The second school week passed much quicker than the first one. My regular studies continued as normal, with most of my teachers staying the same. Mr Black wouldn’t have our class options sheets ready for another week or two, and I had let him know about my situation. He’d already been told by the headmaster and was working on it. The only exception was my symbols class.

Mr Pernacles had devised a new course for me, separate from the others.

It was genuinely challenging. He continuously provided me with new arrays to study and his second class had included arming and disarming a regent. I didn’t know what it would have done if I hadn’t disarmed it, but his cryptic comments hadn’t inspired confidence.

Before that class I hadn’t thought that much about disarming a regent before its intended purpose was fulfilled.

Amanda and I had only gotten time for one more spar, but the arena bookings were wide open for the third week.

The biggest change to my lifestyle came from my classmates. Having a group of people to talk to and hang out with was a blessing.

I haven’t gotten to know the others in my class yet, but there were a couple that caught my eye. A quiet girl and guy that sat whispering to each other in the corner of the room had grabbed my attention.

I could sense a familiarity around them. It was similar to the companionship I felt with Ouros when he used his magic. Except more distant.

They both used the life element.

I’d remembered the golem spell from the Zodiac library when I realised what element they used.

If they helped me, would I be able to create a golem for myself?

Unlike me, Alexis didn’t waste any time getting to know our classmates. After three days his first target for friendship had been the blonde girl sitting behind me.

When I’d overheard her conversation to him, I’d realised where I’d seen her before. She was the owner of the blue cat that had guided me to the Zodiac compound.

She recognised me easily, because I hadn’t been wearing a mask when I’d asked for her help.

I don’t think she realised that she had been in disguise. For the first few days I’d thought she was just really friendly when she said hi to me in the mornings, waving enthusiastically.

The other person making waves in the classroom was Unice. She was inviting everyone to get together at her place this upcoming Fue and everyone was responding positively.

“So, are you staying over at my place after Unice’s?” Amanda walked beside me as we left our history class. “Or are you walking back to the academy for a portal?”

It was the last class of the school week, and I was grateful for it. It wasn’t that history was easy, but it wasn’t as mentally or physically taxing as any of my other classes.

“That sounds like a plan to me. Grabbing a midnight portal sounds like it’d be a hassle for the staff.” I clapped my hands together happily. “Hey! We’re done!”

I saw wings flapping towards me at the sound of my voice. Gold dropped onto my outstretched arm, his purple feathers shining in the sunlight.

Agni dropped down onto my hair. She used it as a springboard to jump onto Amanda’s head.

The phoenix had gotten a lot more comfortable with me over the past two weeks.

I held up a treat to her beak and she gobbled it up without hesitation.

“She’s going to get fat if you keep feeding her like that.” Amanda complained. “What if she lands on my head one day and I break my neck?”

“Then I’ll make you a neck brace out of stone.” I replied dryly. “I’m just fattening her up so that you can’t fly during our practice.”

Gold nibbled at my ear, and I winced. He wanted to get fat too.

“Okay, okay. Here.” I held up a treat for him.

He preened cockily and puffed out his chest.

“Yeah, he’s going to keep hurting you now.” Amanda tutted. “I can’t believe you gave into him after the violence.”

I heard him squawk beside me in agreement.

“Okay. No need to team up on me.” I raised my hands in surrender. “So, we’ll be at your house on Fue?”

I tilted my head and frowned. “What am I meant to be wearing to this event?”

My one good suit had been destroyed at the last fancy event I’d gone to, and even if it hadn’t been, I had outgrown it.

“I can wear my school uniform, right?”

The look on her face made me pause. I felt her hand snake around my shoulder next to Gold, and she clamped her fingers onto it.

“Please don’t come to the most important event of Unice’s teenage life in your school uniform.” Her voice was a soft hiss. “Do you have something formal?”

“How formal are we talking?” I looked down at my uniform. “More formal than this?”

Gold and Amanda stared at me. Even Agni looked disappointed.

“You and I are going to look for something nice before Fue.” Amanda’s hair flared up.

I stared at her and resisted the urge to shake my head immediately. The truth was I simply didn’t have enough money for something that expensive.

