After class, Artemis gathered her things and walked toward the door, still processing everything from the lesson. As she turned into the hallway, she accidentally bumped into someone—hard. She stumbled back, looking up to see none other than Ren Vangelis. His piercing eyes met hers, dark and distant.


    "Oh, sorry—" Artemis started, but Ren cut her off before she could introduce herself.


    "It''s best if you stay away from me," he said in a low voice. "Bad things always happen to people around me."


    Without another word, he turned and walked away, his posture tense, his hands clenched into fists at his sides.


    Artemis stood frozen for a moment, staring after him. The air between them had felt strangely heavy, like there was more behind his words than simple caution.


    Lydia huffed beside her, crossing her arms. "Well, that was rude."


    Artemis, however, didn’t feel insulted. If anything, she was intrigued. There was something about Ren—something deeper than just his cold demeanor.


    Before she could dwell on it further, a bright, cheerful voice called out, "Hey!"


    They turned to see the pink-haired girl from the train approaching them. She stopped a few steps away, her bright red eyes warm with apology. "I wanted to say sorry about earlier. My name''s Sakura Vangelis."


    Artemis blinked. "You''re Ren''s sister, right?"


    Sakura nodded. "Ren’s my twin brother. I’m the new Persephone, and he’s… well, Hades."


    That caught Artemis’s attention. She had never considered who Ren could be the reincarnation of, but it made sense. He carried an air of solitude, a weight of something unspoken.


    Sakura sighed, her expression dimming. "Our father wasn’t… a nice man. When he found out Ren was the reincarnation of Hades, he saw it as a curse. He was strict, religious, and convinced that Ren would bring misfortune to everyone around him. He drilled that belief into my brother, and now, Ren truly thinks bad things happen to people who get close to him."


    Artemis felt a pang of sympathy. "That’s awful."


    Sakura sighed. "It is. But he’s not a bad person, I promise. He just needs time. Please, be patient with him—he’ll come around."


    Artemis nodded slowly. "I’ll try."


    Sakura smiled gratefully before glancing toward the hallway where Ren had disappeared. "I should go catch up with him. See you around, Artemis!" With that, she hurried off.


    As soon as she was gone, Lydia gave Artemis a pointed look. "You’re way too interested in him."


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    Artemis smirked. "Can you blame me? He’s mysterious."


    Kayla, who had been silent until now, scoffed. "I’d rather deal with that than my partner. Eric is insufferable. He’s arrogant, condescending, and acts like he knows everything."


    Lydia groaned. "I still don’t know why I don’t like mine, but something about Sorrel just rubs me the wrong way."


    With their thoughts still lingering on their partners, the girls headed to their next class—Magic Studies, led by Mrs. Elderose.


    The classroom was large and illuminated by an array of floating orbs that glowed like miniature stars. The walls were lined with shelves containing aged scrolls and leather-bound books. At the front stood their teacher, Mrs. Elderose. She was an elegant yet commanding presence, her long, dark purple hair falling in soft waves past her shoulders. Sharp golden-yellow eyes studied the class with quiet intensity, framed by her sharply defined features. Her celestial-themed robe was an enchanting deep purple that transitioned into lighter shades at the hem, gold accents outlining constellations, stars, and a crescent moon. A belt chain adorned with star and moon charms swayed as she moved. Beneath the cape, she wore a dark high-collared tunic shirt, black pants, fingerless gloves, and a simple black choker, all adding to her mystique.


    When she spoke, her voice was smooth and authoritative. "Welcome to Magic Studies. While some of you may not rely on magic as your primary ability, every god had at least some knowledge of it. Today, we will begin with something simple—a transformation spell."


    She waved a hand, and pencils appeared on every student’s desk. "Your task is to turn this pencil into an eraser. This may seem easy, but transformation magic requires focus and precision. Magic is about intent and control. You must will the object to change."


    The students eagerly got to work. Artemis picked up her pencil and took a deep breath, concentrating. Shefocused hard, envisioning the pencil shifting into a rubbery eraser.


    But nothing happened.


    Lydia grumbled beside her, tapping her pencil against the desk. "Ugh. Why isn’t this working?"


    Across the room, a soft hum of magic filled the air, and a single eraser sat on Kayla’s desk. She had done it effortlessly, her expression emotionless as she inspected her work.


    Lydia gawked. "You did that already?!"


    Kayla simply shrugged. "It’s not that difficult if you focus."


    Artemis rolled her shoulders, determined. She wasn’t going to let this beat her. She tried again, with even more focus. The pencil shimmered faintly, its form flickering between solid wood and something softer. With one last push of willpower, it changed.


    An eraser sat in her palm.


    A smile spread across Artemis’s face. She had done it.


    Lydia cheered beside her. "Finally! Me too!"


    Mrs. Elderose walked through the class, observing their progress. When she reached their table, she gave Artemis a small nod. "Well done. Keep practicing, and you will improve."


    As the lesson continued, Artemis found herself more eager than ever to see what else she could do.


    When class ended, Artemis and Lydia exchanged excited looks, still energized from their small success. Even Kayla, though as composed as ever, seemed pleased with herself.


    As they gathered their things, Lydia whispered, "You know, magic is a lot harder than I thought it would be."


    Artemis grinned. "Yeah, but that just makes getting it right even better."


    Kayla adjusted her bag. "If you practice daily, you’ll get better. Magic is just another skill to refine."


    As they stepped out into the hallway, the excitement of their first successful spell work lingered, fueling Artemis’s curiosity for what other abilities she had yet to unlock.