After surviving Demon History, I thought nothing could surprise . That afternoon, Yuria dragged to a secluded courtyard behind the library for a "proper lesson." In the center, a cauldron smoldered as she tossed in firewood.
"Catch," Yuria said, hurling a log at . I barely caught it with a yelp. "What is this, babysitting bears?" I protested. "It's part of your penalty for flunking core class," she smirked. "Now catch it." Reluctantly, I grasped the flaming log. Already my palms felt like they were on fire.
Lilith's voice echoed from the archway. "Mr. Ren, what an incendiary idea." She stepped into the courtyard, cigarette smoke curling around her head. Flas danced in her crimson eyes. Lilith watched us, amused—and slightly more red in the face than the fire itself.
"Teach him to cook souls next, why don't you?" Lilith teased. "Practical magic only goes so far, dear Yuria. Let's see how Ren handles it without burning down the school." I heard the faint crackle of ash as she flicked her sleeve.
I gulped. The log was hot, though Yuria swore it would grade harder than Lilith's lectures. Lilith's grin only grew as I offered her the log. Sweat dotted my forehead.
Yuria unscrewed a vial from her belt. "Watch this," she said, tossing it underhand. An icy mist exploded across the wood, quenching one log completely. The remaining fla sputtered and faded into smoke.
"Magic potion, rookie," Yuria said, crossing her arms. "For when things get too hot—literally. Didn't they teach you that in class?" She winked at . "Just use your head."
Sothing clicked. If a silly potion could snuff out fire, maybe my Codex could. I took a deep breath, focusing, feeling the Sigil pulse on my palm. Ghostly runes shimred in the air above the log.
With a snap of my fingers, I rewrote the fla's fate. The fire on the log collapsed inward as if gravity itself yanked it down. Charcoal replaced fla in an instant; warmth faded into a gentle ember.
"I did that," I said, voice strangely calm.
Yuria threw her head back and whooped. "Ha! Even the human can learn sothing after all." She punched my arm in excitent.
Lilith regarded , lips curling. "Rather efficient for a mortal," she purred, stepping closer. "Ta, though. I expected sothing a bit more flamboyant."
Before I could reply, Lilith snapped her fingers. "Very good, Ren. Now let's raise the stakes."
Yuria grinned wickedly. "Oh, I have more." In a flash, she appeared with three blazing logs, each the size of a demon's forearm. She hurled them at like torches from Hell.
I stumbled backward. The logs felt like dragging living coals between my fingers. Two logs slamd into my trembling hands and I tripped back, forcing the third to spin out of reach. Flas erupted around , forming a ring between and Lilith. Heat like a furnace blast hit my face.
"Focus," I muttered, heart racing. The Sigil flared bright. I imagined a breeze. Instantly, the flas leapt upward into a swirling vortex, forming a fiery do above . Sparks spiraled harmlessly into the night sky.
Lilith's voice cut through the roar. "Careful with the wind, Ren. Don't blow up the school!"
Next plan: ice. Drawing moisture from the air, I wove streams of steam through the vortex. The flas hissed and dimd. With a final motion I collapsed the fiery do inward: one by one, each torch extinguished itself as if dunked in water.
By the ti the last log hissed out, the courtyard was deathly silent. I stood panting amid smoldering coals. Yuria and Lilith stared at , mouths agape.
Lilith stepped forward and applauded slowly. "Brava. Pyrotechnics should not be underestimated." She placed a finger under my chin, lifting my face. "Magic is dangerous, but not when you control it. The power was always yours—you just needed to learn how to handle it."
"But we almost burned everything," I protested weakly. "I'm lucky no one got hurt."
Lilith's lips curved. "I didn't say you're off the hook." Her tone softened. "But you've earned a passing grade. Now clean up, Ren."
"Yes, ma'am," I muttered, relieved that "clean up" didn't involve another lecture.
Under Lilith's watchful eyes, I heaved the charred logs back into the cauldron. My hands still tingled, the Sigil's warmth lingering. I thought about what had happened — the fear, the rush, the power. I wasn't the clueless human who stumbled into this school.
Tomorrow would bring more twisted chaos, but today I'd literally rewritten the rules of fla — and I hadn't even broken a sweat. (Well, maybe a little.)
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