Morning sunlight streamed through the window, spilling across Roy's face as he slept peacefully.
"Hey! Lazy, wake up!"
"Mmm… just a little more…" Roy mumbled, burying his face in the pillow.
A hand came down sharply.
Smack.
"Ow!"
"I said get up, Roy. You're going to be late again!"
Roy groaned, rubbing his reddened cheek. "Alright… alright…"
He dragged himself to the bathroom and took a cold shower, the chill finally shaking him awake. After getting dressed and checking his things for the day, he stepped outside and made his way to the cafeteria.
A few students greeted him along the way. He nodded and offered faint smiles, feeling the familiar wash of emotions swirl around him. He was getting used to it… But when too many surged at once, his head still throbbed.
After eating his fill, he headed to theory class.
The moment he entered, a wave of emotions slammed into him. His stomach twisted, his head ached—but it was more manageable than yesterday. Slowly, he forced himself to walk to a corner and sink into a chair, avoiding eye contact with anyone.
Spirits drifted closer, circling him curiously. Some tilted their heads; others hovered silently, watching.
"H-Hey…" Roy whispered, raising a timid hand.
They seemed satisfied with the greeting and drifted back slightly.
The teacher arrived, and the lesson began.
"Alright, students," the teacher said, "today's lesson is about the effects of emotions on magic. Let's use fire as an example."
He extended his arm, and a violent flame erupted in his palm—wild, unstable—before disappearing.
"You see? Every emotion can create fire, but its nature changes. Anger produces violent flames. Calmness produces weak, controlled fire. Joy… lightens it. Fear… twists it. Each feeling has its signature."
Roy's eyes widened. That's why, when I was calm, the flame was normal.
The teacher began scribbling formulas and symbols across the board. Roy tried to follow, but his head slowly grew heavy. By the time the lesson ended, hours seemed to have passed.
Walking through the hall afterward felt overwhelming. Spirits of all shapes and sizes filled the corridor—some towering, some tiny. One student passed with a massive firebird perched on his shoulder; another had a lion ablaze with flames like Gene's. Roy kept his head down, walking quietly.
Eventually, he reached the familiar room. Taking a shaky breath, he stepped inside—and vanished.
---
"Yo! Mr. Popular!"
Roy flinched and shrank back slightly.
Ethen came running toward him, waving excitedly. A bright, joyful aura spilled around him.
"Y-Yeah…?" Roy whispered.
"Dude! You gotta hear this—the best girl in the entire academy is coming today!"
Roy blinked and hesitated. "…So?"
Ethen stared. "So?! This is your chance!" He slapped Roy on the back.
"Ow—!" Roy winced and rubbed his shoulder, cheeks burning. "Why do you always do that…?"
"So! What's today's class about?"
Roy sighed softly, looking down. "I… I don't know…"
Ethen grinned. "Eh? Me neither."
Roy didn't ask more, though a dozen questions crowded his mind. He just stood quietly, observing.
After a short while, Gene arrived.
"Alright! Everyone, gather around! Lessons are about to start!"
The students formed a circle.
"Oh, and today a new student will be joining you. You might know her."
A graceful young woman stepped forward. Her blonde hair cascaded over her shoulders, soft and shiny, and her blue eyes were mesmerizing.
Roy froze. It was the second time he had seen someone so breathtaking.
Her spirit—a giant phoenix—towered over her, casting a protective shadow around her. The phoenix's gaze locked onto Roy, and slowly, it approached… then stopped midway. The girl gave him a sharp glare.
Roy flinched and looked away, his face burning.
'Crap, she probably thought that I was doing something to her spirit.'
She then gave her introduction, "Hello my name is Alice Spectre nice to meet you all"
---
Training began. Roy focused on amplifying his emotions into magic. He learned to generate larger flames by storing more feelings. His head spun, the strain almost unbearable, but he persisted.
A new sensation appeared: curiosity. It made his chest feel tight and uneasy, but he could sense its energy.
The teacher's theoretical lesson continued, but most of it drifted past him. The practical session, however, allowed him to communicate with the spirits.
Roy quietly interacted with them, careful and cautious. It was…fun.
By the end of the day, his body ached, his head throbbed-but he had taken his first steps toward mastering emotion-driven magic.