Quiet, Lynx sighed and rolled onto her side, wiping drool off her chin as she woke- finally, a sleep without dreams. Sunlight filtered through her open curtains, and she sat up tiredly, rubbing at her eyes- god, where the hell's the coffee at... this dorm got a kitchen...? Nah, no way, or I wouldn't have my own...
"Hello??" A soft, effeminate voice at the door accompanied by a soft knock, and Lynx realized that she may have awoken due to the knocking.
"Who's there?" She asked, frowning. There was, in her gut, an odd feeling of caution, but she tried to ignore it, unsure what made her feel uneasy.
"My name is um, it's," There was silence, from the other side of the door, for a long moment. "This is a bit embarrassing, but my name is Sin-" She spoke with a blush so painfully obvious it came across in her voice. "M-My friends call me Alice, though!!"
"Alice... Sin is a bit on the nose for this place isn't it?" Lynx called back, slowly swinging her feet to the floor, realizing she'd never even taken off the boots that Aerendyl had supplied her, but in a sense, grateful for the lack of the cold wooden floor. Stretching, tail flicking about lazily, she headed to the door and twisted the lock, yanking it open.
"If it's okay, I'd rather not explain why my name is Sin- I just didn't want to lie to you," Alice smiled brightly, from ear to ear as she looked up at Lynx. Lynx, for a moment, stared down- something smelled, weird about this girl, quite literally, but she couldn't place it. Alice seemed normal at a glance, with pale skin and a smattering of freckles across her cheeks. Whether by dye or not, her hair was colored a snowy, vibrant white, and her eyes were such a vibrant blue that it was almost stunning. Pointed ears like those of some sort of fantasy elf poked out from her hair as she smiled up, and Lynx found herself pausing, admiring the girl.
"You're..." Lynx began, then clamped her mouth shut as Alice smiled innocently.
"I'm?"
"Nothing," Lynx shook her head, yawning and closing her eyes a moment. "What brings you to my neck of the woods?"
"I was sent by the director to give you a tour of the campus and this part of the city!! Is that okay? I want to help!!" She grinned again, cheeky, and it was then that Lynx noticed the tail wagging behind her- except that, rather than furry like her own, this tail was sleek, black, and flexible, tipped with a small barb shaped like a heart.
"Are you a succubus?" Lynx asked, too curious suddenly to care if she was accidentally rude.
"Ha-ha, not exactly!!" Alice grinned, scratching her cheek. "If it's okay though, I don't want to talk about myself! I just want to help, okay? So let me give you the best your you've ever had, mhm!! A-Also, Miss Lynx... you could be more subtle about checking me out, y'know...?" She blinked shyly toward the wall, face red, and Lynx paused, face reddening.
"N-No, that's it sorry, I'm just curious about you." Alice, now blushing faintly and shifting from foot to foot, wore a soft white sweater and black leggings with an off-white skirt over them.
"M-Mhm, well, I'll take it as a compliment, then. Did I wake you, sorry? If you need some time to get ready, I can come back, I just really can't wait to show you around..." Alice hummed, abashed, seeming to find the wall's pattern very interesting all of a sudden.
"I-I mean, I kinda need to pee, but I'll be ready in a few. Wanna wait inside?"
"No, I'd hate to intrude!" Alice grinned, and Lynx hesitated, then nodded.
"Be right back," She sighed, closing the door and headed to the bathroom, thinking. She noticed, as she did, that there was a toothbrush and toothpaste on the counter- immediately, a sigh of relief slipped off her lips. Her teeth felt grimy...
"I'd rather not explain... I don't wanna talk about myself..." Lynx mumbled thoughtfully, quoting Alice as she relieved herself. Washing her hands, and brushing her teeth, she allowed her eyes to go glassy, pondering; Is there anybody here without a handful of secrets? Also, a demon being named Sin seems kind of on the nose... there's gotta be a deeper reason behind that, there's no way it's so simple. What, in life, ever is...? Ugh, cycle, cycle, what cycle was I supposed to end, you stupid dreams...
"Hey- sorry, I got carried away brushing my teeth, been a minute since I was able to," Lynx hummed apologetically, stepping into the hallway, tugging that rugged white coat around herself again. Alice must have stepped away- for now, she was also bundled up in a soft brown coat and a cute woolly hat with the face of a comical, cartoon sort of rabbit stitched into it.
