A new day had begun… and with it, the perfect chance to prove what I was really capable of.
Today was our first open field class. A practical exam where everyone would see my magic in action. I imagined the other students murmuring in awe, and the teacher saying something like, "Incredible! I've never seen anything like it!"
Yes. This was going to be my day.
I left my room with that excitement bubbling inside me... only to be greeted by Marie, already dressed, arms crossed, and a face that screamed sergeant mode activated.
"Took you long enough to get up. We have to be early, you know? You've got fifteen minutes to get ready. I'll be waiting by the main door. The one downstairs, in case you somehow get lost."
"You could've just said the entrance."
"And yet you understood me, didn't you?"
"…Yeah, yeah. I got it. By the way… what time is it?"
She checked her phone with a flick of her hand.
"8:13. Better hurry if you don't want to end up sprinting down the hall with a piece of toast in your mouth like some kind of anime cliché."
"…Anime?"
"...Forget I said anything."
Still, I didn't panic. I had everything under control. I was motivated. Determined. Inspired.
I grabbed my uniform, tossed it over my shoulders, and made a beeline for the bathroom.
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After a lightning-fast shower, I slipped into my uniform and returned to the living room. My eyes landed on the old wooden clock in the corner. It was so plain and ugly I often wondered if it kept ticking out of sheer pity.
8:22 AM.
…Oh no.
There was no time for breakfast. None. If I stopped now, I'd be risking more than just tardiness—I'd be risking Marie's wrath. And that was not something I wanted to experience twice in one lifetime.
I dashed down the stairs like they were part of a dungeon obstacle course. Each creaking step felt like it was judging me.
When I finally reached the ground floor, there she was. Still waiting. Still crossed arms. But now with the added bonus of a mildly furious glare.
"Ugh, finally. Let's move. We're still on time, but neither of us wants to end up having a 'chat' with the headmaster about punctuality, right?"
We started jogging—not too fast, so we wouldn't arrive drenched in sweat, but fast enough to look like dedicated students with purpose.
Halfway there, we slowed down to catch our breath.
And that's when it happened.
My stomach growled. Loudly. Like a beast waking from its slumber and demanding sacrifice.
Marie looked at me out of the corner of her eye, curious.
Then she burst out laughing. Loud, uncontrollable laughter echoing across the path.
"Wow~ Looks like someone's still hungry!"
"…Still hungry?" That word stung more than the hunger.
"What do you mean still? I didn't eat anything! At this rate, I'm going to collapse halfway through my first spell!"
She stopped laughing and tilted her head, clearly confused.
"Wait… Don't tell me you didn't eat the breakfast I left on the table."
"…There was breakfast on the table?"
She sighed. The kind of sigh that carries the weight of losing faith in humanity. Then she slapped her palm over her face like a mother realizing her child just put metal in the microwave.
"Well, now you're going to have to survive until lunch. After field practice."
"Perfect," I thought. Empty stomach, sleep-deprived, and now magic training. What could possibly go wrong?
We hurried to class. I took the lead, Marie catching up just as we reached the room.
Surprisingly, we made it on time. In fact, the teacher hadn't even arrived yet. It was a small miracle.
We sat down quietly, waiting for whatever was about to come next.
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Five minutes later, the door opened.
But the teacher didn't come in. Instead, he peeked his head through and said:
"Everyone outside. It's time."
We all knew exactly what that meant.
We made our way to the academy's front yard, where every student was gathering in a loose circle. Just then, a glowing golden magic circle appeared beneath our feet—so bright I briefly wondered if I had stepped on the sun itself.
And bam. We were teleported straight into the mountains.
Just like that.
No warning. No magical seatbelt. I nearly lost my balance… and my dignity.
What was even more disturbing was looking at the teacher afterward. He had just teleported dozens of students like it was nothing. All he did was sigh a little, like someone mildly annoyed by a loose shoelace.
"Alright, everyone. Eyes on me," he said, clapping twice to quiet the murmurs.
Valentina, always alone and always serious, started walking toward me without a word. She was the kind of girl who probably thought smiling was a waste of energy.
The teacher raised his voice once everyone was watching.
"We're going to do four evaluations. First, a power assessment. I want you to unleash your strongest magical attack. Based on the magnitude of the impact, you'll receive an individual score."
"And no, you may not aim at your classmates," he added, glaring at a few giggling idiots in the back.
"Once this is done, I'll announce the next trial. For now, I want to see just how far you can push yourselves."
The students lit up with excitement and started warming up. Marie was in one corner, doing disciplined stretches and releasing small gusts of wind like it was some kind of magical yoga.
Valentina, meanwhile, didn't even move. She stood like a statue with an aura that screamed "I don't need warm-ups to destroy you all."
As for me…
…I hadn't warmed up at all.
I was too focused on not passing out from hunger to care about stretching. And just as I finally decided to move a little, I heard that voice:
"Hey, what's the deal? Not gonna warm up? Or did you give up already?"
That voice. That smug, ego-drenched voice.
Worder Ronny.
The guy with the perfect score. The academy's golden boy. The walking parade float of self-satisfaction. The kind of guy who probably dreamed about himself in third-person.
I turned slowly and saw him standing there, arms crossed, smirk practically glued to his face, surrounded by his usual gang of admirers.
For a second, I wanted to answer back. But I didn't.
"Don't engage, Kael. Not worth it," I told myself.
Big mistake.
My silence only encouraged him. Ronny turned to the others and laughed loudly.
"Hey, guys! The twenty-point genius is so relaxed, he doesn't even need to warm up! Maybe he's saving energy… for his nap?"
More laughter.
"Are you sure you didn't enroll in the wrong school?" said another.
"Or the wrong planet?" added one more.
My fist clenched. My stomach growled in solidarity.
But the fire inside me had nothing to do with their jokes. Not the hunger. Not the humiliation.
It was something else.
I wanted to prove them wrong.
With that determination burning in my chest, I stepped forward toward the testing ground.
It was time to remind them of something very important:
Numbers aren't everything.