The next morning, I awoke with the familiar hum of excitement and nerves coursing through me. The banquet was behind me now, but the weight of the decisions I had made was still fresh in my mind. Alchemy. I couldn't explain it, but something had drawn me to that faculty, despite the challenges I knew awaited me.
The day was a blur as I moved through the halls, still adjusting to the pace of the school. My roommates, Aerin, Mira, and Caius, had all chosen their paths, and though we were all in different faculties now, our bond remained unchanged. I was glad for that. It gave me some comfort knowing that despite the rivalries between the faculties, we wouldn't let that tear us apart.
As I approached the alchemy classroom, my heart pounded harder in my chest. I paused at the door, trying to steady my breath before stepping inside. The class was already in session, but the moment I entered, every set of eyes turned toward me.
I couldn't help but feel a flicker of discomfort.
The room was large, lined with shelves upon shelves of glass containers, potions, and strange ingredients I could only half recognize. At the front of the room stood a woman, tall and composed, her dark violet robes flowing gracefully as she prepared her lecture materials.
"Ah, another new face," the woman said with a warm smile, though her eyes were sharp, taking me in with the same scrutiny she seemed to direct toward everything. "Welcome, student. I am Freya, the Dean of Alchemy. Today, we begin our work with elixirs."
I made my way to an empty seat in the front row, trying to calm my nerves as I settled in. It wasn't long before the class started, and the students fell into a rhythm of focused silence as Freya began explaining the basics of elixir creation.
But my attention was torn, drifting back to the moment before—when I had walked into the library the day before.
The memory played vividly in my mind: I had been told to retrieve my study guides from the library, and it was there that I met him.
Kai Xu.
At the time, I hadn't understood why his presence had caught me off guard. He was like a shadow in the library, his aura chilling and yet magnetic. I could still feel the cool weight of his gaze upon me, the way he had ignored the others while quietly observing me. It wasn't until I noticed the signs of his sickness—pale skin, labored breathing—that something inside me had snapped. I hadn't known why, but I needed to find a way to help him. To heal him.
And now, here I was in Alchemy class, learning how to make elixirs—things that could cure the body, restore vitality, and grant strength. There had been something about him that triggered my instincts, something in me that yearned to fix what was wrong with him.
Freya's voice cut through my thoughts.
"Alchemy is not merely a craft of the hands, it is the understanding of the balance of life and death, creation and decay," she said, her tone solemn. "An elixir can save a life, but it can also drain it if you're not careful. That is why you must respect the ingredients, respect the process."
I refocused on her as she moved to demonstrate, lighting a small flame beneath a cauldron filled with ingredients. The mixture bubbled and swirled, releasing a fragrant scent into the room.
"Today, we will create a simple healing potion. One that can mend minor wounds and refresh the body. The trick is balance. You cannot rush the process."
I watched as Freya expertly combined ingredients—some dried herbs, a bit of sparkling dust from an alchemy stone, and a drop of moonlight essence. She explained each step as she went, her voice clear and authoritative. It was mesmerizing.
As the other students began their attempts, I gathered my ingredients with care. There was something oddly soothing about the process—everything felt right as I measured, mixed, and added each ingredient in turn. It wasn't just the science of it; it was the art. The power of creation.
A few minutes into the process, my hands worked on their own, and before I realized it, I had formed a small vial of shimmering liquid. My eyes widened as I held it up to the light.
It was a perfect elixir.
Freya walked by, her gaze flicking to my vial. She paused, raising an eyebrow as she examined the glowing pink liquid inside. Her lips twitched in a slight smile, but she said nothing, moving on to inspect the others.
The moment passed, but the impression lingered. It was a good start.
I leaned back in my chair for a moment, reflecting on the elixir in my hand. The process had been calming, and yet, it had stirred something deeper in me. I was learning to create something that could heal, something that could restore. It made me think of Kai—of his sickness, of my strange desire to find a cure for him.
I didn't know why I felt that way. But I knew I had to.
The rest of the lesson passed in a blur. I worked alongside my classmates, many of whom were clearly more experienced than I, but I held my own. By the end of the class, Freya moved around the room, inspecting our work.
"Good," she said after reviewing my potion. "You show promise, Sky. Keep refining your technique."
I felt a quiet sense of pride at her words, but it was short-lived as my thoughts returned to the strange pull I felt toward Kai Xu.
There was still so much I didn't understand about this world, about him—and about myself. But for now, the only thing I could focus on was the path I had chosen.
And I was determined to walk it to its end