Chapter 2: A New World

CHAPTER 2: FIRST LESSONS AND SECOND GLANCES

The teacher – a tall woman with silver hair pulled back in a tight bun – walked to the front of the room and set down a stack of books. “Good morning, class. I’m Professor Chen, and I’ll be your instructor for Introduction to Mana Control. Before we begin –”

She paused, her eyes scanning the room until they landed on Mika, who was still munching on her potato chips. “Miss Everly? Food is not permitted in my classroom.”

Mika’s face went bright red as she quickly stuffed the remaining chips into her mouth and crumpled the bag into her pocket. “Sorry, sorry! I forgot – I mean, I didn’t know –”

“It’s quite alright,” Professor Chen said, though her tone suggested it was only just alright. “But please dispose of that before we start. And take a seat properly – slouching won’t help you focus your mana.”

Mika scrambled to sit up straight, knocking her notebook off the desk in the process. It hit the floor with a loud thud, and she could feel her ears burning as a few students turned to look. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Rin reach down to pick it up for her, his fingers brushing against hers as he handed it back.

“Thanks,” she whispered, and he just nodded, his cheeks still faintly pink.

Professor Chen began writing on the board – MANA SENSING: THE BASICS – and Mika tried her best to pay attention. “Every person has a unique mana signature,” the professor explained. “Some are strong, some are weak, some are better suited for combat, others for healing or creation. Our first exercise today will be simple: close your eyes, clear your mind, and try to sense the mana around you.”

Mika did as she was told, shutting her eyes tight and trying to empty her head of all thoughts – which was harder than it sounded. She kept thinking about how she’d ended up here, about Tai typing away at his computer back home, about how the guy next to her was supposed to be some kind of terrifying force but seemed more like a shy kid.

After a few minutes, she started to feel something – a faint warmth in her fingertips, like holding a cup of hot chocolate. She concentrated harder, and suddenly the warmth spread, and she could see it in her mind’s eye – threads of light weaving through the air, connecting every person in the room to each other and to the walls beneath their feet.

She opened her eyes to see if anyone else was having the same experience, and nearly jumped. Rin was looking at her, his expression unreadable. But when their gazes met, a small, almost imperceptible smile touched his lips before he turned away.

Across the room, a boy with dark hair was muttering under his breath. “This is stupid – I’ve been able to sense mana since I was eight. Why do we have to waste time on baby stuff?”

Rin’s head snapped toward him, and the change was immediate. His shoulders squared, his jaw tightened, and his eyes went cold – so cold that even from several desks away, Mika felt a chill run down her spine. The boy stopped talking mid-sentence, his face paling as he met Rin’s stare.

“Something you’d like to share with the class, Mr. Voss?” Professor Chen asked sharply.

The boy shook his head quickly, looking anywhere but at Rin. “No, ma’am. Sorry, ma’am.”

Rin turned back around, and just like that, the coldness was gone – replaced by the same quiet demeanor he’d shown her earlier. Mika stared at him, her mind racing. She’d seen it clearly – the way his whole presence shifted, the dangerous edge that had flashed in his eyes for just a moment.

“Alright,” Professor Chen said after a while. “It seems some of you are already able to sense mana – that’s excellent progress. We’ll continue this exercise tomorrow. For now, please read chapters one through three in your textbook and be prepared to discuss mana circulation pathways next class.”

As students began packing up their things, Mika turned to Rin. “Hey, did you feel that? The warmth? It was like… like there was a whole other world right in front of us.”

He nodded slowly, and she noticed his voice was different now – deeper, more confident than before. “Yeah. Been able to feel it for years. Most people here are just catching up.” There was a cocky edge to his words that hadn’t been there earlier.

“Tai never wrote about this part,” Mika said before she could stop herself. “I mean – I read a lot of books about this kind of stuff, y’know? Always wondered what it would actually feel like.”

The cockiness faded, and he looked at her again – really looked at her – with that same soft expression from the cafeteria. “You read a lot?”

“Too much, probably,” she laughed, shoving her notebook into her bag. “I should get going – I still haven’t found my next classroom and I don’t want to be late again.”

As she stood to leave, she heard him speak again – his voice quiet enough that only she could hear it. “Room 312 is down the hall, third door on the left. Don’t take the stairs – they’re under maintenance and half the steps are loose.”

Mika paused, looking back at him. He was already packing his things, acting like he hadn’t said anything at all. But when he glanced up, there was that faint smile again – and just for a second, she caught a glimpse of something wild in his eyes, hidden just beneath the surface.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***