The classroom was quiet, their mahogany-oak desks designed to contain in pairs aligned like soldiers awaiting inspection.
The windows ran along the left wall, tall and narrow, letting in a pale city-morning light filtered through layered panels. You could see outside if you wanted to. Or blur it out completely. Most people did the latter.
The door swung open and the light switched on as two young boys with dark hair walked in, one with a hand in pocket and the other with a book in his.
The boy with a book glanced around, "We're too early," he said.
"Better than late," his partner replied.
They approached a table near the middle rows and settled down.
Removing his hands from his pockets, he pulled out a novel, flipped it open with exaggerated care and turned to his partner.
"You know," I said, "if we keep arriving this early, people might think we're serious students."
I placed my bag down.
The moment my palm left the desk, a soft chime sounded.
A small icon bloomed to life on the tabletop—faint blue, hovering just above the surface. It rotated once, then settled into a simple interface: date, subject, attendance.
I stared at it.
Aren't they afraid someone will steal this stuff?
The thought barely finished forming before I noticed the bolts.
Four of them. Thick. Industrial. Each desk was anchored straight into the floor like it had been welded there as an afterthought.
"…Right," I muttered.
As more students trickled in, the quiet broke into murmurs, chairs scraping softly, someone laughing too loud before realizing no one else was.
Normally I wouldn't have bothered looking at other people so shamelessly like this but, I'm in a world I've only read in stories. Of course I'm going to criticize everything.
Looking around I noticed some peculiar ones.
A dwarf that seemed to look like an… Asian? A bronze-skinned elf with a bored expression. And… a normal guy? Something about him looked off, though I couldn't say what.
Public school was… less fantasy than I'd like even though this was my first time.
A man walked in as the room settled.
He wasn't tall, wasn't short, wasn't intimidating in any obvious way. His sleeves were rolled up, his tie slightly crooked, and his smile looked like it had learned patience the hard way.
He set his bag down, looked at us all once, and nodded.
"Good morning," he said.
"I'm Mr. Brown, your homeroom teacher" he continued.
"In our time together, we'll explore more of the wonders of this world"
He tapped the desk.
"This is a general studies class. Which means I'll be exposing you to a little bit of everything people wish they'd learned long before they actually needed it."
A few students chuckled.
"And that includes the different paths available for you to find a place for you in this world"
Mr. Brown rested his palms on the desk and looked at us like he was counting something only he could see.
"Alright," he said, cheerful but unhurried. "Let's start with something everyone thinks they understand."
"What's the most sought-after skill in our world today?"
No one responded.
"Anyone?"
A hand slowly went up.
"Yes?" Mr. Brown pointed at the girl who raised her hand.
"Introduce yourself and share with us what you think," he said encouragingly.
With a little hesitation she stood and began "Um, my name is Amelia Plank, I was born in Lumel and… I also live here with my parents, and the most popular skill to have is a spark" She finished and sat back on her seat.
"Very good. Thank you, Amelia." He nodded at her before turning to the class, "As Amelia said the most sought-after skill is a spark."
"Now," Mr. Brown said, leaning on the edge of his desk, "you've been told a lot about sparks, haven't you? How everyone has a spark—the ability to perform miracles, to bend the laws of nature affecting them—but only the gifted or the privileged awaken them."
A few students nodded, proud of what they thought they knew.
"But" he continued in a calm voice. "That's not entirely true… sparks are actually mirrors"
He gestured to the room slowly, letting the silence stretch. "What you think you are—they reflect it. What you're afraid of—they show it. What you love… what you crave… they reveal that too."
A boy near the back whispered, "So… it's not magic?"
Mr. Brown's lips twitched into a tiny smile. "Magic is the story we tell ourselves to make it seem like a fairytale with a happy ending. But sparks? They just amplify. They don't protect you. They don't decide who you are—they make everyone see, including you."
"And it all starts with your willingness to discover and chase what you believe in"
He clapped his hands lightly. "That's why some people awaken and become heroes. And why others… don't.
The sparks don't choose you; only the brave and the honest discover them. And whether you're ready for it or not, they'll show what's already inside you."
A hush fell over the classroom.
Mr. Brown's smile softened, almost sad. "So, remember this. When your spark awakens, it won't make you powerful. It will only push you to follow your own path, for better or worse."
…
I leaned back in my chair, letting Mr. Brown's words sink in. Sparks as mirrors. Not magic. Not a reward. Just… truth reflected. Somehow, that made my chest feel heavier and lighter at the same time.
Noah, sitting beside me, nudged my shoulder. "So is that why your spark doesn't let you speak?"
"That's none of your business" I refused to engage,
Noah smirked to himself, "That probably also means, Ray is an unstable crybaby"
"Shut it"
The class continued, and Mr. Brown told us how we'd be diving deep into other subjects like History—Before and after Odin, and some fundamental courses like Math, English, Monster anatomy—in case you find yourself in such situations, and physical fitness.
And the different professions available to us. Though we only focused on the awakened related professions like the Sentinels, or a Medivus.
"Now there are different stages of growth that we've managed to identify" Mr. Brown continued.
"And it all starts with being a noob." He smiled.