The Arcanum's main obligation was to govern and monitor the practice of magic throughout the country. The Military was an indomitable force, no doubt, but not even they could account for every "incident" involving the mystical arts, nor could they comprehend how exactly to approach such fragile anomalies. Most of them were the shoot first, ask questions type.

But magic was a delicate, sacred exercise. Tragically though, not everyone was of the same opinion. Some, like the bizarre lab rats in the State Military, sought to weaponize it. Reachers and others in the science communities loved to run their experiments on it, aspiring to usher in a new revolutionary age of magically enhanced technology.

And then there were rogue sorcerers, criminals or wanted fugitives who somehow managed to procure themselves wands. Needless to say, the Arcanum had their hands full, being entrusted with a monsoon of different magic-related problems. And so their ranks were primarily composed of some of the best mages and Professional Sorcerers they could find.

Not every sorcerer took that path, however. Some found honor in serving in the Military as State Sorcerers. Many of them were revered as famous war veterans and heroes. One such sorcerer among them was Allan Marsh, the Abyssal Sorcerer.

There weren't many that knew of him. In fact, up until recently, Elaine was no different. This was mainly due to how elusive and discrete the sorcerer was when it came to his work. Based on her eldest brother's description—being the sorcery-obsessed freak that he was—Allan Marsh was one of the strongest sorcerers in the entire country and had quickly risen from being just a novice State Sorcerer to a lieutenant general.

He'd participated in numerous civil conflicts and was responsible for capturing some of the most dangerous rogue sorcerers Incante had the misfortune of bolstering. Elaine wondered how someone like him would wind up as an educator at Glyph Academy. 

Ellend had mentioned that he had just randomly turned in his letter of resignation one day and then disappeared into the country. But in actuality, he was hired as a professor? No, Elaine didn't buy it. There had to be more to that story. Plus, the man didn't really seem to be...professor material. 

"Alright, let's see here," he yawned, staring at the clipboard in his hands. Sleepy eyes, drooping shoulders, a couldn't-be-bothered attitude. Was he related to Raze, perchance? "I suppose our first order of business is taking attendance," Marsh dryly said. "So here's how we're going to do this, we'll start from the front of the class and make our way to the back. When your name is called...uh...give us an introduction. Tell us a little about yourself, I don't know; it's up to you."

Glad to see he's excited to be here, Elaine thought.

"Oh, and try to keep your intros as brief as possible, will you? We're already running late," he said. "There's twenty-three of you, and I have a few announcements to make at the end, yeah?" Nobody in the class responded—still processing that the Abyssal Sorcerer was their teacher more than likely—and Marsh gave a shrug. "I'll take that as confirmation. Okay then, who's up first?"

Elaine sat forward in her seat. If nothing else, this would serve as a pristine opportunity to get acquainted with her other classmates. At the very least, she'd know their names. True to her expectations, a good majority of them were indeed nobility. There was even a couple of fourth and third cule amongst the bunch. They'd be heirs to thriving businesses or high noble bloodlines; they came from kingdoms that were to her as alien as the Celestial Realm.

But you'd be hard-pressed to guess, however, that they were meant to be goldbloods. Based entirely on personal experience, Elaine could easily identify a noble from out of a crowd of lowborns. They'd talk a certain way or dress expensively or have their servants open the door for them. Surges, on one occasion, she'd spotted a noblewoman complaining that her transport—a fanciful carriage reined by land dragons—wasn't in the color she had requested.

Goldbloods were fragile, superficial creatures. But her classmates, they seemed to be a lot more...unhinged in how they came across. Some didn't speak in the dignified manner she would have otherwise predicted they'd inherit. Some spoke of grand, even nonsensical, aspirations that made Elaine doubt that her ears were functioning properly.

And then there were some like Abigail Bovine, a girl sitting in the front row of the class. When her name had been called, the brown-skinned girl with a pair of green eyes and spiky black hair swayed to her feet, announcing without care, "I go by "Abby" these days, sir. And I came to this school to learn how to fight. How to better use my magic in a duel. I need to get stronger. I'm tryna kill someone."

She didn't bother elaborating, and Allan Marsh himself didn't appear to be the least bit fazed by the eerie proclamation. He merely continued down his list of students as if everything the odd girl had just said was completely, unequivocally...normal.

But Elaine's attention spiked as he next called the name, "Kliff Dresden." and someone two desks in front of her exhaled a sigh. The blonde-haired boy rose out of his chair, assuming a solid posture.

"That would be me, sir," the boy named Kliff said. "I've always had a fascination for magic, even when I was young. So I worked my hardest to get into Glyph Academy. I was promised that it was the best school in the country if one sought to attain the title of Professional Sorcerer." His words, they were delivered in a fluent yet firm tone. "Now that I'm here, I intend on becoming the best student I can, the best sorcerer I can be. I hope that we can all get along together. That is all."

Kliff took his seat after that, and a moment later, the room erupted in an explosion of muted mumbles. Elaine understood why. Even a country lowborn like herself knew about the prominent Dresden Family.

