Two Sides to Every Coin

Eric and Welyvyne started down the path toward the First Star Runes. He glanced at her sidelong, lips quirking faintly.

“Lyren’s a bit much. Trying too hard, if you ask me.”

Welyvyne laughed, the sound light against the weight of his words. “Yeah. I think she’ll calm down after a while. I kind of like her.”

Eric huffed a small breath through his nose, half a chuckle, half a sigh.

Eric tipped his head toward the path they’d just left behind. “So… what do you think of our noble?”

Welyvyne’s lips curved, not quite a smile. “He’s a mystery. He doesn’t belong with us, but he doesn’t seem to belong with them either. At least he’s honest about why he prefers our company. Still…” Her golden eyes flicked back the way they’d come. “I wonder what could make someone turn so sharply against his own blood.”

It wasn’t a long walk before they reached the classroom. Inside, it looked almost mundane — desks stepped up from the door in neat rows, just like any college lecture hall back on Earth. At the front stood the professor: a skinny elf with pale skin and the same white hair most of them seemed to share. Rune-etched glasses perched on his nose as he read quietly from a book.

Eric’s eyes flicked to the title. Mist Off Her Body. A chuckle escaped before he could stop it.

Eric smirked faintly. “Guess romance books exist here too.”

Welyvyne shot him a puzzled look. “What…?”

He tipped his chin toward the professor’s book. She followed his gaze, then stifled a laugh of her own. “Yeah, that is a good one. It’s about a woman who meets a handsome elf at her estate up north. The whole mist off her body thing is… well, a snow reference.”

Eric’s grin widened, voice pitched low. “Snow… sure. Though the way it’s written, I’m betting it gets pretty steamy.”

Welyvyne covered her mouth, shoulders shaking with laughter, shooting him a look like he’d just committed some unforgivable sin.

They found a spot near the top, both of them unconsciously choosing seats where no one would be behind them. An unspoken rule — the kind outcasts learn without ever needing to say it.

More and more students piled into the room, the low murmur rising with the crowd.

Eric leaned toward Welyvyne. “Aren’t we going to learn this in Artificing?”

She nodded. “We will, yes. But there the focus is on how runes line up to form enchantments. Here… this is broader. These runes are for when we’re capable of casting beyond our affinity.”

Eric’s brows rose. “Oh, that’s useful. I’ve been wondering how to use water, earth, order, and entropy as well. Seltherin didn’t want me to have them yet for some reason — said they were too far from my core to be useful.”

Welyvyne blinked, then let out a slow sigh. “Of course you already have access to all of them…”

Welyvyne frowned, lowering her voice. “Why do you already have all of them?”

Eric leaned in, whispering back, “I have a theory.”

Welyvyne’s voice dropped to match his. “Well, spill it. I’d love a cheat like yours.”

Eric chuckled softly. “I think it has something to do with the science on my world. We don’t call them affinities — we call them concepts. I understand fire as energy, plasma, heat. I understand air as flow, movement… and, of course, what it’s made of.” He paused, lowering his voice even further. “And entropy… Seltherin told me that’s the last one most ever grasp, so I’ll tell you that one. Entropy isn’t just destruction. It’s time — the effect time has. It’s decay. It’s the removal of heat and the transfer of it elsewhere.”

Welyvyne tilted her head, golden eyes narrowing. “So… you think you start to gain access based on understanding?”

Eric’s lips curved in a faint grin. “Precisely. It’s just a theory, but it makes too much sense for it not to be true. I’ve noticed it in the way the system presents things as well.”

Welyvyne hummed softly. “Hmm… I bet I know a way to test your theory.”

Eric’s grin spread wide. “I bet I know what you’re thinking — and I love it. I’m more than willing to explain and see if you can pick them up as well. It’ll definitely help us in the long run. Trust me.”

Welyvyne arched a brow. “Oh yeah? What are you thinking?”

