Magic Spells updated:

Pestium - stun spell
Magniortus - temporary paralysis spell
Vexior - pain spells, similiar to Crucio in Harry Potter
Silendio - silience for a short time

Protendo - spells that create shields for a short time

***

Chapter 4: in which everthing goes wrong

Joshua had questions about Seung Cheol's absence throughout the classification day but he couldn't bring himself to ask. It was not a good memory to recall or even discuss anything. What he saw in the vision haunted him.

Every night, it would creep into his dreams, causing him to suffer. He recalls how it felt to see Seung Cheol lifeless. The grief of those he didn't recognize, as well as the way his skin and bones fell apart, stayed the same. He was in excruciating pain.

While suffering from the same nightmare every day, Joshua realizes that his weakness is their love. He has no choice but to conceal it, to be more cautious and prudent.

That's why it remains hidden. You cannot reveal to others how to destroy you during this dark era.

***

As far as Joshua could tell, the allocation process took at least a week. It was a difficult session since they had to add more students to the dorm, create extra common rooms, adjust the amount of classes... and many other things. One of the most shocking revelations was that The Prince, who originally studied Rose-Quartz Citadel, is now one of their schoolmates.

His name is Kim Mingyu, the Queen's second son, a year younger than Joshua. He's tall and handsome as hell, good in sports and many other things. But the fact that he is Jeong Han's ex-boyfriend makes Joshua pay more attention to him.

That's a major secret which Jeong Han makes him swear not to tell anyone.

Joshua found it fascinating at first. It was fun watching them flirt with each other. However, he saw a serious problem with their relationship over time.

They had a tendency of fighting and reconciling over and over again. If Joshua remembered correctly, the couple had a cold war every week since they started dating. They used to argue on Mondays, then kiss and make up on Fridays. During the cold war, JeongHan came to Joshua, pushed the best friend to go out, and moaned about Mingyu while drinking alcohol. The dude couldn't stop till he passed out. Joshua had to carry him back to his room by himself.

Now, Kim Mingyu is here. He is not only a schoolmate, but also a classmate. Jeong Han ends up in an awkward situation.

Joshua eventually took the chance to mock him and say:

"This is karma. You broke up with him and didn't respond to any letters, but now he's here, so close that you can lay any finger on him without even trying."

Jeong Han slumps into a schoolyard bench, rolls his eyes, and talks loudly.

"Why on earth would I want to touch that boy?"

"You call The Prince "that boy"? You used to like him so much that the age difference wasn't an issue. You said it yourself. And when you broke up with him, you turned everything upside down by saying you preferred older men. I got shock as well."

"You did?" Jeong Han furrows his brow.

"What's up with that attitude?" Joshua tries not to curse at his best friend.

With a sigh, he eventually adds:

"To be honest, he's only one year younger; I don't think it's even an issue. Age is only a number; feelings matter. Let me remind you that a 20-year-old girl in our class recently married a 30-year-old farmer."

Jeong Han sits and listens without responding. Despite the fact that they are best friends, there are some parts of his heart that he cannot express or share with anyone.

Age was never an issue; it was Mingyu's family and their differences that were. They couldn't even sleep next to each other after sex since Jeong Han requires peaceful and quiet sleep. And Mingyu sometimes talks in his sleep.

But, regardless, Jeong Han can't deny that splitting up with Mingyu is heartbreaking. Love is a scary word; he may never want to say it again.

"I'm bored. Want to go out and drink?" Jeong Han turns to Joshua and says,

"You don't need alcohol; what you need is a man, my friend." Joshua exhales a sigh.

Jeong Han shrugs his head, unaffected by what Joshua has just said.

A group of students walks by while they are sitting peacefully. A boy suddenly waves his wand at Joshua and casts:

"Silendio."

Jeong Han instantly raises his wand and confronts them.

"Don't you dare!"

Jeong Han was fast, but the kid is even faster. It's too late now. When Joshua tries to talk, no sound comes out of his throat. He temporarily lost his voice.

Bullies are laughing. The boy who casts the spells doesn't flinch. He continues to tease as he looks at Joshua.

"I see you sitting quietly here, seems that I can help you. I'm so glad I did."

"Get the fuck out of here or I'll put a curse on you, fucking idiot." Jeong Han gets furious and snaps at them.

"Oh. So the Foreign Blood has a protector." He talks in a sarcastic way.

"Pestium!" Jeong Han shouts.

However, the boy was quick enough to cast another spells.

"Protendo."

Joshua has to admit that his shield is impressive. JeongHan's stun spell had no effect on him. People begin to gather around them to watch the battle. It's the schoolyard. This is a fascinating scene.

They are about to have an actual fight when Ms. Sandra suddenly appears and tells them to put down their wands. Joshua saw her frown. The maroon hair looks nice as usual, however there's a black area under her eyes. She seems tired. Her lips are a faint pink. But, importantly, Joshua had never seen her skin look this bad. Surely, she went through a lot during the allocation process.

"The spells are for protection, not attacking your friends. And you should be aware that battling without a teacher approval is forbidden."

