Kromus stood firm, his presence commanding the room into an almost oppressive silence. His sharp gaze scanned the students, ensuring discipline before he began. "Good. Now let’s get on with the first student. Ariel."

A petite girl hesitantly stepped forward. Her shoulders were hunched, and her timid demeanor drew curious whispers from the crowd. Her muted, dull eyes were an anomaly in a room filled with radiant, magical hues.

Kromus gestured to the towering crystal ball. "Ariel, step forward and place your hands on the crystal ball."

Ariel nodded timidly, stepping closer to the enormous sphere. As her small hands made contact with its surface, the crystal ball began to glow faintly. The faint light quickly intensified, pulsating with an array of colours that shimmered across the room like a prismatic storm.

The sphere vibrated, its hum growing louder with each passing moment. Ariel instinctively stepped back, her expression a mix of awe and fear. The vibrations reached a fever pitch, and a collective gasp filled the hall as spider web cracks raced across the crystal’s surface.

The crowd stared in stunned silence—until Rai’s voice rang out from the back. "I bet she is gonne blame Frosty for what happened, it’s always a man’s fault." His tone was playful, but it echoed in the now-silent hall like thunder.

Gale clamped a hand over his mouth, his shoulders trembling as he fought to suppress his laughter. A few other boys exchanged nervous glances, their faces struggling to remain neutral.

But the girls in the room were less forgiving. Their eyes turned crimson with fury, glowing like vengeful demons as they directed their ire at Rai. Rose, in particular, clenched her fists, steam practically rising from her ears.

Undeterred by the murderous stares, Rai shrugged nonchalantly and added, "Wow, guess along with accountability women don’t have a sense of humour either." He raised his hands in mock surrender, his expression one of exaggerated disappointment.

While the entire room sat in utter silence, the atmosphere was sharply divided. Half the students struggled to stifle their laughter, terrified of drawing the ire of the other half, who seemed on the verge of committing unspeakable acts against a single individual.

Rose, however, had grown somewhat immune to Rai’s antics—or so she told herself. She placed her hand on her head and sighed deeply, disappointment etched across her face. “Why do I even bother?” she muttered under her breath, a phrase that had become all too common since meeting Rai. Yet, buried beneath her frustration, a flicker of admiration glimmered. No one else dared to be as bold or utterly shameless as Rai, and a small, stubborn part of her respected that.

The room's simmering fury reached a boiling point as the girls’ eyes began to glow with magical intensity. Some even muttered incantations under their breath, sparks of elemental energy forming around their hands. The tension felt like a storm ready to break.

And then, it happened.

A booming, thunderous laughter erupted, shattering the tension like glass. Frost Kromus, the ever-composed disciplinarian, was clutching his sides, tears of laughter streaming down his frost-like eyes. He looked nothing like the cold, intimidating figure everyone had come to fear. Instead, he was utterly consumed by the joke.

Kromus’s laughter echoed through the room, each burst of mirth further disarming the volatile atmosphere. Finally, he managed to speak between chuckles, his voice carrying an unusual warmth: "I didn’t think I’d hear such bold humour in this room today! Well done, boy!"

The room froze again, this time in sheer disbelief. Even the girls, whose fury moments ago could have rivalled a dragon’s fire, stared at Kromus as if he’d grown a second head.

Rose, caught off guard, glanced at Rai. Her expression wavered between frustration and reluctant admiration. She found herself wondering—not for the first time—what it was about this clueless, reckless boy that made him so infuriatingly unshakable.

Rai, entirely unfazed by the tension, leaned back in his chair, his trademark grin lighting up his face. He threw a casual thumbs up toward Kromus and declared: "See, Frosty gets it."

Kromus’s laughter resumed at full force, his frosty exterior momentarily thawed. The girls’ glowing eyes dimmed, their magical auras dissipating, though their glares at Rai promised future retribution.

The room settled once more, though an undercurrent of disbelief remained. Pragaya, observing Rai from his place, smirked faintly, thinking to himself, He sure has not changed.

Kromus’s booming laughter was cut short by the violently shaking crystal ball, replaced by a sharp, calculated expression.

"Oh, right! I forgot we were doing this," he muttered, his frost-filled eyes narrowing as he subtly shifted his stance. His composure remained firm, yet his body was clearly prepared for action.

