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Spring in Avalice has always been a wondrous event. The cherry blossom trees—a courteous gift from Class Sakura—are in full bloom this time of year. The springtide zephyr carries the pale pink petals dancing across the sky in an act of blessing. With the new year comes a new semester for students both old and new here at the legendary Academy of Might & Magics. In accompaniment, a myriad of familiar feelings return to them: anxiety, determination, fear, joy, hope. For one man, however, the new semester brings with it nothing but the stain of humiliation. Oh how the mighty have fallen; relinquished to a life of instruction when destiny was supposed to beckon him to a higher calling. Nyx Yuria stands firmly on the cobblestone steps leading toward the central plaza. A scowl on his face, he eyes the towering buildings ahead with palpable disdain.


The hour draws late for Class Camellia. While the students have already taken their seats in the lecture hall, their new professor was supposed to arrive nearly thirty minutes ago, and yet he is nowhere to be seen. Class-C's previous instructor was a genial old man by the name of Professor Mavis; a man well-regarded in the magical arts. He has since retired as of last year and Headmaster Alphonse Augustine has personally hired new blood to take Mavis's place. One has to wonder what kind of man this new professor really is to be personally offered a job by the head of the greatest school in all of Alrune?

As the students talk among themselves trying to figure out what they should do or just catching up with their classmates after the long break, shouting can suddenly be heard from outside in the hallway. "Hey kid, you're supposed to be in class not wandering around here." The voice of a gruff, older gentleman states, muffled somewhat by the walls. "I'm a professor, you inconsequential nag! Get in my way again and I'll turn you into a frog." A younger voice says in response. "Hey, hold on! I said wait up-" His sentence is cut short by the sound of a small explosion.

The left entrance door to the lecture hall abruptly swings open and in walks a young man seemingly not much older than any one of the students here. He, and the doorway, is covered in a heavy, black smoke, quite possibly from the explosion that the students would've heard just moments ago. Dressed in expensive purple garb and carrying a leather limp satchel, the young man walks to the wooden desk at the front of the room and sets his belongings down.

The blackboard behind him starts to magically write a name in shimmering white ink: 'Nyx Yuria'. Once the class goes completely silent, he addresses them. "My name is Nyx Yuria—Professor Nyx to you all. I am a graduate summa cum laude of Avalice and the former Second Seat of the Miracle Seven's 106th generation. Due to certain events that I'll not bother to explain, I find myself with a year of free time to which I've been asked by Headmaster Augustine to come and teach at this prestigious academy. Obviously, I'll be teaching all of you, students of the infamous Class Camellia. Now when I was a student here not so long ago, Class-C was a barren wasteland for the untalented. I hazard to guess it has not seen much change since then, if at all. No matter, I'll simply decide for myself."

He takes a seat on the chair behind his desk, placing one leg over the other and clasping his hands together. "Now then, I want to see hands and names. Go."

It was time. The time to claim honor for herself and her family had come. Sophiel had a smile on her face as she walked down the halls to go to her new assigned class. She transferred out of her previous class, Class Marigold, due to some unique circumstances. It was a rather confusing matter that Sophiel did not understand herself. She had committed no wrong during the year, yet her classmates flee'd like crazed cows. Though that did not matter now, thanks to them she managed to get in Class Camellia. She would have to find a way to give them a gift later to show her appreciation, but she doubted that they would want a gift from her after the looks they gave.

Now she was ten minutes early to her class. It was good to be early to make a good first impression for her classmates and her professor. The door was already unlocked, so she assumed that the professor was currently out for the time being. Deciding to enter in the classroom, she tried to find her seat, settled herself in it once she found it, and patiently waited for the professor to come in.

Seconds turned into minutes and turned to almost an hour of wait. If Sohpiel was any less of a patient person than she would have been rather frustrated now. She was not frustrated in anyway and patiently waited for their professor to enter the classroom. She had conversed with her classmates a little to pass by time, so it wasn't all too bad. However, a small explosion drew her attention that was directed in the hall. Was it a fight? She stood up from her seat. She wasn't going to let a fight happen on the first day. Before she had manage to leave her seat however a man, only a few years older than her, appeared from the doorway.

Confusion was written on her face as he walked into the room. Her eyes slightly widened when he announced that he was their professor. He was rather... young for his age. Did he really qualify to teach a class? Then again he was a former Miracle Seven member, so any experience gained from him would be note worthy. Regardless, he was their professor and she wanted to make good impression. Since she was already standing up from her chair, she raised her hand to introduce herself. "My name is Sophiel Sargute, it will be a pleasure to learn from you, professor."

Ty was seldom early to anything other than a meal. It's not that he was a late sleeper, frantically getting ready at the last minute and running to class with toast in his mouth. No, he was way too cool for something like that. He was up with the sun, but just had a way of letting time get away from him. Today, his morning exercise was the cause of his distractions. He went for a lap around the entire campus, but then decided that he was neglecting his arms so he went for another lap... doing a handstand. That one took quite a bit more time, but he realized that if he was strengthening his arms and his legs, he'd need to make sure is core was up to par to keep up with it. 200 situps later, he realized class was starting. 50 situps later, he decided to go to class.

He walked in about fifteen minutes late. He didn't care. The first part of the first day of classes was just droning on about expectations and introductions and all that nonsense. He put on a cocky smirk and shoved past the doors. "Sorry I'm late teach. I..." The professor wasn't there. What the hell kind of professor was more late than him!? It almost felt like a challenge. Confused, Ty took a seat, leaned back, and propped his feet up on his desk. Professor Mavis electrocuted him every time he did that, but Ty was determined to prove that shock therapy was BS and refused to learn his lesson, so it became a part of his morning ritual.

