Chunji jotted down notes into a spare notebook and followed along Alto's words. A broader understanding had been obtained and would be put into practice when there was time. PB, or Personal Barrier, sounded easier to master now that it wasn't exclusively emotional magic. While it was an integral part, Chunji could empathsize with the idea of "I do not like getting hurt," and use that for his essence.

Although Alto's words concerning using prime essence for any type of spell seemed concerning. Chunji doubted there would be a need to utilize that method, espescially since his prime essence was unknown, but who knew. "In the case of using Prime Essence, would Personal Barrier become stronger?" It may seem obvious like the reasoning why an apple would fall from the tree, but Chunji wondered how strong would using Prime Essence to fuel a spell would be.

Other than that, it was time for application. Rio and Chloe seemed to be sticking together and Davil was homing onto Otis. That left Chunji the three possible choices of Hildegrunde, Ciara, and Iraleth. It was obvious who the choice was. "Would you like to partner with me?" Chunji said upfront to Iraleth.

Chunji wanted to minimize interaction with Hildegrunde out of respect and he had a bad opinion of Ciara thanks to their terrible first impression. Naturally, it left Iraleth as the best possible option out of the trio.

Wingram Academy, Classroom 103
@Nanaya, @Sifr

---

"I'll kindly ask you to be more careful acting on impulse around demonstrations, Ms. Ventura. In the future, it could be dangerous if you threw unnecessary variables into an otherwise expected - and safe - result. Thank you."

Ciara looked taken aback as Professor Alto's glare caught her. Quietly, she nodded her head, and sank a little in her seat. A part of her desperately wanted to blend into the wood of her desk and disappear. She knew these kinds of glares all too much. It was always like this. People in the orphanage would give her these glares all the time. Instantly associate her with that dreadful term: Umbralism.

Her brows furrowed in distaste, and she pointedly tuned out the rest of the explanations and lecturing until Professor Also clapped his hands.

It was practice time. Already, from the corner of her eye, she could see Davil waving over Otis. She tilted her head, watching. Weighing her options. Otis was obviously the first option. He was proficient in almost anything he set his eyes to, from what she had seen. But something held her back. When they were at the door, and he shut down her vulnerability, she realized something.

She had to be stronger. She couldn't rely on others.

Forming a group with Otis, she would rely on him too much, she knew.

No. She had to forge her own path. She had to choose someone who was as closed off as her. Who, perhaps, had shared a kindness with her.

Ciara's eyes fell on Hildegunde, and she moved to sit behind her. She watched the little stars of white sparkle in her gray aura, but pushed down her Hunger.

A pause. "Wanna practice these barriers with me?"

Forty-five minutes.

In one way, it is plenty.

In another way? It wasn’t enough to get at the heart of it.

While others sought their pairs, Otis stood up. It was a class of eight. A small classroom, with only a few whose personalities he could consider as audacious. He had been in groups before, where the moment a teacher sat back, the room exploded with dialogue and conversation. That was not the case here. People did things quietly enough; even Davil was whispering for some strange reason. The Strigidae ignored him for now, settling a meaningful glance upon Alto, before stepping up to the front of the room.

“I will explain and demonstrate my process,” Otis declared. It would have sounded arrogant, perhaps, if not for the neutrality of his tone, the lack of any particular expression on his face. His amber gaze caught Davil’s, then bounced upon Ciara’s, before finally settling vaguely in the direction of Chloe. She would be best suited for learning this particular spell, wouldn’t she? One hand extended outwards, wrist rotating so that the splayed fingers seemed to be moving around space.

“Instructor Alto spoke of understanding, of the collective and the many. That is the key to emotional essence. Envision the fervor of an Astrite choir. The quietude of written exams. Moods mesh together to form an atmosphere, within which emotional essence can be found.” His hand continued to move around that invisible something, before it clenched, forming a fist. “But while understanding such atmosphere is necessary for capturing emotional essence, that understanding must be accompanied by an understanding that you are distinct. You are the user, not the tool. The priest at the head of a delegation. The invigilator at the front of the room.”

He had not clenched his fist. He had grabbed something intangible, something that he could now pull at, manipulate.

“Now, it is simply a matter of understanding what yourself is, and holding yourself as distinct from all others. Empathy is important, but self-awareness is more so. The length of your fingernails. The thickness of your skin. The inflating of your lungs. The grumbling of your guts. Delve into yourself in your entirety, utilizing whatever imagery best suits yourself for envisioning your uniqueness.” A pause, but a short one. “I envision myself colorless.”

That invisible something he grabbed at now seemed to melt into the air around him, a gentle breeze tickling beneath his clothing. Otis’s gaze darkened briefly, drawing upon a sense of ‘distance’ in order to modulate his Personal Barrier. The distance of being unpaired. The distance of being unlike. The distance of being…

“And from that point, maintain that sense of self. Utilize it to enforce a separation between yourself and all else, until the world around you recognizes that. There are many spells that create Barriers, but the keyword for this one is ‘Personal’.”

Otis clapped his hands together. Gone was the knowledge-giver, returned was the knowledge-seeker.

“That being said, that’s how it is done in with arcane methodologies, and it’s based off my own mental model. If anyone else has or finds greater success in a different model of visualization, please, share. There’s only eight of us present, but there are four primary conduits, so I do expect at least three non-arcane students here, for divine, occult, and primal. It’d be interesting to compare and contrast pathways as a result, especially for the divine and the occult, both which historically have a greater sense of 'borrowing' from an entity separate from yourself! I'd also be interested in hearing about how any of you would establish yourself as separate from the world, if you do choose to follow in my example!”

Iraleth paid steady attention to the ongoing lecture, jotting down notes at a reasonable pace. None of it was flying over her head without further study just yet, but it was best to record everything she could, still. This Personal Barrier would certainly prove to be useful in the future, though she had no desire to abandon her armor completely for it. After all, why give up a defensive layer that was entirely passive to maintain on her end? Wearing a few dozen pounds of plate on a daily basis was nothing to her after years of training, anyway.

