“How’s Roselyn, Karina?” Vanitas asked, setting down books and documents on his desk.
Karina stood by the bookshelf, organizing papers.
“She’s finished moving in. It was quite a hassle since she insisted on bringing everything from her old apartment to the new one.”
“Is that so? I hope she compensated you.”
Karina shook her head with a small smile.
“It’s fine, Professor. Connections are everything. Knowing I’m second-in-line for anything Roselyn does is enough for me. She’s practically a celebrity now. With the sponsors’ support, she’s setting up her very own alchemy workshop.”
“Oh?”
“It’s impressive,” Karina added. “She’s focusing all her time and effort on it.”
Vanitas leaned back in his chair, considering. It made sense. Focusing on her alchemy career now was a smart move.
With more experience and accomplishments, she’d be better suited for the role of a professor in the future.
“Good for her,” he said. “Keep me updated if she needs anything.”
“Actually, she wanted to visit you a few days ago but couldn’t find the right opportunity, and she’s too shy to ask you to visit her.”
“I’ll visit her.”
Karina smiled. “I’ll let her know.”
Vanitas nodded and flipped through the documents in his hand. Flip, flip—
“In the meantime, come here.”
“Yes, Professor?”
“I need your feedback,” Vanitas said, holding out a stack of papers. “This is the draft for my second paper. It’s incomplete, though.”
“Oh…. another book.”
“….”
Vanitas raised an eyebrow but chose to ignore her reaction. He could guess she’d read the first paper the original Vanitas had written.
“This one’s completely different from my first one,” he said.
“Ah? Uhm… I didn’t say anything.”
“Right.” Vanitas leaned back in his chair. “Read through it. Let me know if anything stands out or doesn’t make sense. Feel free to skim.”
Karina nodded, taking the papers and sitting in the chair across from him. She began flipping through the draft.
After about thirty minutes, she looked up at him in surprise.
“How is it?” Vanitas asked.
“It’s… wow…” Karina said, stunned.
“Is that supposed to be a good reaction?”
“N-No, I mean… wow. I’ve taken notes from your lectures, and some of these ideas felt familiar, but the way they’re explained here is much more thorough. The foundation circuit you outlined is especially groundbreaking.”
She looked at him seriously. “This is a big deal, Professor.”
“Is it?”
“Yes!” Karina said, leaning forward. “These days, it’s rare to find anything truly new, let alone something original. But everything in this draft…. it’s completely uncharted territory.”
Vanitas nodded, though inwardly, he viewed her reaction differently.
To Karina, and perhaps, to the rest of the mages in this world, these ideas might seem revolutionary.
But to Chae Eun-woo, they were merely reintroductions of existing concepts, modified and adapted to the level of understanding in this world.
In essence, it was a gradual implementation to scientific and physical principles, simplified and presented through the lens of magic in a way this world could comprehend.
“….”
Vanitas noticed Karina leaning a bit too close. Her face seemed slightly flushed.
Concerned, he reached out and placed a hand on her forehead.
“You’re hot,” he said.
“Ah?” Karina’s face turned even redder, though for an entirely different reason.
Vanitas blinked and quickly corrected himself. “I mean, your forehead is hot. Are you sick?”
Karina stammered, quickly pulling back. “N-No! I’m fine. It’s probably just…. warm in here.”
“Is that so?”
***
Meanwhile, Vanitas began his first lecture of the day.
Flick—
With a snap of his fingers and a short, pretend chant, a flame ignited on his fingertips. It burned a bright orange hue.
“This,” Vanitas began, holding up his hand for everyone to see, “is a basic flame created using the standard ignition formula. As we all know, The orange hue indicates impurities in the mana we channel.”
Flick—
He extinguished the flame with a flick of his wrist and turned to the students.
“Impurities in mana are natural. They stem from disruptions in your mana pathways or an unrefined focus during casting.”
Flick—
Vanitas snapped his fingers again. This time, the flame reappeared, but its color had shifted to a brilliant white.
“And this,” he said, holding the pure flame for everyone to see, “is a flame created using pure mana.”
He gestured to the board, where he quickly wrote down the basic ignition formula. It was common knowledge for anyone familiar with Pyro Essence.
He turned back to the class, letting the white flame linger before extinguishing it.
“Now, why does this matter?”
He paused and scanned the room. A hand shot up. He nodded toward Astrid, who stood up confidently.