Eric leaned closer, lowering his voice. “If you gain the other affinities, then yes — I’ll have a big piece of the puzzle. And then I can try something. I wasn’t sure if I should before, but if this holds true, we might even be able to pull them closer to our cores. But…” He gave a small shrug, grin fading into thought. “This is still theory. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”

Welyvyne snorted. “Huh… a side of you I didn’t know you had. Caution.”

Before Eric could answer, the professor snapped his book shut with a crack that cut through the room. He rose from his chair, pale eyes sweeping the students.

“Welcome to the worst class you’ll ever take. My name is Professor Nid. That is all you need to know about me.” His voice was flat, precise, merciless. “I am not your friend. I am not here to inspire you. I am here to teach. You may learn, or you may fail. That is your concern, not mine.”

Eric blinked. He wasn’t sure what was stranger — that tone, or the fact that it came from the same man who’d just been lost in a steamy romance novel.

He lifted a roll of parchment, “—let’s see who decided not to bother showing up.”

After a few names, his eyes landed on their row. Instead of calling them one by one, he said flatly, “Welyvyne. Eric.”

The words carried together, a single mark instead of two. His eyebrow lifted — a flicker of recognition.

A few names later he gave a short, dismissive chuff. “Five. Five smart students decided not to show.” His pale eyes swept the room once more. “Let’s begin. Open your books to page ten.”

Eric froze, realizing he’d forgotten to take out the books before class. “Crap,” he muttered.

Welyvyne was already staring at him expectantly. With a sigh, he summoned their books from his inventory and set them on the desk.

A student at the next table flinched, eyes darting to Eric, clearly trying to puzzle out where his storage item was hidden.

Eric sighed, leaning back a little. “Wonder what rumors that one will get us.”

The class dragged for most of the students — Welyvyne included. Her eyes glazed, chin propped in her hand as the lecture droned on.

Eric, though, sat on the edge of his seat like he was watching a thriller, scribbling notes like a madman.

At one point Nid’s gaze flicked up, catching him in the act. The professor gave the barest nod — so subtle Eric almost missed it.

In the middle of his furious note-taking, Eric flinched as a faint shimmer crossed his vision.

New skill acquired: Rune Theory 1

Another flicker.

Skill increased: Rune Theory 3 to 4

Eric felt a small surge of satisfaction. The system wasn’t just tracking him — it was confirming what he was learning. And having that kind of feedback felt good, like someone nodding along every time he got it right.

Eventually, Professor Nid sat back down, glanced over the class once, and opened his book again without a word.

Eric leaned toward Welyvyne, muttering, “Well… I guess that means class is over.”

Welyvyne glanced at Eric’s notebook, crammed full of scribbles, and sighed. “That was dreadful.”

Eric stared at her like he couldn’t believe they’d just sat through the same class. “Dreadful? I learned a ton. I didn’t know you could blend runes while casting. Or layer them.”

Welyvyne laughed, shaking her head. “Figured you, of all people, would love this class.”

As they stepped toward the door, Nid’s voice carried out, low and dry, never leaving the pages of his book. “It’s rare to see a student with as much interest in my class. I expect you will do well Mr. Elwyn.”

Eric gave Professor Nid a small nod and even managed a smile. As he and Welyvyne stepped out into the corridor, he glanced at her.

“Well,” he said, “time to see Seltherin.”

They made their way through the school’s courtyard, across the stone paths toward the professors’ wing of the Arcanum. Eventually, they reached Seltherin’s door.

Eric knocked.

The door swung open, and Seltherin stood there with a face Eric couldn’t quite read.

“Enter,” the professor said, stepping aside. His sharp gaze flicked to Welyvyne. “So this must be Welyvyne. I’m told you’re every bit as reckless as Eric here.”

Welyvyne frowned slightly, puzzled. “What do you mean?”

Seltherin’s mouth twitched in something between a smile and a grimace. “I mean academically bonded within half a bell of meeting one another.”

Welyvyne laughed, shaking her head. “We were both outcasts. People would’ve sabotaged us. It made sense.”

Seltherin’s gaze shifted to Eric, then back to her. “Yes. That is exactly what Eric said.” His eyes narrowed, studying her with suspicion. “You two seem to think a great deal alike.”