The class began to separate for practical application following the theoretical explanation, and Iraleth found herself being approached by...Chunji. That was his name, right? He offered to partner up with her, and she rose to her feet.

"Of course." Iraleth gave a firm nod. "I'll start, then." As she'd said before, it shouldn't be too different from the divine shields she was already able to conjure. Just with a more stringent field of application.

She gathered emotional essence together through the divine method: an entreaty to Astra for protection. Let her flesh be shielded from harm, so as to continue her work. Faith, zeal, determination, and outright stubbornness coalesced into emotional essence, coating Iraleth in its protective veil.

"Right," The paladin exhaled, examining herself briefly. It seemed as though the spell had worked, though its efficacy remained to be seen. "Now to test it. I'm still wearing armor over the barrier, so..." She gave Chunji a stoic stare. "Punch me in the face."

@AThousandCurses

"Understood," Giving a nod in recognition, Chunji dug into his pouch. He withdrew a bandage and began wrapping around his hand. Once he had a good grip, he looked back at Iraleth. "I'm going Miss Kyrios." Shifting his stance, a blur shot out from his. His fist felt a firm resistance when he threw it against Iraleth's barrier. Simple, effective, and necessary in the midst of combat. Was there a way to make an attack that would bypass Personal Barrier?

With Iraleth's face undamaged from Chunji's jab, it was now Chunji's turn to apply Personal Barrier. Taking a few steps back, Chunji exhaled. The occult required superstition and belief. In a way it worked similar to the Divine. The way it differed was the process. In Chunji's breath in place of air was a dark smoke. Clouds of smoke that obscure the eye and prevent blows from being received.

It would distort and twist attacks away from Chunji by diverting the hit. "I am ready, Miss Kyrios. If you would." Personal Barrier was simple enough to cast. Now it was time to test if it was effective.

@Estylwen@Psyker Landshark@ERode@AThousandCurses@Sifr

CLASSROOM 103

Alto held a smile of pride as Otis took the lead at the front of class. He'd occasionally nod his head approvingly at the boy's statements, acknowledging the words as true and proper. It was a powerful sense of self that fueled a Personal Barrier, at the end of the day - a strong ego of the psychological kind. It wasn't a perfect technique, burning one's emotional essence as fuel for a shield and temporarily losing pieces of the self as a result; but it was certainly better than dying.

Upon the conclusion of the diligent Strigidae's speech, Alto looked over to acknowledge Chunji's question, allowing himself to answer now that the time for further questions and answers could be tossed about. The Wund teacher's expression quickly soured, though, as a frown took over at the inquiry. "If you were to funnel your prime essence into your Personal Barrier to defend, you would become a truly unstoppable wall. The collective force of 'you' and all of your experiences lived and yet to be lived would rush forth to ensure your body endures the attack. You'd feel all of your positive emotions amplified twice over, allowing your true self to take tangible form in the outside world. It'd be a high unlike any other."

A pause hung in the air, dread filling in place of his words as he looked upon Chunji with eyes indicating a personal experience of some kind. Pained eyes, yet old, as if it were an aged emotional wound with only the scar left to show for it. "Seconds later, the worst rebound of your life would hit you. Depending on the severity of the hit, you'd die instantly and it'd feel incredible. Being generous, you'd lose several decades off your lifespan if you were otherwise protected or the attack was of a weaker sort. You might possibly lose the ability to channel essence such that you can't cast spells. Your Ethos might be forever lost to you, or otherwise never reach its full potential," he'd say, scanning the classroom to ensure everyone understood as clear as day. "Do I make myself clear? Last resort, that's it. There's no bringing back pieces of your prime essence, even with the magic of Arcmages."

From the back, Chloe silently bit at her fingernails while shooting a knowing look towards Rio. Davil leaned back in his chair after the words of both Otis and Alto flooded into his brain, eyes glazed over and cast towards the ceiling, drool pooling out of his mouth as he felt all passion leave him. It was too much. Too many words were said in too short a time and Davil was defeated, slumped expressionless against his seat as he emitted low gurgling, "gah, gahhh," noises from out of his open maw.

Rio turned around in his seat to stare at Otis, acknowledging the boy's passion for these subjects, and nodded. "I align with the divine conduit, myself. For me, it helps to imagine the eye of your worship casting out all things in the world except for the connection between you and them. Within the Personal Barrier I envision, only the two of us exist, me dancin' on the palm of their hand as they use their other to repel outsiders in our world."

A sudden smack rang out through the class, with a small bruise left on one of Rio's hands from Chloe's sudden strike with an open palm slap, an annoyed pout filling her face. "That's quite enough sharing from you for now." All Rio could do was nod, then turn back to Otis with an unbothered shrug.

"I suppose it is. Why not ask the kid having a stroke what his process is? I'm sure he's full of compellin' wisdom to share with all of us," he'd continue, looking over towards Davil.

Throughout the conversation, the classroom would gradually begin to grow hotter. It was almost as if the latent power of the primal essence within this enclosed space was beginning to awaken. For those perceptive in the flow of essence or otherwise channeling to determine it, the source would originate from Alto, who had a hand to his chin in thought.

"I've prepared a little exercise for all of you to partake in, so I'll give a few more minutes and then we'll see how you all adapt, okay? Nothing too serious, but a little bit of physical education never hurt anyone!"

Mr. Wund chuckled to himself at the last statement, his demeanor once more returning to something more welcoming as he waited.

Wingram Academy, Classroom 103
@Nanaya, @Sifr, @ERode

---

Hildegunde gave a small nod as Ciara sat beside her. Encouraged, Ciara tilted her head. Her voice was low, softly speaking. "I have a feeling you and I are more similar than what we lead on. You can try to make a barrier, and I will break it."

The stronger bits of essence, the white little stars in Hildegunde's aura, flowed more naturally, without force, resistance, or cognitive routines. It made Ciara consider that Hildegunde's magic was likely primal in nature, but she'd have to see it activate in person to be sure.

"Or we could just Eat it." Came a cruel Voice in her mind.

"Shut up."

