Someone shook Jacob's shoulder. He pulled the covers up and rolled away. They shook his shoulder again.

"...It's summer vacation, mom. Let me sleep in." Jacob groaned.

"C'mon, hurry up, bud! We're gonna be late."

Blake's voice shattered Jacob's trance.

Jacob shot up out of his bed. For a moment the room swayed and the floor rocked beneath the bare soles of his feet.

His roommate was dressed in jeans and a plaid polo that hung off his skinny frame. Their eyes met and Jacob's face went red. Did I just call you mom?

"I was getting ready to leave and you were still asleep so I figured you'd slept through your alarm."

The sleepy fog was still lifting off of Jacob's brain. Alarm? He hadn't...

He hadn't set an alarm!

He jumped out of bed and threw open the cabinet and rifled through for clothes. He'd just nodded off last night. How the hell could he have forgotten to set an alarm? He was such an idiot! Now he was gonna be late on his first day! Camilla was going to kill him!

"I'll wait for you so you don't walk in on your own," Blake said.

"Thanks." Jacob managed. He threw on a junior-year outfit classic: a burgundy name-brand hoodie and black sweatpants. "I'm good. Let's go."

"Don't you need something to write on?" Blake quirked an eyebrow.

Jacob groaned and started searching through his backpack, then just slung the whole bag over his shoulder.

Blake pulled out his phone and checked it. "Well, we got one minute."

"Let's go!" Jacob cried, shooing his roommate out the door.

They booked it down the hall through the now empty, silent dormitory, down the stairs, and out into the fresh summer morning. Jacob followed Blake, but the taller boy's long legs ate up the ground lightning quick and several times Blake waited for him to catch up.

Late on the first day. He couldn't believe it. His mother's voice kept going through his head like a song on repeat: Juvenile delinquent. Juvenile delinquent.

They ran into a building that looked like a modern art museum. He remembered walking by it yesterday with Claire but he'd forgotten the name. Across the small, sparsely furnished lobby were two sets of double doors. Blake reached them first. He threw them open and they both stumbled into the room beyond.

They'd entered a huge auditorium—a huge, full, auditorium—right down at the front. Dozens of pairs of eyes were on them. For a moment they stood there in front of the entire first-year class of aspiring mages from all over North America, panting, catching their breath.

"Late night last night, gentlemen?" The professor, a young woman, asked. She was standing in front of a projector screen just a few feet to their right.

The class snickered.

"Oh, you know, the usual," Blake said. He turned and made his way up one of the aisles. Jacob followed him automatically, sweating, trying not to think about all the people staring at him.

"I know this is an early time slot, but please try not to be late for class." The professor recited dryly as if she'd said it a thousand times before.

Jacob settled into his seat next to Blake, two empty spots in front of a pair of giggling girls, and pulled out a writing pad and pen and placed them on the desk. He tried to forget that bumbling entry and glanced around at the other people in the class. There were maybe about eighty people in total. Much fewer than he'd expected.

Another thing he'd expected was a magical auditorium of some sort. Maybe a space that expanded or shrunk depending on how many students were in it, or desks and chairs that shifted to match your height or glowing orbs floating around illuminating everything. But it just seemed like a normal auditorium. Tisdale had been weird like that so far. A mix of the magical and the mundane, and Jacob hadn't gotten a handle yet on when to expect magic or just something normal.

"Since this is your first class on your first day let me formally welcome you to Tisdale Academy." The professor called out. "My name is Alia Sterling, but you can call me Ms Sterling. I was a Deputy Ranger for three years in New Orleans before coming back here to Chicago to teach. I will be your professor for this class: Magical Basics."

Jacob blinked. Ms Sterling was a pretty, petite woman with dark curly hair, a slight frown line between her brows, and full lips. She didn't look like she'd be particularly formidable in a fight.

That reminded him of Camilla, so he looked around the class for her. He'd wanted to sit near her, but the whole fiasco of being late had made him totally forget. He couldn't see her. Was she not here? For some reason, the thought made him anxious.

He spotted her halfway across the room, sitting next to an Asian girl he would have labeled as a 'popular rich girl' back in high school. He blew a breath out. After class, he had to go up to her and get her phone number. He'd realized after going home the day of the fight with the rogue mage that he had no way of communicating with her. He didn't need it for anything weird, just to stay in touch with her.

"New Orleans is a tough posting, isn't it?" One of the girls behind Jacob and Blake whispered to her partner.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"I don't know," said the other. "I just want to get posted in a city. If I end up in rural Idaho or somewhere I think I'll let a magical creature kill me."

Ms Sterling continued. "This is my fifth year teaching this course. In those years I have seen it all. Students who think they are too talented for this course, students who can barely define the three types of magic. The students that show up to class, on time, take notes, and do the assigned readings, are the ones that always succeed. You are all enrolled in the same five classes this term. Magical Basics, Intro to Magical History, and a Basics course for each of the three types of magic. In this course, we will be doing a general overview of the magical world, magical society, and magical laws.

"Now, before-"

A knock sounded at one of the double doors.

Ms Sterling let out a very audible sigh. "More. Latecomers."

The girls behind Jacob giggled again. His face grew hot.

This time, however, no one entered. Ms Sterling frowned, then went over to the door and opened it. She talked to someone outside, then stepped back in and beckoned to the door. A student in a black hoodie and scuffed black trousers covered with utility pockets shuffled in. His jagged hair fell down across his face, covering one eye. He stopped and surveyed the room, his single visible eye disinterested.

