Misarre

Present

Current Outfit 

Page 1

As I finish adjusting my clothes, I steal a glance at myself in the mirror.

It feels peculiar, donning such refined attire. Yet, strangely enough... I find myself liking it.

Turning from side to side, I absorb my newfound appearance, a surge of confidence coursing through me. I cast a final glance at the suitcase before reaching for my personal academy bag. With deliberate movements, I gather the books arranged nearby and tuck them neatly into the bag. Just as I slide in the last book, a knock resounds at the door.

"Come in..." I call out. The door handle turns, admitting Ms. Synthia. She pauses for a moment taking a look at me then continuing.

"Well... there's no denying you're their daughter," she remarks, striding towards me, a bronze badge clasped in her hand. "You bear a striking resemblance."

"Thank you," I murmur, feeling a blush rise to my cheeks. "What's this?"

"This is your current ranking badge," she explains, affixing it to the right side of my uniform. "Any other special badges will be worn on the left."

"Keep this in mind for me, dear," she continues, gently brushing a stray lock of hair from my face, "values and integrity outweigh mere accomplishments."

I nod, with a questioning expression.

"Ready?" she asks, her tone expectant.

"Sure," I reply, slinging my bag over my shoulder as we stride out of my room and toward the classroom, traversing halls and descending flights of stairs. Portraits of past legends catch my eye, instilling me with a sense of pride.

"Here we are," she announces, gesturing towards a towering door ahead. "I'll step in first for a moment, then you can follow." With a firm knock and a twist of the handle, she opens the door to reveal a spacious and studious lecture hall. A group of students eagerly await the arrival of the mystery guest.

Ms. Synthia strides in with purpose, heading straight for an older man exuding a calm yet powerful aura. After exchanging a few quiet words with him, she turns to me and beckons me inside. Taking a deep breath, I gather my nerves and make my way over to them, trying to ignore the myriad of gazes and whispers directed my way.

The elderly gentleman extends his hand, a warm smile on his face. "I'm Professor Copper, your instructor for Alchemy 2. And you are?" he inquires.

"Missare. It's a pleasure to meet you, Professor Copper," I reply, shaking his hand firmly. His attention then shifts to the rest of the class.

"Quiet down everyone. We have a new addition to our ranks. Welcome, Miss Missare. Although she's joining us a bit later, I trust you'll all extend her a warm welcome," he announces, casting a reassuring glance in my direction. The room gradually settles, though curious glances continue to follow me. I catch sight of a blonde-haired girl stifling a giggle.

"You're free to choose any available seat, and don't hesitate to ask questions if you need clarification on anything," Professor Copper adds. I survey the room, noting the various seating options and the individuals occupying them. At the top row, a girl and a guy with black hair occupy seats, leaving an empty one beside the latter. In the middle row, there's a seat adjacent to a guy wearing a smirk and looking directly at me.

I recoil at his unsettling demeanor. 

Are these all the available seats?

 I urgently scan the room for an alternative. Just then, out of the corner of my eye, I spot a girl with rabbit ears gesturing me over with a warm smile, an empty seat beside her. Relief floods through me as I make my way towards it and settle in.

"Hiya! I'm Meadow," she chirps, her enthusiasm catching me off guard. "You're really, really pretty. Where are you from?"

"I'm from Ctholo," I reply, setting my bag down. "And you?"

"Manitell. I know, small city, but it's bursting with life. You'd probably love it as much as I do..." She pauses abruptly, covering her mouth in embarrassment.

"And here I am, talking your ear off," she mumbles.

I chuckle. "It's totally fine. I'm glad to have someone so talkative around," I say with a smile. Her eyes light up, and she returns the smile, wide and bright. 

The sound of the lecture room door shutting, brings our attention back to the front. Professor Copper settles some papers on the desk and then turns to the class.

