As the group went to attend their Practical, Withney saw a lot of faces she recognized in the halls. She didn't talk to them as all of them were in a hurry. And for the same reason, those who recognized Withney also didn't talk.
Soon the group reached the Magic Training Grounds. Withney was the first one to notice a woman who looked to be in her 30s with a dignified look which complimented her dark brown eyes—a pretty face with normal features which complimented each other quite well.
She was wearing a black battle robe which complimented her snow-like white hair. There also was a table beside her with a stack of paper. Withney thought to herself—
Is that the Mrs. Crysis that Mr. Abraham was talking about? She looks quite pretty. She seems to be a battle mage. Battle mages are strong in fighting and performing magic quickly in high-stressful situations, right? Makes sense that she is teaching the practical magic class. The scars also compliment my theory.
Withney didn't think about why she was suddenly thinking so much. It just felt natural to her like she had grown up like everyone else. Just that everyone else took years, but she took a single day.
Soon everyone she saw at Mr. Abraham's class was there. After looking around, Mrs. Crysis spoke up.
"Hello students. I am Dianna Crysis. Your Practical Magic Teacher for this year. Mr. Abraham should have mentioned it. Today we will measure your aptitude for Magic and decide which is the best one for you."
Her voice is quite rough. Like, someone who is accustomed to yelling. I think before becoming a teacher she was at least a captain of a platoon or a noble's army.
"One by one, touch the Magic circle and the color it glows will be the Magic best suited for you to learn."
Mrs. Crysis pointed towards a Magic circle which was just at the edge of the training ground. It was adorned with complicated symbols and a sweet smell emanated from it.
As the first person walked over, Mrs. Crysis handed him paper from the table beside her.
She suddenly spoke up once again.
"As all of you have yet to learn Tantum, I have inscribed this paper with the incantation. As soon as you tear the piece of paper, your True Force will be activated, and you will get your name, and the circle will determine the thing you are adept at."
As everyone, including the boy who was holding the paper in his hand, looked at the paper given to the boy, all of them started to nod slowly to convey that they understood what she meant.
"Okay, seems like all of you have understood what I mean. Well, as this is going on I will tell you everything you will need and the general way the class is going to be structured and the syllabus."
As she finished, she started talking about the topics she mentioned, and the boy went to the circle and stood on top of it.
Does that hurt? Also, how is the true force supposed to tell us our rank name and what colors can it glow as? I would expect four. Also, Tantum is the language of magic right? I only know the simple letters and other simple words. It is quite the ancient language.
As a noble lady, it was expected that she would have some knowledge about the history and past of the place she lived in.
As Withney ignored the topic Mrs. Crysis was on, she looked past her at the boy.
As soon as the boy tore the piece of paper, he suddenly became absolutely still like a statue. His eyes were open, and the torn piece of paper was still in his hand and he seemingly stopped breathing.
As Withney looked around, she observed a lot of other students—namely nobles and even her group—doing the same as her and paid little attention to the topic Mrs. Crysis was talking about and looked at the boy.
Nobody spoke up as they believed in their teacher who looked to be quite experienced.
Why is Mrs. Crysis not doing anything? Is this normal? Why is he standing there if he has just seen a ghost or something? I guess I will have to wait and see. I doubt Mrs. Crysis will not do anything if he is in actual danger. Was this what I went through with the scroll? But it wasn't that long; only about a second or two had passed.
Soon, about 15 seconds later, the boy seemingly came back from his trance and panted heavily while also continuously blinking.
Mrs. Crysis then looked over. Suddenly, the magic circle shined a deep brown color which reminded Withney of the color of dirt.
The boy slowed his panting and mumbled something in a daze.
Soon, Mrs. Crysis walked over, saw the circle and asked the boy how he was feeling. Soon, she walked over with the boy who had returned to normal and was out of his daze. Mrs. Crysis, after a few moments, spoke up as the boy returned to his friends.
"He has the characteristics of Earth. Also, the true force has granted him his rank of 'Debutant'. All of you will go through the same thing. With, of course, different characteristics. So go on."
As slowly, one by one, everyone went and got themselves assessed. Everyone took around the same amount of time.
Soon, it was her group's turn. It was Cynthia who went in first. Her characteristic was that of thunder. Then Elise went, and she came back with the characteristic of Frost. And Solaria got the characteristic of Fire. And now it was her turn.
As she went to Mrs. Crysis and got her piece of paper. She thought to herself----
I wonder what I will get? I wonder if it will have anything to do with the scroll. I really need to attempt that ritual. But, what if it's dangerous? What if something harms me? I can't die yet; I still want to do many things...
Her face showed a hint of fear and concern which was noticed by Mrs. Crysis. She chalked it up to Withney being scared and nervous as this was her first time doing something like this.
Soon she got into position.
And then she tore the paper.
Her surroundings got blurry, she felt as if she was sinking but also being pulled back.
Soon, she was in a dark place with no light.
It was as if she was blind.
She felt nothing on her skin, nothing beneath her feet.
She tried to scream; nothing came out.
Suddenly, a voice seemingly spoke. It was quite pleasant. Then a stream of light appeared in front of her an illuminated her surroundings.
It was red in color.
Then the pleasant voice sounded—
"Debutant."
It was ethereal and seemed incorporeal. It was as if nothing spoke, but she still heard a voice.
