Annabelle’s Bastion

Nora wasted no time in starting the class once she got in; not only was she there early, but she started the moment the clock atop the whiteboard hit 10.

The classroom itself was similar to college seating arrangements, with long horizontal rows going upward. 

Mana Control had already been going on for about an hour, with Nora going on about how important it can be to the strength of spells. She discussed a few topics, including the purpose of control, the class objectives, and implied tasks they’d be required to fulfill to advance further. It was boring information that sounded more like she was reading a disclaimer before she could continue.

Anna wanted the juicy bits!

At least it was Nora doing it. It was a pleasant shock to see her as the Mana Control teacher—her voice made the boring overview somewhat easy to pay attention to.

Her appearance was outstanding. Taller than even Aria, with a beautiful, mature face and a subtly sultry voice. She wore that same fancy black and white suit but with a pair of what looked like black leather pants. Her platinum blonde hair was still tied in a ponytail, and her eyes were a hot pink.

It would be a safe guess to assume her race was succubus or succubus-adjacent. But Anna wasn’t about to ask and embarrass herself like she did with Gromak.

Anna leaned forward in her seat, the anticipation making it hard to care for anything else; Jared and Ashton’s occasional stare meant nothing. Although Jared looked like he intended to have a few choice words with her at the start of class. He canceled that the moment he saw Nora watching all of them like a hawk.

Mia sat beside her in a similar state but with a fervor different than Anna’s. The girl barely spoke to her at all, even inching away from her when Anna tried to get a little closer. She was probably still reeling from her loss, so Anna left it at that.

Whatever Nora discussed would likely spell their advancement and ability to win the rest of the combat class.

“Now that the boring parts are done…” Nora said, grinning knowingly across her students. She cleared her throat and took a minute, letting the anticipation brew. Finally, she continued slowly, “Why don’t we discuss what you all really want to know.”

Finally!

Anna could hear the rustling in the seats around her.

Nora waited another agonizing few seconds, walking along the front of the classroom with every eye in the room practically glued to her.

She was worse than Gromak!

Finally, Nora stopped at the center of the whiteboard and cleared her throat. “Mana Control is not as complicated to understand as it is to put into practice… You must be thinking, ‘Professor, I already control my mana!’ And you’d be incorrect—technically.” Nora pointed to a pre-drawn depiction of the body of water on the board with a boat sailing through it. ”An apt comparison is that we have access to the ocean, but we don’t control it. We can take water from it, we can sail across it, we can even explore its depths, but we cannot get it to do our bidding. To some extent, mana is the same.”

Was she saying they would never gain total control over their mana?

Anna raised her hand.

“Yes, Annabelle?”

“Professor, is total control impossible?”

She smiled at Anna and gently shook her head. “No, but it can be incredibly challenging to achieve.”

“Oh.”

As long as it was possible, she’d do it. It didn’t sit well with her to have a force flowing inside her that she couldn’t control.

Nora cleared her throat and raised her hand, counting each step as she said, “There are three universal steps to casting a spell; the initial flow, the steady flow, and the controlled flow.” She placed her palm up. “For now, we’ll focus on the Initial Flow. Humans are lucky our innate spell is enhancements because its nature perfectly exemplifies the three categories for training purposes. However, it can be a double-edged sword. Can anyone tell me why?”

Our? 

Anna raised her hand.

Simultaneously, Ashton said, “Professor—”

“Annabelle, you answer; I appreciate decorum in my class.”

“Sorry, Professor.” 

Take that, Ashton.

 “We can’t tell how much of our mana is being used just to passively keep the enhancements up.”

Jared likely understood that more than anyone. He had his enhancements at maximum since before their fight, when Thagrin told them about it. Or, maybe he didn’t understand; he seemed the type of man to think it was a fluke rather than accept his mistakes. 

Unfortunately, Anna also didn’t know how much of her mana drained for the passive running. She only realized the strain after her barrier shattered, and she didn’t know how much was used for her powerful kick or her earlier dash. It didn’t feel like she used that much. Aria said her tired feeling was probably similar to using a muscle that hadn’t been exercised in a while.

