A haunting sweetness filled Alice's mouth as she bit into a blueberry muffin, straight out of the Citadel's bakery. “This is great!” she said, the corners of her lips curling up in delight as her eyes sparkled.
“Might as well enjoy ourselves after that long Void Magic lesson.” Rachel replied, holding a strawberry sundae in her hand.
“I wonder how the next one will go,” Sharline said.
“No matter how it goes, I'm gonna have fun!” Blair bragged.
“So girls,” Kairy began. “Are you satisfied with your Aura types?”
Everyone raised their hands with the exception of Kinsey.
“I mean,” Kinsey started, stroking her chin. “I can supposedly steal powers and shit, that's cool as hell.
“Possession sounds like it could be quite useful.” Alice assumed.
“Yeah, that sounds way cooler than Augmentation.” Blair said.
As Alice swallowed the last mouthful of muffin, Zalgo came to her mind out of the blue. “That Zalgo girl had the rarest Aura type, I'm kinda jealous.”
“You don't say?” Rachel said. “Emulation sounds so cool! I'm glad I have Projection though, maybe I can shoot aura blasts at people and stuff!”
“Yeah,” Alice replied. “So um, Sharline, is it true that you learned martial arts in Yushalia?”
"I did indeed! Why do you ask?" Sharline questioned with a gentle smile.
"Just out of interest. I've been thinking about learning self-defense myself," Alice said, her eyes gleaming.
Blair chortled. "Self-defense? Alice, you can just take control of people's freaking minds and stuff with your aura, why would you bother with that?"
Alice shrugged. "It can't hurt to learn. And it could come in handy if I'm somewhere where I either can't or don't want to use aura.”
“Well, Alice,” Sharline said. “Just so you know, my style is all about kicks. I practice them every day.”
“No wonder your aura is concentrated in your legs like Celeste said.” Kairy mentioned.
“Yeah, I'm honestly not surprised it is.” Sharline replied before turning to Alice. “And Alice, your aura was concentrated in your hands. Is there anything…special that you do with them?” she asked, tilting her head.
“Well…” Alice began, looking to the side for a brief moment. “I make…dolls as a pastime.”
“You do?” Rachel asked, her eyes widened.
Alice replied with a slight nod.
“Al, you're damn near a grown-ass woman,” Kinsey taunted with a mocking grin. “The hell are you doing with dolls and shit?”
Alice shrugged. “It's just a hobby,” she replied.
“Don't judge, Kinsey,” Sharline lectured with stern eyes.
“Or what?” Kinsey challenged, crossing her arms and leaning up in her seat as her grin widened.
Kairy smirked. “Or I'll do this,” she threatened before leaning forward and wrapping her arms around Kinsey's neck and tightening her grasp, making Kinsey's knees weak as her vision blackened.
As Sharline took in Kinsey's predicament, her breath caught in her throat. The sight of Kairy holding Kinsey around the neck made Sharline want to kick some sense into the former.
"Let her go, Kairy!" Sharline demanded, her voice sharp. “You're a gem sprite! You could kill her doing that!"
“If you say so…!” Kairy said with a mischievous smile, releasing Kinsey and leaning back.
Kinsey took a deep gasp of air and coughed.
“Don't worry, I know my own strength.” Kairy said.
“Okay gals,” Blair spoke up. “I ‘unno about y'all, but I'm gonna head back and get well-rested from our next class!”
“Good idea,” Sharline replied.
“Yep! See ya tomorrow!” Blair said, getting up and heading off.
“Well that was quick,” Rachel said.
“She's an interesting one, that's for sure.” Kairy added.
“I'm so used to Alice being the first in the group to go.” Kinsey said.
★
A week later, Alice and the others were at Celeste's citadel, waiting for another Void Magic lesson to start. Celeste entered the classroom with her trademark smirk, a stylus in her hand as she walked in front of the blackboard.
