Radiance - The Alight Archives Book #1

17. Spontaneous Sorcery

It was a jumbled mess of flying colors and exploding magic; feet scampering in a frenzy as shouts sprouted loudly around her. It was an eyesore of discharging Essence transfigured into unstable and ill-performed spells. Chaos with electricity that zapped at the skin of anyone close by.

Elaine had experience in surviving cluttered environments. Why, whenever the Sycamore Festival came around every year in Page, she along with the rest of her family had to fight a rather discordant battle themselves. The streets would be flooded with people—an audience composed of Page residents as well visitors from neighboring towns and villages—and so it made it quite difficult for one to navigate their way through the elaborate cacophony of chaos. That is, without being shoved to the ground first.

However, at least during the Sycamore Festival, she didn't have to account for nearly getting struck in the face by an exploding ball of magic. She crouched to her knees as emerald lightning flew through the air. At the same time, she discerned a nearby homunculus stomp its feet into the dirt as it chased after another student.

Once the professor had started the exercise the artificial men hadn't hesitated. They pounced on them without delay, eagerly searching for the student they had been assigned to. As Elaine scrambled to her feet, she realized that one of the homunculus, in particular, had fixated its attention on her specifically.

Well, then. I reckon you're my opponent, Elaine thought, grinning nervously.

Confirming her suspicions, the homunculus lowered itself into a crouch, then lunged at her in an elastic display of agility. It smudged into a blur, and fostered no sympathy for those—may they be human or homunculus—who it had rammed out of the way along its aggressive charge.

It was coming for her. Surges, it was coming for her!

Elaine hesitated as she watched the creature swing back one of its skeletal limbs—forming bony fingers into a tight fist—and hopped several meters into the air, its shadow grazing across the cracked pavement like a formless, black-colored ghost.

Reacting in a hurry, Elaine jumped out back, her boots grazing to a stop from where she slid over the amethyst magic circle. A second later and the homunculus landed in a loud vibration of dust and stone. As the sheet of grime filtered out of existence, Elaine was surprised—and suitably terrified—that a sizable crater had been formed from where the homunculus' fist had plowed into the dirt.

Merciful Aeris, these creatures could kill someone. And she had a feeling their professor was aware of that fact. Yet he authorized the exercise regardless? Out of the corner of her glance, Elaine spotted the bald man seating himself on the bleachers.

Was he grading them? Examining how they perform? Elaine couldn't find him holding any papers; the man didn't even have a pen. So what was he doing? Those glistening eyes and entertained smile of his translated to Elaine that he was merely enjoying the disorganized sight unfolding before him. At least someone was having fun. Aeris knew she wasn't.

Her homunculus made for her again. This time, it swiped an arm over the ground as it sprung, leaving a rolling trail of dust with every leaping stomp. In a few more seconds, Elaine figured it'd infiltrate her proximity. So why wasn't she doing anything? She had a wand, she was a sorcerer.

Elaine shot a glance at the wand gripped in her hand. Yes, she couldn't just stand around looking helpless. Setting her jaw, she pointed the tip of the wand at the approaching homunculus. But only then did a horrifying realization strike her like a bolt of lightning to a tree.

She guessed that Custas was probably just buying himself some time, or maybe there was indeed an aspect of truth attached to the words flung off the tongue of the liar. Whatever the answer may be, what was perfectly apparent to her now was that she only really had ever mastered one spell. One. Single. Spell. And unfortunately for her, it wasn't a combat spell.