Soldiers and outlaws

[A/N: Happy New Year!]

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-11:55, western Weydan-

Arand wiped his sweaty forehead with the back of his hand. His uniform - a type of light armor given to students of the swordsmanship department - did little to protect him from the sizzling heat. With every minute, he felt as though he was going to end up like a chicken in broth.

'Gods, this is pure ****...' he sighed quietly, fixing up the sword by his side and casting a gaze forward.

It had been several minutes since they'd been sent here, at the request of the Enforcers from the office near them. Initially, the situation was simple. A gathering of people - primarily Ureliar from their looks - began some kind of a protest. They counted perhaps as many as fifty or sixty people, it was hard to tell from his position. The words he'd caught spoke of discrimination against the Classless people in Weydan, but some sentences appeared to also direct their anger at the elves.

A middle-aged man - the commander of the Enforcers, Drulmag Ilver- stood forth. His wrinkly skin made him look almost coy, but the sharp gleam in his eye spoke of his ferocity. He shouted, his voice amplified by the mana running through his throat, telling the commonfolk to disperse or they'd be **** to use ****. His demand was immediately met with an uproar from the people. Although they didn't appear armed, their presence as a mob sent a chill down Arand's spine. They outnumbered them at least three to one.

But then, everything changed.

An explosion sounded from somewhere near, almost immediately followed by two more.

The city shook.

Everything turned to blur. Action, movement, reaction, it was all the same to Arand. Some weapon gleamed in the corner of his eye, followed by another as a sound of metal clashing against metal rang. The echoes of a nearby explosion sent things in motion. Screams erupted, some coming from the Classless commoners in front, but a few from his colleagues and even the Enforcers trying to calm the situation.

Blood poured. Lights flashed.

Someone used magic. A jet of water shot at the Classless people, toppling over a few. In retaliation, one of them jumped forth, a knife shining in their hand.

Everything happened quickly, too quickly for Arand to realize when he'd even bashed into someone to stop them from stabbing an Enforcer. He got up, only to be toppled by someone else. A brash hit to his chest was shrugged off without any damage, but an elbow strike to his face couldn't be ignored. Frantically moving about, Arand tried to make space, but was denied it as a foot struck at his side, perhaps even unintentionally.

His assailant was taken off him by two of his colleagues, and someone else helped him up. However, this was hardly the end.

The following minutes all turned into a blur.

...

...

...

-12:25-

Chaos.

That was the only way Arand could describe the situation.

As the situation cleared up, he took stock of his surroundings.

Doors to buildings were on fire. Bricks beneath their feet were shattered. Glass in windows was gone, sharp shards all over the place. Wood splinters and a myriad of pebbles lay around. Smoke choked the air, an acidic smell rising.

In the distance, he could see plumes of smoke rising, signifying that they weren't the only group that had gotten into a fight. By the looks of it, at least a dozen other units - Enforcers and Academy students alike - were involved all over western Weydan. The sight brought a shrill of unease to his mind. Never before had he seen wide-scale **** like this. This looked more like a battlefield than a mere protest.

Arand breathed sharper, feeling someone's hand on his shoulder. He turned, only to be greeted by a face of one of his colleagues. The young man with bright eyes and blonde hair gave him a wetted cloth, which the Ureliar man immediately applied to a small wound on his cheek. Feeling the **** sting the bruise, he nearly hissed.

"What a shitshow," the blonde man cursed, leaning against a wall and watching the scene before them.

Arand didn't answer, his dark eyes following to see some Enforcers speak to one another, most likely discussing the situation as another group - Mages working for the authorities - cast their spells, quelling the raging flames one after another.

In the corner of his vision, he saw a few people sitting by a wall - just a few people of the Classless group they had just faced against, all cuffed and guarded by a few of their colleagues. Their faces were almost all battered to some extent, with faint blood stains on their clothes slowly drying. In the distance, someone was being carried away on a handbarrow, having suffered more serious injuries and requiring medical attention in the ward.

Arand barely could swallow whatever saliva was in his mouth as he noticed the blood spills all over the streets. The chaos erupted abruptly, and its throes consumed everything they touched.

"These maniacs should've just stayed in the fields. Look at this," the man continued with a snarl. "Protests. I wish we were allowed to make an arrest as well. I'd have caught all those vermin."

"Gods, Gunther, will you just shut up?!" Arand suddenly exploded, anger surging in his body. He wasn't even sure why he felt the anger. It was almost like something in the air made him irritable all of a sudden. Or, perhaps, the situation made him so.

"What? You saw what they did to us," the blonde man responded, pointing outward. A few of their colleagues sat by a nearby wall. A few of them visibly winced in pain as their comrades gave them basic aid, but only a single person had visible blood on them. "I bet those explosions were also their doing. We should've given chase."

Arand threw the towel in his hand to the ground. "This isn't your decision to make, Gunther," he hissed. "Several civilians were also harmed."

"Look at Mister goody-two-shoes," Gunther snorted, an angered expression on his face. "You know I'm right. Not our problem they are Classless. We didn't even strike first. Or are you mad they're from Ureliar?"

The ebony man flinched. His blood boiled. Yet, even then, his mind scrambled for an explanation. Something felt off...

"What?" he asked, his fist clenching.

"You heard me," Gunther retorted with a sharp tongue. "Are you angry that a few of your buddies decided to bring their war in here?"

"War? What war are you talking about?" Arand squinted, confusion breaking through his agitation.

"Didn't you hear?" the blonde asked rhetorically through his teeth. "Ureliar has been at war with Inallel for two weeks now. Then again," he continued with a sneer, eyeing the taller man. "I'm not just a little Baron from far away."