"All's fine- ready for your tour! I can't wait to show you around." Alice grinned excitedly again, beaming... again, something in Lynx's gut turned over, and not because this succubus-not-succubus was pretty. Something was wrong here... it didn't seem like danger, but all was not as it seemed, she was sure of it. Am I just being paranoid...? Is there nothing to this...?
"So, what exactly is the plan?" Lynx hummed tiredly, rubbing her eyes.
"Well, you've seen the dorms, so how about some coffee!? There's this cute cafe, we can go and get breakfast and coffee- I have an allowance for when I'm helping out new students so don't worry about money, it'll be paid for by the school! Then I can show you the campus proper- we get you your class schedule, and you can see some of the city around us after. There's a lot to do here!!"
"Sounds good to me... I need some coffee..." Lynx yawned, nodding. "I dunno why I'm so tired all the time."
"No worries, but we can get you situated in no time!! Follow me~" Alice hummed, beginning down the hallway yawning into her hand, giggling after. "Lynx, your exhaustion must be contagious~"
"Well, if you insist I shouldn't feel bad," Lynx shrugged, slipping the battered cell phone into her pocket and following Alice into the lounge- except now, it was very full, and several pairs of eyes turned to Alice and Lynx as they passed- Lynx, too, couldn't help herself looking around curiously. There were so many skin colors, hair colors, horns, ears... maybe thirty people hanging out around the room- there, a girl with violently purple stripes over her dark skin from head to toe, like a tattoo. There, an angel complete with halo and wings kicking her feet up and screaming at a video game in front of her, something about an absolutely useless team and campers and how everybody was useless... snorting, Lynx continued on, out the door and onto the sidewalk with Alice.
"This way, we'll go to the cafe and get you fed and awake before anything else!" Alice hummed, bouncing on the balls of her feet. Taking a slow, deep breath and swallowing, her stomach roiling in protest to the biting cold, the chilly breeze, Lynx nodded, tail thrashing about.
"Come on then," Alice hummed and started off, walking down the street with Lynx keeping an easy step beside her. "So, where did you come from? When the Director asked me to show you around, he didn't say anything about your home or your reasons for enrolling in the academy- is that okay to ask?" Another brilliant smile, and Lynx frowned, looking down at the snowy-haired succubus before letting her eyes wander around. They were passing another building that seemed to be a dormitory, but across the street were a handful of small shops- she spotted flowers, a cell phone store, an antique store...
"Right, sorry- forgot you said something, I'm so tired," Lynx yawned into her hand, hugely, jaw aching from the stretch, dragging her attention back to the conversation. "I don't mind you asking about myself but there's not much I can tell you- I lost my memories when I turned. First thing I remember was waking up in a hospital bed with a sick feeling in my stomach- turns out I really hate the cold."
"Huh, in Ravenwood? That's unlucky," Alice pouted, as they passed the shop window of what seemed to be a bakery- and then Alice smiled and grabbed the red door's handle, as it came into view, tugging it open and waving her hand emphatically. "Girls with cat ears first~"
"Huh, nice place," Lynx mumbled, looking around slowly. There were only a few people here chatting or alone, typing on laptops, even one just tiredly sipping coffee, looking out the window like he wished he was dead. Nonetheless, with a steamy, warm atmosphere, huge windows, wooden flooring and softly-glowing lanterns hanging from the ceiling, the place held a vibe that was somewhere between cozy, modern and ye old medieval tavern. Behind the counter, as they walked up, a young man with ragged blonde hair grinned- it took Lynx a moment to notice that his eyes were black. Entirely. No pupils, no iris and all black sclera.
"Good morning!! What can I get you two ladies?"
"Oh I'll have my usual, and Lynx, do you know what you want?" Alice hummed, looking up at the blonde. When she, Lynx, struggled, Alice continued. "Get my usual for her too, she seems like a simple pleasures sort of girl."
"Ah you got it- new student at the academy? I haven't seen you around and Alice is often sent to guide the new girls- so don't worry, I'm not stalking you on the down low," He chuckled, rolling his eyes.
"Thanks...?" Lynx mumbled awkwardly, unsure what to say, and the young man, perhaps reading the room, nodded and began to work on their food. In a second, her world shifted- every bone in her body tensed and she found hand a hair's breadth from Alice's throat, hyperventilating as the snowy girl looked nervously down at Lynx, raising her hands slowly in surrender. She'd tried to pull on Lynx's sleeve to guide her, and Lynx...
"Sorry, so sorry," She muttered, tail flicking, returning her hands to her sides, shame writing in her belly like an ugly snake. "I reacted before I could think..."
