed," Alex replied gratefully.
"Of course, that's my job," she responded, genuine satisfaction lighting up her features at seeing her patient recovered. Her professional pride showed clearly in her expression as she watched him head off to class with renewed energy.
Walking into Piano 101, Alex tried to slip in unnoticed. He peered through the doorway, observing his classmates at their pianos while Miss Donna supervised their practice. Moving with careful steps, he made his way to his usual spot beside Han.
"Yo dude, you good?" Han whispered, surprise coloring his features. "Wasn't expecting you back after seeing you knocked out earlier."
"Yeah, I'm fine," Alex assured him. "Just needed a nap. What did I miss?"
"We're just practicing last week's homework," Han explained with a slight shrug. "You know, hot cross buns."
"Good thing you helped me with that then," Alex replied, feeling relieved.
"Don't worry," Han grinned. "It's just hot cross buns - you'll be fine."
As they watched their classmates demonstrate their homework on the piano, Miss Donna's voice rang out: "Alex, your turn."
Alex startled, not expecting her to acknowledge his presence so quickly. Before he could explain his tardiness, Miss Donna cut him off with a knowing smile.
"Don't look so surprised - I noticed the moment you walked in," she said. "Come show us what you've prepared, unless you spent all your practice time napping in the infirmary?" Her tone carried a gentle teasing note.
"Oh no, teacher, I practiced diligently," Alex stammered, his voice carrying a slight tremor of anxiety.
"Relax," Miss Donna laughed warmly. "I'm only teasing. You're much too tense - music requires a certain looseness of spirit." She gestured toward the piano with an encouraging smile. "Take your time and remember your lessons. Let the melody flow naturally."
Settling onto the piano bench, Alex stared at the keys spread before him like an ivory battlefield. He swallowed hard, his throat suddenly dry. 'You can do this,' he reminded himself. 'Just like practicing with Han. Nothing different.'
Placing his hands on the cool keys, Alex took a steadying breath before beginning the simple melody of "Hot Cross Buns." His fingers moved with careful precision as he focused intently on each note, keeping perfect time with the metronome's steady rhythm. The familiar tune filled the room, each note ringing clear and true despite his nervousness.
As the final notes faded away, Alex wiped beads of sweat from his forehead, his heart still racing. 'I did it,' he thought with quiet amazement. 'I really did it.' Relief and pride mingled in his chest as he realized he'd successfully performed his first piece in front of the class.
"Very good, Alex. That was a fine performance," Miss Donna beamed. "I'm truly proud of your progress since last week." She gestured toward his seat, adding, "You can return now - and since you're our last performer, we'll move on to today's lesson."
"Thank you, Professor," Alex replied, relief evident in his voice.
Miss Donna turned to address the entire class, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. "Now that we've mastered 'Hot Cross Buns,' we're ready to tackle something more challenging - 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.'" Her fingers ghosted over the piano keys as she spoke. "This piece holds special significance in our craft. The melody's connection to celestial magic makes it particularly potent for enhancing star-based spells."
She demonstrated the tune with delicate precision, each note ringing clear and pure through the classroom. "Notice how the melody rises and falls like starlight," she explained, playing the first line again. "Each note corresponds to a different celestial body in our magical theory. When played correctly, it can actually enhance your ability to channel celestial mana."
The class watched in rapt attention as she broke down the song's structure, explaining how its simple rhythm masked deeper magical complexities. Alex found himself unconsciously leaning forward, fascinated by how something as innocent as a children's lullaby could hold such mystical significance.
"Now, understand that I don't expect mastery by next week," Miss Donna explained, her melodic voice carrying through the classroom. "But I do want to see the same dedication you've shown with 'Hot Cross Buns.'" Her fingers traced delicate patterns in the air as she spoke, as if conducting an invisible orchestra. "While our previous piece focused purely on technique, 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star' opens doors to magical application."
She paused, letting her gaze sweep across the attentive faces before her. "We'll dedicate significant time to learning how to infuse your mana into each note, enhancing their magical properties." Her eyes sparkled with enthusiasm as she continued, "But that's for our next session. For now, focus on mastering the basic melody. Once you've got that down, we'll move on to mana infusion techniques in the following week."
Clasping her hands together, Miss Donna offered an encouraging smile. "Does that sound reasonable to everyone?" The question hung in the air like a musical note seeking its resolution, her warm expression inviting their response.
Seeing no questions raised from her attentive students, Miss Donna drew the class to a close with a graceful nod. "You're all dismissed," she announced, her voice carrying its characteristic musical warmth. The gentle finality in her tone released them to continue with their day, her watching eyes holding the same thoughtful gleam that had guided them through their musical lessons.
After class concluded, Alex and Han made their way to the dining hall, their footsteps echoing through the academy's corridors.
"You sure you're really okay?" Han pressed, concern threading through his words.
"Bro, I'm telling you, I'm fine," Alex insisted with a hint of exasperation.
"Whatever you say, man. Just checking - that hit looked brutal. His arms might as well be forged from steel."
"Yeah, I definitely felt that," Alex chuckled, rubbing his shoulder at the memory. "When he reinforces his mana, it's like hitting a fortress."
"Still, you held your own impressively," Han observed. "Especially against Marcus's reinforcement technique - he's got some of the strongest mana control in our class."
Alex scratched the back of his head, embarrassed by the praise. "Don't flatter me. Besides, your fight was something else - the way you baited Michael into that trap was brilliant."
"Now who's flattering whom?" Han laughed. "Without your strategic advice, I might've been in trouble. It was definitely a team effort."
"Maybe, but I can't scream like a rock star and knock someone out cold - that's all you."
"Band member," Han corrected with a grin. "And that's just my bloodline doing its thing, you know?"
"Yeah, but it's knowing when to use it that matters," Alex pointed out, genuine admiration in his voice.
"Bro, we could argue about this all day," Han conceded with a grin. "Let's just say we both did well. I mean, you went toe-to-toe with someone in the top ten - that's no small feat, you know what I'm saying?"
"Fair enough," Alex replied, raising his hands in mock surrender, willing to let Han have this round of their friendly debate. The back-and-forth had carried them through the academy's winding corridors, their footsteps echoing against ancient stones until they finally reached the dining hall's grand entrance.
Through the towering doorway, they spotted their friends already gathered at their usual table - Max and Randy seated across from each other, with Elizabeth maintaining her ever-present vigil at Randy's side. As well as Vincent next to Max where they seem to be talking loudly about what happen in class. The familiar sight of their small group offered a welcome respite from the day's intense training sessions, promising the comfort of friendly faces and shared experiences.