?Loryenna History… this must be the classroom.?

  Upon finding the corresponding room on their schedule, Seiyi and his friends entered stealthily, trying to go unnoticed by the teacher. But something about the way the man held the papers, combined with the confusion hanging in the air, gave Seiyi a bad feeling.

  ?This isn't good… I’ve seen that expression before. Although, well… I have a plan for that.?

  Without a second thought, he opened the window next to his seat. He let the sun's rays pierce through the classroom, aiming directly at his desk. Then he sat down, feigning calm.

  Of course, that seat was no coincidence either: right in front of him was a white elf of the Aelvari race, wearing the typical bracelet of the Kingdom of Fables. Perfect. His plan depended entirely on that guy.

  ?My intuition never fails. Now he just needs to say… the line.?

  —Hey, Seiyi… don't you have a bad feeling? —Manny whispered, breaking into a cold sweat.

  —Pop quiz.

  —Huh?

  —It’s Loryenna History II. I’m almost sure they’re going to test us today. They did the same thing a few years ago in Fundamentals of Magic II.

  —Damn… I don't remember a single thing.

  —Same here —Seiyi replied with a smile that inspired zero confidence—, but I have a plan. See the Aelvari in front? He’s from Loryenna. He probably knows the color of his king's underwear.

  —Oh, you’re right! But… how do you plan to copy?

  —I just need him to get out of his seat.

  —But… remember we write with the magic pen. He only needs to hide the sheet, you idiot!

  —I told you I have an idea. Do you still have that juice bottle?

  —Yeah… why?

  —Just watch, my favorite cross-eyed friend.

  —Huh? Again with that?

  Before Manny could reply, the teacher's authoritative voice echoed through the classroom.

  —Clear everything off your desks and leave your phones where I can see them! Pop quiz!

  ?There’s the line. Heh… never fails.?

  —Agh! You were right… I’m going to look like an idiot —Manny murmured.

  —Silence over there! —the teacher growled, pointing a finger.

  Seiyi lowered his head, suppressing a laugh.

  —Relax —he whispered—. We just have to wait for that guy to finish.

  When the teacher placed the exam sheet and the magic ink pen in front of him, Seiyi scanned the questions with a horror that grew with every word.

  ?Let’s see… “What is the name of the second descendant of the Surious family?” Ha, sure, as if I were his cousin. “Name all current orc species.” God! Do I look like Wikipedia? I don't even remember the regions of Loryenna…?.

  A few minutes later, he noticed that the elf in front of him was progressing with insulting ease. When he saw him flip the page, he knew it was time. Discreetly, Seiyi aimed his elemental ring at his classmate and channeled runes to control the movement of his fingers. A small stream of water shot out, soaking the elf's back and desk.

  —What the—?! —the elf jumped, drenched—. Why did you do that?!

  —Sorry, my fault —Seiyi said with his best "harmless idiot" face—. I was trying to aim the hydration spell at my mouth… I still haven't mastered the trajectory of the elements.

  —Yeah, right! You bastard…! —the elf growled, wiping his face—. Professor, can I go to the bathroom?

  —Make it quick. And remember to hide your exam.

  The elf sighed, took the pen, and channeled small runes that embedded themselves into the paper, erasing all the ink until it was completely blank.

  ?“Hide” spell… that damn trick has played many jokes on me.?

  Right then, Seiyi took the glass bottle Manny had left on the desk. With the special pen provided for the exam, he traced small improvised runes on the glass—scribbles that formed the symbol for “Show.”

  —Pss… What are you doing with my bottle? —Manny whispered, watching curiously.

  —Heat is one of the best conductors of magic essence —Seiyi replied, focused—. If I can get it to reflect the light correctly, I can channel the spell from a distance without leaving my seat.

  —What? —Manny asked, more confused than ever.

  Seiyi placed the bottle at the exact angle so that the sun's rays coming through the window bounced exactly onto the blank paper. A thin line of light cut across the classroom, aiming right at the elf’s hidden exam.

  —The “Show” spell only works if it’s directed at something hidden… the first thing you must know before revealing the unknown... —he murmured with a confident smile.

  As soon as the light reflection touched the elf's sheet, the runes began to glow faintly. The magic essence traveled along the line of light like the wind itself, striking the surface of the paper. Slowly, the invisible ink began to reveal itself again, showing the written answers—though only in the area where the sun reached.

