Alira smiled, clearly pleased with his reaction. “Glad you think so. Some of the other new students freak out when they hear about the points system. But honestly, as long as you work hard, you’ll be fine.”
Towan nodded again, taking it all in. The academy was proving to be more structured—and more competitive—than he’d anticipated. But that only made him more determined to succeed.
“We have two classes per day” Alira switched topics “And then free time to practice whatever we want, or study the theme seen”
“Sounds good to me” Towan smiled, even though he had seen that at his timetable
“And then, we have the ranking system,” Alira said, her eyes lighting up with a competitive glint. It was clear this was a topic she was passionate about.
“Ranking?” Towan asked, intrigued.
“Yeah,” Alira said with a nod, her tone brimming with confidence. “We can spar with each other to earn a place on the leaderboard. The higher your rank, the better the perks. For example, the top five students get free private lessons with the professor of their choice—as long as their schedule allows it.” She crossed her arms and gave a self-assured smirk. “I’m currently in the top 25, by the way.”
“Top 25, huh?” Towan said, raising an eyebrow, impressed but not letting it show too much.
“Yep,” Alira replied proudly. “But here’s the catch—you don’t even get ranked unless you outperform the current top 200. So, just getting on the board is a big deal.”
Towan’s expression shifted to one of mild curiosity. “Won’t that cause problems between students?”
Alira tilted her head, considering his question. “Well, yes and no,” she said thoughtfully. “Whenever a problem comes up, students usually settle it with a sparring match. If it’s ranked, both the conflict and their standings get resolved at the same time.”
Towan frowned slightly. “But does that really solve anything? Fighting doesn’t seem like the best way to deal with every issue.”
“It depends on how you look at it,” Alira countered, her tone casual but confident. “Most of the time, people feel satisfied after the fight. It’s not just about the spar itself—it’s about venting frustrations and earning respect. After that, they usually forget what the problem was in the first place.”
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Towan considered her words, his brow furrowed slightly. While the idea of sparring to settle disputes intrigued him, he couldn’t shake the feeling that it might lead to deeper rivalries or unresolved tension beneath the surface. “I guess it’s... efficient,” he admitted after a moment, though his tone carried a hint of skepticism.
Alira grinned, as though she could sense his doubt but wasn’t bothered by it. “Efficient is one way to put it,” she said. “But you’ll see soon enough. Once the matches start, the whole academy comes alive. It’s exciting and intense—everything you’d want from a place like this.”
As they approached the west wing, where Towan planned to wake Elliot, a loud boom echoed through the halls, followed by a faint tremor underfoot. The sound came from the direction of the training hall.
“Looks like a match is about to start,” Alira said, her tone laced with excitement. “Wanna go and watch?”
Towan hesitated for a moment, glancing at a nearby wall clock. He still had about an hour before classes began, more than enough time to check out the fight and wake Elliot afterward.
“Fine, let’s go,” he said with a small shrug, his curiosity winning out. “Lead the way. I’m still not familiar with this place.”
Alira grinned, her competitive spirit already ignited. “Then let’s speed things up!”
Before Towan could ask what she meant, a fiery aura flared around Alira, the air around her shimmering with heat. With a sudden burst of flames propelling her forward, she took off down the hallway at an incredible speed.
“Wait!” Towan called after her, quickly channeling his Essentia into his legs. A soft, vibrant glow enveloped him as he pushed off the ground, matching her pace with ease.
Alira glanced back, her fiery aura flickering as her focus briefly wavered. “(Huh? He’s keeping up?)” she thought, surprise flashing in her eyes. “(Even some of the top 10 have trouble matching my speed without using advanced techniques.)”
“So, you use fire Essentia,” Towan said, his voice steady despite the wind rushing past them.
“Yes!” Alira replied, her tone brimming with pride. She pumped out even more fire, the flames around her intensifying as she tried to pull ahead. But no matter how much she pushed, Towan remained at her side, his pace unwavering.
“Not bad,” she admitted, gritting her teeth in determination. “But let’s see if you can keep up with this!”
With a sudden burst of flame, Alira launched herself even faster, the soles of her feet leaving faint scorch marks on the floor. But as she glanced to her side, Towan was still there, calm and composed, his Essentia flowing effortlessly through his body.
“You’re impressive,” Alira admitted, her competitive smirk softening into something more genuine. “Most people can’t handle my full speed. What’s your element?”
Towan chuckled softly. “I guess you’ll find out eventually,” he said cryptically, his steady pace keeping her on edge.
The two of them reached the entrance to the training hall in record time, the sound of clashing Essentia and cheers from spectators growing louder with each step. Alira slowed her pace, her fiery aura dissipating as she caught her breath.