Continued...

The kids from orientation all went outside as soon as the lady announcer finished. She said only 7 people could practice their magic at a time, that way it would be easier for them to judge and see. There were also a few more adults outside who were also there to judge.

Before going outside, everyone picked a number from a hat and had to stand outside on their number. Because Nym, Aiko, and Solaris lined up last, they were the last ones to pick from the hat. It wasn't hard finding their spots, because it was the last three numbers that didn't have people standing on.

There were a total of 70 orientation students this year, Nym was #27, Aiko was #9, and Solaris was #14. That meant Solaris and Aiko were going at the same time, while Nym would go two rounds after.

"Alright now kids, to be able to wield your magic, you have to think about something that makes you happy. Now this might not work for everyone because not everyone has something that makes them happy, but magic is within the soul, and whenever the soul feels their favorite emotion, your soul can produce magic! So again, something that makes you happy, because the soul usually likes being happy, or think of any emotion you think your soul would like best. It could be different for everyone!" After the lady announcer finished, all the kids thought about what made them happy.

The first 7 kids thought about it for a while before holding out their hand like the siblings did earlier and waited for something to come out from either their hand or somewhere around them.

"The lady mentioned that we would be put into class based on our magic, do you think we would have a lot of magic right now? We're really small, I probably don't have a lot of magic." A few kids were talking amongst themselves while they waited for their turn.

Once the first group finished, Aiko and Solaris were next. Nym could tell they were nervous so she watched them and whispered to herself that they would do great.

Aiko and Solaris did the same things the first group did to produce their magic, they held out their hand waiting for something to come out while they were thinking of something that made them happy. Aiko however, was still caught in jealousy when he was thinking of something that made him happy, big chunks of crystals started growing from his hand. He opened his eyes in surprise and turned to look at Solaris to see what she did.

Nothing came out of Solaris’s hand, but Solaris had an angry expression on her face. Solaris was thinking about her favorite pudding that made her happy, but then her thoughts shifted and she thought about her older brothers that would always take her pudding from her hands and eat it right in front of her. She felt her hair rise up and everyone watched as her hair turned into flames following the rest of her body. She screamed in shock and the fire then grew larger, spreading to the ground. However the grass was still the same and the judges watched Solaris in both shock and awe.

One of the judges snapped her fingers and a bucket of cold water splash on Solaris. She looked around in confusion of where the bucket came from, but the judges smiled and asked for the next group.

Once it was time for Nym’s group, Solaris and Aiko watched in anticipation. Everyone else was also waiting, they wanted to see her magic. Nym definitely wasn't popular, but infamous, everyone knew about her home situation and thought how she probably wouldn't be able to produce strong magic.

Nym didn't hold her hand out like everyone else, she held her hands to her heart and closed her eyes. She also took deep breaths, trying not to cry.

What made Nym happy was her father. He also had magic, and his magic was beautiful. But her father left, she didn't know exactly where he went. It was the gossip among the people who lived there. Nym’s mom doesn't leave the house, so everyone mostly saw her with her dad, so everyone was also wondering and confused on where he went.

The judges were worried when the other kids produced their magic, but Nym hadn't done anything yet. Just when the lady announcer was about to call for the next group, Nym started rising.

Everyone looked down at her feet and saw a star shaped pillow that glowed very brightly. It raised her about 3 feet in the air, and everyone gasped. Nym still had her eyes closed, like she wasn't finished, and a shiny tear fell down her face onto the grass. The spot where the tear fell had made the grass grow and a flower bloomed there. Then like pixie dust, the star shaped pillow disappeared and Nym floated down. She opened her eyes and saw the judges watch her in shock.

Nym wasn't aware of what she had done, so she looked around as everyone watched her confused. The judges then realized a long time had passed in silence and asked for the next group to display their magic.

Once everyone finished, the announcer told them to rest and eat in the cafeteria while they compared scores and put them into the classes as needed.

The judges all sat down at the table thinking about Nym. The school is protected by magic, nothing in the school can be destroyed or altered unless you have access to the protection magic. So when Solaris’s magic almost got out of control, the grass below her didn't burn. Yet Nym’s magic was able to alter the grass and bloom a flower. There were many concerns within the judges minds, they wondered if it was because of her mysterious father.

He suddenly appeared with no background, even got his shut in wife out of the house a few times and they had a child. Nym’s father had beautiful light magic, and it was very strong magic, almost ethereal. He never talked about himself either, which made him seem weird, but no one ever questioned why he came here of all places. Then just as mysterious as he came, he left just not too long ago. He was only in Nym’s life till she was five, the judges had thought this must have been a mental shock to Nym.