"It's fine, I'll try to remember that you don't like being touched," Alice mumbled, looking away. "I don't need to know what trauma caused that, but I won't take it personally, so come on, l-let's enjoy our breakfast and coffee together, new friend!!" Grinning again from ear to ear as if nothing had happened, she stepped away, leading Lynx to a booth along wall, where Lynx slid in, settling down across from her guide.
"Just like that? I really am sorry, trauma isn't an excuse for me to nearly hit somebody who didn't even do anything-"
"Yep, just like that!" Alice grinned lazily, resting her chin on her hands. "It's nice of you to admit that mental traumas aren't a reason to be cruel- and you apologized, so why should I hold it against you??"
"Okay, sorry," Lynx sighed, looking down and away, pushing her cheek into her palm.
"Hey, don't be sad please, I'm really not mad at you!" Alice grinned harder, an almost unrealistically large smile... still, Lynx couldn't shake it. Something about her wasn't right, she seemed almost... mechanical. Am I just being paranoid...?
"A-Alright, I just, again, no excuse for me to-"
"Hey, maybe your body remembers things your mind doesn't," Alice cut her off, holding her smile, eyes crinkling warmly. "Maybe you were a soldier or an assassin, or something! I swear, no hard feelings- besides, you said sorry, so I'll be sad if you keep beating yourself up," She added, pouting now, rubbing her fists into her cheeks in a mockery of crying.
"Fine, fine, sorry," Lynx sighed and leaned back, swallowing slowly. "So anyway, what were we talking about? I forget."
"That you hate the cold," Alice hummed helpfully, yawning. "That this is a really bad, or I guess unlucky, thing to hate in Ravenwood. So are you hoping to become a cop because you want to, or is it kind of just your only way, or an easy out?"
"It's my way out, in a sense," Lynx shrugged. "I don't think that I objectively mind, the idea of becoming a police officer- they're supposed to be the good guys, right? I wanna try and find out anything I can about my past though, I'm hoping to find somebody in the academy with magic that can help me. I keep having these weird dreams, and I don't know what they mean," Lynx sighed, about to explain before that twisting feeling in her gut told her, again to shut up, and not trust Alice.
"I get it- it's a means to an end but you don't have any issue with it. That makes a lot of sense!!" Alice beamed and nodded as if understanding this more than she'd ever understood anything before, and Lynx, for her part, nodded softly, glancing up as a young woman with white hair and frosted blue tips approached, setting down two small plates and then mugs, before smiling and wandering off without a word.
"Mhm..." Lynx looked down- the food seemed simple, sausage patties and sugary toast, the mug – the mug, it smelled funny. "Trying to drug me?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.
"No, no way," Alice shook her head, seemingly aghast. "I'll trade you mugs if you want! The owner of this place is a mage, she specializes in alchemy. Since caffeine leaves you crashing, she brews this potion that emulates a few extra hours of sleep, a brew of healing and focus together to promote healing in torn muscles, mental clarity, and so forth." Lynx hesitated, for a long moment, thinking. If I don't drink it, it could cause problems between me and this girl- and therefor, who knows how many others. But drinking a potion willingly... risky. Asking to trade mugs would show just as little trust...
"I want you to relax, so please, I insist," Alice began, nudging her mug forward and gently reaching out, taking Lynx's away, replacing it.
"Why would something this powerful be affordable as part of breakfast? That doesn't make any sense," Lynx wrinkled her nose, trying to explain it away in her head.
"Powerful? I guess, it's a handful of herbs and a mage's spell- and she mass produces so the money is more than enough. Not rare for her. Plus, she's richer if thousands can buy, you know? If you don't want it, I can just drink both, I just really thought it would be nice for you since you mentioned how tired you are, you can just throw them away if that's more comfortable I won't be sad!" Alice beamed, smiling as brightly as ever, and Lynx, hesitating, slowly reached down, taking up the mug... and sipped.
"You would be sad, and that's okay, you know?" Lynx asked gently, sipping the mug again. The coffee tasted warm, sweet- unnatural, like mornings by a fireplace, like cinnamon and silk, like whispered words between lovers... it was cleansing, and Lynx groaned audibly as her muscles rippled, a handful of pops cracking down along her spine, arms. Straightening, confused and mildly alarmed, she looked around- her skin felt electric, tail beginning to flick about energetically, and then the strange sensations stopped. What in the...
