Cal strongly suspected his first class of the day, advanced magical combat, would be canceled. He planned to show up for five minutes and then leave for a late breakfast.He'd made it all of two steps from his bedroom when a coffee-drinking Alice informed him they'd been summoned to the campus's central building, the clock tower, to meet with the headmaster. Technically speaking, the summons was for him alone, but as heir, Alice had a right to attend. At least, that's what she tried to explain to the secretary trying to bar her entrance.Both sides were steadily ramping up their levels of passive aggression when the secretary's computer pinged, and they were ushered inside without another word of protest.Victor's office was spacious enough to double as a sparring ring. At its center sat a trio of couches and a lone armchair, likely intended to host larger audiences in a relaxed setting. Sculptures flanked the room's wings—some modeled after buildings Cal recognized from campus, others shaped in human likeness. Plaques beneath the latter identified them as former headmasters, complete with their periods of tenure. In that context, Cal concluded the displays were curated to impart a sense of pedigree and the Academy's evolution over time.Past those pieces was a massive desk, easily spanning five meters in length. It was made of a black matte stone and had a red trim, matching the Academy's colors. Behind it sat a middle-aged man who looked to be trying his best not to leap over the desk and strangle the two students seated opposite him.Admittedly, Cal's reading of the dead-eyed glare he was receiving might have been off. Then again, Alice hadn't taken a breath since entering, so he probably wasn't too far off the mark.Cal glanced to the side, seeing her stoic face. Her skin was starting to gain a bluish tint, and if no one said anything, she was liable to pass out."So," Cal directed toward the headmaster. "Did you (...)