Arand's hand twitched. His eyes, however, dilated in shock. "I... I didn't hear of a war..." he trailed off, completely ignoring Gunther's latter words.

The blonde man nearly froze, his eyes shining briefly as though something raced through his mind. His expression shifted.

But before he managed to speak, a sudden shout brought everyone's attention.

"Look there!"

Those were the only words one of the Enforcers spoke, his eyes aimed in the direction of Weydan's largest building.

Everyone's gaze followed, immediately taking note of the blue dome in the distance, one that most definitely wasn't there a few minutes ago. Although its location was difficult to pinpoint at first glance, Arand could tell where it was after just a few short seconds.

"The Academy..." he murmured aloud.

Someone nearly panicked. "They activated their barrier? Did something happen to them?"

"Do they even have a barrier that big?"

Hearing the words, Arand's heart sank. This was not the Academy's system.

'Dory!'

His body twitched at the thought that something might be happening to the Melidan redhead. Every muscle in his body screamed at him to run there. A sixth instinct flared up in tandem, telling him that the situation felt off. First, the protest that erupted, the explosions, the chaos that harmed numerous people on both sides... why did it feel like something he'd heard of in a textbook before?

"...a diversion," Gunther's voice entered his ears, the man clearly coming to the same conclusion.

"What for?"

The blonde man shook his head. "Whatever it was for, definitely involves the Academy."

A sudden shout snapped their attention away.

"The students of the swordmanship department, line up! You're going to help the injured in other conflict areas," Drulmag stated, his voice booming in their ears with commanding presence. The middle-aged man, clad in a light armor befitting a combat-ready Enforcer, looked over the people before him with a stern gaze.

"Sir, what about the Academy?" Arand asked.

Drulmag wiped his dull gray hair with a glove-clad hand. He appeared to understand the direness of the situation as he answered, "We will dispatch a group to go the Academy as well. Your job is assisting with the injured here."

The Ureliar man hissed to himself. It felt wrong. Something about the situation felt off. An instinctual feeling that told him to break the stance and run, to see if Dorothea was fine, even if it was futile.

His fists clenched, nearly drawing blood.

But suddenly, he felt an elbow poke him.

"Hey," Gunther nudged quietly. "Your girlfriend studies in the Academy, right?"

The Ureliar man looked at the blonde. "Yeah. What of it?"

"You go. I'll cover for you."

"What?" Arand's expression shifted, but the exact emotion was impossible to place. "With him as our commander?" he asked, a pang of uncertainty traveling down his gut.

"I said go. I'll handle this, trust me," Gunther smirked. Arand knew that gesture well. And knowing what the consequences might be, he almost felt compelled to stay regardless.

However, he wasn't going to let the chance go.

As Drulmag turned away from them, speaking to a few Enforcers who attended the area, Arand felt Gunther push him. Taking the hint, the ebony man bolted toward the nearest alleyway. Then, making his way through it, he sped off toward the Academy.

-12:30, in front of the entrance to the Academy-

A horrid stench filled her nose.

Almost as if on instinct, her body twitched, consciousness forcibly breaking through the wall of dullness that spread within her cranium. Pain radiated from her left wrist, telling her of its unusable status for now.

Alisha's eyes opened, her limbs twitching as she felt the source of the smell move away.

The light blinded her, so she turned on her side. However, the way her stomach reacted told her how much of a mistake it was.

"Bleurgh!" a sound left her mouth, together with the acidic contents of her stomach. So much for a nice breakfast she'd had.

Alisha coughed sharply, then stiffened as she felt someone's strong hands on her shoulders.

"Hey," a womanly, if low, voice called out to her. "How are you feeling?"

The Ferfesh woman blinked and squinted, trying to make anything out. However, her vision was fuzzy, everything dancing as it faded in and out of focus. The only steady thing was her hasty heartbeat reverberating in her ears.

Her fingers traced the cold ground below. Fragments of memories came together just as her forehead let her know of the hit she'd received.

Her lips moved, but her tongue barely obeyed her commands to form the air into words. After several seconds, she managed to **** out, "...what happened...?"

Her amber eyes turned to see the outline of a woman crouching next to her. Something blue appeared to overtake parts of the distant background, but she could barely even think about it as the blonde woman waved a hand in front of her as though checking her focus.

"You were knocked out cold," she heard. "How are you feeling?"

"I..." Alisha trailed off. Her mind felt like it could flicker out of commission at any given moment, her sight dimming briefly as if her brain was getting deprived of blood all of a sudden. However, as she **** her limbs to move slightly, memories of what happened surfaced. Her vision sharpened briefly, driven by a brief surge of adrenaline as she recalled the metal pole connecting with her forehead. "...t-that woman... did you catch her?" she asked, trying to make out the three people she saw.

The blonde woman next to her looked at her with a tense look relayed through her violet eyes. A few steps away, a silver-haired woman stood, gazing away. A dress that hung down her frame did nothing to hide the curvature she had, the garment struggling to conceal a smidge of her prodigious bustline. Somewhere by the wall, she saw the dark-skinned instructor who'd fought before sit, his skin glistening with sweat that he barely bothered to wipe. Next to him, someone lay, but the exact features blurred out before she managed to make out anything.

Alisha closed her eyes as she felt the world spin again. Whatever the blow had connected earlier, keeping her focus was challenging. Or maybe it was waking up like this...

She breathed sharply, fighting a motion from her stomach before it surged further. She brought a hand to her mouth.

"Easy, now, Alisha," she heard the blonde woman speak, gently supporting her shoulder. "Deep breaths."

Alisha flinched. "How... do you know my name?" she asked, eyeing the blonde woman with a tinge of wariness. Then, however, her attention was brought to the massive blue structure ahead. "What... is happening...?"

