Burning Trauma
No matter what we'd been through, time marched on relentlessly.
Monday, first period.
"Huuuuh...."
Adria and Jenella were both slumped over their desks.
Dark circles ringed their eyes—they clearly hadn't slept a wink.
"You two okay?"
"No...... not at all...... so sleepy...."
"Fall asleep and you'll get an F."
"No way!"
Adria had already downed her coffee in one go, her determination to protect her grade shining through.
Jenella, on the other hand, seemed to be pinching pennies and hadn't bought any, leaving her looking half-dead.
"Huuuuh...."
"What's your deal?"
"Sleepy...... had nightmares and kept waking up...."
"Drink some caffeine."
Jenella had a decent amount of cash these days anyway.
The bounty from killing that dark elf the other day—25 gold after splitting the 100-gold reward four ways.
I'd originally planned to give her the whole thing, but she'd refused flat-out.
'We suffered together, so we split it fair.'
'Nah, I don't need it.'
'......What? How can you say you don't need gold?'
'Right? How?!'
'......Ash, why you too?'
We'd ended up arguing like hell over it.
Truth was, I'd only gone along for the sweet experience points....
"But how are you two fine......?"
Jenella asked me and Ash from her half-corpse state.
Ash, who looked just as fresh as I did, shrugged.
"No reason we wouldn't be."
"After that scene......? And you two even interrogated them yourselves......"
"I've done it a few times. No point moping about it. Just solve it, right?"
"?"
Jenella shot her a puzzled look, but Ash just smiled sweetly.
'What? We will solve it.'
I'd made up my mind yesterday. This weekend, we'd hit the Back Alley and wreck shop.
But I hadn't told a soul. So how was she so damn sure?
'Did she eavesdrop the other day?'
No way. Nipella Aoman had put up a barrier himself and double-checked for leaks.
Impossible to overhear.
So how'd she know?
"How're you planning to solve it?"
"Just report it anonymously? Hide our names thoroughly, of course."
......Not what I meant, but whatever.
No point grilling her—I'd never figure it out.
Probably had something to do with her being one of those regressor types.
"Good morning, everyone. Please take your seats."
Jayyan entered right on cue.
She launched into the lesson with a clear voice, oblivious to our near-death states.
"We'll do an hour of Basic Mana Control, then cover 'attributes' today. Most of you have likely found yours already, but some haven't, and even those who have might lack proficiency."
"Professor, is the weekly assignment on attributes too?"
"Spot on. Here's this week's early: Find a 'unique' attribute beyond the basics—fire, water, wind, earth."
......Huh?
How the hell were we supposed to do that?
I swallowed the protest rising in my throat.
'......Void or light maybe?'
Lucky I'd picked up some trivia back on Earth.
The class was designed to snap you out of any daze, no matter what.
She didn't just lecture—she gestured, embodied the attributes, and demonstrated with her own mana control.
"Don't worry, we'll still drill Basic Mana Control. No skimping on training."
Basic mana control wasn't rocket science. Just endless reps in the right posture.
Proficiency came down to time and focus invested.
That's why most skipped it.
Weights at the gym at least go up—mana drills felt endless, no visible gains, pure boredom.
"Those who can, show your attributes."
Everyone except me and Adria demonstrated theirs.
Fire, lightning, water, wind...... a rainbow of elements.
My Divine Power wasn't mana, no 'attribute' to it, so I just stared blankly at the board.
Adria's doll-summoning was a unique ability, no attribute either.
'......Wonder what Ash's is.'
Ash's looked like water but darker, stickier—more slime than liquid.
Evoked 'abyss' for some reason.
Jayyan scanned the room and nodded approvingly.
"Excellent. Now, shape your attributes. Water users, make fire shapes. Wind, form earth. It'll double the control challenge—but mastery skyrockets."
"?"
"Control's twice as tricky, but progress is faster."
Ingenious.
Like building poison resistance on purpose?
Jayyan smiled faintly.
"Begin. You two, I'll help separately."
