Belle stood before the class, her long black hair brushing against the golden trim of her uniform as she turned slightly toward the board. Her presence alone was enough to quiet the whispers.
She didn't even need to raise her voice, it carried effortlessly, smooth and sure, like the tone of someone who already knew no one in this room could match her.
"There are," she began, "three fundamental levels of energy manipulation, each one defining not just how strong you are, but what you are capable of becoming."
A flick of her wrist, and thin lines of energy flared into the air three separate orbs hovering before her: one blue, one murky green, and one pitch-black that seemed to devour the light around it.
"The first is the Mercury Stage," she said, gesturing toward the glowing blue sphere. It pulsed softly, like a calm heartbeat. "This is where every novice begins, the stage of pure mana."
