A few days passed normally: training, lessons, spending time with Daxxel, sometimes also with Pixie and Soel.
Avur still noticed nothing unusual about Daxxel, who was sometimes late or had scratches that he had healed himself, but which ultimately remained; they were only slightly visible, but nobody noticed them because he wore the academy uniform and his wounds couldn’t be seen.
It was already June 23, 6521, a perfectly ordinary Tuesday, thought Avur.
But as he hurried to get to math-magic class, he bumped into a girl.
She had long, silver hair, cold blue eyes, and wore the usual academy uniform: a red uniform with yellow buttons and a black tie; underneath, everyone wore a plain white shirt.
She had a very graceful figure and pale skin.
She was the first to speak, her words were harsh and icy: “Watch where you’re going, idiot.”
Avur shrugged casually: “Sorry, I didn’t see you, but I’m in a hurry, so I don’t have time for small talk.” He left without wanting to talk to the girl.
She gasped in shock.
How could someone just walk past her so carelessly?
Did he perhaps not know who she was?
Was he that stupid?
Her thoughts raced, yet at the same time she was fascinated by his demeanor.
Avur completed his mathematics and magic course, where he learned runes and geometry: calculating the intersection points of lines to create perfectly stable barriers or offensive traps.
Vector calculus: The people of this world use vectors (vec{v}) to calculate the trajectory, speed, and impact force of fireballs.
Mana optimization: Advanced students learn (nabla cdot mathbf{E} = 0) to minimize mana consumption in complex spells.
Mr.
Okto explains everything to the students: “The symbol (vec{v}) is the mathematical notation for a vector.
The lowercase v usually stands for the word velocity.
The small arrow above it indicates that it is not just a simple number, but an object with a direction.”
Avur didn’t understand a word; it was rather complicated, after all, but Mr.
Okto continued: “Without a vector (scalar), a magician only knows how fast the fireball is going (e.g., 50 km/h).
But he doesn’t know where it’s going.
With a vector (vec{v}), the magician knows the exact speed AND the precise direction in space (e.g., 40 km/h forward, 10 km/h to the right, and 5 km/h upward).”
Mr.
Okto tapped the blackboard with his chalk.
“To master the trajectory, you must stop thinking in one-dimensional lines.
You must divide space into three axes.
We write this as the velocity vector v:”
(vec{v}=left(begin{matrix}x\ y\ zend{matrix}right)) “The top number (x)”, he explained, pointing to the symbol, “is your forward motion.
The middle number (y) is the lateral deviation due to the wind.
And the bottom number (z) determines the height.
Whoever controls these three numbers controls the fire’s trajectory.”
Mr.
Okto looked directly at Avur.
He knew that Avur hadn’t understood at first, but now it seemed as if Avur had grasped it.
It hadn’t been as difficult as he had thought.
He adds: “Nowadays we also use e, n, c for the three symbols.
After class, when Avur had left, he met the same girl again, and this time…
did she blush?
She blushed noticeably and told him her name: “I am Liliana Oskeeria.
You may already know me, and I have heard of you, Avur Syofor, from others of your rank and strength.
But your clothing apparently does not conform to the standard academy uniform.
You seem to be quite a troublemaker.” She examined his clothing.
“Um…
okay.
But I don’t want to talk.
And I don’t think I know you.” He obviously had no idea; he had forgotten her name, as several days had passed since Daxxel had told him.
She was frustrated, but still felt a pounding in her chest: “Why the hell are you ignoring me?
What have I done to you, or WHAT is wrong with you?
Just talk to me, you have nothing better to do.”
Avur simply said: “I don’t know what you want from me, just be direct.
I can’t know what you want if you don’t say it.”
Liliana took a deep breath.
She could no longer suppress her feelings.
She had loved him ever since they had met, even though she hid it behind her cold facade.
“I want you to be my boyfriend.
If you don’t want me to, I’m going to make your life at this academy hell.” She meant it completely.
Avur’s inner thoughts were simply: “Uh.
She’s probably some kind of jerk who wants to force me to be with her, she just talks.”
“No, thank you.
I don’t think I’m ready for a relationship yet.
I’m only 16 and I have my whole life ahead of me.”
He observed her reaction to see if his words were causing her deep emotional hurt; after all, he cares about the feelings of others.
Liliana’s face darkened until she said coldly, “Fine.
If you choose this path, you’ll see what happens when you reject me.”
Avur reacts with an annoyed facial expression: “Stop talking so much, in the end you’re just bluffing.”
Liliana stood there with an indifferent expression.
After a few minutes, she left, thinking of revenge, while Avur went home after the end of the academy.
He had the feeling he was being watched, but dismissed it.
He noticed that Daxxel was around less and less.
He didn’t know why, but he often disappeared and didn’t reappear until the next day.
He barely interacted with Avur and simply went off somewhere else during breaks.
After the academy, he just said goodbye and went home. This story is hosted at g.com.
At home, Avur sent messages to Daxxel using his new mobile phone, but Daxxel ultimately did not read or reply to them because his phone was switched off.
Avur continued to train daily, but he felt lonely, without Daxxel to chat and laugh with, without a friend by his side to support him when he needed it, without someone who would stay by his side until the very end…
He had reconsidered everything.
What had he done wrong?
Liliana’s words echoed in his head: “I’m going to make your life at this academy hell.” Did she have anything to do with Dax’s behavior?
What had she done to him?
Would she really go that far just because I had rejected a relationship with her?
Avur’s thoughts raced.
“Why me?
Why did I have to lose everything again?
I’ve already lost my family and friends from my old world, and now I’m supposed to lose my best friend too?
Why don’t these so-called “gods” come to my aid?
Why do I have to go through all this?
Why does it always have to be me?
I haven’t done anything to them.”
Avur couldn’t sleep properly at night; he scratched his neck anxiously, he didn’t want to lose any more friends.
“What if Pixie and Soel leave me?
Can I even trust my friends anymore?
Are friends truly loyal?
Everyone’s hiding something from me… maybe they’re even manipulating me without me realizing it.
Are friendships real, or do they just have friends to avoid boredom?
Am I just a form of entertainment to them?”
Avur had to live with these thoughts… He no longer knew who he could trust and why Daxxel seemed so distant.
Pixie and Soel were the same as always, but Avur doubted them, because Liliana’s words still echoed in his mind.
He believed he was being used by his friends and that Liliana had somehow alienated them from him.
Perhaps she had manipulated them?
Or given them money to abandon Avur?
Avur went to school the next day.
When he saw Liliana with her clique of popular friends – she was grinning and laughing deliberately loudly – Avur took his seat, since he had chemistry class… and Daxxel still wasn’t there.
Avur spent the day ignoring everyone.
He felt like he was constantly being watched.
Then the training sessions took place in the large training room, but they weren’t alone; many other students from different classes were also present.
It was strange…
why would so many other students be there if it was just a training session for them?
Was there a new competition?
Maybe they wanted to learn from each other?