After two days of eating and sleeping and completing tasks, Nerluce's lessons at Ethera began. Half of the day was dedicated to their academic studies - great literature, mathematics, history - while the other half was dedicated to the study and practice of magic.

The academic classes had been... well Nerluce wasn't really sure. He'd spent most of his time daydreaming and passing notes with Lyana. They'd gotten snapped at more than a couple of times but Nerluce found it well worth it. He didn't have the attention span for reading or memorizing and math just didn't make sense. Academics was just so needlessly complicated.

At lunch - and really all meals at this point - they were encouraged to sit with their roommates. The idea was to form bonds with them. Nerluce thought it might be working. Maybe. Nerluce certainly wasn't talking to anyone from his own clan though two were in the dorm across the hall from him.

"I heard we're gonna have a really famous magician as our teacher," Lyana said, using a spoon to scoop up her chicken since she didn't know how to use chopsticks. "She's supposed to be a bitch though."

"Is she pretty?" Nerluce hummed.

"That's what you're concerned about?" the ringleader of the girls from a couple of nights prior asked. Since then Nerluce had learned her name was Jurine and she was sharp in more than one way. "One of the most talented fire magicians in the world is teaching us and you want to know if she's attractive?"

Nerluce grinned. "Yeah."

"Probably," Lyana said. "I wonder what the teachers for the other affinities are like," Lyana said. "I wish I could go to all the classes but this temple's so traditionalist they wouldn't let me." She stuck out her tongue.

"Training in more than one element can make you weaker in both," Eko said, rolling their eyes.

"I wish we at least got to pick what element we could train in," Nerluce whined, throwing his head back. "I'd choose earth so that I could lay in the dirt all day and become more in sync with the element, you know?"

"Idiot!" Jurine said, hitting his arm. The two other girls giggled and even Lyana - the filthy traitor - cracked a smile. "Those techniques that are meant for you to become more in 'sync' are just a load of nonsense. All you'd be doing was getting dirty!"

"What, really?" Nerluce asked, eyes widening.

He had spent a good portion of his life training with those techniques. He was meant to become like fire but... well he was a good-for-nothing student and a good-for-nothing flame.

"I've never heard of those techniques," Lyana said with a shrug. "My abilities have always come easily for me so..." She laughed a bit, rubbing the back of her neck. "I just wanna learn how to create fire out of thin air!"

"That's impossible," the yellow-haired boy cut in, even though he was very much not a part of their conversation. "You can't create something from nothing. The greatest magicians can turn heat magic turned into fire magic. But it requires discipline."

"That's not true," Nerluce said.

The yellow-haired boy turned a ferocious glare upon him. "Oh? And are you already so skilled you can do it?"

"Gods no!" Nerluce said, standing up and stretching. "But I do know that fire magic has nothing to do with discipline. It's risk and reward - the wilder you are, the more you feel, the more you feed the fire and the bigger it burns."

The yellow-haired boy scoffed, but Lyana's eyes were wide as she looked at Nerluce. "Woah!" she said. "I didn't think you were smart!"

Nerluce pressed his hand to his chest and, probably much too loudly exclaimed, "You wound my heart, young mistress! How can you be so cruel?"

"Through many years of study and practice," Lyana said with a laugh, standing up.

The two went through the dramatics of the exchange before running out of the dining hall, racing one another to the building where they were meant to have their magic lessons. They laughed and shoved one another as they slid open the door and entered the classroom which looked similar enough to the classroom they'd taken their morning lessons in.

They weren't late but there were other people there already, sitting at their desks with perfect posture. Of these people, Nerluce's gaze was instantly caught by a boy with dark eyes rimmed in gold and brown skin. His curly hair cupped his cheeks and pooled around his shoulders. His lashes seemed longer as he looked down at his paper. But when he looked up at Nerluce... well Nerluce swore his heart missed a beat.

Angel- er, Aristide.

Nerluce laughed - because what else could he do - and sat down at the desk behind him. "Good afternoon, young master Aristide," he said. "I didn't know your affinity was for fire."

"It isn't," Aristide said, cold and curt.

Lyana reached over and swatted Nerluce's elbow. Nerluce turned to look at her, offended and she shook her head. "Don't mess with him," Lyana said, under her breath. "He's the head disciple from the water affinity tower."

"Water affinity?" Nerluce echoed, glancing at Aristide.

Seemed more like an ice affinity to him.

However, with this new information and a total disregard for his own wellbeing, Nerluce leaned over to Aristide once more. "The head disciple of water, young master? Such a feminine element I can see why you'd wish to study fire!"

Aristide's shoulders stiffened but he did not turn around. It was a clear effort of self-restraint and Nerluce might've been impressed by it if he wasn't the one goading the boy for a reaction.

"Don't worry young master, I am only kidding!" Nerluce said, holding his hands up in mock defense. "Let me apologize." Once again Aristide did not turn around. "Aw, young master, please don't ignore me."

But that seemed to be exactly what Aristide intended to do.

"Young master," Nerluce said. "Young master Aristide. Lord Aristide." Nerluce was grinning at this point, putting on quite a show. A couple of girls in the back giggled and encouraged, Nerluce continued. "What must I call you in order for you to respond? Aristide. Aris. Ari." And then Nerluce came up with a wicked idea. "Angel, please answer me."

Aristide whipped his head around.

The expression he was making was absolutely worth it. Nerluce burst into laughter and backed off. Having this class with Aristide would definitely make it much more interesting, that would be for certain.