THE SHADOWS OF AETHEL

 Classes continued as a female student was climbing the stairs to the rooftop, her worried expression deepening with each hurried step. The echo of her footfalls reverberated through the empty stairwell, punctuating her urgency.

The girl had short blonde hair that caught the light streaming through the narrow windows, and rare pink-colored eyes that seemed to shift hues depending on her mood. 

 Her hourglass figure moved with natural grace—to put it simply, she possessed an otherworldly beauty that could rival anyone at the academy. The school uniform, though standard issue, somehow looked custom-tailored on her frame.

 When she reached the entrance, she quickly pushed open the heavy metal door, which made a sharp slamming noise against the wall. 

 A cool autumn breeze immediately rushed past her, carrying the scent of distant rain. There, floating serenely in midair, was a boy in a sleeping position facing the sky, one hand casually holding an ancient-looking leather-bound book.

 "I finally found you! Do you know how long I've been looking?" the girl exclaimed, her expression melting from worry to relief. Her shoulders visibly relaxed as she caught her breath.

"No. How would I know?" the boy replied disinterestedly as he flipped a page with a practiced motion of his thumb. 

 "And keep it down. I'm trying to read here." His voice carried a cold tone that might have discouraged anyone else, the words hanging in the air between them.

 The boy wore the same dark blue school uniform as everyone at the prestigious academy, though his tie hung loosely around his neck in subtle defiance of the dress code.

 He had short brown hair with hints of gold when caught in sunlight, which paired well with his unusual yellow-brownish eyes that seemed to hold ancient secrets. 

 Despite his slim build, there was a hidden strength in his posture—overall, he was undeniably attractive in a way that seemed almost supernatural.

 Upon hearing his reply, the girl took a small step backward and held her arms protectively across her chest, her confidence visibly faltering.

 "I-I'm so sorry K-K-Ku-Kuragari," she stammered, her fingers nervously playing with the edge of her sleeve. "I didn't mean to disturb you, it's just that—"

 "Just tell me what you need," Kuragari interrupted, his gaze never leaving the weathered pages of his book.

 The girl hesitantly walked to where he was and sat down on the concrete rooftop. As she did, he slowly descended like a leaf falling from a tree, his body rotating gracefully until he was lying on his back next to her. 

 The magic sustaining his flight dissipated like morning mist, not a single word or gesture required to control it.

 "Well," she began, watching him from the corner of her eye, "I was told that you went to class yesterday, but today when I went to your classroom, I didn't find you." She paused and took a deep breath, gathering her courage.

 A strand of blonde hair blew across her face in the breeze, and she tucked it behind her ear with a delicate motion.

 The boy said nothing in response, his attention seemingly consumed by the book in his hands. The pages rustled softly as he turned them, creating the only sound besides the distant murmur of students in the courtyard below.

 Taking his silence as permission, the girl continued her explanation.

 "I knew you'd be here reading a book on the roof, so I came to check on you. You know, coming to school means you need to attend classes," she admonished gently. 

 Her voice grew more confident as she spoke, the stutter disappearing. "What's the point of coming to school if you're just going to miss classes?"

 'I asked her to tell me what she needed, but she launched into a monologue. Anyway, I'll humor her for today,' the boy thought as his eyes scanned the lines of text, absorbing their meaning with preternatural speed.

 "What's the point of going to classes if you have nothing to learn from them?" Kuragari countered as he stood up in one fluid motion. 

 The wind suddenly intensified, as if responding to his mood, ruffling his uniform as he slipped one hand into his pocket. The clouds above shifted, casting dappled shadows across the rooftop.

 With a serious gaze, he looked at the book with the same emotionless expression that seemed permanently etched onto his features. 

 "Hey," he asked suddenly, "why are books not as satisfying as they used to be?" There was a hint of genuine curiosity beneath the coldness—a rare crack in his façade.

 The girl didn't know how to respond. She didn't want to blurt out something she'd just thought up because she feared it might upset him.

 Her pink eyes darted nervously as she considered her options, aware that her answer might be significant to him in ways she couldn't understand.

 But staying silent wasn't really an option for her either, so she replied carefully, "I—I don't know. Maybe the setup of the book and your preferences don't match up." Her voice trailed off uncertainly, her fingers tracing nervous patterns on the concrete.

 "Mmmm, I don't think so," the boy replied after a moment of contemplation. 

 "A good book is always good regardless of the reader's preferences." His voice carried the weight of someone who had read more books than most people would in several lifetimes.