"It would be tasty chalk."

"Shut. Up."

Otis caught her gaze as he stepped up to the front of the class, and she leaned forward from her seat on the ground, looking up as he spoke. It was a somewhat lengthy explanation, and overly complicated. Is this really how other classes of magic interacted with essence? Is this really how the arcane did it?

How painful.

She watched the wind swirl around him, relieved somewhat that his convoluted methodology worked.

She paused for a moment, staring at him from her position near the center of the room on the floor, glancing at Hildegunde for her reaction, before speaking up.

"You're putting too much thought into something that should be just felt."

She fixed her eyes on Otis. She took a breath, and began to search the room with her awareness. "It's as simple as moving your awareness from your own body, to the the air, to the specks in the air."

That's when she noticed the slight increase in the temperature of the room. Puzzled, she pressed her awareness deeper, and found the essence that felt like the plants back in Vaal Kastrix becoming agitated. She tried to pull at it, to use it as her Personal Barrier. However, the essence wouldn't budge. Was it already programmed for something else?

She shrugged it off, instead delving her awareness deeper, moving from the air to beyond. A hidden place that felt like home.

"You reach out to what is connected to you, and draw it closer..."

Wind tickled through her hair, highlighted by the occasional streak of dark specks. It coalesced over her skin, little vortexes of colorless air that acted as a buffer. She demonstrated by trying to touch her finger to her palm, which was now impossible.

She held the form for a few moments, before releasing her held breath, and allowing the wind to collapse. It felt... refreshing, like moving muscles that never got worked. The air returned to normal; she looked up at Otis, smirked, and glanced over at Professor Alto, who was addressing the class. As he spoke about the rebound from Prime Essence, she swallowed nervously.

The air grew even hotter. Ciara reached out again with her awareness, feeling the essence move, more agitated now. Her eyes slid half-closed, noticing how it coalesced around the professor as a center. What was he up to?

"I've prepared a little exercise for all of you to partake in, so I'll give a few more minutes and then we'll see how you all adapt, okay? Nothing too serious, but a little bit of physical education never hurt anyone!"

Her eyes narrowed further, wholly focused on the essence of the room. The last time this school thought physical education was a good idea, students were beating each other for seats. The professor seemed nice, innocent, even. But this school was never what it seemed to be.

She glanced at Hildegunde, before her eyes rested on the professor.

"I'm ready."

Otis’s eyes lit up as Rio explained his own thought process. He hadn’t missed that meaningful look exchanged between Chloe and the shield-slinging boy when Alto spoke of the effects and consequences of utilizing one’s Prime Essence with one’s Personal Barrier, but that was outshone by the concept of manifesting a Personal Barrier utilizing a belief that one’s self had the sole attention of their object of worship. It was a remarkably selfish take on things, considering the collectivist nature of religion as Otis understood it, but the Strigidae nodded along regardless. He could map it well enough, at least, to the concept of a ‘personal connection’.

Davil, of course, almost, almost drew a sigh out of him. Having an Ethos was a rare thing. Getting accepted into Wingram Academy ought to also be a rare thing. And while a Personal Barrier may be something complex, surely the theory behind it was easy enough? It caused Otis to frown then. He didn’t ascribe to the idea that true understanding mastery of theory manifested when one was able to explain it succinctly to children. If the redhead was unable to even withstand a couple minutes of lecturing, he ought to be placed in a special education program.

Ciara’s statement, however, was curious.

‘Simple’, she called it.

The Strigidae tilted his head to one side. The shadow-witch smirked, but there was only an empty interest in the expression he returned to her.

“We should talk about this later,” Otis said. “As far as I’m aware, the Personal Barrier isn’t so simple a spell that one could acquire it without either an obsession with the study of essence or regular encounters with the possibility of bodily harm. Would you say that it’s a feature of primal magic, to be able to oversimplify such a process? Or are you, in fact, a prodigy? A veteran in violence could work too.”

A pause. “You don’t have to answer that for now. I need to attend to my subject.”

Without any more hesitation, Otis strode towards Davil, snapping his fingers to get the boy’s attention. The nature of essence-usage depended on two things. One was the ability to see the words of creation that actually composed of essence. The other was to gain a strong enough visualization that you can guide one’s own essence through. When it came to his arcane studies, Otis employed the former as often as possible, but the latter was useful too, when one had to guide others. If the default of Davil’s mind was ‘emptiness’, then he simply needed to fill that emptiness with something meaningful.

“Match my breathing, Davil, and close your eyes.”

Meditation was first. Deep breaths, but not enough to strain the lungs or the diaphragm, just enough to settle the mind. One minute exactly, before Otis spoke up once more.

“You are running alone.” Matching his past and his present. “This is not a race, nor is this training.” Removing external context in order to not constrict one’s access to this spell. “You can’t see the path, but you can feel the wind.” The element upon which the barrier is interfaced. “It presses against you; you are moving fast.” Establish one’s own position now. “It is raining too. But you do not feel the raindrops. The wind against you flicks the rain off of you.” A wind shield, so to speak.

“Hold that image, Davil. Hold onto the feeling that rises from the image.”

He waited, the Strigidae’s own eyes open in order to watch the development of emotional essence around his roommate. Once it seemed to have bubbled to a reasonable level, he nodded.

“Now, apply your essence to that emotion. Make that wind a real thing.”

Ciara pulled shadows. Iraleth turned light into armaments. Rio danced with an idol. Otis opened doors to empty space. Davil advanced in the eye of the storm.

Perhaps a similar-enough image would work here.

Or perhaps this would be the worst possible way for Davil to discover his Prime Essence, in which case, good riddance to that.

She didn't even feel an impact. And judging from his stance, Chunji knew how to throw a punch. Impressive. Moreover, Iraleth barely felt the essence drain compared to her usual barriers. Her partner asked for her to reciprocate, and Iraleth did, slamming her own fist straight towards Chunji's face. Full force, nothing held back. She felt the impact, and knew the barrier worked. It really was that simple, then.