"Muscle relaxers, but magical- they undo the knots in your muscles by themselves rather than helping you to relax them away yourself. More importantly though, Lynx- I didn't want you to force yourself," Alice hummed, sipping her own drink. "Why did you say I'd be sad?" Another grin, and Lynx felt a slow twinge of annoyance, narrowing her eyes. "I mean, Lynx, no way! I'm here to help you feel better and to show you around the campus- if that means buying you coffee, I will! If it means letting you go sleepy all day, or buying you more... normal coffee, that's fine too!"
"Uh huh." Lynx nodded, sipping, her coffee almost gone, visions of a girl with a fox's tail, like the one from her dream. Paper screens, fields of flowers and swaying grass, firelight... shadows in the back of her mind melting away... "Is this stuff addictive...? Also, no, you would have been sad, no need to lie."
"It's got natural cleansers that prevent buildup or addiction- but I'm not lying, I never lie," Alice pouted, then laughed, and Lynx slowly set her mug down, eyes narrowing after she'd downed the last of that delicious coffee in all it's glory.
"Alice- have you ever heard the saying, 'it's the happiest people alive that bleed the darkest?"
"U-Um- no?"
"What's a blue-blood?"
"Nobility, the rich."
"Mhm, so by that logic, what's it mean to have dark blood?"
"A past full of..." Alice faltered, and finally, Lynx spotted a gap in that lying smile, her nose twitching, eyes narrowing.
"You don't need to lie to me Alice- you're a good actor, but I can see it. There's a pain in there, probably something unimaginable. It eats at you, doesn't it- claws at you from the inside out," Lynx continued, slowly leaning forward, planting her hands on the table, raising an eyebrow. "You smile and you laugh and you live behind a facade of wanting to help others more than anything- but I'd bet you on my life there's something you want more than that... isn't there?"
"Lynx...?" Alice looked up, her eyes soaked, a fat tear sliding down her right cheek. "I-I just wanna help you, o-okay...? I just want to help, please, let me sh-show you around, let me help," She pleaded softly, bottom lip trembling. Lynx, heedless of the eyes that had turned their way, reached down and gently cupped Alice's cheek- as expected, the girl winced. I get it now. Got you figured out. Question is what- what are you hiding? What put this mask onto you? Or, who?
"Alice," Lynx whispered softly, voice softening. "I won't ask you to confirm anything, but I seem to remember learning something, once upon a time... no, never mind." I've made things too serious already. "Whatever. Sorry. Just know that I don't want you to force anything- pretending you're okay doesn't do anybody any favors."
"No, what did you learn...?" Alice asked softly, no longer leaking tears, but quiet, arms resting limply on the table, her eyes wide.
"An old story," Lynx shrugged, stabbing a sausage and pulling it into her mouth, groaning softly, contentedly, at the taste. "I'll tell you some other time, okay?"
"Alright!" Alice nodded, her smile slowly returning, and Lynx frowned, looking away. The smile is just as huge now- but I understand enough. Whatever she's hiding, it's not being hidden just from me- and she's not dangerous. At least not currently. Now you've made her feel awful, give her a nice day- or at least be good company, since you're broke... "Let's enjoy our food for real now, and put all this behind us, then I can take you around and we can have a nice time, okay??"
"Sounds good to me, pretty lady," Lynx nodded quietly and put away another small sausage patty, moaning softly under her breath around the taste.
"So- wait pretty lady?? No, that's you, Lynx!! Your ears look so soft, I wanna touch em!" Alice laughed, happily now, somewhat genuinely. "So you're... well, are you a writer? A poet? You seem to really like stories and sayings and obscure turns of phrase."
"Maybe." Lynx shrugged. "How would I know, I don't remember anything from before the hospital."
"Hospital... you said you don't want to talk about yourself, so um- well- I dunno what to talk about, give me a few, I'll think of something!" Alice laughed lazily, and the cat-girl across from her nodded, thinking.
"I don't mind telling you a bit. I..." Man, this sausage is so good... Swallowing another, she continued. "I woke up in a hospital- I was um. Saved by a human medic and an angel healer." Is that right? Wait- SHIT- IT WAS A GRIMOIRE DEMON- Oh well roll with it you dumb ass cat. "All I remember is waking up in a hospital bed, and apparently I'm a newborn... risen. Never went to hell. Everything is murky, I just keep remembering these awful things in my dreams- fire, death. I'm not sure of anything else yet- no hobbies, no history, nothing."
"Well I'd wager you liked books a lot," Alice hummed, almost done with her food as Lynx lay down her fork for the last time, comfortably full. "Actor, writer or poet- I'm calling it. Can you spit out a poem? Magic writer cat?"
