When Elizabeth woke up it was already evening, setting sun could be seen trough the window. She wasn't laying in her room, everything around her was in white and grey colors. Elizabeth assumed that she was taken to infirmary. Her hand automatically reached small table on the right in order to find her glasses.

"Are you looking for those?"

Ms.Bereshinkov was sitting on the chair to her right with Elizabeth's glasses in her hands. Elizabeth took them from her teacher and  wear them. Grey aura of Ms.Bereshinkov disappeared.

"So how you feeling Elizabeth?"

Elizabeth spend few seconds to do little inspection of her body. Everything seemed alright, only her head hurt badly.

" Head hurts a lot."

"It's not surprising, you took quite big hit. I don't understand how could this happened. You were fighting so well for the whole time but that last move felt so wrong."

Elizabeth didn't know what to say, she couldn't just told her teacher that she wanted to saw Theodor's aura. Seeing how troubled Elizabeth was Ms.Bereshinkov decided to change topic.

"Lets say it was lack of experience, but don't worry, before end of a year we will be excellent swordsman."

Elizabeth didn't now if she was supposed to laugh or cry. To her Ms.Bereshinkov promise sounded more like threat.

"Ok, I will go and find a doctor, he will give you some painkillers and after that I will walk you to the dormitory."

After Ms.Bereshinkov walked out, Elizabeth was left in silence. She was watching setting sun trough the window on her left when she heard someone's voice in her room.

"You look terrible."

Next to an opened door, Theodor Svensson was standing. Like always Elizabeth didn't heard when he entered the room. When he saw that Elizabeth looked at him, wide smile appeared on his face.

"Thank you for compliment."

With her head hurting badly, Elizabeth wasn't in the mood go chat.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of you visiting me?"

"Oh, why are you so sarcastic. Couldn't I  visit ill classmate?"

Apparently he was having great time teasing Elizabeth like that. Unfortunately she wasn't enjoying their talk like he was.

"Oh cut it out Theodor. I am not in the mood to play with you. Let me remind you, I was knocked out in duel. Moreover it was you, who defeated me, so tell me what do you want from me?"

Smile on Theodor's face faded slightly when she heard sharp words.

"I was just curious."

And he became silent. Elizabeth felt like her blood started to burning. If he will talk like this, things may end up badly.

"Curious about what?!?"

"Why did you lose for purpose?"

Ok, now it was done, Elizabeth was furious.

"Firstly, you beat me up. Next, you came to infirmary to tease me and now you are saying that I lost a duel for purpose!?! Have you thought about that, if I wanted to lose, could do it in much less painful way?"

"So you didn't wanted to lose?"

"Of course not!"

"So why did you use that air magic against me?"

Elizabeth became silent, she didn't expected him to notice that she used magic.

"I had my own reasons."

With curious look on his face, was obvious that he wanted to ask more questions but he was distracted by something.

"It seems that Ms.Bereshinkov will be back with a doctor in a minute. I guess it's time to say goodbye. I hope we will have such a nice chat in the future."

Without giving any chances to Elizabeth to say something, he left the room. After a minute both, Ms.Bereshinkov and doctor appeared in a door. Luckily doktor Richardson didn't have any objections about my health. He only gave me this me painkillers and told that after couple hours of sleep, pain should fade.

While escorted by Ms.Bereshinkov to her dormitory, Elizabeth decided that it was perfect moment to ask her what kind of relationship she got with Elizabeth's uncle. She was so curious that she was ready to risk a harsh question.

"So Ms.Bereshinkov, what is between you and my uncle?"

After such a tough day, Elizabeth didn't even tried to be gentle. After hearing that question Ms.Bereshinkov has lost her composure.

"Ehh...?? How did you know about it?"

Saying that Elizabeth was surprised was a great understatement. She needed a few seconds to overcome a shock. First of all reaction of her teacher was totally unexpected. Ex-soldier in her twenties acted like a highschool girl. Another thing was how easily he sold her and Elizabeth's uncle, one bitter thought came to Elizabeth, everybody have their own weaknesses. Last  and most important thing that left Elizabeth jaw dropped, was that her uncle was seriously dating someone. Elizabeth was seriously angry, not at her uncle but at herself. How could she didn't noticed such a important thing. Thinking how unobservant she was one more question came to her mind.

