"Nice of you to join the land of the living," Ignis commented from his perch on her bedside table, his fiery form flickering mischievously.
"Not now, Ignis," Amberine snapped, rushing to pull on her clothes. She struggled with her robe, nearly tripping over her own feet in her haste. Ignis floated closer, his fiery eyes watching her with a mix of amusement and exasperation.
"You know, if you planned your mornings better, you wouldn't have to rush around like a headless chicken," Ignis remarked.
Amberine shot him a glare as she pulled her hair into a messy ponytail. "I don't need advice from a fire spirit who doesn't even have to sleep."
Ignoring his laughter, she grabbed her bag and shoved her books inside.
Amberine woke with a start, the sunlight streaming through her window casting an irritating glow on her face. She squinted at the clock, her heart sinking as she realized she had overslept. "Damn it!" she muttered, throwing off her covers and scrambling to her feet.
"Nice of you to join the land of the living," Ignis commented from his perch on her bedside table, his fiery form flickering mischievously.
"Not now, Ignis," Amberine snapped, rushing to pull on her clothes. She struggled with her robe, nearly tripping over her own feet in her haste. Ignis floated closer, his fiery eyes watching her with a mix of amusement and exasperation.
"You know, if you planned your mornings better, you wouldn't have to rush around like a headless chicken," Ignis remarked.
Amberine shot him a glare as she pulled her hair into a messy ponytail. "I don't need advice from a fire spirit who doesn't even have to sleep."
Ignoring his laughter, she grabbed her bag and shoved her books inside. She was about to dash out of the room when Ignis reminded her of something crucial. "Don't forget me."
Amberine groaned and opened her robe. "Get in, and try not to burn me, okay?"
Ignis grinned. "No promises." He shrank his form and nestled inside her robe, his warmth immediately noticeable. Amberine winced as she felt the heat.
"Hot!" she yelped. "Tone it down, Ignis!"
Amberine had barely taken a few steps when she realized she couldn't go to the university looking like she had just rolled out of bed. She made a sharp turn towards the bathroom, deciding she needed a quick clean-up. Her reflection in the mirror showed her tangled hair and sleep-creased face, a sight that made her groan in frustration.
"Ten minutes," she muttered to herself. "I can do this in ten minutes."
She turned on the faucet, splashing cold water on her face to wake herself up fully. The shock of the cold water made her gasp, but it also cleared the last remnants of sleep from her mind. She grabbed a washcloth, quickly scrubbing her face and neck. The sensation was rough but effective, leaving her skin tingling and more awake.
"Quick and efficient," Ignis commented from his warm spot inside her robe. "Impressive."
"Quiet," she shot back, grabbing her toothbrush and squeezing a generous amount of toothpaste onto it. She brushed vigorously, her mind already racing through the tasks she needed to accomplish today.
After rinsing her mouth, she ran a comb through her hair, untangling the knots with quick, practiced movements. She pulled it back into a tight ponytail, hoping it would stay in place throughout the day. Satisfied that she looked somewhat presentable, she turned her attention to her clothes.
Amberine pulled open her wardrobe, quickly scanning her options. She grabbed a simple yet neat outfit: a fitted tunic, comfortable trousers, and her worn but sturdy boots. She dressed in record time, her fingers moving with the speed of someone who had done this countless times before.
"Better?" she asked Ignis as she adjusted her robe.
"Much," he replied, his flames flickering approvingly. "You might actually pass as a student now, instead of a sleep-deprived zombie."
"Gee, thanks," she muttered, stuffing her notebooks and quills into her bag. Her eyes darted around the room, making sure she hadn't forgotten anything important. "Alright, I think that's everything."
Just as she was about to dash out of the room, she remembered one more thing. She opened a drawer and pulled out a small, silver pendant. It was a good luck charm given to her by her grandmother, and she never went to an important class without it. She clasped it around her neck, feeling a bit more grounded and ready to face the day.
"Now I'm ready," she said, her voice more determined.
"Don't forget me," Ignis reminded her, his voice taking on a teasing tone.
Amberine groaned and opened her robe. "Get in, and try not to burn me, okay?"
Ignis grinned. "No promises." He shrank his form and nestled inside her robe, his warmth immediately noticeable. Amberine winced as she felt the heat.
"Hot!" she yelped. "Tone it down, Ignis!"
"Alright, alright," Ignis relented, dimming his flames just enough to make it bearable.
Amberine burst out of her room and sprinted down the hallway, her footsteps echoing loudly. She bolted out the front door and saw the carriage she usually caught already moving down the street. With a burst of speed, she ran after it, shouting, "Wait!"
The driver glanced back but kept moving. Amberine pumped her legs harder, feeling Ignis's warmth against her chest. "Hold on!" she yelled again.
The driver finally slowed down just enough for her to catch up. She leapt, barely catching the edge of the carriage with one hand. As she scrambled to pull herself up, she noticed another figure leaping gracefully onto the back of the carriage.
"Hi there! Looks like we're in the same boat!" Amberine called out cheerfully, her heart racing.
The figure turned, revealing none other than Elara. Amberine's cheerfulness instantly evaporated. "Oh, it's you," she said, her tone turning sarcastic. "Looks like someone got very little sleep again."
Elara, as always, remained stoic and indifferent. Her beautiful blonde hair was tied up in an unusually practical style, and she simply stared at Amberine without a word.
"Is she trying to mock my messy ponytail indirectly?" Amberine frowned as she made a realization
"Wow, she defeated you without even uttering a single thing," Ignis commented dryly from inside her robe.
"Shut up," Amberine hissed under her breath.
"But seriously," Ignis continued, his tone turning analytical, "her mana is impressive. It's filled with her origin attribute of yellow and gold, a characteristic mana not bounded by elements. And I can sense she's adept in water magic, even more so than you are with fire."
"Stop praising her," Amberine muttered, her face flushing with annoyance.
Elara, having heard none of this exchange, turned her attention back to the road. Amberine clenched her fists, determined not to let Elara's indifference get to her. They both ran the rest of the way to the university in silence, each lost in their own thoughts.
As they approached the classroom, the chatter of their fellow students grew louder. The topic of conversation was the same as always: the supplementary task of combining the five magic circles. From the snippets of conversation Amberine caught, it seemed almost no one had succeeded.
"I heard only two people got a perfect score," one student whispered.
"Yeah, and the rest of us? Barely managed a B if we were lucky," another replied.
Amberine's stomach churned. She had to do well in this class, especially under the watchful eye of Professor Draven. The mere thought of him made her shiver.
As they entered the classroom, the chatter abruptly died down. A familiar sound echoed through the hallway—Professor Draven's measured, deliberate strides. The air in the room seemed to grow colder with each step he took, and the students fell silent, their earlier conversations forgotten.
"He's coming," Ignis whispered from within Amberine's robe. "This guy is dangerous."
"I know that more than anyone," Amberine replied, her voice barely a whisper.
Professor Draven entered the room, his cold eyes scanning the students with a look of mild disdain. He was a tall man, his presence commanding and intimidating. His dark robes billowed as he walked, and the air seemed to grow even colder in his wake.
"Attention," Draven's voice cut through the silence like a knife. "The class will begin."
Amberine swallowed hard, feeling Ignis's reassuring warmth against her chest. She had to focus, had to prove herself. This was her chance to show Draven—and Elara—that she was not to be underestimated.
Draven moved to the front of the room, his gaze sweeping over the students. "Today, we will continue our exploration of combining magic circles. I expect each of you to have made significant progress since our last session."