Immediately after the tests, the principal and instructors in the school stood up and came before everyone. They separated the mages from non mages, and the also put together the mages in groups based on the elements the had exhibited. After all that was done, korah was the only one left without a group so he was asked to stand aside. The principal gave a speech about the history of the mage academy and welcomed every mage to the academy. He also asked senior students in the academy to assume the roles of group leaders so as to carry the new students along and to teach them about the rules guiding the academy. After the speech, the principal declared the end of this year's round of testing and admission.
The principal cast a look at korah and before leaving he asked korah to follow him. korah walked quietly behind the principal until they got to a remote part of the academy after which the principal looked at korah again and invited him into a small room. Inside, korah stared wide eyed at the large space it seemed like a dream. He never thought it was possible for a small room to have such a large space inside. his expression immediately caught the attention of the principal who smiled a little and continued moving forward.At the farthest end of the room, there was a table and few chairs which the principal gestured to korah to sit on while he sat on the main seat.What is your name? he asked korah in his deep and baritone voice. korah looked straight at the principal and replied, "my name is korah".the principal gave korah an intense look, after which he asked him who his parents where. korah then explained to the principal that he was an orphan and he had never met his parents. After a while, the principal asked korah if he would like to study under him directly. korah was excited and surprised at the prospect of being the direct student of the principal. without much thought, he agreed.After telling korah about his learning schedule which would start the next day, the principal asked him to go and stay in the accommodations for new students.After korah left the principal's house, he decided to tour the academy before starting serious business the next day. He heard from the principal earlier that he needed to get his identity badge from the mission house to be able to have access to the various facilities in the academy so he decided to start his tour there and at the same time, collect his badge. Korah made his way to the mission house, passing through several corridors and hallways while asking students he saw along the way for directions. He noticed that the academy was much larger than he had initially thought, with various rooms and chambers, some of which were hidden behind magical doors. He noticed the academy had a peculiar landscape, there was a natural spring to the left and to the right, a very high mountain filled with clouds which obscure the view of the top of the mountain.As he approached the mission house, he saw a group of students gathered around the entrance. They appeared to be arguing with a young lady who was blocking their way. Korah made his way towards the commotion, trying to get a better view of what was happening. As he got closer, he heard one of the boys say, "Move out of the way, we need to get our badges!". The young lady replied firmly, "I'm sorry, but the mission house is currently closed. You'll have to come back later." Korah stepped forward, trying to diffuse the tension. "Excuse me, what's going on here?". The young lady turned towards him and sighed in relief. "Thank goodness, someone reasonable" . The mission house is closed for maintenance today, but these students refuse to listen and keep demanding to get their badges. Korah turned to the group of students and said, "It's okay guys, we can come back tomorrow. We don't want to cause trouble."probably due to him looking like a senior, the group of students grumbled but eventually dispersed, leaving Korah and the young lady alone.She introduced herself as Lily, a second-year student at the academy. "Thanks for helping me out there," she said with a smile. "I don't know why they're so impatient, it's not like the badges are going anywhere." korah chuckled. "I guess everyone's just excited to start their training. By the way, I'm Korah. I just got accepted into the academy." Lily's eyes widened. "Wow, congratulations! That's quite an achievement. Which group did you get assigned to?" Korah replied, "I actually didn't get assigned to any group. I think I might be a unique case." Lily raised an eyebrow. "Interesting. Well, if you need any help navigating the academy, feel free to ask me. I've been here for a while now." Korah thanked her and they chatted randomly for a while longer before parting ways. As he made his way to the new student accommodations, Korah couldn't help but feel grateful for Lily's friendly demeanor. He had heard rumors about the competitive nature of the academy and how some students were more focused on their own success than helping others. However, Lily's kindness made him feel more at ease about starting his training.When he arrived at the new student accommodations, he was surprised by how comfortable and well-furnished