Avoid The Lead!

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Chaos instantly unfolded, mixed with excitement and determination, as all the students in the hall strived to grab an orb!

Celia had always wondered why Elfsworth Academy accepted thousands of students, but only a few hundred remained.

'So this is why?!' She realized,  watching a thousand students from various magical races struggle to claim their class orbs.

Fairies, with their ethereal wings aglow, danced through the air with unmatched grace, snatching orbs effortlessly.

"They make it look so easy!" A nearby elf remarked, watching in awe.

"Indeed. Their wings give them an advantage!" Another elf replied, adjusting his spectacles, and then directing a summoning spell at an orb, and this is what most elves were doing, either trying to summon the orbs, or move them with telepathy.

Meanwhile, the merpeople showcased their aquatic prowess, trying to use jets of water to short orbs down. A beautiful mermaid conjured a miniature whirlpool, propelling her and her brother upward with playful laughter.

"How creative!" Celia thought, before turning her attention to the goblins, who were renowned for their physical strength, and had formed a tower, each goblin boosting the next to reach higher orbs.

Amidst the spectacle, Celia shut her eyes and cast a discreet summoning spell, drawing an orb toward her with precision.

It was a light blue orb which read: 'Year One, Jade Class', and as the orb's light blue changed to a bright white, her black bow tie turned light blue.

The orb still read 'Year One, Jade Class', but there was now an addition which read: Celia Elizabeta Scarlett.

Celia smiled at the orb, a small ball which represented big changes in her life!

But unknown to her, a pair of green eyes were curiously studying her...

'Smooth move.' The little boy thought, because just moments ago, he had used a similar spell to get an orb.

'Silvery white hair and red irises... It's her!' And with a smile, he glanced at his own ball which also read: 'Year One, Jade Class'

And below that, in crisp golden letters:

Taze Nowen.

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Classes began immediately after the 'assembly', and they all rushed through the large palace-like building, following the little arrows that had appeared on their orbs.

Celia ran along with the others, enjoying the rush, and when she finally reached the Year One Jade Class, there was a big smile on her face, though she was panting.

The classroom was a blend between elegance and good ol' magical charm.

There were enchanted tapestries along the walls, depicting scenes from ancient battles and legendary sorcerers. The desks were high-quality polished mahogany, and they were patterned with intricate runes that glowed softly with magic.

Finding a strategically invisible desk around the middle of the class, Celia settled into her seat, placing her book on the desk.

But as she adjusted to her surroundings, a strange, yet familiar sensation crept over her.

It was subtle, yet undeniable, like a soft whisper in a crowded room.

Her gaze wandered around the class, searching for the source of that feeling, and before long, her eyes locked onto a pair of mesmerizing green eyes, boldly meeting her own.

She was instantly reminded of the flower field, and the first time she had looked into Vitav's startling blue eyes.

There was no denying it. It was the same feeling!

'But that's not possible! That was Vitav!'

The owner of these green eyes was a boy with midnight hair, a confident smirk, and a face that was certainly too handsome for his age!

~"Can you hear me?"~ His voice echoed in Celia's mind, and the sensation intensified, sending a pleasant tingling across her skin and a mild flush to her cheeks.

She gasped softly, but before she could dwell on the strange feeling, a group of girls flocked around the boy's table, their voices high-pitched with admiration!

"He's so handsome!" One exclaimed with a dreamy sigh.

"Tell us your name!" Another chimed in eagerly.

Celia tuned out their chatter and quickly turned away.

The fact that the boy could use telepathy marked him as a genius, far beyond an eleven-year-old.

'A genius among geniuses.' Celia concluded.

She couldn't deny being drawn to him, but she also knew it would bring unwanted attention!

And determined to stay out of the spotlight, she made a mental decision...

'Let's avoid him!'

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The teacher stood tall and slim before them, with a classic scholarly appearance. He looked to be in his forties, and was clad in the customary elegant black robes, a matching vest, breeches, and sturdy boots typical of the Academy's teachers.

His messy brown hair showed signs of greying at the temples, adding a touch of wisdom to his appearance. However, his sharp rectangular glasses were misaligned, causing the lenses to catch and reflect light in a way that gave him a comical look.

"As you all know, magic is not just about spells and incantations." He began in a bored drawl. "It's about understanding the fundamental forces that shape our world."

Celia listened intently, her mind absorbing the information while her quill went back and forth across her parchment.

But as the lesson progressed, she grew bored.

She already knew all this...

And so did most of the class!

The ambiance shifted from eager anticipation to quiet boredom as the teacher droned on, reciting directly from a worn-out book!

"As you all know," He continued in a monotonous voice, "...there are four core types of Magic: Nature Magic, Light Magic, Spirit Magic, and Mind Magic."

Celia couldn't help noticing that almost everyone in the class found inventive ways to escape the boredom.

One lady elegantly folded a paper swan.

Another, lost in her thoughts, was writing in her diary.

A mischievous boy amused himself by flicking tiny pellets at his unsuspecting friend.

Several others buried their noses in other books, flipping pages silently.

And a few whispered conspiratorially, their attention far from the class

Celia couldn't blame them...

As geniuses, their tolerance for basic instructions was rather low, and the abrupt end to the assembly had left them all bursting with pent-up excitement.

But the teacher was unfazed by their disinterest, and he blandly continued, "Nature Magic is the most popular, dealing with elements and natural life."

Celia stifled a yawn, as he droned on, as though he held the secret to endless fascination.

"Nature Magic is usually innate and cannot be learned, and it is vast because even a single element could be divided into numerous others.

From Fire and Air, Lightning emerges; Earth and Water breed Plant Powers; Fire and Water, Steam Powers; And Water and Air breed Ice powers!"

Celia's ears perked up at the mention of Ice powers, her core powers.

"Second is Light Magic, which is subtle yet powerful. It covers Healing and Blessing magic which is used to boost, and Poison and Curse magic, used to subdue." he summarized with a flourish.

"Third is Spirit Magic, for all transformative magic, Shadow magic, Mirror magic, and Boundary magic.

"And lastly, Mind Magic, for teleportation, telepathy, telekinesis, foresight and pre-sight...

"Most are born with a single type of magic, a few rare ones are born with two, and rarer still, are those born with three!" He concluded, eyes resting momentarily on Celia.

Her discomfort grew under his gaze. 'There's no way he knows about me!'

She was indeed born with three magic types: Ice, Healing, and Foresight, but her Foresight had always been a closely guarded secret between the Royal and the Scarlett families, since it was a rare gift among elves.

With an abrupt grin, the teacher snapped his book shut and tossed his book out of the window. "Hmph... Nonsense!"

All eyes in the Jade Class were fixed on the window where the book had made its unfortunate exit.

"Now that I've vomited the Academy's mandatory rubbish," the teacher declared, readjusting his glasses to reveal vibrant yellow irises. "...let's get to the good stuff!"

Elegant writing magically appeared on the blackboard, announcing the teacher's name:

Dr. Sylvadeen Florence.

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