Attention, class! The voice of Helmir Saen, the new curator, was clear and sharp, like a steel blade against stone. He stood at the podium, dressed in a black and gray robe with Death symbols embroidered on the sleeves, his white hair combed back, and his cheekbones sharp as blades. His eyes were deep and faded like ashes. "Today is our introductory assembly. Get to know each other. You'll be working together for a long time."
There was a tense silence in the 52-seat room. Kalen yawned into his fist, not trying to hide his sleepiness. After yesterday's nightmare, where he had been forced to eat maggot-infested hands, he wasn't even sure if he had actually woken up.
"As you know," Saen continued, "in preparation for field marriages and magical alliances, this year, couples—boy and girl—not only live together, but also take joint tests, scrubs, and even ballroom events. Yes, with dancing. So I suggest you don't look like drowned rats."
"Fuck that," Kalen muttered, and yawned again.
Reina, sitting next to him, chuckled without turning around.
"You could at least try to look alive."
"I always look good next to your eyes," Kalen muttered.
"Quiet down, you two," Saen said without raising his voice, but everyone immediately fell silent. "Now, I'm going to read the class roster, by pairs. Yes, you're already living together, but from now on, you're also units of the same educational formation. Groups of six. So..."
The list has been read. The couples are of different ages, but mostly 14-16 years old. There are many names, including:
Kalen Lionheart - Shadow. 15 years old. Partner: Reyna Hybrid II, Light Devourer. Headman.
Arden Folt - Air. Light, noisy, with short blond hair. Partner: Mira Yellen - Water. Quiet, nervous, wears glasses.
Cinn Belvar - Fire. Tall, bold, with scarlet strands. Partner: Ellia Draym - Illusion. Smiling, evil.
Kyle Krost - Earth. Huge, slow. Partner: Lea Fine - Sound. Whispering all the time.
West Elron - Light. Too perfect, it's annoying. Partner: Xeltena Roward - Darkness. Looks like she wants to dismember you.
In total, there are 9 training groups of 6 people each. Each group is a combat unit.
"Now, the first test. Whoever can name everyone in their group in one minute gets the privilege of not carrying the training cores. Whoever doesn't gets to carry them on a tour to the magma lake and back." Saen chuckled. "That's about seven kilometers. Downhill. With heat. Good luck."
Kalen chuckled and rubbed his neck lazily.
"Fuck, I just stopped yawning."
"Move your ass," Reina was already standing, her scarlet eyes scanning the squad. "Or you'll be carrying cannonballs until you die."
"With a voice like that, you sound like a training core," he muttered.
The classroom was full. Fifty-two students. Some were scratching their heads and yawning, while others were already writing magical formulas in the air. The air was filled with the faint scent of cheap perfume, mints, and tension.
Kallen sat with his cheek propped up by his hand. His eyes were half-closed, the last dreams having drained him again, but he held on. To his right was an empty space, and to his left was Reyna. She sat with her back straight, her eyes burning like hot metal as always. She wore the standard Academy uniform, but her shirt was unbuttoned one button too many, and her cuffs were rolled up. Her hair barely concealed the rings of tattoo around her eyes, light and darkness in an eternal dance.
"You look like you just escaped from the morgue," she said without turning around.
"Yeah. Just not the official one," Kallen muttered.
"Considering that you're breathing, it's still illegal."
He didn't respond. The professor's voice overpowered their whispers:
"So! A tall man in a scarlet robe with black accents entered the classroom. "I am Helmir Saen. Your new supervisor. I teach Necromancy of the highest order, and I will also be watching you, puppies. I am not interested in your lives. I am interested in your growth. And if anyone thinks that magic is a fireworks display on a holiday, I will gladly send you to practice with the skeletons. Literally."
The group fell silent.
"Today is your orientation week. You live in pairs, boy and girl. This is important for combat pairs, ritual alliances, and to help you remember what the opposite sex looks like. Raina," he nodded at the girl, "you're the head of the class. You've been appointed by the Faculty Council. If you have any complaints, take them to them, not to me."
Reina stood up. She bowed slightly. Her movements were restrained but confident.
"There are 52 students in the class. Twenty-six pairs. If someone doesn't agree with their pair, that's their problem. The pairs don't change. You'll survive," she said curtly.
"So," Saen continued. "Today, you'll complete nine 30-minute disciplines. Listen, onlookers.
List of classes:
The theory of first-stage magic - Archmage Lokhray. A shaggy old man with hawk eyes. Kalen was lost in numbers and terms, but he already knew some things, so he listened half-heartedly.
Fiction is the transformation of matter through mental projection. It was led by a stern woman with glasses, dressed entirely in gray. Her voice was trance-like.
Ephéta is the art of directing magical currents through the body. A bald man who looks more like a monk who used to strangle bears as a child.
The basics of combat magic were taught by a former officer. Every third example ended in an explosion.
Zoomagic and summoning - an eccentric woman with a huge owl on her shoulder. Said that if someone doesn't like animals, "I'll turn you into a lizard and feed you to your own shoes."
The history of magical conflicts is an old woman who whispered that she was in a conspiracy.
Alchemy is a guy in a robe, all stained and with red eyes. "Don't sniff anything without my command."
Resistance magic is a dry, silent type. He put three people in a corner for having the wrong stance.
Pair training - practical magic in pairs. Helmir led them personally. He made the pairs hold hands and awaken each other's mana. Anyone who resisted fell.
Kalen held on. Almost.
In the ninth lesson, he was already floating. But when he touched Reina's hand, the world seemed to become empty for a moment. There were no words, no noise. Only shadow and light, connected in a closed circle. She felt it too, her gaze flickering towards him, but she remained silent.
When the lesson was over, Kalen walked past a mirror, his eyes looking like someone who hadn't slept in years. A tattoo throbbed at the back of his head.
He didn't say a word to anyone.