Progression [4]

"Rejected, please submit another thesis."

Fyodor's voice was firm but not harsh. 

The student standing before him, a young mage with hopeful eyes, turned pensive. 

His thesis had been on fire magic, a topic Fyodor had seen countless times.

"Professor, I worked hard on this…."

"I know," Fyodor replied, softening slightly. "But hard work alone doesn't make it groundbreaking."

The student looked frustrated, clutching his papers tightly.

"It's not a bad thesis."

Fyodor continued, gesturing to the pages in the student's hands. 

"But it's nothing new. At the Summit, the standards are higher. You need something innovative."

The student's eyes widened at the mention of the Summit.

The Summit was no ordinary event. 

Held annually in Anemoi, the Greatest Continent on Earth, it was the pinnacle of magic.