The crystal’s surface began to fragment, the splitting sounds echoing ominously. Rai, utterly captivated, leaned forward with wide eyes and shouted, "Holy crap, that thing is transforming!"

The rest of the students, still reeling from the tension, turned to Rai in a chorus of disbelief: "Transforming!?"

Rai waved his hand enthusiastically, as if trying to explain something obvious. "Yeah, just watch! It's awesome!”

The crystal ball, as though spurred by Rai's excitement, began to reshape itself dramatically. Its rounded sides unfolded with mechanical precision, forming massive crystalline arms that glimmered with ethereal energy. Its base widened, reshaping into thick legs that stomped onto the ground with a resounding thud. Finally, a head emerged, glowing with an intense pink hue that seemed oddly soothing despite its sheer intensity.

The creature, now fully formed and towering at 10 feet tall, radiated a commanding presence. Its body refracted light like a living gemstone, and arcane symbols etched into its surface shimmered faintly. It let out a low, rumbling grunt, its crystalline "eyes" flickering as it rubbed its face in a startlingly human-like gesture.

"Who dares disturb my slumber?" the crystalline entity demanded, its deep, resonant voice reverberating throughout the hall. It sounded as though the earth itself had spoken.

The students froze in collective silence, the room’s tension palpable. The creature’s gaze slowly scanned the crowd, glowing with a strange mixture of sentience and magical energy. Then, it stopped—its eyes locking onto Kromus.

A chilling stillness enveloped the hall as the creature straightened. Its head tilted slightly, as though assessing the Frost Master. Kromus, unfazed by the piercing stare, stood tall and unyielding. His frosty aura intensified subtly, a clear sign to the entity—and everyone else—that he was ready, should things escalate.

It was as though the weight of their unspoken challenge pressed down on every student, leaving them unsure if the next moment would bring words or a clash of unimaginable power.

No one dared to speak. Eyes darted between the two, each student gripping their emotions tightly. Gale looked like he was reconsidering his life choices.

Then, in the most unexpected turn, the crystal creature casually tapped Kromus on the shoulder and boomed in a cheerful, playful tone, “Oh Frosty, it’s you! Good to see you, little guy.”

The silence shattered as students blinked in disbelief. Some gasped audibly, others exchanged incredulous glances. The moment that was supposed to be legendary had transformed into an anti-climax of epic proportions.

All except Rai.

He stood there frozen for a heartbeat, his mouth slightly agape, before bursting into uncontrollable laughter. It wasn’t just a chuckle—it was the kind of hearty, tears-in-your-eyes laughter that made him double over, clutching his stomach.

Still chuckling, Rai marched right up to the towering crystal creature, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “See? Frosty is a good nickname for you! I knew it!” he declared triumphantly, as if he had just won an argument no one else was having.

Kromus’ face twitched, his icy glare fixing firmly on Rai. The vein on his temple bulged ominously, though he somehow managed to keep his composure. Barely.

The rest of the students froze. Their minds were at war. Should they laugh along? Should they stay quiet and preserve their lives? For the boys, survival instincts kicked in—nobody dared to even smirk. The girls, however, had no such reservations. Their collective glares burned with enough intensity to melt iron.

Rose, standing amidst the chaos, sighed and planted her hand firmly on her forehead. “Why am I not surprised? It’s Rai, after all.” Yet, despite her exasperated tone, a small, involuntary smile played at the corners of her lips.

Next to her, Gale leaned over and whispered with his usual dry humour, “He’s going to get us killed one day, and I have not even held a girls hand yet.” Though his words were laced with exasperation, even he couldn’t fully suppress the amusement tugging at his lips.

The crystal creature, let out a hearty laugh that reverberated through the room. It gently patted Rai on the head, nearly toppling him over in the process. “I like this one. He’s got spirit!”.

Right as the creature’s hand touched Rai it was taken aback but before its reaction could alert the room Pragaya gave a glare to the creature and it quickly regained its composure before anyone could notice, the crystal then played off the scene coolly continuing to pat Rai on the head.

Rai beamed up at the creature as though they were old friends, completely unfazed by the towering entity before him. Meanwhile, Kromus’ expression darkened further, his patience clearly wearing thin.

“Still as grumpy as ever, Frosty? You need to loosen up!” the creature teased, nudging Kromus playfully.