The professor deigned to answer Chunji's question about fueling barriers with one's Prime Essence. In short: don't. Iraleth still dutifully recorded the full effects in her notes just in case this was material they would be questioned on later. Their instructor wasn't incorrect: only do so if she was certain she would die without the extra boost. Iraleth understood that, of course. She'd be of no use to anyone with her Ethos crippled. But given her nature, that or death was more likely than not.

Professor Alto finished off with mentioning a physical exercise, and Iraleth tilted her head in curiosity. The school's last idea of one was an incomprehensible cavalcade of errors, but perhaps one from a reasonable-looking instructor would be less...inane. Nonetheless, Iraleth nodded towards Chunji and continued to work on her Personal Barrier in the time they had left.

@AThousandCurses

The Knight's fist connected into the smoke. As if mirroring the same instance from before, her fists connected but failed to inflict injury beyond the barrier. The barrier was a success, though further refinement was needed in the future. Practice makes perfect as his mother would say. It could make a difference in a life or death scenario if he could finish innovative ways to apply Personal Barrier.

"Understood, Professor Alto." Utilizing Primal Essence was strictly forbidden. Chunji could only imagine what the consequences were if he were to use his Primal Essence for a spell. While he didn't know his Primal Essence, they were at least connected to his eyes. It could mean that if he were to make such a risky gamble, he may have to sacrifice his eyes along with his ethos in return. That was a prospect that Chunji didn't want to entertain.

Chunji listened into to the slight conversation between Rio and Otis. It was a sight to see when Chloe suddenly hit Rio out of nowhere. Perhaps it was related to her research? This thought process may prove to be unfounded, but Chunji let it off. There was room for possibility after all, even if it sounded absurd. Other than that, Chunji thought back to when he fought Rio at the bridge of the academy. Did he envision them dancing together during that fight? A future conversation to be had in the future.

Speaking of conversation. Chunji drew his attention back at Iraleth as he caught another of her fist with Personal Barrier. With the amount of force she was putting behind it, Chunji almost thought it was personal. Throwing another punch in return, Chunji decided to strike up a conversation. "The local festival you spoke about, the one you mention in your introduction, what is it? I'm unfamiliar with the culture of the Vaalin Union, so I was curious on what you were talking about." A mixture of both small talk and curiosity. With what little remaining time they left, it would be good to know understand his classmates better.

@ERode@Estylwen@Nanaya

Alto didn't quite answer her question, but his later speech more or less reassured her. Nothing too serious. Meaning there'd probably be consequences for taking advantage to someone being, as he put it, a vulnerable meatsack.

With that, she relaxes ever so slightly, focusing her attention on Ciara. Her lips tug slightly at the statement. What was that supposed to mean? More similar than they let on? Moreover, the idea that she will break the barrier sparks the slightest bit of indignation in her. That childish need to be better. To outperform. To shine. She'll break the barrier now, will she? Let's see about that!

It immediately comes with a wave of guilt. She buries it all quickly, giving another curt nod. About to engage, when Otis speaks. Then Rio - she frowns a bit when he's smacked - then Ciara.

Distinct. A funny way of putting it. Nothing in her teachings were truly distinct. There were different entities, yes. Hunter and hunted. Shelter and inhabitant. But they were all ultimately part of a larger system, just as her tissue made up organs, which made up her body. Her surroundings were her, and she was her surroundings. While she didn't quite process it the same way Ciara did, the principal was the same.

"Attend to your subject 'n' all, but primal magic is generally like that. Focused on connection rather than distinction," Hildegunde tells Otis while facing Ciara. Simultaneously agreeing with the girl while giving her own perspective.

"You breathe in the air. Your dead skin floats in the dust. You take as you are taken, give as you get, as part of a greater body. It makes perfect sense to pull the air, just as you would pull with your arm. Separation and over complication muddies the process."

Speaking of awareness, Hildegunde's gaze goes towards Alto. She narrows her eyes, unsure of what he's planning. The heat uncomfortable. The promise of whatever comes in two minute's time making her uneasy. She shakes her head. Focus.

"'Course, that's all easier said than done. The brain is a busy place - that connection gets lost in the noise. I wouldn't call it simple. But it is definitely felt. An instinct you lean into, rather than a thought you build."

With that, Hildegunde inhales, focusing. Feeling. Pulling. It takes a short while, but eventually, little rivers of wind dance across her skin, tracing her veins before pooling into a second skin. Copying Ciara, she moves her fingers together, to test the personal barrier. Satisfied with the result, she motions to Ciara, as if to say come at me.

@Estylwen@Psyker Landshark@ERode@AThousandCurses@Sifr

CLASSROOM 103

Davil's eyes filled with recognition as he followed Otis' words, nodding along as he wiped the drool away from his lips and letting it dry on his sleeves. "Uh huh, uh huh, it all makes sense now... yes, it all makes sense," he would mutter as Otis guided him along, drifting deeper into otherworldly concentration as he followed the visualizations set out before him. There would be nothing standing in his way, as a small gust of wind circled around his outstretched arms, slowly coating them and becoming one with his flesh. He imagined the storm around him, swirling just as the emotional essence did - a blender of the material and immaterial, with him at its center.

Thunk.

All at once, the sound of a heavy rock crashing against floor could be heard, and in that same moment, the wind gathered around Davil's limbs dispersed and slammed against the floor. A small dent scarred the wooden floorboards, leaving him stunned as he looked at Otis for any kind of answer, clearly having found none himself. After another moment he'd shrug, eyebrows cocked in defeat as a nervous laugh escaped him. "I guess it didn't work, chum. Maybe it isn't time yet, huh? I-I'm sure I'll be fine, though. I just need to not get hit when I gotta fight, yeah? That should work."

There was a glint of disappointment in the boy's eyes, but he turned his face away from Otis' to stare at the wall, continuing to chuckle nervously knowing that his reasoning wasn't good enough. For now, though, the Wund boy would seem to concede after his first attempt. He leaned on the palm of his hand propped up by his elbow on the top of his desk, gritting his teeth.

