The Grand Dinner

"Fire, water, levitation — these three divine elements must harmonise, entwining their essences, to awaken the dormant core element."

He had read this numerous times. But he had been unable to come up with any skills that allowed him to combine even two of these elements together. Let alone all three. Each time he wished he would notice something new. Something that escaped his eyes before.

He flipped the pages randomly, to vent his frustration. As he was about to close it, his eyes fell on a seemingly old page. He has read this book countless times. How come he never noticed it?

With a flicker, he increased the strength of the fire. He brought back his focus towards the words.

"Those capable of wielding fire and water in unison can naturally grasp the essence of wind magic, their mastery unfolding with less resistance. However, such individuals often find themselves embarked upon a journey of prolonged dedication and practice compared to those who harness a single element. The awakening of their inherent magical abilities demands both time and unwavering commitment."

He tapped his fingers on the desk rhythmically. Dual element holders are rare…Even the scholars here whose thousands of years of life experience mostly consisted of sharpening their magic skills along with cultivating their core magic element, couldn't command dual elements. Well there was one…but three elements? Not even the history scrolls have a record of that.

Unfortunately no matter how carefully he looked through the consequent pages, there were no more details on this matter. He took out the constellar chronoscope. It was time for dinner already. He hid the crystal and anklets back inside his space. Mildly irritated, he left the room.

While passing by the corridor, the image of the reluctant woman once again flashed in his mind.

'Heh, I wonder how she would react if she saw me now. Well she just joined right? As the representative I should notify her about the meal timings.' He justified his involuntary steps towards her quarters, completely forgetting that the schedule was already provided in each individual's assigned quarters.

—-------------------

Even after knocking on the door several times, there was no response. Yan Changmin pursed his lips.

Albeit she didn't appear to be keen on entertaining him, it was still odd for her to stay unresponsive to the continuous knocks.

Just as he was going to raise his hands again, to knock, the lock on the hook, entered his field of sight.

'So she is in the dining hall already?' He raised his brows, a bit surprised. However, he didn't contemplate on that any further.

—----------------------

The slight murmurs of the excited new students couldn't be suppressed despite numerous announcements from the scholar. Exasperated, he gave up on trying.

An Lanying, gathered by the side with a few students, who enrolled on the same day as her. She looked around curiously. The dimly lit majestic hall was the epitome of glamour. The savoury aromas of warm delicacies wafted across the finest silk cloth adorning the large wooden table. The walls enclosing the hall were decorated with illustrations of the rich history of Brightstone, painted with delicate and expert brush strokes.

Unconsciously she looked around, trying to find a familiar face.

"This place sure is grand, right?"

Lanying brought back her attention to the table as she heard a soft whisper.

It was a girl of her age. Her eyes were cold, devoid of any warmth. Her pitch black hair tied in a ponytail accentuated her lack of friendliness. At this moment she was staring at her, waiting for her to respond to her earlier statement.

Lanying blinked a few times. "Ah yes. Then again, this is the elite academy. What else can be expected." She said with a feeble smile. She already liked this academy. It would truly be a letdown, if the authorities turned out to be the reason behind her father's disappearance.

The girl scoffed. "Elite academy? A bunch of narcissistic instructors."

Lanying looked at her questioningly with raised brows. After a few seconds of silence she said, "You will realise soon enough" pointing towards the end of the table.

It was the amiable old scholar she encountered when entering.

"Students, for many of you this is the very first day in BrightStone. Before you dig in, there are some rules you must remember while having a meal,

No spells. You all are yet to have complete control over the spells. So you must refrain from practising them outside of the classroom to prevent any mishaps from occurring.

No potions. Some potions can be lethal for people with certain elemental cores. So, before you all get tested for your unique elements in the last graduation year, refrain from using potions in public places.

Easy to follow right? Great, you may start now." His voice resounded in the magnificent hall, successfully silencing the murmurs and chitchats.