"Right... we'll have to explain what's happened."

...

...

...

Alisha took in a breath. Clutching a hand to her chest, she felt like she was about to vomit again. This felt like an ill-fated story, a dream. However, as her amber eyes looked at the blonde woman - Aveline Stormrider, as she'd introduced herself - she only felt the gravity of the situation dawn on her in full.

"I... gods, this is horrid," she murmured, slowly changing her position. Though she felt dizzy, the Rune Mage **** herself to slowly stand up. The towering blonde next to her supported her ascent. "You're saying Lucas... really went in?" her gaze flickered to Ophelia, who appeared to avoid looking at anyone. An indescribable emotion danced in her icy-blue eyes as the busty woman turned away, watching the barrier.

"Yes," Aveline confirmed. "And we need a way to break that barrier. Do you think it's possible?"

Alisha took a wobbly step, pulling Aveline. Her entire body felt uncoordinated, and it was difficult to even focus her eyes cleanly on the barrier separating the Academy from the world. However, her mind was already working in full swing. The memories, the look of the barrier, the size, she took everything she could to try and calculate even the tiniest point of entry.

One thing was immediately apparent to her.

"Breaking it... No, that's not possible right now. It was made with mana stones around the 5th or 6th circle of magic in power. I don't know exactly how many were even used in its construction. You'd need at least the 7th circle of pure power to put a dent in it..." Alisha shook her head, her expression shifting to a mix of mortification and panic as she realized the reality of her own words.

'But... how could Classless have gathered something this strong...? Even my father would find it challenging to create...'

Aveline's complexion darkened. Within the violet eyes not dissimilar to Lucas's, the Rune Mage saw a glint of grim understanding shimmer beneath. Whatever the Magic Swordsman thought about was not good.

"...what about attack-specialized Origin Magic, around 5th circle?" her lips moved, the amethyst orbs shooting toward the voluptuous woman a few meters away.

"Origin Magic...?" Alisha uttered with half a gasp.

"What are you insinuating, Aveline?" the so-far quiet Ophelia suddenly turned around. Alisha couldn't help but notice how her curves were accentuated, the cut of her dress showing cleavage that was probably longer than Alisha's entire would be unobstructed.

'Gods...' her heart skipped a beat as she closed her eyes. Yet, in her scrambling mind, she couldn't help but feel... perplexed. 'I'm quite large myself, but she is... leaps and bounds beyond. And the other one... is flat as a plank.'

But she shook her head, trying to get rid of the thoughts she normally wouldn't have. Instead, her attention was brought to Aveline as the latter nudged her.

"Alisha. Theoretically speaking, 5th-circle Origin Magic. Could that break through?"

Alisha frowned. Closing her eyes, she tried to make any sort of an estimate, but only found herself coming up empty-handed. "I... I don't know... there's too much to consider. Breaking... no, I don't think even that could work."

Ophelia sighed. "See? I told you, it's a fool's errand," she frowned.

Aveline lowered her head. Despite not seeing her face, Alisha could tell, from her hold and faint trembling, how she felt. "We should've went to the medical ward long ago."

'She's trying not to show it, but she's terrified for her brother...' her amber eyes gazed toward the barrier. But despite her best intentions, Alisha only solidified her thought. 'But destroying that thing is impossible at the 5th circle level...'

A pang of uncertainty stirred in her guts. She thought about what that meant. The people in the Academy, likely already aware of the situation, were now powerless against those who entered. Between them, her friends, her year group, professors, other workers...

'Dory... Professor Schweizer...' she thought bitterly, forcing herself to think. No, there definitely was something they could do.

Suddenly, as Alisha straightened against Aveline's hold, she felt the items in her inner pocket shift. Two runestones she still had, uninscribed, ready to take on any magic she'd engrave on them. And, looking at the barrier ahead, an inkling of a plan formed.

"A-Alumni," she said quietly, bringing Aveline's attention to herself. "I think... there's a way in."

"Didn't you just say otherwise?" Ophelia's voice rang.

"I-I still think breaking that thing is impossible for us... but getting inside might be doable," she said, reaching into her pocket. She pulled out the items within.

"How so?"

"I-If you strike a barrier this strong and rupture it, I think I can stabilize an entry point... f-for a few seconds. Fifth circle should be enough for that."

A glint of visible relief washed over Aveline's posture.

'She must really be worried.' Alisha conceded, watching Aveline speaking with the dark-skinned man sitting by the wall - Deuce Hunber, as he was called. 'But... can I write a rune like this...?' she pondered, looking at her right hand. Despite not having been struck, her fingers were quivering, and her focus was certainly not perfect.

But then, they heard a sound come from the Academy.

A shriek of some kind entered their ears. Although quiet, it was inhumanly high-pitched, like someone expressing pain of being brutally torn to pieces. A wave of intangible pressure oozed from the huge building like a river. Alisha felt a frozen shiver of terror run down her spine, her body instinctively sensing as though something was about to behead her.

Then, at the very tips of her fingers, she felt it. Mana was disturbed, as if resonating with the scream. Looking at the barrier, the amber-eyed woman immediately noticed it fluctuate.

'What?!'

Her heart sank.

Watching for a moment, she saw the barrier fizzle briefly, holes appearing in its structure before the sound died off.

Then, almost as though forgetting what just happened, the barrier resealed itself, standing strong after just a few seconds.

Alisha released a breath she'd subconsciously held. Then, looking at Aveline, she noticed that blood escaped her fair complexion. The same could be said about Ophelia and herself, no doubt. Even Deuce, despite his skin not showing it clearly, was aghast at what just happened.

"...what the hell was that?" Ophelia broke the silence, her hand straightening as a sigil of magic appeared beneath.

