The three of them bumped into each other again—right in front of the classroom they were about to enter.
Niko gave a small nod. Lia waved. Rai stood further back in the line, yawning.
"What's the subject today again?" Niko leaned toward Lia.
"Something about magic defense, I think? I didn't read."
They both snickered quietly.
Around twenty to thirty students filed into the room. The seating curved along the wall like an amphitheater, all facing a hard-to-miss dueling ring between them and the teacher's desk.
Ten minutes passed. Still no teacher.
Murmurs echoed across the room.
"What are we even doing here..." Rai muttered. He kicked back in his chair, boots landing on the desk with a thunk.
The student beside him gave him a look.
Rai caught it.
"What? You wanna join the jocks?"
The student immediately looked away.
CLACK.
The door swung open.
"Well, sorry I'm late. There was… some disturbance down the road."
He stepped in without looking at anyone. Removed his coat. Hangs it with precision.
"My apologies," he adds, as if reading it off a cue card.
He turns toward the class, slowly.
"My name is Nicholas Pinto. Professor Nicholas, if you may."
He scans the room. Not just looking — measuring. One student at a time. No words. Just silent judgment settling like fog.
The students quiet down. Even Rai drops his feet from the table.
"Good," he mutters.
"Let's begin."
"As you know, this is Aether Defense Class. It's a required study for all second-years, and you must graduate from it."
He scribbles the title on the board in chalk, underlining must for emphasis.
"What does Aether mean, Professor Nicholas?" Lia asked.
He turned with a polite smile—
Only for his brow to twitch slightly when he saw the one asking was a goth girl.
Still, he shrugged it off and answered anyway.
"Good question. Miss...?"
"Lia. Celia Vernoux," she replied.
"O-kay, Miss Vernoux. That is a good question."
He flicked his wrist, and a slim pointer extended with a satisfying snap.
"Aether is the essence of our body and soul. It's what allows us to wield magic. Mastery of Aether is what led the Lords to their Ascendancy—what allowed them to be reborn as the Elemental Lords."
He stepped forward, halting just in front of a student in the front row.
"You. Which Lord does your family descend from?"
"I'm from a distant branch of the Legendary Firebreather line, Professor. My family uses Wind and Fire."
"Ah! A fellow child of flame!" Nicholas beamed.
"I too hail from a proud third-root family of Lord Hugh Mungus!"
He spread his arms wide, as if praising the sun—
in the middle of a classroom.
The students stared at him, judging.
"Alright then. One action beats a thousand words. We'll jump straight into a live demonstration. I'll need two volunteers."
Nicholas stepped toward the duel ring in the middle of the room, prepping the field with a tap of his boot.
He looked around expectantly.
"No volunteers? Okay then… you, and… you there! Come up!"
His tone was chipper—maybe too chipper. But one of the chosen students hesitated.
"I… I'm a Null, Professor. I haven't developed a connection with Aether yet," the student said, ashamed.
A wave of murmurs rippled through the class.
Nicholas clicked his tongue in disappointment.
"Alright, alright, alright—calm down. Let's not be so judgmental toward the Wicks," he said, using air quotes.
"Even without magic, they're still here in spirit... like their grades."
A few students burst into laughter.
But for Rai, Lia, and Niko, their expressions shifted. Brows twitched. Niko's jaw clenched—his face soured—but he said nothing. Not yet.
Nicholas moved on quickly, picking another student from the front row.
"You. Come up."
The student stood and stretched like it was a performance.
"Watch and learn, Wicks," he snickered.
The Null student said nothing.
They could only grit their teeth and clench their fists.
"Student A, you'll chant a basic attack spell. Student B, a basic defensive spell—anything you know," said Nicholas, standing between them.
Student A raised his hand and began his chant:
"Oh ultimate Fire Lord, engulf them in righteous flame—Fuego!"
A burst of flame shot out from his palm—no larger than a cupcake, and about as fast as a butterfly.
Student B began his own chant just as calmly:
"Oh Earth Lord, protect me from the heathens—Escudo!"
Rocks surged from the floor, floating into the air and forming a crude, dinner-plate-sized shield that absorbed the small explosion.
Bits of smoldering debris scattered toward the crowd—
One of the burning chunks struck a Null student square in the shoulder.
The class broke into giggles.
Even Nicholas had to suppress a laugh behind his hand.
"Alright, alright, that's enough—it's not funny," he said, clearing his throat.
"Thanks to Students A and B for the demonstration. Give them a round of applause."
Nicholas clapped. The class followed, most of them wide-eyed in awe, murmuring to each other about the magic on display.
Student A, now basking in the attention, turned and smirked proudly—
directly at the Nulls.
Niko, arms crossed, was not impressed.
* * *
"Anyone else want to demonstrate their skills in the ring?" Nicholas asked, arms folded.
Without hesitation, Niko raised his hand.
"I'd like to demonstrate, Professor."
Nicholas glanced at his notes.
Niko Greaves — Dormant/Null.
He furrowed his brow.
"It says here you haven't established any connection with the Aether yet, Mr. Greaves. I know some of their words might rile you up, but let's not be an example of a reckless wick." He shrugged, smirking.
The class giggled.
That only made Niko stand taller.
"It's fine. I've got something to show the class. Especially… that one."
He pointed directly at Student A.
"Ooooooooooooh~"
The class erupted.
Nicholas raised an eyebrow. "…Fine. Come on, then."
He waved Niko down.
"Student A, back to the ring. Let's see your fire skills again."
Rai sat up straight, grinning.
"Ooooh, this is gonna be fun."