“Correct—we don’t have a definitive method of tracking it. We can feel it, though. A sense you will develop even without dedicated training.” A bright pink ring extended around Nora’s open palm. Her ring sounded more misty than shiny—a slight hissing sound. “I just completed step one, the easiest step; commanding my mana to activate—the Initial Flow. The initial flow uses more mana because you’re manifesting your ring, hence the separate first step. But some mages, even at the advanced stages, don’t know precisely how much mana they use for this seemingly minute part.”

Nora’s hand turned downward, and she pointed forward. Her pink ring moved and shrank around her forefinger.

Anna felt like she just witnessed an incomprehensible magic trick! She was under the impression that moving it was impossible—a technical restraint caused by the ring only appearing around the area where the spell is activated.

The pink ring shrank into Nora’s finger, and she smiled at her students. “That was me showing off a bit.”

Someone to Anna’s right raised her hand, a girl with obviously dyed dirty blonde hair. 

“Yes, Jade?”

“Wouldn’t moving it mess up the... um, the enhancements? Like, you already have mana working inside the part with the ring. Wouldn’t it, like, mess something up?”

“Good question.” Nora nodded. “Yes, it would. If you did it like that. We won’t say more about it until later lessons—this is just a taste. But can you guess why doing something like what I showed would be preferable? “

“Umm... Ah! Because you don’t need to spend more to make the circle again?”

Nora nodded. “Precisely; manifesting a ring doesn’t seem like much, but it gets heavier the more spells you gather. That eventually won’t be a problem for you. But for now, it will be... “ She paused, stepping closer to the front row of the class and sweeping her gaze across the students. “That is why, my dear students, your first assignment is to figure out how much of your mana is spent manifesting your ring. It may seem simple, but it has a far-reaching effect once you figure out—well, how to figure it out. And... if you don’t complete it, you will no longer qualify to receive my teachings, even if you wish to attend my class in the future.”

That was... harsh. The way Anna saw it, it was akin to trying to figure out how much blood ran through one’s body and what percentage would be lost when one bled. She didn’t know where to even begin. Maybe repeatedly manifesting and dismissing her ring? But that felt crude.

“Now, now; don’t freak out.” Nora chuckled, then picked up a marker for the whiteboard. “This is a class, after all, and I will teach you how to go about doing it.” She returned to the board and then proceeded to draw a diagram.

Once the picture was complete, it showed the full image of a humanoid with a blob center mass, and each line ran from it to extend all over his body like veins. Nora’s final touch was a blob on his forehead.

“This,” Nora said and pointed at the blob at the figure’s heart. “Is where we can imagine the mana is actually produced and gathered; a subject for another day. Instead, what is this?” She turned and asked as she tapped the forehead blob with the capped marker. “Ashton?”

“The soul, professor?”

She chuckled. “Maybe.” She moved to the left so all her students could see it. “We can’t be sure, but we do take to calling it that. The soul—the command center for mana and the core of your being. This core is what allows us to feel and control mana; otherwise, it’d just be like the blood flowing through our veins. However, you will never be able to feel your soul. It’d be like trying to feel the skin wrapping around your internals. It’s just a part of you.”

That comparison made Anna’s skin crawl.

She checked her body but didn’t feel anything particular about the center of her chest or her head. Whenever she focused on her mana, she could kind of feel it, and it felt like a still lake that spanned her entire body. There was no point where it felt like her mana acted differently or converged on.

The task would be a challenging one.

“The soul is the key to Mana Control just as it is the key behind every bit of strength you obtain throughout your life.” Nora had wonder in her eyes. The kind of gaze that spoke of a researcher’s commitment to understanding. “This dot isn’t an actual thing inside your brain, but the brain is your body’s command center.” She tapped her head. “Well, the best way I can explain this is to think of the soul as a muscle, as crude as that may sound. You must get it used to your will, like when you target a specific muscle in your exercise routines. You’ll find—and this is a big hint—that this piece of you seems to have a natural will of its own, one that seems contrary to what you want. Why? Yours and its safety is the default state of mana.” 