Both boys lower their guards, but only Jeong Han acts appropriately. The other boy, Zion, continues to mock at Joshua.

"Friends? This thing is not one of us. He is an outsider who randomly gets magic. He should be worrying about The Duke, not us!"

"ENOUGH!" Ms. Sandra's tone rises as she ditates. "Be careful with your words, Mr. Howling. Your parents, as I recall, are members of The Protector of Carat Land's Army. They save everyone, no exceptions."

Hearing Ms. Sandra's as sharp as a knife's statement, Zion keeps his mouth shut and gets the chance to leave without punishment. The crowd eventually disperses.

Ms. Sandra glances at Jeong Han, surely disapproving. He's not the best in class, but he clearly knows how to behave.

"I apologize. This will never happen again." The boy says.

"I trust you." Ms. Sandra nodded, then turned to Joshua and asked. "I guess the silent spell is over now?"

Of course she knows.

Joshua greets her with an ashamed expression on his face. A wizard who can't cast a spell is useless in battle, and he knows it. As the president of the secret organization, this is a disaster. Ms. Sandra teaches him a lot, even giving lessons after class as an extracurricular. He then tells his friends about it. But now she seemed unhappy with both of them.

Her lips curl into a smile after a moment, and she says:

"Walk with me?"

Jeong Han and Joshua can't say no since they have a lot of questions. They simply didn't have the opportunity to meet with Ms. Sandra in the last few days.

She begins to open up as three of them begin to walk around the schoolyard.

"Jeong Han, you truly frightened me with how easily you lost your temper. I know that Zion gave Joshua harsh words. However, you must control your emotions. I taught you not to be swayed by those kids."

He couldn't stand that scene either.

He also distrusts her on the classification day and cannot be relieved from that frustrating thought. Although he knows deep down that Ms. Sandra has no right to interfere with the test.

Joshua and he, as usual, are on the same page.

"Ms. Sandra... I'd like to know how the vision works and how you evaluate us using it."

Students rarely ask about the test. However, Joshua was willing to question his teacher about anything that made him unhappy or concerned. That is why Ms. Sandra usually stays after class to tutor him. She is fine with it and enjoys watching the boy succeed with his magic. But she never teaches these precious kids how to fight. It's superfluous until The Duke appears and the school's leaders face pressure from the Queen.

The classification test is obviously rushed. But they do take it seriously, with a foundation.

"According to the Ministry of Education, they discovered old documents mentioning this method. They examined it thoroughly, and because it worked, the decision was made."

Jeong Han balled his eyes. Depend on his understanding, Ms. Sandra has practically claimed that the Ministry of Education arranged the whole test using a method that exists somewhere in their archive. He's bewildered and struggling to process this information.

"I'm sorry. I don't understand. This method existed in our past. But we didn't know?"

Ms. Sandra gave a nod.

"That appears to be the case. It's something I've never heard of before. So I did my own research."

"Did you find more information?" Joshua asked.

She then lets out a sigh.

"It's not simple. But I heard from Ms. Agatha that it's a top-secret document; even she has no authority to read it."

"Do you trust Ms. Agatha?" Joshua instantly asks.

"Oh, my God, Shua." Jeong Han threw an elbow at his best friend. "Why do you ask such a question?"

Ms. Sandra is unmoved by it. She responds cautiously:

"The hallway you usually walk through to get to the meeting room is actually a middle dimension linked to our realm. It could take you to The Hidden Library, which may have the knowledge you seek."

Joshua is feeling uneasy right now after learning a big secret from Ms. Sandra. Yes, she's the one who leads him to that hallway, and she's also the one who encourages him to build up the secret organization. But she never mentions the Hidden Library. Why is it now? All because she wants their hand in finding information?

"We'd love to solve a puzzle. Especially this one."

As Jeong Han tried to reassure her, Ms. Sandra finally replied:

"Reporters say they saw The Duke on Coral Street. Please be careful while I am away."

"Where are you going?" Jeong Han frowned.

"To Rose-Quartz Citadel. Maybe a week or two."

Following his teacher's farewell, Jeong Han nodded. Joshua gave her a tender hug before she parted ways.

***

Despite her caution and warnings about The Duke's presence, Jeong Han still wanted to go out in the evening. He makes sure Joshua puts on a nice outfit, gets out of his room, and has fun until one of them collapses .

As a result, they both end up drinking at Dragontooth at 10 p.m. Jeong Han is already drunk after only five shots. Not completely wasted. He simply became reckless.

Joshua, on the other hand, is absolutely sober. He drank a little, then stopped because Jeong Han needed someone to bring him home.

Unexpectedly, Choi Seung Cheol and Kim Mingyu have just walked in. Joshua gets to his feet quickly and sprints over to Jeong Han, who is dancing next to a hot Asian man.

"Oh my god. Jeong Han. You need to get out of here."

Joshua tries to push him into a corner, blocking Kim Mingyu's view.

Jeong Han leans against the wall. Breathes in alcohol. He responds with a loud voice.

"What? Me? Why?"