Then there was an explosion. Ty started and nearly tumbled out of his seat as he turned to the door to see what the ruckus was. Through the plumes of black smoke, he saw that it wasn't an evil creature attacking, it wasn't some students dueling, and it wasn't a giant bombardier beetle. No, the majestic being reveling in his own conflagration was their professor! "Ha! This guy knows how to make an entrance!" Ty said to no one in particular. At that moment, he decided that he liked this man. There was know way this class would be like any other.

The class began like every other. Name on the board, stuffy introductions, and the dreaded "let's all systematically introduce ourselves in the most boring way possible" routine. The first girl to introduce herself was a newcomer to the class. He'd heard rumors about her being a badass or something, but he didn't get why that was a problem. Weren't they all training to become badasses? Despite the rumors, though, her introduction was one of the most boring he'd ever heard. Cookie-cutter words devoid of any personality. Where was the passion? Where was the fire? Ty couldn't let this slide. He'd teach this class how to properly introduce themselves.

Ty's right foot slammed down on his seat. He hoisted himself up and his left foot slammed down on his desk. He rested his left arm across his left leg and gestured sharply to himself with his right thumb. "The name's Ty Varen, apex predator of Avalice. I'm the legendary beast prophesied to devour the Miracle Seven. I'll tear through anything that stands in my way. Nice ta meet ya!"

It was another year for the prestigious school known as Avalice. Another year meant another day in Class Camellia, or Class-C as they were so lovingly labeled as. Whatever stigma was attached to the name was probably well-warranted, though Kiara felt no concerns in discovering the reputation’s history. Instead, she was focused on more practical matters, such as reading over some spare notes and other materials of the magical nature in the lecture hall. When she’d gotten there, who knew; perhaps it was early enough to be considered an overachiever or maybe it was just on the cusp of being late. Though being late seemed hardly worth much in this class.

After all, it was quite some time since their new professor arrived anyway. Kiara wasn’t even aware the time had passed so quickly until the chatter of other students filled her ears, noting more of them coming through the doorways with expectations to learn. She only gave the common nod or greeting before going back to reading through her texts. At some point there was a pen in her hand as she scribbled some footnotes for herself, assuming she’d grabbed one at some point. Or maybe someone was kind enough to hand her one? Who knew.

What she did know, was that there was a growing commotion just outside the lecture hall’s doors. She paid it no mind; there was always at least one fight on the first day, especially in proximity to Class-C. Even when the world shook momentarily and black smoke billowed out from the folds of the outside, she chalked it off as some poor student abusing their magic already. Her gaze slowly lifted from her texts when the door finally opened and out sprawled a young man; no doubt this was to be their new professor for the infamous Class-C.

Kiara paid him no immediate mind, not until he mentioned his former status as one of the Miracle Seven. That much was enough to catch some light of interest in her gaze, more so than his apparent youthful appearance. Nyx Yuria, huh? Or rather, Professor Nyx, as the man was quick to correct what the blackboard spelled out behind him. Indeed, this was a very interesting figure at the least, one who was waiting for them to begin their roll call as he lazily sat strewn from his new students.

The first to go was a girl named…Sophiel? At least, Kiara was sure that was her name. Once she made her introductions, Kiara waited a moment or two, glancing about to see if anyone else wanted to go next. When it was apparent that the next to go was Ty of all people, she waited patiently for the theatrics to carry on. Indeed, she knew the boy must have had something planned and indeed there it was, bold declaration to the world with a fiery charm about him. It was almost deflating then, that her turn would be more forward and to the point, almost cold. She raised her hand next and said, “Kiara Bastion.” As quickly as it was held, she settled her hand down. After all, the professor had only asked for their names without any sentimentalities attached. Nothing more, nothing less.

---

Hidden amongst the clouds of stunning spring petals were the mocking whispers about one named Alberta von Blumenthal, the student body's prime laughing stock of last semester. Word spread quickly of the humiliating sparring match that left the proud Queen of Thorns overpowered and near unconscious, and her subsequent transfer to the cursed Class C she had spent the last two years tormenting as a result. And though the true story of what followed after her defeat was confined only to those who witnessed the event themselves, they too relished in the karma that had been dealt to their former classmate, and let the rumours run rampant.

Alberta didn't care for the impudent whisperings of cowards, even though she had also been one to spread such things before. Though her name was no longer feared by those she had once called weak, her pride still shone like an obnoxious ray of light. With her shoulders rolled back and head held high, she strode towards her new class with unwavering confidence, as if the events of last semester were but the blissful dreams of her adversaries.

She didn't acknowledge the presence of those who had already arrived, pushing past several students until she reached the seat in the far left corner of the lecture hall. Alberta was quick to scowl at anyone who dared approach the empty seat next to her, and it was only when the hall started filling up that she was forced to let someone take it. Ten minutes passed, then twenty, then thirty. Alberta shuffled impatiently in her seat, arms tightly folded over her chest and the loud tapping of her shoe catching stares.

Alberta huffed at the professor's tasteless entrance. Not only was she surrounded by a bunch of unremarkables and failures, but her professor looked even less enthusiastic to be here than she was. Alberta rolled her eyes at the students who spoke before her, and raised her arm to speak. Might as well get it all over with before she was bored to death by such tiresome introductions.

"Alberta von Blumenthal, sir. Frankly, I don't think I belong in this 'barren wasteland for the untalented', but Class R's idiot professor seems to believe otherwise. I'm sure I can demonstrate to you that lumping me in a class with these losers is a complete waste of my time."