"...never before have I heard a scream this... eerie," Deuce sounded, voice uncertain.

"...whatever it was..." Aveline spoke. "...it doesn't bode well. Alisha," she added, turning to the Rune Mage. "How quickly can you prepare to help us?"

Alisha breathed out. Still feeling her fingers tremble, now with fear atop everything from before, she quietly questioned her ability to make a stable rune in her state.

But she gritted her teeth.

'Whoever screamed, they were in deep pain. We must help them however we can.'

"Three minutes," she said. "Give me just three minutes."

-12:30, inside the Academy-

The classroom's insides were dim. The windows were covered with thick curtains, blocking all outside light. On every desk, between the alchemical apparatus, stood small lamps with tiny flames burning on oil-soaked knots. Every one of the roughly fifteen present students was silent, barely the soft clacking of glass on the tables discernible as they carefully moved through the process at hand. Between them, not particularly discernible in the atmosphere, Dorothea sat. A young man next to her carefully handed her a vial, in which she sank a pipette, taking some of its contents. With a steady hand, she reached back and in front of her, a drop of dark-silver liquid dripping into the mixture.

Nearly immediately, the contents of the flask below bubbled. The surface of the liquid changed, emitting a soft, violet glow. It was barely discernible in the room's atmosphere, but present nonetheless.

"Whoa..." Dorothea sighed. "Prof, we finished," she continued, turning to the side. Her orange hair, tied neatly in a bun so it wouldn't get in the way, bobbed on her head.

A few meters away, she noticed the small professor, Elaine, carefully watching another duo of students try their hand at the same experiment. However, hearing Dorothea's voice, she turned, her verdant eyes gleaming with intelligence.

"Already?" she asked, her voice betraying the faint bedazzlement she felt. However, right after, a sly smile - the typical sight when Elaine Schweizer was proud - showed itself. "Good job. Everyone, please take note of Dorothea and Merlal's station."

Dorothea immediately felt numerous stares aimed at her, crawling over her like they'd done many times before. Looking at her companion, she saw the fair-skinned man breathe out shallowly, his dark eyes telling that he was pleased with the result they achieved, if slightly nervous about the situation as a whole. A faint sense of pride beamed in her chest, in sync with her heartbeat, as Elaine's lithe hand grasped the flask.

"When you're done, this is what Nerrath's Liquid Star looks like," she stated, lifting the flask gently. Then, she stirred it, the dark contents immediately flashing a blue color, illuminating the entire classroom. As Elaine's motions stopped, the liquid's luminosity decreased. However, even as it came to a standstill, it continued to glow. "In this state, it will continue glowing until all of sulfur inside is broken down in the reaction. If you want higher glow, you stir it further. Now, does anyone know how long will this stay alight for?"

Deft silence filled the room. Dorothea gazed upon her classmates, whose faces showed that they had next to no idea. The blue glimmers in their eyes reminded the Alchemist of stars she'd seen back home.

She sighed silently.

'Ah, thae silly dogs. Aw knowin aboot spells, nothin aboot alchemy.'

Then, changing her focus, her gaze met Elaine's.

"Seven hours, at this rate," Dorothea spoke slowly.

The lithe professor nodded with a smile. "Give or take, yes. It doesn't give a good glow, but it's sufficient and easy enough to sustain, which is why these are most commonly used in mines," Elaine explained further, putting the flask back. "Now, any questions before you resume?"

"Professor," a young woman from the back row raised a hand. "While I understand why we had to cover the windows, why did we not use Ardeum, and instead went for the old burners?"

Elaine's pose changed. A ponder flashed across her face.

"The truth is simple: we could've, but that's not what this class is about. Mana is a shortcut, but you won't always have Ardeum on hand. Even if it's possible to make it, not everyone has the Alchemist class skills, so knowing your way around the old equipment is a good piece of knowledge to have," the small redhead explained. "And I intend on teaching you all about the alternatives. You may treat this as an introduction to practical alchemy. Now, any more questions?"

"I have one as well," Dorothea's companion chimed in. "If the goal of Nerrath's Liquid Star is to produce light, why does it use sulfur as the reactant? We could use a richer element, or a compound, no? For example, what about using Asterfall?"

Elaine shook her head. Dorothea could immediately notice the exasperation brewing on her face.

'We were supposit to read aboot thon, idiot.'

Deciding not to stay quiet, she answered, "Alchemy book, section three dot twa, 'explosive materials'. Astrerfall is first on the list!" Dorothea spoke roughly, her speech just barely comprehensible. "Dae ye have the attention span o a goldfish?"

Her companion turned to her, surprise etched on his face. "What?"

"Lhur," Elaine suddenly spoke, her verdant eyes shining with faint warning. "I appreciate the answer, but keep it civil."

The Melidan student straightened in her position. "Sorry, Prof."

Professor Schweizer sighed. "But yes, Dorothea is right. Asterfall is an extremely volatile substance. It could burn a thousand times brighter than sulfur's reaction does, but it wouldn't even last a second. Allow me to quickly demonstrate," she continued, walking over to a cabinet behind her desk. Unlocking the keylock, she opened one of its doors, numerous small vials held taut in special pouches made of dark leather. Looking through the items, she eventually picked one. The vial itself was probably as small as her finger, and within lay a near-transparent, yellowish liquid.

"Asterfall," Elaine introduced the contents, holding the vial up high so everyone could see. "Like Telluric Tears, it is an extremely dangerous material, and needs to be contained in a special vial. Asterfall is an unstable compound, which has a tendency to violently combust when energy is introduced to it," her explanation continued as the small teacher walked across the classroom, making sure everyone saw it cleanly. "But allow me to show you first-hand."

