Allan cringed as he materialized from the sharp glow of the warp circle. The shrill contrast between clogged academy halls and the vast openness of the peak above the forest felt to him like he'd been slapped across the face by nature itself. Violent winds collided with him, causing his long hair to flicker behind his head, as did the tails of his coat.

Despite being raised in the countryside, he always detested how obnoxiously unpredictable the world's natural forces were. This was part of the reason he sought to practice magic in the first place, the mystic art that allowed him to bend the laws of reality to his authority. What could compete with power such as that? Sorcerers really were different beasts; normal humans should not have been blessed with the Gift.

Shielding his scowling expression with an arm, Allan managed to take that first step towards the giant oaf, standing straight with his hands placed on his hips at the cliff's ledge. Despite how high up they both were, Allan couldn't sense the sun's beams on his skin, as its distant yet intense rays were buffeted by flurries of flower-scented winds that swirled into and around him. Allan sniffed his aggravated nose but continued nonetheless.

"Oh? What's this? The Abyssal Sorcerer has come out of his shadow for a change?" Jared said jokingly, wide teeth shining inside of his enormous smile. Just what did the sulmo's parents feed him when he was a child to grow so large? Honestly, Jared could probably beat a bear without magic and barehandedly.

Allan sniffed again. This time, there was an irritating sting in his nostrils. "Yeah, well, I had some time to kill. Figured I'd see how my homeroom brats are coming along."

"Those little implings?" Jared snickered with closed eyes. "The exam has only just begun, so not much has happened yet. But some of 'em are closing in on one another! I know a confrontation is bound to happen any minute now, just you wait!" Jared clenched an enormous fist in front of him. "There's bad blood between a griffin and a sparrow, no matter what form they take. And all of that turmoil will give route to some healthy dueling! Oh, I live for this kind of stuff!"

"Clearly," Allan sighed, stopping next to the child trapped in a grown man's body and only a few inches from where cragged rock met the emptiness of air. Through a leer, Allan took in the sight of an eternal ocean of blue and green, coagulating together to form the ceiling of a forest that history was forced to leave alone. Puffy clouds soared above them—carried by the howling eastern winds—and cast their shattered shadows onto them, scrolling over cracked earth and sponging them inside their darkness.

Given how dense the Glyph Forest canopy was, Allan couldn't spot any of them, but if he closed his eyes and concentrated, letting his Magic Sense do the "seeing" for him, all became clear underneath his sheathed vision. They popped into existence in his mind, one after the other, mere seconds separating their manifestation, and when Allan opened his eyes again, their Essence Signatures visualized as flickering, turquoise flames amidst the greenery, small yet strong torches dancing to winds from another realm.

The fiery tongues danced in a scattered pattern, encircling the immediate vicinity of the forest as he fixed his gaze straight ahead. The flames at the periphery prompted him to subtly shift his head left or right, yet he could discern each and every one of them. His students.

Now, Jared Knight wasn't a simpleton, no matter how desperately he'd have you believe it. In fact, as far as Allan was concerned, he was one of the strongest sorcerers in Incante. Get the man angry, and nothing in the Eternal Gardens or the Shadow could end his wrath. It was why Allan tolerated his annoyances; best to keep him in a good mood lest he run the risk of crossing wand to wand with him.

On the other hand, his Magic Sense left a lot to be desired. Even among their fellow professors—and even some of the Gray Cloak staff—Jared couldn't so much as detect the Signature of a newt scurrying in the mud, let alone an entire class of novices. Squinting, Allan tilted his gaze up at the wall of twenty-three magiscreens hovering seven meters over their heads, one for each of his students.

Though partially translucent, the violet-colored, square-shaped screens, no larger than a carriage window, captured live recordings of their respective mage's actions as they occurred in real time. True to Jared's word, most, if not all, of the brats had yet to make any noteworthy moves, and honestly, Allan had anticipated as much. They were still early in the exam, after all. Now was the moment for them to strategize, not act.

"Not to judge," Jared said, nudging Allan's shoulder, "but shouldn't you be overseeing your own Midterm right now?"