Nora went silent.

Anna wanted nothing more than to run straight into her dorm and meditate on her bed until she figured this out!

Perhaps Aria was correct, in more ways than she realized, when she said it was like using a muscle that hadn’t seen activity in a while.

The more she used mana, the stronger it’d get. She didn’t think it would be that simple, but she understood now why sparring was so important. Likely, the more strain they put on it, the more it would grow and the more she would comprehend her flow. This then played into the importance of control—to know where the limits are and to optimize growth.

If she could break her mana down into units to place a conscious control of the mana used for each and every skill she used... it sounded like she could do with one unit what others use two for.

Nora tapped the podium again, getting the class’s attention. “How might it tie into control? Because you are training your mana—this core—to understand the precise amount of mana needed for every action you take. This isn’t as important yet, but let’s break it down into the simplest terms.” She raised her hands, showing ten fingers. “You have 10 mana units and want to manifest your ring. Minus two units.” Nora lowered two fingers. “Thus, we run into the problem with no control; you actually only need one unit, but your soul subconsciously uses more than necessary.” She chuckled wryly. “That is why we must place a conscious control—then eventually, it becomes subconscious.”

Their mana overcompensates when unnecessary. Anna felt that way about her barrier, and the lesson lit a light bulb in her brain. Mana behaves in a way that optimizes safety to an exorbitant degree. Where Anna may need a glass of water, it gives her a bucket. Similarly, her barrier probably covered her entire body, even though she only needed it where she was hit.

“Try not to break your mana down to units, though, because that would be impossible… unless you were at my level,” Nora smirked, shaking her head. “But you can use this as a starting point to tell me how much of your mana you use to manifest. An estimated number.”

A challenge Anna looked forward to spending all day, every day, trying to solve. Even if it wasn’t too necessary to master control, she wanted to be an expert in every mana-related field!

Nora looked at the clock above the whiteboard and sighed. “Oh? It’s been that long.” She chuckled wryly. “Now then,” she said while she erased the board, “I know it isn’t proper for me to have to break the flow of class for this, but I do have an important announcement from the school.”

There it was.

This is what Anna had been eagerly waiting for ever since Gromak told her something was going to happen. She had a few ideas after Gromak mentioned it was essential for the dorm, and he was put under some pressure.

“Well...” Nora looked like she was choosing the right words, her mouth opening and closing a few times. “...First, let me apologize; something like this shouldn’t happen when everything has only just begun.” She bowed her head. “Truly, this isn’t something we should do so soon.” 

All that accomplished was making Anna’s heart sink. 

Nora lifted her head. “We’re accelerating the structural changes of the academy so we can bring you Earth’s humans up to the rest of Bastion as quickly as we can. After this week, you will no longer be forced to attend classes outside of Combat Training on Monday. Your schedules will be created at your own will through the devices your dorm managers and staff should be placing in your rooms as we speak. This means the idea of class competitions has been scrapped entirely, other than the internal ones on Monday. However, how you perform in your combat class will determine your place in the queue of classes you can schedule. For example, if you place number 1, you’d be able to attend a class taught by me without waiting for a queue slot to open. Don’t worry, academic performance in required classes will boost your eligibility.”

That got a round of exclamation from the students. Questions about what the queue was, what the paths were, and even some cursing the unfairness of it.

Anna was no exception, and a lot of hands went into the air.

Didn’t that mean they would get subpar education if they didn’t perform well? It was a nondirect way of saying that, since Nora was possibly the best mana control professor, they’d need to earn the right to be taught by her! Would Anna have to win every Monday to attend her classes? She just didn’t see that as plausible.