Astrid smiled. “Using pure mana increases efficiency, reduces energy waste, and strengthens the overall effect of the spell.”
“Correct,” Vanitas replied. “Pure mana not only enhances the spell’s power but also minimizes strain on the caster. In advanced magic or prolonged battles, this distinction can be critical.”
To put it in simpler terms, utilizing pure mana was like studying with a well-organized set of notes versus using a chaotic mess of papers and textbooks.
With organized notes, one could quickly find what they needed, retain information better, and perform well during exams.
“Now.”
Vanitas closed his eyes.
“I’ll be conducting a test.”
“….”
The room fell silent. But no one dared to object. They had grown accustomed to Vanitas’s lectures by now.
Astrid’s eyes lit up with excitement. Vanitas noticed but didn’t comment. ‘What an odd girl…’ he thought.
“Karina,” he said, turning to his assistant. “Distribute the papers.”
Karina nodded, picking up a stack of papers from Vanitas’s desk. As she moved around the room, Vanitas addressed the students.
“The timeframe is two weeks.”
Cassandra raised her hand. “Professor, where’s the examination hall for this?”
“Good question,” Vanitas said. “As you all suspect, this is only part one of the test.”
The students exchanged confused glances as they examined the single sheet handed to them. Written on it was just one question.
“If you solve this question, you’ll uncover the location of the examination hall for part two.”
Murmurs filled the room as students looked at each other, already brainstorming.
“And collaboration….” Vanitas smirked. “Up to you. Whether you work alone or together, I won’t interfere. Use your time wisely.”
Standing up, he dismissed the class.
“You have two weeks. Dismissed.”
As he stepped out of the lecture hall, Vanitas turned to Karina, who had been quietly following him.
“You,” he said. “go to the nurse’s office.”
“Ah?” Karina blinked in surprise and paused.
Vanitas stopped and looked at her more closely.
Throughout the lecture, he had noticed small signs.
Her usual focus was duller, her movements were a lot slower.
She had wiped her forehead a few times, as though trying to hide the sweat forming there. Even her normally steady handwriting as she assisted with distributing papers had been slightly shaky.
“You’re clearly unwell,” he said bluntly. “You’ve been off since the morning.”
“I’m—”
Karina opened her mouth to protest, but Vanitas cut her off with a raised hand.
“I don’t want to hear excuses. Go to the nurse’s office and rest.”
“But, Professor—”
“If you collapse, you’ll be of no use to me or yourself.”
“Professor, I’m really—”
“One week,” Vanitas interrupted once more. “You’re suspended for one week. If I see you anywhere on university grounds during that time, consider yourself dismissed as my assistant.”
Karina’s mouth snapped shut. Her eyes widened in disbelief. She stared at him, trying to gauge if he was serious.
“Do I make myself clear?”
“….Yes, Professor.”
Karina watched him for a moment before heading toward the nurse’s office, realizing there was no point in arguing further.
Vanitas watched her go. Perhaps he was being harsh, but he understood Karina’s nature all too well.
She was the type to push herself, ignoring her own well-being to get the job done.
If he hadn’t been firm, she would’ve kept working until her condition worsened.
Vanitas sighed. “Stubborn girl.”
As he turned to leave, he noticed the group of students lingering near the door, clearly having watched the entire exchange.
“What?” he said. “If you don’t clear out in ten seconds, I’ll give each of you penalty points.”
“Ah—!”
The students scattered instantly.
***
“Have you figured it out yet, Astrid?” Sophia asked, leaning over the library table.
Astrid shook her head. “No.… it’s more complicated than I thought.”
“Yeah, I agree,” Sophia said, glancing at her own notes.
The two had been at it for three hours since their second lecture ended, surrounded by books, papers, and diagrams sprawled across the table.
“I’ve been trying to align the circuits,” Astrid muttered.”But no matter what I do, they’re always disjointed.”
Sophia sighed, running a hand through her hair. “I thought I had something earlier, but it ended nowhere. The formula keeps resetting itself.”
“Same here.” Astrid sighed.
As they pondered their next steps, a sudden scream rang out through the library.
——Ahhhhh!
Both of them snapped their heads toward the noise. A male student was running around frantically knocking over chairs and grabbing random books. It didn’t take long for them to recognize him.
