A Giant Room in Midka Academy
"What's your date of birth?" the young assistant asked. His voice cracked mid-sentence, betraying his outside look.
He was nervous.
The room was full of high-ranking officials, people far above his level. He desperately wanted to appear professional and mistake-free, which might've been why his voice came out too deep, too forced.
He knew the attention wasn't on him but on the woman seated in front of the panel. But he still couldn't calm down. One small mistake could cost him his future promotions or even his job.
He shifted his body slightly, pressing his right hand against his chin, and held the papers with the other as hoping it looked cool.
"21st of Serenae, Year 853."
She was calm and she looked in control of her mimics. Yet the strength behind her voice was also strong. It made the secretary snap out of his thoughts. His gaze locked onto the young woman seated across the room, resting on a simple wooden chair.
She is stunning.
Her hair -mostly pale gray- carried bright sun kissed streaks, as if someone had handpainted golden ribbons across fresh snow. It wasn't dyed. It couldn't be.
It was the kind of chaotic elegance only half-elves had.
But it was her eyes that stood out the most, "Vivid Green". Undeniably the mark of a Forest Elf. That bright hue wasn't something you could fake. In all known elven bloodlines, only those with wood elven heritage bore such a shining green color.
Another thing is she looked tall even if she was sitting down.
The assistant glanced down at the page again, only to blink in disbelief.
She is 1.85 meters?!
I'm barely 1.69...
Elves were known to be tall, lithe creatures. But this was still something else. Her elven father must've been massive. Even among her kind, this height was slightly above average and she was a half elf. Not even a pure one!
She wasn't sitting like someone trying to impress or intimidate. There was no fake confidence. No arrogance. Just an eerie, emotionless composure.
Her posture, her presence, her build; all of it showed her strength. And lastly she wore the robe of a human-mage but her aura felt more elven than humans.
The assistant forced himself to keep eye contact, though it took effort not to glance lower. Her chest strained against the fabric of her cloths—something a pure-blood elf would never possess.
Great bobas. Her human mother must've been something else.
She was the perfect blend. A beauty carved from the finest traits of both races; Strong. Smart. Talented. Mysterious. Sexy.
Unlike the assistant's shaky voice, hers had no theatrical flair. It wasn't melodic or sweet. Just pure and strong. Her tone and confidence gave it more weight than any practiced performance.
Just as the assistant prepared his next question, the higher-ranking officials in the room interrupted after reading a document on the table.
"She's already a Bearer? At twenty-eight?!"
"Gods above..."
"Isn't she the one who broke the graduation record a few years back?"
"Oh! Now I remember. They called her the prodigy half-elf, didn't they?"
Then came the voice of authority-an older man who didn't need to speak twice to silence the room.
He leaned forward and addressed the woman directly.
"Why would someone like you- I mean a Bearer-Elemental Magus go through all this just to become a teacher? Please enlighten us."
His name was Samuel, Head of the Administrative Faculty. Second only to the Headmistress when it came to all hiring decisions.
I never understood why someone gives up teaching just to go 'find themselves' in some grand journey across the world," he muttered under his breath.
"The younger generation are all brainless dreamers."
He was damn tired after all the crap he has been through today. This academic recruitment would be the last thing he'd do today. He was already sleepy.
Actually Samuel had already made up his mind about hiring this young half-elf. The remaining hours before the physical exams left little room for further interviews. And frankly, no one outside that door could outmatch what he was seeing now.
Still, he asked out of formality and curiosity why a young Bearer like her wanted to become a teacher."
A heavy silence followed but half elf didn't flinch.
Her green eyes swept across the room, steady and cold. The tension was palpable. Some in the room already knew what she'd been through, most didn't.
No smile. No greeting. No fake warmth. Then she spoke.
"I'm Vivienne Ashford. Saying this second time but I was born in 21st Serenae, Year 853.
I graduated from Midka Academy three years ago with a GPA of 3.98. If you're wondering why I didn't graduate with a perfect 4.00. All I can say is "ACM 120 - Advanced Mana Studies. That cursed class forced me to make some sacrifices."
She paused, letting the weight of her words settle. Vivienne was already showing why her GPA was 3.98 in the best school. Her way of talking was neat and impressive.
"I was already a Flora Corebound when I graduated. But as many of you probably guessed; I did chose to keep my element hidden in my final year.
Then I joined the military to avoid using Flora Magic and to take a break from everything. Served three years at the border. Looking back, it was a foolish decision. I was naive.
I admit this. Past "me" was too fu*king arrogant!"
She cursed in the middle of a job interview but it sounded so beautiful. Except the nervous secretary, nobody cared.
"But I learned a lot thanks to my wise commanders and friends. I will never forget my military service.
In the same month I finally chose to switch elements and start over, our unit was ambushed. A brutal and unforgiving assault.
While I was forcing myself to suppress my abilities; my friends, my commanders, innocent civilians from border were dying right in front of me.
