Lysabel taps her pen against her upper lip as she watches Professor Mevoirent's class, Botany I. Her being a Gaia, it's her favorite and by far the easiest class of the day. Currently, the professor is discussing how to differentiate two different types of bogatia leaf. It's one of the more common types of flowers growing in the Nyx Woods, and known to many. Every part of the plant is used in some medical way. Mother grows bogatia in their yard, in fact.

"Now, there are many types and spreads of bogotia. They are all different, obviously, but the main two we will focus on in Botany I are these two, the most common ones." The professor points to two of the frontmost pots, which each old one singular blossom. One is a baby blue, and the other is dark, dark purple.

"Please flip to page 35. Read the passages and take notes. I'll be checking tomorrow, mind you."

Like the rest of her class, Lysabel flips to the specified page. Pens and pencils scratch as students begin to take notes on the text.

She accidentally flips ahead to page 58, where she catches sight of a black leaf. Lysabel squints. She's never seen that specimen before. The actual leaf is pure, unadulterated black, while the veins are a mix of crimson and navy. In some places, the two colors merge to make a dark violet, darker than that of the bogotia plant.

Lysabel sneaks a look up at the professor, who is mumbling to himself as he corrects the papers they turned in last week. She grounds her attention back to the depiction of the leaf. It doesn't specify a name, oddly enough.

Lysabel scans the passage, frowning with every sentence she reads. It says the leaf is extinct, and was used by dark mages. For what purpose, they do not mention. Lysabel leans back in her chair, pondering. Why would the book mention a leaf used by dark mages? It seems all of Ruxnorth has tried to do is erase the traces of the dark mages. Why would the textbook mention them?

"Miss Axelane?"

Lysabel jumps, her pen clattering to the floor. She swallows hard.

"Yes, Professor?"

"Why are you not taking notes?"

Lysabel inhales sharply. "I have a question, Professor, if I may."

The professor gives her permission to speak. She lifts the textbook, juggling it a bit in her arms before showing it to him. She doesn't miss the widening of Professor Mevoirent's wolfish eyes.

"I stumbled upon this and I wanted to ask what it was. What it did."

"What page is that?" the professor jolts, hissing at her. Lysabel feels fear starting to trickle in. Why had he jumped like so?

"58."

The professor flips madly through his edition of the textbook, and with every slap of the page, the tension in the room thickens, like a cooking stew.

After a few minutes, the professor closes his book, and his peaceful expression returns to his angular face.

"I'm afraid you have an error book, Miss Axelane. That species is not in the first year curriculum."

"Then why is it in my book?"

"I'm not entirely sure, but I'll surely have the school exchange this book for a regular one. Hand it here, please."

Lysabel transfers the book over. The professor nods at the rest of the class.

"Back to work, hup hup!" The other students put their heads down and continue to scritch-scratch their notes. Her seatmate offers to share the book, and she thanks him with a small smile.

The entirety of the class, she can't stop thinking of the leaf, and the professor's abnormal reaction. Clearly, the professor is hiding something.

Lysabel thinks back to that mysterious room she had found, and how Professor Mevoirent had caught her. How he was far away from his class, and her wondering about why he was wandering the halls in the middle of a class session.

Clearly, the school is hiding something.

And she intends to find out what it is. 

>>AUTHOR'S NOTES:

I know, I know, another short chapter. usually, when it comes to the Elixir, I try to have longer chapters, but there wasn't enough in this chapter to write 7-8 pages. 

anyway, I'm so excited! i wanted Lysabel to be the one to sort of start up the adventure, mainly because I think everyone expects the bolder characters to discover such things. I've loved seeing how much Lysabel's characters has changed at the school;)

have a wonderful Wednesday!

peace&love,

raniaditi