It was their classmate from Professor Vanitas’s lecture, Elliot Acosta.
——Where’s my paper!? Where’s my paper!?
The librarian shot him a disapproving glare, and the other students whispered amongst themselves.
——Settle down, or I’ll have to kick you out!
——Miss Thalia! Have you seen my paper for Professor Vanitas’s test?
——Paper? I’ve seen no such a thing. Now settle down before I’ll kick you out.
It seemed like he had lost his paper.
“….!”
A realization hit Astrid. She turned to Sophia, her eyes wide with understanding.
Without a word, Astrid slid her test paper into her bag, doing so cautiously to avoid drawing attention. Sophia caught on and did the same.
The pieces clicked into place. If anyone lost their paper, they would fail the test outright, without even reaching part two—a chance for the students to drag each other’s grades down.
It was about to be a chaotic two weeks.
“Sophia.”
“Yes, Astrid?”
“This calls for collaboration.”
To protect their papers.
Shortly after, they left the library without another word.
***
“This is bullshit.”
Ezra had initially thought the test was manageable. It was nothing but a simple stepping stone to the actual examination. He figured he’d put in some effort this time.
What he didn’t expect was the chaos that unfolded among the first-years.
“Where the fuck is my paper?”
He had lost it.
Ezra turned his dorm upside down, searching the bathroom, the library, under his bed, and every place he had been. But the paper was nowhere to be found.
“Where—!?”
Frustrated, he thought of one last option. Considering his connection to Professor Vanitas, maybe he could request another copy.
He stormed into Vanitas’s office and made his case.
“No,” Vanitas said flatly. “Each student gets one copy.”
“Ah?” Ezra blinked. “P-Professor…. maybe you could reconsider?”
“No.”
“Sigh…. alright.”
With a defeated look, Ezra turned to leave the office. As he opened the door….
——Professor!
——Professor, I need another paper—
He was met with a group of first-years huddled outside.
The hallway echoed with frantic students pleading their cases. Vanitas didn’t even look up.
“No,” he said coldly. “Get out, or I’ll give all of you penalty points.”
——Professor, please!
“Close the door, Ezra,” Vanitas ordered.
Ezra hesitated but eventually nodded, closing the door behind him and stepping into the noisy hallway.
“Ah.”
A thought crossed his mind. There was one person whose paper no one would dare to steal or destroy.
The Princess.
“But where?”
With that in mind, Ezra made his way to the Arcane Research and Development Club.
When he entered, however, the Princess was nowhere to be found. Instead, he spotted Professor Vanitas’s sister, seated at a table.
“…!”
“….?”
Charlotte glared at him suspiciously. Ezra tilted his head. “Relax. I’m not here to steal your paper.”
Charlotte let out a relieved sigh. “Whew.”
She returned her attention to the paper in front of her.
Ezra crossed his arms, leaning casually against the table. An idea formed in his mind.
If he couldn’t solve the first test himself, maybe he could help Charlotte. That way, he’d fail to gain points for the first test but would still make it to the second.
“Need a hand?” Ezra asked as he approached.
“No thanks,” Charlotte brushed him aside. “Let me guess, you lost your paper?”
“N–No,” Ezra stammered. Noticing her unimpressed expression, he sighed. “Okay, yes…. I lost it.”
Charlotte smirked. “Figures.”
“Alright, how about a deal? You let me help, and if we solve this, you take all the credit.”
“That’s not happening.”
Charlotte paused, thinking for a moment. Then, an idea came to her.
“Here’s my deal. You haven’t called me by my name even once. Do you even know it?”
Ezra blinked, caught off guard. “Of course, I do! It’s…. uh…. Camille?”
Charlotte frowned. “No.”
“Fine, fine, I’ll figure it out.”
“It’s Charlotte,” she said flatly. “Try to remember it.”
“Charlotte,” Ezra repeated, testing the name. “Got it.”
Charlotte sighed. “Alright, you can help. But don’t mess anything up.”
“I won’t, don’t worry,” Ezra said, settling beside her.
As they worked on the problem, Charlotte glanced at him curiously.
“Hey, I’ve been wondering. Why do you have such a hard time remembering names? And why are you always asleep in class?”
Ezra hesitated, then sighed. “It’s…. my stigmata.”
“Your stigmata?” Charlotte tilted her head.