With those words, Elaine made her way to her desk. Seconds later, she pulled out a small metal plate from one of the cabinets and set it on her desk. Then, with careful motions, she took a pipette and slowly took a bit of Asterfall.

"I'd advise squinting. Remember, this is only a single drop," she warned.

A single drop shimmered atop the pipette's end before falling. Dorothea took a breath in, knowing exactly what was going to happen.

The moment Asterfall reached the ground, a bright flash spread in the classroom. A slight gust of warm air washed over everyone whilst they rubbed their eyes, adjusting to what had just happened.

She could tell that everyone was taken aback by what they saw. The protracted moment of silence was only broken by the sound of fire crackling before it died out, leaving behind a huge, black scorch mark on the metal. If one were closer, they'd probably also be able to make out the way the surface had twisted slightly.

"Imagine this in a bottle. That's not something we could contain without magic. Then, I hope this is an adequate answer," Elaine said, carefully putting the pipette into the vial and squeezing out the Asterfal back. Then, she tightly corked it and put it in its leather pouch on the desk. "Now, someone please open a window. We'll take a break here before we resume."

Dorothea's nose twisted as she felt the unpleasant aftermath of the small explosion. Suddenly, she noticed her companion raise a hand, muttering a wind spell.

"...huh?" his surprised tone caught her off guard. "Gust," he frowned, his hand tensing up. However, with an aghast expression, he saw that no sigil of magic formed. "Um, Professor Schweizer..."

"What is it?" Elaine asked whilst placing the blackened plate on the ground, intending to let it cool off before she'd wash it.

"Does anything we did today block our ability to cast magic?"

"No... why do you ask?" the small professor frowned, visible confusion on her face.

"...my magic also doesn't work," a female student two tables over chimed, looking with perplexity at her hands.

Suddenly, sunlight poured into the classroom, forcing everyone to momentarily close their eyes. However, that didn't last long.

"Uh... what's that?" the question, posed by the tall man who slid a curtain back, had a hearable glint of apprehension in its tone.

Everyone looked. They gasped. Some muttered intangible words.

The light was blue, as it was filtered by what appeared to be a massive barrier around the Academy.

'Tha fuck...?' Dorothea squinted. Multiple thoughts appeared in her mind, but one was most prevalent. 'Academy doesn't have a barrier this big, eh?'

She looked at her hand. However, as she attempted to use one of her skills, she noticed no water condensing on her palm. 'Is this why we can't use magic?'

Then, her eyes looked right, locating Elaine, who made her way to the nearest window, and also looked outside. The light cast on her face perfectly encapsulated the mix of emotions that no doubt slid through her mind. Something between apprehension and uncertainty stirred as her mouth silently moved.

"Prof?" Dorothea stood up, like her peers, and came closer. "Do ye know 'bout that thing?"

Elaine turned. Seeing that only the Melidan student approached her, others watching the barrier from the other windows, she let out a quiet breath.

"Alisha said something about mana stones with barrier runes around the Academy yesterday," she said quietly. "But when I asked the headmaster about it, he said he doesn't know a thing," Professor Schweizer frowned, gears of her mind no doubt spinning rapidly as she tried to think of a reasonable explanation.

"Is that thing why we can't use magic?" someone asked loudly, turning toward the two Melidan women. "Professor?"

"I... don't know yet," she replied hesitantly. Then, she stepped back and cleared her throat before raising her voice. "For now, everyone, calm down and cover the windows back up. It's probably a test of a new barrier, I'll go and ask the deanery about taking it down for the time being. You stay and continue the experiment. Write a report on the processes involved. Dorothea will oversee you."

Looking at everyone, Dorothea could tell not a single soul felt particularly convinced to calm down. She understood their feelings; the sudden inability to cast magic was eerie. If it were the result of the strange barrier forming, this could mean a plethora of things, and many of them were not nice. However, as a few seconds passed, a few students - ones usually the calmest - seemed to gather themselves as they heeded the lithe professor's words.

But before she looked at them any further, she felt Elaine's hand on her elbow.

"Dory," Elaine whispered, pulling her aside. "When I'm gone, lock the door," she continued, pulling a key out of her pocket and handing it to Dorothea.

"Prof, what's going on?"

"I don't know," the smaller redhead admitted, her verdant eyes shooting sideways toward the students. "But something feels off about this. I'll go and learn more. Keep an eye on them."

"Should ya be goin', Prof? Who knows what's happenin'."

Her words gave Elaine pause. The lithe woman sighed.

"If it were an emergency, we'd be informed. The Academy has Enforcers assigned," she replied. However, under the reassuring words, Dorothea could hear a glint of uncertainty. "Watch after them."

A queasy feeling stirred Dorothea's guts as she nodded, accepting the key. It felt wrong. Something about the situation was most definitely wrong.

'Stinks. A barrier around the Academy isn't somethin they'd set up without informin' everyone... e'en gin they hate Prof Schweizer.'

Dorothea's hand shook as she saw the door click closed, the redhead professor leaving them. Looking at her peers, the young Alchemist saw the uncertainty in their gazes. They no doubt felt similarly about the situation. A few of them spoke quietly between themselves. Others tried still to cast their spells, but to no avail.

'Sit tight, she says... gods, Prof, ye're insufferable.'

However, she exhaled.

"Oi, ye two!" she raised her voice, her hazel eyes pinpointing two young men still staring out the window. "Ye heard Prof. Get back to it."

The two grumbled something that eluded Dorothea's ears, but they did as told. The classroom was once again bathed in dimness, broken by the burning knots heating the flasks.

Seconds passed. Dorothea's peers slowly returned to their seats. Several of them still mumbled arcane wordings under their breath, attempting to summon magic but failing. As the time droned into a full minute, most appeared to have returned to the experiment at hand.

