March 8th, 2012 — 11:52 AM
Asura Academy — Class C
Perspective: Leena Grelynn
Late morning sun poured through the arched stained-glass windows of the lecture hall, casting long, geometric shadows across the wooden amphitheater.
I sat near the middle tier, my fingers absentmindedly twisting the end of my green braid. Rigel was seated to my immediate right, his arms crossed over his chest, his posture rigid as he stared blankly at the blackboard.
In front of us, the two polished desks belonging to Elfie and Kaiser sat completely empty.
It felt strange. Usually, by mid-morning, those two desks were the center of gravity for the whole room. Elfie would be leaning across the wood with a bright, sleepy smile, begging Kaiser for sweets or complaining about her handwriting, while Kaiser sat beside her with that deadpan, unbothered expression, quietly taking notes and passing her snacks under the table.
Today, there was only empty polished oak.
The heavy double doors of the classroom swung open with a dramatic gust of wind, and Instructor Aisha Olyvra swept in.
Her emerald-green robes fluttered around her ankles like liquid mana, and her pristine silver-blonde hair swayed over her shoulders. Gold flecks danced in her bright eyes, radiating an energetic, high-strung aura that immediately silenced the low chatter of the room.
"Good morning, Class C!" Instructor Aisha greeted with a wide, melodic smile, setting a thick leather-bound dossier onto the podium with a sharp thud. "I hope everyone enjoyed the Founders' Day recovery break yesterday, because the academy administration has officially finalized the parameters for our next major milestone."
She paused, her gold-flecked eyes doing a swift, practiced sweep across the rows of tiered seating.
Her gaze caught on the two vacant seats right in front of me, her delicate eyebrows pulling together.
"Oh? Where are our Class Representative and Mr. Everhart today?" Aisha asked, tilting her head. "It is quite rare for Elfina to miss a mandatory homeroom assembly."
I adjusted my posture, raising my hand slightly before standing up from my seat.
"Instructor Aisha," I spoke clearly, my voice carrying across the quiet room. "Elfie was taken ill yesterday with severe fatigue and abdominal pain. She couldn't make it to class today."
Aisha's expression softened with maternal concern. "Ill? Oh dear. And what of Kaiser? Did he fail to wake up, or is he simply truant?"
"Kaiser stayed behind at the dormitories to look after her," I explained truthfully. "He's taking care of her while she recovers."
The moment the words left my mouth, a collective ripple of sneers, scoffing chuckles, and disgusted whispers washed across the classroom.
Down in the third row, Roman leaned back in his chair, lazily tossing a small wooden dice between his palms before catching it with a dry slap.
"Taking care of her? Seriously?" Roman laughed, shaking his head with open derision. "That deadweight couldn't even carry his own weight in the dungeon, and now he's playing nursemaid?"
"Exactly," Sophia chimed in from the aisle seat, her voice freezing and sharp as she crossed her slender arms. "He drags our entire budget down by 75 percent, and now he uses our Class Representative's illness as a convenient excuse to skip mandatory lectures."
"I bet he just wanted to sleep in," Roman chuckled, turning around to smirk at the boys behind him. "What's he gonna do for her anyway? It's not like the guy is a licensed doctor or an alchemist brewing medicine. Maybe he's trying to cure her with some more of his 1-credit magic! Ahaha!"
A chorus of mocking laughter broke out among Roman's clique and several surrounding students.
Sophia brushed a strand of dark hair over her shoulder, her cold lips curving into a thin sneer. "Roman, your jokes are usually stupid, but you have a valid point. Having a zero-mana parasite hovering around our strongest sorcerer is disgusting. It's completely disgraceful."
I felt a prickle of irritation tighten in my chest, my green mana subtly stirring around my fingertips.
I glanced across the room. Not everyone was laughing.
Down in the front row, Scarlet Hearst sat with her elf ears flattened tight against her head, glaring daggers at Roman and Sophia. A few seats away, Kayla Caroline sat in total, icy silence, her sharp eyes narrowed with unmistakable disgust toward the laughing students.
They knew what Kaiser was capable of. They knew the truth behind his quiet competence.
Before I could speak up, Instructor Aisha's palm came down flat against the wooden podium.
SLAP!
A sharp concussive wave of wind mana cracked through the lecture hall, instantly snapping the chatter and laughter in half.
"That is quite enough," Aisha said, her melodic tone turning cool and authoritative. "Mocking a classmate's absence during a peer's medical recovery is beneath the conduct expected of Asura students. If anyone wishes to debate utility, you will have ample opportunity to prove your own in the coming trial."
Roman cleared his throat and looked away, tossing his dice into his pocket, while Sophia turned her eyes coldly back toward her notebook.
Aisha turned her attention back to me, her silver-blonde hair catching the sunlight.
"Leena," Aisha said gently. "After our assembly concludes, I want you to visit Elfina's room. Deliver the briefing notes and ensure she understands the full framework of today's announcement."
"Understood, Instructor," I nodded respectfully, sitting back down beside Rigel.
Aisha straightened her robes, her posture shifting as she tapped the chalkboard behind her. With a flick of her wrist, four glowing chalk conduits began sketching intricate diagrams, dividing the board into 3 color-coded sections: Class A, Class B, and Class C.
"Listen closely, everyone," Aisha announced, her eyes gleaming with sharp academic intensity. "The 2nd Monthly Exam has been officially designated: The Tri-Labyrinth Siege: Life Nexus."
