I didn't even have time to process what had just happened when a voice echoed from the speaker, slicing through the quiet of the classroom.
[Garieth Kael, please report to the headmaster's office.]
I locked eyes with Marie. I hesitated for a moment, but she nodded calmly, as if her gaze was saying, "go."
"I'm not sure if I should go alone… Marie, would you come with me?"
She nodded again, this time with a reassuring smile.
"Don't worry. I'll go with you. I want to see the results too."
I accepted without much thought. After all, I wasn't exactly sure where the headmaster's office even was.
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When we reached the door, I knocked twice. Only a few seconds passed before a voice responded from the other side.
"You may come in."
The door was already slightly ajar. We entered with quiet steps.
Our homeroom professor stood beside the headmaster. Between them, resting on a pedestal, was the magic orb. Its surface glowed with a dull, lifeless white.
"I assume you remember what happened this morning, am I wrong?" the headmaster asked with a calm tone, though there was a faint tension in his expression.
"Yes. It's about the score I received from the orb," I replied, doing my best to sound steady, even though the same unease from earlier still clung to my chest.
"Exactly. Now, place your hand on the orb and let's redo the evaluation."
I nodded and stepped forward. I hesitated for a brief second, then reached out and placed my hand against the orb's cool surface.
The moment my fingers touched it, a blinding white light erupted from deep within the sphere, so intense I instinctively raised my other hand to shield my eyes. I shut my eyes tight as the entire room lit up like a sun had been born in its center.
Just a few seconds passed before the glow began to fade.
Slowly, I opened my eyes again. Everyone was staring at the orb.
My hand was still resting on it, but now silence had settled over the room like a thick blanket. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the headmaster and professor studying the orb's display. Even Marie had stepped forward a little, visibly curious.
The headmaster was the first to speak, his brows furrowed.
"The result is… twenty? This is strange. I've never seen a number that low."
"It's the first time for me as well…" the professor murmured, leaning in slightly to get a better look.
A knot tightened in my stomach. Twenty? That was it? What did it mean? Was it bad? Or was it something… no one understood?
For a moment, my thoughts scattered. Since when have they been doing tests like this? Has anyone ever received a result like mine?
I took a breath and forced a tense smile as I broke the silence.
"Excuse me… is that a bad thing?"
"Well… I'm not sure about that either. It's the first time I've seen something like this."
The professor's voice grew more concerned as he stared at the number glowing within the orb—20—surrounded by shimmering lights in various colors, as if even the crystal itself was unsure of what it had revealed.
"Since magic was discovered in this world thousands of years ago, there has never been a recorded result like this."
I remembered what my mother once told me. According to her, the world began to understand magic tens of thousands of years ago. At first, it was rare—something nearly impossible to control, possessed only by the exceptionally gifted. But over time, as generations passed, more people began to be born with magical affinity. It was still weak, but magic was no longer a miracle—it was evolving.
And then… she was born.
My mother.
A mage so powerful that she elevated humanity's magical standard to an entirely new level. Her power was so immense that even the weaponry left behind from ancient technological wars couldn't compare.
That's why… she was called one of humanity's greatest.
But remembering all that didn't solve anything. What would happen to me now? Would they expel me for having such a low score? And if they did… how would I ever explain this to her?
My thoughts spiraled until a soft voice pulled me out of them.
"Are you okay, Kael?"
Marie. She stepped closer, her expression worried, her eyes searching mine for any sign of distress.
"I'm fine, don't worry. I was just… remembering a few things." I offered a small smile, trying to keep her from worrying even more.
"Well… about this," the professor interrupted, scratching the back of his neck, "since we don't have enough information on what this result actually means, we can't make any hasty decisions. For now, you'll be allowed to continue your studies."
I let out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding. The headmaster nodded in silent agreement.
"Thank you. I'll do my best!"
They both offered faint smiles. Maybe my determination helped ease their concerns, even if just a little.
We left the room shortly after. No one said it aloud, but it was obvious: not even the headmaster or the professor understood what had just happened with the orb.
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Back in the classroom, I took advantage of the quiet—our teacher hadn't arrived yet—and pulled out the document Valentina had given me: the rules for shared dormitories.
As I opened the first sheet, my eyes were immediately drawn to a section that struck me as… unnecessarily strict.
[In the event that a male and female student are assigned to the same room, the following four rules must be observed:]
• Do not walk together outside the academy.
• Do not sleep in the same room.
• Do not share personal or intimate belongings.
• If not in a formal relationship, avoid any kind of intimate contact.
I read the last rule again, eyebrows raised.
"Wait… romantic relationships are allowed here?"
"Yes, they're completely allowed," said a voice beside me.
Startled, I turned my head. It was Valentina—she had just taken her seat and apparently overheard my accidental question.
I stared at her, unsure how to respond.
"Why is something like that even allowed?"
She rested her hand under her chin, as if considering the most logical way to explain it.
"Well… not many people are born with strong magical affinity. So one of the academy's—and really, the entire magical education system's—strategies is to encourage bonds between those who do. That's why there are mixed dorms. Romantic relationships are tolerated, even encouraged, as part of preparing for what's to come."
"What's to come?"
She met my gaze for a moment, then answered with an unsettling calm.
"The Demon King's prophecy."
Her words echoed in my mind like a fading thunderclap.
Of course… that.
The Demon King's final declaration before his death. Something about a new era, and an unavoidable cycle of destruction unless humanity grew stronger…
So… was it really possible that this academy expected some of us to end up paired together—married, even—just to preserve the human race?
I turned instinctively toward Marie.
She was already looking at me.
But the moment our eyes met, she looked away in a hurry, blushing all the way to her ears.
Maybe… she heard everything too…