  —…is knowing where the hidden lies. —Seiyi finished, the smile widening on his face.

  —Seiyi, look! —Manny whispered, marvelling—. Everything is visible! Ha!

  Bit by bit, Seiyi began to copy calmly, adjusting the angle of the glass whenever he needed to see a new part of the exam. The light moved only a few centimeters, enough to keep the pace before the elf returned. Within minutes, he had almost all the answers, and in the process, he helped Manny complete his.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  Trying to contain his excitement, he stood up and walked with an expression of total serenity to the teacher's desk. He handed in his exam before anyone else, turned around, and began walking toward the door with an air of victory.

  ?Look at everyone watching me… no doubt, after this, I’ll have everyone’s attention.?

  —Young Seiyi —the teacher said in a severe voice—, did you double-check your answers?

  Seiyi froze, hand on the doorknob.

  ?Huh??

  Ding!

  Dong!

  The school bell echoed through the hallways, announcing the second break of the day.

  —And then I did some research; there are many cases of deaths and fights. I simply couldn't do what they do, you know? —Miyu said, her voice low but firm.

  —Well, they kill bad people, and magical beings that escape and create chaos. It wouldn't be so bad to eliminate those people —Ana replied, shrugging as they advanced in the cafeteria line.

  —Still… no one deserves that. Ha… are we really talking about these things at our age? How strange.

  —You started it, I just wanted to talk about boys —Ana replied with a short laugh, breaking the tension.

  As they discussed, the girls joined the dining hall line for the second time, looking for more food.

  —But, back to the subject: you should tell your brother everything you told me.

  —Do you think he’d understand? His dream is to be here… —Miyu looked at the ground, doubtful.

  —You can leave! If he wants to stay, let him stay.

  —Still… I don't know if I want him to be far away.

  —You want what’s best for him! I’m sure he’ll understand you.

  —Ha… you’re fourteen and you talk like an adult.

  —Wind Breaker taught me a lot —Ana said proudly—. She says mental clarity is the best weapon.

  —Hahaha, I know, I even copied some moves—with my ring, I jumped from one bridge to another.

  —You’re lying! —Ana shook her head—. That ring can't output that much magic!

  —I swear! My brother is a witness!

  —Then go and bring him here to confirm it!

  —You'll see.

  Miyu ran out of the line with a defiant smile, looking for Yarin’s characteristic afro. It didn't take her long to find the table, but the scene she saw made her stop in her tracks. Seiyi was practically melted onto the table, his face buried in his arms.

  —Hey, Yarin! And… can someone explain what happened to this one? —Miyu asked, pointing to the "corpse" of her brother.

  —Miyu! —Yarin let out a laugh while clutching his stomach—. You wouldn't believe it! This guy just broke the world record for stupidity.

  —We had a pop quiz —Manny interjected, still laughing—. Seiyi managed to copy in a very clever way, but… he forgot to check the answers before handing it in. He was the first to hand it in, and the first to fail.

  —Imagine it —Yarin added—. He ended up copying from the only elf in all of Veridion who didn't know the history of his own country!

  —Neroth… —Seiyi murmured, his gaze vacant—. He put Neroth…

  —Huh? —Miyu asked.

  —The question said: “Who started the Runic War?” … and he… put Neroth… —Seiyi looked up with empty eyes—. Who is Neroth? There is no one named Neroth in the books!

  The laughter at the table was explosive.

  —Hahaha! Very funny and all, but I need to take him for a moment —Miyu said, trying to sound serious.

  —No problem, SeyShi —Yarin joked, patting the "brilliant" student on the back.

  Seiyi stood up like a zombie, staggering, and tried to grab his backpack. But not finding it, he frowned. He looked around, checked under the benches, until he noticed something: Yarin was spinning his exam pen between his fingers.

  ?That bastard…?

  —Looking for something, little one? —Yarin laughed, waving the pen in front of him.

  —Give it back. I’m not in the mood.

  —That’s what they call revenge —Manny cut in—. You did the same thing to him last semester, remember.

  Before they could say more, Seiyi snatched the pen back with a tug.

  ?They almost always hide it with a spell under the seats… in the worst-case scenario, in the bathrooms.?

  Without wasting time, he crouched down and channeled the “Show” spell. But the pen slipped from his fingers and fell under the table. With a sigh of pure exhaustion, Seiyi leaned down to reach it, but as he sat back up, he miscalculated the space and banged his head against the wooden desk with a dry thud.

