Cherry led me through the academy halls, her face bright with happiness that I was now officially a student. As we walked, I noticed other students talking in small groups. Many of them were looking right at us.
Their expressions were mixed. Some looked very serious, even worried. Others, sitting alone on benches, seemed happy. Far behind us, I could still hear the evaluation machine repeating, "Insufficient data. Insufficient data. Insufficient data."
She brought me to our classroom. It was full of students forming little circles and chatting. The moment they saw me, they stopped and stared with shocked faces before quickly going back to their hushed discussions.
They must be talking about me, I thought. Was my test result really that weird? Did I get myself into some kind of trouble?
Cherry led me to my seat, which was right next to hers by the window. She sat down comfortably, and I did the same.
"So, are you feeling like a VIP?" she asked with a playful smile. She was definitely teasing me.
"Well, I'm kind of nervous about what will happen," I admitted. "Was that test result good or bad?" I decided to ask her directly.
"Well, it's something we've never seen before," she said, scratching her head. "The number zero only appears if someone has no mana at all, and the crystal immediately turns red. But in your case, it turned green. That means the academy accepts you as a student." She looked at me with a serious expression. If even Cherry thought it was a big deal, it really must be.
"Maybe the machine was broken?" I suggested. Machines don't last forever. Maybe it was faulty and couldn't register my mana correctly. I was sure I had mana because I could use simple magic.
She shook her head. "No, the machine can't be wrong. It has a life expectancy of about five more years, and our calculations are never wrong." She seemed to be thinking deeply, but just then, someone entered the classroom.
It was an adult woman in a professor's coat. She had long red hair. She scanned the room until her eyes landed on me. She gestured for me to come with her. She must be calling for me. I looked at Cherry, and she nodded with a wary look on her face.
I stood up and followed the professor out of the room. She walked ahead of me, and I couldn't help but notice she looked very attractive from behind. She suddenly stopped and turned to face me.
Did she notice I was looking at her? I panicked. But that wasn't it.
"The higher-ups have invited you to talk about something," she said.
It was the last thing I wanted to hear. I knew my test caused a commotion, but I had to meet the academy leaders on my very first day? I nodded. She smiled and continued walking. Her hips swayed with each step. I realized I didn't even know her name.
"Excuse me," I said politely. "I don't know much about this academy. May I ask what your name is?"
She paused and looked back at me with a big smile. "You can call me Suzie. I am your class teacher from now on, I suppose. Don't worry, you don't have to introduce yourself. I read the introduction papers you filled out during registration."
So, she was my homeroom teacher. She was beautiful, and I hoped she was a good teacher, too.
We continued walking until we reached an elevator. We got in, she pressed a button for a high floor, and the elevator began to rise. Taking a closer look, she was truly beautiful. The building was so huge I knew it would take a while to reach our floor.
The ride was taking a long time, so I decided to ask. "Is this about my mana test?" It was the obvious question. That was the only reason I'd be summoned.
She looked at me and smiled. "It might seem like a lot right now, but don't worry, it's not that serious. The higher-ups just want to see if something is wrong with you or not. Think of it as a regular check-up with a doctor."
If that was all, then maybe it would be okay.
Ting! The elevator chimed, and the doors slid open to reveal a large, impressive room. The walls were decorated with certificates and framed awards. Trophies sat on shelves.
In the middle of the room was a large desk piled high with papers. Behind it sat a woman with silver hair, wearing a formal office suit. She stared at us with narrow eyes, looking very strict.
"So, you're that boy, huh?" she said in a serious tone, her strict aura filling the room. "You look quite young to have caused such a stir." She pointed to two chairs in front of her desk. "Come, sit here."
Suzie nodded and sat down. I followed her lead. The atmosphere was tense, and no one spoke for a moment.
"Why was I invited here?" I finally asked.
She narrowed her eyes. "You're new to the magic world, so it's understandable. The mana crystal never lies. Even though you 'failed' the mana test, it still deemed you worthy to enter this prestigious academy. That is... suspicious."
I grew more nervous with every second. What should I do? I have to say something, or they might expel me!
"I'll try my best in this magic academy! Please, trust me!" I said, putting my hands together in an apologetic plea. To my surprise, she started to laugh.
"Hahahaha! You hear that, Suzie?" Both she and Suzie laughed as if they were watching a comedy show.
"Oh, come on! We won't do anything serious," the silver-haired woman said after she finished laughing. "We just wanted to let you know that you don't have to feel isolated because of your test. Just have fun at the academy, okay?"
So it wasn't a big deal after all! I had been imagining all sorts of bad endings.
"Th-thank you!" I said, feeling deeply grateful. We talked a bit more about my class schedule, and then they sent me back to my classroom.
The day was almost over, and students were heading home. On my way out, I saw Cherry walking alone, seeming lost in thought.
"Hey, Cherry! Where are you going?" I called out.
She ignored me and turned into a dark tunnel. Where is she going? Worried for her safety, I decided to follow her. I walked right beside her, but she didn't seem to notice me, which made me think something was wrong.
She walked to the very end of the tunnel, which opened into a dark room lit only by a single chandelier hanging from the ceiling. In the middle of the room, a man was sitting on a large stone slab. He noticed me immediately.
"Huh? What is a random student doing here?" With a wave of his hand, he tried to do something—probably a spell. Acting on instinct, I jumped in front of Cherry and grabbed her arm.
The moment we touched, Cherry seemed to snap out of her trance. She looked around, confused. When I turned back to look for the man, he was gone.
Cherry, now fully aware, suddenly hugged me tightly.
"Wh-what happened? Why are you hugging me for no reason!?" I asked, surprised.
She held on for a moment longer before letting go. "I'll tell you about something. Come on." She took my hand and led me out of the now-empty academy.
---
On the roof of one of the Magica Academy's tall towers, a man in a dark cloak stood alone. His face was twisted with anger, and he was grinding his teeth.
"How did my magic not work on that rookie?!" he snarled, clenching his fists. He had lost his prey right when she was in his grasp. "I just needed one night to claim her for myself and all the mana she stores inside those absurd breasts! Tch!"
He stared out at the sky, which was turning from red to black as night approached. His eyes fell on the ground far below, where he could easily see a boy and a girl walking home together.
"You won't be so lucky next time," he whispered. Then, he disappeared, leaving behind only a wisp of black smoke.