Thin Ice (M/M Transmigration)

Chapter 4

Three weeks later, Cale stood in front of a wooden doll target in a large arena, his breathing steady and trying to ignore the growing panic in his chest. This was the first Offensive Magic exam of the term — first of three in fact— and he had done absolutely everything that he could to prepare. He had even asked Julius for help with studying the incantations.

Cale had no doubt that he wasn't going to to well, but he might just be able to pass, and if he did that, then he wouldn't have to worry so much about Valerio.

Almost the entirety of his grade in this class depended on how well he did during the three exams of each term. If he failed just a single one, he wasn't going to be able to pass the class, and would likely be held back if he failed to pass more then three classes all together.

He couldn't be held back, there was no time for it. Once this year of classes was over, the novel's plot was going to pick up speed exponentially, and he didn't want to be around to get caught in the crossfire.

And that was assuming that he even survived.

It didn't bear thinking of that he wouldn't.

Cale held up his palms straight in front of him, and recited the incantation that he had painfully memorized. It was five sentences long, in a language that he didn't used to know, and had to be said smoothly. If even so much as a single syllable was off, if he stuttered a single sound, if he paused too long between the words or sentences, he risked a potentially fatal backlash.

Calla was weak, but his magic was powerful. If his magic backlashed, it would undoubtedly kill him.

The only relief was knowing — through practice with Julius — that he was still an ice mage.

As the last word of the spell left his lips, the air around him abruptly dropped to below zero, a faint sheen of frost spreading out all around him. In a matter of seconds ice formed on the ground in front of him, spreading quickly to the target and almost climbing up over it.

The ice stopped just short of reaching the head, but he had at least managed to immobilize the entire target's body, so it should still be a pass.

Cale breathed out sharply in relief. At least he wasn't dead yet, that was always something.

Soon, the temperature around him reverted back to normal, the warmth of summer still clinging to the arena.

"Good work." Valerio said and smiled at him.

Cale resisted the urge to run away when that sly smile was aimed at him. Something was going on inside of that man's head, and it wasn't going to go well for him. Or his cousin, probably.

"Thank you, Professor." Cale responded and returned the smile, a fake one that he couldn't make real no matter how hard he tried. Valerio just terrified him too much for him to manage it yet.

Valerio nodded at him and said, "You can go to your next class or take a break now, it's up to you."

Cale didn't say anything, he just nodded and then hurried out of the underground arena.

The arena was large, underground and built of stone, and reminded him far too much of the old gladiator arenas of Rome for his peace of mind. He was thankful that he didn't have to spend another minute of time in it, and hurried as fast as he could without running up the steps to the door out.

As the exam went in alphabetic order based on peoples last names, there were still a lot of people sitting around on the stone benches around the arena, waiting for their turn. As he practically ran by, none of them spared him so much as a glance, more concerned with reciting their own incantations in their heads and ensuring that they didn't forget them.