Chapter 23: Making ns.


    Vi Windtnzer stood before Ezekiel, her big innocent eyes trained on him with a curious glint. Her mouth was fixed in a perpetual cat-like smirk as if she was privy to some private joke. Ezekiel couldn''t help but feel a flutter of unease as she continued to stare at him, her gaze intense and unyielding.


    It had been a while since Ezekiel had spoken to anyone other than his mentor Maximilian, and the sudden social interaction with Vi made him feel awkward and out of ce. He didn''t know what to say, and he could feel his palms beginning to sweat.


    But Vi, it seemed, was not content to let the silence linger. With a graceful motion, she extended her hand towards Ezekiel, and in an airy, melodic voice said, "Vi Windtnzer, nice to meet cha."


    Ezekiel, caught off guard, hesitated for a moment before reaching out to take her hand. He introduced himself, stammering slightly as he did so.


    Vi''s grip was firm, her hand cool to the touch. "I''ve heard a lot about you, Ezekiel," she said, her voice carrying a hint of amusement. "I was curious to meet the tri-affinity mage everyone''s been talking about."


    Ezekiel felt a flush of embarrassment rise to his cheeks, unsure of how to respond. But Vi seemed to sense his difort and quickly released his hand, her smile widening. "Don''t be shy, Zeke," she said with a chuckle. "My Grandpa always says: We''re all here to learn and grow. And who knows, maybe we can even help each other out."


    Ezekiel felt himself rx, and he found himself smiling back at Vi. There was something about her that put him at ease, and he found himself looking forward to getting to know her better. Ezekiel had always been particr about how people addressed him. He preferred for people to call him by his full name, Ezekiel, and didn''t like it when strangers used his nickname, "Zeke." But when Vi said his nickname, it sounded natural, almost like it was meant to be. He found himself not minding iting from her.


    Vi had a certain charm about her, a quality that made it impossible for people not to like her. She seemed to have the ability to worm her way into people''s lives, and Ezekiel found himself no exception. He couldn''t help but be drawn to her, her easygoing nature and friendly demeanor making it hard not to be charmed by her.


    As they spoke, Ezekiel found himself opening up to her more than he usually would with a stranger. He found her easy to talk to, and her genuine interest in him and his abilities made him feel valued and appreciated. The more he got to know her, the more he realized that Vi was a force to be reckoned with, not only in terms of her magical abilities but also in terms of her character. Vi had a way of making Ezekiel feel like he was the most interesting person in the world. As they sat together, she peppered him with questions, her big innocent eyes fixed on him with a look of genuine interest. She asked about his background, where he grew up, and about his life so far at the academy.


    Ezekiel found himself opening up to her, sharing things he had never shared with anyone before. He told her about his small farming vige, about the struggles he had faceding to the academy and learning about his tri-affinity, and about the bullying he had experienced at the academy.


    As he spoke, Ezekiel noticed a flicker of understanding in Vi''s eyes, as if she truly understood what he was going through. She asked him about his goals, his aspirations, and how he was nning to achieve them. As they spoke, Ezekiel realized that Vi''s interest was not just idle curiosity, but a genuine desire to know him better. He found her eagerness to know him endearing, and it made him feel valued and appreciated.


    There was a sense of understanding and eptance in the way Vi listened to him, the same understanding and eptance he once felt with Lilly. Ezekiel had always treasured his friendship with Lilly, it was one of the few constants in his life during his tumultuous childhood years. They understood each other, and they had a connection that he had never found with anyone else. But that all changed when he came to Elementium, and Lilly refused to be friends with him anymore, it was a huge blow for him, and it left a void in his life. But with Vi, he felt like he had found a piece of that connection again. The way she listened to him, the way she seemed to truly understand him, it was like nothing he had experienced since losing Lilly''s friendship.


    As the two of them talked about their lives, Ezekiel felt like a weight was lifting off of his shoulders. He felt like he was finally being seen for who he was, and not just for his abilities or shorings. With Vi, he felt like he was finally beginning to heal the wounds left by Lilly''s rejection.


    Ezekiel was in the middle of telling a story to Vi, one of the many mischievous moments he shared with his childhood friends Markus and Lilly. He was describing how they had tricked Martin and his friends into believing that pigs evolved into ogres when they grew up, and how Martin had then tried to kill all the pigs in the vige when they were nine years old. By this point in the story, Vi wasughing so hard that she would mix up herughter with weird snorting noises to breathe through herughter. It would have been a creepy scene with anybody else, but it somehow looked endearing when Vi did it.


    Ezekiel was in the middle of describing how Markus had helped him to stop Martin when Maximilian interjected. "It''s about time to go home," said Maximilian, his voice stern.


    Vi and Ezekiel both looked at Maximilian, bewildered. But a quick nce out the window revealed that it was well past dark, the stars shining bright in the sky.


    Vi, flustered by howte it was, quickly said her goodbyes to Ezekiel. She opened the window and before Ezekiel could react she jumped out, leaving him staring after her in shock, before remembering that she was a wind mage. He turned to Maximilian, expecting a reprimand for having lost track of time. But to his surprise, Maximilian''s face was etched with a small smile.