Dorothea looked at the vial on Elaine's desk. With a dainty touch, she grabbed it out of its pouch.

'Bettah not ta give 'em toys of destruction.' she conceded, noting that Elaine had taken the key to the cabinet with herself. However, as she looked through the collection, she failed to notice anything nearly as dangerous as Asterfall she held.

However, before she put it away, a sound pierced through the classroom.

An inhuman screech, albeit not that loud, made everyone flinch in instinctive terror. The very air appeared to tremble, as if the sound threatened to split atoms.

After about two, maybe three seconds, it died off. The atmosphere calmed down, but nobody in the room so much as moved a muscle, everyone feeling the same rivulet of liquid ice on their backs.

"...was that...?" Merlal, sitting in his chair, **** out after another couple of seconds.

"...no," Dorothea answered. "But..."

'That was... terrifyin', in all the ways...'

"Was someone attacked?" a female student behind Merlal asked.

"Think this is why the barrier is?"

The room erupted into panicked voices, the numerous tones intermingling. In the midst of it, Dorothea stood, hand still squeezing the vial of Asterfall.

'Prof doesn't scream 'murdered'... that wis someone else.'

She swallowed the bitter uncertainty that nested in her throat. It felt wrong.

'We're supposit to just sit tight?...nah. No whan somethin' happenin'.'

A hasty exhale left her mouth before Dorothea undid her bun. Letting her hair flow down her shoulders, she made her way toward the desk where the flask with Nerrath's Liquid Star stood.

"Merlal," she said, leaning toward her experiment partner. "Here," she said, handing him the key. "Lock the door 'ter me."

"What? What are you doing, Dory?"

But the Melidan woman didn't answer, instead picking out another vial from the table and bolting toward the door.

"Dory!" he called after her, but only the door's click answered. "Oh, for crying out loud..."

...

Dorothea squinted, taking a few seconds to get used to the outside's brightness. A shallow exhale followed as she took stock of the surroundings.

The light entering the Academy had a faint, blue tint, matching the barrier stretching everywhere the nearby window allowed her to see. The air felt still, strangely more so than if no breeze stirred the air.

The Melidan woman took a sharper breath before stepping down the corridor's length. She knew the way to the deanery. She'd been there several times.

Silence stretched as she walked. The carpet beneath her feet absorbed any sounds she made, faint ringing filling her ears as though her brain couldn't process pure stillness. Dorothea outstretched a hand, using a skill again. However, as expected, nothing happened.

She frowned.

However, she shook her head, instead speeding up her steps.

Turning a corner, she began walking down the longest corridor in the Academy. On the side, windows looking into the courtyard stood. Looking through one, she confirmed that nobody was outside.

'Strange.' she thought. 'They surely noticit the barrier before we did. Why is nobody ootside?'

But as she approached a crossroad, a familiar voice entered her ears.

"Enough, Breshnaw," Elaine spoke, her voice firm but clearly shaken. "I must go to the deanery."

"On the contrary, Professor," a young man's voice entered Dorothea's ears. It wasn't unpleasant, but there was something about it that spoke of the hidden superiority the speaker felt. "We have much to talk about still."

Dorothea's heart skipped a beat. Grasping the two vials, she sped up.

-12:35, outside the Academy-

Aveline sized up the mighty barrier before her. The construct shone an almost eerie, light blue glow, not dissimilar to the glowing mana stones poking from the ground inside it.

'Lucas... you're in so much trouble when this is over.' she gritted her teeth, something between lament and fury pulsing in her veins. However, much as she wanted, she couldn't bring herself to blame him. Not with everything she knew that others did not. 'For all we know, this might not have been his decision. Right now, the priority is getting him and Princess Seraphina out of there. And... if I'm correct, Nimue also managed to get in.' she sighed at the very thought. 'She's too close to the boundary to be left unscathed. I just hope she found Lucas before anyone else did...'

She couldn't lie, Lucas was scarcely an idiot, and he knew his way around the blade. However, even so, he was only a beginner, mid-Pawn class at best, and he had always been Intelligence-oriented. No amount of technique could solve the problem of the sheer stat difference. His conflict with Illan yesterday was a good example of that.

At the mere thought, Aveline's guts twisted. She didn't want to imagine the possibility, but she couldn't dismiss it.

Her fist tightened.

'If it's still Lucas... I will whack him **** for being this reckless. Though... I'm no better right now.'

"Aveline," Deuce called out to her, snapping her away from her mindscape.

"Master Hunber," the blonde woman turned, looking at the man. Sweat that beaded his dark skin was a testament to how slow he was recovering.

'That woman really roughed him up...'

"This is stupid. You know that, right?" he sighed.

"...I know. But it's my brother inside. I'm not waiting for reinforcements," 'Come to think of it, Princess Seraphina's retinue is late... have they been caught up in something?'

Deuce snorted, the gesture almost enough to make him smirk. "I know. I'd do the same for mine," he admitted.

"Master Hunber. When I'm inside, please keep them safe," Aveline requested, shooting a glance at the three behind them.

'Lis'te is still ****. Alisha will probably faint if she tries to walk on her own. And when Ophelia uses up all her magic, mana exhaustion will make her no better. He's the only one who can protect them.'

Deuce nodded. "And you, don't play hero. Reconnaissance, and come back."

Aveline nodded, a hand going to check the state of her shortsword.

'Would be nice if I could listen...'

Deciding to not indulge in too many useless ponders, she turned to Alisha, who sat by a wall nearby. Focused to the best of her ability, the sitting blonde slowly moved her quivering fingers atop a mana stone's surface, marking a blue-tinted line with her green nail. Every few seconds, she paused, closing her eyes and breathing with her mouth deeply, before resuming.