they were. He had expected something more modest, given the rigorous nature of the mage academy. But the room he was assigned to had a large bed, a desk, and even a small kitchenette. Korah unpacked his few belongings and settled in. He felt a mixture of excitement and nervousness about starting his training the next day. He knew he had a lot to learn and a long way to go to master his abilities. But he was determined to work hard and make the most of his time at the academy. As he lay down on his bed, he couldn't help but think about the bullying he had witnessed earlier. He wondered if he would face similar treatment from other students he quickly pushed those thoughts aside, reminding himself that he wouldn't let anyone bring him down.With a newfound sense of determination, Korah drifted off to sleep, eager to begin his journey as a mage at the prestigious academy.When morning came, korah was brimming with energy. He quickly washed up and put on his uniform he was given yesterday as it is the only acceptable dressing inside the academy. He quickly rushed to the principal's house for his scheduled lesson that morning. On getting there, He met the principal in a weird pose and after watching him for a while, he decided to try it out despite how funny it looked. As Korah attempted to mimic the principal's pose, the older mage suddenly straightened up and turned to face him. "Good morning, Korah," he greeted with a small smile. "I see you're eager to start your training." Korah quickly straightened up and bowed in respect. "Good morning, Principal," he replied. "Yes, I'm very excited to learn from you." The principal nodded in approval. "Very good. We shall start with the basics today. Come, follow me." Korah followed the principal to a spacious training hall where they began their lesson.For hours, Korah practiced basic spells and incantations under the watchful eye of the principal. He made a few mistakes, but the principal was patient and corrected him each time. By the end of the session, Korah was sweating and panting, but he felt a sense of accomplishment. The principal dismissed him with a nod. Korah left the principal's house feeling exhausted yet satisfied. He made his way back to the new student accommodations, where he saw Lily waiting for him outside. "Hey Korah," she greeted him with a smile. "How was your lesson with the principal?" Korah replied, "It was intense, but I learned a lot." Lily nodded. "I bet. So, what's next on your agenda?"Korah thought for a moment before responding. "Well, I want to explore the academy some more and get to know my way around. And maybe I can find some more practice areas to work on my spells." Lily grinned. "Sounds like a plan. I can show you around if you want." Korah gratefully accepted her offer and they set off to explore the academy together. Lily took Korah to the library, the dining hall, and the mission house where he got his identity badge. She showed him the various training grounds and practice areas around the academy. Along the way, they met some other students who greeted them warmly and introduced themselves. Korah was starting to feel more comfortable in his new surroundings and was grateful for Lily's help.As they were making their way back to the new student accommodations, they noticed a commotion up ahead. Curious, they quickened their pace and arrived at the scene to find a group of senior students surrounding a first-year student, taunting and bullying him. Korah recognized the student as the chubby boy who was bullied yesterday. He was about to intervene when Lily grabbed his arm and whispered, "Don't get involved. It's not safe to cross them."Korah frowned, not wanting to stand by again and watch watch the boy get bullied, but he decided to listen to Lily's advice for the time being. They continued walking past the group, and Korah noticed that some of the senior students were glaring at him. It seemed that his high affinity had attracted attention and not all of it was positive. Thankfully, he had little to no interaction with other students for the time being depending on when he could master and control his powers.Over the next few days, Korah threw himself into his studies and training, determined to master his powers as soon as possible. His classes consists of magic theory, history, and practical application, as well as training sessions with the principal. During his free time, he explored the academy grounds and made a few friends among the first-year students. However, he was always cautious around the senior students, especially after witnessing their bullying behavior towards other students. As the days turned into weeks, Korah began to make steady progress with his training. He found that he had a natural talent for magic, and he was able to quickly grasp even the most complex spells and incantations.One day, as he was walking back to his accommodations after a training session, he saw the same chubby first-year student being harassed by a group of senior students. Korah's instincts kicked in, and without a second thought, he walked over and confronted the bullies. "Leave him alone," he said firmly. "He hasn't done anything to deserve this."The senior students