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Slumped ignobly in the back of the back of the lecture hall, legs slung over the front of his desk, sat Sekhandur. The hood of his royal-blue woolen cloak was pulled down over the front of his face to block out the light of the morning sun. He was, simply put, hung over. His head ached terribly, which was the only thing keeping him from dozing off, as he was exhausted by the early hour as well. Sekhandur was somewhat nocturnal, well used to waking in the late afternoon and staying up through most of the night. He claimed this habit was an effort to make himself a more efficient magician, as Kemeti magics were well known to flourish under the light of starfire, but really it was because he got away with the most mischief when given the cover of darkness.

Though that had not been the reason he had been up until the early hours of morning the night before. He had arrived at Avalice the previous evening, his departure from Kemet having been precisely timed so as to not allow Sekhandur to tarry or divert from his route. His caravan of servants and menials were supremely lucky to have not been delayed, forcing him to miss the beginning of the semester, but Sekhandur knew that fortune was a king's natural ally. However, when they had arrived at the academy's gates and had been greeted by the administrators, they told him that not only would his servants have to return to Kemet, but they would not allow him on the grounds with the creature comforts he had brought along with him. Barrels of dates and grapes, boxes of honey cakes and sweet-meats, salted lambs and suckling pigs, and casks of fragrant beer and dark red wine. Rather than send all of these confections and treats home, where they would spoil on the journey, Sekhandur held a feast directly outside Avalice's gates. He and his servants broke open the many parcels and gorged themselves on delicacies and alcohol, ensuring that it was all consumed and none had gone to waste. Only when he was satisfied that his rations had gone to good use (and that a sufficient amount had been hidden away in his other belongings) did Sekhandur pass into (or more truthfully, up to) the academy, and settled into his quarters.

Thus the young prince's current predicament. He nursed slowly from a skin of heavily-watered wine, doing his best to stay conscious as their professor entered the lecture hall. He half-listened to the man, as the noise was worsening his headache, and drank more wine to ease the pain. He eventually realized that the other students were introducing themselves to the professor, and he worked up the will to do the same.

Not bothering to raise his hand, Sekhandur cast back his hood and stood straight up, before announcing into the hall, "I am called Sekhandur, of the house of Khain." His voice was clear and dark, his pronunciation richly accented but still crisp. Sekhandur was surprisingly tall for his age; those with the blood of the Shan'iatu were often statuesque figures. He dressed in woolen robes dyed a vibrant blue, winter clothing among his people, with only a bare minimum of gold jewelry adorning his hands and neck. "I am heir to the Sesha-Hebsu, and a royal prince of the Imperishable Empire of Kemet, may it reign eternally in the favor of..." Sekhandur trailed off into an incoherent mumble, his momentary focus running out. He slumped back down into his seat, kicking his sandaled feet up over the desk, pulled his hood over his face, and resumed suckling his wineskin.

"And I'm Kress Alstein," Kress Alstein chirped up, immediately after Alberta finished her spiel. "Good morning to you too, Professor Nyx!" Bit weird that their teacher used a 'title + first name' system, when everyone used a 'title + surname' method of being addressed to, but maybe there was a preference here. Nyx DID suit a darkness mage more than Yuria did, after all. Probably. He didn't mind the wait himself. No doubt that being so young and so unaccomplished came with its own difficulties, and their professor was probably super nervous about the whole 'teaching a class of students for the first time' deal. Didn't get enough sleep, spent too much time preparing, probably ran afoul with a custodian, and voila!

Kress, evidently, was willing to give anyone and everyone the benefit of the doubt. All the time spent waiting on the good professor just meant that he had plenty of time to settle down all the butterflies in his own stomach. Quietly patting his now-calm chest and sipping on a nice brew of apple blossom tea, the youth prepared himself for his first day of class. It was going to be the best.

Ankaa arrived exactly five minutes before the supposed start of the lesson, and settled in to wait. She ignored the ongoing murmur of conversation, though she was certainly eager to see what their new teacher would be like. She had her doubts they would get anyone decent; the whole Academy did so love to act as if they were all worthless just because of some supposed curse. A self-fulfilling prophecy, that. And though professor Mavis had been affable enough, kindness did not always lend itself to effective cultivation.

The time when the class was officially supposed to start passed, and Ankaa frowned mildly. A teacher, late? Not the best of signs. She crossed her legs on her chair, set her palms on her knees, and closed her eyes. She was aware of the time passing, and still heard the chattering loud and clear, but was undisturbed by it. At around the 15-minute mark past the appointed meeting time, Ty arrived. If it weren’t for the promise of a new teacher, Liu would have interpreted such tardiness as permission to skip class without repercussion and taken her leave.

As it was, she eased her agitation via some light meditating, until finally, she heard the voice of their new professor quarreling with another faculty member outside. Funny when irritated, she noted, opened her eyes, unfolded her legs, and sat properly. The boom of an explosion resounded, and Ankaa raised her brows expectantly. The astonishingly young professor stormed in, and introduced himself. Powerful but inexperienced. Will he be truly able to pass any wisdom onto us when he likely has none himself? Her thoughts might have been uncharitable, but neither her expression nor her demeanor revealed such. The man was their teacher, and so she would respect him.

His somewhat insulting words were stated so matter-of-factly, Ankaa merely blinked. At least he’s giving us a chance, she thought. She was admittedly confused that he wanted them to refer to him by his title and his forename, but took note of his preference. He asked for introduction, and her classmates obeyed obligingly – though most of them took quite the creative license when doing so. Beginning with the sensible Sophiel, whose transferal to this class had something to do with a lack of restraint. One certainly wouldn’t think of it looking at her. Next was rambunctious Ty, whose brand of arrogance was surprisingly amusing and refreshing, though Ankaa couldn’t tell exactly how seriously he meant what he said.