Allan shrugged at him. "My other class is busy taking their exam, yes, inside of a pocket prison. Lyra is monitoring them, don't worry."

Jared's laughter became even more obnoxious, and it caused the miniature hills that were his shoulders to bounce up and down. "Ha! Looks like Sydney had you all figured out after all! I shouldn't have doubted her, especially since she used to be your student herself. You really do have a soft spot for this class, don't you?"

"A soft spot?" Allan recoiled from the blatant insinuation. "No, I wouldn't call it that. But I won't lie to you, Jared. This class, it's succeeded at...let's call it, swaying my interest. More than half of them have got the potential to be great Professional Sorcerers." And one, in particular, was a complete anomaly. Allan's searching eyes caught a glimpse of the blonde-haired girl conversing with three others. Among them was...Laurence? He surely didn't expect that, but as these magiscreens didn't relay sound, he was left to only guess as to what the four could be conspiring. "Above anything else, I'm just curious. Is that really so out of character for me?"

"Hmm, eh, I guess not."

"So, Glyph Forest, huh?" Allan said dubiously, peering over the edge and at the building-sized trees reaching up from below. "I take it a lot of Professor Axewell's criticism didn't get through to you, did they?"

"Bah! That stubborn relic! It's always like him to be so old-fashioned. He's missed the entire point of what this class is supposed to be about." As Jared delved deeper into a topic he was passionate about, his voice tended to grow louder and louder, and this time was no exception. Gesturing emphatically with his muscular arms, a powerful roar erupted from his lungs. "I'm tasked with educating my implings on how to cast spells, but what's the point if they aren't exposed to the incomprehensible regularities this world has to offer?! Before they graduate, I'll subject 'em to every kind of scenario there is so that nothing can surprise them when they go pro! My class is all about using magic to achieve the impossible!"

Allan hid his smirk from the invigorated sorcerer. Just as fierce as ever, he thought fondly. Despite what he'd proclaimed, however, Allan knew deep down that Jared was a sucker for dueling—much like his insane older sister—and he'd come up with any excuse to see sorcerers go at one another. But Allan let not a word of his thoughts breathe out his lips. "So, what's your assessment then? What do you think of my students?"

Jared folded his arms over his expansive chest as he pondered the question. "They're fast learners and know their way around the do's and do not's of casting spells. I suspect you have a play in that. You've taught them well. I'm eager to see what they'll do."

"As am I," Allan nodded.

"That being said, there is one mage I'm a bit...conflicted on."

"Oh, yeah?" Allan inquired, side-glancing him. "Whose that?"

"Lady Lavender," Jared frowned. "She's a kind girl who's got herself a big heart, and her magic's nothing to scoff at, but she constantly belittles herself and her abilities. I fear that if this keeps up, she might not soar with the rest of her class but spiral into an abyss of her own making."

Fearne Lavender, huh? Allan narrowed his eyes on her dedicated magiscreen, which flickered as a gust of wind blew through it. Since the start of the semester, he'd known that she'd a few roadblocks to break past, mental barriers that served as obstacles on the path to a smooth development. Allan could educate her and Jared could train her how to fight, but only she could take that first step, that is, if she desired to be a true Professional Sorcerer.

Allan found himself taken aback by a sudden surge of frustration that seemed to ignite within his chest and rise up into his throat as he observed Fearne, confined within the boundaries of the magiscreen. Instead of wielding her wand or casting a spell, she was in a desperate flight, running from the imminent and deadly wave of frozen mist pursuing her.

This will be a complicated foe to fell, Allan contemplated with gritted teeth. How might you react, Lavender? Show us what you can really do.

*

* *

Perhaps two, maybe three years back, a famous story began circulating throughout the magical community. A tale of a particular novice mage who had nearly petrified an entire arena in ice with only a single spell.

