It has been a while since I managed to hit my planned Ko-Fi post for the first week of the month. Last year, however, I completed a full year of writing, and this year I’m aiming to keep that momentum. With February’s plan in hand, I sat down to work on the first story of the month, a micro-tale set at the Academy. I introduced a new character the last time I explored this world, and I wanted the chance to spend a little more time in his company.
The Academy is a place of sanctioned magic. Curiosity is encouraged, but both teachers and students operate within firm boundaries that exist for a reason. Lessons unfold in stone halls built to endure mistakes and conceal their power. Every spell cast and every experiment attempted leaves a trace somewhere, whether it is formally recorded or quietly corrected without ceremony.
Bramble has never been comfortable with clean lines or tidy answers. He gravitates toward moments where theory bends under pressure, where assumptions fail, and where truth only reveals itself after something gives way. In a world that values order, his questions are inconvenient at best—and, at times, dangerously so.
This tale opens in the aftermath of one such moment. It is not about the prank itself, nor the damage it caused, but about what follows when curiosity collides with restraint. Some lessons are taught aloud. Others are delivered quietly, behind closed doors, and remembered long after the pain fades.
Come, sit down and allow me to give you a mini-escape and kindle your imagination.
Bramble paused outside Arlen’s classroom, gripping his elbow as herbs and a hint of copper, reminding him of blood, drifted through the door.
“Outside of classes, most who come here are screaming in pain. Lingering isn’t advisable.”
“I’m hoping to avoid witnesses.” Bramble straightened and stepped inside, locking eyes with Arlen. “Nor am I seeking applause.”
Arlen crossed the room and ran practiced fingers along Bramble’s clutched arm. “Do you assume either with every fracture? What happened, aside from bruising your ego?”
“I was careless in a recent…” Bramble’s gaze dropped as he chewed his lower lip, “academic pursuit.”
Arlen smiled as she retrieved a vial from her desk. “I’ll assume this was your latest prank.”
Bramble’s eyes snapped shut. “My preparations were insufficient for the experiment’s reaction.”
“In other words, your assumptions didn’t survive the swift and escalating response.” Arlen handed the tonic to the student.
.
.
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