I didn’t try to get into dangerous situations, but this was a world filled with magic. Mistakes that could lead to harm were common. The easiest method to avoid them was using commonsense.

Don’t go into dark alleyways alone. Don’t mix sun symbols together and power them up.

Most importantly…

Don’t talk tough to the girl made of fire.

“You and I aren’t going to be talking about anything.” Amanda’s eyes were cold.

Her words echoed across the classroom and towards the boy in front of her.

Hutton’s brother.

I couldn’t blame him for his anger. His brother was in the hospital with a permanently crippled manapool because of Alexis.

That didn’t give him the right to follow and confront Amanda.

I straightened my back and started to rise from my chair, Gold ruffling his feathers beside me.

Then something stopped me.

There was a weight on my leg pushing me down. It was Amanda's hand. I looked at her and she shook her head. She wanted to do this herself.

Amanda’s eyes rose to meet Hutton’s brother, and she didn’t shrink back from his glare.

“If you want to fight, we can always book a session in the arena.” Her voice was firm. “If you’re here to get expelled I can help you with that too.”

Hutton’s brother blinked in surprise. Then anger crossed his features.

“You think I’m the only one that wants a piece of you? You don’t have a place here. Your brother already took care of your resignation papers for you.”

“Then it sounds like your problem with me has already been resolved.” The flames of her hair danced in the air. “So, leave.”

Hutton’s brother froze. This wasn’t going the way he had expected. Anger sparked in his eyes and he raised his hand.

There was a shift in the mana around us and I tensed up.

“That’s enough.” A voice thundered over us. “Did the dumbass gene run in your family?”

Fingers curled around the arm of Hutton’s brother and pulled it down sharply. A pair of bright blue eyes glared at him.

“Roxxy?” Amanda asked.

Our classmate had stopped Hutton’s brother from acting out, and I could see confusion crossing over his features.

He turned towards Roxxy and his magic fizzled out. He’d cancelled the spell he’d been about to cast.

“What are you doing?“ His eyes narrowed. “I saw you at the meeting too. Your brother and dad are in the hospital because of them.”

Roxxy didn’t release her grip, and I saw him wince as her nails dug into his arm.

“You’re trying to assault one of my class members.” Roxxy’s tone sent a shiver down my spine. “Why do you think talking will get me to help you? Didn’t you hear me? Get out of here!”

Hutton’s brother pulled his arm away from her and straightened his back. I could see the fire in his eyes.

He wasn’t going to give up that easily.

Then I felt something in the air. A slight shift in magic, and a rush of earth mana that crowded the room.

Within my vision I could see the magic gathering as rocks appeared along the walls and formed together.

“Cornelius. What are you doing?”

“P-professor.” Hutton’s brother froze

A figure towered over him, casting its shadow across his body.

It was Tago of the earth.

The golem shifted towards us and he was silent. Then his arms crossed.

“You will hear from me.” His voice left no room for argument. “Leave.”

I had never seen a boy move so fast. I caught a glimpse of a blur as he ran out of the room, stopping to give a final look over his shoulder towards Amanda.

My eyes followed him, a frown forming on my face.

I hadn’t expected Amanda to be confronted so soon. There were several people that had relationships with the victims of Alexis’ actions.

Gerial was right when he’d said they’d be out for blood. Hutton’s brother was one of the dumb ones.

Not everyone would confront Amanda openly.

“Miss Mitra, are you okay?” Tago turned towards Amanda.

She nodded, her hair’s flames dying down.

I felt movement on my shoulder as Gold relaxed as well, and I saw feathers shuffle above Amanda as Agni appeared from underneath her crimson strands.

The phoenix had been hidden the whole time.

“Thanks.” Amanda whispered.

She didn’t gaze directly into Roxxy’s eyes, and I could see her fingers clasping her uniform.

“Aren’t you mad at me?” She followed up.

“I am mad.” Roxxy leaned against the table beside us. “But not at you.”

She was telling the truth. I could see it in her body language, and in the comforting smile she shot at Amanda. She was sad, but there was something underneath it.

Acceptance.

“You already knew.” I spoke.

Roxxy raised a hand over her mouth and looked at me pensively. Then she lowered it to reveal a frown.

“Cresp told me on the way to Alexis’ party. He thought that I’d want to do it, especially since he’d already shown results.” She exhaled sharply. “But I don’t take shortcuts. Not when I don’t have all the information.”

“That's why I was alone at Alexis’ party.” Roxxy rubbed her arm. “And it’s why I didn’t go home with my brother. I didn’t really feel like mingling with those guys.”

Amanda’s posture straightened slightly at Roxxy’s words, but she didn’t face the girl.

She felt guilty, even if she shouldn’t.

I gave Amanda a pat on the back as Roxxy moved to the table behind us and set up her things. Gold hopped onto the table, nestling neatly onto the surface, and Agni joined him.

A moment later I felt something poke into my back.

My body turned towards the table behind me and I saw Roxxy wagging a finger at me. Then she poked me again in the cheek.

“Is this how you start a fight?” I raised an eyebrow at her.

“It’s how I let you know that I haven’t finished my symbols homework.” She pouted. “Want to help out a friend?”

Scepticism rolled over my heart as I looked at her. Roxxy raised her hand, a sheepish grin crossing her lips.

There was a pile of ashes in her palm.

Whatever it was before didn’t matter, but I had an idea of what it could have been. Her homework had been to inscribe a perfect copy of several basic symbols, including a sun symbol.

Roxxy saw my stare and poked her tongue out at me.

“Did you know that the more magic you put into a symbol, the bigger the impact?” She batted her eyes innocently.

“Don’t try to distract me with symbol facts.” My lips tightened.