  —Agh! Fu—!

  The momentum of the hit made him accidentally push the table, overturning it and knocking his friends' food plates to the floor. In the middle of the chaos, the pen was still active, channeling runes of light that shone with unnatural intensity. The runes expanded across the floor until they struck the surface of the fallen table.

  And then it happened. A red flash ignited in front of them. Magic runes hidden under the surface began to glow, revealing themselves as an ancient circle covered in spiral symbols.

  Miyu and Seiyi looked at each other, stunned.

  ?Phe…nix?? he thought.

  ?Phoenix?? she thought.

  Both siblings had read the same word.

  —Bastard! You spilled all the food! —Yarin complained, getting up from the floor, but his anger froze when he saw the glow—. Oh… what does that mean? Red runes? Did you do that, Sei?

  —I… I didn't know that was there. I just used the “Show” spell…

  —Meh, probably someone scribbled nonsense out of boredom —Manny said, brushing it off—. Do you know what it says?

  —Oh, no… no idea —Seiyi replied, trying to sound natural.

  Discreetly, he pulled out his phone and took a photo of the runes before they faded.

  —You’re taking a photo of that? —Yarin asked, curious.

  —Oh, yeah, it’s just that…

  —It’s just that we like that kind of scribbling! —Miyu interrupted with a forced smile—. Maybe Seiyi wants a tattoo like that in the future!

  Seiyi looked at her with a face of disbelief, but understood her gesture when she winked at him.

  —Exactly, I like the style… and the color. It has something… special.

  —I just see scratches, but whatever —Yarin replied, helping Manny up—. Come on, we have to clean up this mess.

  Relieved, Seiyi took a deep breath and put his phone away.

  ?Miyu saved me again… but those runes… why were they hidden there? And who else, besides us, could write in Gronk’tar??

  Before he could keep thinking, Seiyi noticed the gazes fixed on him. Almost the entire dining hall was watching the overturned table, the scattered food scraps, and the red runes slowly fading away.

  ?Oh no… everyone’s watching us. Why can't I be normal for a moment??

  The rest of the day passed without much excitement. Between tedious classes and distracted teachers, Seiyi barely managed to concentrate. The runes kept circling his head, like a persistent voice that refused to be quiet.

  In the middle of one of the lessons, Seiyi kept his phone hidden between his legs, analyzing the photo he had taken under the table. The screen's glow was his only connection to the mystery.

  —Even if I search a thousand times, nothing comes up… —he murmured, resting his chin on his arm while his fingers moved frantically across the search bar.

  —Nothing comes up for what? —Manny asked, leaning toward him curiously.

  —Shh, look —Seiyi whispered. He leaned against his friend's shoulder to better hide the device, showing him the image cautiously—. Did you know the Phoenix went extinct more than fifty years ago? They say the only way to see one now is through temporal invocation spells.

  —I could guess that —Manny replied, also lowering his voice—. Sometimes there are regional festivals where they invoke very small phoenixes, the size of a little bird, just to surprise people. My dad used to take me to see them when I was a kid.

  —Yeah… that’s what I’m reading. They also used to show them on TV —Seiyi countered, while zooming in on an old photo of a real specimen—. But that’s nothing compared to what they used to be. Look at the size of these wings… they were like clouds of fire.

  —I don't know why you’re so interested, but if you want, I can give you the complete chronology of the species —Manny offered enthusiastically—. Did you know their wings can contain a temperature of—?

  —Yeah, yeah… we have to pay attention to class —Seiyi interrupted him with a dry whisper, trying to ignore his friend's "lessons" as he dove back into his own secret search.

  —But you’re the one on the phone… —Manny sighed, resigned.

  When the last bell rang, Seiyi packed his things with a sigh of defeat. He hadn't found a single useful clue relating a Phoenix to a cafeteria table at Veridion. He pushed through the tide of students and stepped out into the fresh afternoon air.

  There, by the main door, Miyu was waiting for him, leaning against the stone frame. She had a mischievous smile lighting up her face, the kind that indicated she had already planned the rest of the day.

  —You know where we’re going, right? —she asked, eyes bright.

  —Heh… sure. Let’s take the next bus.

  Minutes later, amidst laughter and the chaos of the school departure, the siblings made their way to the nearest station. A bus took them to one of the most popular chains in the country: MysticBurgers.