“Yeah,” Ezra said, leaning back. “It messes with my memory and energy. I’m always tired, and remembering things—names, dates, details—it’s a struggle. My mana flow’s completely messed up because of it.”
“That sounds…. difficult.”
“Eh, you get used to it,” Ezra replied with a shrug.
As they worked, time passed. Suddenly, Ezra looked up.
“Where’s Clementine, by the way? Why aren’t you two working together?”
“Clementine?” Charlotte tilted her head. “Why would I be working with her? We’re not that close.”
“Really? I always see you two together. That’s weird.”
“Huh? What are you talking about? I’ve barely spoken to her. She’s always with Astrid.”
“Who’s Astrid again?”
“Wait,” Charlotte frowned. “Are we even talking about the same person?”
“Yes? The girl with purple hair you’re always with. The sweet one.”
Charlotte sighed heavily. “That’s Cassandra. Clementine is Sophia.”
For context, Sophia’s full name was Sophia Clementine.
“Is that so….” Ezra muttered.
“See?” Charlotte pointed out. “This is why forgetting names is such a problem. You mix everyone up.”
“….”
Ezra chose to ignore her comment and continued.
“So, where’s Cassandra?”
“Why do you ask? Wait.…” Charlotte smirked. “You called her sweet. Hmm~”
“No reason,” Ezra said, oblivious to the teasing tone in Charlotte’s voice.
“Well,” Charlotte said, grinning. “We’re actually competing.”
“Oh.”
***
The Alchemy Tower.
A hub for alchemists to interact, share ideas, promote new products, and present theories for verification ahead of the next conference.
Roselyn stepped inside the tower, having been personally invited by one of the top alchemists in the industry, Sienna Moretti.
“Ah.”
The last time she was here, she had been just another face in the crowd. No one had paid her any attention. But now, heads turned as she passed.
——Pstt. That’s her isn’t it?
—Ah, yeah. The one who completed Magnus’s Mana Crystallization formula.
Roselyn kept her expression calm, though the shift in attention felt surreal.
An attendant approached her with a polite bow. “Lady Roselyn, Lady Moretti is expecting you. Please, follow me.”
“Ah, understood.” Roselyn replied, nodding.
She followed the attendant through the tower’s halls. They stopped at a room filled with alchemical tools and vials.
At the center stood Sienna Moretti. She turned toward Roselyn with a welcoming smile.
“Roselyn,” Sienna greeted warmly. “It’s a pleasure to see you again. Your recent work has sparked quite the conversation.”
“It’s an honor to be here, Lady Moretti.”
Of all the sponsorship offers Roselyn had received, Sienna’s was by far the best.
A partnership.
It came with the promise of state-of-the-art equipment, exclusive resources, and the invaluable favor of Sienna Moretti herself.
The partnership also included an exclusive deal to co-publish future findings, which could elevate Roselyn’s standing in the alchemical community.
As they sat at the table, the two began discussing the terms of the partnership.
———!
But suddenly, the air in the room shifted.
“Huh?”
The room grew unnervingly cold. They both turned to the large window, and what they saw made them freeze.
“….”
“….”
The world outside had turned grey, as though all the color had been drained away.
Roselyn placed her hand on the edge of the table. “What’s happening?”
Sienna stood up. “This…. isn’t normal. Stay here.”
Before Roselyn could respond, commotion began to echo from below.
——It’s a Fractal Veil!
A Fractal Veil.
A barrier that segmented reality itself, creating a pocket dimension isolated from the rest of the world.
“What should we do?”
Sienna moved quickly to the door. “First, we figure out if this is localized to the tower or beyond. Stay close to me. If this is what I think it is, we can’t take chances.”
———!
The tower began to shake violently. Dust and debris rained from the ceiling as the two rushed out of the room.
———!
Screams echoed down the hall, accompanied by the sound of crackling magic. The chaos grew louder as they moved toward the source.
When they turned the corner, they froze. A hooded figure was fending off several alchemists alone.
“What’s going on….?”
One by one, the alchemists fell. Black tendrils of magic flared from the figure, sparking with dark energy
Everyone watching realized.
It was dark magic.
Boom———!
A burst of magic struck the figure, throwing it back. For a moment, it looked as if the attack had worked.
“….”
But as the dust settled, the figure stood unscathed.
The hood slipped off, revealing a face that sent chills through everyone present.
“….Professor Claude?”