Location: Obsidian Academy
Date/Time: 24 Emberrise, 9939 AZI
Realm: Lower Realm
The Refining lab smelled like something between a forest floor and a forge.
Not unpleasant — layered. Crushed mineral compounds underneath, a sharp clarity of purified essence ingredients over the top, and beneath both, the faint burnt-copper tang of reagents being processed at temperatures that would have interested a metallurgist. Jayde breathed it in from her seat three rows back and catalogued the components without thinking about it. Habit. Her more practical mind had opinions about chemical composition that Doha's refining terminology couldn't quite capture, so she filed them in the space between languages and focused on the crucible in front of her.