Nym shouldn't have been able to alter the grass, the judges thought her magic might be threatening, so to keep a close eye they would put her in the strongest class. Not many new students enrolled in class S, many earn the right to be in class S once they finish their first year. However a few kids stood out this year that made the judges change their minds.

Once they finished filling up the classes, the judges also ate while they sent a student helper to round up the kids to the orientation hall again.

***

Once Nym's group finished showing their magic, Nym walked up to Solaris and Aiko with a smile. She wanted to tell them how cool their magic was, but as she got closer she noticed they had smiles too while watching her.

"Nym! Your magic was so pretty! You even flew!" Solaris shook Nym’s shoulder and they both laughed. Nym looked more happier than earlier and the atmosphere around them looked better.

"You guys were so cool too! Your hair was on fire but it didn't burn! That was awesome! And Aiko made really pretty crystals! I'm sure you guys would be in the strongest class!" Nym cheered her nearly acquainted friends. After all the groups finished they were told to take a rest and eat in the cafeteria, all the kids were starting to feel sluggish that they obediently followed a student helper into the cafeteria. They were met with many delicious smells and all the kids started drooling and wandered around picking the foods they wanted.

They were the only ones in the cafeteria at the moment so no one stopped them running around, in fact everyone thought it was adorable.

Nym trailed off on her own and got a plate and filled it with food. Solaris and Aiko did the same and they each filled their plate with different foods. After they filled their plates they sat down together at the same table and began eating.

The rest of the kids weren't paying attention to those three while they were also filling their plates full. There were a few other kids who had shown powers that amazed the others. #34 had magic that made a spiral of wind as tall as them, they were also half elf. #59 was a bit weird, they're eyes turned white and then they said something, but Nym couldn't hear from far away. Then #70 got struck by a lightning bolt. Nym was amazed when that happened, and #70 acted like nothing happened to them and smiled at the judges.

Aiko was quiet the whole time, but now he started to speak. "Nym, you cried while doing your magic, were you thinking of something sad?" Aiko's question brought Nym back to her mood from earlier and nodded her head.

"I was trying to think of something happy, but my dad is what makes me happy, but he's gone." Nym frowned and took a bite from her chicken. Solaris looked at her and also spoke.

"I was also trying to think of something happy, and what makes me happy is eating my favorite pudding, but then for some reason I thought about how my brothers always steal it from me and eat it that I got mad." Solaris looked a bit embarrassed, but grumbled while telling them what she was thinking.

"Oh, well I was thinking how happy I was before I came here, and how our house is different from our old house and there isn't a park near my house either. But Solaris has a nice house." Aiko pouted while stuffing rice in his mouth. Solaris laughed thinking he was joking and also stuffed food in her mouth.

All three of them thought they shared something in common, they weren't feeling happy when they used their powers.

***

Once all the kids got back into the orientation hall, the judges from before came in and were holding a piece of paper. The lady announcer from before told them that they finished putting them all in a class. Surprisingly, no one had weak enough magic to be enrolled in the lowest class, class Z. The judges started mentioning the names of the kids who would be enrolled in certain classes and who their homeroom teacher would be. They would be able to meet their homeroom teacher on the day classes start.

They mentioned the kids who enrolled in class S last, and many other kids stared at them in shock.

"Aiko Choi, Solaris Crimson, Nym Horne, Yuno Symmes, Laputa Alafaya, and Luck Lucien." The lady announcer smiled at all of the kids and then called a student helper to give each of them a bracelet.

"This bracelet allows you to enter campus, without it, it would be impossible to start for your first day. Next week you will receive specialized bracelets, for now we give you these. Because this is only orientation, you may all travel home, we can't wait to see you all in 3 days when you start, class of 72!" After the lady announcer finished speaking, she checked her watch and exited the room with a smile along with the other judges.

Nym got up and was about to walk out when she was stopped by Aiko and Solaris. They both fiddled with their fingers while waiting for Nym to get closer.

"Is it okay if we walk together Nym?" Solaris asked while reaching out her hand. Her goal to take Nym home is still in mind.

Nym smiled and accepted her hand and walked together, along with Aiko who was walking right behind them. He scratched his head while trying to keep close to them, because he doesn’t really remember the way back home.

As they walked, Solaris pointed at things and asked questions about them, Nym who had lived here since she was born answered all her questions and guided them both around. They all had fun and thought about the future. Nym told them her birthday is coming up, she’s turning six, and she wanted them to celebrate with her. Nym smiled and thought to herself that she would like for it to always be like this now.

I hope we can stay like this forever.

***

🌸 Zanna