sneered at Korah, but to his surprise, they backed off and left the first-year student alone.Korah breathed a sigh of relief and turned to the first-year student. "Are you okay?" he asked, concern etched on his face. The student nodded, looking grateful. "Thank you," he said, his voice trembling. "What's your name?" korah asked, "My name is Tom," the first-year student replied. "I'm Korah," Korah introduced himself. "Let me walk you back to your accommodations," he offered, and Tom nodded gratefully. As they walked, Tom told Korah about how he had been repeatedly bullied by the same group of senior students since his first day at the academy. Korah listened sympathetically, feeling a surge of anger towards the bullies. "I'm sorry you had to go through that," he said, placing a comforting hand on Tom's shoulder. Tom smiled gratefully. They arrived at Tom's accommodations, and Tom turned to Korah. "Thanks again for walking me back," he said. "And for standing up for me. I won't forget it." Korah smiled. "No problem, Tom. Take care of yourself, okay?" Tom nodded and went inside. Korah headed back to his accommodation filled with thoughts and anticipation, based on the news to be announced by the principal the next day.The chirping of birds and insects and the sweet scent of fresh dew on grass roused korah from his slumber. He had spent the night in deep meditation, trying to be in tune with his powers. Before standing up, he rubbed his eyes lazily and just took out time to reminisce about his life so far. He was going to be fifteen years in two months time, he had tasted the good, the bad and the ugly in his almost fifteen years of existence. He thought back to when he was bullied, neglected and mocked, he thought of the kindness of the nuns, the principal and his new found friends. He was happy to have been given a second outlook of life due to his lucky encounter with the magic artifact in the cave without which he would still be a worthless orphan who knew nothing about magic.After spending a little more time in bed, he stood up and started the day with breathing exercises, meditation and brushing up his magic skills.Today, the principal was going to have a long session with all the students o
korah, after realizing instructor Belle was asking him to move closer, blushed a little and moved towards her without disturbing the other students. after few seconds, he was close enough to hear and whisper responses to her, he sat down.As if on cue, instructor Warren paused the session and asked "what is the most important quality of a mage?" All the students looked at each other, unsure of the answer but after a while, responses started pouring out randomly from all the students present like an avalanche.after few minutes, instructor Warren cleared his throat loudly to stop the noise then he continued "the most important quality of a mage is a strong sense of determination. Without determination, a mage will give up too easily and never reach their full potential." this response, got all the students nodding their head in agreement especially Korah since he could relate to the importance of determination in his life's journey so far.Instructor Warren paused for a while as if wa
Early the next morning, korah jumped up from bed with a start, visibly disturbed. Apparently, he was plagued with a very disturbing nightmare throughout the night. It used to be a common occurrence while he was still at the orphanage, but since he got to the mage academy, he has been sleeping better and had totally forgotten all about the nightmares which always seemed to take away his sleep every night. Korah rubbed his eyes, trying to shake off the remnants of the dream. He couldn't quite remember what it was about, but he knew it had been terrifying. He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down, reminding himself that it was just a dream and it wasn't real.He got out of bed and started his usual morning routine, trying to push the nightmare out of his mind. As he dressed up, he tried to recall if anything significant had happened yesterday that could have triggered the nightmare. But he couldn't think of anything. Korah made his way to the training hall, his mind still fog
Korah had never known his parents. He had been found, abandoned on the steps of a small orphanage on the outskirts of the city. The nuns who ran the orphanage had taken him in, but life had never been easy for him.He was small for his age, with scrawny arms and legs and a shock of unruly black hair. The other children teased him relentlessly, calling him names like "runt" and "mouse". Korah tried to ignore them, but it was hard. He felt like an outsider, like he didn't belong anywhere.Korah had always known that he was different from the other children. He had no magic, no special powers that the other children had. In the city of Arindale, where magic was commonplace, being without it was a curse. The children who had magic could control the elements, summon creatures, and even fly. They were the elites, the chosen ones, and Korah was not one of them.Despite his lack of magical abilities, Korah was determined to make something of himself. He worked hard at his studies, and the nuns