Chapter 2: The High School of Mages

Pierce looked at himself in the mirror. Pierce has black hair, big green eyes, and light skin. He was wearing a new mage's cloak, as he plans to study at The High School of Mages to become a master.   

The High School of Mages is one of Miracle's attractions. That is why many people move there. However, only a few graduate, as the studies can be difficult and time-consuming. One of the reasons for this may be the school's principal and one of the teachers named Seth. Pierce knew him, as he was a candidate for the first king of Octina a few years ago. He is very strict and demanding. Even small mistakes can be punished.  Although Pierce is a little scared of how he will perform, he is still optimistic. Pierce's cloak is mostly blue and white. There is some brown in it. At the waist, there is a belt with a pocket and clips for accessories.  

"Hi, Pierce! I'm off to work!" said Lumi.  

"Have fun at high school!" said Gerald.  

"Don't mess up!" Selene teased.  

"Thanks. Have a good day at work, too!", Pierce shouted. 

Pierce packed his backpack and headed for high school, which was only a mile away. He greeted his neighbors. They had known each other since Pierce's family moved to Miracle. Pierce quickly became friends with his neighbor's son, Michael, and they still hang out from time to time. After finishing elementary school, Michael became a blacksmith, following in his father's footsteps. 

Pierce stands in front of the high school building. There are lots of young people going into the building. He feels a little nervous, especially about which teacher he will be assigned to. He takes a deep breath and goes inside. All the students have gathered in a large hall where they will be divided into different classes. However, the hall was not as full as Pierce had expected. There were just under a hundred of them. Pierce overheard the people next to him talking. 

"Why are there so few of us? I heard that every year the number of students is decreasing. I wonder why that is," one girl wondered.  

"I've heard rumors that it's because of the high school principal and his attitude. He doesn't like having a large number of students," her friend explained.  

Now Pierce was even more concerned about Seth's behavior. Suddenly, the curtains closed and the students were standing in the dark. Pierce was terrified. Soon, two flames lit up on the stage. The flames flew and changed places. Then they merged into one large fireball, which was covered with water, and smoke filled the hall. At the same time, sparkling crystal lights illuminated the hall. Soon, all the school's teachers and the principal appeared on stage. They laughed, except for Seth, who didn't even smirk. Pierce and the other students were puzzled but excited that they could learn spells similar to those performed by the teachers.   

Seth cleared his throat and began his speech: "Dear students. Welcome to the Miracle's High School of Mages. I am Seth, the principal and one of the teachers. It is my pleasure to welcome you. You have made a good choice for your future career, because here you will learn everything about magic, spells, and primordial crystals. Our task is to train you to become skilled and intelligent users of magic. Without further ado, it is time to divide you into groups and discuss the classes with your group supervisors." 

Seth had gray hair, a black beard and piercing eyes. He had purple and black cloak with silver elements like a belt buckle. He was a bit scary at first glance. Still Pierce had slightly different preconceptions about Seth. Based on his speech, he got the impression that he was a dignified and serious person. Maybe he isn't so bad after all. The students were divided into groups of about 10 and went to their classrooms. There they received more information about studying, classes, and the school year. Pierce immediately chose a class related to primordial crystals, as he had always wanted to know where magic came from.  

During lunch, Pierce talked with some of the other students about how cool it would be to learn to control fire or ice, for example. A boy named Scott wisely said that one day he would master gravity magic. A girl named Aanya said that it was the most difficult magic to master after soul magic.   

"What is soul magic like?", Pierce asked the others.  

"I've heard about it from my grandfather. Apparently, it allows you to control other people's bodies and minds," Aanya replied.  

"That's terrible. The use of spells like that should be forbidden," Pierce said. 

"I'm not entirely sure, but I believe soul magic is forbidden. We can ask the teacher in the next lesson," Aanya suggested.