𝒲𝒾𝓃𝓉ℯ𝓇 𝒲ℴ𝓃𝒹ℯ𝓇𝓁𝒶𝓃𝒹： 𝒯𝒽𝒶𝓌 ℴ𝒻 𝓉𝒽ℯ ℱ𝓇ℴ𝓏ℯ𝓃 ℋℯ𝒶𝓇𝓉

𝐴 𝑅𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑅𝑒𝑒𝑛𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡： 𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟 6

*
"Skip the drama. Stay with mama. Mother knows best."

**
Library - Entrance Hall

The students trapped inside the library began working on their hair-growth potions near the windows, where Professor Crewel supervised from outside. Grim and Trein had already left, leaving Aqua—the ice puppet Isfrid had created, identical to him but silent and frigid—assigned to keep Grim from wandering off.

"Are you all done mashing up your golden fruit?" Crewel called through the glass, eyes narrowed behind his spectacles as he watched their movements with hawk-like precision. "Next, add all of the ingredients together and mix the solution evenly. Give it exactly 10 full stirs. Any more or any less, and the effect will be diminished by half."

Y/n and Riddle moved with practiced precision. Even Vanitas, though his hand occasionally slowed as he stole subtle glances at the princess, kept pace with the instructions.

Jack, Deuce, and Kalim were also following along—though Kalim, unsurprisingly, began to sweat.

"Exactly 10 stirs, got it! Nice and even..." Kalim mumbled, stirring carefully before blinking. "Hm? Which number was I on again?"

Vanitas released a long, tortured sigh, looking personally offended that Kalim existed.

Crewel's jaw tensed. "Seven! Stop after you stir it three more times," he barked.

"Wow, you kept count? Thanks, that's a big help!" Kalim beamed.

Crewel pinched his nose. "...Unbelievable."

He turned his sharp gaze on Deuce next. "Spade! Your stirring is too halfhearted. If you don't get it thoroughly mixed within ten stirs, it won't work properly."

"G-got it!" Deuce yelped, stirring faster but still looking lost.

Jack eyed his mixture with a frown. "It's not like it looks any different. You can't exactly tell if you're doing a decent job stirring or not..."

"Howl," Crewel snapped instantly, "stop smacking the stirring rod against the side of the container! You cannot use brute force with this."

Jack froze mid-smack.

Crewel sighed dramatically. "I can't take my eyes off you pups for a split second... It's astounding how stressful this is for me."

Noé, watching from outside beside Isfrid and Crewel, winced sympathetically. "They're struggling more than I thought..." he admitted, ears drooping slightly.

Isfrid folded his arms, eyeing the chaos with disappointment. "Luckily, it seems the other three are doing better," he muttered, gaze softening as he looked at Y/n's steady hands. "Of course she is. My sister always excels."

Vanitas, from inside, seemed to hear that. His stirring slowed for a heartbeat—then sped up possessively.

Crewel finally turned toward the trio performing well. "How are you faring, Rosehearts, Vanitas, and little pup?" he asked the three.

Riddle didn't even look up. "Exactly 10 stirs, uniformly, from the outside, from the bottom, gently... Exactly 10 stirs, uniformly, from the outside..." he murmured to himself in a mantra, face stern with concentration.