Let's Try Fire Then

The lecture continued, and Cecilia proceeded to explain the next set of spells the students would be learning. "Before we delve into more advanced spells like Arcane Missile and Mana Shield, we'll start with a practical exercise in levitation," she announced. "Today, we will channel our mana into a bowl of water and see who can levitate the greatest amount of water."

As Cecilia explained the exercise, Alex's stress levels began to rise. Since a young age, he had been fascinated with magic. Back in Arindale, he had created his own grimoire filled with simple beginner magic spells like Spark and Minor Heal that he had copied from the library. However, while he excelled in arcane spells involving fire, he struggled immensely with water-based magic. Every time his mana came into contact with water, it became highly unstable.

As everyone prepared for the exercise, Alex tried to calm his nerves. After a few seconds, he spotted one of the bowls of water on the teacher's desk and quickly grabbed it, hurrying back to his seat. Determined, he took a deep breath and focused on his goal. He knew he needed to form a bowl made of mana at the bottom of the bowl and lift it up.

Just as Alex was about to begin, a commotion erupted in the classroom. He turned his head and his eyes widened in astonishment. Samantha, a fellow student, had managed to create a large floating ball of water. All eyes were on her as she effortlessly levitated the ball of water with finesse and skill.

The classroom buzzed with excitement and admiration for Samantha's display of talent. Applause filled the room, except for Jiten, who stood in his seat with crossed arms.

As the applause died down, all eyes turned to Alex. Being an elemental heir, the pressure on him to demonstrate his own strength was immense. He could feel the weight of their expectations, but he refused to let it overpower him. With a renewed determination, he focused his thoughts and channeled his mana into the bowl of water. However, to his dismay, the mana and water combination became highly frenetic, causing the surface of the bowl to tremble before abruptly stopping. The levitation spell had failed.

Laughter and mocking whispers filled the classroom, even Cecilia couldn't resist a subtle smile. "Not everyone can be talented. It's a normal occurrence in the world of spell casting," she said, causing the mockeries to gain volume. The demeaning comments and ridicule from his classmates only added salt to Alex's wounds.

However, amidst the laughter, Jiten stood up from his seat, clapping loudly. The unexpected support caught everyone's attention. "A very impressive demonstration, colleague Samantha," he said with a determined tone. "You are clearly proficient with arcanic magic involving water. If you're willing, let's see your prowess with fire arcanic magic, like Spark!"

The classroom fell silent, and all eyes turned to Jiten. His words carried a challenge, not only to Samantha but to the entire class. It was a bold move, but Jiten couldn't bear to see his friend being belittled. He believed in Alex's potential and wanted to give him the opportunity to shine.

Taken aback by Jiten's unexpected support, Samantha hesitated for a moment. She had always been hailed as the most talented when it came to arcanic magic, and her parents and teachers constantly praised her abilities. But she had a secret, her manipulation of arcanic fire magic was terrible. No matter how much she trained, she struggled even with simple spells like sparks. Jiten's challenge put her in a difficult position, and she felt a surge of irritation. Her usual composed and noble demeanor slipped, replaced by a flicker of fury.

Before Samantha could respond, Cecilia White interjected, her voice firm. "Mr. Feller, this is the second time you have disrupted my class. I do not allow the use of fire magic, as it can be dangerous."

However, Jiten intercepted Cecilia's remark, maintaining his composure. "I sincerely apologize, wise teacher, but I believe that an injustice is being done in this exercise. Allow me to clarify: Samantha is highly skilled in arcanic water magic, while Alex Stern here is the heir of fire. It's only fair that we adjust the challenge to balance their respective affinities. Instead of using water, let's have them cast the levitation spell on a bowl. The one who can levitate the bowl higher wins!"

Jiten paused, casting a smile at Samantha, his intention clear. "Do you accept the challenge?"

Seething with anger and feeling the weight of Jiten's words, Samantha locked eyes with him. Her gaze could kill, but her response was a cold and determined affirmation. "I'm ready. Tell me when he is."

Jiten, happy with Samantha's acceptance, turned to Alex with a smile, placing his hand on his shoulder. "It's time, fire boy. Show them they're wrong!"

Perplexed by everything that was happening, Alex couldn't understand why Jiten had set up this challenge. He knew Samantha was better at casting levitation spells. Frustrated, he said, "Jiten, what have you done? I can't win this. She is better than me at casting levitation. What made you think I could win?!"

Listening to his friend's response, Jiten realized the gravity of his misjudgment. He had acted out of anger, driven by a protective instinct towards Alex. Composing himself, he leaned closer to Alex, whispering with genuine remorse, "Yikes, sorry, bro. My bad."

Not wanting his friend to shoulder the burden of guilt, as Jiten had only sought to shield him, Alex let out a weary sigh. With unwavering determination, he turned to Samantha, his eyes shining bright. "Whenever you're ready."