I walk to the medical station with an awkward smile still plastered on my face.

I won. I won! Sure it was mostly dumb luck and the idiocy of the blonde bitch, but it's still a win. Not to mention, I get placed in the best class too! Despite my earlier worries, I might be on the right track here.

I'm walking to the medical station when the White Wing over there flashes me a smile of her own. Feeling a little bit self-conscious, I resolve to just look at my feet.

Yes. My feet look especially interesting today. Damn, I must've looked foolish.

I hear giggling and take that as my cue to look up.

The medical station isn't anything special. It's just a small rectangular tablet with an array of medical supplies.

"Let me take a look at your injuries" I hear. I look at the source of the soothing voice, and I'm face to face with the White Wing at the station. There was an older White Wing behind her, but the younger one in front of me caught my attention.

White Wings are Raekoft's magical healers. They have many medical centres around Raekoft, with a primary base of operations in Halsana. Mostly contrived of light magic users due to light magic's healing properties, they also take in fire magic users for stuff like cauterisation and mind magic users for patient sanity.

The White Wing I'm locking eyes with is undoubtedly a comforting sight. The right side of her head is shaved with most her short hair over on the left side. Her hair is a dull silver colour with black tips, and her pupils have a dark red hue which immediately tells me she's a light magic-user.

Light magic users have very odd eyes colours. They range from red to blue or even purple. Nobody knows why, but it happens to some users.

Dark magic also can affect people's eyes.

Though, I can say with absolute certainty that completely black eyes are fucking creepy.

"Are you just going to stare at me all day? Gimme your arms" the White Wing says with a smile. I blush a little at her comment. This girl had a specific aura to her that was, comforting in a sense. In pulled me close despite all the other wonderful ladies I've witnessed thus far. I mean, I stared into her eyes without hesitation just a few moments ago.

I move my arms up onto the table but wince after feeling a sharp pain in my left arm.

There goes the 'looking cool' plan.

"Okay...let me get a closer look..." she mumbles. Her palms glow with light magic as she gently caresses my arm. I'm honestly just fascinated at this point. I know what she's doing is looking at the structure of my arms and trying to find anything wrong with them. How she registers all that information and comes up with solutions is beyond me. How she even manages to find anything wrong just by using her soft hands to slowly and methodically caress my arms as she presses down on injured areas with delicate fingers.

Ahem

She will do this to everyone.

I look up from my arms to...just to look at anything else when I spot the red band around her right arm. White Wings generally wear a cream coloured uniform with little pockets around at waist and shoulders to hold medical supplies. They sport a black belt and boots with the White Wing symbol of two angelic wings crisscrossed on the right shoulder. A red band over the logo means that she's a trainee White Wing. That also means she's probably around my age.

Maybe I should ask her about it. I turn to look at her, but she's still focused on my arms. Her face is a look of utter calmness. Her hair is covering a part of her face due to her leaning forward and a she seems to have applied a light purple eye shadow which compliments her long eyelashes very well.

I'm staring again.

Her eyes suddenly snap open which shocks me enough that the muscles in my arms tense up. I wince again.

"Oh, sorry! Did I do something wrong?" She exclaims while looking at me with eyes filled with worry.

"That's not something you should be asking me, Ms White Wing. I'm fine by the way." I reply with an awkward laugh.

"Okay, Ritz. Let me fix you up. I'm Emmi by the way. You can call me Em if Emmi is too long for you."

Mission Accomplished. Name Obtained. Self-Respect Increased.

Emmi grips my arms and closes her eyes again. I feel the light energy flowing through my arms as a gentle warmth encompasses my entire body. I think all the small cuts and bruises around my body close and the burn in my arm feels less and less painful. I slowly close my own eyes to just live in the moment. To fully experience the comfort it was providing. It was like lying in a soft bed with cool temperatures and warm, dry clothing. You just never want to leave it. When Emmi opens her eyes, an audible "Woah" escapes my lips as I realise how much better and more relaxed I feel.

Light magic healing is rare and poorer townspeople barely ever get to experience it.

I open my eyes and is surprised to see a smiling Emmi with a little bit of colour in her cheeks.

"Thanks" she mumbles, just barely loud enough for me to hear, while fidgeting a tiny bit.

I must be hallucinating. I'm starting to blush a bit too.

