Lily wasn't paying attention anymore.
The teacher's voice continued somewhere in the background, words blending together into a dull stream of noise that failed to reach her. Normally, she would at least try to follow along, even if she didn't understand everything. But this time was different.
Her thoughts were stuck.
"Magic is everything."
The phrase repeated itself over and over in her mind.
At first, it had sounded vague. Almost meaningless. But the more she thought about it, the more uncomfortable it made her feel. It was like trying to grasp something just beyond reach—something that felt correct, but incomplete.
What did it even mean?
Was magic really everything?
Or was it something that connected everything?
Lily frowned slightly, her fingers tapping lightly against the desk as she tried to piece it together.
If magic was knowledge… power… everything…
Then what exactly was she doing when she cast a spell?
"Hey."
A light nudge snapped her out of it.
Lily blinked, turning her head to see Kane looking at her.
"The class is over," he said.
She looked around.
The room was already half empty.
"Oh… right."
She stood up slowly, still not fully present, grabbing her things without really thinking about it. Her mind hadn't moved on at all.
As they walked out together, Kane glanced at her.
"You've been quiet," he said. "Still thinking about earlier?"
"…Yeah."
"What part?"
Lily hesitated.
"I don't know," she admitted. "That's the problem."
Kane raised an eyebrow, but didn't press further.
"Come on," he said instead. "We've got practical magic next."
A few minutes later, the class gathered in front of a large portal set within a stone archway.
One by one, the students stepped through.
When it was Lily's turn, she felt the familiar sensation of space folding around her—like being pulled through a thin layer of reality.
Then—
She stepped out into a completely different environment.
The air was cooler.
A wide, open field stretched before her, covered in uneven grass and scattered rocks of different sizes. The ground wasn't perfectly flat, and there were signs of past damage—cracks, scorch marks, and small craters that hinted this place had seen heavy use.
It didn't feel like a classroom.
It felt like a battlefield.
Or a training ground where things could go very wrong.
Lily took a few steps forward, glancing around as more students emerged behind her.
And then she saw her.
Standing casually in the middle of the field was a woman who looked far too relaxed for the setting.
She waved the moment the last student appeared.
"Heeey, everyone!"
Her voice was bright and playful, completely at odds with the environment.
"I'm Miss Joane Mili, and I'll be teaching practical magic this year!"
She clasped her hands behind her back and leaned forward slightly.
"I hope we can all get along~"
She giggled.
Lily immediately noticed it.
That tone.
That deliberate cheerfulness.
There was something underneath it—something she couldn't quite explain. It reminded her of earlier, of the subtle hint the previous teacher had made.
For a split second, Lily felt like the teacher was looking directly at her.
She quickly looked away, pretending she hadn't noticed.
But a faint sense of embarrassment crept up anyway.
"Alright!" Miss Joane clapped her hands. "Let's start with introductions!"
One by one, the students stepped forward, stating their names and what type of magic they were best at.
Lily listened carefully this time.
Not to the names.
But to the patterns.
"I specialize in wind magic."
"I can use all four basic elements."
"Earth magic, intermediate level."
"Light magic."
"Dual element—fire and lightning."
As more students spoke, Lily began to notice something.
Most of them fell into one of two categories.
They either had:
Balanced ability, using all four basic elements to some degree Or specialized mastery, focusing deeply on one unique or advanced element
There didn't seem to be anyone… like her.
No one who used magic the way she did.
That thought lingered quietly in the back of her mind.
Eventually, the introductions ended.
Miss Joane stepped forward again.
"Good! Now that I know a bit about you…"
She raised her wand.
Without warning—
"Explosion."
A sharp blast rang out.
A rock off to the side shattered violently, fragments scattering across the ground.
Several students flinched.
Others turned immediately, eyes wide.
Miss Joane looked around, smiling.
"Alright~ who can tell me what element I used?"
A student raised his hand quickly.
"Miss, was that flame magic?"
"Hehe~ nice try!" she said, tilting her head. "But nope."
Lily narrowed her eyes slightly.
It looked like an explosion…
But something felt off.
She stayed silent.
Beside her, Kane suddenly stretched his arm up as high as he could.