Even amongst the most exclusive inner circles of nobility, the Dresdens were heralded with respect and dignity. This was a family that sat on a pedestal reaching high amongst the clouds that hardly anybody else could climb to. They owned a lucrative wand-making enterprise, owning thousands of shops and factories stretching from the Capital all the way to Altho in the far south. 

Elaine suspected everyone in class might have owned a wand produced by them, and rightfully so. After all, the Dresdens were responsible for distributing and manufacturing more than 80% of the wands throughout the country. She aimed her gaze at Kliff again, who sat slouched in his chair. Someday, he'd own the entire enterprise for himself. He was practically guaranteed success from the moment of his birth. 

It begged the question, why bother studying to be a sorcerer when he more than likely already had everything he could ever ask for? Goldbloods and their mysteries, there was never an end to them. After Kliff gave his introduction, Elaine listened as the other students said their parts as well. 

It was quite a varied ensemble. A girl from the Capital who was heir to a thriving trades and craft business. A mage of fourth cule hailing from a family of powerful and noteworthy politicians. So entranced was she by their separate backgrounds, Elaine hadn't noticed her name being called until the Abyssal Sorcerer coughed into a fist. She hopped in her seat, and her face glowed with crimson embarrassment as the entire class peered in her direction.

Giving them a brief yet all too awkward chuckle, she stood up and said in a light tone, "Elaine Harwood, that would be me." Not her best introduction, but it was the only one she'd the power to muster, given her cumbersome circumstances. "I was born and raised in Page, far off in the countryside. I wouldn't be surprised if none of you have ever heard of it."

"Page, huh? Say, isn't that the town close by Gallow Forest?" asked the boy with a harsh-sounding voice. His name was Jack Durge, if she was remembering correctly, and he was aspiring to join the ranks of the Military after he graduated. Yeah, he'd make a good fit as a State Sorcerer.

Elaine nodded at him. "That's the one."

"Awesome. You know, I heard the Gallow Forest is home to some pretty wicked beasties. Have you ever checked it out for yourself, or are they just baseless rumors?"

Memories of the sprang loose in her head, and the image of a screaming Ellend consumed by flames burned bright in her gaze. That day, she'd heard Aeris' whispers. On that day, she learned how overwhelming the fear of death could be. "Once a year, we'd hear stories of a traveler going missing," Elaine confirmed, desperate to keep her false smile. "My folks never let me go near it either, but there's never been word of there being any monsters. At least, not to my knowledge."

Jack had both fists clenched in front of him, his light brown eyes scorched with excitement. "Man, that sounds like a perfect training ground befitting a sorcerer. I've gotta check it out one of these days."

"Let's try to stay on track." Professor Marsh's voice was as cold as ice, or rather, the blade of a well-polished sword. It effortlessly sliced their conversation in half, butter melting between the metal. "Ms. Harwood, if it's all the same with you, then I shall move onto—"

"Actually," Elaine interrupted, raising a hand, "I'm not finished yet, sir. I've still got more to say."

"Oh?" replied Marsh, fostering a glare.

"Yes, sir," Elaine said. "B...But as long as it's all right with you, of course."

Marsh gave an annoyed frown towards the ticking clock strung up on the wall above the classroom door. The sorcerer gave a shrug, then nodded for Elaine to proceed.

Inspiring, Elaine said, "Truth is, all of this is pretty much new to me. I'd never gotten the chance to attend such a famous school before, and so to be scouted as a student was quite the honor. I'm certain every one of you is a talented magic user, just as I'm also certain that countless other mages should be here in my place.

"But I can only match your pace, and so I will try my very best to do so. Until the curtains close on our time together, I hope that we can all study well as fellow classmates and sorcerers."

Elaine bowed at the class before settling back into her seat. No sooner had she done so, however, did she feel a wave of humiliation mercilessly crash onto her. She didn't mean for her introduction to sound so...so scripted. And for all that she had said, she never actually mentioned why she enrolled in the academy nor what she planned on doing in the future.

Her head buried into her desk, Elaine made a solemn peek to the left. The large kid with curly dark hair sitting next to hers bore into her with a lifeless expression. It made her shudder, but as she was about to say something to him, to her surprise, the kid spent an approving nod—the tips of his mouth curved into a smile.

His name was Mason. When he had introduced himself, he spoke in a powerful, low-toned voice that commanded the attention of every person around him. He didn't delve much into his personal life, nor did he seem interested in drawing out a conversation. Mason merely confirmed his name as it was called, provided a brief insight into his hometown, and then sat back down. 

At first, Elaine was somewhat put off by the quiet giant. But that smile, it painted a different picture. There was kindness, sincerity to it. If only Elaine could deduce a way to strum up a conversation with him in a manner that was neither incredibly forced nor incredibly artificial.

As the students in the final rows of the class began spouting out their introductions—Fearne presented hers with an accidental eep! accompanied by a whimper—Elaine came to the startling conclusion that the vast majority of her classmates were...odd. Yes, that was the best way she could describe it.

They were goldbloods. They were rich. They had an aptitude for magic. But they were odd. Elaine initially thought that she'd be the outsider, the deviant, the stranger. She was a lowborn; she must never forget that she was a lowborn. 

