By the time I arrived at the beginner combat magic class, it was already noon.

  The combat class was in a spacious training hall, surrounded by enchanted barriers to contain stray spells. A group of first-years was already assembled.

  “Good afternoon, class, I’m told you’re here to learn combat magic. Is that right?” I said, striding to the center of the room.

  “Yes, Professor,” they answered as one.

  “Good. Let’s begin with a demonstration. Who’d like to go first?” I asked with a thin smile.

  There was a brief moment of silence before a tall, broad-shouldered boy stepped forward. His posture screamed arrogance.

  “I’ll volunteer,” he said, with a cocky grin.

  “Excellent, what’s your name?” I replied, motioning for him to take his place.

  “I am Jarek. The strongest magician of the class,” he said arrogantly.

  I suppressed a smirk. Strongest of the class, huh? "Wonderful, but you should keep your oversized ego to yourself, particularly when you are in front of a much stronger opponent." I paused, fixing my amused gaze on him "Attack when you are ready."

  Jarek didn’t hesitate. He launched a barrage of fireballs in my direction. I stood still, hands clasped behind my back, letting the flames hurtle toward me.

  At the last possible moment, I summoned a multi layered shield. The fireballs dissipated into steam on impact.

  “Not bad, but you’re too predictable. Try again.” I said, letting my shield dissolve.

  Jarek’s smirk faltered, but he nodded. He shot another barrage of fireball toward me. I sidestepped it with ease, countering with a gust of wind that made him fall on his ass. Upon noticing his silly expression, I repressed a smile. Mocking him in front of the whole class would leave a scar.

  The other students either gasped or smirked in schadenfreude. Seems like he didn't have the best reputation among his peers huh.

  “Jarek, strong spells won't always help you win. ln a real fight, you need to have your own strategy and anticipate your opponent next move to counter him.”

  Jarek scrambled to his feet, his face red with embarrassment. “Y-yes, Professor.”

  “Good effort. Who's next?” I asked, turning to the rest of the class.

  The students hesitated. Then, from the back of the room, a soft voice spoke. “I’ll try.”

  The speaker was a small timid looking girl with long brown hair and eyes. She stepped forward hesitantly.

  “And your name?” I asked gently.

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  “Lily,” she murmured.

  “Alright, Lily, let's see what you have got.” I said, giving her a reassuring nod.

  Lily took a deep breath and an electric-bolt formed in front of her. It wasn’t small, bigger than I’d seen from most students her age.

  The other students murmured in surprise.

  Lily sent a bolt toward me. It moved fast, arcs of lightning lashing out unpredictably. I conjured an earth barrier to absorb the impact, but I could feel the raw force behind her spell.

  “Impressive, but your control needs work. That spell could have hit any number of unintended targets. Let's try again, try to squeeze the energy a bit tighter to mold it into a more focused beam.”

  Lily nodded, her cheeks flushed. This time, the arc of lightening was more focused. She launched it again, and though it wavered slightly, it flew directly toward me, hitting my shield cleanly.

  The room was silent for a moment. Then, deafening applause broke out. Even the cockier students either nodded or whistled in approval.

  I turned to Lily and congratulated her. “That was excellent. With a little more practice, you’ll be a force to be reckoned with.”

  Lily’s face lit up with a shy smile, and she stepped back into the group, her shoulders a little straighter now.

  The class continued, each student stepping forward to showcase their abilities. Most of them charged at me headfirst, throwing spells with a lot of firepower but no strategy. A few, took a more cautious approach, trying to counter my spells. But I could see they didn't have much combat experience. They didn't even try to reduce my movements before launching their strongest spell. Well at least none of them froze without being able to do anything.

  "Alright, we will start with a first exercise." I began, "Today we will learn to fight with a basic strategy in mind: you will try to immobilize your opponent in order to launch your strongest spell afterward."

  "So, I want you to pair up, think together about how to immobilize your opponent, and try it out."

  "The first duo to succeed will get bonus points on their combat class grade. Be creative and work hard!"

  The students face lit up and hands shot up right away.

  "Really sir?"

  "Yes. Don't worry about doing any damage to your partner, I will protect you if you flunk a spell."

  A competitive spirit took over the whole cohort. They started working hard to find solutions.

  At the end of the class they had all made a lot of progress.

  *** In the evening ***

  By the end of the day, I collapsed in the faculty lounge, ready to swear off teaching again.

  Sherry found me there, sipping tea and looking far too smug. “So, how was your first day back?” she asked.

  I groaned. “Ask me again in two months.”

  “You made a great impression, Dad. I heard some of the students talking about your lectures.” She smirked, clearly enjoying herself far too much.

  I took a long sip of my tea, savoring the warmth as it spread through me. “Impressions are easy. Keeping their respect is the hard part.”

  “Pfft,” Sherry scoffed. “You don’t need to worry about that. Half of them are already in awe of you, and the other half are too busy trying to figure out how you made those mana dragons.”

  I chuckled despite myself. “Well, at least they’re curious. That’s a start.”

  Sherry’s expression softened as she studied me. “You know, it’s good to have you back. We missed you.”

  I arched a brow. “You mean, you missed a retired relic who complains about his joints and scares students with overly dramatic speeches?”

  She rolled her eyes. “No. A teacher who remembers that this place is not just to teach magic, but to shape people.”

  I felt a pang of something. Nostalgia? Regret? Maybe both, but I quickly masked it with a chuckle. “Flattery will get you nowhere, Sherry.”

  She laughed. “Oh, please. I don’t need flattery. I’ve got the ‘Headmistress’ title for that.”

  “Well, I only have two months left.” I said gruffly, putting my teacup down on the table.

  Sherry smirked. “We’ll see about that. Oh and, don’t forget there’s a faculty meeting tomorrow.”

  I groaned. “Why did I agree to this again?”

  “Because you’re a softie. And because deep down, you missed it.” She teased, standing up and giving me a wink.

  As she left, I stared into my empty teacup.

  Maybe she was right. Maybe a part of me had missed this. Or maybe I was just getting sentimental in my old age.