Eric froze mid-step, eyes catching on three figures standing near the back of the room. He recognized them immediately — officials from the Arcane Anomaly Authority.

A slow smile tugged at his lips. “Hey. What brings you here?” he asked, voice deliberately nonchalant.

The lead he already knew stepped forward, spectacles officer at her side, both of them radiating official disapproval.

“Your ring alerted us of a rather powerful magical discharge,” the lead said flatly.

Eric rubbed the back of his neck and shrugged. “Yeah, I didn’t mean to cast with that much umph, you know. Still learning.” His grin edged wider. “But hey—did anyone die?”

The lead sighed. “I spoke with your professor. He said you cast with precision — would never have guessed you’ve been here only half a cycle. He also said he’ll be training you personally. And from what I know of the man… that says much.”

She continued, “I’ll be honest, Mr. Elwyn — when we received the alert from the ring, we panicked. But after looking into what you’ve been doing on your first day, we discovered a few things.” Her eyes narrowed just slightly, as if weighing him on invisible scales. “You’ve been making an impression.”

Eric shrugged. “Not intentionally. When I cast that spell, I just… pushed a bit more mana into it. Professor said he wanted flashy.”

Seltherin’s head snapped toward him. “What? Who taught you to do that? That isn’t something you just do without training.”

Eric chuckled. “It made sense — push more mana, bigger bang. Seemed pretty obvious to me.”

The lead raised an eyebrow. “It would appear teaching you anything will have side effects. Perfectly acceptable ones.”

Seltherin snapped his gaze to the lead. “He could have burned his pathways.”

The lead actually smiled. “Yes, maybe so. But he seems to have good instincts.”

Welyvyne spoke up next, voice steady. “I’m not sure if this is my place, but… I was there when he cast the spell. He did it flawlessly. And I’d say he has a surprising amount of caution. Don’t underestimate his competence just because of the way he acts.”

Eric blinked at her, dumbfounded. “Wait—do I come off as incompetent?”

“Yes. So—we have made a decision. Let me see the ring, Eric.”

He hesitated only a second before lifting his hand. The lead produced a silver disc etched with shifting runes. She passed it over the band, and the ring expanded with a soft chime before slipping free and falling into her palm.

Spectacles gave Eric a small nod of approval, the faintest crack in his usual reserve.

The lead lifted another tablet, its surface laced with runes that pulsed faintly at her touch. “I’ll need you to impart some mana into this.”

Eric reached out, steadying his breath. Easy this time. Just enough. He pressed his palm to the tablet and pushed mana into it carefully, remembering not to overdo it — the last thing he wanted was to blow up their paperwork.

Eric frowned at the tablet, then looked up. “Okay… what was that for?”

The lead slid a folded packet of parchment into his hands, the silver seal at the top still warm from the rune press. “Your license to cast within the city. I wanted to make sure it was handled — so I expedited it.”

Eric looked down at the packet in his hands. “Uh… thank you. So you’re… letting me off the leash, then?”

The lead actually chuckled, a low sound like stone sliding. “Yes, so to speak. Had you shown any sign of anger toward your situation, this would be playing out very differently.” She glanced at Welyvyne, then back at him. “But you’ve made friends instead of shutting yourself in. You’ve participated at the Arcanum as asked. You haven’t fought. And you seem—” she tilted her head slightly, as if surprised by her own words—“extremely stable. I know you can’t be happy, Eric. But you’re showing a grace I didn’t expect. As a token of that, you deserve the freedom that comes with it. Please… don’t make me regret it.”

Eric grinned. “Now for world domination,” he joked.

Welyvyne elbowed him sharply in the ribs. Seltherin sighed, long-suffering.

The lead raised an eyebrow, then, to everyone’s surprise, chuckled. “I’m glad you’re still joking. It’s a good coping mechanism for stress, Eric. We’ll leave you to your studies, then.”

She nodded once, gestured for Spectacles to follow, and the two of them slipped out. The door shut softly behind them, leaving the room a little quieter than before.