“Hello, my students!” she announced. “Now we're ready to begin! You all must still be aware of your Aura types already since Alice helped you out the day before. Are you going to remind me how many there are?" she asked, pointing her stylus at the board that had drawings of the symbols of the eight aura types.
Alice raised her hand in under a second.
“Oho? Already?” Celeste said, raising a brow at Alice.
Alice lowered her hand and nodded. “Yes. There's Augmentation, Conversion, Extraction, Creation, Emulation, Interaction, Possession, and lastly, Projection.” she listed.
“That's correct! Amazing!" Celeste praised, a cheeky smile on her face. “And remember,” she added. “Before you can train to learn your Aura type, you have to first learn the Basic, and then the Advanced Techniques. Yeah, yeah, I know, that sounds boring and you just want to learn your aura types straight away. But you must know all of these Techniques before you can even begin, so bear with me and be patient! Now I'm going to teach you the very first Technique that any absolute beginner in Void Magic should know: Barrier.”
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Sharline nodded in understanding. “That's fair. We gotta learn the basics to get anywhere else!”
Celeste grinned. “That's right, Sharline. So now, I want you all to try and realize your own aura, just like the last time.”
The students closed their eyes and focused. Their auras manifested in their bodies, and Celeste smiled. “Yes, that's the way! Next, I want you guys to make your aura envelop your body. Just focus and make your aura flow outward until you're surrounded by it. You should feel a warm, sort of milky and tingly sensation around your body.”
Alice focused and made her aura flow outward as Celeste described, enjoying the feeling of warmth and tingling sensations around her body. It was like being wrapped in a soft blanket on a chilly night, one that was filled with the scent of vanilla and honey. She felt a sense of peace and contentment as she continued to focus on maintaining the barrier of her aura around her.
"That's good, Alice!" Celeste approved. “Keep it going!"
The other students were also successfully enveloping themselves in their auras, and Celeste observed the distinct shades of their auras. Alice's was a deep blue. Rachel's was magenta, Blair's was a vibrant crimson, and Sharline's was the color of her namesake: a soft, gentle shade of reddish brown. It was like a rainbow of auras, and Celeste nodded with content.
Moments later, the students found it difficult to maintain their auras for any longer.
“You all did well!” Celeste celebrated, clapping her hands with a wide grin.
“So,” Blair began. “What did our auras look like?”
“This may or may not surprise you, but your Aura is the same color as your eye color. You know the saying, ‘the eyes are the window to the soul’.”
“Interesting,” Sharline said. “So our souls generate our Aura?”
“Yes, indeed! A splendid observation!” Celeste replied. “I'm still completely blown by your performances! Such quick learners to be absolute beginners! You know what, I'm gonna test you guys. Since you've both seemed to get a good hold of the first technique, let's see how you fare against the second one: Suppress! This time, I want you to halt the flow of your aura. Basically, cut off the flow of your aura nodes. Sounds simple enough, eh? So do it!" she commanded, watching the two with eyes full of anticipation.
Alice closed her eyes and focused on her aura nodes, suppressing the flow of her aura with her mind's command. The flow of her aura became still, like water in a still pond. Alice felt relieved that she had managed to master the second technique.
The other five girls followed suit and successfully managed to suppress their aura nodes.
“Wow, you guys did surprisingly well!” Celeste praised. “Alrighty, there's just one more basic technique before it's time to move on to the advanced ones! The next and last basic technique is...Increase! With Increase, you must emit your aura in a volatile way. This will greatly enhance your physical and spiritual power and durability, while also providing plenty of aura for more advanced techniques. So think of it like an offensive version of the Barrier technique from before. So use Barrier again, but crank the scale up to 11 this time. You all got this!" she encouraged, her eyes glimmering at the two as she waited.
Alice focused on her aura. After a few moments, she managed to make it burst into a blinding radiance, allowing it to amplify to the maximum. The flow of her aura felt more intense, coursing through her aura nodes like a fire raging in the woods. Despite the feeling of having reached her maximum potential, Alice kept her focus on amplifying her aura until it reached its peak.