"Umm...Thanks for the heal—" I start, but Emmi grabs a roll of bandage and wraps it around my left arm. I open my mouth again, but she just cuts off the bandage on my left arm, leans in closer and wraps more around my head.

"I think that headbutt did more damage to you than to him," she says.

She's so close that I can feel her breath on my face.

Now I'm blushing.

I've been to a healer for similar things before, but they've never been the same age as me.

Once Emmi was done, she leans back and gifts me with a wide smile.

"There! Expect your wounds to be fully healed in a few days."

"Yeah. Thanks." I awkwardly say with a smile while rubbing the back of my neck.

I look to my left and see Leon snap his head back from the White Wing trainee applying his bandages and immediately walk up the stairs to his seat.

He's still sulking too.

"I should probably go. Good luck Emmi" I say with a mustered up smile.

Emmi gives a curt nod and mouths the word "bye" while giving a small wave. I notice the older White Wing glaring at me, so I do the most civilised thing and give him a grin. A most civilised scoff was his reply.

I'm walking up the stairs now, and I'm on cloud nine. I won a fight against a bully, and my injuries got treated by a cute girl. I walk back to my seat while being pierced by the gazes of the other First-Years. Malik gives a small smirk as I sit down.

" You seem happy" he whispers.

" Well, it was an unexpected outcome" I reply.

"Yes, it was," Malik whispers with a smile playing on his lips. It seems practised, but I think nothing of it. I expected it as much.

"ALRIGHT!"

A thundering scream from the upper stands does its job and captures my attention.

"Let's move on, shall we? Next up, Lish Joel and Kellen Armos" echoes Liken's voice throughout the arena.

I nearly jumped out of my seat. Malik was breathing heavier too. My head snaps to Liken only to see that he barely moved.

He's just showing off now. Didn't know he was-

He's looking at me. Why is he looking at me? Am I in trouble?

The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

"Are you, Mr Dravus?"

...

"No, Sir?"

... I'm sorry

"Apology accepted. Lish, Kellen, you may begin"

Mind readers are- just the coolest.

A glance from Mr Liken is all I get to confirm my safety. His eyes go back to the two students now fighting. I should probably do the same.

Lish is a light magic user here and has formed solid ropes of light. He seems to be trying to keep Kellen at a distance with Kellen occasionally sending jets of air towards Lish.

List expertly manoeuvres his light ropes, twisting and turning a professional dancer. He's someone of adequate skill. Light ropes are basic shapes for light magic, but he's smart in using the ropes to manipulate Kellen's movement. Kellen would move in to send a strong jet of wind, but Lish would snap his rope forward, forcing Kellen to retreat. Kellen is doing a sideways chopping movement now which sends a gust of wind that knocks Lish down. Kellen bends his knees and shouts "Long Jump!" which causes strong gusts of wind which launch him straight at Lish.

Lish expertly twirls to attention and thrusts his arms towards Kellen.

"Constrict!" he yells as the light ropes obey by wrapping around Kellen. Lish's muscles are bulging from under his uniform as he uses his strength to slam Kellen to the ground. With a flick of his long, lustrous red hair, Lish knows the fight is over. He had won.

"You seem excited."

Looking at nobles beat the crap out of each other for their idiotic values are always entertaining, if not hilarious. I turn to Malik and smile. "Of course, I'm excited. Did you see Kellen? He got the wind knocked out of him."

Malik Yauler, the Second Prince of Raekoft, Son of Eric Yauler the Conqueror and future ruler of my country frowned so profoundly that I thought and fully believed that I committed treason. I might as well have.

"I'm sorry, Malik."

"You are pardoned, Ritz Dravus of Carder."

Shit, I did commit treason.

"Wonderful fight boys" Arduan Liken exclaims which, thankfully, returns both of our attention to him.

"Alright, Lish Joel will be placed in class 1-C, and Kellen Armos will be placed in class 1-E."

Huh?

"Ooh, it must be rough for Kellen. Being the first person placed in the worst class" Malik says with a hint of sympathy in his voice as Lish and Kellen walk to the medical stations with disappointed looks on their faces.

I am...just fucking speechless.

1-C? I though Lish was worth so much more than that! I thought he would be in 1-A with me but apparently not? How high is the skill level here? How the fuck am I  near the top.

