Mark and Zara made their way to the front of the class at Mr. Coraline's command.
Zara, ever the show off, jumped clean over a desk with a casual flip and landed gracefully in front of the blackboard.
Mark took the normal route walking around the desks like a decent human being.
As they stood before the class, Mr. Coraline tapped his cane lightly against Mark's chest.
"So, child," he asked, voice sharp and smooth, "what mana cores do you two possess?"
Mark found himself staring at the teacher's partially transformed face those glimmering silver scales creeping along his jaw, the way his massive dragon tail curled near his leg like a predator waiting to strike. It was mesmerizing.
Zara, unaffected, stepped forward. "Desert Gin mana core, sir," he replied confidently.
Coraline's eyes flicked toward Mark.
Tap. He tapped his cane against Mark's forehead. "And you, son? Stop staring like a lovesick maiden and answer."
Mark blinked, snapping out of it. "Oh uh… I have the Heavenly Dragon mana core, sir."
Silence.
The classroom went still. Even Coraline seemed caught off guard for a split second.
Then his lips curled into an intrigued smile.
"Oh my… how interesting. Hmm…"
Mark and Zara were told to stay by the board as Coraline turned to the rest of the class, chalk in hand.
"Listen up, children. Let this be your first real lesson."
He began sketching on the board with wild, dramatic strokes. A stick figure appeared complete with dragon horns and a tail next to what looked like a lumpy snake with wings that might have been a dragon if you squinted hard enough.
Zara stared at the drawing, unimpressed. "Yeah… this man really needs an art class."
Coraline didn't seem to care.
He pointed to the stick figure with the dragon features. "This… is what we call the Hybrid Form. It's a fusion of your human body and the legendary beast tied to your core. This is also the state I'm currently in."
He smacked his tail against the floor for emphasis. A small gust of wind blew through the classroom.
"Then we have the Full Beast Form a complete transformation into the creature bonded to your core."
He underlined the crude dragon three times.
"These forms provide immense power. Strength, mana, regeneration all heightened. But there are trade-offs."
He tapped the chalk against the dragon's oversized tail.
"The Full Form grants a much higher boost in raw power, but comes at a cost. Some beasts, like dragons," he cast a knowing glance at Mark "become large, cumbersome, and unwieldy in tight spaces."
He gave a dramatic sigh.
"In short, powerful but a pain in the ass to move around in a library or a classroom."
A few students snickered.
Coraline slammed his cane down. Crack!
"Laugh now, but if your beast form gets stuck in a hallway and catches fire because your tail brushed a torch, you'll wish you listened!"
Even Zara looked a little worried at that.
Mark, meanwhile, was still processing the idea of transforming into a dragon.
Coraline turned back to them.
"You two... might experience symptoms soon aches in the core, strange dreams, even brief surges of emotion or elemental instability."
He walked toward them slowly, his eyes glowing faintly.
"The beast is waking up," he said in a low tone.
A student in the back raised their hand and called out, "Sir, what beast mana core do you have?"
Mr. Coraline flicked his long tail through the air and stared blankly at the class.
"Isn't it obvious?" he said coolly. "I'm a Frost Mountain Drake a wingless subspecies of dragon capable of wielding water, ice, earth, and wind magic."
A hush fell over the class. Even the air seemed colder.
Coraline turned toward Mark and Zara. "You two, back to your seats."
They nodded and returned, slipping back into their chairs. The class continued, shifting into a more standard lecture about mana cores and core affinity structures.
Most of it, Mark had already studied back at the mansion. It was familiar, almost boring except now, every word had new weight. He couldn't stop thinking about his Heavenly Dragon core.
Eventually, the bell rang.
DING DONG.
Coraline tapped his cane against the floor. "Lunch break. Get out."
Everyone bolted toward the door—Mark included. He hadn't eaten a single bite since waking up. Combat class had drained him, and his stomach growled as if it were a beast itself.
He was halfway out the door when
"Mark. Come here."
Mark stopped and turned. "Yes, sir?"
Coraline didn't speak loudly. He didn't need to.
"When school ends, meet me in the school garden," he said. "It's about your mana core. There's something I want to test."
