Just as Miles was about to knock on the door, his hand froze mid-air when a voice from inside called out, "Come in." The two looked at each other before entering. Behind the man sitting in the chair was a large bookshelf. A few other children were waiting inside, and it looked like each was being examined in turn. Raven's heart was racing faster and faster, and he was eager to learn his affinity as soon as possible.
One of the children held out his hand, and visibly, a blue orb formed in his palm. This was his magic power. The man sitting in the chair grasped the orb with his hand, absorbing it, and then fixed his gaze on the child: "Level 2 Earth," he said.
The next child came forward and extended his hand, looking quite confident. Miles knew why. Being in a school full of wealthy students meant most of them had likely grown up in luxurious homes, and it was very common for someone so rich to already know their affinity. This is because the ability to detect affinity is a trait related to magic and mana control. It's a type of magic that is highly sensitive to the mana in the air and the mana of people and can manipulate it. The reason the man knew they were at the door without them knocking was also because of his affinity. Wealthy families could easily hire someone with an affinity for mana control. This child had probably walked up confidently because he already knew his power.
The boy extended his hand, and the man sitting in the chair did the same, extracting a blue orb and absorbing it: "Level 4 Lightning," he said. The boy grinned, turned around, and stepped aside again. Finally, it was Raven's turn; his heart was racing like it never had, not even during the street fights he’d been involved in as a kid. Everything depended on this moment; if he didn’t have a high affinity, all his plans would fall apart.
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He approached and extended his hand. The man in the chair also reached out and began to extract the orb. The orb seemed to be stuck, and the children waiting in line could see it too. His body was rejecting the release of mana. The man in the chair spoke: "You have the body of a natural-born warrior. When I tried to extract your mana, your body sensed the mana was in danger and refused to let it go. I've only read about such cases in books." He adjusted his glasses: "For now, it’s impossible to determine your affinity. Until I can find a solution, I’ll have to record you as having no affinity."
Raven's face darkened in anger: "What magic will I use until then?" he shouted. The man remained calm: "Affinity tells you what type of magic you’re best suited for. If you’re in a rush to use magic, you can use any basic spells in the meantime." Raven felt defeated once again. He thought he was doomed to be mediocre in everything. Feeling disappointed, he walked to the corner of the room, and Miles followed, placing a hand on his back: "Don't worry, my friend. The professor will find a way. We’ll learn your affinity eventually," he said, patting Raven on the back.
Raven sank back into silence. When everyone had finished their affinity tests, the professor told them to disperse and began sifting through books. The two boys headed back to class, but the bell had already rung, so they went outside and quietly sat on a bench. They watched in silence as other kids played basketball or practiced martial arts.
A second-year student, accompanied by another, approached Raven and Miles. The taller one sat down beside Miles without asking, "How are you doing, kids?" he asked. Miles replied, "Do we know you?" The boy said, "We can, if you want, but you should show more respect to your upperclassman." Miles responded, "We're not interested, buzz off." The other student standing next to the first one turned and kicked Miles in the face, sending him flying from the bench onto the grass. Wiping the blood from his nose, Miles calmly said, "We don't want trouble, now leave." The other boy stood up and sneered, "You don't realize the situation you're in."