Next was Kiara, one of her room-mates, and the only student who had followed their instructor’s request to a t so far. Liu silently approved of her conduct. Ah, and next on the list was the poster girl for obnoxious hubris, it would seem. Ankaa side-eyed Alberta, looking her up and down. She was the one put here because she couldn’t handle being beaten, so does not ‘loser’ apply to her most of all? The martial artist was bemused more-so than truly irate at Blumenthal’s words, and so she simply shrugged to herself. She did have to cover up a small smile when Kress cheerfully declined acknowledging her outburst in favor of introducing himself, however.

Last but not least before her turn was the sole male dorm-mate of hers. She recognized him as the one who’d been in the middle of an impromptu welcoming feast when she’d arrived to the academy. Ankaa did not know who those people with him had been, exactly, but the effects of Sekhandur’s revelry were blatant. That’d earn him a day of secluded contemplation at the temple, at the very least, she noted, and couldn’t help wondering how the young professor would deal with all these colorful characters. Straightening up and schooling her face into polite blankness, Ankaa raised her hand sharply. “Ankaa Liu,” she offered curtly, but clearly.

Lecture hall

Mandi had awoken early that morning and prepared for the first day of the new class, having the clothes straightened and without wrinkles the day prior alongside the bag with necessary books, ink, pens and ofcourse the dinner neatly packed into a box (Consisting of some spicy sauce with chicken bits in it. The box also contained rice, sausages, cucumber and a few biscuits. There were also two apples neatly packed into the backpack into a smaller cloth bag. It was after all important to make a good first impression, and only with proper attire, manners and a good meal to keep your mind alert, could the first day in class Camellia be overcome without any larger setbacks the young mage figured.

But Mandi was not alone in wishing to be there early, plenty of others had gotten there already. Amongst them were Seagull, a girl whose name was Sophiel. This girl was going to be Mandi's roommate for the near future, alongside another girl named Yvaine. Mandi only knew about Sophiel, as she was known as a very orderly and polite girl. Even whilst she had not interacted with Mandi before, that girl was somewhat often found in the spotlight. For what Mandi concered, Sophiel wouldn't be much of a problem. At least not for this particular young mage. Hopefully.

When Mandi first entered the lecture hall, the hydromancer was quick to approach the professor's desk, placing one of the two apples from the backpack upon it. A neatly polished and red apple. With a slightly dramatic turn the young mage made it past several of the already seated students, finding a seat in the middle of the hall.

After that came some time of waiting, which didn't come as much of a bother to Mandi, as it gave the mage some time to glance to the others in the room, giving a soft smile to those which might happen to make eyecontact. Upon hearing Ty entering and appologizing for being late, it caused Mandi to snicker with a fist before the mouth, almost as if one would when coughing. Then the left entrace door was swung open and storming in came someone covered by some mystical darkness. Mandi closely inspected the young man which had now entered, he didn't seem that much older than those gathered in the hall. Was he the professor? Someone that young?

The voice of Ty snapped Mandi out of the thoughts, as he seemed to find liking to this kind of entrance. Mandi tilted on the head slightly and gave Ty a glance, then looking to the young man by the blackboard. Then by means of magic a name took shape at the board behind him, this answered all questions the young mage had at the time.

'Nyx Yuria. Second seat of the miracle seven. 106th generation. Powerful.' Mandi thought and memorized the important bits, then he had asked for them to hold up their hands and introduce themselves. The hydromancer knew that the most memorable of introductions were the kinds which involved alot of fancy words, was said first, in a special tone of voice or last. Mandi decided it was best to do the introduction somewhere in the middle. But for now the hydromancer watched and listened to others.

'Sophiel Sargute. Seagull. Polite, courteous and orderly. Willingness to learn.' Mandi nodded softly and made mental notes, the more that one could remember of ones fellow students the better. Soon after her was the boy which had previously appologized for being late and verbally applauding their professor's way of arrival.

'Ty Varen. Overconfident. Braggart. Cheery.' Mandi simply shook on the head softly, this boy was going to be alot of trouble if he couldn't heed the simple request by the professor. After him came the girl, Kiara Bastion. There was not much that the hydromancer could add in regards to that one, other than her being a straight to the point kind of person. That and her nickname which was known to Mandi. The Gray Star. Follow suit came what Mandi regarded as another troublemaker. Alberta. She was known as the Queen of pricks to alot of other students, as few seemed to evade that girl's condemnation.

'Alberta von Blumenthal. Held back by her own ego. Blames others for her shortcomings. Quick to make enemies and earn dislike.' The hydromancer considered, waiting patiently for the next person to stand up.

Next up were Sekhandur Khain. 'A royal?' This young man surely were in the right place for certain as far as Mandi was concerned.

Following him came a student which was unknown by name to Mandi. Kress Alstein. 'Kress Alstein. Eager. Lively. Might be able to work together with.' Mandi nodded and glanced about, but before the young mage could stand up and begin the introduction, another slipped past. This one introduced herself much like Kiara, with a single raised hand and provided her name. This girl was a good listener too.

Then up went Mandi's both hands. "Mandi El-Alzaru." The young hydromancer smiled and glanced about before sitting back down soon after. Nyx had told them to raise not a hand, but -hands- and introduce themselves. Thus it came to be.