As Niko made his way to the center, he slipped on the glove gadget he'd finished tweaking that morning in the workshop. He planted his feet and raised his arm like he was holding a shield.
Nicholas noticed.
"So you're the one behind those little contraptions."
He smirked slightly.
"Well—guess now's the time to shine."
He turned to Student A.
"You may launch a basic attack."
Then, his head turned toward Niko.
"Mr. Greaves, the infirmary's right next door. Don't say I didn't warn you."
He chuckled.
"Don't worry," Niko said, calm and sharp.
Nicholas leaned over to whisper in Student A's ear.
"Remind him where he stands."
A sly grin.
Student A nodded and began his chant.
Niko tapped the fingers of his glove. Gears clicked softly as he assumed his stance.
"Oh, Fire Lord supreme," Student A chanted, "let me spew hot flame to strike down my foes—
Fuego Ascendente!"
Rai shot up from his seat.
"That's a strong spell! Heads up!"
The fire formed quickly, compressed and fast—as if someone hurled a key across the room. It screamed through the air.
Niko didn't flinch.
He braced behind his glove like a shield.
Unaware, the mark wrapped around his finger like a ring began to glow.
BOOM!
Flames erupted across the ring. The blast sent heat across the classroom.
Nicholas peered through the smoke, eyes scanning for where Niko had landed.
But as the fire settled—there he stood.
Unmoved. Hand raised. Not a scratch on him.
Silence.
Then Niko lowered his arm, expression smug.
"Guess it works after all."
The class exploded in cheers.
Nicholas stared at Niko, clearly not amused.
The students' cheering was like pouring salt into his eyes.
"Alright, alright, alright—that's enough," Nicholas said.
"Thank you, Mr. Greaves, for your demonstration. Now return to your seat, please."
He clapped. Slowly. Deliberately.
As Niko walked back to his chair, students along the aisle reached out to slap his hand, some even cheering under their breath.
From across the room, Rai was flipping him off and waving like a maniac.
Niko just nodded, hiding a small grin.
"There. As you can see," Nicholas said, his voice cool and composed, "we humans can harness Aether—guided by the will of our body and mind."
He turned slowly toward Niko, lifting his chin slightly, eyes narrowing.
"And as for Mr. Greaves… judging from his performance—beyond his little devices—I believe his soul is connecting with something quite... unorthodox. Something long considered taboo within this academy."
His voice lowered, almost dramatic.
"The Dark Lord. The energy of Void."
Nicholas gritted his teeth behind a thin, measured smile.
The room, which had just been roaring with cheers, fell dead silent.
Murmurs started trickling in from every direction.
"The Dark Lord? Wasn't that The Lightkeeper's enemy?" someone whispered.
"Whaaaaat—? He's linked to that lord? Creepy~," added another voice, half-giggling, half-nervous.
Eyes turned toward Niko.
The praise shifted into suspicion.
"Well then, class. I suppose that's all for today's lesson."
Nicholas clapped his hands once.
"Open your Aether books to page 143. That will be your homework."
The whole class groaned at the word homework.
"Atatatatata—no excuses," Nicholas sing-songed, wagging a finger.
"I'll be seeing you next week. Carry on. Goodbye."
He slipped his coat back on, adjusted the collar with a smug flick, and strode out of the room—
vanishing behind the door to his private chamber.
The students packed their books and left the class one by one.
Niko glanced down at his gadget, carefully removing it from his hand—
only to notice the mark on his fingers had grown thicker.
It almost looked like a birthmark now, coiling faintly under the skin.
"YO! Cool stuff, Niko!"
Rai popped out of nowhere and smacked him on the back.
Then he saw it too.
"Huh... is it true what that stupid professor said? You got the affinity for Void?"
Rai's tone shifted — serious for once.
"I don't know, man..."
Niko sighed and started packing his bag.
"All I know is that I grew up in an orphanage. My lineage's a mystery."
"I got into this academy on a scholarship — mechanical engineering merit."
He stood up, slinging his bag over one shoulder with a shrug.
Rai stared into Niko's eyes, trying to read him.
Then...
"Meh. Who cares."
He grinned.
"You're still cool to me. Wanna join the jocks? We mess around the academy every day."
Niko squinted.
"Do I look like a jock to you?"
He raised both hands and waved them vertically down his own frame.
Niko was tall, sure — and carried himself with a quiet strength —
but he clearly didn't have Rai's shatterproof bulk.
"So what? Body can be trained!" Rai flexed his biceps.
"I could have you deadlifting statues by next month."
Niko walked past him, unfazed.
"Bye, Rai."
He waved without looking back.
"Tch. Party pooper."
Rai clicked his tongue and followed.
Niko glanced at his fingers again, flexing them slowly.
Whatever that mark was… it was getting harder to ignore.
As Niko and Rai walked through the hallway, they started to notice it—
the stares.
Not the usual ones.
Not the bored, passing glances of classmates.
These were sharper. Curious. Uneasy.
Just like that, news of a student with Void affinity had spread like wildfire.
But not every look was wary.
The Dormant—Null students—lit up at the sight of him.
Especially the first-years, whose eyes lit up—like someone had finally given them permission to exist.
Even some upperclassmen nodded in passing. A few gave him quiet thumbs up.
"Wow..." Rai muttered beside him. "One class, and you're suddenly academy-famous. Good for you, Niko."
He gave Niko a bombastic side-eye.
"As if I wanted this, you doo-doo," Niko shot back, deadpan.
He tapped his bag lightly.
"At least now I know my gadget works."
Then his eyes shifted, a flicker of realization sparking.
"…Speaking of doo-doo—where's Bell?"
* * *