The Academy at Night
Sleep is a temporary death.
Therefore,
Luke was the sole survivor left behind by the pajama party whose host had long since drifted off.
The room was still, yet the raindrops tapping against the window produced a soft patter, patter that reached every corner.
As expected, sleep will not come.
He had tried to will himself under, but having slept far too long during the day, he felt not the slightest trace of fatigue. Even when he managed to doze, he woke again almost at once. After several such cycles, Luke finally sat up at the edge of the bed.
"Pai, let us go somewhere for a little while. It would be better to put this hour to some use."
—……!
Pai nodded with cheerful readiness.
Luke stroked Mery's hair a few times, then rose.
"Sleep well, Mery."
Lest she wake and search for him, he left a brief note. He also made certain to take his phone.
Over his pajamas he threw on a school blazer, then wrapped himself in a Fire he had magically modified with a target-designation buff. Walking the dormitory corridor, so quiet and dark, felt strangely unfamiliar.
"The academy at night wears a truly curious mana."
Pai nodded at Luke's quiet remark.
By day the halls thronged with students and the mana felt lively and bright; by night it settled into a calm, stable form—an atmosphere that was night itself. Luke loved the night as much as the day. He loved the beautiful night sky every bit as much as the daytime bustle.
Some rules still held true even in this age: stars hung in the heavens, the night was quiet, and magic remained mysterious.
Softly, softly. Lest his footsteps disturb the sleeping children, he walked with careful quiet.
Then, of a sudden, Luke remembered that a music club room lay deeper inside the dormitory. And it was a rainy night. Some might have found the scene eerie or desolate, yet the night Luke saw looked entirely different to him—still and stable, yet never empty, rich to the ear. The atmosphere woven by that beautiful mana could never be fully understood by anyone without Mana Sight.
So Luke found himself thinking of the cello left in the room. Pai seemed to share the thought; she hummed a cello's string-tone and looked up at him.
"I see. Thou wishest to hear me play the cello, is that it?"
Pai brightened at once and declared, "Luke, I'm looking forward to it!"
Yes—if he played something refreshing and returned, sleep would surely come more easily. Pai seemed to want that as well.
Luke started toward the dormitory wing. Or rather, he meant to.
Then—
—…….
A faint melody threaded itself through the rain-filled corridor. It was unmistakably the sound of a violin.
Luke turned to Pai.
"Pai, canst thou hear it?"
She answered with a nod.
So I did not mishear. Luke considered a moment. Approach, or ignore—which path to choose? In truth he already knew the answer without deeper thought.
"Shall we go, then."
There was no chance he could simply suppress his curiosity about the owner of that melody.
When Luke reached the door from which the music came, he opened it with careful quiet so as not to interrupt the performance.
Thud.
Even so, the player must have sensed his presence; the music cut off at once.
Black bobbed hair, black eyes. A figure of ambiguous impression—neither clearly he nor she—stood in a Teag Academy uniform and peered at Luke through the gaps of long-grown bangs.
"Who is it?"
The murmur was almost to himself. Luke approached with an awkward smile.
"Ah—if I have disturbed thee, I apologize. I too came to play, never thinking someone would already be here."
"Ah, you're……."
"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Luke Irushi. And thee?"
The other blinked several times, then spoke in a slightly trembling voice, as if flustered.
"……I'm Ilsea. Ilsea Meteor."
"Ilsea Meteor, is it. A pleasure to make thy acquaintance."
When Luke smiled brightly upon receiving the introduction, Ilsea let out a long, deep sigh—one colored with positive feeling, whether relief or quiet joy.
"You startled me. People almost never come on a night like this, at this hour."
"If I startled thee, then I am sorry; I can only apologize."
"No, it's nothing……."
Ilsea lowered the violin from his shoulder and gripped it together with the bow. With his free hand he scratched the back of his head and gave an awkward little smile.
"Luke Irushi, was it? What's with that way of talking? Is it some trend among kids these days?"
"It is not, but……. Haha. Do not concern thyself overmuch with my manner of speech."
"Is that so……?"
Ilsea gave a short laugh, carefully set the violin on a nearby chair, and stepped closer.
"But you said you came to play? At this hour?"
"Well, thou wert doing the same, were you not."
"That's true, but……."
He scratched the back of his head again, looking troubled.
"By the way, Ilsea—thou playest the violin quite well. At that level, street performances would not be lacking."
"Thanks for the praise, but I don't do street performances. My goal is to place in this year's concours."
"Ho. So some manner of competition is being held?"
"Yeah, well—but weren't you here to practice for that too?"
"I? Well, I merely came to play for the pleasure of it."
Luke shrugged.
