Anticipation built up for no reason, as the Academy grew larger and larger in the distance, until I noticed the ride had ended. After we stepped off the carriage, at the edge of the yole tree’s shadow, Kio brought it to the barracks.

We circled the darkened borders, just like everyone else - it was just the time for students to have their lunch break, a pleasant meal under the sun. They didn’t approach us, as one would expect, but their curious eyes were sharp and painful.

Daien guided me inside the building - through giant varnished doors that revealed a beautiful corridor, purple and blue opening to each hall in the building. Condecorated with paintings that served as markers, the ceiling colored in an eternal mosaic of a starry sky – it all guided towards the golden carpet in front of the stairs. It laid there, marked with Argatha’s emblem: the ron-kón. A majestic bird that was said to reflect the rays of the sun on its feathers. On the shield, it said: tasto va ra unisíma Aragatia. Such was Argatha’s original name.

The beautiful stairs guided us across many equally beautiful floors, each ceiling decorated with a different time of the day. Finally arrived at the fourth floor, a beautiful mosaic sun greeted us, the visitors. Daien, who hadn’t let go of my hand until now, went ahead and knocked on the door at the end of the hall. The Director’s office.

A noise informed us that we were allowed to enter. It was to my surprise (despite knowing) that Count Latrei was the one within the room, lunch half-finished. I looked at Daien, confused, but she just let go of my hand. My only support gone, I felt defenseless against the incessant drumming that resonated throughout my body.

- “Director, I brought him.”

- “First you say good evening. But thank you. Von, right? Sit down. I hope you are alright. I heard rumors of what happened yesterday.”

Count Latrei’s rose gold hair gleamed with the light from the window behind him, making his figure seem more mystical than expected. Such a benevolent tone for the man I only knew to complain and berate.

I sat down in silence.

- “You look confused… but that’s to be expected. You haven’t been told why you are here for, I assume?” - I felt my muscles tense up, almost jumping from my seat. - “Don’t worry, it's just a simple test.” – He continued, setting his lunch aside.

- “…Well… I’m- I’m not- I didn’t even know I had to come see you in the first place-”

- “Ah, yes. That’s a bad habit of Mizuen’s. I apologize on his behalf, since I was the one who allowed this to happen. He said it was a waste to not have you learn the fundamentals of magic, even if you didn’t meet the qualifications to join the Academy.”

- “And you let him…?”

- “I told him he was allowed, as long as he took care of the proper paperwork and assigned you a qualified tutor that was not troubled by the schedule. I should have assumed that he had plans for everything already.”

- “But I’m a- I don’t- Doesn’t it take years to master?”

- “Yes, surely. But you are not incompetent at all. It’s easy to see that you, who managed to learn the basics of a language well enough in no more than a few days, and who displayed an understanding of the basis of magic by creating a turbulence that would take years to be able to produce, are capable of great things.”

- “Ah...No, no. You think too highly of me, sir. I don’t think I’ll be of any use anyways-.”

- “I just speak the facts, young man. I… I wish you weren’t of use - you are just a child. If possible, I wouldn’t send a child to war, much less one who cannot fight. But you, against my best wishes, are being sent to the battlefield, just like my students. So are many of the citizens of my region, as well as my co-workers and friends. Because we haven’t- because we weren’t able to accept surrender. So I want those who will fight to be as prepared as possible. I wish you weren’t of use so you wouldn’t have to suffer that fate, but we don’t have that privilege.”

- “Sir-… You are more considerate than I expected.”

- “I like to do my job properly. It’s my pride to be competent.”

- “You sure are passionate about it huh-”

- “And so should you. May we start the test?”

- “T-Test- What’s the test about?”

- “Nothing big. It’s just the basic one, but you’ll only be doing the practical part. I don’t think that studying theory at the same level as other students will help; a mind that has been in a completely different society has a different perception of things. I think that should be preserved.”

- “So…”

- “Your affinity is wind, yes?”

- “M-Maybe? I don’t know.”

- “Make this little ball” – he placed a wooden ball in front of me, perfectly round and shiny – “float. It might seem simple, but it takes quite the amount of effort and control.”

- “I haven’t used magic since then, I don’t think-“

- “Here.” – The Count handed me a pair of gloves and a twig. No, a wand; brown and white ramifications blending into each other across the slightly worn out middle. – “In case you don’t know, these branches help amplify the energy all living things exude.”

- “I thought so… It felt like that last time.”

- “Don’t hold it for too long barehanded. Put on the gloves. The wood feeds off that energy, you don’t want it to grow. It will debilitate you until death if it has the chance.”

What a grim announcement. I almost dropped the wand.

Finally equipped, I closed my eyes to try and focus. Far away, four stories away from the grounding of the dirt, the breeze, and the leaves.

Daien whispered to me.

- “Control comes from inside, they say. Don’t control the energy. Control yourself.”

I tried to make sense of those words, as the room grew darker and darker in my view.

The warmth of life moved around the tips of my fingers, brushed my cheeks, tickled my forehead. It wound itself around me like a serpent, and it left me like a bird, leaving no more than its shadow of a breeze.

