The next morning, the Academy was buzzing. The first day of classes was always a spectacle, but this year, the air felt different.
Caelum dressed in the standard Obsidian Wing uniform—black trousers and a high-collared jacket with silver embroidery. As he walked toward the **Main Alchemic Lecture Hall**, he noticed the way the crowds parted.
He saw **Lyra** in the distance, surrounded by other Wind-affinity students. When she saw him, her face turned a bright, lovely pink, and she instinctively adjusted her skirt, her teal Aether fluttering happily. Further up the stairs, he saw **Seraphina** directing the younger students. She gave him a slow, secret wink, her tongue darting out to lick her bottom lip for just a second.
Then, he entered the hall.
The lecture hall was a massive amphitheater of white stone. At the very front, sitting in the "Honor Row," was **Isolde**. She looked perfect—her silver hair braided tightly, her uniform buttoned to the very top. But as Caelum walked past her to find a seat, he saw the way her hand trembled as she gripped her quill. The "Ice Queen" was still melting.
At the podium stood **Professor Vespera**.
She looked fully recovered, her hair back in its strict bun and her indigo robes perfectly pressed. But when her eyes met Caelum's, a visible shiver ran through her. She had to grip the sides of the podium to keep her voice steady.
"Welcome to Fundamental Alchemy," Vespera began, her voice a bit more breathy than usual. "Today, we will not be studying books. We will be studying **The Power of the Bond**. Alchemy is nothing without a reagent. And a reagent is nothing without a catalyst."
She looked directly at Caelum, her indigo eyes glowing with a mix of professional authority and private hunger.
"For today's demonstration," she said, her chest heaving slightly under her robes, "we will need a volunteer with a high-purity core to act as the primary catalyst. Caelum... step forward."
The room went silent. The "slow build" of the day had officially begun.