"Next up, let's do a fun one! Malik Yauler and Kris Tylas"

Malik turns to me and gives me a pat on the back.

"Wish me luck."

"I doubt you need it" I reply

The students present roar in applause for the second prince.

Now, I'm curious. The prince should objectively be the strongest First-Year. No doubt. The Yauler Family is the very epitome of powerful mages.

However, he is also a teen. He is a year younger than me, and he is about average height. Yes, he had a sturdy build, and his muscles were very toned. But, Kris Tylas was monstrous.

He was easily about 1.9 metres tall and had big, bulging muscles from head to toe. His uniform looked incredibly tight on him like it was about to rip apart just from his walking. He flashes a toothy grin which emphasises his tanned skin and jet black hair. I shift my eyes to look at Malik, and he was, obviously already smirking. He's wearing a face that resembles nothing of fear and only exudes confidence and power.

"Alright. You may begin"

Kris Tylas lifts his arms and shouts "Spike Arrows!" which causes small spikes of concrete to be torn off the arena floor. A small gesture from Kris and the spikes start levitating in front of him Okay, Kris is an earth magic-user. How will Malik respond?

Kris thrusts his arms forward, but the spikes shatter on Malik's air barrier.

Malik's air barrier?

Did he say anything? I don't remember him saying anything. He didn't give a command; he just...did it.

Leon was very skilled since he knew how to mould his magic into a precise shape. But, it still took a three-word command that had four syllables. In an actual combat situation, he would probably be dead before he finished the command, let alone if he could articulate it properly.

Malik is leagues ahead of Leon. He managed to create a strong air barrier that could shatter and repel concrete without any sort of command whatsoever. Sure, it was a basic spell but, it was a strong defensive move and had, to my knowledge, zero prep time—this level of control in magic nearly unheard of in someone this young. In an actual combat situation, not only will that save his life, but it would repel any enemies that are too close, and he could use its wide diameter to protect others. It's perfect.

Kris, now realising his predicament, starts sending more spikes towards Malik. His face twists into all the different types of fear and anguish and the spikes do jack shit to Malik's air barrier.

Malik casually stuffs his left hand into his pants pocket and lift his right hand. He twists his right-hand shouts the word "Spiral". The air barrier changes shape, from a large sphere surrounding him to a spiral of strong wind, like a tornado with Malik in the centre.

Kris doesn't stop his bombardment of spikes, but the spikes keep getting redirected in the tornado. Malik slowly lifts his arms and the direction of the wind tunnel shifts and changes. At the flick of his wrist, Malik can completely control something on the level of a force of nature. Kris's spikes are getting redirected back to him, piercing him in his arms and legs.

Malik is now beginning to move towards Kris, his steps slow and steady. To everyone around him or at least to me, Malik no longer feels like a student or even a human and more like a force of nature—a being of raw power.

The fight should be over.

Kris has no hope left.

He has no way out.

Malik stands directly in front of Kris who is stubbornly still standing despite the winds threatening to, quite literally, blow him away. He gingerly places his palm on Kris's chest, and all the winds concentrate and congregate into the centre of his palm.

The arena is eerily silent.

"Push"

Malik sends him flying to the arena wall behind Kris, leaving a small dent where he broke. I merely watch as Emmi, and the other White Wings carry Kris to the medical station on a stretcher.

...

Fuck me.

That was the person I made fun of? That was the person I got into trouble?

I'm a dead man. I should apologise for the pun first. That was probably the worst offence.

"That was an excellent show of power from the Second Prince. Malik Yauler, you'll be placed in 1-A while Kris Tylas, you'll be placed in 1-C. Lish, please tell him that when he wakes up."

Malik triumphantly walks up the stairs, back to his seat as the cheering and clapping from the other students got deafening. People were shaking his hands, asking questions, asking for tips, but he stayed his course.

"Looks like we are in the same class Ritz," he tells me with such an innocent smile. As if it would make me forget about what just happened.

"Look at Kris. Guess I really blew him away."

I respond with a smile.

It took every ounce of willpower in my being to smile at that, but I have to. This is my life now. If I don't laugh, he might send me to another continent by simply, lightly tapping my shoulder

"You don't have to force yourself, Ritz."

"I was honestly thinking the same thing but thought better."