As people began to break off into discussion and find themselves practicing rather than simply being lectured, the door to the classroom would eventually open after another few minutes. Entering would be several Mannekin dressed in generic leather armor and with crude wooden practice weaponry strapped to their bodies. They would march inside the classroom and each take a seat at an unoccupied desk, and Alto would let out a small cough to signify he had more to say.

"Shortly, we'll begin the final early morning exercise that will take up the rest of our introductory class. As a compact class, you should know that you differ from standard classes in that your numbers are smaller. For reasons decided upon by recorded footage and staff meetings regarding yesterday's trial by fire, you have all been chosen for Compact 3 because interested parties believe you would all function effectively as a smaller, more cohesive unit."

Alto would begin to gesture outwardly towards the various Mannekin sitting about, some beginning to aimlessly stare at students near them. After an uncomfortable pause and a small eyebrow raise of uncertainty from Professor Wund, he would continue.

"But that doesn't mean you'll have less to contend with. Rather, those interested parties thought it would be interesting to allow for competition to fill these empty seats. Today it's Mannekin, but who knows what it could be another day? Truth be told, I don't even know, I just roll with it, ahaha!"

Rio and Chloe would deliver deadpan, unamused looks, while Davil looked on in unease at a Mannekin's faceless visage turned directly towards him. The heat from the primal leyline within the room would increase again, and upon another minute or so passing, roots and vines would begin to slowly slide out of the floorboards.

"Part of why I asked you all to figure out your PBs now, by the way, was because of what comes next. I'm going to overcharge this leyline beneath us, you see. And when that happens, individuals with either no PB active or one insufficient in its construction will experience extreme nausea, broken bones, a temporary failure of internal organs, or in 1% of cases, death. Finish your talks, make your preparations, and settle in with an active PB within the next two minutes. Best of luck~!"

Alto's eyes would close as essence swirled around him, the roots from under the floorboards slowly inching towards him. Each of the Mannekin would notably surround themselves in Personal Barriers, sturdy and prepared as they sat obediently like the emotionless puppets they were. From somewhere off in the distance, yet so close, dreamlike flutes would slowly begin to play a song that would sound oddly familiar, and yet unable to be placed directly. Their subconsciously familiar echoes would pulse about the classroom as pressure slowly increased.

Wingram Academy, Classroom 103
@Nanaya, @Sifr, @ERode

---

“As far as I’m aware, the Personal Barrier isn’t so simple a spell that one could acquire it without either an obsession with the study of essence or regular encounters with the possibility of bodily harm. Would you say that it’s a feature of primal magic, to be able to oversimplify such a process? Or are you, in fact, a prodigy? A veteran in violence could work too.”

Ciara's eyes widened, fearing she had given something critical away. Otis was too perceptive for his own good. As he spoke, images came unbidden in her mind. Sitting alone among the overgrowth of Vaal Kastrix, the Voices whispering. Essence pooling around her as plants lay on the ground in withered heaps. The taste of warm butter toast-

A cough. Her thoughts were derailing, reminding her of the pain in her stomach. Her face settled into a narrow stare, trying to hide the fear that had flashed across her features as she continued to listen to the dark one.

“You don’t have to answer that for now. I need to attend to my subject.”

Would he interrogate her later...?

Ciara's brow delicately furrowed. Another worry to add to the pile.

"Attend to your subject 'n' all, but primal magic is generally like that. Focused on connection rather than distinction,"

Ciara's eyes met Hidegunde, a tinkle of curiosity in the amber pools as Hildegune reaffirmed her thinking. So she really was a primal user, after all. Yes, she understood it completely. Connection, not separation. The classes of magic really were worlds apart from each other, weren't they?

THUNK.

Her gaze whipped around to see Davil fluttering about at his desk, his essence behaving... really strangely. Despite the dark one's tutelage, Davil seemed to be a fish trying to climb a tree. It was a shame. Not even an entertaining struggle. But, natural. It was natural for the pet of the group to need babying at almost every stage. Otis seemed to, perhaps, enjoy taking the little thing under his wing.

Ciara hummed to herself, a small smile on her face from where she sat.

The tickle of air from her other side. Ciara looked to see Hildegunde's Personal Barrier up and functional. Ciara smirked, detecting the competitive glint in her eyes. Yes, a little healthy competition never hurt. But Ciara remembered she had to take it easy, save her strength for later.

Nothing said she couldn't play a little cunningly, though.

"Fames..." She whispered.

From behind Hildegunde's head, she would feel an immediate pressure on her barrier. If she turned her head, she would see a giant shadow hand formed in a fist, slammed against her barrier, millimeters from her head. The hand pressed a bit more, trying to cut and divide the winds, searching for a weakness.

When Ciara was satisfied the barrier was solid enough, the hand vaporized, and she leaned back from where she sat. A low whistle sounded from her parted lips.

"It's pretty solid."

Her eyes flicked over Professor Wund, then to the door as Mannekin waltzed in. She snapped to a half-knee-up position, immediately on guard. But the puppets made no move, only shambling to occupy the empty seats. Slowly, Ciara sat back down, watching out of the corner of her eye. The ground suddenly didn't feel as safe.

She listened as Professor Wund spoke. His mention of 'interested parties' piqued her interest and her disgust. This school really didn't miss anything, did it?

"And when that happens, individuals with either no PB active or one insufficient in its construction will experience extreme nausea, broken bones, a temporary failure of internal organs, or in 1% of cases, death. Finish your talks, make your preparations, and settle in with an active PB within the next two minutes."

Her disgust increased. Yes, just as she thought. Another underhanded ploy, another disguised task, another chance where pets who didn't know any better, like Davil, could seriously be hurt.

Her eyelids half closed, and she gently tugged on Hildegune's sleeve, or what she could touch due to the barrier, and nodded towards the front wall close to the teacher's desk. "Don't like these puppets at my back."

She moved to sit against the wall, the roots and vines somewhat encumbering a typically normal task. With a small sigh, she sat with her legs together and tucked to the side, and placed her hands on her thighs. A Mannekin was making direct eye contact with her, and she scowled back, unamused. "You know I eat your kind for breakfast."