This mage, she was a girl with reddish hair and eyes as pale as white smoke, a child of the current general of the Incantian Military and a well-respected sorcerer remembered fondly for her contributions to the country. A mage inheriting powerful magic that had appeared suddenly in the Capital to take part in the annual Sorcerer's Gauntlet. She'd emerged as the tournament's top contestant before that very same afternoon.

The Griffiths were a powerful and long-standing family lineage, known for their formidable reputation. Few dared to oppose them or incur their enmity. Throughout the years, the family had given rise to numerous skilled mages, each of whom had achieved remarkable success as Professional Sorcerers. Surely, Adeline Griffith would continue this legacy of excellence.

Many students at the academy perceived similar to how one might view the stunning yet dangerous obsidian urchin. Now there was a species of flower with a striking blue-on-black pattern and leaves that resembled the spikes of a sea urchin. Despite its beauty, a single prick from this flower could incapacitate a grown man in an instant. Without prompt extraction of the poison, survival was unlikely. They'd be gone before the next sunrise. 

It was an extreme comparison, admittedly. Adeline wasn't some venomous mage, but she was strong—maybe one of the strongest students in Glyph—and her magic would indeed cause some foolhardy sorcerer to spend the next few weeks in a Medical Mage clinic recovering.

The mage, a true prodigy, was the last person anyone would want to encounter. Yet, there she was, with her fiery hair flowing in the breeze and her wand gleaming at her side. Fearne felt a lump form in her throat as she first sensed Adeline's Essence Signature, and her heart sank as she spotted her emerging from the foliage, eyes searching for the next target she sought to frost.

As the young girl moved through the forest, a trail of ice unfurled in her wake. The delicate grass, vibrant flowers, and lush shrubs were consumed by a linear blanket of pure, unyielding ice beneath her feet. The humid winds of the forest yielded to swirling flurries of frost as she approached, causing goosebumps to rise on Fearne's shivering skin. In this chilling spectacle, she should have reached for her wand by now.

Why hadn't she been able to move? Was it some kind of spell that held her captive, immobilizing her despite the burning sensation in her eyes that threatened to spill tears? Fearne couldn't shake the feeling that in this exam, the chances of encountering someone she might have to engage in a magical duel with were higher than ever. Despite this, she had fervently prayed to Aeris for a safe journey without the need to resort to casting any spells. It appeared, however, that her prayers had not reached the Eternal Gardens.

Adeline strode confidently into the clearing, and Fearne suddenly realized she wasn't alone. A few paces behind her, Simon struggled to clear the wintery vapor smogging his glasses with his shirt.

She found herself facing not just Adeline, but now Simon as well. The weight of the situation was overwhelming. Should she flee? How could she possibly overcome both of them? They were about twenty meters away, with the clearing stretching out for about thirty meters. The oval-shaped glade was filled with ankle-high flora, resembling a green pond surrounded by towering titan galbora trees. The Melodies emanating from the trees grated unpleasantly on Fearne's ears.

The area offered little in terms of cover. Her best, and seemingly only, option was to seek refuge in the forest and pray that she could outmaneuver them within the dense foliage. However, as she settled on her strategy, Fearne's eyes widened as she faced the trio of students standing before her, each armed with their own wands. Fearne could feel the Essence within them beginning to surge.

Fearne tensed as a slender boy with neatly groomed, sandy-colored hair took a step forward. She could sense his nervousness in the way his dark eyes darted around the group. Were they actually considering taking on someone as formidable as Adeline? "All right, guys," he gulped, trying to sound brave, only to be betrayed by his anxious stutter, "there's no way of getting around this. It's a duel."

"Looks so," the girl closest to Fearne agreed with a nod. Her name was Lily, and Fearne remembered her as one of the students who sat in the first row of seats during homeroom. She was of fairly average stature—meaning that she had a few inches on Fearne herself—and possessed brownish eyes that reminded Fearne of fallen dead leaves. Her wavy, dark-colored hair was cut short, only barely reaching her shoulders, the bangs of which framed her diamond-shaped head.