Sleepy. That's what Sanhan was. For many others, they would feel a wealth of emotions. Pride. Anger. Contempt. Anxiety. Relaxed confusion. The first day of a new experience was often all of those things. But instead, Sanhan was just plain tired. There wasn't any particular reason. She didn't stay up late, nor did she do something strenuous. She just had difficulty keeping her eyes open. Her trip to the school was afflicted by this languor. Really, it was amazing that the aimlessly drifting Sanhan didn't get lost on the way. Though, one could suppose that she just followed the crowd of other students. Large crowds often reminded her of sheep. Not for any real meaningful reason, though. The largest crowd she had been a part of was when she was playing with a herd of sheep. Those were good sheep. She really wanted to pet a sheep right now...

Ah, she almost verbalized. The professor had entered the hall. He was young. Sanhan was pretty curious why. Was he a boy genius or just someone who aged well? In any case, he began to introduce himself. She listened to the microspeech, but she didn't exactly get it all. Drifting in and out of sleep did that. She got his name, Nyx Yuria-Professor Nyx, and that he wanted an introduction. The insult to the entire class went over her head. Not that she would have understood it if she were fully awake, though.

The names and actions seemed to blend together into one odd blob. The one called Sophiel being polite. Sekvaren and Ty of the House of Khain both disrespecting the artisans who spent their time creating the tables that they slammed their feet on. The rude Alberta, not that Sanhan noticed that she was actually being rude. The good-natured Kress. The simple Ankiara Liu. Wait, wasn't that one two people? Eh. She'd figure it out when she actually woke up. Also the one who raised two hands, Mandi. Had she been more awake, she might

"Sanhan Kumranjahnman," she introduced herself with a hand lazily raise. Almost instantly, her head slumped over and her arm dropped as the tiredness overcame her once again.

She didn't exactly want to use her last name. After all, it was little more than a conduit for all of the bad vibes of leadership politics. None of the other students would recognize it, so it hurt a bit less. Plus, nobody pronounced it right. It had a very specific inflection. Every other noble family had the same basic syllables, but spoken slightly differently. Really, why was it that way? She supposed in those sleepy thoughts that the first Jahn just hated foreigners.

Eris wasn’t in any particular rush when it came to arriving at the classroom. It wasn’t like she was trying to get there late as well, but by no means she felt the need to impress whoever would be impressed by an extraordinarily earlier arrival.

That said, by the time their teacher stepped into the classroom she was one of the many students there, sitting close to a window, reading a book of many parables and deep philosophical meaning.

Despite the looks she may cast, Eris wasn’t trying to avoid contact with the rest of the class. She merely had nothing worth of saying. Especially to her sister who probably wasn’t even aware Eris joined the same class as her.

“A wise man once said: ‘Men are born with two ears and one mouth. If that’s true, then, does it not mean we should listen more than we speak?’” To Eris, such small pieces of ancient wisdom were worth more than anything. Thus, she never spoke when it wasn’t right.

Times such as when their teacher asked them to introduce themselves, prompting all kinds of reactions from her soon-to-be classmates. “Eris Reinhardt. I expect us to have a productive year,” she said after standing up.

The lack of answers regarding one of their colleagues’ less than appropriate comment prompted Eris to add, “Fools blame others for their own mistakes. Average people blame themselves. A sage knows that all blame is foolish. Now then, Lady Blumenthal, what of these do you see yourself as?” as she went back to her book.

---

@Matsuri

---

Alberta scoffed. Her comment wasn't even addressed to anyone besides the professor, yet some random girl was making a needless effort to respond to it. Alberta gave a sidelong glance at her: she was short, meek looking, her face hidden behind a heavy fringe and buried deep inside a book. She wasn't at all surprised to see a girl like her in a class like this.

"Reinhardt, was it?" Alberta retorted, not bothering to return Eris' courtesy with her given name. "Judging by your tone it seems to me you've more to say beyond that old man's riddle of yours. I'd rather you speak to me upfront instead of hiding behind the pretentious ramblings of ancient scholars."

She crossed her right leg over the left and turned her head with a dramatic swoosh. "Then again, the ramblings of the foolish and average such as yourself are of no use to me either. You should save your shallow philosophy lectures for when you find someone stupid enough to listen."

Just that one reply of Alberta's had blown the situation entirely out of proportion.

Ty rocked back in his chair, listening as his classmates introduced themselves one by one. He was a boisterous young man, but he at least let the teacher and his fellow students talk when it was their time. Otherwise, he'd likely have been kicked out of the school altogether. Most of their introductions were kinda boring, but one girl rubbed him the wrong way. Alberta. That condescending tone and haughty attitude. He decided almost instantly that he didn't like her. She called everyone in the class losers and even insulted her former professor. Yeah, he'd be challenging her to a duel very soon.

Fortunately, one of his new classmates spoke up and called her out on it. Eris, he think she said her name was. He liked her already, telling that arrogant girl to chill the hell out. And she had a cool saying, too. Blame is foolish, eh? Well, it was true that blaming someone didn't change things, so it made sense to him. But then Alberta opened her mouth again...

"Watch who you're calling stupid, dumbass!" he spat, slamming his hand down on his desk and glaring at Alberta. "Was what Eris said really so hard to understand for you? Well, my old man said the same thing all the time, but in a way that even someone like you could understand it: quit yer bitchin.'" Ty crossed his arms and let out a huff. "Besides, if you really want out of this class the path is crystal clear. Challenge the miracle seven, beat them, take their spot. Simple. Even I can understand it. So why don't you just do that? Ya scared? Or maybe you just know you can't. Either way, until you beat them, you're just as much a loser as anyone here, so shut your damn mouth!" With that, Ty leaned back in his chair and scowled at the chalk board.