"Even so, that concours of thine sounds rather tempting. I am in need of award records, you see."
"Award records? Why?"
"To graduate early. The more awards one holds, the easier it is to be recognized—or so they say."
"Ah, I see."
Ilsea nodded in understanding, then spoke as if something had just occurred to him.
"But do you know how to play the violin too?"
"Ah, that is not the case."
Luke stroked his chin with a troubled air.
"I cannot play the violin because of the horns."
"What do you mean, horns? It doesn't look like a problem. Try holding it once."
Following Ilsea's suggestion, Luke lifted the violin and set it against his shoulder. Then, just as the street performer he had once watched had done, he lowered his head.
"If I raise it like this, the horns get in the way……."
Ilsea immediately shook his head and corrected the posture.
"That posture is wrong. Who taught you that?"
"……I merely glanced at it on the street."
"What is that supposed to mean!"
Thanks to Ilsea's instruction, Luke soon held the violin in the proper posture. Somehow it felt simpler than the cello. After only a few touches of the strings, the feel came to him.
This, no doubt, was the gift of spirit affinity—the talent that let him hear and distinguish the language of spirits. The very fact that he could parse the fine speech of spirits, which ordinary folk were said to be unable even to perceive, was proof enough.
—…….
Luke drew the bow.
There was no technique yet, only an honest melody—neither hurried nor overly bright, a slow and calm line that suited the night. As his hands moved according to the score that rose in his mind, Pai resonated with quiet pleasure.
Is this the guidance of the spirits?
Luke played in a trance. It felt as though he were pouring his own emotions straight into the air—calm, quiet feelings, like the night itself.
When the piece ended, Ilsea clapped.
"Amazing. What piece was that?"
"Improvisation. If I must give it a name……."
Luke pondered, briefly yet deeply. What name would suit the music he had just played? He had never before named a piece that simply followed his hands, and the act felt a little strange. At last he decided.
"……Night of Mana."
He had merely been swept up by the night's atmosphere and poured his feelings into it; no better name came to mind.
"Night of Mana. Nice name. It really did feel like the mana of night. But this doesn't seem like your first time with a string instrument, does it?"
Luke nodded.
"I have handled the cello before; that must be why."
It had been only three days, yet Luke's talent was far from ordinary, and three days for him carried a different weight than three days for most.
"Cello, huh……. Then that makes sense."
Ilsea looked reasonably convinced. After all, the cello was generally considered harder to handle than the violin.
"Still, it's really something. The pieces you play—I've never heard any of them before, they don't need difficult technique, and they're not hard on the ears either."
"Thou flatterest me. I merely rode the atmosphere."
"Hey. If you call that flattery, I'm going to get jealous."
"Haha. Do not be so. For the moment, thou art my teacher."
Talking and playing like that, the hours slipped away. The rain had long since stopped; only the occasional drip, drop of water falling from the eaves mixed with the first bird-song of morning. Looking out the window, one saw fresh sunlight.
Morning.
"Oh dear—already this late. Ilsea, I shall take my leave. Do not skip thy meal either."
"Yeah, Luke. Take care."
Ilsea saw him off with a faint smile as Luke stepped out of the room. Checking the time on the phone he drew from his pocket, Luke found only about thirty minutes remained until breakfast.
Luke hurried back to Mery's room. Before changing into his uniform, he woke her.
Tap, tap.
"Mery, it is morning."
"Mmm……. Nooo, today I just wanna sleep……."
"A child must not skip meals. Rise at once."
Luke pulled the blanket away and shook her awake. She seemed quite helpless in the mornings. Somehow he got her up and made her wash her face; her weight when he tried to move her was greater than expected, and he even had to resort to Enhance Body. Once she was washed and he handed her clothes, she put them on as given. That she could at least change on her own was a genuine mercy.
After somehow getting her dressed and putting on his own uniform, they left the room. Mery stretched out a long yawn.
"Being so weak in the morning……. How on earth dost thou manage school on weekdays?"
"Thaaat……. This is 'cause I stayed up watching movies……. And usually the housekeepers wake me and help……."
"Housekeepers—servants, thou meanest? Then why are they not here today?"
"Mmm……. Today I told them not to wake me 'cause I was gonna play all night with a friend and sleep in……. Haaam……."
"So that was it."
It seemed Mery was not a child from a household without means.
"But why am I in uniform? On weekends it's okay to wear regular clothes."
"Is that so? I did not know……."
"Really? Well, can't help it then."
Mery laughed it off with a carefree hehe, but her words left Luke mildly curious.
Then why was Ilsea in uniform?
Perhaps he had been practicing without even changing clothes?
Quite the hard worker, that one.
Luke shrugged and stepped into the dining hall.