Malik smirks, but the disappointment in his eyes is still present. Normally, I would all over his case, trying to cheer him up. However, I have a lot of other things to worry about. I'm feeling pretty nauseous.

<...............>

The last couple of hours have been torturous. There were people around my skill or even people better than me being placed in 1-B or lower. It was just two hours of "oh, he was pretty good. He might be in 1-A and...he's being placed in 1-D? Oh. okay." 

What about the people that got into 1-A?

They were practically military-grade as First-Years.

There was an ice mage who could cover the battlefield in with an ice floor and summon giant ice spikes from his 'territory'. There was a buff fire mage who could summon a flame cloak, coat his fists in blue flame and then beat the shit out his opponent. A light mage that could summon a blinding flash of light at will, an earth mage who could create sculptures of dirt and stone that mimic her actions. Just how am I supposed to even survive in this class? I'm 1-D tier at best.

A sigh escapes my mouth—one more fight.

"Next up, Leyna Relqis and John Garner"

Leyna Relqis. Daughter of the legendary war general, Telen Relqis. What class is she going to be in? 1-C? 1-B? Well, this is the last fight. I might as well pay attention.

Leyna Relqis, like the other girls, was easily a knockout but, she was different. Her face lacked any sort of heavy makeup, only small things that made her face look brighter. She had small scars on her cheek and toned muscles, paired with a fierce expression on her face that complimented her short but loud, bright red hair. She was evidently shorter than me and much shorter John Garner. 

"Don't worry; I'll be sure to try my best for this" John taunts.

Emmi visibly rolled her eyes. Maybe I'm looking at her too much.

Leyna said nothing, and instead of a vicious expression forms on her face. She bared her teeth like a wild feline and got down low. 

However, John still brims of confidence. If I learnt anything during this time, the size of the opponent usually doesn't matter. I don't even know anymore.

"Begin"

Leyna immediately breaks into a sprint. The smile on John's face widens, and he moves lower. Electricity starts crackling between his fingers.

 A lightning mage?! Class 1-A it is.

Lightning, being an advanced form of fire magic, is rare, to say the least-

"AHH!" John screams as he clutches his left arm because...nothing. Nothing happened.

Leyna stops just inches away from John and sends a lightning-fast punch to John's throat. John seems disorientated but summons more electricity to his fingers. However, Leyna flexes her fingers, and John releases another scream. I don't understand what Leyna is doing. She seems to be able to deal damage to John by flexing her fingers, but nothing seems to happen. There was no visible magic which could only mean mind magic.

She's sending the pain directly to John's nervous system through manipulating his brain.

John roars in rage and grabs Leyna by the shoulders, but Leyna uses this to her advantage and claws into John's arms. She knees John in a...painful place. She thrusts an arm upwards and palms John's face, burying her nails into John's scalp. Her fingers tense again as she says her command, "cripple". John's legs crumple underneath him, and Leyna uses pulls her arm back and slams John to the ground, her right hand still clutched around John's face. John's arms fall limp.

He's unconscious.

Leyna won.

"Ritz? You alright?"

Hm? I look at Malik and realise that I'm standing. Not only that, but I was leaning forward. I must have had an intense look on my face, but I can't help it. Leyna didn't win based on the pure strength of her magic. She won based on her physical strength and an incredible battle sense. There was no hesitation in her movements. She knew her plan from the start and executed it perfectly. 

Leyna snaps her head up, and her hazel eyes meet mine. I'm frozen here. Then, she flashes that same vicious smile, winks, flicks her hair back and maintains a strut to the judge's stand.

"Woah Ritz. Did you see that? That was to you, wasn't it? Lucky guy" Malik exclaims while giving me a hard pat on the back.

I don't feel particularly fortunate. That didn't feel like a flirt. The look in her eyes gave a different message. It felt like a taunt. Like she knew exactly what I was thinking. Like she wanted me to see that she knew how similar our situations were but that she, was better.

"Leyna Relqis and John Garner. You're both placed in 1-A. Now, with all the placement matches done, you will all have to make your way to your dorms. Your dorms are separated based on your classes, so don't get lost." Mr Liken announces as some of the academy staff start telling us to stand and move out of the arena.

I follow the rest of the students out, but my mind wanders far in record time. I now understand why there are so many horror stories from commoners who try and enter the school. I'm practically living it now, and there is no going back.