"Pick me! Pick me!"
Miss Joane pointed at him.
"Yes, the black-haired boy."
"I'm Kane," he said quickly. "And I think that was neutral magic!"
There was excitement in his voice—like he had finally found something familiar.
For a moment, he looked genuinely hopeful.
Then Miss Joane slowly shook her head.
"Nope."
Just like that, the excitement disappeared.
"That," she said, "was water magic."
Silence.
Then—
"What?"
"That's impossible…"
"How does water explode?"
Miss Joane didn't interrupt.
She simply waited.
Patiently.
Until the whispers faded.
"To be exact," she began, "the spell I used is called Blistering Water."
She gestured toward the shattered rock.
"It produces boiling water. The amount depends on how much mana I use."
Some students nodded slowly.
That part made sense.
But it didn't explain the explosion.
"The important part," she continued, "is how I used it."
She pointed at the remains of the rock.
"I didn't release the water normally."
"I cast it into a small enclosed space inside the rock."
A few students leaned forward slightly.
Now they were listening.
"As more water was produced," she said, "the space became too small to contain it."
"The heat turned the water into steam."
"The pressure built up."
She paused for just a moment.
Then—
"It exploded."
Silence.
Again.
But this time, it was heavier.
Not because they understood.
But because they didn't.
Lily frowned slightly.
She almost understood.
But not quite.
There was something missing.
Slowly, she raised her hand.
Miss Joane noticed immediately.
"Yes?"
"So…" Lily hesitated. "Is it kind of like using a spell for something different than what it's meant for?"
Miss Joane tilted her head.
"Go on."
"Like… if I use a flame spell," Lily continued, "not just to burn something, but to recreate something else… like a tornado?"
There was a brief pause.
Then—
Miss Joane smiled.
"That's a good question… uh…"
"Lily."
"Right—Miss Lily."
She nodded.
"Yes. That's actually very close."
She turned slightly, addressing the entire class now.
"You're not just using the element."
"You're using what the element can do."
Her smile widened.
"And that… is what I'll be teaching you."
She raised her wand again.
This time, her movements were slower.
Deliberate.
First, a small basin of water formed in the air before settling into a shallow hole in the ground.
Then—
"Salt Block."
A chunk of white salt appeared in her hand.
With a small motion, it split apart into two separate piles of fine powder.
She placed one aside.
The other, she compressed tightly.
Then tossed it into the water.
Nothing happened.
One second.
Two seconds.
Three—
BOOM.
The water burst outward violently.
Students stumbled back slightly, startled by the delayed explosion.
Lily blinked.
She really likes explosions…
But that wasn't what mattered.
Miss Joane turned back to them.
"What I just did," she said, "is the correct way to use magic."
She let that sit for a moment.
Then continued.
"In simple terms…"
"I didn't manipulate the element."
"I manipulated its properties."
Blank stares.
Across the entire class.
Miss Joane sighed lightly.
"Alright, simpler."
She pointed at the remaining pile of salt.
"Salt isn't just one thing."
"It's made of different components."
"I separated them."
"One reacts violently with water."
"One doesn't."
She gestured toward the wet ground.
"And earlier?"
"I didn't just use water."
"I created a situation where pressure would build… until it couldn't anymore."
She smiled.
Like it was obvious.
The students didn't look convinced.
Some frowned.
Others exchanged confused glances.
A few pretended to understand.
Lily stayed quiet.
But her thoughts were moving.
Fast.
Not the element…
The properties…
Something clicked.
Faintly.
Her mind drifted back.
To a moment she hadn't thought about in a while.
When Hugo Erikson used dark magic.
When he compressed Michael.
That wasn't just darkness.
It wasn't even really visible.
He was controlling…
Space.
Lily's eyes widened slightly.
So it's not about the magic itself…
It's about what the magic affects…
Her fingers tightened slightly.
A small spark of excitement rose inside her.
Then…
That means…
There were far more possibilities than she had imagined.
For a moment, she wanted to try it immediately.
To test it.
To see if she could—
But she stopped herself.
Not yet.
Her gaze lifted toward Miss Joane.
First…
I need to understand it properly.