"How long you are dating?"

It wasn't day of polite speech and good manners. Seeing how Elizabeth was acting Ms.Bereshinkov could only answer her question.

"About half a year. After my retirement we haven't see each other for the long time but about half a year ago that was that gathering of our old unit and we had a great time together and it somehow happened that we started to dating."

Elizabeth thought that love life was really her soft spot, even her manner of speaking changed a lot when she was taking about dates. But another information which shocked Elizabeth again was, half a year!?! How that could happened. When she thought about it, about that time her uncle started to use nicer cologne and he got more overtime hours. Elizabeth didn’t have any more questions and Ms.Bereshinkov was to embarrassed to say anything so awkward silence hang in air, for the whole time of their travel to Elizabeth’s dormitory. When Ms.Bereshinkov was about to leave Elizabeth at the entrance, one wild idea appeared in E”lizabeth’s mind.

“This Sunday, dinner at my uncle house, 5pm, your presence is obligatory.”

Elizabeth decided that there is no point in being polite now. Ms.Bereshinkov was little resentful by her manner of speech but after few seconds of consideration she agreed with a quick nod.

“And don’t tell my uncle that you are coming.”

Without waiting for her answer Elizabeth turned around and entered dormitory building.

***

Like doctor Richardson said on the next morning there was no trace of pain and Elizabeth felt completely normal. To be honest after taking painkillers she was sleeping like a rock. After morning shower and light breakfast made from toasts, he headed out to academy main building. Her head was still filled with memories of events from day before but her goal for this day was clear, she need to talk to Natasha. Elizabeth couldn't afford to lose first somehow friendly person in new school. Of course, there were twins who, seemed rather nice if you forget about their way of speaking and job offers. There was also Theodor but Elizabeth classified him as a first class weirdo. Seriously, Elizabeth couldn't understand why he was acting in such a way. For her own good Elizabeth decided to forget about other matters and focus on her her relationship with Natasha.

When Elizabeth arrived at main academy building, it was still little early. Her first lesson was Psionic Control. This subject was supposed to be mix between research and training activities. With development of Casting Support Devices ability to control psions became the most important. While CSD work was to define the type of phenomenon which will be powered by psions, magicians were responsible for controlling where and with how much power, phenomenon will appear. Inborn magic worked in similar manner with one difference, instead CSD magicians brain was subconsciously defining how psions will be used. That's why in most cases inborn magic was much stronger than one casted with CSD help. While using CSD magicians have to activate right magic sequences but in inborn magic only thing you need is one thought and of course rare inborn talent.

While walking trough corridors of academy main building Elizabeth started to feel a little awkward. Everything seemed alright but if she was careful she could noticed a glances from other students. Elizabeth understood those strange behaviors, when saw two second year students watching some video on portable device. To her surprise it was record of her fight with Theodor. Elizabeth felt shivers, when she thought about consequences of that event. Apparently whole Holy Spirit Academy have seen her fights, she didn't wanted to be "that girl who is good in fighting" type, her goals were totally different. More importantly, she didn't wanted to be known by all students, she felt bad even thinking about such a possibility. She tried to calm herself down a little, thinking that she is only overreacting but her worries were confirmed when one of older students challenged her for duel in the middle of corridor. Without saying a word she turned around and fled. When she finally arrived before classroom where her psionic control lessons should be taking place, she was in serious state of despair. Elizabeth was almost crying about how her new school life became like this. When she entered classroom or rather quite big facility there was already little crowd of first year students. Unfortunately there were not familiar faces, Elizabeth noticed only few students from her class but she haven't talked with them before and she remembered names of maybe two of them. The way she was welcomed wasn't promising to well. There was full overview of different looks, from surprise and even little shock, trough curiosity, to obvious disgust and aversion. Elizabeth wanted to yell something like: "Hello, Elizabeth Hart here, I will be giving autographs after class" but decided that could be not the best idea. Instead she found herself a place in the corner of the room slightly behind  other students. Big room which was serving as a classroom for psionic control was divided into two parts. The first one smaller, with few desks and tables and much bigger second one. Bigger part filled with devices and strange machines similar to ones which were used at magic power tests.   After few minutes of waiting familiar little figure has entered the room. With a wide smile on his face professor Hipkins welcomed students.