“I’m not going to ask you to buy something expensive to use for a single day.” She saw my expression. “I was thinking you could borrow something from my place.”

I raised an eyebrow at her and then I heard Gold snicker next to me.

I bet the little twerp was imagining me in Amanda’s clothes.

“Whatever she means, it’s not what you’re thinking.” I said to the puffer. Then I turned to her. “Right?”

“I was thinking you might be able to borrow one of Alexis’ suits.” Amanda giggled. “Wait. Maybe not. He’s a little too tall for you.”

She hummed to herself. “But my dad isn’t.”

“That’s… Not a bad idea.”

I didn’t want to go shopping for a suit that I was probably going to grow out of soon. Not to mention my budget couldn’t accommodate it.

“Will your dad be fine with it?” I asked.

I wasn’t going to borrow a man’s suit without his permission.

“Are you kidding?” Amanda‘s eyes glowed. “He’s been asking about you and Gold since he first met you. He’s going to rush back from work to catch you.”

That tracked. Amanda’s father’s interest in Gold hadn’t been subtle. His entire religion revolved around becoming one with nature, and here I was with a bird on my shoulder acting like it was no big deal to be best friends with it.

“That sounds great then.” I smiled in relief.

I was only planning on going towards the end of the formal gathering, but I would stay for the entirety of Unice’s nighttime classmate party.

Judging from Amanda’s comments, even that event was going to be fancy.

“So, I’ll come to your place a little bit earlier on Fue?”

“You can come now.” Amanda crossed her arms. “Finding the perfect suit isn’t going to be easy. My dad has at least a hundred of them.”

Excuse me?

I stared at her. “Please tell me I don’t have to try on a hundred suits.”

“Of course not.” She waved her hand dismissively. “I’m sure we’ll find one within the first sixty.”

I smiled at her light joke. This was her afternoon as well, and she was choosing to use it to help me look for clothes.

“Thanks. I’ll text my mum now.” I gave her a pat on the back. “Your skills in friendship are as solid as your dodgeball skills.”

“Thank you for the enormous compliment.” Amanda’s lips tugged into a smile.

We made our way through the gate and down the long stretch of road towards the noble district. My mum messaged back quickly, and she was more than okay with it.

She was ecstatic every time she was reminded that I had friends.

Our talk had unleashed a lot of emotions, and not all of them were negative. Over the course of the week my mum had been fluttering like a butterfly throughout the house.

She danced and twirled as we cooked, and I could hear her humming when she watered the plants.

Also, she had started raising plants outside.

Holding back her issues from me had been weighing her down. It brought a smile to my face to see her so happy.

Soon Amanda’s mansion came into view.

Amanda and I took our shoes and socks off as we entered the house and I could see the fire mana gathering around me. I remember the results of the measurement.

I had an affinity for fire.

I poked one of them curiously, trying to connect to it. I felt a flicker of emotion, of joy, but I couldn’t talk to it in the same way I did earth mana.

My mana manipulation didn’t help with that.

I still had hope that I could attune to another element.

“Over here.” Amanda immediately held my wrist and dragged me upstairs.

I couldn’t see her father.

“They’re around here somewhere.” Amanda pointed upwards. “My dad said he’ll be at work for a little longer, so it’ll just be the three of us in the house for now.”

I’d thought that Gold and Agni were going to go flying off into the air the moment we reached the house.

I was wrong.

Both of them seemed eager to see me trying on different clothes. Gold was especially keen, and he kicked off my shoulder and glided alongside Agni into the upper floors.

“My dad’s clothing rooms are up here.“ Amanda’s footsteps echoed out as she climbed up the stairs in front of me.

I held back a chuckle. That wasn’t the richest thing I had ever heard, but it came close.

As I reached the top of the stairs I looked up and came face-to-face with the late afternoon sky.

“I forgot there’s no ceiling up here.” I raised my hand in the air but I couldn’t feel a breeze. “What do you guys do if it rains?”

“The house keeps us warm, and everything is protected.” Amanda opened a nearby door.

I activated my mana sense, and I could see the tell-tale shimmer of a shield above us.