Seltherin spoke first, breaking the silence. “Well… that was unexpected. I thought for certain she was going to scold you for being so reckless.”

Welyvyne laughed, shaking her head. “I thought I was about to lose my partner.”

Seltherin waved them both toward the table with a sharp gesture. “Come. Let’s eat. We have much to discuss in the wake of what just happened.”

Eric lingered by the door a moment longer, eyes drifting back down to the license in his hands. The silver seal gleamed faintly in the candlelight.

Wonder what they’re playing at, he thought. Why are they being so nice?

Then he slipped the papers away and turned toward the table.

Soon they were seated, Seltherin already turning his questions toward Welyvyne. Eric only half-heard them. His gaze stayed fixed on the edge of the table, thoughts looping in quiet spirals.

He’d learned to trust his gut long before he ever wound up in this world. And right now, every instinct whispered the same thing: this wasn’t pure kindness. Authority didn’t hand out favors. Not without a reason.

So he let Seltherin’s words wash past him, running scenarios in his head, weighing what angles the Authority might be playing. His distrust rarely surfaced this sharply — but once it did, he knew better than to ignore it.

Before he knew it, a pot pie landed in front of him. Steam curled up from the golden crust, carrying a smell not unlike chicken and herbs. The thick topping looked crisp, flaky — comfort food in a place that had been anything but.

It startled him out of his thoughts, not just the thump of the dish on the table but the sheer normalcy of it. For a second, it was as if he were back home — dinner after a long day, nothing strange at all. And that, more than anything, unsettled him.

Eric smiled, pushing the knot of emotions back down where no one could see. “This looks amazing. We’ve got a dish just like this back home. Guess you can’t beat a classic.”

He picked up his fork with practiced ease, as if the warmth in his chest hadn’t just betrayed how much the smell reminded him of home.

Welyvyne smiled as she broke the crust with her fork. “Yes… I could get used to dinner like this.” She glanced at Eric, golden eyes curious. “Does he always prepare food like this?”

Eric nodded, a faint grin tugging at his mouth. “Yeah. He’s quite the cook.”

Seltherin arched a brow but said nothing, letting the food speak for itself.

Seltherin set down his fork, eyes settling on Welyvyne. “So, Welyvyne — have you been taught cycling yet?”

She looked up, brow furrowed. “Cycling?”

“Yes,” Seltherin said. “A discipline for strengthening and growing your core. Most casters simply spend their mana and let it return naturally. This technique accelerates growth — makes you stronger, faster.”

Welyvyne smiled, interest brightening her face. “Then I’d love to learn it.”

Eric shot Seltherin a quizzical look. “Wait. So you taught me how to get more powerful before I could even be trusted?”

Seltherin shook his head, expression flat but voice edged with weight. “No. You needed it the moment you arrived. Your mana was unstable, raw. Without cycling to balance it, the alternative was…” He paused, as if the word itself carried risk. “…unknown consequences.”

After they finished eating, Eric started clearing the table while Seltherin stood. “I’ll get the cycling chamber ready,” the professor said, already disappearing into his office.

Welyvyne trailed after Eric into the kitchen. He set the dishes in the sink, turned on the water, and let it run over his hands.

“You okay, Eric?” she asked softly. “You were uncommonly quiet.”

“Yeah,” Eric said after a pause, rolling his shoulders. “Just thinking. It’s been a long day. Still not sure how much longer days are here compared to where I’m from… but by the end of it, I’m wiped.”

As Eric finished each dish, Welyvyne took it from him, drying it carefully and setting it aside.

“Looked to me like you were suspicious of the woman who gave you your license,” she said.

Eric shook his head with a rueful smile. “That obvious?”

Welyvyne laughed softly. “Probably not. I just noticed you pause and look down at your license, then go all contemplative. And let’s be fair—if it were me, I’d have been suspicious too.”

Eric chuckled. “Great minds. But yeah… where I come from, people in authority don’t give away anything for nothing.”