Mark's brow furrowed slightly, but he nodded. "Understood."
Coraline waved him off. "Go eat."
As Mark made his way to the dining hall, he muttered under his breath, "Just what does he want to test?"
He soon found his way into the wide, vaulted mess hall. Long wooden tables stretched across the room, filled with chattering students. The smell of fresh bread and seasoned meat drifted through the air like a spell.
Mark grabbed a tray and piled on what he could meat stew, fried potatoes, and soft rolls and made his way to a small empty table in the corner.
He let out a deep breath as he finally sat down to eat.
Only to be interrupted.
"Yo." Zara plopped down beside him, plate already half empty.
Opal followed right behind and quietly took the seat across from Mark, giving him a small smile. "Mind if we sit?"
Mark blinked but smiled faintly. "Too late to say no now."
He looked at the two of them Zara grinning as he devoured his food, Opal quietly picking at hers, still a bit red from earlier.
"Guess I've got two allies now," Mark thought. "Not bad for day one. Though I still don't know Zara's rank yet… Whatever. I've got time."
He leaned back with a satisfied sigh, finally biting into his meal.
"Let's just enjoy lunch."
The dining hall buzzed with the sound of students talking and clinking utensils. Mark sat quietly with his tray, finally enjoying his first real meal of the day. He hadn't eaten anything since rushing out for combat class that morning.
As he dug into his food, movement from the far side of the hall caught his attention. A group of second-year boys had surrounded a short girl with fiery red hair tied into two tight braids. Her freckled face twisted with frustration as she tried to shake them off.
Mark leaned forward, whispering under his breath, "Who's she? Kinda cute…"
The second year boys tugged at her braids, brushing their hands along her arms, laughing cruelly.
Mark tried to ignore it tried. But then, one of the boys crossed the line.
"Come on, feisty," the second year sneered, yanking her closer by the hair. "You got some attitude for a commoner. Know your place. I'll forgive you if you join my harem. You'd make a decent concubine."
The girl spat back, "Can't you freaks touch something that'll actually enjoy your company? Leave me alone!"
She kicked at one of them, not going down without a fight, but she was clearly outnumbered.
Boom!
A fireball blazed across the dining hall and smashed one of the second year boys into the wall. His body slid down with a thud.
"What the?!" another one gasped, only to get kicked in the gut by Mark, then rocked with a sharp uppercut that sent him crashing onto a table.
Zara charged the last one, but the boy grabbed Zara mid air and slammed him into the wall with a grunt. Mark turned, firing up another fireball, but the last second year lunged and grabbed him by the face.
Just as the boy tried to slam him into the ground, Mark drove a knee into his groin.
Thud!
The boy crumpled like a sack of potatoes.
"You good over there?" Mark called out.
Zara groaned, brushing dust off his uniform. "Yeah, yeah… He just caught me off guard."
Mark turned back to the red-haired girl. "You good, short stuff?"
The girl's eyes flared with rage. "Who are you calling short stuff?!"
Mark blinked, realizing his slip. "Sorry! Didn't mean it as an insult I just didn't know your name."
She folded her arms, still glaring. "It's Jessie Stein. And what do you want? Nobles don't just help people like me out of the kindness of their hearts."
Mark narrowed his eyes. "I'm not a noble."
Jessie looked at him, genuinely confused. "What? No way… you look way too clean to be a commoner."
Mark shrugged. "Yup. I am."
"I don't believe you," Jessie said flatly, arms folded, eyes locked on Mark with suspicion.
Mark just shrugged. "Believe what you want."
With that, he and Zara turned their backs and returned to their table, where Opal sat quietly, sipping her tea. Neither of them looked back, nor did they care what Jessie thought of them.
They hadn't stepped in because they were trying to impress her.
They didn't do it out of pity, nor out of lust though she was undeniably attractive.
They did it because watching someone get assaulted while doing nothing about it would've made them feel less like men… and more like cowards.
That was something Mark and Zara both understood without ever needing to say it aloud.
They were older brothers.
And when you grow up protecting your little sister from the worst the world has to offer, seeing a girl in that kind of situation it makes your blood boil.