Sharline also successfully amplified her aura to its maximum, making it a brilliant shade of reddish brown for the classroom to admire.
All the other students did the same, making the room look more colorful to Celeste and the other class of students with their combined auras. Kairy and Kinsey's Increase weren't as impressive as the others', but they still put on a show.
“Very good!” Celeste said, impressed. “That was excellent! You've accomplished in a day what took even the most talented students several weeks to do! Even the Xerosi sisters took over an entire month to get a hold of each Basic Technique!”
“The who?” Sharline asked.
“You really don't know the Xerosi sisters? Or the Xerosi family? They're a huge thing here!” Celeste said before pointing behind the students at Akari and Akumu. The young twin sisters were near indiscernible, with long dark purple hair, except Akari had deep red eyes while Akumu had deep blue ones. They both looked at Alice and her friends as they were called out.
Alice and her friends stared at the sisters for a few moments before asking, “What's so special about them?”
Celeste answered, “Nothing, except that they're from a very prestigious family with a high status.”
“But, what do they have to do with the basics?” Sharline asked.
“Both of them have mastered all the basics. In fact, they have mastered most of the advanced void techniques as well! I wouldn't be surprised if they got invited to the advanced class at the end of this term.”
“Wow!” Alice exclaimed. “Even the Advanced Techniques? Why don't they get promoted from beginner to advanced right away?”
“Well,” Celeste started as she began writing things on the blackboard. “The advanced classes have a much more stringent curriculum, and even if they're skilled enough to survive that, that's not the only deciding factor in whether they get promoted or not.”
Kairy asked, “How is the determining factor chosen then?”
“They must undergo rigorous evaluation tests before being considered for advancement.” She responded.
“Aha, so it's not a guaranteed promotion. They still have to pass a test?” Kinsey asked.
“That's exactly right. They must pass the practical and written evaluation tests to prove their mastery in order to advance.” Celeste replied.
“What happens if they don't pass? Do they get kicked out of the class entirely?” Rachel questioned.
“Nope! They just repeat the same class until they pass the test. But keep in mind that I've never had a student fail under my tutelage.” Celeste bragged with a proud smirk. “Usually, the students get promoted within a few months.” she finished.
“So why are they in the beginner's class with us then?” Alice inquired, wondering why a seemingly already advanced student would take the beginner's course again.
“I can't say for sure. But I've heard whispers among the other teachers that they had requested a transfer into the beginner’s class so they could participate in the beginner-level competitions to prove themselves. It seems like the Xerosi sisters have something to prove.”
“Wait, there are beginner level competitions?” Sharline asked.
“Indeed! Every term there is a beginner-level tournament to see which beginners have the best command over their Aura techniques!” Celeste responded, her eyes glistening. “All participating students will have a chance to win prizes and awards.”
“But why participate in beginner-level tournaments if you've already mastered the basics?” Kinsey asked. “Why not test your hand at the advanced level?”
“Well,” Celeste began. “This may come as a surprise to you, but even experienced void mages often go back to compete at the beginner level for fun! But the Xerosi sisters have something to prove to everyone, especially to their family. It's important for them to gain respect and recognition for themselves. Apparently, they were not viewed as highly as their older sister who was already advanced by the time they were little girls. It seems their sister’s achievements set standards for them to compare themselves to.”
“That's rough.” Blair said.
Kairy inquired, “So the Xerosi sisters seem to be talented in Void Magic, but they've got the pressure of their siblings’ expectations? That's a lot to bear on one’s shoulders.”
“Yes, it's quite a burden, even for void mages! It doesn't help that their siblings are highly respected amongst the highest of Void mages. Their parents are also said to have high expectations of their children, and it's said that their mother has very little tolerance for anything less than perfection.” Celeste explained.
“So not only are they under the pressure of their family's expectations…” Alice started, twirling her hair with her finger.
