The Villain Professor's Second Chance

Amberine slouched over her desk, staring at the indecipherable exam paper as if it might explode at any moment. Her eyelids drooped, and her head felt like it was stuffed with wool. Hours had passed since she had begun her all-night study session, and sleep deprivation was taking its toll. The candles around her flickered softly, casting long, wavering shadows on the walls of her small room.

Ifrit, the fiery salamander spirit hidden beneath her robe, shifted restlessly, sensing her growing frustration.

"Why does Draven have to make everything so impossible?" Amberine muttered, rubbing her temples. The exam paper before her wasn't just an ordinary test—it was a shifting, swirling mess of symbols and letters that seemed to mock her every time she tried to make sense of it.

She leaned back in her chair, her eyes losing focus as the world around her started to blur. The lack of sleep was making her mind wander, and before she realized it, the tiny salamander form of Ifrit seemed to change before her eyes. Her fire spirit wasn't a little creature anymore—no, now it was towering over her, its body bulging with rippling muscles.

A human-sized Ifrit, with a ridiculous, oversized physique, flexed its biceps proudly.

Amberine blinked, groaning. "Oh, no. Not this."

Ifrit—imaginary Ifrit—stood with arms crossed, his broad, bulging chest gleaming as if he had been polished. "What's wrong, Amberine?" His deep voice rumbled through the room, a comical contrast to the tiny real Ifrit nestled by her side.

She squinted at him, the hallucination becoming more vivid. "Your muscles," she said, waving a hand vaguely in his direction. "They're distracting me. I like more... lean builds, with the right amount of rigidness."

Imaginary Ifrit raised an eyebrow, flexing his arms even more exaggeratedly. "Oh? You mean like... Draven?"Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Amberine recoiled as if slapped, her face flushing with sudden indignation. "Of course not, you bastard!" she snapped, glaring at her hallucination. "Draven? Seriously?"

Real Ifrit, still in his salamander form, rolled his tiny eyes. He could see that Amberine was completely delusional from exhaustion, and it wasn't the first time she had started imagining bizarre things. His fiery form gave a little flicker, and he settled back down, waiting for her to realize she was talking to herself.

Amberine, however, was fully immersed in the bizarre conversation. Imaginary Ifrit folded his arms, still looking smug. "You're getting worked up. Shouldn't you be focusing on the exam?"

"I am focusing!" Amberine shot back, her voice rising. "But you're not helping with all those... muscles."

The more she argued with her hallucination, the more ridiculous it became. At one point, she found herself comparing the absurdly muscular Ifrit to various statues she'd seen in the academy, her mind spinning with nonsense until—

Her eyes snapped open, and the full-sized Ifrit vanished into thin air. She blinked, looking down at the tiny salamander. He blinked back, unimpressed. Amberine slumped back in her chair, a groan escaping her lips.

"This is bad. I'm officially losing my mind."

The exam paper, still sitting in front of her, swirled with shifting letters, mocking her. Every attempt to focus on it seemed to make the letters blur even more. Frustration bubbled up inside her. She had been at this for hours, with no progress. No breakthrough. Nothing.

"I can't... I can't do this," she muttered, her voice strained. Her hands curled into fists as she glared at the paper. "This is impossible. No one can solve this!"

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Ifrit, still curled up by her side, gave an almost sarcastic flicker of flame, as if to say, Oh really?

The pressure was too much. Her eyes stung with exhaustion, her body felt heavy, and every ounce of fire magic inside her was being drained by frustration. She slammed her fists on the desk, her breath coming in sharp gasps.

And then it happened.

A small puff of flame burst from Ifrit, shooting straight at the edge of her exam paper. Amberine's heart stopped as the paper caught fire, the edges curling and blackening in an instant.

"No, no, no!" she shrieked, frantically batting at the flames with her hands. The fire was small, but to Amberine's panic-riddled mind, it might as well have been an inferno. "Not the exam!"

Ifrit, realizing his mistake, flickered in embarrassment, the flames retreating just before the entire paper was consumed. Amberine grabbed the slightly singed sheet, her heart pounding.

"You!" she snapped, glaring at her tiny fire spirit. "You almost burned my exam!"

Ifrit, in his salamander form, merely blinked, entirely unrepentant. His flames dimmed slightly, as if he was trying to look as innocent as possible, but Amberine wasn't fooled.

"I swear, if I fail because of you..."

But she stopped, staring down at the paper. Her frantic efforts to put out the fire had revealed something unusual. The parts of the exam that had been slightly burned now displayed clearer letters. The shifting script was more legible, as though the flames had forced it into clarity.

Amberine's eyes widened, realization dawning on her.

"The exam... responds to fire?" She squinted at the partially scorched section, and the letters there no longer shifted like they had before. But it wasn't just about the flames, was it? It was about control.

Draven's voice echoed in her mind, cold and calculated: This is the essence of the class.

The essence of the class... it wasn't just about solving problems. It was about understanding the core of what they were dealing with—analysis, core, control. Her fire magic wasn't just a tool; it was part of her essence, and the exam was testing her ability to control that essence, to harness it without letting it overwhelm her.

Amberine's hands trembled as the full weight of the revelation hit her. The exam wasn't impossible. It was designed to force her to understand the very nature of her magic. The more she struggled, the more the letters resisted her. The more frustrated she became, the less progress she made. But when she was calm...

when she focused...

"Of course," she whispered, a small smile tugging at her lips. "It's about balance."

Ifrit, sensing the shift in Amberine's mood, gave a small, encouraging flicker. He, too, seemed calmer, the fiery restlessness in him subsiding. Amberine closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. She centered herself, letting the tension drain from her body.

"I need to focus," she muttered to herself. "Calm and control. That's what Draven's testing."

Ifrit flickered again, and this time, he spoke—his voice low and resonant. "In the spirit realm, we say, 'A flame uncontrolled is a flame that devours its master.'"

Amberine opened one eye, looking at her small companion. "You've been holding out on me, haven't you?"

Ifrit gave a mischievous flicker, but Amberine chuckled softly. She felt calmer now, her mind clearer than it had been in hours. The fire spirit's warmth wasn't wild anymore; it was a steady, gentle heat that helped her focus. With Ifrit's help, she found herself able to channel her magic in a more controlled, deliberate way.

Amberine opened her eyes fully, staring at the exam paper once again. She placed her hand lightly on the corner of the sheet, letting a tiny, controlled flame flow from her fingertips. The paper responded instantly, the letters settling into place, revealing the hidden meaning behind the shifting script.

It was working.

Amberine's heart raced, but this time it wasn't from panic or frustration—it was from excitement. The more she controlled her fire, the more the exam unraveled before her. The letters stopped shifting entirely, and finally, after what felt like an eternity, the exam revealed itself fully.

Ten questions appeared in front of her, each one more complex than the last, but for the first time, Amberine didn't feel overwhelmed. She felt ready. This was no longer a battle against the paper. It was a challenge that she was prepared to face.

"Finally," she whispered, a triumphant smile spreading across her face. "We've done it, Ifrit."

The little salamander spirit gave a contented flicker, his warmth steady and reassuring. Together, they had faced the impossible and come out on the other side stronger.

Amberine's eyes flicked to the first question on the exam, her determination solidified. There was no more doubt, no more frustration. She was in control, and with Ifrit by her side, she would face whatever Draven threw at her.

"Let's finish this," she said, her voice firm and steady. "Once and for all."

And with that, Amberine began to write, her mind sharp, her magic controlled, and for the first time in what felt like days, she was ready to succeed.