The Extra's Reincarnation

Julian watched as the students manipulated elemental energies with ease.

A girl with fiery red hair conjured flames that danced around her fingertips, while a boy nearby caused small tremors in the earth beneath his feet.

"Amazing,"

Ezekiel breathed. He felt a mix of excitement and apprehension.

He wondered if he will ever learn to do things like that?

As they continued their tour, Headmaster Bourne pointed out various buildings and facilities.

"Over there is the main lecture hall," he said, gesturing to an impressive domed structure.

"And to your left is the library - one of the most extensive collections of magical texts in all the seven continents."

Julian’s eyes widened at the sight of the massive library. Row upon row of books could be seen through its large windows, stretching up several stories.

"And what’s that?" Ezekiel asked, pointing to a shimmering dome in the distance.

"Ah," Kiera said with a smile. "That’s the combat arena. It’s where students practice their battle magic and have friendly duels."

As they approached the arena, Julian could feel the crackle of magical energy in the air. Through the translucent dome, he could see flashes of light and hear muffled explosions.

"Can we watch?" Ezekiel asked eagerly.

Headmaster Bourne chuckled.

"I don’t see why not. It might give you boys a taste of what you could learn here."

They entered the arena through a side entrance, emerging onto a viewing platform overlooking the main floor.

The students who were all on the arena floor were all surprised to see both Kiera and Headmaster Bourne inside of the arena.

The instructor who just walked in was taken aback at the sight of the headmaster and vice principal.

"Headmaster Bourne, Vice Principal Kiera. It’s an honor to have you both here," he said with a bow.

"We were just giving these two young lads a tour of the academy,"

Headmaster Bourne replied, gesturing towards Julian and Ezekiel.

The instructor’s eyes lingered on Julian for a moment before turning to Ezekiel.

"And what about you, young man? Are you interested in learning battle magic?"

Ezekiel nodded eagerly. "Yes sir! I’ve always wanted to learn how to use magic."

The instructor chuckled. "Well, then you’re in luck. We have some free time before our next class starts, so why don’t I give these boys a demonstration?"

"By all means."

Bourne gestured the instructor to the green light, and the man smiled happily, seeing Ezekiel’s face lit up.

"Now, let me show you the basics of battle magic."

He said, as he began conjuring a shield of shimmering light around himself.

As he spoke, he demonstrated different techniques - from creating shields and barriers to launching projectiles and summoning elemental forces.

Ezekiel was captivated by his skills and he was thinking of how he was going to pull it off against Julian in their next spar, though Julian just sat there uninterested in the instructor’s presentation.

After the demonstration was over, they thanked the instructor and made their way back up to the viewing platform with Kiera and Headmaster Bourne.

"You see boys,"

Headmaster Bourne said as they walked back towards their original route.

"Here at this academy, we strive to teach all aspects of magic - not just academic studies, but also practical skills like battle magic."

Julian nodded, only half-listening to the headmaster’s words.

They continued their tour. Headmaster Bourne pointed out more facilities - the alchemy labs, the enchanting workshops, the greenhouses filled with magical plants.

Every new thing Julian saw made him feel both amazed and uneasy. This world of magic was so far beyond anything he had ever known. Could he really find a place here?

"And here we have the student dormitories," Kiera said as they approached a cluster of stately buildings. "First-year students stay in the East Wing, while upper years reside in the West and North Wings."

"We get to live here too? That’s so cool!" Ezekiel’s eyes sparkled with excitement.

Headmaster Bourne chuckled. "Indeed, the academy becomes a second home for our students. We have top-notch facilities to ensure everyone is comfortable and well-cared for."

As they passed by the dormitories, Julian noticed a group of students lounging on the lawn, practicing levitation on various objects.

- Come on, this levitation stuff is needed for next week’s homework!

-I’m trying. I’m trying, relax!

One boy seemed to struggle in particular, his face screwed up in concentration as a book wobbled unsteadily in the air before him.

Suddenly, the boy lost control, and the book went flying straight towards Julian at high speeds.

"...!"

"WATCH OUT JULIAN!"

Just as the object was within arm’s reach, Julian simply pointed a finger out at the book.

WOM!...

The book’s flight stopped when his fingertip hit its edge, sending its energy in the opposite direction.

-Amazing! He didn’t even glance at the flow of energy. He just found the main source and pushed it all out in one go.

Bourne couldn’t believe it even if he watched it a million times.

The boy who had lost control of the book stared at Julian in shock.

"How did you do that?" he asked, his voice filled with awe.

Julian shrugged, feeling uncomfortable with the attention. "I just... reacted, I guess."

Headmaster Bourne studied Julian with even more interest.

This boy’s instincts were remarkable. To redirect the flow of magical energy with such precision, without any formal training... it was unheard of.

Kiera also seemed impressed.

"You have quite the reflexes, Julian. That’s a valuable skill for any mage."

Julian ducked his head, unsure how to respond to the praise. He still didn’t understand how he had done it. It had just felt... natural, somehow.

Ezekiel, however, was bouncing with excitement.

"That was so cool, Julian! You’ve gotta teach me how to do that!"

Julian managed a weak smile. "I’m not sure I can, Ezekiel. I don’t really know how I did it myself."

As they moved on from the dormitories, Julian could feel Headmaster Bourne’s gaze on him. It felt like he made a terrible mistake of stopping that book.

Julian was fully aware that Bourne would not rest until he got the answers he wanted. Knowing how persistent and focused Bourne could be, Julian didn’t want to become his next target. Having read about Bourne’s tendencies in the Novel, Julian made sure to steer clear of him, especially since it seemed like Kaelen was Bourne’s focus among all the special students at the academy.

The tour concluded back at the main administrative building.