---

 

After about 20 minutes since they were told they were having these 'showcase' matches, students from the first year classes started looking over the courtyard from the various balconies of the third floor. There were six wide balconies shaped from marble, one for each class it would seem, offering different viewpoints of the courtyard. Remi assumed this courtyard was a regular spot for Academy events. Glancing about, he couldn't see Rem or Kari but he knew they had to be there. 

 

I wonder what they were told, he mused idly.

 

The fiery red headed Chloe Cooper, and her muscular Beastkin partner for this match Sojuro Nakata, were in the midst of fighting against the calm and aloof Katrina Brink and stocky, frightened Richard Rosmith. Since the beginning, it was an uphill battle for Chloe and Sojuro as the fight devolved into two 1 vs 1 battles, foregoing any teamwork. This was due to the overwhelming area spell, Graviton, actualized by Katrina, which multiplies gravity in an area around a fixed point of a surface. It was easy enough for Chloe to counter, who is able to use Order Magicka, however she had to take time to chant the appropriate spell. Katrina, it turns out, was an Invoker and was able to freely actualize aetherik into being, without wasting time with a chant. This put Chloe at a distinct disadvantage in keeping Katrina in check, while Sojuro, unable to reach his opponents, was only able to wait for an opportunity. 

 

"Lady Cooper! I will take the fight to Mister Rosmith. You give me an opening." The overbearing Sojuro exclaimed loudly as he was forced to the ground by an unseen pressure; his weapon, a bo staff, gripped by his hands. Laying on top of the large, translucent white magical circle that appears with the execution of a spell, Sojuro was struggling to his knees amidst the pressure.

 

Chloe, away from the area affected by Graviton, was attempting to chant a two verse Element Magicka spell, Flamebolt, in hopes of catching Katrina off guard as the girl was focused on maintaining her spell. 

 

"O Elements, heed my fiery command!; adhere to my will, blaze across the skies!"

 

Richard, however, was not allowing this. Hearing her begin to chant, he also quickly chanted a one verse version of the Spirit Magicka spell, Horrific Visage, which causes the target to freeze up with dread. His target is Chloe. 

 

"Spirits aid me, for this one does not know fear." 

 

Chloe's head was draped in a pale black aura for a moment. However, due to the shortened version of the full three verse chant, Chloe was able to keep her concentration, as she finished her spell and unleashed a small 6 centimeter round ball of flame from the small white magical circle on her palm. 

 

The red and orange streak arced as it careened toward Katrina, who was concentrating on keeping Sojuro at bay. Unable to notice the flare of heat as it approached her, Katrina was struck in the side of the head and dispersed. No physical damage was dealt, but her concentration stumbled as her mind was engulfed by fatigue and she dropped to a knee. She was not able to maintain her Graviton spell and in that brief moment when the magical circle disappeared, Sojuro was up and running toward Katrina, rather than Richard. 

 

"Spirits aid me, let my instrument deliver agony upon this one." 

 

As Sojuro ran, he chanted a quick one verse Spirit Magicka spell into his weapon, causing it to glow a blinding white color in contrast to the deep brown it once was. If a person were to be struck by his weapon in this state, the spell would deliver an intense flare of pain to the nerves where it was focused.

 

Wasting no time at all while Sojuro charged toward Katrina, Chloe turned her focus on Richard while his attention was on Katrina and Sojuro. While Richard had already begun a long four verse chant himself, Chloe attempted to deal a blow to him to interrupt the spell, causing backlash like he tried on her earlier. She started a two verse chant of Element Magicka. Noticing Chloe at the last moment, Richard changed his target to her. Both their spells actualized at nearly the same time. 

 

"Spirits aid me, this one is delicate; unconscious thoughts of terror, surface now; for this one does not know fear; Order decline now, let matter break over mind!"

"O Elements, heed my tempestuous command; charge wildly at my enemy!"

 

What followed was an extremely chaotic mess of mana dispersion. 

 

Under the ground of Chloe, a white and black magical circle appeared. Richard's spell, Horrific Visage, was attempted again, but it was appended with a shortened version of an Order Magicka spell that manifests mental trauma into physical form. This would normally be a very potent spell, causing terror to the mind and anguish to the body of the target, if not for the barriers in place. As the spell finished and began to manifest, Chloe's eyes widened in terror and screamed out from phantom pain -- only for a moment. That moment was agony, seemingly lasting longer than it actually was, but it ended abruptly as her spell also finished and actualized above Richard, causing a burst of wind to throw him to the ground, hurling him several meters away. He rolled to a stop and screamed out in torment for a few seconds before he collapsed to a heap. 

