Sacheal

⚗️ TWO ⚗️

Yawning, I crack my eyes open to view daylight leaking through the window of the dorm. Rolling around in bed to wrangle the blankets off of me, I begin my morning routine.

Tired feet hit the floor with a small 'plap' as I slide out of bed and into the seat at my desk. I fumble around for a mirror, and once I find the small handheld device, I locate a tube that's as pale as my skin. Popping the cap open, I dab some on my finger and blot it under my golden eyes. The concealer melts like magic into my skin, erasing the dark-purple circles in an instant.

I place both the mirror and concealer down before heading to the closet. Grabbing a set of robes for the day, I peel myself out of my baggy sleep shorts and white tank top, swapping them for something more school-appropriate. After getting dressed, I grab the mirror again, this time reaching for my hairbrush. A quick glance reveals some serious bedhead. I sigh and place the mirror down, working the brush through my navy waves. With the enchanted bristles doing their job, my hair soon rests in neat waves, no longer frizzy or knotted. Even my bangs are back in place, neatly framing my face. Thank god for enchanted brushes.

Grabbing the bag hanging from my bedpost, I start shoving my books inside—Math, Dark Magic, Potions. Another yawn escapes as I finish packing, fingers automatically reaching for a cluster of small yellow vials on my desk. I uncork one, gulping down the liquid energy in a second. The empty vial joins the others in a bin beside my desk—one for things to be washed later, not discarded. Looking back at the desk, there's only three vials of liquid energy remaining. I'll have to make more later today. Maybe after potions - or during, if I'm lucky.

Energy slowly creeping through my veins and feeling relatively presentable, I stand from my desk and head for the door, slipping into the hallway. Stretching my arms above my head, I start my journey to math class.

A familiar sound pulls me from my thoughts—voices. One whimpering, the other harsh and commanding. A sense of dread settles in my stomach as I round the corner, greeted by the sight of a teary-eyed Finn being harassed by Lloyd, one of the more obnoxious continuing students.

"What are you looking at?" Lloyd turns to me, his glare sharp.

"Never a dull moment," I sigh under my breath, still feeling a bit too tired to deal with someone like Lloyd this early.

"What'd you say, you disgrace of a healer?" he snaps.

I blink, letting out a tired breath. "Uh..." I pretend to think for a second before shrugging, "not a damn moleman."

Finn's face crumples in confusion, while Lloyd throws him to one of his lackeys and stomps toward me. His expression is a mix of anger and disbelief.

"I don't know why they let people like you in here," he spits. "The likes of you should be culled with the magicless."

"Probably," I shrug, my face blank. There's no point in reacting. Nothing good comes from getting into it with guys like him, no matter how tempting it is to punch him in the face.

Behind Lloyd, I see Finn getting a knee to his stomach. Gritting my teeth, I focus on Lloyd, carefully slipping a hand into my bag. My fingers fumble through the glasses in my bag, hoping to find one with a purple liquid inside.

Lloyd continues his rant, but I tune him out. The moment I feel the smooth glass of a vial, I pull it out, quickly glancing at the swirling purple hue. Perfect. Without hesitation, I smash the vial on the ground, and thick smoke begins to rise around us.

Nice!

Holding my breath, I use the confusion to my advantage, slipping past Lloyd to grab Finn. "C'mon!" I hiss, yanking him up and dragging him with me as we make a break for it down the hallway.

Panting, we round the corner, and I immediately assess Finn. His hand is pressed tightly against his stomach, no doubt feeling the effects of a well-placed knee to the stomach.

"Did you inhale any of that?" I ask, eyes wide.

"I – No—what?" he gasps, still catching his breath.

"It's hallucinogenic when inhaled," I explain, the edges of my lips quirking upward.

"You threw a hallucinogenic at Lloyd?" Finn's panic is barely contained.

"Shh," I hiss, glancing around to ensure the hallway is still empty. "He'll be seeing flying frogs for the next hour." I can't help but grin, proud of my accomplishment. But I quickly shift my focus back to Finn. I pull the staff from my back. "Now, as for you... Sacheal, 50%."

My magic flows quickly, Finn's hunched-over position straightening up almost instantly. Unfortunately, my own posture slumps slightly, the familiar discomfort of the damage now being transferred to me. It's not unbearable, more like a nasty case of cramps, but still unpleasant. I nod to Finn and start walking away. I've got a class to get to, after all.

"Thank you," Finn's voice is small, but in the silence of the hallway, it feels like a shout.

I chuckle. "No problem, it's what I do." Sliding my staff back into its holder and adjusting my bag, I head off to class. Magical Mathematics, ever the riveting material.

After Math, it's Dark Magic, followed by my free period, which I spend in the library. The Orca dorm students around me are engrossed in their books, oblivious to the world. I, however, am stuck with an almost ancient potions book, gloves on as I gingerly flip through its pages, hoping to find something—anything—that could help with the recent occurrences of mana sickness. But, of course, there's nothing. Not even a single mention of greater healing potions or a decent sleep-aid recipe. Just more dead ends.

Frustrated, I pack up my notes and carefully return the ancient book to the librarian, giving her a nod as she takes both the book and my gloves. With that, I decide to grab a late lunch. Stretching, I head into the hallway, relishing the near-dead silence.

As I stroll along, I hear shouting. A tired sigh escapes me. Please let it be nothing. But as I round the corner, I'm met with... well, something.

Lloyd is crumpled on the floor, looking like he's had the life sucked out of him. Mash stands over him, Finn beside him, nursing what looks like a bleeding nose. Two of Lloyd's lackeys stand nearby, frozen in fear. And further down the hall... oh no.

I'm too far away to hear what the vice principal is saying, but in an instant Mash is...burying him in the ground.

Eyebrows raised, I approach the scene, ignoring the half-buried man's pleading. Instead, I focus on Finn. "Second time today, huh?" I shake my head with a faint smile.

"You don't have to," Finn mumbles, catching sight of my staff as I reach for it.

I just shrug. "Why have healing magic if you're not going to use it?" I pull the staff from my back, ignoring the dull throb still lingering from earlier. It's just a broken nose—shouldn't be too bad. "Sacheal, 70%."

The crack of pain surges across my face, sharp and immediate. I blink rapidly, trying to push through the sudden sting as it settles in. With a deep breath, I carefully put my staff away.

"Woah," Mash's monotone voice cuts through the air. "You just healed him. Oh... you're bleeding."

I reach up, fingers brushing against my nose, and sure enough—blood. "Fantastic," I mutter, already regretting not holding back on the spell just a bit more. Broken noses are something I've healed many times - but still, somehow, I've never really gotten used to the pain.

I gently wipe the blood from my nose with my sleeve. "Never seen healing magic before, Mash?"

"Um, no," he replies, a hint of surprise in his voice.

I chuckle, wincing as the pain in my nose intensifies. "Well, just so you know, there are far better healers out there—and even better spells."

We stand there for a moment, a little awkward, as the vice principal yells at the three of us. Deciding it's better to get moving than stick around here and possibly get in more trouble, I open my pout, "Well, I'll be off. If either of you needs healing, feel free to track me down."

"Thank you, Althea," Finn says, his voice filled with gratitude.

"Don't mention it," I respond with a smile.