'Concussion's no joke.' Aveline thought grimly. Then, her eyes escaped sideways, locating her voluptuous sister. Their gazes met, and as Ophelia blinked and looked elsewhere, another thought appeared. 'If only things would have gone a little differently, none of this would've happened...'

She sighed.

In the moment that followed, as her violet eyes scaled the massive building, Aveline recalled some distant memories. When was it, seven, six years ago, when her father brought her here the final time before his ****? It was difficult to tell precisely. All she could remember was Valerian's face as his hands squeezed hers, handing her a silver-filled bottle.

'Aveline.' she recalled his voice. 'I must tell you something important. Nimue is ill. It's an illness we can not cure, only stall. And I know how hard it is to hear, but you must do something for me, and her.'

The blonde Stormrider instinctively clenched her hands before checking her state. A small vial - one of the ones she had made in the latest batch - sat in an inner pocket, hidden from prying eyes.

Suddenly, she heard a familiar voice, "Alumni, I'm done," the sitting Rune Mage sounded, her clear tone unbefitting her tired look.

Aveline exchanged gazes with Deuce and Ophelia.

"Let's do this, then."

"O-One more thing," Alisha beckoned. "Come here, please. I-I need to mark you so you can pass the barrier."

As Aveline trekked closer and grabbed the mana stone, Alisha quietly asked her to show her hand. And as she did, the Rune Mage put a finger on her wrist. Mana seeped onto the towering woman's skin, converging into a symbol that matched the one on the stone. After a couple of seconds, it shone faintly, emitting faint but steady warmth.

"...Alumni," Alisha's amber eyes met hers. "Can I... make a request?"

"What exactly?"

"Can you... please check on a friend of mine? She should be having alchemy classes right now. Her name is Dorothea Lhur, she's a third year."

Aveline nodded. "I'll check on her when I get the chance."

Alisha sighed gently, acknowledging her words. Blankness flashed in and out of her amber eyes, her consciousness flickering despite her efforts to stay awake.

"Rest now, Alisha," the Magic Swordsman said before turning to Ophelia. "Ready, Ophee?"

"Both my siblings are suicidal idiots..." the voluptuous Stormrider sighed in exasperation. However, her hand raised. "Kick Lucas in his ass for making us do this."

Aveline snorted, taken aback by her sister's words, before nodding.

Ophelia stood back. Spreading her hands a little, she took a deep breath. A large sigil appeared above her, particles of mana surging and coalescing within it. The process took several seconds. With every slow beat of her heart, Aveline saw the outline of the spear more clearly. Small bolts of lightning began arcing, a few touching the Mage below while others clung to a nearby building's surface. All the while this was happening, the sigil behind the weapon spun slowly, its entire surface vibrating as though struggling to contain the power.

Aveline blinked. The sight of Ophelia working her Origin Magic brought forth some old memories. One, in particular, struck her. Their father's voice reverberated in her ears.

'Nobody must know of it, under any circumstance. Not even your mother or siblings. When I am gone, you will take care of her, with this notebook as your guidance. Aid her as much as you can. But...'

"...this is 5th-circle Origin Magic...?" Alisha's voice, full of disbelief, reached her ears.

Aveline swallowed dry saliva, a pang of nervousness traveling down her spine. She's seen Ophelia use her Origin Magic before, but it never ceased to make her grateful she was not on the receiving end.

"It's probably closer to 7th in sheer power," Deuce muttered, likely only half conscious of the volume with which he spoke.

A few more seconds passed before the bright-colored spear finished forming. Ophelia reached out, and the weapon immediately snapped right into her palm. The sigil disappeared, and the busty woman did a quick motion, grasping the polearm with a refined hold. Sweat beaded down her cheeks, telling of how exhausting this process was. Her blue eyes met Aveline's violet.

"Prepare."

With a nod, Aveline turned to face the barrier. The distance was about thirty meters.

She summoned aura, forming a large shield.

"Ready!" she called out.

Ophelia exhaled. Then, tensing her muscles, she took a step and threw the spear of lightning. Ignoring gravity, the weapon flew right at the blue-tinted barrier.

Then, the explosion happened. A cloud of arid dust rose, swirling around with the ****. The burst of air was almost like a hurricane. But thanks to her shield, Aveline was able to bolt forward regardless. Throwing the stone, she yelled, "Now!"

Turning on her heels mid-step, she lifted the shield. Deuce, who had spread his aura to protect the three with him, immediately followed in her tracks.

Two seconds.

The aura formed around his fist before he swung. The green projection of his power was launched, connecting with Aveline's shield before she managed to blink.

The **** of the blow **** air out of her lungs. Her hair swung away from the Academy as she suddenly accelerated.

One second.

Aveline felt the air around her change. The dust cleared as a blue barrier enveloped her. Immediately after that, however, she exited it. Her aura dissipated instantly, the robust woman tumbling to the ground.

...

The sound of Alisha's barrier cracking and breaking barely reached her ears through the pain that reverberated in her body. The billowing dust irritated her airways as she took a breath.

"Aveline!" she heard Ophelia call out from somewhere in the dust cloud ahead.

The blonde Stormrider coughed. Her hands twitched, an instinct telling her to help herself with the aura. However, try as she might, no amount of power formed on her fingers.

"Aveline! Answer!" her sister's voice entered her ears.

"!"

Aveline's eyes opened as her consciousness returned in full. Taking a raspy breath, she sat up.

"I'm alright!" she managed to yell out before wincing.

'Gods damn, that will leave a mark.' she thought, rubbing her shoulder. 'Thankfully, it's only bruised...'

Before the cloud of dust had settled, she stood up.