She then suddenly heard a sharp and high-pitched noise. It was as loud as if thousands of voices spoke at the same time.
The scene in front of her changed. It was a crimson color. A crimson she was quite familiar with, but she couldn't properly think.
Then her vision filled with a vortex made from a bunch of different symbols.
But there was clearly a symbol in the middle that wanted her attention, and it got it.
An Eye With An Arrow Piercing It.
It radiated an energy that Withney—even if she wanted—couldn't ignore it.
Her blood ran cold. She suddenly heard another voice different from the previous one.
"You have started.....
Walk."
She suddenly saw the boundary. She was back in the real world. She had broken into a cold sweat. Her hands trembled. She was panting. She turned around to see Mrs. Crysis walk towards her.
At the same time, Mrs. Crysis who was answering some questions looked over at Withney who had woke up to determine her characteristic. She saw the circle give off both a red and light blue glow.
"Hmmm. Looks like you are special. What is your name?"
Special? What does she mean by special? Did she figure out I found the scroll? Why did she say I am special? Am I in trouble? I feel quite troubled already. If they figure it out what will happen to me?
Withney, who was quite shaken from her encounter, couldn't figure out why she was being called special by her teacher. In a low and weak voice, which was the result of her 'Encounter', she spoke—
"Withney, Ma'am. What do you mean by special?"
"Well, it isn't everyday you get to see someone who has the similar amount of adeptness in two characteristics. You hold the characteristics of both Fire and Frost. It is quite interesting."
She cleared her throat and spoke up—
"Students, I do not know if you know, but people can have two characteristics. Your classmate, Withney here is one of such people. They are not much different though. She only has the choice of either learning fire or frost magic. At the end, it is only possible for one to be truly adept at only one kind of magic. At the end all of us are the same."
Thank God it wasn't about the scroll. I was scared there for a second. But it seems like I have to perform the ritual this evening.
As Withney went and stood over beside her friends once again, they all were ecstatic for her.
"You have a choice. You can either choose frost or fire. How cool is that."
"Yeah, or you could choose both."
"Solaria, Mrs. Crysis said that no one can truly master two types of magic that's just stupid."
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"Yeah, also you could be rejected by the true force for your greed. Then you could suffer the fate Mr. Abraham described. I feel shivers run down my spine when I think of it."
But all this chatter and praise fell onto deaf ears. As Withney, who was in deep thought about her situation, just nodded her head. It seemed that Withney got better at hiding her true emotions.
Soon this class also came to an end.
Following this fashion, Withney couldn't focus for the rest of the day. Her mind was continuously thinking what happened with her and why?
But nobody could tell.
As her first day came to a close, she landed on a series of things to do.
First, I will tell the girls that the teachers want to talk to me because of my "Specialty" and then go to the Hiddleston Wilderness to perform the ritual. But first I need to go buy some materials. I will go to a nearby store.
The general stores should have what I need.
As soon as they returned to their dorms, Withney put her materials on her desk and washed up, then she told the girls her already made excuse. She said she had to get there by five.
As all six of them were tired, they all took a short rest and then while the rest of them were thinking of what to do, Withney quickly excused herself.
She then went towards the gate. The guard stationed at the gate reminded her that curfew was at 8, as he did with everyone else who was leaving.
As soon she got out, she went to the nearest store and bought the required ingredients. She then hired a carriage to take her to the nearest carriage station to the Hiddleston Wilderness.
She had already memorized the name as it would be quite awkward to hear from a young lady that she wanted to venture in the Wilderness at 5 in the evening.
She got off and, trying her best not to attract attention, made her way to the Hiddleston Wilderness.
When she thought she was deep enough, she promptly set up her ritual.
The ritual required her to make a simple circle and draw the symbol which always made her break out in sweat—The Eye with An Arrow Piercing It.
Then she had to light 5 candles. Then she needed the essence of a special flower. It was the Rainbow Flower. It was a special flower as it could bloom in any color and the same plant could produce any color. It also had quite the pleasant smell. So, it was popular with ladies of higher standings and was quite expensive. It was usually sold in stores in the richer part of cities.
She also needed another flower's essence, so she chose the jasmine, which was known for its smell and was quite lovely.
She had to make the ritual circle, then put 3 candles on 3 ends of the circle to make a triangle, then light it. Then she had to put a candle on the pupil of the eye and then the other candle a little lower than it.
Then she had to take the rainbow flower essence and drop a drop of it in the burning candle which was placed on the pupil, and then the lavender essence in the candle under it.
Then she had to chant something in a language she did not understand. The knowledge was just instilled into her. All she could do was to chant it.
Withney suddenly broke out in a snicker.
I am the daughter of a viscount. And I have to get myself dirty and do so much for something that I don't know anything about. I mean I don't even know if it's harmful to me.
As she snickered at her current situation, she quickly calmed down and let out a long sigh.
Now, as everything was set up, she could only wait and perform the ritual.
As she did every step and then finished her chant, her surroundings once again became blurry.
She once again heard things she couldn't understand. They seemed to pierce into her brain. All she could do was suffer through the pain.
Then once again she saw the same rough floor, the same crimson light and her forearm with the same symbol. She looked up to see the same gothic city with the closed gat—
They were open this time?
Withney looked once againin disbelief. Clearly, not only were they just open, there was also a silhouette standing there.