"Uh..." I'll humor her, I guess. What if I just babble something stupid...? What's that one kind of poem... Lynx blinked, and in her mind's eye, something came to her- sitting on a mountaintop, staring down at a sea of red... not blood, but... leaves. A memory?
"Ugh..."
"You don't need to, forget I asked, it's fine!" Alice hummed emphatically, nodding her head, and Lynx shook her head.
"I got you, take it as my apology for upsetting you, a bit ago. Allow me that."
"Alright, let's hear it magic poet cat!" Alice giggled, covering her mouth and leaning back. Ugh, this is so damn stupid...
"Coffee with a friend," Lynx mumbled, rolling her eyes. The image in her head grew stronger- red leaves cascading down and away from her, a crisp mountain air, the scent of sage and hickory- "Burns a hole in my mind's ice," She swallowed, closing her eyes. White, puffy clouds, the mountaintop, hickory... "May this safety last."
"Wow..." Alice breathed, eyes wide, clapping her hands together quietly. "I've never heard a poem like that, but there's something wild about it. Can I try?"
"Sure, it's five seven five." Lynx nodded.
"Huh?"
"Syllables. Five for the first line, seven the second and five the third."
"O-Oh. I've never heard of a poem that wasn't pages and pages long... okay, here goes," Alice took a deep breath.
"You got this," Lynx whispered encouragingly and leaned back, smiling.
"Mn..." A breath. "Burning passion here. A... need to do what is right. For myself, or you?" The second she finished speaking, Alice became beet red and looked away. "L-Like that?"
"Maybe you're something of a poet yourself," The cat replied playfully- that image of red leaves, the mountaintop, was fading. There's so much I don't know... what cycle am I supposed to end...? "Hey Alice- have you ever heard of a fairy tale or a real place, anything, called the court? Something to do with a place where spirits rest?"
"No, why?" Alice angled her head, stretching, waving down the waitress with frosted blue tips to her hair and handing over a small medallion. The waitress, in turn, walked off without a word, same as before.
"No reason, just heard some little kid talking about it walking down the street last night with his mom," Lynx lied, unsure as to whether she should share. Something, about all this, still somehow felt wrong- but at the very least she was sure, now, that Alice was to be trusted. "What's that medallion you handed her?"
"It's the school's- it's a basic magical tool that transfers money."
"What?"
"Mhm! It's bio-metric! I buy it and the first person to touch it- me- imprints. I use an app on my phone to connect it to my banking accounts." Taking out an expensive-looking phone, Alice slid it across to Lynx. A few moments passed and a small request for what seemed to be... not much money popped up, which Alice tapped to accept. "Boom- now touching it they can request money from my bank account directly and there you go. Except the school pads my account heavily for reasons like this, so no need for you to feel bad! Once they have mine, they simply touch it to their own and then they can request from their phone."
"Interesting. Smack your wallets together and rob each other via phone," Lynx nodded.
"No no, nothing like that, robbery would be really bad!" Alice snorted softly, shaking her head. "Just a connection from app to app."
"Is magic integrated into tech that much?"
"There's a reason they call Ravenwood the nation run on the blood of angels," Alice shrugged, grinning lazily, but Lynx leaned forward, eyes widening.
"What? What does that mean?!"
"Oh- oh I guess that- oh. You don't know?" Alice angled her head, laughing innocently as the waitress returned, handing her the medallion back, which she pocketed, standing up. "Come on, I'll explain as we walk!" That was all it took and Lynx was on her feet, headed to the door with Alice. "So basically," the snowy-haired one continued as the cold wind of the outdoors blasted into Lynx. She, Lynx, tried to ignore the sick turn of her gut, and the way her lips curled in disgust, listening.
"Basically, most of the nation's power is run on what's called Ichorum- a substance made from extremely watered down angel's blood."
"Doesn't that seem like a problem?" Lynx hummed, blinking, looking around as they walked down the street at the shops, and when they turned, at what definitely seemed to be the beginning of campus. Moments later, they were passing through a wrought-gate and starting up toward what could have been a prison- just as square and austere as the rest of the buildings around here, but with a flat roof and plain red-gray bricks making up the walls. From here, it was hard to see much else. "I mean, what if angels just... stopped donating their blood?"
"Oh that's all managed. See, there's a whole department of our government handling power," Alice explained, nodding emphatically. "There are angels paid really handsome salaries to donate, and separately, trained professionals who dilute the blood down into Ichorum."
"Why's it gotta be diluted?"