"Welcome dear students, my name is professor Nicodeus Hipkins and I have this pleasure to guide you trough the fascinating world of psionic control. Some of you may think that this subject only purpose is to improve your psionic manipulation abilities. You couldn't be more wrong. On my lesson you will find out how wide and full of possibilities is world of psions. I am sure that after time spend here you will understand how to control psions better or even, there is such a possibility, you will came up with totally new and unique method of using psionic energy."

With his face red form emotions little professor has ended his introductions. Elizabeth couldn't decide if she should cry or laugh but she wasn't only one all students got rather worried looks on their faces besides one boy. With black hair and big round glasses he was smiling and almost laughing to himself. When she saw him, Elizabeth thought that indeed world of psions is wide and full of surprises. After his small introduction professor Hipkins announced that today he want to check what level of skills all of them have. In order to do this, they were supposed to divide in to pairs. With the best smile, she could manage, on her face, Elizabeth rushed to one of her classmates which name she could remember. Marry, that was her name was quite good looking girl with big round eyes. When Elizabeth asked her to team up, she looked terrified but after moment of hesitation she agreed. When finally all of students got their pairs, professor Hipkins surprised them all, leading them to the door which was hidden behind one of big machines. Nobody expected what they found behind those door, enormous room almost a size of small sports hall. There was no piece of furniture, no single device or machine, just empty space. Seeing surprised looks on their faces professor Hipkins started to laugh in some weird, really weird manner.

"Hue hue hue, you didn't expect something like this?"

Elizabeth couldn't understand  why he was so smug but it wasn't something that she thought, she could understood. When professor Hipkins clamed himself enough to speak properly he gave each pair a ball shaped device. After short explanation Elizabeth understood that it was some kind of CSD. Device was designed to fly using hot air propulsion, of course psionic energy was source of power. Exercise which professor Hipkins assigned to them was rather simple, the ball, that's how he called high-tech device, was supposed to be controlled by both of students in order to pass opponent. To make such a game fair, device was designed to work with power limit, so stronger magician wasn't able to just break opponents defense with pure power. Everything looked simple but it wasn't. First problems appeared already after start of exercise, only few persons managed to control fly their balls in the air. Controlling little device was harder than everybody expected and I took almost half an hour for all of students to get some basics of it. When everybody more or less were able to fly their balls time for competition has come. Apparently when both students focused in opposite directions balls were just stopping and falling down. Unfortunately when one of pair tried to use some part psionic power to move it in other direction, second person was taking advantage because it was more energy focused  on other side. After few minutes whole rooms filled with small devices hanging in the air without moving for even inch. Professor Hipkins wasn't much help, he was only walking next to students and laughing.

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"Hue hue hue, it's not that easy, is it?"

Elizabeth wasn't better than other students. She tried to move her ball slightly in other directions but it end up only with loosing about half meter of distance. Marry wasn't experimenting, she just keep using psions to propel ball straight in Elizabeth's direction. When professor Hipkins moved near their pair, he noticed Elizabeth and stood next to her.

"Miss Hart on my lessons, what a pleasant surprise. But tell me my young student, because this old man can't understand, why are you wearing those ugly glasses with Adamantium in them?"

To be honest professor Hipkins wasn't that old, he was about his forties maybe even thirties, but his manner of speaking and walking made him look older. Elizabeth didn't know what to say, she wasn't thinking about her lessons when she was putting her glasses on.

" Please Ms.Hart, take them off. I believe that such a rare talents like yours, should be used."

Still focused on propelling a ball, Elizabeth took off her glasses, like professor told her. As always, wave of colors flooded her view for few seconds. When she could see clearly, she was able to notce that Mary's had fluid type inborn magic. But auras of her classmates wasn't all that she could see. All students were sending psions to their balls. Psionic ribbons in many colors were filling room.