“That’ll stop the drive-by bird droppings.” I remarked.

“Don’t be silly. The birds love us.” Amanda gestured for me to go in first. “I just wish Agni would let them be friends with her.”

Agni chirped in indignation as Gold and I made our way into the room.

It was dark.

“Hear that buddy, you’re special.” I said to Gold.

He gave me a proud look and found a safe place to perch.

It turned out the only safe place was Amanda’s shoulder.

Everywhere else looked too expensive. Even the wooden surfaces around me looked like they cost more than everything my family owned.

“Ta-da!” Amanda waved her hand and the air filled with light.

Embers danced around us at her command and my vision was filled with dozens of suits all lined in rows.

Every single one of them looked pristine, and I could see faint shimmers of magic around them.

“This one. This one. And this one.” Amanda didn’t waste a second.

She was picking out the suits so easily it was like she had been planning this all along.

Once her initial selection was done, she left me alone in the room to get changed. Gold and Agni also had the decency to leave.

Trying on clothes was always a strange experience for me.

Maybe I just wasn’t used to clothes shopping. Even on Earth it had been more of a rare occasion to be fitted for something, usually I just grabbed whatever size shirt fit and threw it on after buying.

“Okay.” I called out to the group.

I’d put on the suit and pants, with a nice blue shirt underneath that had been hanging with it. The suit was silver, and I thought that it went well with the blue.

“That’s not your look.” Amanda spoke immediately. “Definitely not your shade of silver.”

“What does that even mean?” I stared at her.

I still took her advice. We went through five different suits looking for the one that would get the nod of approval. Even the birds shook their heads at all the options.

Finally, I reached the seventh suit. Amanda looked at it before handing it to me.

“I like this.” She had a thoughtful expression on her face. “But there’s something missing.”

“Hang on. I think I know what will help.” Amanda held the door open. “If I’m not back in a minute just come and call me once you’ve fitted this one.”

She rushed out of the room with Agni and Gold on her shoulders.

I put the suit on in record time. I was already getting used to the process. I waited patiently for Amanda, but she didn’t show. A couple of minutes passed, and I walked up to the door, carefully trying not to wrinkle the suit too much with my movements.

“Amanda?” I looked around.

How was she supposed to know when I was ready?

The corridor was empty, and I took a step outside, feeling slightly awkward in the clothes.

Amanda’s dad wasn’t quite my size. I wasn’t short for a teenager, but I was average in height and build. His clothes were built for someone stockier than me.

I didn’t see her anywhere on this floor. I activated my mana sense and tried to see if I could spot the fire mana that would be gathering around her and the birds.

I looked at the motes of mana and saw that they were piling in front of a door close by in the corridor. I took a step towards it and then hesitated.

There was something strange about this batch of mana. Some of it was visible to me, and within the group I felt a strange phenomenon.

The disappearance of mana from the air.

“Unice?” I frowned.

I had felt this before. The strange mana disappearance reminded me of the time Unice had broken through and attuned to metal.

I had gone over the memory of Unice attuning countless times in my mind. I wanted to know what she had done, in the hopes that it would help me dive deeper into my own abilities.

I didn’t intend to let my affinities go to waste.

Every time I went through the memory there was the same mana disturbance I had just felt. A sudden lack of mana in the air that had disappeared without warning.

I could see the ball of mana had shrunk. Whatever was left, was there to stay. But the sections that had disappeared didn’t return.

Even when Alexis had marked me with his bloodline’s heat spell, the mana had shifted around me before appearing. It had been slight, but I had noticed it.

This was different. There were no signs or shifts.

I walked forward towards the disappearance.

It creaked open and I took a step back.

“Adam?”

A voice croaked out from behind the door, and I jumped back.

Who was Adam? Then I looked down at my suit.

I hadn’t heard Amanda’s father’s name before.

“Or Alexis? Did you come back? You were right. I’m feeling better now.”

A hand clasped the rim of the door. Gnarled and twisted fingers reached across the wood and a head of tattered white hair sank into the air.

It was a woman.

Her sunken eyes stared into mine, and I felt a shiver run down my spine.

“Who are you?”