I stumbled out of the dean's office, dazed and unsure of what to do next. If I hadn't managed to cast a single spell until now, it was unlikely I'd succeed by the next day. Until that moment, I had clung to the illusion that I still had another semester to fix the situation. But now, that grace period had suddenly vanished.
Looking down the corridor, I saw the girl with the black eyes walking toward me. I struggled to remember her name and, after a small effort, I succeeded. Maybe she was my only chance.
Elesya was wearing a long dark-blue uniform, adorned with finely crafted silver embroidery. Watching her approach, I realized just how beautiful she truly was. She wasn't tall, but she was slender, and her well-proportioned face had delicate features. Her clothes fit perfectly on her graceful figure, and her chestnut hair was tied back in a simple, slightly messy ponytail, allowing her face to shine in the soft hallway light.
I waited for her to walk past me, preparing to start a conversation. She was the only hope I had left. Until now, she had never laughed at me. Maybe I could convince her to help me.
"Hey, Elesya!" I called out. "That is your name, right? Can we talk for a minute, please?"
Elesya stopped and turned halfway toward me, looking me in the eyes, slightly surprised.
"Yes?"
She didn't seem thrilled to speak with me, but a sliver of cold politeness made her give me a bit of attention.
"Look, Elesya, I'm in a difficult situation, and I feel like you're the only one who might be able to help. As you probably know, all my attempts at magic have failed. I can't manage even the simplest spell—not even the coin toss exercise. If you don't mind, I'd like to ask for your help. Maybe if you practiced a spell or two with me, I could break through this block..."
Elesya looked me up and down with a disapproving glance, as if I were a pushy beggar asking for charity. In fact, in my worn-out uniform, I really did look like a beggar.
"It's pointless," she dismissed me quickly. "If you're a mage, you should be able to do simple spells from the very first tries. And if you're not a mage..." She left the sentence hanging.
"Well?"
"...then nothing can help you," she added with a faint smile, clearly trying to end the conversation.
I had to accept the flawless logic, even though it shattered what little hope I had left.
"Fine. Let's say I agree with you, Elesya. Maybe I'm not a mage. But couldn't I learn to become one? Learn magic like any other craft?"
"No, you can't. You're born a mage, you don't become one. Magical traits are inherited at birth and can't be learned, no matter how hard you try."
"And yet... the dean said my parents were mages. Why didn't I inherit their abilities?"
Elesya paused a second before answering.
"I can't give you a precise answer, but I can make some guesses. Sometimes a child can be born without magical talents, even if their parents were mages. I suppose you're one of those rare cases. The reverse can also happen," she went on, "a magical child born to ordinary parents. But again, these are extremely rare situations."
Desperately, I tried to think of other solutions to my problem.
"Are there no simpler spells? Ones that people like me could actually use?"
Elesya rolled her eyes, clearly bored. Even if she didn't say it, I could tell she saw me as pathetic.
"I already told you—spells can only be performed by people with hereditary magical traits. A spell that could be done by a non-mage is nonsense. If that were possible, what would be the difference between the two groups? We'd all be mages, and who would be left to work the land?"
I couldn't tell if she was being slightly ironic when she said that. But it wasn't the time for such subtleties.
"But Elesya, couldn't you just cast a spell for me so I can pass the exam? I mean—you'd do the spell, but it would look like I did it. It would help me so much tomorrow."
"No, I can't," she flinched, indignant when she heard my suggestion. "And even if I could, it would mean cheating, and I don't agree with cheating."
Elesya had remained politely distant until then, but it was clear the conversation irritated her and she wanted to end it as quickly as possible.
"Not even knowing what's at stake for me? A life of slavery, with my memory wiped clean?"
"I'm sorry for you, but I can't help," Elesya replied gently, before turning her back to me and walking away.
As I watched her disappear down the corridor, I felt my last shred of hope fade with her. I felt abandoned—like someone drifting at sea, watching a ship pass by without stopping to take him aboard. I stood there in despair, trying to pull myself together and find a solution, but my mind was complete chaos. I could already picture myself being sold in a slave market and sent off to work a cotton plantation. Or worse—I might end up as a galley rower.
My thoughts were interrupted by heavy footsteps and mocking laughter. The blond guy had appeared again in front of me, this time accompanied by two other boys, one of whom was older than both of them.
"Look, it's the non-mage!" Doric shouted, a malicious grin on his face. "You'll see what we do to you! Not even black magic will save you from our hands!"
"Hey!" I yelled. "Didn't you hear what the Dean said? You promised him you'd leave me alone until the exam."
"Yes, I did promise," the blond boy grinned, clearly pleased with himself. "And I'll keep my word. I won't lay a finger on you. Or better said—I won't cast any spell on you. But there's a little loophole in my promise that lets me break your bones."
The three of them burst out laughing and stepped closer to me.
"You haven't figured it out yet, have you?" he continued. "The promise only applies to me. My friends, on the other hand, promised nothing and are free to tan your hide. This time, you're really screwed. We don't even need magic. Our fists and feet are more than enough to take care of you."
In the next second, I realized what they were planning to do. Without hesitating, I did the only thing I could—I ran.
I sprinted down the long corridor, hearing their hurried footsteps behind me. My heart was pounding wildly, and my breath came faster as adrenaline flooded my body. I made a sharp turn to the left, entering another wing of the building, hoping to lose them. Ahead of me, I spotted an old wooden door that seemed to lead to the basement. Without thinking twice, I opened it and rushed down the narrow, dark stairs. The dim light of the magical lamps barely allowed me to see where I was stepping, but I kept going, feeling like it was my only chance.
I reached the basement, where I found myself in a long, cold corridor with massive stone walls. I kept running, trying to find a place to hide. I could now hear the boys' footsteps echoing on the stone stairs. I didn't have much time left. As I ran, I looked from side to side, searching for a door or at least a niche where I could hide. As long as I was within their line of sight, I didn't stand a chance. Much to my dismay, the walls stretched on smoothly on both sides. There weren't even any turns. I was running with all my strength, but I knew the three boys would spot me the moment they reached the end of the hallway.
Just when I was beginning to lose all hope, I saw a door to my right. It read "Library."