"It's as we've discussed," Max grunted. He fell into a sturdy stance with his knees bent and dominant arm held out to the side, violet light sparking from the tip of his Advanced Wand and coiling around its shaft as electric tendrils. "Our main target is Adeline. If we take her down, the Griffins would have lost one of their strongest players. Then, it should be smooth sailing to the rock."

Yes, earlier on, as they had drawn closer to their destination, Max mentioned that they were likely to encounter a student from the opposing Griffin Team. Therefore, he proposed a strategy to tackle their biggest obstacles, Kliff and Adeline, with a bold yet simple plan: an all-out assault.

"Think we could pull it off?" the student to her left inquired in his deep-sounding voice. He was a tall lad—maybe even as tall as Mason—named Riktar. He possessed a sturdy, muscular frame with broad shoulders that stretched the limits of his uniform. Thankfully, the Glyph uniforms were enchanted, allowing them to withstand the strain. His brown hair stood on end like the spikes of a quillback rasher. His bushy eyebrows were furrowed over his dark eyes, and the muscles in the sides of his face pulsed like worms wriggling beneath the earth. "This won't be easy, Max. You know this. Even with all our magic combined—"

"We attack together! As one!" In spite of his demeanor, Max stomped his foot forward and thrust his wand straight for Adeline. "It doesn't matter how strong she is! She won't be able to stop all of us! And Fearne, you can support us with your healing, right?"

Fearne flinched when she realized he was speaking to her. "Oh! I...I can...well..."

"So, you mean to duel me? Is that it?" As Adeline approached, she gracefully brushed her hair away from her face. Her countenance remained impassive, and her eyes held a chilling intensity that could stop a man in his tracks. "I surmised as much, seeing as how you haven't fled by now. Good work on tracking them for me, Simon."

"They formed a group, which made my task simpler." Simon placed his glasses back on, pushing them up the bridge of his nose with a finger. As he had spoken, Fearne discerned that his breath was visible, puffing out his mouth as spiraling clouds.

Unlike herself, he wasn't shivering from fear. Standing so close to his teammate like that, why, Fearne was confident that his blood must have been freezing from the coldness Adeline exuded. It must have taken much self-control to remain posted where he was. "We'll handle this equally, Adeline. I'll confront those two, and you can—"

"No," Adeline said, extending her hand to halt Simon's movement as he attempted to take a step forward."I can duel them all myself. Save your magical energy for the bigger fish."

Simon hesitated at the order. "Are...are you sure?"

"Positive." Adeline didn't show it through her emotions or even a smile, but her voice vibrated with eager anticipation. "There's somebody amongst them I'm interested in learning more about. I'm of the belief that the best way to get to understand someone is through a duel."

Max gritted his teeth. "D...Don't underestimate us, Adeline," he said tremblingly. Electric sparks arced out of his wand, running up his arms like crooked, electrified fingers and causing his beige hair to turn stiff from static. Electricity sparked around him, appearing as glowing, yellow streaks that abruptly and sporadically sliced in and out of existence. If one were to get close to him, they'd be zapped without a doubt. "You'll come to find that our magic equals yours!"

"Is that so? Then prove it." Adeline stopped where she was and had her wand pointing back at him so quickly that Fearne missed the motion in a blink. "Ice Magic: Caelum."

As the deafening roar of shattering ice filled the air, Fearne instinctively braced herself. The ground trembled beneath her boots, unable to withstand the force of the explosive sound. Violent gusts of icy wind crashed into her, sweeping her off her feet as if she were a weightless leaf. Fearne landed with a grunt several feet away, feeling the searing warmth of pain spreading across her back as she collided with the grassy earth.

Fearne struggled to sit up, her eyes straining against the thick, icy fog that had descended upon the forest clearing. The galbora trees loomed like eerie, stalk-like figures, barely visible in the dense mist. Through the haze, Fearne could make out the still forms of her Sparrow teammates, sending a shiver of static fear through her.

For all his talk of issuing a united offensive, Max never got the opportunity to cast a single spell. He was frozen in place, suspended with his arm outstretched inside a jagged column of steaming ice. Fearne couldn't help but stifle her scream as she clamped both hands tightly over her mouth.

