Chapter 2

The Northwood College of Magic loved to boast that its supremacy as an elite institution rested on the peerless quality of its teaching staff. Julian knew better. Standing amidst the towering shelves of the library's restricted levels, he looked up at the sheer volume of knowledge surrounding him. The real power of the academy was this: floor upon floor of ancient parchment, complex training manuals, and spells that most mages would spend a lifetime trying to track down. As a first circle mage, the gates had finally opened for him. He traced the spines of books on advanced mana manipulation, his mind already cataloging the possibilities for the coming semester. His stomach gave a sharp, hollow growl that echoed in the quiet stacks. Julian sighed, closing a manual on kinetic resonance. The pursuit of arcane mastery was noble, but it didn't do much for hunger. He set the book aside and began the long walk down to the lower floors. Stepping into the cafeteria, Julian stopped in the doorway. The place had been completely overhauled. Gone were the chipped wooden tables and the lingering scent of stale cabbage. The air was fresh, and the stones gleamed with a polish that suggested hours of magical upkeep. He moved through the line, loading a couple of plates onto his tray. The cooks were surprisingly generous, heaping on cuts of meat and expensive sides without the usual stingy glare. Julian scanned the rows of eating students until a loud, familiar voice cut through the clatter of silverware. "Julian! Over here!" Leo was waving a meaty hand from a central table, his face practically glowing with excitement. Julian navigated the crowd and set his tray down. "Hello, Leo," Julian said. "I should be asking you that!" Leo half-shouted, barely waiting for Julian to sit. "When did you get in? I didn't see you at the carriage drop-off." "I just got back yesterday," Julian replied, cutting into a piece of roasted beef. Leo leaned forward, his eyes darting around the room before settling back on Julian. "So are you excited?" Julian kept his focus on his food. "About what?" "The girls, man! I'm talking about the girls," Leo said, his voice dropping only slightly. "Look around. Everyone's coming back looking… well, better." Julian ignored the comment and gestured with his fork at the immaculate walls. "What's with the academy being all sparkly and clean?" Leo blinked, looking genuinely shocked. "You didn't know?" "Know what?" "It's the Sunstone Festival," Leo said. Julian chewed slowly, searching his memory. "Special? How?" "Some astrological bullshit," Leo whined, waving a hand dismissively. "Planar alignment?" Julian quirked an eyebrow. "Yeah, that," Leo agreed. "Whatever it is, the faculty is acting like royalty is coming to visit. Everything has to be perfect." He shifted gears as quickly as a breeze. "So what did you do over the summer?" Julian let out a low groan. "Leo, you sound like my elementary school literature teacher." "I'm just being polite!" Leo defended, holding up his hands. Julian leveled a look at him. "Oh, and you spent it productively?" Leo looked sheepish, his bravado dipping for a second. "Father decided it was time I start learning the family craft. Spent most of it in the counting house or watching the shipments come in." "Mother tried to dump my little sister on me this year," Julian admitted. "I spent a good portion of my break finding places to hide so I didn't have to play 'tea party' with a nine-year-old." Leo chuckled, then nudged Julian's arm. "What did you take for your electives?" "Artificing, Elemental Alchemy, and Advanced Numerology," Julian said. Leo blanched, his fork frozen halfway to his mouth. "Man, you're really taking this seriously, aren't you? That's a brutal schedule." "Yeah." "Why?" Leo asked, looking truly incredulous. "You could have picked something easy, like History of Magical Architecture." Julian looked him dead in the eye. "I'm aiming for a spot in a spell forge. I'd rather starve out in the streets than spend my life managing the family estate." Leo shook his head, then leaned in for the real question. "Who did you choose as your mentor?" "I'm mentored under Arthur," Julian said, his voice flat. "Arthur!?" Leo's voice cracked. "But that guy's a nightmare! He's the worst mentor in the entire institute. He treats students like foot soldiers." Julian scoffed. "He's direct. I don't have to guess what he wants." He looked at Leo. "So who did you choose?" Leo's face brightened instantly. "Isabelle Reed." Julian stared at him for a long moment. "Please don't tell me you chose your mentor based on appearance?" "Not just based on appearance," Leo said defensively, though his ears turned red. "You don't want to do any extra work," Julian surmised. "Reed lets her students coast as long as they turn in the basic assignments." Leo didn't deny it. He steered the conversation toward their classmates, ticking off names of those who hadn't returned. Roughly a quarter of the class had failed the certification for first circle mage, a brutal winnowing that had left many families in disgrace. "And Peter Thorne," Leo added, leaning in. "Expelled. His father tried to bribe the dean, but word is Thorne messed up something so bad they couldn't bury it." Leo started rambling about the incoming freshman girls and who had grown out their hair over the break. Julian finished his meal, stood up, and left without a word of goodbye. He'd had enough gossip for one day. Back in his room, Julian settled into his chair with a book on basic artificing circuits. He had barely cleared the first chapter when a sharp, rhythmic knock sounded on his door. "Hi, Julian!" A familiar, grinning face appeared as he opened the door. It was Teagan, an older girl who had been a fixture of the academy for years. "I thought you graduated," Julian said, leaning against the doorframe. "I did," Teagan said, stepping into the room without being invited. "I'm working as a class assistant for Ragnar now." Julian snorted. "Ragnar blacklisted me in advance. He says I don't have the 'warrior's spirit' for his combat classes." Teagan looked him up and down, her eyes lingering on his slender frame. "You really should put on some muscle, Julian. Girls like a bit of shoulder." "I don't care what girls like," Julian snapped, his voice turning cranky. "Why are you here anyway?" Teagan's grin widened. "I came here to ask if you would join me and a couple of others on a job tomorrow. It's a find-and-retrieve mission in the lower tunnels." Julian narrowed his eyes. "A sewer run!?" "No," Julian said immediately. "Oh come on, Julian, I'm begging you!" Teagan whined, clasping her hands together. "We need someone who can handle delicate mana disruptions, and you're the best of the third-years." "It's a sewer, Teagan. It's filthy, dangerous, and probably crawling with things that want to eat my face." "It very well might!" Julian snapped. "You'll have three other people to protect you!" she assured him, stepping closer. "We just need your eyes for the artifacts." Julian shook his head. "Find someone else." "Okay, how about a bet?" Teagan proposed, her eyes lighting up with a familiar competitive glint. "No," Julian said promptly. "You didn't even hear me out!" she said, looking affronted. "You want to fight," Julian said, crossing his arms. "And if I lose, I have to go. Since you're a graduate and a combat assistant, the outcome is already decided. I'm not an idiot." Teagan pouted, a dramatic expression that didn't suit her sharp features. She sighed and dropped onto the floor, settling into a lotus position as if she lived there. "Fine, fine," she said, her mood flipping back to cheerful in an instant. "So, how have you been?" ════════════════════════════════════════