 

"Richard Rosmith has been disqualified due to mana backlash!" announced Lady Finnel. 

 

At the same time as Richard was swept away, Sojuro was about to deliver a powerful blow to Katrina's abdomen with his glowing, energized bo staff. Katrina, recovering from her knees and looking just as serene as ever, reach her hand out to intercept the staff. As she did, she was actualizing a phenomenon that caused the staff to rebound and crack slightly upon impact of her hand. The aetherik infused weapon failed to do any damage to her, leaving Sojuro dumbfounded for a split second. Losing no time, he instead went for a backhand strike to Katrina's face, only to instead be thrown several meters up in the air and away from her. 

 

Remi had seen this two part Chaos Magicka spell, Entropy Barrier, before. It created a thin green translucent shield around the body of Katrina for about one second. This barrier, or magical shield, stops inorganic matter and, after a moment from impact, explodes in a reversal of energy toward the direction it came from. It is a very potent anti-melee attack barrier against weaponry that takes precision and luck, as with all Chaos Magicka spells. It seemed to work in Katrina's favor, however.

 

Sojuro fell after doing a flip through the air, landing hard on his back, knocking the air out of his lungs. After a moment, he laid there, not stirring. 

 

At this point in time, Chloe, who was shocked from the terror and still reeling from the phantom pain of the spell cast on her momentarily, regained her senses and started chanting a spell, directing it at Katrina who was about 10 meters away. Katrina, noticing this, pointed her open hand at Chloe. Without a chant, Katrina simply actualized a small magical circle in front of her palm and sent a green and white streak of something careening toward Chloe at rapid speed, similar in size and speed as the Flamebolt she sent toward Katrina earlier. Trying to dodge, Chloe was only hit in the arm instead of her abdomen, but the power was too much for her current mental state. Her body went limp as she fell to the ground, unconscious. 

 

"That's it! Winner of the match is Katrina Brink, as her partner was disqualified due to backlash." Lady Finnel announced to the group and the audience that looked down from above. 

 

Applause broke out amongst the spectators, as the assistants rushed over to the unconscious students to gather them together. Katrina walked back toward the three students standing off to the side, which were Aisha, Issac and Remi. 

 

"Nice work, Lady Brink." Aisha offered Katrina some praise. "I do believe you demonstrated both your strength and your value to those watching." She eyed the students up above. 

 

"Mm. Thanks." Replying calmly, Katrina stood watching the assistants carry the fallen students off to the side, laying them on the benches near the fountain.

 

"Uh, what can I say about that display, um... wow. Amazing, Miss Brink!" Issac showered her with his sincere praise. "Just amazing! Uh, I've never heard of an Invoker who can use Chaos Magicka like that. Um, you must be some sort of prodigy! Was that green aura a barrier? It was so thin! Can you explain how you did that?" 

 

"Mm, I'm strong." Katrina raised her right arm up, flexing her nonexistent muscles. While Aisha raised an eyebrow, Issac stood with sparkling eyes. Remi laughed at the display and smiled at the doll-like girl as she turned her gaze upon him.

 

"Well done. You must be tired, though. Rest up." Remi, who knew the after effects of manipulating aetherik directly without chants, offered some words of concern. He patted her shoulder once before walking off toward Lady Finnel who was directing the assistants.

 

"Mm. I'm tired." He heard her say, as he looked back and saw her plop down on the ground, her back to the tree they were standing under. 

 

Walking up to Lady Finnel, Remi asked if there was anything he can do to help. "Oh no, don't worry about it. Save your strength for the upcoming match! Those students will be just fine after resting for a few minutes. See?" She pointed to Sojuro who was already waking up and rubbing his head drowsily. Chloe and Richard had not stirred, however. 

 

"It's not a problem, really. Do you mind?" Remi asked, as he wanted to go help the students. "It may help demonstrate my value, you know?" 

 

Her eyes widened at that, and she broke into a grin. Nodding, she said. "Really? Then by all means." 

