The early rays of dawn painted the dorms of the Academy and Juka's face as a new day on campus rolled around; the boys of the dorm who were used to late nights and early mornings were the subject of Juka's groggy jealousy. His eyelids felt heavy and itchy, his limbs weighed down as if the mattress was still clinging to him. A faint ache pulsed behind his eyes, and the cold morning air only made him long for the warmth of his bed. He wondered, not for the first time, why waking up seemed so much harder for him than for everyone else.
He wondered how they managed to study and train all night and still stay awake during lectures. "God, I wish I had your ability to exist like fungus," Juka told Lucien, rolling out of the top bunk. Lucien, already dressed for his first lecture, retorted, "It's something most royals can do; I'm not surprised commoners can't pull it off." Juka gritted his teeth, feeling a flicker of irritation at Lucien's remark, though he tried to mask it with a half-hearted laugh. He never knew if Lucien meant these jabs as friendly teasing or something sharper, but either way, they always left a sting.
Juka started pulling himself together when Tindale approached and handed over some marble-sized bread. "It's an elven monk breakfast that perks the sleepiest person right up…you look like you need it more than I do." He straightened Juka's crooked collar and smoothed the shoulders of his blazer. Tindale added, "Where I grew up, the monks believe starting the day with one of these helps sharpen the mind for meditation and discipline. It's a tradition before long prayer sessions—keeps you awake, even if the spirit is willing but the body isn't." "There," Tindale said, "Now you look like you're ready for the day."
Juka scrutinized the small pill-like pieces of tightly packed bread in his hand; its scent alone started whetting Juka's appetite with notes of cinnamon, sweet spring cloves, and subtle notes of coffee. But before he could taste one, Tindale stopped him mid-motion; "A bit of cautious advice. These are strong…so one should be enough for you to make it to lunch." "I wasn't gonna eat them all," Juka jabbed as he popped one into his mouth while he and Tindale walked out of the dorms, joining the droves of yawning students as they all made their way to campus, "I wanna see how things go before another."
Almost immediately, Juka felt like the tiredness had been blasted right out of him. "Dude….you gotta sell these, not only do they taste good, you weren't lying about it waking me right up." He looked around like he'd been healed from lethargy in every sense of the word. Tindale chuckled and shook his head dismissively. "No can do, Elven Monk Culinary secret, code dictates I'm not allowed to disclose the ingredients, and if I did sell them, I'd need to gather a bunch of materials that don't grow here." As they approached the main gate of Merlin's Academy, the transition from the bustle of students to the imposing architecture became clear. The towering pillars—set with precious, powerful stones—loomed overhead, reinforcing for Juka why Merlin's was reputed to demand more than just magical aptitude from its students.
Soon, the halls were filled with the light morning chatter: students greeting faculty, teachers chatting among themselves about the day's schedule, and students conversing about various topics. Juka felt a little out of place in the crowded hallway until he felt Tindale's hand gently touch his shoulder. "You okay?" Juka's attention zeroed in on his friend, checking in with him instead of the gazes of the others around him. "I'm alright," Juka reassured Tindale before the bell sounded three times in the halls for assembly. "We should get going, I don't wanna be late," Juka said as he navigated through the dense stream of students all heading to the main auditorium, which had been shifted around from a magic duelling space to accommodate the gathering.
Residual magic tingled under Juka's feet as he entered the grand space. "Can't the Storm Mage wait for assembly?" a blonde royal sneered, breaking Juka's moment of awe. Everyone remembered his entrance exam—no one let him forget it. "I just want to know what's planned for us this semester, like everyone else—" Juka began, but the royal cut him off. "But you're not like everyone else. Commoner." He spat the word out like he physically detested it with every fibre of his being.
As more kids started filing in, Juka felt his frustration boil; both at the remark Lucien had made earlier that morning and now this blonde, pompous, privileged royal- "What's your problem with commoners?" The question came off a bit sharper than Juka had intended, something heated rising in his chest as the students began to form something of a ring around the two boys. Murmurs started up until some kids started chanting, "Fight. Fight. Fight." A few of the royals present were in support of this. "Get him, Deion, teach the Storm Mage some manners." Deion chuckled before doubling down. "I'm sure your mother had to take some 'odd jobs' for you to even afford the carriage fare to get here from wherever backwards village you come from." Juka's blood began to boil, and the ground warped beneath him as the whole auditorium's temperature spiked. The circle surrounding the boys widened due to the heat, and the ground crackled as the flaps of Juka's blazer started rising with the hot air that started radiating from him. "Say what you want about me…but don't you dare insult my mother…" Deion's smirk falters as Juka's right arm begins to glow as the heat of his magic is being condensed into his fist, but he controls the flow of fire magic to an unexpected outlet, and Juka lets out a long, fiery exhale, much like a dragon would, causing students to stumble back to avoid singed boots or toes. Deion fell backwards and hastily threw up a defensive magic barrier. Suddenly, a voice cut through the murmurs and whispers.
"All of you are supposed to be lined up for assembly, not circling these boys like some kind of cage-match," Instructor Vallin's voice cut through the chatter, "Places….NOW!" The students scattered immediately. Even the other instructors jumped a little at his command. Vallin's gaze swept the auditorium before settling on Juka, the lingering heat in the air giving everything away. "Evernight, causing trouble already?"
Vallin's gaze lingered on him for a moment longer than necessary. Juka forced his hands to relax. The heat in his chest didn't vanish, but it sank—compressed, contained. Around him, the auditorium returned to motion, students quickly finding their places as if nothing had happened at all. As if he hadn't almost lost control. As if he hadn't felt them all watching. Juka exhaled slowly through his nose and lowered his eyes, jaw tight. "Commoner…" the word echoed again in his mind, but quieter now—less like an insult, more like a weight he couldn't quite set down. He followed the flow of students toward his place in line, shoulders stiff, the last traces of heat still clinging to his skin. And somewhere behind him, Vallin's presence remained—watching, measuring, remembering.