Focusing, she pulled from the beyond, and winds kicked up over her skin once more. She didn't know about the light, the analyst, the dark one, or the rest of the class, but she and the marksman were ready.

She gritted her teeth, and waited.

Perhaps there was something else impeding Davil’s progress.

Perhaps he should have been one of the ones to fail the entrance exam.

“This is a very loose theory,” Otis spoke, “But judging by this outcome, it appears related to your Ethos or your Prime Essence. This downward expulsion of air seems to be quite similar to the usage of Linearic Liner…”

For Davil, it was perhaps disappointment, perhaps frustration, but for Otis, this could only be described as something worth examining. The rest of the class had no issues forming their own Personal Barrier, after all. Was it simply inexperience with the manipulation of essence to begin with? Was it that Davil didn’t know his own Prime Essence and was unconsciously utilizing it, and thus, his own body subconsciously ended the spell before it could fully manifest and run him? Or was this, in truth, just normal?

Otis had said it himself, after all. A Personal Barrier was a difficult thing. Compact 3 was exceptional, if all but one of them were able to pick it up quickly. And it seemed like their exceptional circumstances would bring forth exceptional situations too. The Mannekins returned, featureless faces replicating a full classroom as the sound of flutes resonated with the strings within each construct’s body. Violence and violins. All these answers, yet the solution remains ‘war’.

Distance, once more.

Distant from the expectations of Wingram’s Heroism. Distant from the understanding of all others. Distant, as distant as black was from white, as a lightless cell was from the open sky.

“Davil, if you wish to risk your life to prove your point, then show me wonders of this world.”

The Door opened to reveal that astral expanse, the false heavens ruled by a child-god. From that void rose handles, a dozen in total, each unique in their form and function, all of them making a mockery of what a bladesmith would call a ‘sword’.

Otis himself had no intention on arming himself. His calluses were formed by handling tools, not weapons. But while he didn’t mind Davil being brutalized and hospitalized, it would simply be unfair to deny an artless individual the ability to defend themselves.

“The offer goes to the rest of you too,” the Strigidae said. “Consider it a favour, to be paid back at a latter time.”

"A spring festival." Iraleth responded to Chunji's inquiry, seeing no harm in doing so. She slammed a fist into the smoke, nodding as it failed to find purchase upon flesh. "Meant to celebrate the end of winter and the beginning of the planting season."

The door to the classroom opened, and Iraleth glanced over to behold multiple Mannekin walking into the room and...taking a seat? Controlled by Bronsteel again, or someone else? The explanation as to why they were here didn't engender confidence. More competitive shenanigans? As if the entrance examination and segregating the students into teams wasn't bad enough. She would have to ask the High Bishop exactly what was going on here should she ever have the opportunity. Did he approve of this method of forging heroes, or was this the faculty's brainchild?

And then the explanation went further.

"...Is it school policy to engage in constant, reckless endangerment?" Iraleth couldn't help but exclaim incredulously. "I don't speak out of concern for myself, but others." She kept her stare level, refusing to stare in Davil's direction. He didn't need that embarassment, even if she was speaking on his behalf.

Nonetheless, her piece said, Iraleth focused and prayed once more, her Personal Barrier manifesting around her with a soft light. That done, she looked over towards Otis. What was he playing at?

"I have no desire to owe you any debts." Iraleth told the Strigdae bluntly. "But for others, you think it best to offer them a sword at this moment and not a shield?"

@AThousandCurses @ERode

Their time of conversation was up. As did Iraleth, Chunji turned to the source of the noise. More mannequins were the direct cause of both the noise and Chunji's disappointment. The usage of mannequins was starting to get repetitive. If he hadn't known any better, Gulliver was a part of the faculty, but he was likely a faculty-student based on his meeting with Emilie. A sentiment that his classmate shared, Chunji was sure.

Interested parties, competition, the cheery tone in Alto's voice. Was this nothing more than a spectacle to them? Having front-row seats to Principal Raja's conceited experiment must be a luxury. An appreciation that did nothing more than ruin the original meaning of competition as an effort. The way the Academy were conducted was spat in the faces of his parents' efforts. The competition was best-placed in stakes filled with desperation and hope, not mockery.

Iraleth seemed to agree as the knight outspoken declared her disapproval of such a method. A true knight, ever vouching for her ideals. She was better than himself in that regard; Chunji would have let it out despite having ill-feeling. Chunji was too used to such endangerment. Even if it were a controlled environment, the possibility of death from training with his parents still loomed clear in his head.

"I will decline," Otis was kind in the offer, but it was mainly for Davil. His eyes looked over to the mannequins. Standing from his seat, he walked over to the owl boy. "While I agree with Ms. Kyrios about safety, Mr. Arillo, it would do well for you to stop coddling Davil in the future." Chunji had observed that this had happened two times now. One is at the auditorium, and one is happening in front of him now. While Chunji didn't disapprove of Otis's consideration for Davil, overreliance may prove fatal for Davil's future.

Chunji's hand lowered down to the hilt. Their two minutes were approaching, and who knows what will happen. His PB was ready to endure the future onslaught to come. "Sometimes, the bird must fall from its nest to find its wing to fly." A frown appeared on his mouth, and he immediately shut his mouth. He said too much.

@Estylwen@Psyker Landshark@ERode@AThousandCurses@Sifr

CLASSROOM 103

"Your worries are misplaced, Ms. Kyrios," Alto would speak plainly, eyes closed in concentration as the temperature of the room steadily increased. "The world keeps on turning regardless of what you may wish of it. Though this is the first real day of study, the curriculum demands either fast growth or dedication while knowing full well that enrollment here risks one's wellbeing day after day."

As vines began to sprout from underneath the floorboards under Alto's feet, Davil was shivering. His attention was fully locked onto every syllable Otis spoke, taking in the full weight of those words with a mix of fear, contempt and uncertainty. Saliva was swallowed hard and loud in his throat as he slowly nodded. "Right. I guess I'll see what I can manage with what I've got, then."