"Now, settle down, everyone," the professor begins, his voice commanding attention. "As I was saying, welcome to the second week of Alchemy 2. Last week served as a brief introduction to what we'll be covering and what you should expect. I want to emphasize that breaking out of your social shells will be essential for achieving greatness here. Collaborating in groups or with partners will be commonplace, so I hope you'll all be able to get along."

A scoff echoes through the room, drawing the attention of all.

"Something to add, Ms. Wenturn?" the professor inquires, his tone firm but curious.

"Actually, yes," the girl with the blonde hair responds boldly. "What if we prefer not to work with anyone? Personally, I'm not sure how some individuals ended up in this class, but I do know why I'm here—through sheer effort. Not just anyone is... well, good enough... to work with me," she finishes, a hint of arrogance evident as she brushes some hair back in a cocky manner.

The professor fixes his gaze on her for a brief moment before shifting his attention to the board, where he begins writing an equation.

Essence of Moonlight+Dew of Dawn

"Tell me, Miss Wenturn," he addresses the class, turning back to face them. "Which of these components must be pure to yield the desired product? What will the product be? And what are its effects?" he prompts.

"It's obviously the essence of moonlight and the elixir of Somnus. When inhaled, it induces sleep," she asserts confidently.

"Actually..." I interject, drawing everyone's attention. "It is the pure essence of moonlight, but the product is the elixir of Serenity. When ingested, it soothes the mind and body, alleviating feelings of anxiety," I explain.

"Wow... who told you to speak? I'm pretty sure I was..." the blonde girl starts.

"Now, Miss Wenturn," the professor interrupts, his tone firm. "Everyone is free to contribute their inputs and ideas, especially when they are correct." His words hush the whispers that had started to spread, though the blonde girl's glare remains fixed on me.

"You see, now you know that there are others in this class who are more capable than you give credit for. I hope you learn from this and I do not hear about this again," he states before turning to me.

"Points to your rank, Miss Missare," he acknowledges, nodding towards me as a golden light shoots from his hand, illuminating my badge briefly before it returns to a slightly lighter bronze color.

The professor then redirects his attention back to the board, resuming the lesson.

"Woah... I mean, woah..." Meadow looks at me with admiration.

"What?" I whisper.

"Don't you realize what you just did?" she whispers back, her eyes wide with excitement.

I shrug. "Uhh, Uness Wenturn? Queen of making your life miserable? Ruler of everything?" she suggests with a smirk.

"Who cares if she doesn't like me? All I did was correct her," I reply with a sigh.

Meadow's mouth falls agape for a moment before she quickly grabs my hand.

"Let's be the very best of friends, okay!" she exclaims with a wink, releasing my hand and turning back to follow the lesson.

The class proceeds smoothly for me, each concept feeling like a familiar review of basic alchemy principles. After the professor assigns our task, we're promptly dismissed to our next class.

As I start gathering my belongings, the unmistakable sound of clacking heels draws near.

"Excuse you," a familiar voice calls out. I turn to see Uness and her posse standing behind me.

"Yes? Can I help you?" I reply, keeping my tone neutral.

"No, you can't actually. But let me warn you, I don't care who you think you are or where you came from. If you ever try to embarrass me again, I won't let you off easy," Uness threatens, stepping closer.

"Uness, please..." Meadow interjects.

"Shut up. Was I speaking to you?" Uness snaps at her, making Meadow back down.

"Look, uh, Uness, right? I don't care who you think you are, or about your sensitivity to being wrong. But what I do know is that I'll speak and act as I please, and I don't need remember needing to be considerate of you to do so." I retort..

Gasps and whispers ripple through the room. Uness's expression twists into one of anger, and she opens her mouth to retaliate, but before she can, a voice cuts in.

"Ladies, ladies, as much as I enjoy a good catfight, I do believe we're fighting over the wrong thing. I mean, I'm standing right here," the unsettling guy from earlier interjects, stepping over to us. I can't help but laugh.

"Come on, Meadow," I say, gesturing for her to follow as I stride confidently towards the exit of the room.

Chapter 6 End