CHAPTER ELEVEN
"So I expect everyone to come prepared. This is not just about chanting spells or throwing fireballs, this is about strategy, coordination, and presence of mind. You will learn to fight not just with power, but with purpose."
She let the words settle before continuing.
"Since this is only your second week of class," she added, crossing her arms,
"I'll allow you to choose your own groups. Choose wisely. In real battles, trust and teamwork can mean the difference between life and death."
The classroom fell silent.
Students began scanning the room, quietly assessing potential allies or possible liabilities. Some already had companions in mind; they knew exactly whom to approach.
Sera, however, felt lost amid the crowd. She looks beside him, her onky friend, Craige who doesn't care if he has a group or none...it doesn't matter to him.
"So?" she whispered.
"What?" he replied, barely looking up.
She let out a deep sigh and was about to stand, ready to find a group for the both of them, when he gently pulled her back into her chair.
"Just wait," he said calmly. "I already have a group for us. They'll be here any second." He smirks as if he's proud of what he just said.
Celine who doesn't have a choice but trust the word of her only friend here.
"Craige."
Then, there she saw the other three people she's familiar with but she really didn't know who are they—she can't recall their names since she never tangled herself with anyone.
One girl and two boys approached.
"They're from the North as well," Craige explained. "They'll make a great team—"
He tilted his head. "Well, except for Lira. She's from the East. One of the best healers in our class."
Craige quickly stood from his seat and guided Lira toward them. Lira, irritated by his sudden action, nudged him sharply with her elbow.
"Ouch…" he muttered.
The two boys chuckled quietly.
"I'm Tovan, from the North," the first boy said simply, extending his hand.
Sera accepted it and smiled.
"Seraphina. Just call me Sera."
"Sure, Sera," he replied with a nod.
The second boy, with a sweet, almost innocent smile, followed. "I'm Soren. Nice to meet you."
Sera smiled back. He looked youthful, almost like a kid, with soft, gentle features that made him seem approachable.
Finally, Lira introduced herself.
"Lira," she said curtly.
"Nice to meet you Lira," Sera responded, offering a small nod. They exchange their names and also their role in the group.
They exchanged names and, naturally, their roles in the group.
Sera glanced at them, analyzing quietly.
Craige would clearly be the Vanguard, strong and steady in front.
Tovan had the careful, precise look of a Binder, someone who could control the battlefield.
Lira, of course, was the Healer, calm and reliable.
Soren's thoughtful, intelligent gaze marked him as the Arcanist, ready to handle any unusual problems.
She wrote her name in the role of Striker even though she's not sure if she can even fill that position.
At the corner of the room, while everyone else was happily discussing the one-week expedition scheduled for next week…
"She's going to melt," Fionna teased, nudging Calyx, who had been staring at Seraphina's group for a while, laughing at their playful banter.
"I thought you were okay with this?" Fionna continued, raising an eyebrow.
"You've been watching her from afar… You even asked Raiven to train her. You could have done it yourself."
Calyx stayed quiet for a moment, his gaze lingering on Sera and her group, caught between frustration and something softer he didn't want to admit.
"As if she'll want that...she doesn't even remember me."
"She can't remember anyone," Fionna reminded him gently.
"She's also getting along with Craige just fine," she muttered.
"It's Craige." The edge in his voice betraying him.
Every word dripped with bitterness he couldn't swallow, every syllable carrying the frustration and longing he tried, and failed, to hide.
Fionna glanced at their group, and her smile was radiant—so bright it seemed as if nothing else existed in her world.
She can't remember anything…
Her mind whispered the thought, a quiet reminder of the cruel reality.
But she couldn't help the bitterness creeping in. The situation forced them to hold back, to restrain themselves, so as not to trigger Sera.
If she were pushed too far… if the wrong thing happened… she could lose everything all over again.
All her memories, her connections, her world—gone, as if nothing had ever existed for her.
"Hello, Professor..." She waved her long, slender finger at Professor Tierresa. But the professor couldn't help but let out a deep sigh as she looked at the girl who had eaten a poisonous plant not too long ago.
If she could and had the power she would have banned her from here entirely.
"Why? Are you here to poison yourself again?" she asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
Sera smiled, shaking her head at the professor's obvious distrust.
"No... I'm just here to ask for this list. Professor Hannah said she needs everything on it for our research in Alchemy."
She handed over the list that Professor Hannah had given her. Professor Tierresa still doubted whether Sera was telling the truth.
Sensing the professor's distrust, Sera protruded her lips as a way to protest to say she's sulking.
"Oh, come on, Professor, as if I'd use a professor's name in vain." She went to the side of professor as she tilt her head and gave her the sweetest smile she could ever do.
She let out a deep sigh, once again.
Well... she's been behaving herself for the past few days ever since she ingested a poison. She must've felt death.
"Wait here. Don't touch anything. I'll prepare everything," the professor said, turning away. "Of all people… why does Hannah want her to get these?"
She looked down at the list of ingredients on the paper.
"Sera, what are you trying to make?" she asked loudly so Sera could hear her.
"Well, I don't know exactly…" Sera suddenly popped out from behind a large flower plant.
"I just saw it in an old book. Professor Hannah said we can try anything as long as it won't harm anyone. So I wanted to see if this would work. It says that if done correctly, it can heal wounds in a second."
The professor didn't find it suspicious. That kind of research was normal. She scanned the list again and realized that none of the plants or herbs were dangerous.
Even Professor Hannah had stamped her seal of approval, everything was safe. But one item on the list caught her attention for a moment.
She looked at Sera.
'It wasn't immediately dangerous. Its effect wasn't fatal… but if ingested repeatedly, it could kill even a great mage.'
It wasn't new to Professor Tierresa that some plants were poisonous in making a healing potion, but if properly mixed and prepared, they posed no threat.
She dismissed the thought, Professor Hannah had approved it, so there was no reason to worry.
Still, she couldn't shake the unease. After all, Seraphina would be the one making it.
"Be careful. Just don't do anything stupid this time," she warned Sera.
Sera just smiled at her before turning away.
"Well...well...well..." She grin excitedly as she exit the greenhouse, a controlled environment for the plants to grow.
"You're gonna get expelled if Professor Hannah will come to know that you doubled the amount that you're supposed to get."
She just shoots him a cheeky smile because she knows that Craige always backs her up, they have a whole week to experiment with the potion.
"This is going to be so fun!" she squeals, eyes darting over the plants on the tray.
"Yeeeey…"
"If this works, we can use it on our expedition! One week to get everything ready… and it's going to be perfect," she adds, giggling with excitement.