The students watched the exchange, curiosity bubbling within them. Who—or what—was this creature, and what kind of history did it share with Kromus?

As the creature’s laughter subsided, it leaned down, scanning the room with a mischievous glint in its glowing pink eyes. “This year’s batch is brimming with potential. I can’t wait to see how this unfolds.”

Its words hung in the air, carrying a cryptic weight that sent shivers down the spines of the students. Whatever was coming next, it promised to be nothing short of extraordinary.

Rose found her gaze drifting back to Rai. There was something about his audacity, his sheer refusal to be anything less than himself that set him apart. She shook her head in disbelief, yet she couldn’t help but feel a growing admiration for the boy who seemed utterly unfazed by the impossible.

Kromus clapped his hands sharply, the sound slicing through the air to regain control of the room. “Alright, settle down. This being here is Allseer, an ancient mythical beast contracted by our headmaster.”

A ripple of awe spread through the students, their eyes wide in disbelief. “Wow, the headmaster must be one awesome guy, huh?” whispered one student, the quiet murmur quickly spreading through the room.

Kromus gave a small sigh, already anticipating the next question. “Allseer’s magic eyes have the ability to appraise others.”

Rai’s eyes went wide. “Wait, wait, hold up. You’re telling me magical beasts also have magic eyes?” He shot a confused glance around, then back at Kromus, his voice rising with each word.

Kromus sighed again, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Yes, Rai. Every living creature in this world has magical eyes—from house cats to dragons. But the power of their eyes depends on the strength of their body, soul, and mind.”

A beat of silence passed. Then, Rai’s body went rigid, and he slowly dropped to his hands and knees in the most dramatic fashion. The air around him visibly darkened, as if the world itself was mourning his existence. “So you’re telling me even house cats have magical eyes, but I don’t? Hmmm... yes... yes. Even a cat has a stronger soul, body, and mind than me.”

He let out a pained sigh and turned his gaze upward, eyes glassy, as a single tear slid down his cheek. He was practically glowing with melodrama. The entire room froze, watching him, unsure whether to laugh or offer condolences. Rai continued staring at the ceiling, lost in his existential crisis.

Gale, sensing an opening, straightened up, his chest puffing out in mock pride. “Well, well, Rai. Don’t be sad. Not everyone can be as great as me!” His tone was lighthearted, but there was an obvious touch of smugness in it.

Rai, without skipping a beat, turned his emotionless gaze to Gale, completely deadpan. “Says the guy who was rejected by his own parents.”

Gale froze, his face dropping in a comedic gasp. He stood still for a moment, the words sinking in, before mirroring Rai’s dramatic posture. “Oh yes… I forgot about that,” he muttered, sinking down into exaggerated sorrow.

Now, side by side, both Rai and Gale stared up at the ceiling in perfect unison, their expressions a comical picture of despair. Rose, watching this unfold, sighed deeply, her hand covering her face in exasperation. “Why do I even associate with these fools?” she muttered to herself, but as always, despite her frustration, a reluctant smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

Allseer, who had been watching with quiet amusement, finally spoke up, his voice light and teasing. “These two are quite the spectacle, aren’t they?” he chuckled softly, as if thoroughly entertained by the scene.

Rose, growing ever more frustrated with the antics of the two boys, marched over to them. With swift, well-placed taps to their heads, she dragged them back to their seats. The class, already accustomed to this spectacle, stifled their grins. Kromus, now struggling to maintain control, cleared his throat, forcing himself to focus. "Anyways, let's continue with the ceremony. Now, where were we?"

As he tried to collect his thoughts, a soft voice cut through the tension. "Umm, sir, should I step forward again?" It was Ariel. She appeared hesitant, almost as if the spotlight was too much for her. Her eyes flitted nervously around the room, not meeting anyone's gaze.

Kromus jumped in surprise, his wide eyes betraying his startled state. The room went still as Ariel, previously invisible, materialized before them. Her magic eyes, it seemed, had the power of invisibility. Kromus, caught off guard, attempted to smooth his robes and regain his usual authoritative composure. "Ahem, yes," he said, his voice tinged with the slight awkwardness of the moment. "You may step forward. Let Allseer assess you."

The students murmured in awe, their curiosity piqued. "I didn’t realize you could make yourself invisible," one whispered. "Do you think I could learn to do that?" another asked, wide-eyed.