Yvaine had always dreamed the day she left the priory would be one filled with fanfare. A pivotal chapter that marks the beginning of her journey, just like in her books. In her imaginings, it is dawn and the sun rises alongside her, as excited as she is to begin the day. When she breathes in deeply, scents she'd never known tickle her nose, revealing a world of novelty now within her grasp. The sisters who have welcomed her with open arms, those she has come to know as family, see her off with proud but wistful smiles. Her heart aches with bittersweet joy, but each step forward brings her closer to new beginnings.

The real thing was a bit... exactly not like that at all. Yvaine was instead whisked away at night, immediately after her daily errands. There was no time to pack what meager belongings she had, nor to speak her farewells. Only the abbess saw her off, although at the time she had been more preoccupied with the generous donation she had just received. As she joined her new guardian in his carriage, she could smell only the strong odor of smoke and alcohol lingering in the air.

At least the sentiments were the same. Kind of. When she stayed up that night, looking at the starlit sky—the same one she has always gazed upon yet a different one all the same—she marveled at its vastness as though she was seeing it for the first time.

Their trip to Avalice took a week. From what she could glean from the maps she'd memorized longingly all those years ago, they had taken the most direct route, and their only stop was at a small inn to allow her to wash herself before they arrived at the academy. Her guardian explained what was expected of her along the way. Everything was taken care of; her registration, lodgings, belongings. All she had to do was to go to class, learn, and graduate.

Currently, Yvaine was working on the "go to class" part. Her guardian dropped her off just beyond the academy's gate with only the name of her class and slightly vague encouragement to do her best. It seemed to her that finding the lecture hall was a trivial task, but she would soon realize that she underestimated the scale and splendor of the legendary academy. More than once, Yvaine found herself veering from the correct path to marvel at the new sights before her. The eastern wing of Avalice alone had been twice as big as the priory, and in the short span it took her to roam its cobblestoned paths, she had seen more of the world than she had her whole life.

Yvaine's sightseeing stroll eventually refound its purpose. A small booming directed her attention to a soot-covered hallway, the last remnants of black smoke just clearing away. Ah! The label above the entrance door greeted her with the words she had been looking for: CLASS CAMELIA.

Her entry to the room was accompanied by what seemed like an ongoing argument? Or perhaps just a very passionate discussion. Yvaine had gone in just as a dark-haired lady, beautiful although anger seemed to contort her face, mentioned something about riddles and philosophy. Another boy spoke out in repsonse afterwards, his words just as impassioned. Hoping not to interrupt their heated debate, Yvaine gently excused herself as she walked in between the two, motioning for them to ignore her and to please continue freely expressing their indignation. She made her way to the front of the room instead, to whom she hoped was the professor.

"Blessed day, Professor," Yvaine smiled and made the sign of the star over her heart, two fingers tracing the symbol starting from the bottom right. "I am Yvaine, and I beg pardon for my tardiness."

She leaned over his desk then rising on her tiptoes and whispered, slightly coy and seemingly mindless of the ensuing drama behind her. "Do you happen to know where I sit?"

---

Alberta was infuriated, but even more so confused. Who was this boy, and why was he getting himself involved? Who did he think he was? Though she had been made very aware of his grating presence when he had announced himself earlier, his name had gone through one of her ears and then out the other. She wasn't going to stoop so low as to remember the idiot's name.

"Did your 'old man' ever tell you to shut up when two adults are talking?" she snapped back at Ty. "This doesn't concern you, kid."

When another student walked in, then right in front of the ongoing barrage of insults, Alberta's increased confusion made her pause. She took a moment to think; the longer she let this escalate — or rather, the longer it took for her to get the last word in — the longer she would be stuck here in this hall. Alberta didn't want that, an hour and a few minutes in and she already couldn't stand these losers. Just magining what the rest of her year would look like was a migraine waiting to happen. She waved an apathetic hand to call the stupid row off.

"You know what, whatever. Let's just get these introductions done and over with, my head might just implode if I have to be in the same room with this idiot kid any longer."

The young mage found itself sitting once again and listening to the others introducing themselves, there certainly were alot of students in this class. Mandi hoped not all of them would be like Alberta. Some girl had a very long name...

'Sanhan Kumranjahnman. Narcoleptic.' The mage thought, a sweatdrop forming at the side of the young mage's head, Mandi soon after turned to another girl in the room which began to speak in old sayings before introducing herself. 'Eris Reinhardt. A reader. Knowledge seeker... confrontational.' Mandi softly sighed as Eris began to address Alberta, surely nothing good would come of it. It didn't take long for Alberta to reply back to Eris neither, and in such a fashion it didn't show her in any better light than before, as far as Mandi was concerned.

'A fool calling others fools... such folly in itself. Good grief. A shallow philosophy, or a shallow persona... which is worse I wonder?' Mandi's ears perked up on hearing Ty raise his voice and slamming down on his desk, seemed Alberta had managed to bait not one but two into engaging her in verbal disorder. 'Ty. Additional traits: Hotheaded. Seeks to seemingly challenge and defeat the miracle seven. Noted for future interactions.' The hydromancer did however think that Alberta's actions were out of line and was disrupting the order which their professor no doubt desired. It would surely only be a matter of time before he would stop this discord.

Then into the room strode a very pretty looking girl, according to Mandi's own judgement, she seemed to carry herself with remarkable grace and walking inbetween the two currently engaged in a verbal war. 'B...beautiful.' Was the first thought that came into the young mage's mind, blinking slightly and looking at her then towards Professor Nyx. 'Yvaine? This is my roommate... she's... shining.' Mandi glanced about, knowing that Yvaine would likely look for a place to sit soon. There was a spot to the left of the young hydromancer. Mandi's eyes closed as the young mage began to focus. 'I need to get eyecontact with her.' Mandi's eyes flashed open and looked down towards Yvaine with a soft smile, patting the desk next to the young mage softly. Just when the verbal clash involving Alberta seemed to get to an end, Alberta added more fuel to the fire. Ty would surely rise to Alberta calling him a kid. Even an idiot kid. There was a very high risk of further trouble occuring, judging by how the young man reacted before.

