章 27: Show off

In the Elemental Control class, finally, we get to put the theory into practice. Professor Foster Silverpaw stands at the front of the room, his staff tapping against the floor as he addresses the eager students.

"Today, we will delve into the practical application of elemental magic," he announces. The room buzzes with excitement as we gather around the giant crystal at the center.

Each student is provided with a small piece of rock and a seed, that appears in front of us with a tap of the Professor's staff "Concentrate on germinating the seed and moving or expanding the rock," Professor Foster instructs.

I focus my energy on the rock, trying to will it to move or change shape, but nothing happens. Clearly, I don't have an affinity for earth or nature. Glancing over at Selene, I see her seed has transformed into a beautiful flower. Show off.

As I look around the room, I see some students reshaping their rocks, while others have managed to germinate their seeds into blooming plants.

Next, the professor presents us with a piece of paper and a bowl of water. "Try to either float the paper or set it on fire, and manipulate the water," he challenges us.

I concentrate hard, focusing on the paper in front of me. After what feels like an eternity of intense concentration, the paper catches a small flame. A tiny victory, but it's something. Meanwhile, Selene effortlessly creates a spike of ice from the water, surrounded by a circle of fire. Show off. Again.

"Now, for those with Light or Shadow affinity," Professor Foster continues, "I want you to concentrate deeply. Picture what that element means to you, both inside and out."

The students with Light affinity create small balls of glowing light, with the brightest coming from the royal family member and the church of Light representatives.

But my attention is drawn to the Shadow, I watch as Dalton creates a black fog, although it's quite translucent, barely black. Others attempt their versions, some successful, some not quite.

Then, my eyes settle on Damien. Amongst the various wisps of shadowy mist, his stands out—a denser, smaller ball of black fog. I can't help but be intrigued by the intensity of it.

Curiosity piqued, I turn to Selene next. Her aura of shadow is dense, almost tangible. Without thinking, I reach out to poke it, but she shoots me a glare that could freeze fire.

I quickly retract my hand, before I'm set on fire.

Inadvertently, I make eye contact with Professor Foster, who seems to have noticed my little experiment.

Deciding to focus on my own shadow aura, I close my eyes and picture it in my mind. When I open my eyes, to my surprise, there it is in my palm—a mini black hole, almost tangible to the touch. It feels strange, like a void pulling at my senses.

Curious to see what more I can do, I decide to experiment. I concentrate, willing the black hole to grow bigger. Suddenly, I find myself in an isolated space, surrounded by darkness. Confused and slightly disoriented, I hear Professor Foster's voice cutting through the darkness.

"I only asked you to materialize it, not to experiment further," he scolds. "Shadow is a dangerous element, unlike others, so don't play with it."

With a blink, I find myself back in the classroom, Selene looking at me with a questioning expression. I merely shrug, not entirely sure what just happened myself.

"Aside from the main elements and some abstract elements, many others elements are branches or combinations of existing elements," Professor Foster explains. "For instance, lightning can stem from fire or be born from the collision of heavy rain and clouds. Poison may have its origins in nature's toxins, while lava could be seen as a liquid form of fire or a hybrid of earth and fire."

He pauses, looking around at the intrigued faces of the students. "Your assignment for the week is to explore what your chosen element means to you personally. Whether it's a tangible element like water or fire, or a more abstract one like shadow, light or space.Understand the essence of your element, and it will become easier to harness and materialize its power."

A student raises their hand. "Do we have to include tangible elements like water or fire in our assignment?"

Professor Foster nods. "Yes, I encourage you to delve into all aspects of your element, whether it's tangible or abstract. Understanding its nature and significance to you will deepen your connection to it."

With that, the class is dismissed, and Professor Foster disappears into thin air.

As we leave the elemental magic class, the air is filled with a buzz of excitement and chatter. Students are animatedly discussing their chosen elements and what they mean to them.

I notice Damien trying to slip away, but with a motion from me, Gregory brings him back. Damien shoots a glare at Gregory, who returns it with equal intensity. Hilarious.

Suddenly, a shift in the atmosphere catches my attention. I sense an unusual aura, and I immediately look for its source. It's Elizabeth. Curiously, I take a peek at her shadow, and what I see almost sends a shiver down my spine. Her shadow is distorted, ugly, and wriggling with an unsettling amount of anger and hate.

I glance at Selene, silently questioning her with my eyes. Even Damien seems to notice something is amiss, as he looks at Elizabeth with alarm. Gregory, on the other hand, appears oblivious. I sigh inwardly.

Selene signals me with her eyes, a message that says, "I'll inform you later."

Before I can delve deeper into the mystery, a voice cuts through the air, yelling, "Elizabeth!"

Turning towards the source, I see a man with strikingly similar features to Elizabeth—blonde hair and mismatched eyes, a clear sign of the House of Skies.

"Brother," Elizabeth responds icily, her tone sending a chill through the air.

The man continues, his voice laced with anger, "Yesterday, I saw Laurence, your fiancé, being cozy with another woman."

I raise an eyebrow. How is it Elizabeth's fault if her fiancé has wandering eyes? This man's logic is beyond comprehension.

"How would I know? He's been avoiding me since we got here," Elizabeth retorts, her aura growing more dangerous by the moment.

"You bitch! You're supposed to—" The man's words are cut off as I decide to step in.

"Hello, senior," I interject, standing in front of Elizabeth and addressing the man.

His gaze turns towards me, and he demands, "Who the hell are you?"

"Are you interested in her?" He continues, his tone becoming increasingly hostile.

"This is Nathaniel Shadowcrest, and I am his LOVER, Selene Vitalis," Selene speaks up from beside me, her voice dripping with sweetness. "The only reason Nathaniel intervened is because your shouting was becoming quite embarrassing for all of us."

The man looks around, noticing the growing crowd that has formed. Without another word, he simply walks away, what the fuck? Seriously.

"I apologize for my fourth older brother, Brian," Elizabeth says, her voice softer now.

I brush off the incident, knowing it wasn't her fault.

On the bright side, the abnormal anger and hate I sensed from her were intriguing. I make a mental note to have a conversation with Selene about it later that night. Some interesting thoughts are forming in my mind, and I can't help but snicker to myself.