In the facility office, the teachers relaxed in the lounge after a long day of work. Cynthia, Eris, and Trinity sat around a circular table with their styles of food to eat. Glenda sat separately from the trio, but kept an earshot on what they had to say for research. They were a newly established group in the schools; it was imperative that she got information on their performances and how they enjoyed their experiences so far.

“Well, the first day was quite interesting, wouldn’t you say?” Cynthia asked, taking a small sip from her green tea.

“If you want to put it that way...” Eris murmured, reading a book on her lap.

“You shouldn’t be reading at the table,” Trinity commented, pointing at the book.

“I’m waiting for my food to cool.”

“Alright, suit yourself.” He took a bite out of his phoenix omelets and hummed with content.

The three stayed silent for a while, trying to finish their meals before the lunch bell would ring. Cynthia broke the silence when she brought up something.

“So, how did it go for your classes? Were you able to get along with your students?”

Trinity drank from a bottle of water while Eris stayed silent. “Um, why don’t you go first?” He suggested, after taking a few sips. “How’d it go trying to teach someone?”

“Bridget is an exceptional student, and she’s a fast learner, too,” Cynthia replied enthusiastically. “She’s got some potential to do great things and become a wonderful sorceress.”

“Huh, aren’t you lucky?” Eris quipped, resting her arms on the table and looking at the ceiling. “I wish I had someone like that.”

“Oh, do you not like yours, Eris?”

“Benjamin’s irritating, but he's at least...” Eris struggled to think up a good word to describe her student. “Determined and eager to try new things. It’s not like I hate the guy or anything.”

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“I see. How interesting.” Cynthia had that look in her eyes, tempted to tease the woman about her attitude towards her students compared to them. But she kept it to herself. Instead, she turned to Trinity to ask about his day. “What about you?”

Trinity crossed his arms and thought about an answer before responding. “I don’t know. It’s too soon to tell. I’ll have to wait and see how Sebastian does later...”

“Come on now, just admit you secretly get a kick out of overworking your students.” Cynthia giggled. “I’ve seen you operate in other schools before.”

“I do not!” Trinity retorted, his face flustering. “And you shouldn’t be watching me train and teach!”

“What about you?” Eris brought up. “Cynthia, you shouldn’t give your students a hard time either with your ‘unique traits.’”

“What do you mean by that?” Cynthia asked, her expression hardening.

“You mean you don’t notice?” Trinity inquired. He turned to grin at Eris. “Also, are you defending me?”

“Dream on.” Eris rolled her eyes. “I’m only stating the obvious.”

“Alright, if you say so.”

Hmm, interesting... Glenda thought while watching the display unfold in front of her. She bit her slice of pizza that had pixie dust for the toppings. She wiped her mouth with a napkin, then picked up her pen and notepad to write the information down.

.-.-.-.

Later that night, Benjamin stood by the windowsill and stared at the moon up above while Harry and Chi-Chi slept on the bed. His hands gripped on edge as he tried his best to keep his composure.

“Well, it had been a while, but I finally got to a new school and had new classes,” Benjamin said to the heavens. “What happened with Streterra was... complicated. But I’ve been doing great at magic and am getting better at it. I’m one step closer to becoming the greatest magic user, just like you!” Benjamin grew silent as his smile faded. His body quivered as he looked away momentarily before staring back at the moon again. “Mom, Dad, I hope you’re watching me and you’re proud of me, especially for coming this far.”

The winds blew softly in the night, making the hairs on his arms and legs stand up. Benjamin wrapped his body around, shivered, and reached over to close the windows.

“Master?” A voice squeaked. Benjamin spun at the sound of Chi-Chi waking up and rubbing her eyes.

“Oh, sorry, did I wake you up?”

“It’s fine, but what are you doing over there?”

“Nothing, I just needed some time to think, that’s all,” Benjamin replied, joining them in bed.