Then another disaster struck as a young man came into the room like a whirlwind and had the audacity to crash into the beautiful young woman, Yvaine. 'What..?' Mandi thought, with a narrowed eyed look down at the newcomer. The newcomer introduced himself as Caelum Tempesta, but Mandi had another name in mind for him. 'Whirlwind idiot.' The hydromancer thought and looked troubled down towards Yvaine, thinking for a moment to get up from the seat but knowing fully well that would impede on the professor's domain of possibly giving near divine punishment.

Kiara chose to ignore the greater happenings of classroom introductions as soon as she was done. She figured that the day wouldn’t be normal anyway, especially with Class-C’s near-infamy for causing trouble for the rest of the student populace. Indeed, it would have been so much easier to blot out the comings and goings of the others in her mind were one voice not so prevalent among the rest. Kiara slowly turned her gaze away from the texts she was reading, glancing at her sister as she made her introductions known. Somehow, she wasn’t surprised the other girl found herself in the same class as she was like a clinging shadow.

No, what did spark some surprise out of her was Eris’ added statement following her introduction. Puzzled, Kiara wondered briefly who that was meant for before hearing Alberta’s angered retort. Then she sighed. Of course. Of course. There couldn’t be one day of peace around the girl who spoke in lopsided philosophies and haughty tones. She knew what Eris was doing-what she did rather-and knew the consequences of such. But there was no stopping a maelstrom of conflict when it was set in motion now was there.

Still, it ultimately wasn’t her concern. Alberta would take the bait as usual and respond, as usual. Kiara wondered if their new professor was slow or maybe enjoyed the chaos as much as anyone else given how he didn’t once intervene in the matter. She did look at Ty with some interest when he declared his own statement. How interesting…she kept her sight on him for a moment longer before letting loose another sigh, uncaring if anyone was paying attention to it. It’d play out as it should for Class-C, no more and no less. Though she made a mental note to confront Eris about the matter later…

Kiara went right back to her texts even as more events unfolded. Between more students popping up in class, a shouting match developing, and the professor still doing nothing, it was hardly an idle or unordinary day for Class-C. No, unfortunately, this was to be the norm for the cursed class. She would ignore the cause of the calamity for now lest she actively encourage it.

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Striding quickly through the halls, Verena seemed to have gotten lost in the building trying to find her class, although this wasn't even her first year attending Avalice. Turning corners and trying desperately to find her lecture hall, she could tell that time was running out by the dwindling amount of people she ran into. Normally, this would've been fine had she not taken the time to roam the campus again; it being mandatory for her to greet those she recognized from previous years. Suddenly remembering that her class was to get a new professor this year, the young warrior slowed down and sighed softly, already missing her old teacher.

Now a tad disheartened, Verena lingered down the hall for a while, stopping to pin her hair up. Just then, the girl tilted her head up and furrowed her eyebrows, smelling a strong smoke odor coming from not too far away, and as she noticed this, a boy whisked past her, seemingly heading straight toward the source. Pausing momentarily, Verena decided to follow him (who knows, there could've been a fight), but not nearly as quickly, just far enough to keep him in sight.

Seeing him enter a lecture hall, the smell of smoke most pungent here, she glanced up and noticed the sign: Class C. Makes sense. She nodded to herself. Turning around to leave, the girl's eyes widened as the words on the sign processed and she quickly pivoted, taking long steps to the door.

"Morning!" Verena beamed loudly, making her way through the room, ignoring the fact that she was late. Although she wasn't all that concerned either. And forgetting the fact that they had a never professor until she noticed him, and his name written on the board. Blinking slowly, she knew she recognized his name from somewhere, but she couldn't place it, tapping on her chin and making a quick tik tik tok sound. "Nyx Yuria...OH-,"she exclaimed, clapping her hands together. "You're that one guy my brothers used to always talk about! The one with the Miracle Seven! Not even kidding, they're like, obsessed with you, I swear! Of course, they were sad when you kinda got kicked out, that sucks, but they do still talk about you!" The girl rambled.

Looking around for a seat, Verena spotted one not too far away, next to this kid who had a sad look on their face, whose focus was directed toward one of the few up front. Walking toward the seat and sitting down, shifting a bit uncomfortably due to her long legs, she said, "But that's so cool! They're gonna be so jealous that I met you! Oh! I'm Verena Parieau by the way,"she smiled excitably, adding another, "That's so cool," at the end.

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Class-C Lecture Hall | Interactions: @queenoftheages @Chezka @metanoia @Matsuri @KoL @Relin @TheWendil

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As the students introduced themselves, Nyx's expression became a mix of incredulity and annoyance. What in the world were they on about? One displayed delusions of grandeur, one stated their case for why they shouldn't be here while simultaneously insulting every other student, one just went on and on about a great empire or something; another one had both hands raised like they were at a damn carnival. Let's not forget to mention the sleepy one or the one looking to get into a spat with the rude one from earlier. How difficult is it to give a name and a face to which that name belongs? Fortunately, there were some normal ones in the lot; not like it counts for much at this point.

The situation between Alberta and Eris only grows more heated and, now, Ty decides to join in with a few choice words of his own for his haughty classmate. Alberta fires back with a few final insulting words. Growing tired of this circus act, Nyx prepares to lay down the law when a girl with rich, dark hair enters the room and makes her way to Nyx while drawing as little attention to herself as possible. Apparently, she is another student. She soon asks for a seat after introducing herself as Yvaine. Nyx didn't even have time to respond when another student comes barreling in with the grace of an ox and knocks noggins with Yvaine. He quickly apologizes and introduces himself as 'Caelum Tempesta'.

