Rhetrick broke a piece of chalk into four equal portions, releasing them into the air, where they hovered obediently under his control.

‘A spell of mine, even restrained, could cause significant damage to the classroom and to you,’ the professor explained in a calm, measured tone, free of mockery. ‘One of these will suffice for practice.’

‘I understand, professor. I am ready,’ Riniock replied with a steady voice.

‘Good. Pull your ward up as late as possible to conserve your odh.’

Riniock gave a nod of acknowledgment. Without hesitation, the rightmost piece of chalk shot forward like an arrow. Riniock reacted, but miscalculated, activating his ward prematurely. A glowing, frontal barrier formed from the spell circle drawn by his palm, successfully deflecting the chalk.

Rhetrick clicked his tongue and shook his head. ‘Too early. Time your activation better to optimise your odh consumption. Ready for another go?’

‘I am, Professor. At your discretion.’

This time, the chalk darted forward without warning, its speed even greater than before. Riniock’s reflexes sharpened; he summoned his ward just a breath away from impact.

‘That’s it!’ Rhetrick’s voice carried a rare note of approval. ‘But stay vigilant, Mr. Riniock…’

Before Riniock could feel any satisfaction, the professor sent the remaining two chalk fragments hurtling towards him in rapid succession, with only a second’s delay between them.

Riniock managed to block the first fragment with precision, his ward absorbing the impact as intended. However, as the barrier momentarily faltered during absorption, the second piece shot through unopposed, striking him squarely on the forehead. The force caused his head to jerk back dramatically, earning muffled laughter from his peers.

Stunned but not deterred, Riniock replayed the incident in his mind. When the ward absorbs a hit, there’s a fleeting moment of vulnerability where its defences drop. The professor exploited that window to teach me this.

Though the vulnerability was negligible against most opponents, Riniock realised its implications. It’s a weakness few would exploit…but one I could use to my advantage.

Suppressing a small grin at the revelation, Riniock looked back at Rhetrick, ready to refine his skill further.

At that moment, Professor Rhetrick pressed two fingers to his temple, closing his eyes briefly in thought. When he lowered his hand, he called out, ‘Siegmun, get over here and take my place for now.’

‘Me, Professor?’ Siegmun replied, a slight tremor betraying his nerves. Whilst he had exuded confidence earlier when speaking to Riniock, the prospect of leading the class was an entirely different challenge.

‘Don’t make a fuss. Just practice with them,’ Rhetrick instructed curtly, heading for the door. ‘I’ll have a senior posted here for supervision. Don’t let me down.’

And with that, Rhetrick exited the classroom, his departure leaving a brief, stunned silence in his wake. It wasn’t until a senior maegi entered the room and stationed himself at a vantage point to oversee the proceedings that Siegmun finally stepped forward.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

‘Well…uh,’ Siegmun began, fumbling for words. ‘Those of you who have completed your inscriptions, pair up with either Riniock or me. Once one of you gets the hang of it, pair with someone else and keep practicing. Let’s move, people!’

Though his initial hesitation was clear, Siegmun quickly composed himself, taking control of the situation with care and precision. His directions were clear, and the younger acolytes, wary of stirring any conflict with an older student, followed his lead attentively.

‘Stand like this,’ he instructed one student, adjusting their posture. Moving to another, he corrected them with patience. ‘It might feel natural to hold your arms this way, but it’s not the proper stance…’

Before long, a sharp, familiar voice cut through the room. ‘Done daydreaming, Tolgir?’

Riniock sighed, recognising the unwelcome tone without needing to look. ‘Urael.’

‘Disappointed?’ Urael sneered, his smirk audible in his words.

‘I’d rather kiss an umblaar than face you.’

‘Well, that’s rude.’

‘Not as rude as you are,’ Riniock shot back, his tone as sharp as the air blades he conjured. ‘What do you want?’

Urael took stance, ‘isn’t it obvious?’

‘Why should I waste my time sparring with you?’ Riniock replied dismissively, turning to walk away. ‘I gain nothing from it.’

‘I'm not asking,’ Urael retorted sharply, launching a jagged icicle with a flick of his wrist.

Riniock turned swiftly, summoning his ward. The icicle shattered against the barrier, its energy absorbed seamlessly – just as he had been taught.

‘I’ve never liked you,’ Urael continued, his voice laced with venom. ‘Ever since before the admission test. Even when there were four of us, you acted so high and mighty.’

Riniock stayed silent, his expression unreadable.

‘And after the test, you hogged all the attention,’ Urael sneered. ‘You robbed me of my chance to train with the fading odh. Honestly, saying I only hate you would be an understatement.’

‘I loathe you too,’ Riniock finally replied, his tone calm but pointed. ‘Everything about you grates on my nerves.’

‘At least we agree on something,’ Urael spat, conjuring another barrage of frost spells.

Riniock’s ward held firm against each attack. His breathing remained steady, and his odh consumption was remarkably efficient. As Urael began to falter, his relentless attacks taking a toll, Riniock saw his chance.

He unleashed a flurry of spells, each calculated and precise, as though part of their practice. Hidden amongst them was a razor-sharp needle-like spell, timed perfectly. When the forward spell struck Urael's ward and triggered its absorption, the needle slipped through the momentary vulnerability he had caught earlier.

It struck Urael square in the chest.

‘Argh!’ Urael gasped, clutching his chest as the air left his lungs. He staggered, struggling to catch his breath for several agonising moments before his breathing finally stabilised.

Clutching his chest, Urael dragged himself out of the practice area, his glare filled with resentment.

‘Alright, everyone,’ Professor Rhetrick’s voice broke through the tension as he returned to the room, a rare smile on his face. ‘Gather your belongings and head to your next lesson. Excellent work to those who managed to cast the ward.’

The acolytes filed out one by one, leaving behind Siegmun, Riniock, Urael, Niann, and a handful of others still packing up.

‘Professor, I’ll take my leave now,’ Siegmun said respectfully, bowing his head slightly.

‘One moment, Mr. Siegmun.’ Rhetrick’s expression turned serious. ‘It is my pleasure to inform you that the arch-maegi has selected you to lead the younger acolytes on the upcoming expedition.’

‘Pardon?’ Siegmun’s eyes widened in disbelief.

‘Arch-maegi Karthen instructed me, during the lesson, to test your leadership capabilities by leaving you in charge. Your performance was…satisfactory,’ Rhetrick said, a rare note of approval in his tone.

‘Is this true?’ Siegmun’s face lit up with excitement. ‘This isn’t a jest, is it, professor?’

‘What do you take me for?’ Rhetrick barked, offended by the suggestion. ‘There are still additional tests for you to complete, but the initial results are promising. Keep it up.’

Without offering further praise, Rhetrick summoned his belongings and left the classroom.

‘Congratulations,’ Karia said warmly, walking up to Siegmun.

‘I never thought I’d be chosen,’ Siegmun admitted, a grin spreading across his face. ‘This is incredible news! Let’s head to the main hall and celebrate.’

‘We still have classes to attend to,’ Niann reminded them harshly. ‘Celebrate later.’

‘Don’t ruin my moment,’ Siegmun giggled.

‘Let’s go, Riniock,’ he called him, meaning to distance Riniock from the group.

Riniock followed Niann, his expression still neutral.