 

Walking over to the drowsy Sojuro, Remi offered words of encouragement and patted him on the back. As he did so, a green and white vibrant light glowed from his body then vanished. His lethargy fading, he stood up and eyed Remi incredulously. "What did you just do?"

 

Remi smiled as he replied. "Just helping a fellow student out." He then turned to Richard who was still unconscious and laid a hand on his forehead. The same green and white light pulsed through his body and faded. Shortly after, Richard woke up as if from a dream and stood silently. He looked at the scene, then as if remembering, started walking off with his head held low, muttering a thanks. He seemed to still be in some pain.

 

Chloe, who had awoken but was sluggishly trying to get up but seemed unable to do so just yet, was offered a helping hand by Remi. As he touched her hand, the same light glowed in a vivid display of color around her body and faded away. At this, she shot straight up and stared wide-eyed at him for a moment. 

 

"You okay, now?" Remi asked the bewildered red head. 

 

"...Yes. Hmph!" She turned her head away with closed eyes while crossing her arms in front of her, as if in indignation. "I would have been just fine without your help." 

 

Opening one eye to look at Remi, who looked at her act as nothing but comedic, she asked. "What did you just do to me anyway? I demand to know!" 

 

Shaking his head slightly as if to dispel the accusatory tone she was directing at him, he replied. "Just some basic Restoration Magicka. It's one of the reasons I came to this Academy, so I can learn more about it."

 

Apparently his voice carried further than he thought as murmurs broke out among the students on the upper floor. Chloe looked at him in shock, unable to say a word. 

 

Lady Finnel walked up to the two students. "What an incredible talent. I haven't seen a student able to so cleanly control aetherik for Restoration Magicka in such a way. I see a lot of potential in you." Looking Remi up and down, her smile grew wider. "Yes, a lot of potential indeed." 

 

A little unsettled by her demeanor, Remi tried to laugh it off and change subjects.

 

"Anyway, isn't it time for our match? What happens after we're done?" Remi redirected the attention on him to the other matter at hand. 

 

Lady Finnel, who was busy eyeing the young man indecently, seemed to have forgotten and gasped, as if startled. "Oh yes! Don't worry about what happens after, I'll explain to everyone once your match is over." 

 

Ushering Remi over to the center of the courtyard and calling Issac and Aisha over as well, she announced the three students to the audience.

 

"This is the second and last match of our little opening event, so watch closely and judge these students skills for yourselves! Remi Naslund and Issac Hughes will be fighting against Aisha of the Northern Grove!" Just like the first match, it was as if Lady Finnel had a lot of experience in announcing such things. 

 

Well, she has been alive for a long time. She's likely seen all kinds of things, Remi thought to himself. 

 

Remi and Issac were standing on the southern side of the courtyard. 20 meters away, Aisha stood on the northern side. She was wielding a long, steel sword with a slight curve at the end called a saber. Issac had no weapon, choosing to participate purely as a Magician. Remi unhooked his dual Crescent Moon Knives and gripped them, getting into a combative stance. 

 

"The rules are the same as the the previous match. The fight is over once either team's combatants are unconscious or they yield, or I deem them incapable of continuing. Since both sides of this match are using bladed weaponry, if I deem your actions going too far, I will intervene and call the match. Do not strike to kill or maim." She eyed Aisha as she said this. The Wood Elf did not acknowledge the order, Remi noted.

 

With Lady Finnel's final words, she announced the start of the match.

 

As per their strategy, Remi let Issac start the fight and set the pace. Both Issac and Aisha started chanting quickly. 

 

"Spirits aid me, deliver me lupine energy to swiftly deal with my foes."

"O Elements, heed my frigid command."

 

Issac, going for a quick one verse chant, unleashed a small volley of jagged ice at the location where Aisha was standing. Before the traveling hail could reach her, she finished her chant as her legs radiated with an intense red aura. She kicked off the ground and came roaring toward Remi, who just stood there in at the ready. Issac, knowing this was part of their plan, just backed away behind Remi a few meters and started chanting again, going for a stronger, longer casting spell.

 

"O Elements, heed my glacial command--"

 

As soon as Aisha got in range, she swung her saber down with all her might at Remi. Raising his dual blades to intercept, they caught the saber with a grating sound. It was then that Remi noticed Aisha was saying something. 

 

"O Elements, heed my thunderous command--"

 

No, she was chanting. Shortly after he batted away her saber, he pivoted and reached out to strike with his right hand, while his left parried her next slash on his left flank. 