"You can see it? Of course you can. Now miss Hart tell me how all of you are using your Psionic energy?"

Professor Hipkins was so excited that he was almost jumping in place.

"We are sending psions directly to devices."

Elizabeth told him what she could see.

"Exactly, all of you are making this same mistake, you are just powering this balls not controlling them. Do you understand? You need to control them not just give them power in such an ordinary way."

Elizabeth didn't know what he was talking about. While thinking about professors' words she started to manipulate with her psionic energy a little. Maybe this little, weird guy was giving them some advices? Instead of thinking about controlling ball what clearly didn't mean anything, focused on the way she was transferring psions to the ball. Instead of sending on one stream to the ball she send another one to push it to the right. Of course ball instantly moved few centimeters back in her direction, it also may bed to the right like in the previous attempts but something was different, ball movements were slightly smoother. When she was propelling ball from on energy stream, in two directions, it has jumped rather sharply. Seeing how Elizabeth's ball was moving, professor Hopkins started cheer enthusiastically.

"Yes, yes, go further, do not hesitate!"

Encouraged by professor, Elizabeth went all out and has expanded her aura few meters around her. Others standing next to her could feel her psionic energy trough their own auras.  What Elizabeth has done was slightly different than simply expanding her aura in order to detect other magicians, instead of sending a little bit of psions around, she created area filled with psions as dense as her aura in normal state. With psions filling air around, her vision became little foggy, colored in grey. When she got used to this new state, Elizabeth focused on ball once more. Now when little device was whole in her psionic aura she understood, words about control from professor Hipkins. Full of confidence she changed direction of ball. It started to travel on wide arc but it helped Elizabeth to twist it around a little bit. When orientation has changed her opponents energy started to propel in different direction. When Marry noticed what happened, it was already to late. With loud swirling sound ball passed her and stopped two meters behind her.

"Yes yes yes, can you see now. Look how miss Hart managed to control that little toy."

Professor Hipkins stared to explain to all students. Elizabeth started to feel awkward once again, because of her rare talent she was in the center of attention.

" You must understand that in order to control whole magical process and phenomenon which are occurring as an effect, you need to not only transfer energy but also cover it in your psionic sense and feel it. But you have to remember one thing, expanding your auras like this, shouldn't be used in combat situation. When your aura is expanding more than its normal state, it will loose its protective abilities."

After that explanation whole rooms filled with auras of students inside it. Elizabeth was feeling, like she ended up in some rainbow dream world. Her vision was changed in to colorful mirage.

After another hour all students were able to more or less manipulate their flying balls. Elizabeth and rest of students inside the room were tired after constant usage of magic. Fortunately there wasn't much time left until lessons end. Professor Hipkins was rather pleased with new students performance but didn't said anything at the end of the class.

When psionic control class has ended, it was time for lunch break. Elizabeth headed to canteen, she wasn't that kind of person who brings her lunch to school. She wasn't expecting that it would be bad decision. During the lunch breaks canteen was flooded with students and commotion about fights from day before, has survived first three hours and was still alive. Elizabeth already got used to uncomfortable glances, she was sure that after a week nobody will remember her. But still this whole situation was awkward, to be honest awkward was perfect word to describe her first few days in Holy Spirit Academy. When she finally has bought her lunch, another challenge appeared, she needed to find a place to sit. Fortunately she immediately noticed two familiar figures waving their hands to her energetically. Clair and Diana Schwarz were sitting next to square table for four people. Two other seats were empty, so Elizabeth gladly joined twins.

"Hey Elizabeth, or should we call you war maiden like a rest of academy."

What? Elizabeth was left without words.

"Haha don't worry, its a joke."

"Yeah, nobody is calling like this yet."

Yet? Elizabeth could only laugh.

"Haha, very funny, seriously whole school is looking at me, like at some rare animal in zoo. I just wanted to remind you that finally I got beaten."

"Yes, but before that you one-shoot some military higher-up son and defeated Natasha who was supposed to be favorite."