“...But they also have to maintain their reputation too.” Rachel completed.
“That's got to take a toll on someone's mental state, especially on teens.” Sharline said, raising her hand with concern.
“Indeed! It's understandable why they want to participate in the beginner-level contests, to gain a positive image to counterbalance their families’ views and expectations on them!” Celeste elaborated. “So anyways, that concludes your class, girls. You better be well-rested, because I'm promoting you, the twins, and Zalgo to the Advanced classes!”
“Woo!! Hell yeah!” Blair cheered, throwing her hands up in the air.
Celeste chuckled and looked over to Melanie and Tato. “You two need more work.”
Melanie shrugged with a smile. “That's fair. I only joined these classes for funsies, after all. I'm just glad that I'm actually getting somewhere with this, so I'll just stick around and see how far I can get.”
“Now that's the spirit!” Celeste encouraged. “See, keep your heads up like Mel here and you'll all pass the Advanced classes with flying colors! Have a wonderful rest of your day!”
★
Alice was back in her home in the Citadel, reminiscing on the Void Magic lessons and the Xerosi sisters. Alice's thoughts were interrupted by a soft knock on the door. Alice blinked as she came back to reality before calling out, "Come in!”
Zalgo entered and closed the door behind her as she entered the room. The interior of the house was as extravagant as the outside, with a white and purple paint job, plush furniture and decorations like lava lamps and miniature fountains. Zalgo, the fair-skinned young woman, had a unique appearance for sure. Her short, black and silver hair color was split down the middle. Her left eye was crimson, and the right was obsidian black. Her hooded jacket and sweatpants also fit the same color scheme, half black and white with red tattoo-like patterns on the black side and blue ones on the white half. As Alice looked at Zalgo, she could see disappointment in her eyes.
“Oh, hi, Zalgo.” Alice greeted, her body closing up a bit.
Zalgo noticed Alice's hesitance and found it tough to keep up constant eye contact. “Hey… Can I talk to you about something?” she asked in a soft voice.
Alice gave a single nod. “Sure. What's up?”
“It's about our class today. How were you able to perform all of the Basic Techniques so easily like that? I struggled so much when I started, and you did everything perfectly in one day.”
Alice shifted her weight onto one foot, swearing to herself that she'll keep the conversation friendly and supportive.
"Honestly, I'm not sure. It just came naturally, I guess." She replied with a nervous chuckle.
Zalgo nodded, taking a deep breath as she considered her next words.
"I know this is a little personal, but what's your connection to the Void? I can understand why some students would have a hard time with this class if they've never even touched Void Magic before, but you have the aura of a practiced user.”
Alice blinked and stared off into space as she thought of a response. “I suppose it just comes naturally to me… I-I mean, I did study Void Magic at Umbra Academy, so I had an idea of what was coming…" She explained, but didn't elaborate any further.
Zalgo didn't respond, continuing to stare at her as if she were lost.
Alice panicked inside at the pause, and knew it wasn't her place to pry further. Instead, she chose to change the topic completely.
"Do you think you can handle the class going forward?" Alice asked with a hopeful smile, wanting to shift the dialogue away from the personal questions she had just raised.
Zalgo gave a soft smile, nodding her head.
"I think so. I just had a really rough time during my lessons with the Xerosi twins. I'm sure everything will make sense eventually." She said, grateful that Alice could see past her insecurities and still think that she had the potential to improve.
“Yeah, those twins are no joke from what I've heard. I don't think it's fair to use them as the standard. But still, you're moving on to the Advanced classes with them, so that's something to be proud of!” Alice said in a reassuring tone.
Zalgo gave a warm smile, her uneasiness dissipating and being replaced by a new sense of confidence. “Thank you, Alice.”
“Of course. I know you'll get the hang of it pretty quick. And if you ever have questions or need help, I'm always around." Alice grinned, hoping to lighten the mood further. Zalgo's smile grew before she nodded in response.