 

"--adhere to my will, an ever growing torrent of crystal--"

"--race across the skies, striking this one down!"

 

Aisha spun and dodged the strike coming at her left side, and finished her chant. A cacophonous roar of thunder resounded in the courtyard as lightning struck behind Remi. Issac, who was still chanting, narrowly dodged it by sensing the flow of mana in the location it was targeted and seeing the magical circle in time. 

 

While no one was directly struck by the lightning, everyone nearby felt the aftereffects. Numbing sensations in both Remi and Aisha's hands loosened their grips on their weapons slightly. 

 

"Tch." Aisha clicked her tongue in annoyance while attempting to land another slash on Remi's chest. Bringing both Crescent Moon Knives to block the attack, Remi manipulated aetherik into his weapons, making them glow a vibrant yellow color for a split second. As the steel and mithril weapons clashed, the spell Remi poured into his weapons actualized, sending mana down the length of the saber and into Aisha. The shock of phantom pain to the nerves she received in her hand from Remi's block bewildered her momentarily and forced her to drop her weapon. As Remi came in for a quick dual slash in a cross pattern to her mid-section, she rolled backward out of harms way. As she straightened herself, she started chanting again. 

 

"--wrap this field in the floe of winter!"

"Spirits aid me, hear my resolve; harden my instruments as my heart will not waver--"

 

Remi took a moment to kick the saber away so she could no longer use it.

 

Meanwhile, Issac had finished his chant and targeted the area behind Aisha. A large block of ice began materializing, and started encasing the area around it. As she continue to chant, Remi pursued Aisha with more attacks, one after another, not giving her a chance to breathe. 

 

"--fortify this with my will to withstand any assault!"

 

As she evaded, she finished her chant and the gloves on her hands took on an aura of light blue color. As Remi raised his right hand to strike near her solar plexus, Aisha brought her left gloved hand up and caught the blade. Expecting her hand to be sliced through, Remi was caught off guard for a split second before he noticed the Reinforce spell hardened the glove itself. Blood ran down the length of his blade, as her glove didn't protect fully against his strike. Noticing that, he swung his left weapon at Aisha's exposed arm. Her right glove caught that one, blood spurting forth from that palm as well. A battle of strength commenced, with the blades digging into Aisha's palms. 

 

"Now, Remi!" screamed Issac from behind him. Noticing off to his left the pillar of ice growing wider in his direction, he steered Aisha's back toward it and brought a kick to her stomach. She dodged it by evading backward, which is exactly what Remi wanted to happen. As she jumped back, she was swallowed by the growing ice that Issac brought forth. After spending a few seconds punching small holes into the ice, trying to free herself, Aisha suddenly stopped. The ice grew thicker around her, fully encasing her. 

 

"Did we win?" asked Issac, who was looking ragged maintaining such a large area spell. Remi glanced at Lady Finnel who was just smiling. Before he could tell Issac that it wasn't over, a deafening crack of thunder resounded as the ice pillar burst apart, sending shards of jagged ice in all directions. Some of the pieces flew at the two young men, as they covered their faces. Blood started dripping from their lacerations. 

 

At the center of the lightning strike knelt Aisha, who took the brunt of the damage as mental fatigue. She held her head as she stood up on unsteady legs, murmuring to herself. 

 

"What willpower," said Issac, who was on the verge of collapse after maintaining the intense spell for so long. Remi didn't let the chance slip by, as he charged at the currently clumsy Aisha. Bringing his blades down in a wide arc, going for a cut across her chest, he suddenly found that Aisha was no longer in front of him. He turned toward Issac and saw Aisha glowing with an intense, vibrant red color. Combining Solar Magicka with Spirit Magicka, she strengthened her whole body with the same short chant as the beginning of the match, which only covered her legs before and gave her a boost of speed. Remi knew well that the aetherik used for Solar Magicka can also be used to enhance the potential of other spells, so long as the Magician is in sunlight. 

 

Before Remi could warn or protect him, Issac took a right hook to the face, and a left jab to the solar plexus at the same time. The force of these two strikes flung him two meters away on his backside. His eyes rolled back as he fell down to the ground in a heap. 