Without looking, the defenseless boy once more withdrew the chainsaw katana from the prior day. Taking a moment to gently set it on top of his desk, he gave a thumbs up to Otis, his face one of anticipatory dread as he grit his teeth. He'd look at Iraleth and give a quick shake of his head, staring at her. "I-It's fine, really, it's... fine. I'm the only one here who needs any defending, I know that's what everyone's thinking anyway. A sword is fine, but I don't need a shield to reward my own lack of ability. Chum's just being nice, after all, so don't blame him for this."

A weak smile was shot towards Iraleth, and a scoff could be heard from the back of the room by the frill-elf. "Humility like that will just break you faster," Chloe would mutter as she stared out the window. Rio turned back to shoot a sharp glare at her in response, upon which she simply shrugged in indifference. "It's just the truth."

After another minute, the vines from underneath the floor began to fully cloak Professor Wund, reaching his neck. His eyes remained shut, his expression firm. "Okaaay, we're ready to go. The leyline has been sufficiently ignited. The sparks stretch far across horizon - far beyond the space we mere mortals can comprehend," he spoke as the vines entirely covered the man like a writhing shell.

From within the earthen prison of his own making, his voice echoed out, though muffled and fuzzy. It filled the entire room as the flutes also began to swell. All of the Mannekin braced at once, their Personal Barriers standing at attention. Rio and Chloe also took note of this and theirs each flared as well. Davil could only brace with his body to the best of his ability, closing his eyes in a desperate squint as he prepared for the worst. The heat within the room was akin to a furnace, and from nowhere, the sound of crackling flames could be heard.

Finally, the echoing voice of Alto Wund could be heard in full. Though even while fully audible, it almost sounded as his words were weighted by reality itself as he spoke them.

"F̶͉͗̊̀̔å̴̡͖͖̝̓͘ĺ̶̖̳̗̌͝k̷̝͍̺͚͙͋̆͒̽̕r̵̢͙͖͙͝i̶͍͘s̷̻͚͔͌̂̈̔, I invoke."

All at once, the world went dark. Vision became impossible, and the sensation of traveling thousands of miles in a single second would overtake all within the room. For anybody who held their Personal Barrier, the feeling would not crush them - though the sounds of breaking bones would ring out from somewhere nearby, followed by Davil's screams of agony.

And then, finally, it would all stop at once. Vision would return, and the residents of room 103 would cease to be in a classroom at all. Rather, they found themselves within a vast forest. Their desks were gone, with only the crude mimicry of tree stumps to replace their seats and desks. The Mannekin were nowhere to be seen and Alto stood the same distance apart as before, dead vines and wood clumped at his feet as if he had exited a cocoon.

"Welcome to an overcharged leyline. It's not really important to know the why or how for now, but just know that it's really great you all passed the first hurdle!"

As students adjusted to the area, the one thing they would all begin to feel instinctually is something that might be unfamiliar: the lack of external essence. From the trees, to stray insects, to the very air, there was not a trace of essence to be found in any of it. There was no conceptual essence to indicate that the trees were made of wood, nor that the insects had flesh, or that there was any air at all. The only essence that existed was that which each individual had already brought in with them beforehand.

Thunk.

Davil's body fell backwards against soft soil and grass, sprawled out as he stared up at the bleak rays of sun peering in through the trees. His left arm was bent at an angle no human arm ever should be, and a small trickle of bile fled out the side of his mouth. His eyes slowly looked from one side to the other within his limited sight while laying, and he let out ragged breaths as he struggled to move his body.

Alto scratched the back of his head with a nervous chuckle, shrugging his shoulders. "Er, well... it was almost a perfect grade, at least. Could someone attend to him and check if he's alright? I'm not so good with healing, myself."

Chloe would immediately sprint to Davil, panic overtaking her as she slid into the dirt and soil to kneel at his side. "Hey, you're going to be alright, okay? It's going to be fine!"

The world keeps on changing despite another's will. Yes, that was correct. Chunji highly doubted that the likes of him and others in the class would have been allowed to attend in normal circumstances, only by the High Bishop's decree that people, regardless of background, were to join based on talent, merit, and ethos. Alto's words did nothing to assuage Chunji's thoughts.

What was more prominent and painful were Davil's attempts to psych himself up. It was a powdered ship waiting to blow in the middle of the sea. There was an audible sigh as Chunji could already tell where this was heading. Timidity only weakened the inner self, and Davil was a prime example. While their intentions were good, Davil's emotional essence was weakened at this moment as he had experienced a moment of isolation amongst peers. It probably didn't help that Chunji also added his own commentary.

Another unneeded statement from Ms. Steeler's contrarian self, and Chunji would make another mental note of it until the room started to change. Chunji's senses were piqued as multiple stimuli invaded the room. Flutes, vines, heat, and soon darkness.

The barrier Chunji had erected was now put to a test to see if it was under what seemed like the weight of the world thrust upon it. Chunji gritted his teeth, mostly out of surprise, as the area around him changed. Light filtered through the area around them, and as Chunji opened his eyes, he found himself in an unfamiliar place.

A forest.

Chunji involuntarily frowned at the location as memories of his childhood flooded back into his brain. Alto was proclaiming their first achievement until he realized one student shared a different result than the rest. Chunji lowered his eyes to see the very much crumpled-up Davil. Without healing magic, Davil's arm would have needed to be placed into a cast for a couple of months if left alone, and not to mention his internal organs must've disagreed with the method of transportation judging by the bile.

Otis would tend to Davil's wounds. They held a bridge that Chunji lacked, so it would likely be better for Otis to tend to him. Otis was probably better at healing magic than Chunji. Though Chunji wanted to divert his attention to something else, Chloe suddenly ran up in a panic. That wasn't good. Worse comes to worse, Chloe might cause Davil to panic and cause more injuries to himself.

"Ms. Steeler, if you have nothing to say other than the apparent, then I'd suggest that silence would be better," Chunji said as he walked up to the two. Kneeling before the incapacitated classmate, Chunji decided some magic was in order.

