It was the second class of the day.

Aaron and Isaac were in the same group. Twenty-five students gathered in the bleachers set up around the central zone where the teacher was.

The teacher, Grégoire, stood on the red sand covering the zone. Grégoire seemed to be searching for someone.

The teacher was a proud muscular man with short grey hair and a trimmed beard.

Aaron jumped. The man had suddenly fixed his eyes upon him. With a hand gesture, he signalled him to come down.

Aaron arrived down at the central zone, facing Grégoire. Both remained silent for a few seconds.

“What is it?” Aaron was confused.

The aged man intertwined his fingers, making a circular shape with his hands. He brought them over his left shoulder as a ball of hot yellow light grew out of the palm of his hands.

*Woosh* Grégoire decontracted his arms towards Aaron as he severed the connection between his fingers.

He shot a fireball toward Aaron.

‘Fire? Is he crazy?!’ Aaron jumped to the side, narrowly dodging the brutal attack.

Just as Aaron got back up from the ground, a wall of 5 fireballs was already coming toward him.

Aaron thought of using his magic to dispel the fire before abandoning that idea. ‘I can’t put out fire with wind!’

He decided to avoid it instead by propelling himself away with wind magic. However, that solution wasn’t permanent. A second round of fireballs began shortly after.

Grégoire was already satisfied that Aaron could dodge his fireballs, but he kept attacking.

Isaac watched everything from his seat. “I should have given Aaron a heads up,” he regretted.

“This trainer is addicted to fighting. He does this to every student that comes to his class.”

*BANG!* Aaron was finally hit. He fell on his back. ‘That was... pathetic,’ he thought.

However, for a mage scholar, Aaron had potential. Grégoire recognized that.

…

When Aaron arrived back at his seat, the teacher started to talk about different moves he could have done to counter his fireballs.

“Argh! My eyes!” Isaac yelped. He covered his head with his arms.

Aaron touched his shoulder. “Isaac, are you okay?!”

“Don’t touch me!” Isaac abruptly pushed away Aaron’s arm.

Aaron and Isaac stared at each other. Aaron had never seen Isaac so angry before. But instead of his expression, what really surprised him were Isaac’s eyes.

“Y-your eyes… why are they glowing red? Aren’t they only supposed to glow blue when you use your magic?”

Isaac stood up and ran off. “I- I need to go to the bathroom!”

Aaron looked at the hand he used to touch Isaac’s shoulder. “Strange. My hand feels burned.”

…

*Crash!* The bathroom’s fragile mirror shattered in an instant. Isaac’s fist was dripping blood.

“Why?”

“Why?!”

“Why am I so mad, and why are my eyes red?!“

Isaac turned on the sink and splashed cold water on his face.

His anger started slowly dissipating.

After several minutes, Isaac had finally relaxed. His eyes went back to their usual brown shade.

Isaac wasn’t angry anymore, but he was worried and confused.