 

Still glowing a vibrant red, Aisha was looking ragged as she turned her cold eyes on Remi. "I will not lose to a half-breed such as you!" she declared in a low but domineering voice. She kicked off the ground while starting a chant, charging at Remi. He just shook his head in disgust at her behavior as he dropped the blade in his right hand and reached out, palm forward.

 

"O Elements, heed my frenzied com--"

"Stop."

 

 

Aisha currently was face down, on the cusp of consciousness, indented slightly in the earth. "That's our win, then?" he asked Lady Finnel, as he turned toward her, releasing his spell. Aisha let out a gasp of relief as she rolled over onto her back. She remained there, breathing heavily, giving no indication of getting up.

 

Everyone was speechless, including Lady Finnel. The smile on her face was gone, replaced by a look of bewilderment and, Remi thought, maybe a little outrage. She shortly regained her composure and resumed her normal appearance, before announcing the winner of the match as Remi Naslund and Issac Hughes. 

 

Cheers went out amongst the applause from the students who watched the short fight unfold. Remi walked up to Issac and gave him the same Restoration Magicka spell as he did the others to wake his mind up. He then, hesitantly, walked over to Aisha as well. She was already stirring, slowly picking herself up off the ground. Offering her his hand to help her up, she swatted it away. "Don't touch me, you filth," she declared, as she walked away slowly.

 

Remi sighed, hearing the excited murmurs among the students on the upper floors, then went and picked up his blade off the ground. He then walked over to the other students who were gathered around the tree he watched the first match from. Nobody said anything in particular. Richard, Chloe and Sojuro watched Remi with wary eyes, while Aisha refused to look at him. Katrina stared at him with a blank expression, but he could see her lips curling up slightly. 

 

Issac, his partner, looked particularly angry at Aisha. 

 

"Are you alright, Mister Hughes?" asked Remi as he approached. Issac turned toward Remi and nodded. 

 

"Uh, thank you for the assist. I am, um, upset I was defeated, but I am glad we won nonetheless." 

 

"Yeah I don't think winning really matters for much, but here's hoping we 'demonstrated our value.'" Remi replied, sarcastically, as he patted Issac's shoulder.

 

Sojuro scratched the back of his shaved head. "Yikes, yeah that was some crazy fighting there, everyone. Remi, I still look forward to a sparring match with you, though. Hey, why didn't you just do that last spell at the beginning? You could have probably ended the fight immediately."

 

Remi didn't hesitate to answer. "I didn't do such a thing for two reasons. The first is that you should never underestimate an opponent you don't know. The second is it wouldn't have been fair to either Mister Hughes or Lady Aisha if I had ended it early. This whole event is about showing value, right?"

 

Chloe just continued to stare at him without saying anything. When their eyes met, she averted her gaze quickly.

 

"Uh, yeah I guess that's right. I didn't really get a chance to show my value, either, I suppose..." Sojuro scratched his furry head. 

 

Richard looked a little sad. "I am embarrassed I failed to maintain my most powerful spell and ended up hurting myself more than anyone." 

 

Chloe stiffened, eyes open as she remembered the dread and pain she felt from it, before putting up a strong front. "Of course, it's only natural that I was able to time my spell perfectly to counter yours." She softened her expression a little after seeing Richard wince. "That spell was plenty strong, Mister Rosmith. I fear I won't sleep well tonight because of it. Please don't ever use that on me, or anyone, again."  

 

Richard still just looked sad, but he looked at Remi with questioning eyes. "So Remi, Lady Aisha, where did you two learn to fight like that? That was an amazing display of expertise and power... I need to learn myself..."

 

The group looked at him with curious eyes.

 

Scratching his cheek as he felt a little awkward from the praise, Remi responded. "Hah, well I grew up on a farm. So wild animals, even demonic beasts occasionally, were always coming after our livestock, so I guess I started learning from there? Then after practicing with my friend I told you about every day for years, experience started adding up. After that, as we grew older, my family traveled a lot and people started harassing my sister and I for being half-elves." He stopped and coldly stared at Aisha, who still refused to look in his direction. "So I had to learn to defend her and myself. It was just a lot of practice, really." 

 

"Mm. I knew you were strong, Remi." The usually passionless voice of Katrina said as such with much vigor. Everyone seemed a little surprised by her change of expression. She then puffed up her chest and declared, "I'll get stronger, too." She then flashed a smile for the first time in the last hour they've been around, before returning to a her normal expressionless face. It was a cute enough gesture to make Remi grin, but Chloe reacted from that declaration.

