Chapter 32: Pressure of the Gale
The classroom buzzed with mana and motion. Students were spread across the rune-marked floor, some paired up, others in small triangles, all cycling through the elemental defensive drills as instructed.
Darius stayed toward the edge of the formation, watching as groups worked through water shielding, earth bracing, fire deflection. Few managed clean executions, and even the successes came with flinches and flares of unstable energy. No one expected perfection. Just effort.
Professor Ignatius moved among them like a storm contained—sharp eyes tracking every twitch, every stance misalignment, every moment a student’s magic faltered. He didn’t scold. He adjusted. A quick tap to the shoulder, a nod toward their feet, a single muttered correction—"Sink lower into the stance," or "You’re holding the weave too tight." When he spoke, students listened. Even the most prideful ones straightened their posture without complaint.
Darius cycled through the fire and water drills first, not eager to draw attention. His water dispersal spell was weak but functional. His earth form, wobbly at best. The fire shielding flared too high, too fast. Still, he was doing it. Not failing. Not flailing.
He was beginning to think maybe he could get through the session quietly when Ignatius’s voice rose above the spellwork hum.
"Wycliffe. With me."
Darius froze, feeling eyes flick toward him. Some students turned outright. He stepped forward slowly, catching the professor’s calm expression—no anger, no amusement. Just focus.
Ignatius motioned toward the sparring dummy at the front corner of the room. "Wind defense."
Darius blinked. "Sir?"
"Demonstrate it. Wind-based defense. You’ve cycled through the rest." A pause. "I’ll show you."
Ignatius stepped ahead, placing himself in front of the target dummy. He raised a hand, fingers splayed slightly, and murmured under his breath—not a full chant, but a focused guide for his mana. A current shimmered into view around his arm, pale and translucent, swirling like fine mist before condensing into a tight loop.