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"Cultivation." A student behind us whispers something that sounds like obvious. Nyra hears it. Her shoulders tighten. Professor Neris does too. "Explain."

Nyra glances toward me, then back to the professor. "Fae magic is usually described as command over nature, but that language is inaccurate." The room grows quieter. "Living magic can't truly be commanded. It can be encouraged, redirected or... invited." Professor Neris' eyebrow lifts. Nyra continues, more confidently now. "The earliest records describe fae as caretakers of magical balance rather than rulers of forests."

The professor studies her for a long moment. "Correct."

Nyra's eyes widen slightly. The student behind us stops whispering. Professor Neris turns away as if nothing significant happened.

Nyra looks down at her notes. A small smile appears. I nudge her elbow. She looks toward me.

"Well done," I whisper. Color rises in her cheeks.

"Thank you." It is the first real thing we say to each other. Small. Enough.

The lecture continues for nearly two hours. By the first hour, my hand aches from writing. By the second, I have learned that almost everything I know contains a missing piece.

The wolf kingdoms describe pack magic as loyalty. The Academy describes it as involuntary magical synchronization.

Siren teachings often frame influence as voice-based enchantment. Professor Neris insists the voice is merely one possible conduit.

Medusae are taught that petrification is their most dangerous gift. According to the Academy, magical perception causes more accidental harm because students often see weaknesses they are not prepared to understand.

Even vampires disagree on whether blood sensitivity is instinctive or learned. Every answer leads to another question. Every certainty develops fractures. I love it. I hate it. I cannot stop writing.

Professor Neris eventually closes the final book. "For the next six weeks, you will study baseline inheritance before attempting formal manifestation assessment." A disappointed murmur moves through the room. She ignores it. "You will not experiment unsupervised." The disappointment becomes louder. "If that instruction makes you curious, consider it specifically directed at you."

Several students sink lower in their seats. "Your first written assignment is due in three days." A collective inhale. Professor Neris turns toward the board. Words appear across the black surface.

Describe the difference between inheritance, instinct and manifestation. Include one historical misconception from your own people. Three days. Nyra's pen stops moving. Professor Neris adds— "Minimum twelve pages."

Someone near the back whispers, "Gods."

Professor Neris turns. "Fourteen for you." The class becomes completely silent.

The doors open at the final bell. No one rushes out. Students remain seated long enough to organize their notes, compare assignments and quietly ask one another what a historical misconception is supposed to mean. The seriousness of the room does not vanish with the lesson. It follows us into the corridor.

Nyra and I walk together without discussing it. For several minutes, neither of us speaks. My mind is too full. Apparently hers is too. Finally, she exhales.

"I thought I knew more."

I look toward her. "So did I." I admit.

"My mother taught me every recorded fae lineage before I was ten."

"My tutors made me recite vampire control principles until I could do it while sparring."

Nyra glances at me. "You answered incorrectly." She says.

"Thank you for noticing." I almost laugh.

"I didn't mean—" She starts.

"I know." She presses her lips together, trying not to smile. I continue. "You answered correctly."

"That felt accidental." She admits.

"It didn't sound accidental."

She looks down at the books in her arms. "I read a lot."