March. The Seventh Day. Rooster.

March for the strength and rebirth of spring. Associated with the seventh day would equate the number to two. Two was the first even number, which made it stable. Rooster for the its cry of rebellion.

Occult Magic involved superstition and belief. As mentioned before, it worked similarly to divine magic but completely different. While divine magic beliefs in a singular source, the occult operated on a broader scale. The natural forces, the numerical meanings, the supernatural powers, and the many denounced deities.

Any person can find something spiritual and demonic as long as they can look deep into it. Some had construed it as something more substantial from a strike of lightning that struck fear in the hearts of the many. A warning from nature? A sign of rebirth? A justification from a god? It could mean anything, but at the end of the day, it was up to the diviner to divine the meaning.

"鸡年，三月七日. 续订."

Chunji's hands glowed, and he reached over to Davil. The magic Chunji cast dampened any discomfort Davil may have had. Chunji propped up Davil's head in a firm hold so that he wouldn't choke on his bile and locked eyes with him. He needed Davil to focus on him. "Davil, I need you to listen to me closely and follow as I say. Breath in." Once four seconds had passed, Chunji would tell him to exhale. It was a simple breathing exercise to calm down people. "Good. You're doing well." Chunji said regardless of what was happening.

Otis would have to find out if there were any magical anomalies within Davil. Chunji focused on what he could do in the physical aspects. The spell Chunji cast earlier went wrong, but Chunji didn't know what had gone wrong.

Well, he did what he could. Other than preventing Chloe from worsening the situation, Chunji wanted to form the camaraderie he had been thinking about earlier. Even if he flunked up here and there, a relationship was better than no relationship.

Chunji hadn't dared to use Heal yet, so it was up to Otis to heal him.

Wingram Academy, Classroom 103
@Nanaya, @AThousandCurses, @Psyker Landshark

---

Of course she took a sword when Otis offered. Curiosity, mainly. She had never seen an Ethos pr magic that operated quick like how the dark one's did. The sword she chose was slender in size, with a rapier-esque hilt. There was an elegance in it's encrusted gems that gave the sword more of a noble feeling that just any common sword. Fitting for coming beyond the Door.

Resuming her stance at the wall, her eyes laid on Davil again. Should she intervene? The essence in the room was ripe for the picking. She had never tried to form it to cover another person, but surely it wasn't so hard, right? Surely she coul-

"F̶͉͗̊̀̔å̴̡͖͖̝̓͘ĺ̶̖̳̗̌͝k̷̝͍̺͚͙͋̆͒̽̕r̵̢͙͖͙͝i̶͍͘s̷̻͚͔͌̂̈̔, I invoke."

Immediately, there was darkness. It took all of Ciara's strength to withstand the weight of the dark, feeling something wanting to crush her. There was movement in the dark, and she almost found it hard to breath with how she concentrated.

CRACK.

Davil's screaming.

And, all of a sudden, light. Ciara squinted, wobbling on her feet. There weren't in the school at all. She didn't reconmize the place. Didn't recognize the essence - or rather, a lack of essence. For all she knew, they were on an alien world with completely different laws of magic.

"Welcome to an overcharged leyline. It's not really important to know the why or how for now, but just know that it's really great you all passed the first hurdle!"

The moment for celebration was shot down cruelly by Davil, a mess of broken limbs and critical injuries in the grass. Chloe ran over first, then Chunji. Ciara took a breath, her heart forming a lump in her throat.

The pet was damaged. And I could have done something...

Near instantly, she dropped her sword and knelt beside Chloe, fingers gently inspecting Davil's broken form. Chunji seemed to preform a bit of magic on Davil, which was good. What wasn't good was how he commanded the pet to breathe.

"Are you insane?" She hissed, panic in her tone as she addressed Chunji. "He's probably got broken ribs, you could cause him to puncture a lung if you make him breathe deep like that."

Her eyes searched this way and that, trying to think of a solution. Of course the weakest one of the group got hit. Of course they suffered for their own inadequacies. She should have done something. She could have prevented this!

Pursed lips, Ciara shot a glance at Iraleth. There was a long, long pause.

Hesitation.

Then. "You know white magic... Can you heal him?"

Iraleth frowned at both the professor's words and Davil's response. She should intervene, but she didn't know how to. If she knew how to extend her barrier to Davil, she would. A minute passed in which Iraleth couldn't think of a solution, and she resigned herself to Davil's fate, murmuring a quick prayer under her breath for his well-being. He was overeager and overbearing, to be certain. But that didn't mean he deserved grievous injury.

"F̶͉͗̊̀̔å̴̡͖͖̝̓͘ĺ̶̖̳̗̌͝k̷̝͍̺͚͙͋̆͒̽̕r̵̢͙͖͙͝i̶͍͘s̷̻͚͔͌̂̈̔, I invoke."

Everything turned bright, and Iraleth took a moment to evaluate the area once the flash had faded. That moment didn't last long, as Davil's pained screams confirmed her fears. She shot Professor Alto a withering glare for his seeming nonchalance at the situation before nodding to Ciara.

"Of course I can. Not as well as a dedicated cleric, but it should be enough to stabilize him." She confirmed to whatever the girl was, before striding forward and gently nudging Chloe aside.

"Move. I'll provide triage." Iraleth knelt down, joining Chunji as he began diagnosing her. His arm was obviously broken. Ciara wasn't wrong when she noted that Davil probably had injured ribs in some way. She'd focus on that first, then.

"Davil. I'm going to begin mending your ribs. The process may bring relief, but hold still until I say to move, otherwise you risk complications." Holy essence began to pool at the fingertips of her gauntlets, and she laid her hands over the boy's chest. Healing magic began to flow through him, the conceptual essence of mending being channeled.

A bead of sweat poured down Iraleth's brow as she continued to channel.

"Chunji. Otis. If you two can heal, handle his arms. The ribcage will take up most of my attention and ability. Healing magic was never my forte outside of immediate first aid."

@AThousandCurses @Estylwen @ERode