Chapter 7: The Flame Eater, Part 2

"Please. Anything but that," Ignis pleaded.

"Why? Aren't you two friends?" Oceana spoke without the echoer in front of her mouth. What a familiar artifact, Ignis thought.

"That's what she believes. I don't want to babysit her again."

"Then don't." Oceana retorted. "Don't worry. To make things fair for you, I will ask her reason first." Then she faced Mariana. "Lady Fairchild, am I correct? Anyway, why do you want to be in the same class as Ignis?"

"Yes, Mariana Fairchild. As for your other question... um." Mariana scratched her temple. "I don't think Ignis would like it if everyone else heard about what he knew."

'Thanks... Now they would have no idea about it.'

Ignis was annoyed.

He regretted he accepted the two-faced woman's request to study in Arcanus. All he wanted to do was follow the Lady of Sickle's wishes. That was why he went to Arcanus in the first place. However, Oceana, or whom Ignis called the Two-faced Woman persuaded him to attend the next term, saying he would be in danger once everyone learned about his existence.

"You've used some of your spells while you were heading here. Am I correct? How confident are you that no one had seen and learned about you? What if someone is on your tail right now as we speak?" Oceana asked when they first met.

Ignis knew Oceana was right. He was just so used to doing magic whenever he was in a pinch. He even wanted to burn the bastards who foolishly attacked him and Mariana when they were heading to the inn Robert mentioned. Good thing he controlled his temper.

But what intrigued Ignis was that it appeared as Oceana had been expecting his arrival. Her assistant, Theresa, even delivered his uniform the same day he arrived at Oceana's office.

'I knew I should've read that letter.'

The Lady of Sickle wanted him to deliver a letter to Oceana. She had told her about this long before he even received his fire magic. Did she even have the knowledge about her fate even before that happened? Ignis would never know the answer. All he wished was to follow what she wanted for Ignis to repay the kindness he received, but now...

Ignis glared at Mariana.

"Why was she even here?" Ignis whispered to Oceana.

"She passed just like everyone else. Did you think she wouldn't make it? Mean."

"I-I..."

Ignis felt guilty. Indeed, he didn't think Mariana would pass. He should've known that Mariana could take on any challenge. He praised her for being such a fast learner. When Ignis taught her what he knew about water and ice, he wasn't expecting that Mariana would be able to do it. He was ready to knock the man out cold had she failed — but she didn't. She properly cast a spell with the knowledge she had heard the first time.

Ignis was sure that it was the first time Mariana had heard about it. He knew whatever was in his head, from the moment the Lady of Sickle saved him from dying in the Lost Woods until today, never existed in this place. He even had thought of many scenarios about where it might have come from.

He thought of the possibility that there might be a hidden continent somewhere in Paradis, and they must've banished him from that place because of some unknown reasons. Another theory he thought of was that he might be a failed experiment of the dwarves — or maybe the elves — but he never really saw any of those races in his memories, so he crossed that one out. The funniest thing that came to his mind was when he thought he might've come from a different world. Although, he knew that was just him being desperate for answers. No wonder the Lady of Sickle didn't want him to speak anything about it.

"So?" Oceana poked Ignis with her elbow. "What do you say about her proposal?"

"Didn't you just say that you've already decided?"

"No wonder you ended up taking care of her," Oceana chuckled.

'This woman...'

"Which class are in, Lady Fairchild?" asked Oceana.

"Class 2! I'm in class 2!"

"You heard her. Go on. The longer you stand here, the higher the chance that I will expel all that I ate yesterday from where they entered."

Without a word, he went down the podium to join Mariana in the line. There she was, fidgeting with her hands; the same thing she did before she bombarded her for four hours.

Ignis' shoulders slumped and his stomach turned.

'One term... With her... Jealous god...'

***

After the morning assembly, Mariana, Ignis, and the others went back to their respective buildings to start classes. Class 2's room — Water Class 2, specifically — was on the first floor of the Elements Building, together with all the other Elements' first-years.

The new students were busy chatting with each other as they walked to the Elements' hallway. Mariana, on the other hand, was busy admiring the building — something she had not done before.

The Elements Building had a simple interior. Hung on the walls — which were painted in pure white — were magnificent paintings of mages, casting spells, or magnificent landmarks. Atmos was in one painting. Mariana knew because she clearly remembered how it looked from below. The windows didn't even have curtains in them, but casements were attached to it if it ever rained.

The room's doors, however, were entirely replaced. It wasn't the simple wooden door anymore. What they saw dividing the doors from the classrooms were elements. A powerful gust of wind covered the Wind classroom entrance — so powerful that the student who mindlessly tried to enter got thrown back, hitting the others standing behind him. Thankfully, no one got seriously hurt.

Large boulders blocked Earth classrooms. How they would enter the rooms was something Mariana didn't know, but she was curious to find out. Last, a raging waterfall shielded her classroom, as well as all the other water mages rooms. Amazingly enough, even though the water was strongly falling to the ground, the floor wasn't even wet.