"Yes yes, and nobody is blaming you for losing to that Svensson guy, thought he is s-class."

Elizabeth reminded herself what was her goal for that day.

"By the way girls, do you know where Natasha is? I need to talk to her badly."

Ugly looks appeared on Diana's and Clair's faces.

" She is probably  healing wounded pride in her room, we were supposed to have morning lessons together but  she didn't showed up."

"Yeah, but most importantly, you haven't talked to her yet? It looked like you wanted to be friend with her."

"Don't blame me, I just wanted to remind you again that I was knocked out yesterday. I have spend half of a day in infirmary."

Twins looked at each other with surprised faces.

"But you are living in neighboring rooms in dormitory?"

Now Elizabeth was shocked. It was true that she didn't check who was living next to her but she didn't even suspected that it could be Natasha or one of her classmates. But there was another thing that bothered her.

"Tell me something girls, how do you know where I live and who my neighbors are?"

"Isn't it obvious? We need to be sure that any other company is trying do scout you."

"Yes yes, we need to care about our future employees. At least our dads said something like that."

Elizabeth was sure that Mr.Schwarz company wasn't talking about stalking her but who on knows?

While they were eating and talking, lunch breaks was almost over. After lunch break Elizabeth together with rest of her class was supposed to have some lessons no related to magic.

When three girls arrived at classroom, only two students weren't present. Natasha and Theodor Svensson. Why Elizabeth wasn't surprised? She couldn't tell but it felt like skipping first lessons in semester was in his type.

After three hours of boring subjects, Elizabeth was finally free. She said goodbye to twins and headed out to dormitory. She could hear that her class is going to have some fun together in the city but she got more important things to do. When she arrived before doors next to her room she found out that twins were right on small plate on the door was Natasha's name. Elizabeth was little hesitating before she knocked. She was welcomed by a silence but after few seconds she could hear someone coughing on the other side. Apparently Natasha was pretending that no one is home but Elizabeth was determined to talk to her.

"Hey Natasha, it's Elizabeth. I wanted to talk to you about yesterday. I am sorry that things happened like this and if I offended you somehow, I am really sorry. I still want us to be friends."

Elizabeth was rather loud but fortunately it was still fairly early so dormitory was almost empty. After few seconds she could hear noise of lock being opened. Natasha has appeared in opened door. Elizabeth could tell that something was wrong her hair was in total mess, face was so pls with light blue color and eyes were bloodshot.

"Why are you yelling so loud ? And who is offended ?"

Natasha's voice was really hoarse.

"I got some nasty food poisoning and you yelling at my door I the last thing I need."

Elizabeth was confused.

"So you are not angry at me?"

"Hah..." Natasha tired to laugh but she quickly folded in half.

"Angry about what? Your victory? Wait until I will get better and will teach you how real magical swordsmanship looks like sister."

"So we are still friends?"

"Why we shouldn't be?"

Elizabeth felt a great relief after Natasha words. Everything turned out to be a misunderstanding. Elizabeth was happy that she wanted to hug Natasha but she didn't give Elizabeth a chance. With rises hand she said.

"Don't even try to come near me. To be honest I will be glad if you leave me. I need rest right now. We should see each other tomorrow at school."

After this Natasha closed her  door quickly, Elizabeth wanted to offer some help to her but she wasn't fast enough.

After she was left alone Elizabeth decided that she will visit library once again. She needed to return those few books she borrowed earlier and check digital database. She couldn't find anything interesting in normal books but she was hoping that computers will have some information about medicine oriented magic or her parents work. When she was in library, she  didn't know why but she checked reading room. With almost  disappointment she found out that room was empty.

When she has ended her research sun was already hidden behind horizon. She completely lost her sens of time. It wasn't be such a waste if she could found something, but  she didn't obtained any new information. There was only one thing that made her curious, there were two files that matched  her search tags which she couldn't open. Apparently her access level wasn't high enough. Angry and tired Elizabeth returned to her dormitory, she wanted to check on Natasha once more but remembering how she reacted earlier, she just headed out to her room. Elizabeth managed to make some dinner like meal and fall asleep instantly.