"Yes." Instructor Wilowsage said, clearing away a few papers on her desk before beckoning with her hands for Aena to sit down.
To Aena's disappointment, there weren't any plush chairs since they were in the classroom and not the instructor's office. She instead carefully lowered herself behind one of the first-row desks and folded her hands on the table.
Instructor Willowsage moved her swivel chair to the opposite side and sat down. Her eyes darted behind Aena.
"Cassidy, you're welcome to come too," she said, gesturing with her hands. Cassidy had remained in place at the back of the classroom, and at the call, she came forth and sat next to Aena, maintaining a reasonable distance.
After the girls were comfortably settled, Instructor Willowsage placed her palm upright in front of her. Aena wanted to ask what the action meant—she didn't want to make a mistake again—but seeing Instructor Willowsage's unblinking eyes, she suppressed her inquiry.
After a few seconds, she pulled her arm back.
"I've cast a noise cancellation spell. Nothing said here on out will be heard," she assured.
It seemed like any further talk was going to be very serious. Aena would have to drill that fact into her brain until it became as unconscious as breathing: a single mistake may be all it took for it to all be over.
Although Aena wasn't fond of the unknown situation she was placed in, it was best to move forward at this point. There was no use dwelling on consequences or regrets, and until she was in a stable position, she didn't dare make a misstep.
Right now, her best and only option was to rely on Instructor Willowsage to gather knowledge. She didn't know anything about her current situation except that she was in a precarious one.
"The spell," Aena said, testing the space which didn't seem any different, "won't it leave a trace?"
"It will, but you needn't worry about that. Student's privacies are always held in high regard, so it isn't odd to have a spell to ensure so," Instructor Willowsage said confidently.
Aena nodded in understanding. She had personally never witnessed one of these spells since only an experienced magician could perform it.
Instructor Willowsage suddenly shot straight up, placing her palms flat on the desk.
"I just remembered. Would either of you care for some tea?"
'Tea?' That was an odd beverage to drink in the afternoon.
"Just an old habit," Instructor Willowsage said shyly, sensing the unasked question.
Aena looked at Cassidy. Seeing that she dipped her head, Aena cordially accepted the offer too.
"Understood."
Instructor Willowsage trod back to her desk in the corner and opened one of the cabinet drawers. Inside was a small box-shaped device with numerous buttons lining the side. It had a space in the middle for a cup to be placed, kind of like a coffee maker.
Actually, with the devices these days advertising some 5 in 1 shit, it probably did serve coffee too; hell, maybe it also doubled as a rice cooker. Aena wouldn't know.
"I'm sure you have many questions," Instructor Willowsage began, whipping out three tea cups from seemingly nowhere in the time Aena blinked.
"But before I ask, there are things I can't tell you—that you shouldn't know," she said, expertly filling each of the three cups with steaming liquid.
She carried the three cups back to the desk and placed them down gently in front of them. Aena inspected it.
It was a simple, elegant teacup, with a silver-lined rim that highlighted the refined design.
"Careful, it's hot," Instructor Willowsage warned, watching her. Aena held the cup delicately with two hands and took a sip.
'It's fragrant.'
Aena was pleasantly surprised at the taste. It was much better than the synthesized kind she had tasted before. She took another long sip, savoring the taste. She was pretty sure it was green tea, but she wasn't a tea enthusiast, so she couldn't be sure.
"Is this authentic?" she couldn't help but ask at the strong, rich flavor.
"Nope," Instructor Willowsage gave a weird smile. "Just high-quality synthesized tea."
"Almost as good as the real kind though," she sighed.
So the instructor had tasted real tea? Aena wondered when. It wasn't hard to grow cash crops nowadays, but it was much more profitable to sell the manufactured variety: it was easier to customize and much easier to manage. No growing. Easier packaging. More distinguished taste.
The only ones who actually drank real tea weren't even the rich, but the esoteric connoisseurs of authentic tea.
As Aena curiously savored her tea, Cassidy was drinking hers with perfect etiquette, or at least Aena thought so. It was honestly mesmerizing to look at, like something out of a painting. She wasn't raising her pinky though. So was that a thing or not? Aena had no clue.
Looking into the dark tea, Aena collected her swirling thoughts. There were so many floating around, she didn't know where to start. She gazed into the waves of brown liquid lapping against the side.
"Just to be sure," Aena licked her lips, "what I drank was a high-grade mana potion, right?"
"Yes," Instructor Willowsage responded. That's what Aena had thought. She had done her research beforehand so she knew she wasn't consuming some strange liquid; it didn't matter if it was given by a teacher or not.
Remembering it now, the potion didn't only have strange effects, but also the process itself was weird: it was supposed to be as easy as throwing back a can of coke, but there was so much pain.
"Why did I pass out?" Aena asked.
Instructor Willowsage opened her mouth but then closed it, her brow drawing steep lines as she tried to word it.
"Unprepared safety measures," she said at last. Aena didn't get what that really meant, but either way, that signified it was dangerous. So were all mana potions deadly to her or something? Did she have some strange constitution? What was that weird dream? Questions flooded her mind.
"Without Cassidy," Instructor Willowsage said, pointing her chin at Cassidy, "there's a good chance you wouldn't've made it.
So Cassidy had actually saved her. Aena shifted her gaze to Cassidy who had been sipping her tea passively the entire time. How slowly was she sipping that? Wait a minute, why was the girl here in the first place?!
"I want Cassidy to look over you," she requested.
'Cassidy?'
Aena was baffled. Did Cassidy agree to this too? Aena scrutinized the other girl's face, but she couldn't discern anything.
"She already knows about the situation and has already agreed. I also can't keep an eye on you 24/7. I can vouch that she is someone you can trust," Instructor Willowsage said, laying out her reasons.
"Wait, so you knew what was happening beforehand!" Aena blurted, feeling aggrieved.
Instructor Willowsage gave her a rueful grin.
"I had my suspicions, but I didn't want to be correct."