"Forgive me, students, I almost forgot." Ms Sterling addressed the class. "This is our transfer student, um... Yoshihiro Tanaka. Yoshihiro has come all the way from the Regulation Academy in Kyoto, Japan. Find a seat, Yoshihiro, we're just getting started."

The transfer student shuffled his way up the opposite aisle and sat down in the back corner of the auditorium.

Blake nudged him. "You hear about him?"

Jacob shook his head. "What?"

"They're saying he fought a Deputy who came to take him to the Academy in Japan. But get this: This kid beat the Deputy. Apparently the Japanese Order just about lost it. Won't even touch him, let alone train him now. Hence the 'transfer' student."

Jacob glanced back at where Yoshihiro slouched in the corner. The transfer student was looking right at him. Jacob whirled back around and swallowed. What a weirdo!

"Alright, students! As part of this class, I am instructed to tell you how school here at Tisdale Academy is structured." Ms Sterling said.

The projector screen flipped on.

"Tisdale Academy's goal is to educate and train students so that they can become the best Rangers in the world. This summer is Semester 1, where you will be building a general foundation and understanding of magic, along with broad-spectrum casting abilities. Next September students will return for Semester 2, which is a full year. After Semester 2, students will have the option to take the Intern Exam, which, if passed, will let students intern with a Ranger. Students are only eligible for this exam if their marks are high enough. I cannot stress this enough. Candidacy for the Intern Exam is based on Semester Scores for each student! Yes, that means Semester 1 as well! A Semester Score is an amalgamation of their marks in each class that semester and their performance in the Tisdale Tournament."

Whispers broke out amongst the students.

Blake nudged Jacob. "Told ya. Didn't know they counted it towards our overall performance, though."

The projector screen flipped to a slide showing a whole lot of percents:

Intern Exam Eligibility Score (IEES): Semester 2 Score 70%

Semester 1 Score 20%

Strength Chart 10%

Semester 1 Score: Magical Basics 12.5%

Intro to Magic History 7.5%

Production Basics 20%

Consumption Basics 20%

Decomposition Basics 20%

Tisdale Tournament 20%

Chatter broke out amongst the students.

Jacob scanned over the numbers. He wondered when they'd be testing their magical signature and Strength Chart. He'd been aching to find out ever since Mr D'Angelo had baited him last week.

"Quiet!" Ms Sterling bellowed. "This class, Magical Basics, will involve a Midterm for 30%, a Final Exam for 50%, and three assignments throughout the term for 20%. Our first assignment will be in week three, and the Midterm will be in week ten. I will let your other professors break down their courses for you."

Jacob did some quick math. Christ, they were going actually start deciding their eligibility for the Intern Exam within the next few weeks. The Midterm would make up a noticeable percentage of that eligibility score. The idea scared him. Being a Ranger, even writing the exam for interning with one, seemed so far away, but they'd start deciding where they'd end up in a few weeks. He barely knew anything about magic!

"As you can all see, the Tisdale Tournament makes up 20% of your grade for this semester. The tournament will once again be streamed this year to mages around the world. You'll need to sign the media consent form and have it to me by the next class in order to participate. It's on the course page under the Syllabus section. It is the largest magical event of the year. As such, not only is the tournament for your grade, but it is an opportunity without equal to show your strength and skill to the Rangers of the world and make connections, both of which can lead to internships and postings down the line. I suggest you all start preparing immediately."

"They stream it?" Jacob whispered.

Blake nodded vigorously. "I've watched it every year since I can remember. Our whole family does. I keep forgetting you're not from a magical family. It's crazy."

Fighting some other student in front of thousands of people? That sounded terrifying. All those people watching. Jacob shuddered. He'd been looking forward to the tournament. But then again, what had he expected?

"As you can all see here, your Strength Charts make up a significant portion of your IEES. They are also the major factor the faculty and I will be considering when making the seeding for the tournament bracket, along with the written tournament ranking test you will be taking next week. I am sure you are all excited to find out your Strength Chart and your magical signature."

The auditorium filled with whispers, and Ms Sterling folded her arms and waited patiently for it to die down.

"Whether you've had it tested before, have certain strengths in your genealogy, have demonstrated affinities for certain magics, think you know what colour your signature will be and what your specific strengths are doesn't matter. Each and every one of you will be tested officially by the Academy. Today."

The class burst into excited chatter.

Jacob's eyes widened. He'd demonstrated an affinity for Consumption magic, but what about the other types? Would he be a better Producer, like Camilla? Is that what he wanted to be? Sheriff Hueller had been a good Decomposition mage, which had let him make portals. Which would be the best for studying the magical world? Consumption to be able to be stronger and quicker? Or maybe Decomposition, which would let him be able to affect the habitats around him.

"Pretty exciting, huh?" Blake nudged him.

"Oh yeah."

"You got any idea what you are?"

"I've done some Consumption magic, so I might be decent at that. What about you?"

"Both my parents' strongest type is Production. That's probably what mine will be too."

"Quiet!" Ms Sterling yelled. "Gather up your things and bring them with you. You will follow me in an orderly fashion to the testing sites. Once you have been tested you will have the rest of the day off for orientation week activities. However! On the class page, there are readings I have assigned that we will be discussing next class. Any questions?"

Everyone seemed too excited to go and get tested. Jacob couldn't stop himself from smiling as he gathered up his backpack.

"Very good. Now, follow me."