Garrick Rook kept Gaelira's sword trapped for several seconds, waiting for her to understand the warning. Then he released it and ordered the students to return their weapons to the racks.
The first Armed Combat class was over, but the pain that had built up in Gaelira's legs did not disappear when she relaxed her stance.
She picked up her bag and did a brief stretch before heading toward the exit.
The experience had not been pleasant, although it had allowed her to identify a specific problem: she had the technique, but needed to develop enough endurance to use it during a prolonged fight.
Octavia was waiting near the archway connecting the courtyard to the central tower.
She had watched the exercise from the Thornheart group and did not need to ask to understand what had happened. "Rook was right," she commented as they began walking.
"If you keep practicing when your legs are no longer responding properly, you'll only get used to making mistakes."
"I know," Gaelira admitted, adjusting the strap of her bag over her shoulder. "I need to strengthen this body before trying to recover the speed I remember."
Octavia looked at her for a moment, perhaps surprised that she had not argued, but continued walking without questioning her choice of words.
Gaelira kept a moderate pace while mentally reviewing the exercises from class.
She should begin with short movements, work on her balance, and gradually increase the number of repetitions.
It was not an impossible problem to solve, although it would require weeks of consistent training.
When they returned to Thornheart Tower, several students were gathered in front of the notice board.
New documents occupied the space beside the house rankings, schedules, and dormitory rules.
Gaelira would have gone straight toward the stairs if a heading written in golden ink had not caught her attention: Scholarships and Academic Support.
She moved closer to read it. Evelyne had made it clear that the family would only finance her first year at Crownspire.
That warning did not mean Gaelira had to leave afterward, but it did mean she would need to find another way to pay tuition, materials, and housing.
Until then, she had been too busy trying to keep her place to think about what would happen when the year ended.
"Are you thinking about applying for one?" Octavia asked, stopping beside her. Enjoying the story? Read on at g.com.
"I need to know if it's a real possibility."
Gaelira read the announcement from the beginning. Crownspire offered several forms of assistance, but only one covered all expenses for the following year.
The Crown Scholarship was reserved for students with good grades, academic merits, and proven contributions to their house. None of the requirements seemed sufficient on its own.
"How many do they award each year?" Gaelira asked.
"There isn't a fixed number," Octavia replied. "It depends on the academy's funding and the performance of the applicants. Some years they can accept several students, and other years only one per class."
That meant meeting the minimum requirements would not guarantee anything.
Gaelira would have to build a record strong enough to compete against students who had spent years preparing to enter Crownspire.
Her experience with the sword gave her an advantage, but she was also starting with poor magical knowledge and a body that still needed training.
She continued reading. Grades would represent her progress in required subjects.
Merits would be awarded for special evaluations, research, services provided to the academy, and outstanding performances.
Points earned for Thornheart would demonstrate that she could contribute something beyond her individual results.
Crownspire was not simply looking for talented students, but people who justified the investment made in them.
Gaelira understood that condition better than she would have liked. Her family had invested money and time in tutors who had never been properly used by the body's previous owner.
Asking them to finance her again would mean depending on trust that had already been destroyed before her arrival.
Even if she managed to rebuild her relationship with her parents, she did not want her future to depend on Evelyne changing her mind.
Besides, a single year might not be enough to find a way back to Earth.
Gaelira had barely managed to activate a crystal and still did not know the most basic rules of magic.
If Crownspire was the place where she could learn what had happened to her, securing her place there was part of her search.
Octavia did not answer immediately. She read the requirements again before pointing toward a section near the end of the document.
"Then you'll have to maintain good performance in every required subject. Crownspire allows some grades to be compensated with merits, but no subject can fall below the minimum level."
"That eliminates the possibility of relying only on swordsmanship."
"Exactly. Armed Combat can help you stand out, but it can't carry your entire record."
Gaelira nodded. The situation required her to manage her time well.
She needed physical conditioning to take advantage of her experience, theoretical study to recover the knowledge she lacked, and constant practice to learn how to control mana.
If she tried to improve everything at once without a clear plan, she would exhaust herself before achieving results.
Octavia took a copy of the academic calendar posted beside the announcement and handed it to her. "I can share my notes and explain the subjects I know better. That doesn't mean I'll do your work."
"I don't want you to," Gaelira replied while checking the dates. "I need to learn it, not turn in assignments I don't understand."
The answer seemed to please Octavia, although she only showed it by relaxing her shoulders slightly.
"Then we should start by organizing your study hours. You'll also need to set aside time for whatever exercises Rook recommends and leave room for rest."
Gaelira found the next evaluation marked on the calendar. Fundamentals of Magic appeared during the following week, much earlier than the first tests in the other subjects.
The flash inside the crystal had proven that she possessed mana, but she still did not know how to activate it consistently or turn it into anything useful.
"Does this evaluation count toward the course grade?" she asked.
"They all count," Octavia explained. "The first ones carry less weight, but they also determine who needs support classes. If you want to compete for a scholarship, it's better to improve from the beginning."
Gaelira placed the calendar inside her bag. She did not feel afraid of the amount of work, but rather the pressure of finally having something concrete to lose.
Remaining at Crownspire would no longer depend on convincing her family or waiting for another chance. There was a defined path, and every requirement could be reached through results.
"We'll start tonight," she decided as she headed toward the stairs. "First, I need to understand exactly what Lenora expects during the evaluation."
Octavia walked beside her and replied with a small smile. "I already marked the pages we need to review."