I knew I shouldn't. I knew the consequences. But I used my powers. I tried it for a long time even when I knew I couldn't change anything.
Months later when there was no one I could save anymore, it was already too late. I don't know how or when I actually finished my advancement and became an Elemental Magus.
Now I stand before you—a Flora-Bearer." Her voice didn't crack. Her stare didn't waver.
"If you hire me, I won't take vacations. I won't have friends and won't rest."
She stopped talking for a few seconds and looked around the room.
"I can't afford to do these things anyways."
She stopped again. Then explained with a slightly lower voice.
"Avoiding contact with plants means staying inside the buildings as much as possible. It's not a choice but it's my only survival. I don't want to die. "
The room was dead silent.
One of the professors sighed, a woman who had once been Vivienne's instructor years ago.
"I warned you countless times to wait before aligning with an element. Just a few more months, maybe even weeks and you could synchronise with your other elements."
Her voice was stern, but her face was filled with genuine concern.
"How much can you endure now?"
Everyone in the room was now fully focused on Vivienne's hands, especially high level magicians.
A green light showed up and vanished from her pretty hands.
A Flora-Bearer.
A magician and her soul bound to such a cursed element was a rarity. Most had never seen one.
Vivienne gave her old mentor a faint, bittersweet smile.
"As long as I don't use magic or get too close to plants, I am fine. But the moment I use more than half of my mana, my emotions or memories begin to get blurry.
When I touch non-magical plants, I can sense their state, feel what they think. But..."
She paused.
"I haven't touched a magical plant yet. And I don't intend to. Not worth to take that risk. Over the past few months, I've learned to replace sleep with meditation and artificial rest spells."
"If I'm hired, I promise I'll never be a liability."
Vivienne's response left nothing out, in fact it may have revealed more than necessary.
Most of those present in the room had, at some point in their lives carried burdens or still they were bearing. The term Bearer didn't officially exist in the ranking system after all. It wasn't a class or a title. Just a name given by people to other people.
Just an old custom that didn't ease the pain but showed that you understood their struggles. A name for those who carried the weight of something they could never escape.
Pain. Empathy. Fear. Regret.
Being a Bearer wasn't just difficult. It was torture. And because the next stage of power was almost unreachable, it meant bearing that pain for a lifetime.
Some bore the curse of their aura. Others, the madness of their element. And a rare few, the torment of their bloodline.
The path of a mage or a warrior wasn't the fairytale the common folk believed it to be. It wasn't all fun and glory.
For some, there was no salvation, no change or escape. The burden would remain even if they destroyed their magic core. Even warriors couldn't undo what their bodies had become.
There was only one path left.
Suicide.
Those who reached this stage, both warriors and magicians were often crushed under the weight of their own power. Everything they had gained; longer lifespan, the title, the prestige and especially the power became their chains.
But like everything else, Bearers also had tiers. And for mages, Flora element was especially cruel.
Being a Corebound (Third stage of Magic) with Flora Element was a bliss. You could manipulate nature itself; heal, extend lifespans, cure diseases. It sounded beautiful.
When you became a fourth level magician (Bearer), you would be an Elemental Magus. But if the element that you have chosen was Flora, things were hectic. Among all elements, Flora Element sat atop the throne of suffering.
Its cost?
Humanity and Intellect. All of it!
The longer a magus used it, the more they lost their thoughts, their memories, their very identity. Until nothing remained but a shell of flesh and bark—a plant in human form.
If Vivienne, as a Flora-Bearer were to cast even one spell or touch an magic plant, she would risk losing herself partly or completely.
Vivienne's element and her situation was a paradox. Anyone tried it before cursed it and killed themselves.
Despite warnings from her teachers, despite years of experience from her elven father, she had made a fatal mistake in her youth. She was too proud and believed herself as special.
I was a damn genius, right!
She was a half-elf and was going to live an insanely long life. She was trapped with no way to ascend to fifth level. It was impossible without using her element or abilities.
To sum up, a looong and arduous life was waiting for to be her torture.
She had to bear this for centuries.
..
The conversation in the room eventually shifted. They moved past the pain, past the tragedy, and into more practical matters.
Academic qualifications.
Methodologies.
Preferred disciplines.
Job Details.
Salary.
The tension melted. Icy atmosfere turned to warmth. After a brief debate and even a few chuckles, Vivienne was assigned a class and a position.
Amid this strange mix of tension and tenderness, only one person remained frozen in discomfort: the young assistant. Still holding his papers. Still gripping his chin.
What was meant to be a five-minute formality had become a one-hour emotional storm. His hand was numb from staying in that cringy position.
Eventually everyone in the room stood up and meeting ended. The assistant let out a sigh of relief and bolted towards the door.
As Samuel shook Vivienne's hand, the door opened. Samuel's voice boomed into the hallway.
"We're leaving Class 1-S in your hands, Miss Ashford.
"Welcome aboard. And good luck."