In the distance, she noticed Lily in a state similar to Max's, frozen in time. Unlike Max, Lily seemed to have been caught in the act of defending herself, with her arms outstretched in a futile attempt at protection. Her frozen expression of terror, with wide eyes and a gaping mouth, seemed to capture a silent scream, all of which would remain hidden within the ice until it eventually melted away.

Riktar seemed to have evaded the attack spell, but Fearne discerned his large frame sprawled in the grass, unmoving. Had he been knocked unconscious by the initial blast? Simon stood over him, searching for any sign of consciousness. "He's down," the boy nodded, flipping Riktar over on his back, exposing the circular target plastered to the lower half of his stomach. "I'll tag him out, though, lest he recovers later."

Adeline stood still, gazing at the frozen figure of Max encased in ice. She gently placed her hand on the icy surface, a cold that would feel hot to one's touch. "I told you, didn't I? You had no reason to waste your magic on such trivial opponents. They need more training. All of them. I highly doubt Professor Knight will be satisfied by their performances today."

"Our objective of this exam was to eliminate the opposing side by striking their weak points," Simon pointed out. "Won't it be difficult to do that if you insist on freezing them all?"

"You're mistaken. That wasn't the objective but rather a means to an end. As long as we Griffins stop the Sparrows, we should be fine." Fearne felt herself turn stiff as the ice mage slowly shifted her pale blue eyes from Max's tomb towards her. "Now then, what shall you do?"

Fearne was left speechless, but she quickly recovered from her initial shock and bolted for the safety of the forest, leaving her earlier scream behind. She was convinced that the dense foliage would offer her the protection she desperately sought. Amidst the embrace of nature, she hoped to find a sanctuary shielded from the cold biting at her heels.

"Not retaliating, are you? Have you lost the will to fight?" Fearne glanced back at Adeline as she sensed another spike of magical energy. Indeed, Adeline's Essence was pouring off her body, turquoise energy cloaking the girl like liquid flames. "Have it your way, then. I shall indulge this foolishness no further." Taking a step forward, her vibrant red hair flowing in the wind, a brilliant sapphire light radiated from the tip of the Advanced Wand she had skillfully aimed at her target. "Ice Magic: Caelum!"

Fearne's eyes blinked involuntarily as she witnessed a bolt of blue-colored energy hurtling towards her with astonishing speed, its erratic path resembling that of a wild bolt of electricity. Fearing the inevitable, she averted her gaze, knowing that the bolt would intercept her before she could reach the safety of the forest's bunker, leaving her frozen like the others. She would—

The forest floor seemed to reach out and grab Fearne as the tip of her boot caught on something while she ran—an unearthed root or a hidden stone, perhaps? She stumbled and collapsed just as an ice beam streaked over her and crashed into a nearby tree. Solid ice spikes shot up from the ground, reaching towards the tree's branches several meters high. The ice expanded rapidly, spreading over the ground and extending to the surrounding trees, creating a thick, blueish wall shrouded in mist.

"Incredible!" Simon exclaimed. "She just dodged your attack, Adeline! And when all the others couldn't! She must be an expert at evasion."

No, Fearne thought to herself. I'm just a major clutz. From where she lay, Fearne looked up at the ice wall desperately. There would be no getting through something like that now; she needed a new escape route.

Behind her, advancing footsteps caused Fearne's heart to pound, and sweat drizzled her forehead despite the chilly climate. "Is that all you have to offer?" Adeline asked emotionlessly, a breath cloud leaking out the corner of her mouth as she spoke. "I just don't understand. You must be stronger than this. Why do you insist on playing the weakling?"

Fearne's face contorted in a grimace as she swiftly drew her Thistle Wand from her waist and thrust it into the air. A vibrant green energy sparked to life in the swirling mist around her. "Plant Magic: Flore Sanseria!" Fearne shouted, her eyes latched shut. 

