It had been three chaotic weeks since I started secretly training my magic — or as I like to call it, Operation: Don't Die at Magic School.
Fork wand? Still in action.
Pajamas as armor? Upgraded to slightly-less-flammable nightgown.
Pride and self-preservation? Hanging by a thread.
So far, I had:
Set a curtain on fire with a shadow spell. (Don't ask.)
Gotten stuck inside a laundry basket while dodging maids.
Accidentally summoned a shadow creature that may or may not have had a mustache.
But tonight… tonight was special.
> "Umbra Tap," I whispered, pointing at my own shadow with a bent dessert fork. (Wands are expensive. Don't judge me.)
My shadow twitched.
Then flailed.
Then… slapped me.
I yelped — silently, internally, like a proper noble lady holding back a full scream.
But still… it worked.
> I had moved my shadow.
Even if it got violent.
Progress!
Still buzzing with success, I tiptoed down the hallway and crept toward Father's study — the Forbidden Zone™. The land of locked drawers, ancient books, and expensive things I wasn't allowed to touch.
But tonight, I had a mission:
> Find my Magic Affinity Report.
They tested me years ago, but I'd never seen the actual results — just overheard adults whispering things like, "How unfortunate…" and "At least she's cute."
The report had to be here.
I slipped inside, heart pounding, and rifled through scrolls until I found one tied with a black ribbon and sealed with my full name.
Bingo.
I unrolled it and squinted at the elegant script.
---
Celianne A. Everveil
Magical Affinity Assessment
🔥 Fire: 2 / 100
🌊 Water: 1 / 100
🌪️ Wind: 1 / 100
🌍 Earth: 1 / 100
🌑 Shadow: 14 / 100
✨ Light: 0.5 / 100
⚡ Lightning: Error: "No."
❄️ Ice: "Does tripping on snow count?"
Overall Result: Multi-Elemental (Extremely Rare)
Potential for Growth: Present
Current Usable Power: Weak. Try harder. And drink water :)
---
I stared.
Then blinked.
Then reread it five more times.
> I'm… a multi-elemental?
That was supposed to be rare. Amazing. Legendary, even.
Except mine came with a catch: every single element was garbage-tier.
Only Shadow cracked double digits, and even that was frankly tragic.
But then I saw it — scribbled in tiny writing in the bottom corner.
> Note: Unusual mana structure. High adaptability.
May allow affinity growth through intense practice.
According to history, only three multi-elemental mages had ever been officially recorded — all ancient figures wrapped in myths and museum plaques.
But I knew the truth.
There were two others alive right now.
The heroine.
The villainess.
No one else knew — not yet.
Which meant, as far as the world was concerned...
> I was the only one.
I read that part three more times just to be sure.
Then I sat down, scroll shaking in my hands.
> So I wasn't hopeless.
Not broken. Not doomed. Just… slow.
But slow could be fixed.
With time.
And effort.
And possibly more fireproof pajamas.
> If I trained hard enough… I could get stronger.
Not just in shadow magic — but in everything.
Sure, my magic was like soup with no seasoning right now.
But one day?
> I'd be spicy. 🌶️
I rolled the scroll back up, tucked it into my nightgown, and tiptoed toward the door—
Only to bump a pile of books off a side table.
Crash. Thud. Clatter.
I froze. Then bolted.
Shadow magic might not be strong, but it was very good at helping a small girl hide under furniture.
Later that night, I curled up beneath my blanket fort with a stolen cookie and whispered to the ceiling:
> "I'll train harder. I'll grow stronger. I'll keep going — even if it means broom duels and fork spells forever."
Eight years until the academy entrance exam.
Eight years to rewrite Celia Averna's ending.
But not tonight.
Tonight, I fell asleep with cookie crumbs on my cheek and a smile on my face.
Because now, I had something I didn't have before:
> Hope.
And a slightly abusive shadow that slapped people.
Both were a start.