I held my breath as the wooden ball slowly started to float. I felt tingles on my palm. It was agonizingly strange. Like it went numb, yet it craved release. I felt my flesh pleading to leave my bones bare. A restlessness that wouldn’t let me concentrate. A feeling I was barely accustomed to, yet knew well.

When the mind tries to leave the body, the body tries to leave itself too. That’s how it felt.

The ball fell flat on the table before dropping to the floor with a thud. With just a few seconds, I was sweating, cold, and gasping for air. An eternity in suspension left me weakened.

Latrei offered me a glass of water.

- “How do you feel? It was less than optimal, but this was quite literally your second time using magic. It must have been exhausting.”

- “I feel like… I feel like I want to rip off my skin.”

- “…….That’s quite… the statement. Then there is a lot of practice to be done.”

- “…That means?”

- “You pass by the bare minimum. Consider this a token of apology, for having my student cause you such trouble.”

- “What an honorable man you are, Count. But you shouldn’t be paying for him.” – Be it that my own exhaustion made me bitter, but there was a lot I wanted to say to Mizuen at that moment. Not that I would dare.

- “Had I done something when I could, maybe Mizuen would be different. But his ambition is too high. I’ll take the blame, as his mentor.”

- “I thought Io was his mentor.”

- “Not quite. I think ‘parental figure’ fits the label bet- wait. We aren’t here to talk about that. Don’t distract me.”

- “…Sorry.”

The Count – or should I say, the Director – started searching inside a drawer. He got out a little roll of white fabric, tied with a golden ribbon.

- “Stand.”

- “Y-Yes.”

Even though I was shaking, the Count’s absolute order made me stand without even realizing it. He walked towards me with such grace, such elegance. I was so far away from him.

The Count’s poise was a vision I couldn’t reach.

I wish I had taken more time to look at him.

All I remember is that… he looked so tired…

The little white roll ended up being almost like a tie. A long, triangular slice of soft fabric, with Argatha’s emblem. A golden border at the end, and a diamond-shaped pin at the top.

- “This is your mage license. I hereby declare you, Von, with my authority as Director of the Academy of Aragatian Arts, an official mage, under all the accorded exceptions applied to your case. You have been assigned the special rank of black diamond, thereby declaring you are not traditionally fit for a license - despite my declaration.”

He pressed the pin against my chest like a button. It clicked into a slot under the golden leaves holding the tunic up to my shoulders.

A newfound sense of pride filled me, much to my surprise, as the Director smiled ever so slightly.

- “Now, go and make me proud. I’m not the only one who saw something in you.”

- “… Thank you.”

- “No, Von. It was due to our incompetence that you were forced to participate in all this. You shouldn’t thank me. I may not recognize you as fit for your position as a tactician, nor yet assume you’re loyal to our cause, but that doesn’t mean I’m not aware we are at fault.”

- “Sir-. I was the one who insisted at first that I wanted to try magic. Had I not done that, Mizuen wouldn’t have considered this.”

- “I suppose… But even then, the way you have been dragged along is not proper at all. Ah, a reminder - or not, since you might not know. While this license allows you to use magic outside of the Academy, this is normally not earned until you have completed your studies. That’s why you have the black diamond, it means this is an exception. Also, you need to have your license visible at all times - it’s required by law. Even more in your case. You are still no more than a student, but there is no way for us to adapt the course for you. You have less than a year, and need a different education.”

- “I wonder how much paperwork was needed for this…” – I mumbled, holding the license up to admire the emblem.

- “Quite the amount. You should thank the princess for all the work she did.”

- “The princess?” – I was surprised the Director was able to hear me, but the answer was more striking than that.

- “Yes. Amongst their many responsibilities, both her and Mizuen were the ones that dealt with the bureaucratic paperwork needed for you to stay. I assume no word of it reached you?”

- “Now that you say it, sir, I never had to do anything related to that-…”

- “Indeed. The fact you were allowed to enter the Court’s room, appointed to your position, or able to study magic. Even being considered a citizen, by all means, took a lot of paperwork. But looking at your state the first days you were here, I understand why they didn’t want to burden you with it. I, myself, added to the stress you hold.”

- “… Ah… Uh… Ah, Director, shouldn’t you finish your lunch?”

- “…? Yes, yes I should. Since that’s done, you are free to go. Thanks for bringing him, Daien. And for taking him under your care.”

- “It’s all oki, Director. I’ll do my best!” – Daien pet me once again. I hadn’t noticed that she never sat down. – “Uh… We! We’ll do our best.”

- “I know you will. Take care.” – The Director turned to me, grabbing his (now cold) lunch once again. – “Feel free to explore the Academy. From what I heard from Mizuen, you seem to be quite the avid reader, am I wrong? Our resources are open for you, as they are for any student.”

- “Y-Yes- Uh… Thank you. We’ll be leaving now, then…?”

He just bowed slightly as we left the room.

Daien was holding my hand again as she dragged me downstairs, passing the students that were going back to their classes. It was hard to believe that an hour had already gone by.

We headed outside, towards a now cloudy spring day. Towards the yole tree.