The morning came again. Each student was already up, preparing eagerly for their second class. Today, they would have Potion Studies, and excitement filled the air.
In the grand dining hall, chatter echoed above the clinking of plates and cups.
"Professor Neris Seraphine will be taking us today," one of the first years said.
"I heard she's strict," another whispered. "No nonsense permitted in her class."
"I can't wait to learn how to make a healing potion," Lira said, her eyes gleaming.
They finished their meals quickly and hurried to the Potion Hall, where shelves lined the walls-each crowded with vials, herbs, and luminous liquids.
"Welcome to your potion class," came a confident voice.
A tall woman stepped forward, her presence both graceful and commanding. "I'm Neris Seraphine, Professor of Potions." Her tone was poised yet warm. "Before practicals, there must be theory," she said poetically. "So today, you'll be taught about the Aetherroot Extract."
She smiled faintly, lifting a vial that shimmered like liquid moonlight.
"This," she began, "is no ordinary alchemical compound. This-" she swirled the vial gently, "-is Aetherroot Extract."
The students leaned forward, curiosity shining in their eyes. Even Axel felt the faint pulse of energy emanating from it.
"Aetherroot grows only where ley-lines of mana intersect," Professor Neris continued, pacing slowly. "Those invisible rivers of power that flow beneath our land. The roots absorb raw, unfiltered mana over centuries, condensing it into this silvery essence. When properly distilled, it becomes one of the rarest stabilizers known to potioncraft."
She set the vial down, and the glow flickered against her face.
"Its primary function," she said, tapping the glass, "is balance. Unstable elements - especially those tied to volatile affinities like lightning, flame, earth..."
Her voice softened. She turned her gaze toward Axel.
"And darkness."
A quiet shiver passed through the room.
"Such affinities, and a few others, are bound to chaos. They can tear a potion apart before it matures. But a single drop of Aetherroot Extract binds these conflicting energies, forcing them into harmony."
A student raised her hand. "Professor, can it enhance magic too?"
A faint smile curved Neris's lips.
"Indeed. When properly diluted and attuned to an individual's mana frequency, it can amplify one's innate affinity by as much as twenty percent-temporarily, of course. But..."
She paused. The silence stretched.
"...if the potion is brewed incorrectly, or consumed by one whose mana is too unstable, the result is catastrophic. The extract will not balance-it will mirror. It amplifies instability as easily as it amplifies strength."
Her tone grew firm, her eyes scanning the hall.
"Remember this lesson well: Aetherroot does not choose sides. It only reflects the will of the one who wields it."
The room fell silent save for the scratching of quills as students hurried to record every word. The silver light of the vial dimmed-almost as if it understood the gravity of her warning.
Professor Neris looked around the hall once more, satisfied by the silent attention her words commanded.
"Good," she said finally. "That will be all for today's theory class. Next class, you will each attempt a basic stabilizing mixture - nothing advanced yet. I expect discipline, precision, and patience. Dismissed."
The students sighed collectively, some relieved, others disappointed. The moment the professor turned away, chatter filled the air again.
"That was... intense," Scott muttered, stretching his arms.
Finn nodded. "She wasn't exaggerating about the risks."
"I still want to try it," Lira said, smiling. "Imagine actually brewing something that reacts to your own magic!"
Scott chuckled. "Yeah, imagine blowing up the hall instead."
Axel stayed quiet, his eyes drifting to the silver vial still resting on the table. The faint light within it pulsed softly - almost in rhythm with his heartbeat. He couldn't look away.
"Come on, Axel," Finn called. "Lunch?"
"Yeah... coming," he said after a pause, tearing his gaze from the vial.
As they left the hall, Professor Neris's voice called out gently behind him.
"Axel"
He turned.
"Be cautious with your curiosity," she said, her tone calm but deliberate. "Some essences listen more than they speak."
He nodded uncertainly and followed the others out.
The academy grounds shimmered under the afternoon sun, but to Axel, the light felt dim. His mind replayed the professor's words: "Aetherroot does not choose sides."
He wondered which side his own magic would take - if it ever decided to obey him at all.
They crossed the courtyard, laughter echoing ahead. Finn and Scott joked about the next class, but Axel's thoughts were elsewhere. Something about that extract - the way it responded, the faint hum he felt - reminded him of the whisper he'd heard in the library the night before.
He stopped briefly and looked toward the northern towers, where the Headmaster's chambers were said to be. For a moment, he thought he saw a flicker of light - not white, not gold, but black and glimmering, like a reflection of darkness itself.
Then it was gone.
Far above the grounds, in the House of Silva, Irys was finishing his drills in the training yard. Flames trailed from his sword with every swing, dissolving into harmless sparks.
Kane, his house captain, watched with folded arms.
"Your control improves," he said. "But your focus wavers. You burn hotter than you should."
Irys sheathed his sword. "I'll learn to tame it."
"See that you do," Kane replied. "Power without control is still chaos."
The words struck something in Irys - a faint irritation he didn't understand.
He glanced toward the distant Veil tower, where the commoners' banners waved. Somewhere beneath that flag was Axel.
"Chaos," he murmured, almost to himself. "Maybe that's what I'm meant to conquer."
He walked away, the last of his flames fading behind him as the sun dipped low.