The schedule at Velcrest Academy was never set in stone.
Classes changed as often as the wind—usually without warning.
Normally, we’d be dragging ourselves through Basic Hand-to-Hand Combat right after lunch, still half-asleep and too full to dodge a proper punch. But today, we were crammed into a lecture room for Basic Magic Control instead.
So here I was, sitting cross-legged on the cold floor of the magic classroom, trying to keep a neutral expression while the future traitor of Velcrest Academy stood before us—smiling like a motivational speaker.
"I said we call it magic collectively," Professor Alice Draken began, pacing slowly in front of the board, "but the way each of you uses it—and more importantly, how much of it you can actually control—varies depending on your natural talent, right~?"
She scribbled something on the board with bright, sweeping strokes:
"You can do it! You, too, can sense magic!"
Ugh.
The worst part?
She wasn’t even being sarcastic.
"But don’t panic," she said, turning back to us with a cheery tone. "That’s what Basic Magic Studies is for! This class exists to help you understand what kind of talent you have and how it influences your magic~"
I leaned back slightly, eyes narrowing just a touch.
I wasn’t exactly here for the lecture.
I was more interested in whether I, a transmigrator from another world, could get a grip on this unfamiliar energy called magic. The stuff that defined power in this world. The stuff that had rules my old world never dreamed of.
As if sensing my internal monologue, Alice’s eyes flicked toward me for a heartbeat.
Just long enough for me to wonder if she really could read minds.
Then she clapped her hands, brightly. "Alright! Let’s bring up our two honor students! Rin Evans and Ryen Miller, come forward, please!"
I tilted my head.
Seriously? Did I look like someone craving the spotlight?
"Haha," she chuckled, watching us stand, "our two top cadets in Magic Studies. I bet you both can already use magic, hmm?"
Rin was the first to respond.
"I can use it a little," she said modestly, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.
Then it was Ryen’s turn.
"I can’t."
The class buzzed quietly with surprise. Even I raised an eyebrow.
That was... unexpected.
Alice blinked, genuinely taken aback. "Oh? I thought you took down a terrorist not too long ago, Cadet Ryen?"
"Yes, Professor," he replied simply, his tone respectful but firm.
Alice paused, her smile faltering just for a second—like she was debating whether to push further.
Then she gave a small nod and stepped closer to him.
"Interesting," she said softly. "Then tell me, when you try to use magic... what do you visualize?"
The room fell silent.
Every student leaned in—some subtly, others not so much.
Ryen stood straight, thoughtful.
"I imagine a thread," he said after a beat. "Thin, silver. It stretches out from my core... and when I breathe, I try to guide it."
Some students frowned. Others nodded, as if they understood.
A thread, huh?
Alice’s playful tone disappeared. Her eyes narrowed slightly—not in a bad way, but in that sharp, intrigued way that said she was actually paying attention now.
"That’s a solid visualization," she said, nodding toward Ryen. "Very precise. Magic, at its core, is all about flow and control. Threads, especially, are a good way to think about it. They can be woven, connected, unraveled... it gives you flexibility. That kind of image is commonly used, especially in the early stages."
Then she turned to the class, letting her voice carry a little more authority.
"Cadet Ryen’s method is actually a textbook-safe approach. You won’t hurt yourself, and you’ll build a solid foundation. The downside is, it’s not exactly fast. It’ll take time before you can really feel the presence of magic or shape it the way you want."
Honestly, I had to admit—it was all really informative.
In the novel, this part had been skimmed over with maybe two lines and a vague reference. But seeing it unfold in front of me, explained in detail by a professional hero like Alice Draken? This was a goldmine.
After giving Ryen a nod of approval, Alice’s gaze shifted—and landed right on me.
There was a smirk playing at the edge of her lips, like she was enjoying something I hadn’t picked up on yet.
"And you, Cadet Rin?" she asked, tilting her head slightly. "Got anything for us?"
"I already told you—I can’t use magic."
"I know. But that doesn’t mean you’re off the hook." Her smirk widened. "Everyone has an instinctive image—even if they can’t use magic yet. Yours might not be obvious, but it’s there. Try closing your eyes. You strike me as the kind of guy who’d enjoy something dramatic—like whispering to yourself, ’Behold... the source of my power,’ while the rest of us try to enjoy our lunch."
I blinked. "Can I sue you for slander?"
Alice laughed. "Please. I’m an active-ranked hero with legal immunity. And besides, it’s not slander if it’s true."
...Damn it. That did sound like something I’d done back in middle school. Once. Maybe twice.
"Come on, I’ll walk you through it," she said, her voice softening a little. "Just close your eyes. No pressure."
Reluctantly, I did.
"Now," she said, quieter, like she was speaking just to me. "Don’t think too hard. Just imagine it—whatever feels like the source of your strength. A place, an object, a feeling. Anything that feels like you."
At first, there was nothing.
Then, slowly, something surfaced.
A gold sea.
Not a lake—this was bigger than that. It shimmered, alive and endless. The light reflected off it in blinding waves, and beneath its surface was power. Unstable, chaotic... yet familiar. Like something I had touched before but never truly grasped.
It wasn’t calming.
It was forceful.
And it didn’t want to be controlled.
I frowned, my fists tightening at my sides.
This... wasn’t how I imagined it would feel.
Maybe this was normal for a first attempt at channeling real magic.
Or maybe the golden sea—the vast reservoir of power I had been sensing—was fighting back.
Like it was testing me.
Daring me to push harder.
And I wasn’t about to back down.
With grit clenched between my teeth, I forced myself to pull the power from that endless golden current. It surged through me like liquid fire, raw and wild. Every nerve in my body lit up as I began to circulate the energy, slowly, carefully, letting it spread from my core to every limb.
And that’s when I heard it—
"Stop!"
Alice Draken’s voice cut through the space like a blade, sharp and urgent.
My eyes snapped open, breath catching.
She stood just a few feet away, her usual playful smirk nowhere to be seen. In its place was something rare—seriousness.
Real, unnerving seriousness.
It didn’t suit her at all. And that’s what made it worse.
I glanced down at myself.
The air around me shimmered with unstable energy, swirling in tight spirals. A miniature tornado of golden power whipped around my body, crackling and humming like it was barely under control.
It wasn’t just magic anymore.
It was a storm.