"Angel and demon blood is way, way, way more infused with magic than that of a human's. So basically, if an angel say, cut his palm and let it rip into the tanks at the power plants, I mean... it could take out an entire city block, if not more- it's happened before. There was a terrorist attack on one of the eastern cities of Ravenwood recently- whoever did it, they got twelve gallons of angel blood and got them into the power plant- three quarters of the city without power, hundreds dead, explosions across the city... it was awful!" Alice hummed, seeming to retain her usual chipper mood in spite of the heavy topic.
"Interesting... and you say whoever did it- is that unknown? This seems like a big deal, no? Or was this a long time ago? You said recently."
"Recently, yeah," Alice nodded, shrugging and smiling brightly, still. "Thing is that nobody has claimed responsibility- as far as we can tell, whatever terrorists did it, just did it for the death. All demons, that's all we know- nobody captured was willing to talk. It's why things have been a bit strained between humans and demons, lately- less so angels, because they're peacekeepers and not siding against demon-kind. You know humans when they're afraid... all we know is that Contracted Arms is investigating tirelessly."
"I see..." Lynx nodded, trailing off, thinking. You have to end the cycle- not the relations between humans and demons? That'd be too easy. That's not anything to do with me, terrorism just happens... Fear, greed, doesn't matter, violence and hate won't ever be gone. "So if it's all angel blood- would demon blood be just as effective?"
"Yeah- thing is that angels have just, always been doing it. Angel and demon blood, both super magical, but the machines are designed for heavenly magic more than the muddled stuff in demon blood, so that's how it is. Not a racism thing, though!"
"Sure, not a racism thing, that's why you called out blood muddled?" Lynx raised an eyebrow, snorting softly.
"It's because of the way our bodies are formed! Angels have this uniform look, in almost all cases- and that look is mostly human, even if wings, or a halo, appear. But demons, our magic pushes out into our blood, our bodies, in weird ways. Horns, ears, tails, scales, you name it- magic is a lot STRONGER in our blood- so I guess processing it would be a lot different."
"Gotcha..." Lynx nodded- they were nearing the school itself now, and a glass front door simply labeled in white print; 'Entrance'.
"Come on in!" Alice hummed and yanked the door open. Lynx, pausing nervously, stepped through, drawing a breath...
"Huh, it's so... normal...?" She blinked, looking around. "It's like a... I dunno, it's like a normal school." Lines of lockers on either wall, and, walking to a wooden door with a rectangular window, Lynx peeked through to find what seemed like a lecture hall. Enormous and red-carpeted, with rows of seats leading down to a speaker's podium and a few tables at the bottom. Moody... but-
"Wait, Alice- the next door," Lynx pointed, and walked to it- another lecture hall, but with the same view. This one, however, was full of students who seemed to be aged from maybe fifteen to forty five. The dimensions didn't add up, the other room was empty-
"Haha," The succubus rolled her eyes, laughing playfully. "Girl, you just learned about an entire nation run on angel blood and magic forming new extremities on our bodies- and it's rooms not making sense you're worried about?"
"Memory loss!" Lynx huffed, tail flicking, a twinge of annoyance bringing a scowl to her face.
"Right, sorry, I didn't mean anything by it," Alice mumbled hastily, her smile shrinking, but not vanishing. "Here's the thing; Contracted Arms academies never make it far without becoming corrupted spaces. This much magic, it sinks into the building, bends the laws of reality- you'll understand better when we see the training rooms."
"What's a corrupted space? Just, magic building?"
"Yeah, but an experienced mage can bend the building to their will- like the Director."
"He's an experienced mage? Doesn't surprise me," Lynx caught herself, thinking better of it. Aerendyl had seemed so normal, but it only made sense. "He's a young angel, right?"
"Young? I couldn't say, I only joined the academy a year ago- but he does look fairly young. Anyway, yeah, he can, with some effort. Control the building, I mean!" Alice nodded, seemingly excited as they began to walk down the hall, again. "I've never seen it, but I hear that one time, to stop a growing fire after a magical accident, he made the windows and doors leave a room and then shrank it to suffocate the flames!! That's a secondhand story though, so don't take it as fact. Anyway, corrupted spaces do some things on their own but it can be kind of random- I'll just need to show you. Not much to see in the classes, let me show you to the training wing- I'm sure you don't want a boring tour of our cafeterias.
"Training wing- is that for...?"
"Fighting and mage training, Safe place to practice hurling magic around and fighting- course it's the most corrupted, right? Come on, I'll show you~" Alice hummed, hurrying along, smiling serenely.