Second day

Upon awakening, I instinctively turned to regard the view from the window, only to realize that it was not there anymore. The impulse was residual from the days I had lived with John and Sonia, where I often woke up with the warmth of the sunlight on my face. Left with no other alternative, I descended the ladder and roused Michael from his sleep. His protests of "am awake, am awake," echoing after me.

I charted my trajectory towards the bathroom, embarking on my morning routine of taking a shower followed by brushing my teeth. With these tasks accomplished, I proceeded towards the kitchen to brew some mint tea and whip up breakfast.

In the meantime, Michael rose, assuming his place in the bathroom for his morning shower and toothbrush walkthroughs. Once done, he promptly dressed himself, thanking me for the morning wake-up call with a customary "good morning."

Fueled by our breakfast and girded with resolve, we both readied ourselves to depart for our classes.

As we were heading to class, I noticed a grand clock tower located in the middle of the city. Michael, who was accompanying me, pointed out the tower and mentioned that I might not have had the opportunity to explore the city yet. He elaborated that the tower was amongst the city's most attractive sites to visit, especially at night. However, it's worth noting that the entrance fee significantly increases after dusk. Typically, it costs around 2 multi coins for entry, but the price escalates to a silver coin at night.

I found it disappointing that currently, I lacked a source of income. I mused on the possibility that Amelia would appreciate the breathtaking view the tower offers - a highlight of the city's attractions. Luckily, our proximity to the city center meant I could visit the tower in the future.

Shortly afterwards, we reached our school and proceeded towards our classroom. Upon entering, we offered a respectful bow and cheerfully greeted Amelia and Emma with a 'Good Morning' before taking our seats.

The initial lesson for the first class eventually concluded. The history discussion aroused no interest in me, primarily due to its irrelevancy to the subject literature. Subsequently, I patiently awaited the arrival of Mr. Tomiya. Once present, he commenced by introducing himself, followed by an inquiry: "Who in this class can completely control their elemental energy and aura?" Many students, including me, responded by raising their hands. Despite the numerous responses, Professor Tomiya singled out Michael, who seemed utterly bewildered. Proceeding down the steps, he approached Tomiya and queried about his next steps. The lecture for that day was about mastering an elemental skill. However, Tomiya warned, if one's energy and aura manipulation skills were deficient, additional practice would be necessary to meet pace.

He next proceeded to call on Michael to have a seat on his chair. He asserted, "You will be demonstrating the correct method to acquire elemental skills." With this, he quietly shared the required steps with a noticeably nervous Michael. Consequently, Michael shut his eyes to start reshaping the elemental energy from his body into his mind.

After a period of two hours, during which Michael maintained his composure under the attentive gaze of the class, he rose to his feet. As he extended his right hand in front of his chest, we could distinctly hear the sound of sizzling. Soon, his hand commenced to exhibit a slowly accumulating fire, signifying the first elemental skill. Michael's voice echoed throughout as he hit his hand on the ground, "Fire Hammer." He forcefully slammed his hand on the ground, resulting in a roaring firestorm around him, forming an almost perfect circle. Just as the fire began to spread, Tamiya promptly opened his suitcase, which magnetically sucked in every spark of the rampant flame.

All students watched in awe as they were presented with the opportunity to acquire a fundamental skill. However, this skill was far from rudimentary. If control over one's elemental energy was not achieved, it could result in mind destruction. The students observed as Michael's countenance transformed from joviality to shock. He had come to the harsh realization of how close he came to losing his mind.

"Why did you not warn me beforehand, Tamiya?" Michael inquired, still reeling from his revelation.

Tamiya responded coolly, "Had I done so, you would not have followed through with it." As she prepared to engage another student. Then, unexpectedly, she pointed towards me. The classroom erupted into murmurs, including from Amelia.

As I descended the staircase, the sense of anxiety that comes with being the center of attention enveloped me. This was magnified by the fact that I was about to venture into uncharted territory – trying something new while the class anticipated a spectacle, an unusual occurrence. Unable to concentrate, I shut my eyes and envisioned being alone in the room. In this state, I devoted all my elemental energy into my mind.

Concentrating my elemental energy into my mind granted me fleeting visions of what would be my first elemental skill. An hour elapsed and upon reopening my eyes, I summoned and hurled my spear into the air. It transformed into a purple swirl, showering spears comprised of darkness from the vortex. All of which gravitated towards Tomiya's suitcase.

I successfully completed the task and then questioned the importance of the suitcase that had caught my interest. He clarified that it was an artifact with the ability to attract an attack, before urging me to return to my seat. This marked the end of today's session since we are out of time. The discourse will resume tomorrow.

While the other students prepared to depart, Amelia and a few others lingered, inquiring about the experience of using an elemental skill. I explained to them that focusing all energy onto the mind will prompt the necessary information required to trigger the skill.

I bid Amelia farewell and then headed towards the building's doorway where Michael was standing by, ready to advance towards my residence.