    "I''m d you could get along with her," said Maximilian. "Vi is the granddaughter of one of my best friends, Victor Windtnzer. It would be great if the two of you could be friends."


    Ezekiel felt a flicker of surprise, he had not known that there was a connection between Maximilian and Vi. He couldn''t help but wonder why Maximilian never mentioned it before.


    "She seems like a nice person," Ezekiel said, his voice hesitant.


    Maximilian nodded. "She is," he said, his voice full of fondness. "And she''s a prodigy in wind magic, I''m sure the two of you could learn a lot from each other."


    He realized that Maximilian''s view of his friendship with Vi was different from what he had expected, instead of scolding him, Maximilian seemed to be happy about it. He felt grateful for Maximilian''s guidance and support in his life, and he was looking forward to seeing more of Vi in the future.


    "I''ll make sure to keep in touch with her," Ezekiel said with a smile.


    "I''m sure you will," Maximilian said with a twinkle in his eye. "Vi is not one to be easily forgotten." But after remembering that Zeke had wasted half the day, Maximilian''s expression grew serious. "It''s time for our theory studies," he said, his voice firm. "We can''t afford to ck off now, with the midterm exam less than a month away."


    Ezekiel knew that Maximilian was right, he couldn''t let himself get distracted by anything, especially with the important examing up. He nodded, agreeing to the studies.


    Maximilian led the way to their study area, and they began their lesson. The hours flew by as they delved into the intricacies of magic theory, discussing everything from spell creation to energy maniption.


    Ezekiel found himself fully engaged in the lesson, Maximilian''s teachings always captivating him. Maximilian was a strict but knowledgeable teacher, and Ezekiel was determined to do his best in the uing exam.


    The night grewte, and Ezekiel''s eyes grew heavy, but Maximilian was relentless, pushing him to continue until he was satisfied with Ezekiel''s understanding of the material.


    Finally, Maximilian dered that they were done for the night, and Ezekiel felt a sense of aplishment. The study session had been intense, but he had learned a lot, and he felt a little more prepared for the uing exam.


    "We''ll pick this up again tomorrow," Maximilian said as he gathered his books. "Don''t forget to get enough sleep as well." Ezekiel agreed with the sentiment and went to bed. But it was a short night, as he had to get up before dawn for his morning training.


    As the morning light crept through his window, Ezekiel groggily got dressed and made his way to the training grounds. The morning routine was rigorous and intense, focusing on honing his physical abilities.


    As the day went on, Ezekiel found himself looking forward to the afternoon. He had heard from Maximilian that Vi would be helping him with his training for the first time.


    When she arrived, Maximilian exined that in order for him to train his perfect spatial awareness, he would have his eyes closed, and she would fly around him and hit him with a stick. He was supposed to block her attacks with his own stick, which he managed to do most of the time, but every time he felt confident in blocking her, she would speed up the exercise, catching him off guard.


    Ezekiel found himself grumbling about her methods, and she seemed to take pleasure in it, giggling at his frustration. He couldn''t help but feel a little irritated, but he knew that her way of training was efficient and would help him improve. He was determined to get better, and that meant putting up with her teasing.


    He pushed through the training session, his body aching and sweat pouring down his face. But by the end of it, he felt a sense of aplishment wash over him, knowing that he had made progress thanks to Vi''s help. He thanked her for her help and she smiled and said, "I''ll be back tomorrow to beat you up again" with a grin. He couldn''t help but roll his eyes at herment, but also couldn''t deny that he was looking forward to the next training session.


    Ezekiel and Vi found themselves sitting together on the grass, chatting about magic and life. Ezekiel was fascinated by Vi''s insights and knowledge, and she was equally interested in hearing about his experiences and perspectives. They would talk about different magic disciplines, and the different training methods, she also shared her own personal experiences. Vi began to tell him about how she and her grandfather had flown to the west of the kingdom and explored the ancient forest there over thest summer break.


    Ezekiel listened with rapt attention, envious of her experiences and the freedom to explore the world beyond the capital city. He told her that it sounded amazing and that he had never been further away from home than here in the capital.


    Vi, sensing his longing, asked him if he wanted toe with her to explore over this summer break. Ezekiel didn''t hesitate, immediately agreeing to the offer.


    They began to make ns, discussing where they should go and what they should see. Vi told him about the many wonders of the ancient forest, from the ancient ruins hidden deep within to the majestic waterfalls that cascaded down the cliffs.


    Ezekiel couldn''t help but feel excited about the opportunity to explore the world beyond the city, and to experience it with Vi by his side. As time flew by, they would soon realize that it was time for dinner and that Vi would need to head home. Despite the brief time they spent together, Ezekiel found himself looking forward to their next training session and the conversations that would follow.


    This routine of training and chatting would repeat every day for two weeks. And as the day of the midterm exams approached, he had finally reached the point where he was ready to evolve his space core, a major step in his journey to bing a powerful mage.