Nevertheless, the more she heard her classmates speak, the more she learned of their yearnings, their passions, so did she realize just how unorthodox they all were. Nobles were known for being flamboyant and eccentric, and sure, that might have applied to a few of the students present with her. 

But most behaved in a manner not dissimilar to the kids she grew up with in Page. There was a scrappiness to them, a feistiness akin to an agitated bush goblin. This wasn't your class of typical nobles—not that Elaine had any notion of what that might look like—but a different breed entirely. 

Pseudo-nobles, if that made even a lick of sense. They weren't the same as the students she'd run into around campus or at the marketplace. Theirs was an Essence not confined to the sticks of a fireplace but soared untamed down the winding path of a burning forest. Elaine wasn't entirely positive if this was reassuring to her or not.

"Well, that seems to be everyone," Marsh sighed, giving the sheet in his hands an unenthusiastic once-over. "Now then, I suppose it'd be beneficial for you all to be made aware of how we here at Glyph operate. From what I can tell, from what you've told me, this room isn't short of ambition. That's good, but it can only take you so far.

"The professors of this academy, myself included, pride themselves on molding some of the best sorcerers Incante has ever seen. If we deem you to be unfit or unworthy of walking these halls where legends were born, well, suffice to say you more than likely won't have a great stay here."

A cold thorn stabbed at her nape, and Elaine flinched. Was it just her imagination pestering her again, or was the Abyssal Sorcerer glaring straight at her? An uneasy feeling rolled upon her, like the sickly sensation she'd get after eating too much too quickly.

"It might only be your first week, but I advise you to make a good first impression on all of your professors. Show them that you're determined, that you own the right to attend their classes. That you're earnest, that your approval wasn't a mistake." Another shiver crushed her. Yup, he definitely had her inside of his hazy leer, but he looked away as he said, "This school values honor more than anything. Apply it to every aspect of your life, and you just might survive."

"Survive?" uttered Custas, chuckling anxiously to himself. "You're being hyperbolic, aren't you, sir?"

Marsh didn't respond to the question. "Your regular classes will begin in the next five minutes or so. Good luck," he said as he strode to the door.

"Wait, sir!" called Adeline, the auburn-haired girl sitting closer to the front of the class. She raised a hand above her head, and her voice attuned to a strict, purposeful note. "You've gotten to know a little about all of us, haven't you?" she asked him. "Don't you think it's also appropriate that you tell us a bit about yourself as well?"

Marsh paused a breath from the door. "Me?"

"You are our homeroom teacher," said Adeline. "Not to mention you're also a famous Professional Sorcerer. Naturally, as your students, we'd at the very least be interested in what you would have to say."

"Yeah, I agree!" clapped Rayla. She was a fair-skinned girl with a round face and shortly-trimmed reddish blonde hair that just barely touched her shoulders. But what stood out most about her was that of her pair of ruby-tinted eyes. She must be a foreigner. From Ekenthall, maybe? Elaine had read that red-colored eyes were a common trait in that country.

"I gotta know, teach, are the stories about you true!" Rayla said, her face flowering with elated wonder. "That you're one of the best sorcerers around!"

"Eh, it's not like it'd kill you or anything," Jack added, folding his arms.

"So, you want to know about me? Is that it?" Marsh said, arcing his neck. He glanced at the bird on his shoulder, and when it made a click with its beak, the sorcerer expelled a sigh. "Let's see, I guess you could say I'm practical. From what I've gathered thus far, my first impression of this class is that...well, how do I put this? You're a bunch of imbeciles."

At least he's being honest, Elaine thought.

"Still, I'd be lying if I were to say I didn't sense a great deal of potential from you. But passions and desires hardly matter if you don't possess the talent to make them real," he muttered, gripping the handle and creaking open the door. "Personally, I couldn't care less about what your dreams are. They interest me not. Prove to me that you have the willpower to commit to this journey. Resolve is what I value most in a student, boys and girls. But if you can't keep up with the rest of the herd, then I won't hesitate to cut you loose myself."

The Abyssal Sorcerer shut the door behind him with a slam, and the class had once again been banished into empty, wordless space. Was that meant to be inspirational? Judging from the frowns and uneasy sideglances of her classmates, it seemed to generate the opposite effect.

She heard a whistle slip out of someone's lips. "Ha! What a nifty guy," grinned Custas.

"More like creepy," Rayla said, giddily hugging herself. "But it should be interesting to have someone like him as our homeroom teacher, don't you think?"

"He's testing us," said Adeline. "Testing to see if we're worthy of being his students. That just now wasn't a greeting, nor was it a warning. More than anything, it was a threat. If we don't meet his expectations, I have no doubt he'll make good on his word."

"Then he really was telling the truth?" asked Fearne. She sounded nervous, and Elaine couldn't blame her. She herself was struggling to soothe the irritation trembling her chest.

"Yes," Adeline confirmed. "Should we fail to impress him, then I dare say none of us will last very long at this academy."

Elaine gulped. So this is what Hound was talking about, she thought, a wobbly smile spreading on her face. Glyph Academy was a battleground, a war for survival. Forget purchasing a wand holster or struggling to find her homeroom. Her real troubles, so it seemed, had only just begun.