"I'm going in!" she shouted, imagining Ophelia standing, or probably sitting already, somewhere beyond the gray expanse.

She thought she heard some kind of response, but her mind didn't register the exact words. Instead, her focus was entirely on the nearby entryway. Sweat dribbled down her neck. Her heart beat nervously, her grip trembling as she entered the Academy.

Chilly air welcomed her. Unpleasant memories surfaced again as she grabbed the hilt of her sword.

'When her illness progresses too much, when she'll be lost to it, she will no longer be the person you know. When that happens, you will have to free her of it.'

Aveline didn't think. Her fingers immediately squeezed the sword handle tighter. She didn't know exactly where to go, but staying in one spot wasn't going to help. Therefore, she immediately bolted into the southern corridor on her left.

'Aveline, when everything else fails... You have to kill Nimue.'

-???-

I don't know where I am.

Some giant underground complex, swirling endlessly like a cave. I could walk for hours and not explore even the first floor. Smooth walls and clean floors... all gleaming with polish. Within them, many workers reside - maids and caretakers, all with the same-looking faces and almost mechanical motions.

I am not alone in this place.

There are many like me. Children who were orphaned, of various ages. Some keep a cheerful attitude. A friend of mine, a boy slightly older than me with a bright face and eyes like night, is one of them. Others, like a girl with almost fiery orange hair and silver eyes, my second friend, are dull and catatonic. The only thing we all have in common is that we were saved by the same man. We live in this place, shielded from the world, with a promise that one day, we will have our **** against those who took everything from us. All we have to do is cooperate.

We were split into four groups through some tests. The higher we scored, the higher the group. The tests are strange, like squeezing a ball and walking on a tightrope across a large gap. One of the tests was about taking our blood, and another about touching some large, shiny stone. Many struggled with them, but we found them trivial. I and both my friends scored very high. Aside from us three, there are only five others in our group. Even the second group has over twenty children. I wonder why we score so much higher than others, but cannot get an answer.

...

"D̷̙̝̎̆-̵͍͘͜7̸̡͂.̵͓͉́.̴̻̂.̷̲̗̿ ẘ̴a̷k̴e̵͝ ̶ù̶̲p.̵̿.̵͐.̴͛"

...

Days pass. Or maybe weeks. It's hard to tell how time passes. The walls are always the same smooth texture, and the light always reflects off them the same way. The caretakers and maids always look at us the same, and they feel and sound almost mechanical.

The only thing that changes is us.

It's hard to tell at first. There were simply too many of us to remember. Dozens, perhaps dozens of dozens. Some of them I never saw, while others I see every day.

But then, he catches my attention.

"D̶̰̫͌-̴̧̒̈́7̷͍͒,̷̛͇͕͂" the cheerful boy, D̶̘̍̅͐͒-̸̢̢̮͔̎̓̈́͝1̶̨̛̞̣̓͌͋, asks me. "Have you seen B̶͖͕͂̄-̷̻͚̱͌́̑2̸̬̓4̴͓̿̍̚ around?"

I shake my head. It's hard for me to recall the face of the small girl he's talking about. I think her hair was silvery with golden eyes... or maybe the inverse.

"Strange, I haven't seen her since two sleeps ago."

His words stir up something in me.

Time.

It was a concept we've grown foreign to. The only way we can tell any time has passed is by our heartbeats and anything we come up with. Some children devised a system based on how we sleep. They remember times when they slept outside this place. They said we always slept at night, meaning it must be night when we sleep. That's how they can tell time is passing. Day when we're awake, and night when we're not.

...

*Ba-thum*

...how strange. They 'remember'... but why can't I? Why do I feel like I'm forgetting something important...?

I find myself standing by my bed. The painting on the wall behind it, made with my hands, seems more... dull and uninteresting than when I made it. It's warm to the touch, and I can remember there was a reason for that, but... As I try to recall something from my past, it's all blurry and twisted. I remember fire, and people, but... I can't tell who they were. Somehow, they feel important, but why...?

...

More time passes. With every next sleep, I feel myself slipping. It's hard to grasp what's real and what's a dream anymore. It all feels the same in here.

However, the change is how I differ still. And something was happening.

As time moved on, the maids around us appeared to give us more and more time. We'd see them now and again every day at first, but now we see them almost constantly. They're supervising us, even during tests. Even during meals. Even during sleep.

Eventually, after countless days, something drastically changes. The boy who was my friend disappeared. We all take notice of that. We discuss the meaning of that. D̷̸̵̸̸̢̀-̵̷4̸̷̶̐ - a boy with eyes piercing like javelins - says something about seeing a maid take him away into the longest corridor, one which we never could reach the end of. D̵̷̷̶̟͖́͒̄̆-̷̵̶̸̢͕͆͛͒8̷̶̸̸̭̘̇̈̈́ - a tall boy for his age, nearly a head taller than us all - mumbles something about 'procedure'. But we barely hear him. He's always been a strange, quiet boy. We don't dislike him, but he always disappears somewhere unnoticed and never speaks of where, how, or why. His words are hardly coherent in most cases, as he keeps to himself.

The next day, another child from our group vanishes.

On the third day, I was playing with the shy girl who was my other friend. As we continued, a maid approached. Her warm face smiled as she called out to my friend. She spoke shortly.

"D̸-̸̿3, please come with me. Master Limen wishes to see you."

I can tell my friend is shivering. Is it excitement? I faintly recall what those words meant. Some children had theories that it meant Master Limen would help us fulfill our dreams... whatever they were. That was why the children never came back, they said. Wherever they went, they found happiness and purpose on the other side.

I smile at my friend. I congratulate her, saying she's lucky. She is so lucky.

But...

As she stares back at me, I can see something that I don't understand.

There is fear in her eyes.

---

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