 

"It was a splendid example of strength, both Mister Naslund and Miss Brink. Lady Aisha as well was astonishing in that handicapped fight." Chloe looked down, her messy bob cut hiding her face. "I didn't think I was so weak..." she murmured in a small voice. 

 

Before anyone could offer words of encouragement or refute the statement, Lady Finnel spoke up loudly enough from the center of the courtyard. 

 

"Well now that both matches are finished and we've cleaned up the area, please give a round of applause for our competitors. Come on over here, students!" She urged the students to come next to her and line up amidst light clapping from the audience above.

 

"As you all know, when you took your examinations for enrollment at this Academy last week, there were seven subjects we tested you on. First, in Academics, there were the Mathematics, Sciences, and Languages & History exams. Next, in Magicka, we split this into three categories: Aetherik Manipulation & Control, Magicka Pillar Knowledge, and Spell Chanting Concentration. The final subject dealt with the combination of technology and Magicka: Science and Magicka Theory." 

 

As she explained, Lady Finnel took a serious tone, announcing to the students above. 

 

"Each of these seven students you see next to me received the top score in at least one of those subjects. Some received the top score in more than one of them, but when that happened we looked to the next highest scoring student who wasn't already a participant of this event. The reason I am telling you this, is because we have currently withdrawn these top scoring students of each subject among you first years from the Academy."

 

Surprisingly, no one seemed astonished by this declaration. It seems they were informed of something similar, perhaps? I'll have to ask Rem and Kari later, Remi thought. 

 

"Hmph, my big reveal didn't get a rise out of any of you, eh? Oh well, that just means your professors did their jobs. That being said, what I say next might elicit some reaction." She paused for dramatic effect, a wild grin on her face. "In order for you students to start receiving Crowns individually, you must have a full roster by 2 in the afternoon today. By that I mean, since your classrooms are all short one student, you all will need to acquire one of these seven individuals. To that end, you will be purchasing one of these fine students today. A percentage of how many Crowns you spend to acquire them will be given to each student in your class, with a larger amount going toward the student being purchased."

 

At that, the students started having heated discussions amongst themselves for a few moments before Lady Finnel spoke once again.

 

"Yes, you will, as a class, be spending Crowns to acquire one of the students you saw today. Now, I know basing a purchase on combat skills alone isn't enough, so my assistants will be handing your professors documents detailing these students exam scores as well as a combat ranking based upon today's little event. Professors, once you receive the documents, feel free to bring your class back to your classrooms and begin discussing your options. The bidding will be done via silent auction, which is all detailed in the sheets you'll be receiving as well. Now, that said, as you can see there are seven students and there are only six classrooms. The student who receives the least amount of Crowns bid for them, or ends up being the lowest priority of bids, will be eliminated by this event, and removed from the Academy this year. They are, of course, free to try again next year."

 

"What!" "That's crazy, is she serious?" "How unfair is that, expelling one of the top students before classes have even begun?"

 

Students started shouting and talking amongst themselves at that announcement. The group of seven standing in the courtyard looked at one another anxiously. This became more of a battle than they imagined. 'I wonder if all events are going to have such high stakes,' more than few of them thought. 

 

Quieting the students down, Lady Finnel had one final thing to say. "While you all discuss which of these students you want to bid most on, please keep in mind you may not get the one you want. I urge you to look at all the candidates and bid based upon all their examination scores and details. You may be questioning why we're doing this, but please trust in us that this example is for your own benefit. It will serve as a reminder for other events throughout the school year. There will be a lot more interesting events to come, so you will want someone you know you can rely on." She flashed the crowd of students a wicked grin before wrapping up her explanation. 

 

"With that, these fine young men and women who entertained you will be waiting in the lobby, along with myself. It is currently 11 in the morning, so you have just shy of three hours to make a decision and submit your silent bids to me. We'll be waiting with bated breath." Lady Finnel gave a mischievous smile as she walked to the south exit of the courtyard, beckoning Remi and the group to follow. 

 

As he walked behind her, he glanced up and saw students starting to disperse from the upper levels slowly, as the assistants brought folders of documents to their professors. Briefly, he locked eyes with Rem and gave her a wry grin and a nod, before disappearing into the building.