Adria didn't need much— she focused on evolving her unique ability instead.
'She looks off.'
Come to think of it, back in the forest, she'd botched her spells despite a few tries.
'Where's your doll's arm?'
'Huh? What's wrong with this?'
Even with the magic circle interference, it'd bruised her pride bad.
Lips pursed, she dove into mana control.
Then Jayyan approached me.
"Struggling with attribute manifestation?"
"Yeah...... kinda."
"Imagine fire for me?"
Won't work anyway.
I'm a priest. Priests wield Divine Power with god-given attributes from the start.
But slacking off upfront wouldn't impress the prof.
I closed my eyes and focused.
'Fire.'
A massive inferno devouring a whole building flooded my mind.
Arson of unknown origin—engulfed everything: people, objects, records, all incinerated.
Unknown? Really?
From scalp to toes, the agony of my body burning away. A memory I hated dredging up—but I projected it...... and shaped my Divine Power.
"......Stop! Eugene!"
"?"
"Recall your mana!"
I snapped my eyes open at Jayyan's urgent shout.
A wave of scorching heat blasted my face.
.........WHOOSH!
A colossal fireball.
Fierce enough to incinerate everything, manifesting grandly through my Divine Power.
What the hell?
Panicking, I recalled it.
Pssshhh—
It vanished with a dying gust.
Jayyan lowered her outstretched hand—she'd been blocking it from exploding when I lost control.
She wiped sweat from her brow.
"......Intense."
"Huh?"
"Nothing. Anyway, you've never manifested attributes because you lacked the trigger."
Makes sense?
I'd never needed attributes much.
With two magic users around, no urgency.
'......She knows magic? That power could've torched the forest solo.'
'He screams priest...... or swordsman, not mage.'
I ignored my friends' mutters.
'Magic too?'
Magic wasn't just mana control. Different from holy magic.
Needed magic circles and incantations.
1-circle was basic enough to skip them, but 2+ required both.
As I pondered, Jayyan finished thinking and spoke.
"Eugene, a bit risky, but......"
"?"
"Try another attribute?"
Why risk it?
The thought flashed, but prof knows best—I prepped.
Water this time.
I pictured water.
Gluglugluglug.
Choking.
Forced breaths flooding mouth and nose, everything clogged with foreign liquid...... horrific sensation.
Water in my memories was mostly this.
Blubblubblub....
"Good! Stop!"
I opened my eyes.
A massive water orb hovered before me, dark as the abyss.
Recalled my Divine Power—it dissolved smoothly. Jayyan, visibly shocked, wiped sweat again.
"......Impressive. But don't use it."
"?"
"Know how close that was to bursting? Water's harmless, but fire......"
Boom. She mimed it.
"This classroom would've been rubble. Everyone hurt bad."
Close call.
I pictured Nipella chuckling sagely at my mess-up.
Zen-master vibes.
'......Gotta be careful.'
I nodded.
"S-sor......"
You told me to!
Nearly snapped that.
"......Sorry."
"No apologies. I asked. If I sounded scolding, my bad. Practice with me around."
"Got it."
"Good. Basic Mana Control practice will reduce explosion risks naturally. Keep at it."
"Yep!"
Jayyan nodded.
"Everyone, practice. Oh, and don't forget the assignment. Due Friday."
"......"
"......"
The final gut punch.
Perfect class.
Step, step.
Swish. Swish.
Step, step, step.
Swish swish. Swish. Swish.
Pause.
Swish...... pause.
Bulria whipped around. By pure coincidence, our eyes met as I passed by.
He ground his teeth, glaring daggers.
"......Why're you always tailing me?"
"Tailing? We were heading to eat and bumped into you. Right?"
"Obviously. We were on a date."
Ash, walking with me, beamed.
Bulria couldn't stomach our shameless faces and exploded.
"Don't bullshit me! How many times have we 'bumped'—"
"Fate or some crap? Sorry, I'm anti-BL. Can't return your love. Sorry in advance~"
"......I'll kill you!!"