"YOU. LEAVE RIGHT NOW, or I swear to God you will regret it tonight."

Joshua is clearly a supporter as well as a guardian angel for this boy, who is basically a damsel in distress and couldn't stay sober after 5 shots.

They successfully sneak out of the bar, despite Jeong Han almost crumbling for every step he took.

From above, gray and silver moonlight falls on them. Darkness filled the sky, almost swallowing the sparkling stars. The green trees sway as a strong breeze blows through them. Even the dim streetlights couldn't prevent his vision from turning blurry. As he walks down this gloomy lane, Joshua gets stress.

Surprisingly, no one is around. Restaurants and bars are open. People probably like staying indoors rather than walk down the street.

Only Joshua and Jeong Han are bold enough to stroll down the street after drinking. But it's not a wise thing to do.

While holding JeongHan, Joshua notices someone standing ahead of them, waiting for them to get closer. The distance isn't too far—about 5 meters.

His footsteps come to a halt. He stands still and studies the person in the black coat. The hood covers his or her identity completely. When Joshua finds that person holdings a magic wand, he becomes concerned.

"Yoon JeongHan. If we are attacked, you better buy me a drink for the rest of your life."

The wand is already aimed at them before he finishes his statement.

"Pestium."

"Protendo!" , Joshua yells at the top of his lungs.

This person sounds like a lady, if he's not wrong.

"Pestium!"

"Protendo."

Joshua's mind was clear when she said it again. As she repeatedly tries to Pestium, he strictly holds his wand at the front and shouts Protendo. But it went beyond what he had learned in class. She's quick, throwing the spell like madness and charging for them like a hungry wild animal. She simply has no mercy.

And he lost his balance. The wand slipped from his fingers and fell to the ground. Joshua hardly breathed, staring at the woman as she came closer. She could have ended him, but she wants to take her time and savor it.

Yoon Jeong Han is fuzzy, but he hears Joshua cast a spell as he pulls him closer and runs faster. He tries to open his eyes with his head pouned, sharp, and heavy.

A woman dressed black stands there looking exceedingly scary. Jeong Han carefully draws out his wands.

"Magniortus!" She yelled. And there you have it: a temporary paralysis spell.

They cannot escape if one of them gets impacted .

Jeong Han rushes up and says it as quickly as he can.

"PROTENDO!!!"

It's the largest shield he's ever built for both of them.

The white shield with a tinge appears. But it didn't last more than five seconds .

Before the woman hits them with another spell, a growling voice from behind them says:

"Silendio!"

Joshua recognizes the voice. It's Seung Cheol. So he turns around, sees Seung Cheol running over with Mingyu.

The woman puts up a shield as two males attack her in rapid order.

"Pestium."

"Magniortus."

"VEXIOR!"

The woman then lost her shield. Sensing her loss, she dashes to a random door on the street and casts Portaotis. Because the boys do not pursue her, they let her walk through the door and escape.

Joshua glances at Seung Cheol afterward, his mind racing with millions of thoughts.

Vexior is an extremely risky spell. If you endure it for too long, it could destroy your brain and make you insane.

Nobody casually employs it. It's not something they've learnt in school, and it's unclear when they will. On top of that, by seeing Seung Cheol's movements and tone, Joshua assumed that he tried to kill her. He knows EXACTLY how to murder her.

But how can he? Is this because he is a noble and thus has the right to learn it?

"Are you okay? Did she hurt you?"

Joshua awoke when Seung Cheol asked. He then shakes his head slowly.

"No. I just..." He searched the ground for his wand. "I... just... fell."

Loser. His subconscious speaks up. And he knows it's true.

"Seung Cheol." he said.

"I'm right here."

"I..." Joshua pauses. His voice cracked. The soul left his body after the fight, not during it.

Seung Cheol notices. He drew Joshua into his arms, embraced him tightly, and then whispered:

"I'm here. Everything is fine. You're all right now."

Joshua was paralyzed. The frightening aura is strengthening its grip on him. He heard Seung Cheol but couldn't say a word.

"It's all right, darling. She's gone."

While Seung Cheol is comforting Joshua, Mingyu approaches JeongHan, who is still staring at him blankly.

This is their first encounter, yet none of them says anything. They simply stand still.

Jeong Han peers at Mingyu, storms in his eyes. He did not panic, thus he needs no comfort. Despite the alcohol breath, Jeong Han seems sober and aware of who is in front of him. He just doesn't like talking. He couldn't bring himself to open his mouth. It would reawaken a part of his soul that he buried six months ago.

It's a long time, no joke.

Kim Mingyu grips the wand in his palm and swallows the air to his throat, as if trying to silence himself. Jeong Han dumped him, then they meet again while he was still in love. He clearly wants his boyfriend back but Jeong Han has just survived mortal danger.

It's bittersweet. That is what their love stands for.

When Jeong Han turns his head, his face is still crimson. He takes a glance towards Joshua, who is cradling himself in SeungCheol's arms.

This is unexpected. This is what they call a betrayal.

"Joshua, you liar..." He murmured.