Chapter 2

From the moment I realized I could use the sacred light magic, which only a few people in this world can wield, I became someone who was praised by everyone, no matter who I was with or what I was doing. Everyone said they wanted to see the light magic. Just by creating a rainbow with light magic, everyone was surprised and delighted. I thought it was wonderful to make someone smile because of what I did.

But then, Isabelle said, "Kai, you always say you do things for others. It's okay to live for yourself, too, you know?"

From that moment on, Isabelle became special to me. So when Isabelle, with a sad face, said, "I'm afraid of Alice," Alice Survice became the absolute evil in my eyes.

After the dance party where I exposed that woman's sins, the prince and the five of us raised a small toast. Isabelle was smiling happily, and I believed without a doubt that I had done the right thing.

Something went wrong the next day. At school, no one came near me. If they were about to bump into me, they would hurriedly run away. Even though I thought something was strange, I decided it didn't matter as long as I had Isabelle. I planned to meet her after class and not worry about it.

The decisive moment came during the practical magic class. Usually, there were always people who wanted to pair up with me because I could use light magic. But today, not a single person wanted to be my partner. Ms. Alusha looked at me with a face that seemed both sad and angry.

"Kai, can you create a rainbow with light magic?"

To me, it felt like Ms. Alusha was mocking me. The rainbow I used to create to make everyone laugh, which I hadn't even thought about creating since meeting Isabelle, and now she was asking me to do it again.

Ms. Alusha had been saying, "Don't lose yourself," ever since I met Isabelle, and frankly, I was tired of it. I decided to show everyone my power and create a huge rainbow in the sky.

That's it.

What?

That's it.

Why?

That's it.

Why?

A growing sense of anxiety.

I had cast this spell dozens, even hundreds of times, but no matter how many times I chanted it, no rainbow appeared in the sky.

"Yesterday, you used light magic to create a barrier in the dance hall, didn't you?" The teacher said calmly, in stark contrast to my anxiety.

"You created a barrier to gang up on a girl who hadn't done anything, just to keep her from being blamed. You did it so that teachers and Alice's maids couldn't enter. Now, was that the right thing to do?"

"…What?"

I was speechless at the teacher's unexpected words.

"Light magic can only be used by truly righteous people. That's why you can't use it now, right? Kai, was what you did yesterday really right?"

The teacher didn't look away from my eyes, and I couldn't look away from hers.

"I heard from the other students. The moment Alice declared her innocence, Kai fell to his knees. And when we, who were blocked by the barrier, finally entered the dance hall, you couldn't use light magic anymore, could you?"

I realized I had made an irreparable mistake.

"I'm sorry."

"Huh?"

I let out a surprised and foolish sound at the teacher's unexpected words.

"I had noticed that Kai's light magic had been weakening recently. I wanted to help, but I didn't have the power."

Honestly, I thought the teacher was just jealous. Jealous that she, a magic teacher, couldn't use light magic.

But, so that's it. She was really worried about me.

So, I had made a decisive mistake.

No matter how many times I chanted, I couldn't even produce a faint light. I stared at my hands, which could no longer cast light magic, and felt a vague sense of despair. I idly thought that Alice Survice was the only one who hadn't asked me to show her light magic.