The sound of bronze bell chimes from the highest tower of the Royal Astra Magic Academy rang out five times, breaking the silence of the afternoon starting to descend over the entire academy complex.
The golden afternoon sunlight reflected beautifully on the large glass windows, creating long shadows from the marble pillars lined up neatly along the main corridor.
In the second-floor professor preparation room, Erin sat behind her neatly arranged wooden desk.
She had just finished a stack of post-incident evaluation reports from the northern border that had to be submitted to the royal administration council.
Although those administrative tasks consumed a lot of time, Erin felt much lighter than in previous weeks.
Now, after the dimensional crack threat was successfully resolved and her reputation as an instructor was no longer doubted, the atmosphere at the academy returned to a harmonious rhythm.
*Tok, tok, tok.*
The sound of a polite door knock broke the room's silence.
"Come in," Erin said in a gentle tone.
The carved wooden door slowly opened, revealing Serena Rose standing with a stack of thick notebooks in her arms.
Serena's brownish hair was tied half back, and her round glasses slipped slightly on the bridge of her nose because she seemed to hurry up the stairs.
"Good afternoon, Professor Erin," Serena greeted while slightly bowing to give a formal respect before stepping into the room.
"Good afternoon, Serena," Erin replied with a warm smile, placing her quill pen on the desk.
"Is there anything I can help you with? Or is there any obstacle with the potion research group material I shared last week?"
Serena shook her head slowly, then placed the stack of notebooks on Erin's desk very carefully.
"No obstacles, Professor. Quite the contrary," Serena said with eyes sparkling full of enthusiasm.
"Our group has finished comparative analysis regarding the Glowing Moss extract and its reaction to low-level mana fluctuations. I brought the notes for you to review, if you have free time."
Erin reached for the notebook, turning page by page carefully.
The writing was very neat, structured, and accompanied by very detailed analysis diagrams—showing a level of theoretical understanding far exceeding the average first-year student standard.
Erin looked up, staring at Serena with a proud smile.
"These notes are extraordinary, Serena," Erin praised sincerely.
"The structural analysis even matches the understanding level of third-year students. You really pay close attention to every lesson detail."
Serena's cheeks instantly flushed red hearing direct praise from her favorite professor.
She lowered her head slightly, squeezing the edge of her academy robe feeling flattered.
"Thank you, Professor... All of this is thanks to your guidance and patience while teaching us in class," Serena replied in a slightly shy voice.
"In the past, I always thought magic was just memorizing dead formulas in books. But since joining your class, I understand that magic is something alive and must be understood from within."
Erin listened to those words with a warm feeling creeping into her chest.
This was the essence of her duty as an educator in this world—not just transferring knowledge, but igniting the spark of curiosity within the younger generation's souls.
Before Erin could respond further, the sound of noisy, boisterous footsteps was heard from outside the corridor, approaching the professor preparation room door.
*Bruk!*
The door opened quite wide without formal knocking beforehand, and Leon Arven appeared with slightly panting breath, followed by Kai Renford walking behind him with a calmer pace.
"Professor! Damn, we're almost late!" Leon exclaimed spontaneously, then immediately covered his mouth upon realizing Serena was already standing first inside the room.
Leon straightened his uniform collar, trying to put back the authoritative expression of a group leader.
"Ahem... I mean, good afternoon, Professor Erin," Leon corrected in a made-up calm tone.
Erin chuckled seeing her student's behavior sometimes still showing childish sides behind their hard effort to look mature.
"Good afternoon too, Leon, Kai," Erin greeted friendly.
"What brings you guys flocking to my room late this afternoon? Don't tell me you missed your outdoor practice assignment again."
Kai Renford smiled thinly, stepping forward approaching Erin's desk while carrying a small parchment scroll.
"No, Professor. We didn't miss the assignment," Kai replied with his calm and steady voice.
"On the contrary, we came to deliver an official invitation representing all class 101 students."
Erin raised one eyebrow, slightly curious. "An official invitation?"
Leon nodded firmly, a spark of enthusiasm reappearing in his blue eyes.
"Yes, Professor! Tomorrow is the weekend, and the academy gives permission for the first-year batch to hold a familiarity night event in the eastern garden courtyard as a small celebration over the situation's recovery after the border incident," Leon explained enthusiastically.
"We all agreed... we don't want that celebration to take place without your presence as the person who guided us through it all."
Serena turned toward Leon and Kai, then nodded in agreement with a wide smile.
"That's right, Professor Erin. Your presence is the core of our class. Please spare your time to join us tomorrow night," Serena added pleadingly.
Erin fell silent for a moment.
She looked one by one at the faces of the three students before her—Serena with her academic thoroughness, Leon with his new leadership and courage, and Kai with his calm and loyal support.
Recalling her first day stepping foot into this academy—feeling foreign, awkward, and having to adapt to a new identity in the body of a blue-haired girl—Erin never expected she would find an emotional bond this strong with the new world.
They were no longer just foreign students on her class attendance list; they were part of a new family giving her whole life meaning.
Erin smiled sincerely, the warmest smile she had ever shown since first becoming an educator.
"Of course," Erin answered gently.
"How could I refuse an invitation from my own proud students? Tomorrow night, I will definitely come to the eastern garden."
Hearing that answer, Leon and Serena's faces instantly brightened, while Kai let out a relieved breath smiling contentedly.
"Yess! Then we will prepare the best seat for you, Professor!" Leon cheered happily unable to hold back anymore.
After chatting briefly about tomorrow's event preparations, the three students finally excused themselves so Erin could finish the rest of her work before day truly darkened.
The preparation room door closed tightly again, leaving Erin alone in the warmth of the desk crystal lamp light.
Erin stood from her chair, stepping back near the large window.
The afternoon sun had now completely sunk behind the capital's horizon, leaving dark orange and silvery color gradations slowly replaced by the emergence of the first night stars.
She touched the honor star brooch on her left chest gently, then smiled looking at her own reflection on the window glass.
Her second life in this magic world did not go like a perfect fairy tale story; there were storms, doubts, and dark shadows of the past.
Yet, here she was now—standing as a respected professor, surrounded by sincere students, and having a place where she truly felt home.
"This is just the beginning," Erin whispered softly to the night breeze blowing gently through the window gap.
With a peaceful heart and increasingly firm determination, Erin turned her body, turned off the crystal lamp on her desk, and prepared to welcome a bright tomorrow at the Royal Astra Magic Academy.