As I sit in front of a screen with a group of teachers, I wonder what could have happened to Jennis. He never returned to class.

One of the teachers calls me multiple times before getting my attention. I look up at the teacher. “Good, Miss Allandis. Have you decided on the path you will take?”

“Jack of all trades, master of all,” I answer immediately.

“That won’t do. Every mage needs a main and a subclass. It’s impossible to do everything by yourself. Now, as it appears your mind was elsewhere, let me explain again. You have to choose one of the four main jobs, which will determine what you do during a crisis such as war. Your subclass will determine which direction you will go in after you graduate.”

As he pauses to catch his breath, I raise my hand. “Mage Natasha Broffenberg graduated as a Jack. Why can’t I?”

“Mage Broffenberg started as a Researcher, subclass Special Adaptor Mage. She only became a Jack after she took a few courses particular to Tier Mages, but she is still officially a 2, 3-4 Mage.”

“So then I can do the same?”

“Well…” The teacher hesitates, his eyes turning to the others. No doubt they used some sort of spell to share their thoughts with each other.

“Since Mage Broffenberg became a Jack, why have you not established a curriculum for people with high scores in all fields? A 1-2-3-4 mage, subclass Jack.”

The door opens and I turn around in my chair to see a man of tall stature walk in. It would be an understatement to say he’s handsome. “How about we establish one now? There has never been another quite as good as Tasha, so there has never been a need to establish it.”

“Sir Price Manilla.” The only person who would dare refer to Teacher Broffenberg by nickname is this man.

“P-p-principal!” The other teachers stand and bow.

“Save your pleasantries.” Price narrows his eyes at me. “Miss Nova Allandis, come with me. The rest of you, create a curriculum for a Jack after everyone has chosen a job and subclass.”

“Yes sir!”

The man leaves the room and I follow him, and it’s not before I exit the door that I hear sighs of relief and plops, probably the teachers slumping back into their chairs.

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I follow the man down the hallway and through a side door, down another hallway, up a staircase and into another room. We don’t meet anyone along the way, but the route seems to be unused despite the squeaky clean floors. After all, who would enter the door of a hallway just to go to another hallway and then up a staircase when going upstairs can be achieved with the main stairwell? The way this man is leading, it’s as if he mapped out the route of a maze and is following an obscure path to the end.

Eventually, we end up in a room with a desk in one corner and a coffee table in the middle of the room, and he gestures for me to sit on a couch similar to the ones in my father’s study. I take his offer and relax onto the couch as he sits across from me. A tea set sits on the table between us. “Welcome to one of my offices,” he says. “This is the quietest room in the school. No one except for me and Tasha comes here.”

“It would seem that way, seeing the maze we had to go through to get here.”

“This school has many secrets.”

“It would seem so. So why did you want to see me?”

He pours tea from the pot into two cups and offers me one. “I heard from Tasha that you will soon surpass her.”

I take a sip of the tea. “There’s something you want my help with.”

“You do indeed catch on quick.” Silence falls between us as his eyes dull. “One of my close associates disappeared while searching for a certain group. Search magic is not working.” Well, that flag was definitely raised.

“What group?”

“So far, we know that the group is researching demons—creating them, experimenting on them. None of the group members are known. They all use some sort of disguise to avoid capture.”

I think back to my kidnapping and the man in my memory. “Did you happen to chance upon the memory gem I gave to my father?”

He glances at me in confusion. “You created the memory gem that your father has?” I nod and he puts a hand on his chin. “No wonder she said you would surpass her soon if not already,” he murmurs, and then he shakes his head. “I have seen the contents a while ago. Your father showed only a few people, as we suspect there to be a mole, but our suspicions have yet to be confirmed.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised if there is one, even among our closest friends. If they know that gem exists, then if they did not kidnap anyone else, they know that I created it.” I sigh. What a fluke. “Do you know who has seen that gem?”

“Your father has only revealed its existence to me. He used a sketch of the man to show everyone else.”

“You’re close with my father?”

“I’m the one who told Tasha about you.” He smiles with his chin jutted out as if asking for praise and I nearly burst out laughing at his reaction.

“Have there been any other cases of kidnapping?”

His smile fades and his brows furrow. “None of them were similar to yours.”

“Then the chances are likely that they know that I remember and their spell failed. In that case, if they care, they would place someone close to me.” My thoughts turn toward Jennis. No way, right? “Otherwise, they don’t care and think they would not be caught regardless. As for your associate…” I place down the teacup. “I don’t expect they will come out unharmed. But why are you coming to me for this? Why not Teacher Broffenberg?”

I watch as his brows relax and his eyes narrow. His jaws clench visibly. “That close associate of mine who disappeared is Tasha.”