Welyvyne smiled knowingly. “So you do understand things beyond the surface. I shouldn’t underestimate you. Behind that easy grin of yours is a calculating mind. Most here won’t see you as a threat—you look too innocent. But I know better. I doubt the heavens would’ve handed you so much if you weren’t meant to handle it.”

Eric considered that for a moment. “Yeah… I don’t really know how the system works.” He gave a short laugh. “And the ‘heavens,’ as you call them—I don’t think they work the way you think they do. At least not completely.”

Welyvyne smiled. “You may be right. We take it for granted, but you… you have a new perspective. And you said the heavens present themselves differently to each person?”

Eric nodded slowly. “Yeah. That I can say for certain. It feels like the system makes an instance of itself for each person—unique, individualized.”

“That is interesting,” Welyvyne said. “There are actually people who think that way too, but they’re not as open about it as you are.”

Eric dried his hands and passed Welyvyne the last cup. Seltherin stepped in just then. “Time to learn cycling, my dear partner,” Eric said with a crooked grin. “Don’t worry—Seltherin grows on you.” The professor chuckled. “I’m ready,” Welyvyne said, meeting his gaze. Seltherin nodded and led them into the adjoining room, where mats had been laid out. Eric dropped onto one without hesitation.

Seltherin settled onto one of the mats with the easy weight of a man who had done this a thousand times. His tone slipped into lecture-mode, calm but carrying the authority of habit.

“Cycling is not simply meditation,” he began. “It is the deliberate drawing in of ambient mana, channeling it through the pathways, and returning it to the core. Over time, this rhythm strengthens and expands the vessel.”

Welyvyne listened intently, back straight, eyes on him. She mirrored his breathing as though trying to catch the cadence of his voice.

Eric, meanwhile, had already closed his eyes and dropped into the familiar pulse Seltherin had drilled into him days ago. The pattern came easily now—the slow draw, the turn through his center, the return. His pathways thrummed, the loop steady, the way a machine runs once you’ve worked out the kinks.

Seltherin’s eyes flicked to him once, a faint twitch at the corner of his mouth, but he continued addressing Welyvyne.

After some time, Seltherin eased back from his explanation and gave Welyvyne a nod. “You should continue this when you and Eric return to your dwelling. The rhythm will become easier the more often you repeat it.”

Eric pushed himself up from the mat, rolling his shoulders as though shedding the last traces of strain. He looked at Seltherin with a faint, genuine smile. “I actually enjoy this now. You’re a good teacher, Professor.”

Seltherin let out a low chuckle, surprising even himself. “That feels like high praise coming from you.”

Eric grinned at that, and for a moment the room felt lighter—like trust had taken another small step forward.

Eric said his good night and led Welyvyne toward the door.

“It was a pleasure to meet you,” Welyvyne added warmly. “I’m looking forward to returning tomorrow. Have a good night, Seltherin.”

Seltherin allowed himself the smallest of smiles. “You as well. Eric may have indeed chosen wisely. You, however… perhaps not.”

Eric froze mid-step, then turned back slowly, narrowing his eyes in mock suspicion. “Wait. Was that—was that a joke?”

The corner of Seltherin’s mouth twitched just enough to give him away.

Eric lit up. “Ha! I knew you had it in you!”

They made their way back through the courtyard and into their dwelling. Eric plopped face-first onto his bed with a groan.

Welyvyne arched a brow at him. “Do you even have night clothes?”

His reply came muffled into the blanket. “No. I hadn’t exactly considered sleepwear when I picked my wardrobe.”

She chuckled, shaking her head. “Well, we’ll fix that. We don’t have anything scheduled after lunch tomorrow. We can stop by the market and get you something proper.”

Eric grunted in approval, fumbling with the long coat he was still half-wearing. He tried to shrug it off without lifting his head, the process more of a slow-motion wrestling match with himself. “Sounds good. Just… gonna pass out if you don’t mind.”

Welyvyne laughed softly, heading toward her own side of the divider. “Good night then.”

“Good night,” Eric mumbled. The words blurred together as sleep claimed him before the last syllable left his lips.