Unleashed from the masters attention, the voices of the crowd now rose and fell with excitement. Relar caught the eye of his friends as they motioned toward the west wing and set off.
"I got Fire Leech Affinity," boasted Jarek, puffing out his chest. "Doesn't that sound cool." He smirked while his hand danced through the air, tracing patterns only he could see.
Elia rolled her eyes and stopped his hand in mid-air. "Please, Jay, if you burn down our dorms before we even spend a night in them..." Her words trailed off into a laugh.
Lorelai interjected, "I got Mistweave, I have no idea how that's going to play out, but my spells are cool. I am sure I can take you on Jarek." She mimed a spiral motion towards him.
Tomas, tall and lanky, chimed in next. "Mine is called Echo. Gonna be a scout it seems. Nothing can hide from me." he said, a hint of pride lacing his tone.
Kian was quiet until then, when he looked up from under his brows. "Heart of the Wild."
Relar smiled at Kian's uncertainty before speaking up himself. "Spirit Beasts for me." He felt the weight of his spellbook against his hand as he willed it to appear and raised it—a comforting presence.
"And what spells did you receive for that?" Elia turned to Relar, her curiosity genuine as their pace came almost to a standstill.
"You didn't tell us yours yet!"
Elia looked around before she lowered her eyes and said "Runescribe".
The group burst out in laughter. Jarek added, "A scribe, now how did you end up with that one."
"Oh shut up, I am going to etch them into your memories so deeply that every time you cast a spell, you'll shit yourself!" Elia retorted, her face a mock-serious mask. "Every flicker of flame will spell out Elia. You'll never escape my literary prowess!"
Relar, while laughing at , managed to say, "Well, at least we know who will take notes during class."
"Alright, Runescribe, lead the way with your mighty quill!" Tomas announced, gesturing grandly ahead.
"Quill at the ready!" Elia proclaimed, striking a heroic pose. "Onwards, to glory and beyond!
Their laughter echoed through the halls.
As they neared the edge of the west wing, silence fell upon the group like a soft blanket. The sky blazed with streaks of crimson and gold, washing over Moraine Academy's ruins and giving them a fiery glow that seemed to ignite their collective imagination.
"I thought that sunset during the Climb was the most amazing thing I will ever see." Lorelai said into the silence.
They watched with half their class around the windows and terraces as day surrendered to night, an endless cycle in this new world they were now a part of. In that moment, under the dying light of day, they stood united.
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As the sun's final sliver faded, the Moraine Academy grounds began to twinkle. Caster lights, like fireflies captured in crystal, sprang to life, dotting the landscape with their gentle luminescence. They hovered above walkways and nestled in the crooks of ancient trees, a constellation of earthbound stars.
The initiates, bathed in the soft glow, watching the transformation with awe.
Elia wrapped her arms around herself as a chill settled over the grounds. Her gaze lingered on the nearest light orb, its flicker casting deep shadows in the hall ahead.
"I don't like it," she whispered.
They turned to her. "The lights?"
Elia shook her head. "No. Night, darkness. It's... cold."
Jarek followed her gaze. "The light has moved on. We are left behind." he said softly.
Relar tried to shake off the discomfort that settled in his bones. "It's just different,"he said, trying to inject confidence into his voice. "We'll get used to it."
Lorelai shivered beside him. "It's not just different; it's unnatural."
The mood had shifted palpably among them. They all knew they would have to embrace this new normal if they were to keep focus.
They hurried back, and they weren't the only ones. More than once they heard someone crying, and the grand ruins and chambers now seemed more threatening than anything.
Relar wanting to change his thoughts said to Jarek "Thoughts on your team?".
"Tomas and Lorelai probably." Jarek said, his voice trying to sound casual, but Relar heard the firm conviction behind it.
Relar didn't have a response to that. He knew many would have made up their mind already—groups that were tight-knit. Tomas, Lorelai and Jarek were always around top of class. They shared a mutual respect for their skills beyond their friendship. Even considering the possible issues of perfectly matching affinities.
Relar looked ahead where the rest of their group walked the dim paths out of earshot. "I see. Makes sense." Relar finally answered.
Relar felt disappointed. They hadn't considered him—or perhaps they had and found him wanting. No conversation. His fingers found his spellbook again. It will work out, won't it.
They rejoined the others in their walk. Kian cleared his throat, glancing at Relar and Jarek, but directing the question at Rez. "What about us? We could form our own team," he suggested, his tone hesitant but hopeful. Apparently having found the same topic of discussion among them.
Relar's expression shifted to one of contemplation, but before he could speak, the remaining girl, Elia, interjected with a gentle shake of her head.
"Let's not rush this," she said softly. Her gaze flitted between Relar and Kian, apologetic yet firm. "We barely know our own strengths yet. We should wait—learn how our affinities align."
The unspoken sentiment hung in the air. But it made sense enough that everyone agreed that they will wait and see.
The cool air of the falling night whispered through the ruins of Moraine Academy, carrying with it the scent of ancient stone. The walk of the group of initiates, huddled under their shared uncertainty, turned into a search for the dormitories.
As they finally approached the residential quarters, the conversation dwindled again, each initiate lost in their own thoughts about the future. The dormitories, a series of ancient large chambers, stood quietly waiting, slowly filling with the newcomers.
One by one, they found their assigned rooms, marked by lists pinned to the door. Inside, the rooms were spartan but comfortable, with beds and desks, they were still more than most had in the cramped halls of Sheath.
Relar stood at the threshold of his dormitory, taking a moment to admire the large room decorated with statues and old tapestries. The room felt oddly comforting with other initiates having already picked their beds. Eight beds in total. One of them Kian. A haven amidst the vastness of the academy.
They had not been able to bring anything, so the only thing to unpack were the bed linens and the few necessities they had been given on the way here.
Across the hallway and in the rooms nearby, his fellow initiates were doing the same, settling into their new lives. The quiet murmur of voices gradually faded as one by one, they surrendered to exhaustion, their first day at Moraine Academy drawing to a close.
As Relar lay in bed, staring at his spellbook, tracing the interface, he felt ready. In the wake of the sunset and arrival of the night, they hadn't even tried their powers, yet. The challenges of tomorrow and the days to come loomed large in his mind, but for now, he allowed himself to drift into sleep.