No one bothered to try their way inside the room anymore after what they'd seen a while ago. Even the other classes were figuring out how they would remove their respective obstacles. Just as everyone almost gave up, a student spoke up.

"Ha! Pathetic. All of you!" he yelled.

Everyone looked around to find where the insult came from, and they all landed their eyes on a young male student wearing an earth mage uniform.

"Who is that?" whispered a wind student.

"Jack Byron..." answered another. "Don't mess with him, or you might get to his family's bad side."

"Didn't his uncle got on Lady Theresa's bad side last month and—"

"Shut up, he might hear you!"

The student named Jack sniggered. "Are you truly nobles?" He yelled once more to all of them. "Haven't you learned anything from your families, or are they just pathetic as you all are?"

"Not as pathetic as your uncle Edgar..." an earth mage whispered.

Mariana, who was watching the commotion silently in front of the waterfall door, suddenly got absorbed in thinking. Putting Jack's rude attitude aside, his cleverness amazed her. The way he spoke to everyone appeared to her as if he already knew how to enter his classroom and maybe the other classrooms, too.

'But why did he need to boast about it?'

Mariana looked at the faces of everyone. Irritation was plastered on their faces, but they couldn't even speak. Some were even hiding behind their classmates' backs to avoid being involved. Was he that powerful? They shouldn't be, after all, Jack's uncle Edgar couldn't even do anything against Theresa. She should have nothing to worry about, as long as she did nothing that could incite hate.

Jack's grin faded away, his face bearing no expression. He approached the earth mage student who whispered about his uncle and said, "Why don't you get in, then?" He pulled the student closer through his collar. "Open it!"

"I-I... don't..." Mariana noticed the student in Jack's grasp's throat budged up and down several times. "... know."

Jack pushed the student in his clutch and he slumped on the floor. "Get lost..."

His grin then returned once more to his face. "Anyone else?"

But no one spoke. Mariana witnessed how every noble's head in her sight was all glued to the ground.

'Should I do the same?'

Mariana wasn't sure where to look. Her head bobbed frantically for a moment, but she did whatever everyone else was doing. She wasn't scared of Jack, but she didn't want to get in trouble on her first day. Besides, if a noble wasn't safe from Jack, she doubted she'd receive better treatment.

Mariana saw before lowering her head how Jack's eyes circled to every person present in the hallway. Now she was even feeling the pressure around her envelope the whole hallway. When did she feel tense? She couldn't even remember. No one dared to even make a sound.

Slightly irritated, Mariana instead searched for Ignis. She hoped he could solve this door dilemma. They were both on the line, but he somehow disappeared when everyone tried to solve how to open the classroom door.

Why did they need to do this to the doors, anyway? Mariana thought. Wooden doors were perfect! Should they have wanted a sturdier door, why did they not make something out of metal? She should've been listening to magic lessons right now.

Mariana turned her head behind her, but he still couldn't find him. Did he go somewhere? She asked herself, and for a while, that was what she thought — before he eventually gave his location to Mariana and everyone else as well. Ignis broke the tension, but not through words. His eyes weren't even open as he leaned against the wall next to one window adjacent to Class 2's room. What made his existence known to everyone was — well — his sonorous yawn. Mariana, to her utter disbelief, imitated what Ignis used to do when she was being silly; she buried her palm in her face, and let out a disappointing groan.

Everyone's head turned toward Ignis' direction, their faces held different emotions. Ignis, however, appeared unaware of these, and Mariana assumed he didn't even care. This changed Jack's face to a scowl.

"You dare yawn at my presence?!" Jack shrieked as he furiously shove aside everyone blocking his way toward Ignis.

'Ah, what is going on?!'

Mariana wanted to interfere. Jack didn't even know who he was up against! If he annoyed Ignis, he would be lucky if he could get out with only losing all of his hairs in his body. What should she do?

Jack's mouth leaned closer to Ignis' ears and shouted, "Wake up, you impudent bastard! Didn't you know who I am?!"

Ignis finally opened his eyes.

To everyone else who did not know him, they assumed he was simply unfazed. Not even a crease formed on his forehead, after all. But Mariana knew Ignis was extremely enraged. His eyes became filled with intense anger; like fire engulfing a pitiful house. She decided to step in.

"Um, Jack. Please stop—"

"Shut up, commoner!" Jack pushed Mariana aside. She lost her balance and fell to the ground.

'Ouch...'

Mariana quickly got back to her feet, but she returned to her place faster than she could stand straight thanks to Jack's shove.

Seeing what happened, Ignis leaned to her and offered a hand.

"You okay?" Ignis asked.

"Yeah, thanks..." Mariana answered.

"How sweet! The freak saves his commoner girl—"

"[Hellfire.]"

Mariana witnessed in horror how Ignis' one spell slowly engulfed Jack's entire body in flames.

"NOoOoOoOO! STa— AAACCKK!" Jack pleaded, but it fell on deaf ears.

Everyone else's faces were filled in terror as they helplessly watched the prideful noble got eaten by the red fire.

"What is happening?!"