Professor Marianne waited until every student had a practice crystal resting on their desk.
The classroom had become noticeably quieter.
Even Oliver, who had spent most of orientation whispering to Ethan, was now staring suspiciously at the crystal in his palm.
"…It looks fragile."
"It is," Rowan said.
Oliver looked horrified.
"…You're joking."
"I wish I was."
Professor Marianne folded her hands behind her back. "Before any of you attempt tonight's assignment, we'll spend today's lesson learning the proper method."
She walked to the center of the room.
"If you skip the fundamentals…"
She held up another crystal. "…You'll simply waste your mana."
With a flick of her wrist, several glowing diagrams appeared in the air above the classroom.
Thin blue lines traced the outline of the human body.
Small clusters of light glowed around the chest and abdomen.
"Mana exists naturally within every living being."
"The amount differs from person to person."
"What matters most is how efficiently you guide it."
The diagrams shifted.
Blue light began flowing through invisible pathways.
Ethan leaned forward slightly.
It almost looked like veins made of light.
Lucien's memories stirred.
Mana Channels.
Every mage possessed them.
The wider and healthier the channels, the easier it became to circulate mana.
But overusing them…
Could cause temporary exhaustion or, in severe cases, permanent damage.
Professor Marianne continued.
"When beginners cast spells, they often force too much mana outward."
The glowing figure suddenly flared.
The light became unstable.
A loud crack echoed through the classroom.
The illusion shattered into tiny fragments of light.
Several students jumped.
Oliver flinched so hard his chair squeaked.
Professor Marianne smiled faintly.
"That is what not to do."
She created another illusion. This time, the flow of mana remained slow and steady.
The crystal in her hand gradually glowed with a soft blue light.
It neither brightened nor dimmed.
Perfectly stable.
"This…is control."
She allowed the crystal to shine for exactly one minute before stopping.
The glow disappeared.
The crystal remained completely intact.
"No wasted mana. No unnecessary force. Efficiency."
She placed the crystal on her desk.
"Your goal is not to impress me. It's to understand your own mana. Now."
Professor Marianne looked across the room.
"I want everyone to try."
A wave of nervous murmurs spread through the class.
"…Already?"
Oliver whispered.
"I thought this was just theory."
"So did I."
Ethan picked up his own crystal.
It felt surprisingly cool. He took a slow breath.
"Alright…Just don't explode anything."
He closed his eyes.
Lucien's memories guided him instinctively.
Mana wasn't something you could grab.
It was something you sensed.
At first…
Nothing happened.
Then…
A faint warmth gathered somewhere deep within his chest.
Gentle.
Steady.
Almost like warm water.
"Is this…?"
Very carefully…
He guided that warmth toward his hand. He opened his eyes. The crystal remained dark.
"Too little."
He added a tiny bit more.
The pale blue crystal flickered.
Then…
A faint red glow appeared instead.
Fire mana.
The light trembled slightly.
Ethan frowned.
"Steady…"
He relaxed his shoulders.
Stopped forcing it.
The trembling gradually disappeared.
The glow became smooth.
"…"
The crystal shone quietly in his palm.
No cracks.
No explosions.
"…Hey."
Rowan whispered.
"You got it."
Ethan smiled.
"So did you."
Rowan's crystal emitted a gentle green light.
Wind attribute.
A loud pop interrupted the peaceful atmosphere.
"…Oops."
Everyone turned.
Oliver stared helplessly at the pile of glittering fragments in his hands.
"My crystal…Broke."
Professor Marianne walked over.
She looked at the shattered remains.
Then at Oliver.
"Too much mana."
Oliver looked embarrassed. "I got excited."
"I noticed."
Without scolding him, she simply handed him another crystal.
"Try again."
"…Thank you."
As she walked away, Oliver leaned toward Ethan.
"I think the goal was to not shatter it."
"I figured" Oliver said rolling his eyes with a chuckle.
The rest of the lesson passed surprisingly quickly.
Professor Marianne walked between the desks, occasionally correcting someone's posture or reminding them to relax.
She never raised her voice.
Never mocked mistakes.
Instead… She encouraged every improvement, no matter how small.
By the end of the class, most students had managed to keep their crystals glowing for at least a few seconds.
Not perfect.
But enough for a first attempt.
The bell rang.
Professor Marianne clapped her hands once.
"Good work. Remember. Practice for one minute tonight. Tomorrow we'll see your results."
Students began packing their bags.
Oliver carefully tucked his second crystal into a padded pouch.
"I'm protecting this one with my life."
Rowan smiled.
"A wise decision."
As the three friends stepped into the hallway, streams of students from other departments filled the corridors.
The morning classes had ended.
Some Swordsmanship students were returning from the training fields, their uniforms dusted with dirt.
Others carried wooden practice swords over their shoulders while chatting excitedly.
Ethan instinctively looked around..
Then. There.
Near the end of the corridor.
Adrian walked beside two other Swordsmanship students.
One of them said something that made the other laugh.
To Ethan's surprise…
Adrian gave a small smile.
It was brief.
Gone almost as soon as it appeared.
But it was real.
"So he can smile…"
For some reason…
Seeing that tiny expression made Ethan feel relieved.
Adrian wasn't always alone.
He wasn't always carrying the weight of the world.
Not yet.
The original story hadn't reached that point.
As Adrian and the others disappeared around a corner, a blue notification quietly appeared.
[Main Target Status
Physical Condition: Excellent
Mental State: Stable
Story Deviation: 0.4%]
Ethan looked at the notification before smiling to himself.
"So far…So good."
The next class would begin after a short break.
"Let's hope we have the same class.."