Again, another tardy student just waltzes on in—not that Nyx has any right to complain about tardiness. This one seems like she's just wistfully going about her day, not a care in the world. She quickly recognizes Nyx and tells him about her brothers who apparently are fans of his but laments about how they felt when they heard Nyx had been 'kicked out'. "I was never 'kicked out' of anything. My generation graduated and we went our separate ways. If anything I kicked them out of my life." He tries to explain but it's dubious she'd even heard him. As she takes her seat, she tells him that her name is Verena.

"Enough of this!" Nyx stands up and slams his hand onto the desk. drawing everyone's attention. He looks to Caelum and Yvaine. "You two, find a seat. Now." He then turns his attention to the troublemakers. "This lecture hall is no place for petty squabbles. While you're in my charge, I expect every student to conduct themselves in an appropriate manner. Is that understood? Furthermor-" His chastising came to an abrupt end when the mana crystal on Nyx's desk begins to pulsate and a feminine voice fills the room. "All classes, please report to the academy plaza for today's welcoming ceremony. I repeat: all classes, please report to the academy plaza for today's welcoming ceremony." It seems the introductions would have to be cut short.

Nyx puts his hand on his face and closes his eyes; his expression is one of cool collectiveness, as if in deep contemplation. "Thank the Goddess for that announcement! I don't know why the hell I thought it was a good idea to let these misfits introduce themselves!" He thinks while feigning composure. Opening his eyes, a bead of sweat nearly falls down the side of his face. "Is that...? The stupid roll sheet was in front of me this entire time?! Dammit, that would've saved me a heap of trouble! I was already running late and didn't bother to check what was on the desk. If only this damn school wasn't so massive-"

"Uhh, Professor, is everything okay?" A random students asks after noticing Nyx was just standing there silently for a long time. "Huh? Oh ahem It's nothing." He sighs. "You've all heard the announcement. Come." Outside in the hallway, Nyx waits nearby. He's holding something—a badge of some sort. When all of the students are outside, Nyx heads toward Sophiel with badge in hand but, as he gets to her, he passes her to reach another student standing behind her: Kiara. "Here." He gets her attention and tosses the badge her way. "You're acting Class Representative until further notice. Make sure no one causes any more trouble and if they do, make a note of it and report to me later."

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Avalice Academy Plaza | Interactions: None

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After about ten minutes of walking, Class-C arrives at the academy plaza and is greeted by a sea of students and faculty. Their collective voices blend into a cacophony of white noise—nothing distinguishable can be heard. Looking around, it took no time for Nyx to find his class's seating area as it is the closest one to their wing; plus, a sign with their class name is posted by it. He silently ushers his students to take their seats with a tilt of his head before walking off to a nearby tree and leaning against it, arms crossed, eyes closed. He is still a bit miffed by the argument that had broken out in class earlier and has decided to take a moment of respite away from the students.

Sometime later, an sagely old man with an impressive beard approaches the podium. This man is none other than the great Alphonse Augustine: the Headmaster of Avalice. Almost instinctively, everyone quiets down as soon as they see him, showing that he commands great respect. After all, he's been headmaster for nearly a century now. Using a non-specific spell, he alters the volume of his voice so that it may reach throughout the entire plaza.

"Students and faculty of our great school. It is my pleasure to once again address you at the advent of the new semester. Strength. Honor. Kindness. Heroism. The founding principals to which we pledge our sacred oath. For many, this will be your last year at Avalice. Whatever academic result of this final year will be for you matters not. If you take anything away from your time here, it should be this: you must allow those principals to live on through you come what may. Our world is fraught with evil and malice. Through your continued existence you must subtract from it. Embody the hero that I know you to be regardless of ability. You, our shining stars, will lead us to a brighter tomorrow." As Augustine's speech wraps up, the assembly courteously applauds.

"What about the Captain? We're just going to go out there without him?" The voice of a young man asks from behind the stage.

"We don't have much of a choice, do we? He's probably off in a forest somewhere talking with the birds and bees and what have you. Already forgotten the time we'd told him to be here." Another masculine voice deliberates.

"Blockhead..." This time, a feminine voice responds.

Back on stage, Augustine continues to speak. "Among you there are seven whose abilities are recognized as being without peer. I speak, of course, of the Miracle Seven—our greatest pride. Look to them not with envy but with inspiration; the goal to which all students should strive for. Without further ado, I give you your 107th Generation of the Miracle Seven!" Entering onto the stage is a group of six individuals all well known by now at Avalice. Honestly, they needed no introduction. Most of the crowd begins to cheer and applause as their repute is like that of royalty for the school.

"Oh my... Honestly, I don't think I'll ever get used to this. All of those piercing stares..." A girl dressed in an elaborate kimono expresses her anxiety.

"Relax, and enjoy the moment a little. You'll never know when it's all gone." The young man clad in white and blue attempts to assuage her worries.

It's soon made obvious that the Miracle Seven is missing a member—their First Seat no less. The First has always been known to be a somewhat enigmatic figure, rarely showing up to public appearances and council meetings. In Class-C, there is at least one person who knows who the First Seat is. In fact, he even challenged him to an official duel once. Unfortunately, defeat was swift and certain. With the ceremony over, the classes are excused to return to their day. They also have the option to stay for a while and enjoy the food stalls that have been set up. "It might benefit you all to take a breather after that embarrassment of a morning class session. I'll let you know when we're ready to head back." He tells the class without even opening his eyes.

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