“There are a couple of things I need to make clear,” Nora raised her voice, and it instantly silenced the class. “Firstly, understand that this was always the intended course; we are just accelerating it. Second, you will still be able to attend lessons from every professor if you please. Your combat placement and academic performance just accelerate your access to them. Lastly, each and every professor chosen for this academy is more than capable of teaching you; essential lessons are standardized. We would not staff this island with mediocre teachers. I will not listen to any nonsense about their ability to teach.”

That was of some relief. But it was a minuscule one. The benefit of being taught by a person like Nora, who was supposedly the best mana-controlling mage in Bastion, was astronomical. Not only could they get her personal anecdotes, but they could potentially catch her eye. The difference in knowledge or skill between the professors would only be highlighted the more practical the lessons became. 

Hands were still raised.

Nora shook her head slowly. “I will not be taking questions related to this; your dorm managers will fully brief you later. Your goal for today is still the same; mana control. Whenever you accomplish this, schedule a class with a mana control professor—an example of the standardized syllabus. However, the punishment for my class remains the same; if you schedule with me and I see you took over a week to accomplish this, I will not accept you.”

Anna sighed. Suddenly, she received a substantial reason to aim for the top. No way could she accept being taught by anyone other than Nora, not after what Aria told her about her strength. 

At least she’d get to choose what she wanted to train in, but even that felt meaningless when she didn’t know her own shortcomings or what there was to focus on. They were probably meant to try things out—test the waters with different fields.

Nora checked the clock, then nodded toward the class. “I’ll dismiss you here; we’re pressed for time with the restructuring behind the scenes. That, and we need to ensure you have plenty of time to create your new schedules after the debriefing from your dorm managers. Don’t worry, we intend to give you all the time you need.” Nora dipped her head. “Again, I’m sorry, but I fully believe this is for the best; you guys will get to choose the direction of your growth. Yes, you will be able to ask questions, and the guide we’ve prepared will have everything you need to know. I promise you that a situation like this won’t happen again. Dismissed.”

Without waiting for the clamoring to start, Nora left the classroom. 

Anna didn’t wait either; she immediately left her seat. Or, she tried to.

“Wait!” Mia exclaimed as she tugged on Anna’s arm.

“What’s up?” Anna asked. Why did she wanna talk then, of all times? She’d usually love the chance to get closer to the red-haired girl!

“I...” She looked embarrassed. “Um... can... can I watch you and Jared fight after this?”

Anna slapped her forehead. “I completely forgot!” She shook her head. “I don’t think we’ll have time for that today, but of course, you can watch!”

No way would they be able to make her stay back. In fact, she wouldn’t even wait! If classes worked on a schedule, wouldn’t that mean there was a time constraint on registering? She had to get back fast!

Mia shook her head. “I just want to—” 

“Wait, listen,” Anna interrupted. “Can we meet up on Saturday at the front gate? That’s when I’ll have the fight, and we can deepen our friendship!”

Ashton and Jared probably spread the rumor that Anna cheated, and it warmed her heart that Mia wanted to see for herself rather than assume guilt. For that, she gained a couple of points in Anna’s book.

“Uh... what?” Mia sounded confused.

However, Anna already slipped away with a smile.

“Wh-what time?!” Mia shouted.

“6 AM!”

Probably.

Anna ran out the door before Jared had the chance to leave his seat.

“Annabelle—” Ashton yelled, sounding like he just caught her in a crime.

“Nope!”  She shouted back. “We’ll do it on Saturday, early morning!”

Too late for him to respond!

The moment the classroom door shut, Anna commanded her mana to grant her a boost to her speed.

Black rings expanded around her ankles and a flood of energy coursed through her legs and trickled to the rest of her body. She didn’t even pay attention to the flow in her rush. 

Anna heard a mess of steps behind that door and launched forward.

“Don’t crash, Annabelle!” She said as she ran like an Olympic sprinter. She was so fast that if she didn’t consciously watch her movement, she’d trip and turn into a ragdoll across the ground. 

Well... she did have a barrier, and the path toward her dorm only had a couple of sharp turns.

God help her.