I heard a giggle beside me and Amanda’s hair bobbed up and down. Gold and Agni also chirped lightly.

My hand pressed against my temple as I thought over the homework our class was given for symbol studies.

“Okay. It’ll take up both breaks.” I spoke. “And I’m not drawing them for you.”

“I wouldn’t ask you to.” Roxxy’s burnt homework disappeared. “Thanks.”

She shot me a beaming grin and I rolled my eyes, turning back to the front of my desk. The lack of students was still noticeable, but in this case it was because the class was still filling up.

I felt another poke, but this time it was coming from beside me.

Amanda was looking at me with an unashamed smile.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.“ I shook my head in frustration. “Did you even get symbols homework?”

“I still got homework sent to me, and I fully intended to do it.” Amanda tilted her head. “But I got distracted by our talk last night. So, this is just as much your fault as it is mine.”

Agni and Gold chirped in agreement, cheering Amanda on. I saw her sneak them a couple of treats when she thought I wasn’t looking.

The traitors.

Then I chuckled. I could feel the tension of the morning confrontation leaving my body, replaced with the friendly annoyance of two people relying on me after not doing their homework.

It was a huge relief when William finally entered the class. He caught the tail end of our discussion as he was setting up beside me.

“I could use a bit of that help as well.” He spoke.

He shrugged at my surprised expression. Usually he was on point with his homework.

“I had a bit of trouble convincing my dad to let me go.” William grimaced. “He’s worried I’m going to be hawked by corporate recruiters the whole time. They love to swarm me when my dad isn’t around. They think it gives them a chance.”

I nodded sympathetically and gave him a pat on the back.

Having [Wisdom] made him coveted by everyone. Businesses like the ones run by the Gesti were no exception.

Our conversation finished when Tago held up his arm. The rest of the class had slowly trickled in, a couple of them eyeing Amanda curiously.

Alexis hadn’t gotten to any of these classmates, but some of them were friends of the bloodline inheritors that had been infected.

“Attention.” Tago’s voice rumbled. “I have an important announcement to make.”

He shifted to view the entire class.

“Bullying will not be tolerated at this academy. Please remember that the arena is to be used for personal exercise and training. Spars cannot be forced on others nor will the academy endorse these types of spars. Should you feel you are being forced into one, you can come to us. That is all.”

Amanda shuffled uncomfortably beside me. It was obvious to us why Tago had spoken out to the class, even if everyone else didn’t know.

I felt gratitude at the teacher’s words. It made sense that a fight at the arena couldn’t be forced, but that didn’t mean the school always enforced that rule.

On earth I’d seen the issue of teachers taking a backseat and letting students take care of their own problems.

A thought occurred to me.

“What would have happened if Hutton’s brother had gotten off his spell?” I asked.

Amanda and Roxxy paused, both thinking over the question. William looked at me and then at the girls, understanding crossing his features.

This was a world where magic caused grievous harm within seconds. Magicians were living weapons.

A flicker of anger crossed my heart as I realised how close Amanda had gotten to being hurt.

“He would have been contained before he could unleash it.” William was the one to answer. “Teenagers are not known for being the wisest people in the community. The faculty has precautions against us, we just don’t see them.”

“That makes me feel a little better.” I exhaled.

I felt my fingers unclench, and I realised I’d balled them up into a fist.

Gold flapped his wings and chirped at me, and I smiled at him. School drama was not something I expected to get into in this life, and I intended to avoid it like the plague.

The rest of the day passed calmly, and my free time was spent helping my friends with their symbol homework.

We were finishing our final class for the day when I mentioned the Gesti Sky trip to Amanda.

A flash of happiness crossed her features when I invited her, but then her expression fell.

“I’m not sure that I can.” She frowned. “A day away from my family is a bit much for us right now. I don’t want to be selfish.”

I rubbed my hand against the back of my neck as I took in her words.

She was right.

The trip would take an entire day, maybe longer depending on how much there was to see and how long my friends wanted to stay.

From the descriptions I’d been getting it sounded like a couple of days of exploration weren’t out of the question.

“I’ll give it some thought.“ She smiled lightly. “You have your class options discussion now, right?”

Her eyes gleamed as she spoke. I was a Marked one, that in itself already unlocked new classes that most people knew nothing about.

I could already see her remembering the class options the Marked ones in her books had been given.

I couldn’t compare to that.

“Yeah, I’ll meet you at the arena.” I smiled.

We still had a sparring session after this.

I separated from her and made my way to the class that Mr Black had told me to meet him in.

Gold accompanied me instead of flying off with Agni into the trees. Mr Black had requested that he be present.

It was in the upper levels of the middle tower, three floors above the metal magic studies room. I hovered around the door, and then raised my hand to knock on it.

“It’s open. Come in.” Mr Black’s voice called from inside.

I hadn’t knocked yet. I walked in to find myself facing a single desk, with a chair behind it and in front of it.

Mr Black was facing me from behind the desk, expressionless.

“Mr Silver. Mr Gold.” Mr Black waved his hand towards the free chair. “Take a seat.”

Gold and I looked at each other and I could see curiosity in the puffer’s eyes.

The teachers usually ignored him.

Mr Black leaned back as I sat down, and Gold stayed on my shoulder. Mr Black clicked his fingers and several pieces of paper appeared in the air.

“I’m sure you’re eager to get started.” My teacher smiled.

The papers floated down towards his hands and he placed them on the table. I looked at them and my heartbeat quickened.

These were the class options he had come up with after taking into account all of my accomplishments and skills.

“Here are your class options. They encompass what I believe you currently have unlocked, as well as what classes you can unlock should you learn other skills or earn other achievements.”

He pushed the papers in front of me.

“Read them carefully.”