The css came to an end not long ter, after Dr. Elias had discussed how a Novice Mage knew if their path to spell casting was either by Construction or Creation. Which was simply by taking note of the way mana flowed within their body.

  For Construction, mana always sought an outlet. They wanted to link with the molecules in the atmosphere they were connected to, and whenever a Mage channeled mana, they too would feel the urge to link and tamper with whatever molecules came together to form their ability.

  Dr. Elias had said it came as a tingling feeling at the tip of a Mage’s fingers, almost unnoticeable if one didn’t concentrate. Merlin wouldn’t know.

  For Creation, however, the mana just flowed within the body, not for once seeking to leave or connect with the outside world. It was like they were trapped in a prison, but unlike their counterpart in Construction Mages, they didn’t want to escape.

  Furthermore, as opposed to Construction Mages, where mana generally flowed to their fingertips, mana flow was different for each Creation Mage. And that was reted to the way their spells were cast.

  Dr. Elias had said that that was a topic for the professors taking Creation 101 and Construction 101, and ended the css there. After all, every student now knew which of the Mages they were. Merlin not excluded. He had known which he was ever since that day at the Consortium. He was neither.

  “Isn’t Construction, like, more common?” Oh Jihye questioned from the side; not to Merlin, though, but to Lee Jaehyun. “Everyone keeps saying they’re a Construction Mage. I don’t think I’ve heard anyone call themself a Creation Mage. You’re a Construction Mage too, aren’t you? I am as well.”

  “Yes,” Lee Jaehyun answered simply, engaging Oh Jihye, despite his gaze going over her and towards Merlin who was deep in thought.

  What exactly does Professor Jung want to talk to me about? What am I to expect going forward now that the headmaster has sprung the whole Cataclysm thing on me? Goodness… This is eating into me.

  Merlin clenched his chin, his knuckles white as he gazed deep into the desk in front of him. It was as though he was searching for some deep secrets within the marble. He then sighed.

  I can’t wait until all my csses have ended. I have to go see Professor Jung now and find out what she knows and what I’m to expect.

  Merlin made up his mind and began to pack his things.

  “Are you heading somewhere?” Lee Jaehyun asked, causing Oh Jihye to look over her shoulder at Merlin.

  “Where are you going?” she joined in. “We still have csses.”

  Merlin didn’t spare them a look and just zipped his bag. “Yeah, I’ll be back—hopefully. I just have to go somewhere immediately.”

  Oh Jihye just shrugged, without a care in the world, and turned back to Lee Jaehyun.

  The boy, however, was not yet ready to resume his talk with her.

  “I can lend you my notes if you want? If you don’t return, that is,” Lee Jehyun proposed, then quickly fished out his phone. “Here, you can put your number in.” He stretched it over Oh Jihye’s shoulder, and Merlin could see the girl’s expression tighten. She didn’t like it when she was ignored, it seemed, just like on that day at the orientation with Nora. But Merlin could hardly be bothered by it. Lee Jaehyun was a life saver.

  “Thank you,” said Merlin as he took the phone, put in his digits, and rose to his feet.

  Before he could leave the cssroom, though, he was ambushed by a group of three familiar girls, to his surprise.

  “H-Hi,” the one in the front said, having been shoved by her friends to move closer to him. She had blonde hair and blue eyes, and Merlin recalled her name. “I’m Sofia,” she said with a bashful tone.

  “I know,” Merlin replied, trying not to let his surprise at being approached bleed out of his voice. “And I’m Merlin,” he quickly added.

  He was not dense, so he could see exactly where this was headed. The only problem with it was that he could not understand why Sofia had been blushing at him and not Lee Jaehyun instead.

  He gnced at Lee Jaehyun, who was well back to concentrating on his tablet, but still finding a way to engage Oh Jihye, probably as a means to not come off as rude.

  Yeah. I must have been mistaken.

  “Nice to meet you,” Sofia said.

  “Same here,” Merlin replied.

  Then, perhaps tired of being all shy and whatnot, Sofia sighed and pressed her lips into a fine line before adding, “Will you be free this Saturday? I was hoping we could hang out and talk, and…” She paused, not knowing what else to include.

  Merlin, however, was in a hurry. He would prefer not to miss his csses, if he could help it, and that meant that he had to meet up with Professor Jung quickly. In that regard, he just stretched his hand out at Sofia. She blinked owlishly in response.

  “I want to put my number in so we can talk ter,” he said. “I’m kind of in a hurry now.”

  Sofia drew in a sharp breath. “Oh, yes. Sorry.”

  “No need to apologize.” She gave him her phone and he typed in his digits. “Talk to you ter then,” Merlin said as he handed back her phone and hurried out of the cssroom.

  He had acted all composed back there, but if it wasn’t because of his urge to meet up with Professor Jung, he would have lost his mind at what had happened. It was the first time in all his years that a girl had approached him first—well, in that manner. After all, it didn’t seem like she was just trying to be friends.

  There was also the possibility that he was just reading too much into it.

  On the other hand, he wondered if he had made the wrong choice. If in the off-chance that she actually did like him, then he would have to drop the bomb on her that he liked someone else. Perhaps he should have told her that then. But…He couldn’t do that. He knew how rejection felt, and he couldn’t bring himself to dish that out to someone else.

  I’ll just tell her that I’m busy ter on… Arghhh… goodness… That’s just as bad!

  Well, there was no point in dwelling on such things at the moment. He had more pressing matters to attend to.

  Merlin turned to his smartwatch, seeking out the list of professors that was on the Academy’s database—the one accessible to students. When he found it, he scrolled until his finger hovered above Professor Jung’s face. He clicked it, and set up the corresponding actions that followed, so that a map appeared on his smartwatch’s screen with two blinking dots. The red one represented him, while the blue one represented the location he sought out: Professor Jung’s staff room.

  He had had no idea where that was, which was why he’d had to rely on his smartwatch.

  A couple of minutes ter, he was standing before a door with a golden pte bearing the name: Jung Seoyeon. He knocked.

  “Come in,” Professor Jung replied immediately. Merlin obliged. “Merlin Tyrrell. What are you doing here?” she asked as soon as she saw his face. She was standing before a table to the corner of her staff room, mixing what seemed to be a cup of coffee.

  “You asked me to come,” Merlin replied, shutting the door behind him.

  Professor Jung gnced at him as she took a sip of what she had brewed and nodded in satisfaction.

  “I recall telling you to do that after all your csses have ended,” she said. “Missing csses isn’t a good look, you know? Do you want to cost your Cohort points?” She then gestured the teacup in her hand at him. “Want one?”

  “No, thank you,” said Merlin, telling himself that he was not here to rex. And, besides, how could she threaten him and offer him coffee at the same time? His lips almost twitched.

  “Shame,” said Professor Jung. Then she walked slowly to her desk, her feet covered by a casual pam slipper and not her usual high-heels. “Your loss. I’m very good at brewing coffee.”

  “Maybe I can take you up on that offer another day,” said Merlin.

  Professor Jung took another sip of her coffee then sat halfway on the edge of her desk, just beside the guest chair.

  “So, what made you run all the way here now, skipping csses?” Her gaze told Merlin all he needed to know. He didn’t know how much, but it seemed she was well aware of why he was here. She just wanted him to say it.

  Merlin took in a deep breath and exhaled.

  “It’s about the return of the Cataclysm.”