[Alice POV]“Your mana guidance ot on. Good try. Move onto water.” Teacher told me. I have been practig like this for the st three years. Thanks to that I have a lot of magic skills, but they would never have paid off without Brian. But I o focus on the lesson.

  “Water, Flow before me, Aqua Stream.” I try to cast a water spell. Again, it does nothing.

  “Good. h.” My teacher pushes me through our routirying to cast all these spells is how I got the quick cast skill, so it’s not a plete waste, but it really is demoralizing. If father didn’t force me to keep going, I would have quit long ago.

  “Stone, bey on, Stooss.” Of course, nothing.

  “I think the ground might have moved a bit there.” Teacher said.

  “Please don’t lie to me. I know it didn’t.” Even if my mother is good at earth magic, it doesn't mean I am.

  “I was just… Well, wind is .” Teacher said. I know you are trying. You don’t want to lose this job. I don’t know how much father is paying you, but I’m sure it’s a lot.

  “Wind, flow around me, Breeze.” My father use wind magic. But I ’t. I also really just hate it. Father always said that I should be able to use it like my brother , like he and like aunt . But I just ’t. And I never want to.

  “Ooh, do you feel that breeze?” Teacher said.

  “That’s just the wind. A spell would do more.” Again he is trying something stupid. We both know I didn’t activate a spell.

  “Let’s just try light and dark as well. Light first.” He said.

  “Sure. Light, luminate around me, Shine ball.” And nothing. Well, is the important one.

  “And dark st.”

  I know I do this. Brian told me he gave me the dark attribute. And I trust that he wouldn’t lie. He has no reason to. I focus all my skills to cast this one spell. I know I will succeed. No one stop me. I will bck out the sun. I y eyes and focus.

  “Dark, embrace us, Shade!” I shout out. I feel the differen my body. The flow of magic is different from all those failed spells. I did it, right? I slowly open my eyes.

  It’s nid shady. The bright yard we were in is now covered in darkness. I still see clearly though.

  This really is a success. I bask in my glory. I really did bck out the sun. At least from the yard.

  —

  [Brian POV]Alice was casting spells of each attribute one by one. Why does she gh all of them, instead of just jumping to dark magic? All of them have failed this far, but up is dark magic. I really hope she do it. I don’t want to crush her dreams… Again.

  Alice casts her dark magic spell with a lot more enthusiasm than any of the previous spells. She even yelled out the st word of the t. Wonder if that is something like an activation word?

  Then the woes dark. I look back at the table and ’t eve. Is this really Alice’s spell?

  (Laura?)

  (Yes, this darkness is because of the shade spell cast by Alice. I believe it has enpassed the entire manor.) Laura told me.

  (How long will it st?) I asked.

  (Until the caster dispels it or runs out of mana. Or someone else dispels it. Master could do it with Gust or Mystical Space Typhoon.) Laura told me. I’m not going to waste one of them on this.

  “ALICE!” I yell out. “You o dispel this darkness.”

  (Master, she won’t hear you. This darkness will also block sound.) Laura told me.

  (What I do then? Other than waste a card or just waiting around?) I ask her.

  (If you get close to Alice, she will be able to hear you.) Laura said.

  ( you guide me to her?)

  (Of course, Master.)

  I get up from the table and follow Laura’s instrus in the dark. It’s like a blindfold game. Well, except that I don’t think anyone see anything.

  (Two more steps, Master.) Laura told me. I take the two steps and try to grab Alice. Please God, don’t let me grab her boob.

  Thankfully, what I found was her hugging me. She came to me as well and hugged me. Isn’t she blinded by this darkness?

  (Dark magic spells like this have less of an effe the caster. She might not have heard your scream, but she could see you.) Laura told me. So she might have thought that others had simir experieo her.

  “Alice, do you hear me? You o dispel this darkness.” I tell her while in her embrace.

  “But why?” She asked. “It’s just a little dark and it’s my first successful spell. I want to enjoy it longer.”

  “Alio one else see anything. And this darkness is eveing sound from traveling long distances. You o dispel it or everyone will panic even more.” I said to her.

  “But… you could see me.” She said carefully.

  “I ’t see you Alice. Laura helped me through the darkness. Please, dispel it.” I pled with her.

  “Fine. If you really ask me like that.” Alice lets me go and the shadows begin to lift.

  As the light returns I look around. Jenna, who was standing close to the table I was sitting at, seemed to be frozen. Alice’s teacher is passed out on the ground. I walk over to him to make sure he is fine. I put my fingers on his ned felt a pulse. Then I check for breathing, and that seems fine as well.

  (Laura, do you have any idea?)

  (He seems to have run out of mana, while trying to dispel Alice’s shade.) Laura told me.

  ( I help him recover? Like giving him some of my own mana?) I asked her.

  (Yes, please hold your hand on his chest. I will take care of the rest.) Laura said to me. I did as I was told. I could feel some of my mana flowing out of my hand oeacher’s chest. I hope he is receiving it.

  “Brian, what are you doing?” Alice asked me.

  “I’m giving some mana to your teacher. He passed out after running out trying to dispel your spell.” I told her.

  “...But… He is a lot more skilled than I am. How could he run out?” Alice asked.

  “I don’t know. But he did. You may have been too eager to use magid just put too much power into that one spell.” I answered.

  (Sir Trystahe water attribute. It struggles with dispelling dark spells.) Laura informed me.

  (How do you know that?) I asked her. she appraise people?

  (I tell because of Master’s mana flowing into him. Master’s mana has no attributes, so it ges as it enters his body. Normally you ’t give people with a different main attribute mana like this, but since Master doesn’t have o’s fine.) Laura told me.

  After a little longer, she stopped the mana stream. By feeling alone, I had used up little over half of my mana. Not as bad as to pass out, but definitely would not want to sprint right now.

  (Master, you used 73% of your mana.)

  Thank you Laura. What would I do without your statistics?