The tranquil grassland suddenly came to life as tiny green shoots emerged one by one, swiftly transforming into delicate white puffs that encircled Fearne before spreading out into the surrounding greenery. The dandelions seemed to multiply by the hundreds, creating a mesmerizing spectacle. Adeline hesitated, taking a step back as the sea of white approached her. To her surprise, the ground beneath her also erupted with the same enchanting dandelions.

Fearne let out a slow breath as she observed the results of her magical handiwork. In just four minutes, the entire clearing had transformed into a sea of delicate dandelions. While these flowers were not particularly extraordinary and lacked their own unique melodies, they only grew as tall as a man's ankle, and the spell required not a large sum of Essence. It wasn't meant for offense; rather, the spell's power lay in the chaotic beauty it created.

As the next gust of wind swept through, it set off a chain reaction. Suddenly, dandelions scattered in all directions, their delicate seeds catching the breeze and swirling through the air. The once clear image of a surprised Adeline was now barely discernible among the swirling mass of seeds, like a shadow disappearing into a wispy curtain.

"What's happening?!" she heard Simon cry from a distance, though she couldn't exactly tell where. "Is this...her magic?!"

Fearne shook her head as she leaped up from the grass and sprinted toward the edge of the trees, making a sharp right turn. Flore Sanseria, one of the very first spells her mother had ever taught her for protection, was her go-to in tricky situations. Although not designed for offense, Fearne knew it would effectively disorient and distract her pursuer, buying her valuable time to escape while they were left bewildered.

In this situation, some might perceive the strategy as cowardly, but it wasn't as if Fearne had a lot of options. Adeline's mastery of Ice Magic was unmatched, making it impossible for Fearne to compete. Not even the proud galbora trees, typically resolute and towering, welcomed the alien ice brought by Adeline. Their triumphant melodies turned sour and disdainful the moment she appeared, beckoning an intrusion of ice and snow. 

"You can't escape me that easily! Fearne!" Over her shoulder, Fearne spotted Adeline swipe her wand through the cluster of flying seeds, pointing its tip at her. A hint of anger doused her previously composed expression, the brows above her palish eyes pulled together tightly. "I won't let you!"

Another dazzling bolt of energy surged forth from her, and this time, Fearne was unable to evade it. She attempted to dodge to her left, but Adeline's magic was too swift. The icy blast narrowly grazed Fearne's thigh, and that was all it took to encase her side in a layer of frost. The chilling ice crept up to her waist and down most of her leg, halting just above her calf. With one more step, Fearne found herself face down on the frozen grass.

Staggered footsteps alerted her of Adeline's approach without the need to check with a glance. "There you go again, limiting yourself. Does this duel not mean anything to you? Don't you want to score high on the Midterm Exam?" Adeline asked forcefully. "I can sense a person's Essence just the same as you can. Your magic, why aren't you using it to its fullest potential?"

"Because it's pointless!" Fearne shouted, pressing her forehead against the ground, bawling fistfuls of grass. "It's not like it'll change anything! I can't defeat you! I'm not...not strong enough."

"And just who decided that? You?" Adeline asked. She didn't sound as aggressive as she did moments ago. "The exam isn't over yet. There's more I have to do. If we're done here, I'll finish this."

Gritting her teeth, Fearne attempted to climb into a crouch, and as she did, her sight latched onto her most cherished possession: the bracelet given to her by her parents on her seventh birthday, the very same year she'd begun practicing magic in full. The flowers sewed into the vine-like band were unbudded, and they would remain that way until she uttered the spell, kindling them with life.

As she stared at the bracelet emptily, she could feel tears welling in her eyes, making them itchy and soggy. Why? Why couldn't she be strong? Why did things always have to turn out this way? Was she forever meant to be a failure?

The flowers on her bracelet had Melodies, too. They were weak, but Fearne could hear them sing sometimes if she listened carefully. Those notes they hummed were nostalgic, warm, calming. They were the songs that reminded her of home, of her mother's voice. She wished they were here—her parents, her friends, anyone who could help her.

"Why...?" she asked the bracelet softly, wiping tears with the back of her hand. "Why am I so useless?"