 "You are right," the girl conceded, her expression brightening with genuine interest. "So, taking that into account, is the book you were reading bad?" Her eyes glowed with curiosity, reflecting the sunlight like rare gems.

 "Well, it's not bad..." Kuragari's voice softened almost imperceptibly. "I'll just say it's not complete." He turned the book over in his hands, examining its binding with critical attention.

 "And why is that?" she pressed, leaning forward slightly.

"This version I have only has five chapters, so it feels like something is lacking," he explained,

 His mind already working on possibilities. 'Maybe if I pursue the missing chapters, I won't be so bored,' he wondered, a plan forming behind those enigmatic eyes.

 "Anyway, this book is still missing a lot of things. I guess I need to fix that," Kuragari announced decisively as he started walking toward the exit, his steps light and silent against the rooftop floor.

 "Of course! I look forward to seeing how you'll fix it," the girl exclaimed with excited anticipation, a warm smile illuminating her features as she hurried to follow him. 

 Her previous nervousness had vanished completely, replaced by an almost childlike eagerness

 As the morning stretched into afternoon, Miss Sakkaku proved herself to be as unconventional in her teaching methods as she was in appearance.

 Her lecture wasn't so much a lesson as it was a carefully orchestrated dance of theory and practical demonstration that left her students' heads spinning.

"Magic," she declared, conjuring a complex array of glowing symbols that danced around her like fireflies, 

 "is not just about power. It's about control, precision, and most importantly—" She snapped her fingers, and the symbols collapsed into a single point of light that illuminated the entire room. "—understanding."

 The demonstration drew gasps of appreciation from even the most skeptical students. Kuroyami, however, found himself more focused on avoiding the sidelong glances from his classmates.

 Some were curious, others calculating, and a few downright hostile.

 'This is exactly what I was trying to avoid,' he thought, absently taking notes while keeping his magical presence as subdued as possible. 

 'Second morning, and I've already got more attention than I wanted in an entire year.'

 Claudine, sitting three rows behind him, observed everything with keen interest. Her eyes flickered between Miss Sakkaku's demonstrations and Kuroyami's tense shoulders, a slight smile playing at the corners of her mouth.

 "Now then," Miss Sakkaku's voice cut through the air like a blade, "let's see what you're actually capable of. Theory without practice is like a sword without an edge—pretty to look at, but ultimately useless."

 She gestured, and the desks suddenly slid to the walls with a screech of wood on stone, leaving a clear space in the center of the room. 

 Students scrambled to keep their balance, some more gracefully than others.

 "Pair up!" she commanded. "We're going to start with something simple—magical resonance testing. " She said as the character on the board moved illustrating her words.

 " One partner will create a basic field while the other attempts to match its frequency. Standard practice for first-years, though I expect you'll make it more interesting."

 The room erupted into chaos as students rushed to pair up with friends or those they perceived as powerful allies. 

 Kuroyami found himself frozen in place, watching the flurry of activity with growing dread.

 "Excuse me," a melodic voice cut through his panic. He turned to find Claudine standing beside his desk, that same mysterious smile still on her face. "Would you care to partner with me?"

 Before Kuroyami could stammer out a response, Miss Sakkaku materialized between them like a particularly smug ghost. 

 "Oh my, the class representative and secretary working together already? How... providential."

 Her smile was sweet enough to cause cavities, but her eyes gleamed with calculation. "Though perhaps we should mix things up a bit. Claudine, you'll work with—" 

 She scanned the room before pointing to a muscular student who had been boasting about his fire magic earlier, "—Akashi there. And Kuroyami..."

 She paused dramatically, her gaze settling on a figure in the corner. "You'll be working with our resident shadow, Shin."

 The gloomy boy who had questioned Kuroyami's scores earlier looked up, his expression a mixture of annoyance and resignation. 

 His aura, usually carefully contained, flickered with something that might have been interest—or threat.

 "But teacher," Claudine began, her voice perfectly polite but carrying an undercurrent of steel, "wouldn't it be more beneficial for the class officers to—"

 "To learn to work with all their classmates?" Miss Sakkaku finished sweetly. "Precisely my thought. Now hop to it, everyone! Time waits for no mage!"

 As students shuffled into their assigned pairs, Kuroyami made his way to where Shin waited, trying to ignore the way Claudine's gaze followed him. 

 The dark-haired boy stood with his arms crossed, shadows seeming to gather around him despite the well-lit room.

 "So," Shin's voice was as deep as his aura suggested, "shall we see what earned you that perfect score?"

 'This is going to be a long day,' Kuroyami thought, squaring his shoulders. 'A very, very long day.'