The classroom leaned in, the tension suddenly palpable.
"Unlike the 1st exam, which was an isolated survival crawl against dungeon beasts, this is a direct, simultaneous tri-class conflict," Aisha explained, pacing slowly before the podium. "Class A, Class B, and Class C will be deployed together into a single, massive simulated realm."
She pointed to the diagram on the board, where 3 fortified bastions formed an equilateral triangle surrounding a vast central battlefield.
"Here is the operational structure," Aisha continued, her voice crisp. "Each class will field an 8-student team divided into two distinct designations: 2 'Life Nexus' anchors, and 6 'Protector Vanguards'. The engagement will be a 4-squad multi-front war: four 8-man battle groups clashing across designated terrain sectors."
A student from the back raised a hand. "Instructor, what does the 'Life' role actually do?"
"The 2 students designated as 'Life' are the heart of your class's survival," Aisha answered. "They will be sealed inside isolated, fortified Life Booths situated in your base. A Life cannot physically exit their containment booth until their booth's barrier takes damage from direct enemy assault or physical breaches."
She drew a glowing circle around the booth icons.
"While inside, the Life anchors possess full tactical command. The booth is equipped with real-time sensory feeds, allowing them to communicate telepathically with all 6 Protectors on the field, orchestrating defenses, directing ambushes, and reading mana shifts."
"And the Protectors?" Rigel asked, his deep voice cutting through the hall.
"The Protectors must wage war," Aisha stated firmly. "You must defend your class's 2 Life Booths while actively hunting and infiltrating the enemy bastions of Class A and Class B to eliminate their Lives. Every booth and every student will have a calibrated Health Matrix."
She tapped the center of the board, where the stakes were underlined in bold, crimson mana-chalk.
"The victory conditions are ruthless," Aisha warned, her voice dropping into a severe, uncompromising register. "The first class that loses both of their Life anchors—or the class that finishes the simulated time limit with even 0.1 percent less overall Health Matrix than the other two classes—will suffer immediate failure. And the penalty for the losing class is non-negotiable: one student from the losing class will face immediate, permanent expulsion from Asura Academy."
A collective gasp echoed across the lecture hall.
Expulsion.
The weight of the word hung suffocatingly in the air.
"Instructor!" Daniel shouted, sweat beading on his forehead. "How are the 2 Lives chosen?! If the class picks someone weak, we're doomed!"
"The selection is dual-parameter," Aisha clarified. "One Life anchor is chosen democratically by the class through a secret ballot. The 2nd Life anchor is selected completely at random by the academy's automated sorting algorithm 10 minutes prior to deployment. This prevents any class from over-stacking pure offense while neglecting internal vulnerabilities."
"What happens if our Life Booths are destroyed?" Sophia asked, her pen hovering over her paper. "Is it instant defeat?"
"Not immediately," Aisha explained, a slight, dangerous smile curving her lips. "Once a Life Booth's barrier is broken, that student's containment seal unlocks, allowing them to physically enter the battlefield as an active combatant. If a class loses both Lives, an emergency 10-minute 'Sudden Death Countdown' activates."
She drew a double-edged arrow connecting two fallen base markers.
"If your class can hunt down and eliminate the remaining Lives of an opposing class before that countdown expires, you force a 'Nexus Stalemate'. In the event of a draw, the two tied classes will not face collective expulsion—instead, their surviving Life anchors will engage in a mandatory 1-on-1 duel in the Central Arena to determine which class suffers the expulsion."
The classroom broke into frantic, murmuring discussions. The tactical possibilities were dizzying—assassination teams, defensive turtles, baiting the enemy into a sudden death counter-strike, sacrificial gambits.
Aisha raised her hands, calling for quiet.
"Additional sub-rules, spatial terrain modifiers, and item loadouts will be distributed in your student dossiers tomorrow morning," Aisha concluded, closing her binder with a crisp snap.
"You have 4 days to strategize, elect your first Life anchor, and train your battle formations. Dismissed."
The bell rang, and students began scrambling out of their seats, clustering into frantic study groups and arguing over candidate lists.
I stood up, packing my notebook into my satchel.
As I made my way toward the front double doors, a loud commotion near the middle aisle caught my attention. A dense crowd of boys and girls had completely surrounded Axel's desk, blocking the walkway.
Roman, Daniel, and Milo were at the center of the mob, their eyes wide and excited as they leaned over Axel's chair.
"Axel! Tell us the truth, man!" Roman pressed, grabbing Axel's shoulder with aggressive enthusiasm. "Is it true?! Did you really dance with Crown Princess Rose Valentine at the Founders' Day Gala?!"
"Yeah, bro! The entire Imperial broadcast had the audio feed!" Daniel shouted, waving his hands in the air. "The Emperor himself literally announced 'Axel Wiezner' as the prodigy who brought the Princess out to dance! We couldn't see your face in the crowd, but your name was broadcasted across the entire capital!"
Axel leaned back in his oversized dark trench coat, crossing his legs and resting his chin on his steepled fingers in a brooding, theatrical posture. A single spark of lightning crackled across his thumb.
"The Dark Wolf does not seek the shallow praise of the masses," Axel stated solemnly, his gaze drifting out the window toward the distant clouds. "Some truths are too profound for ordinary minds. Let us simply say... the Imperial court recognized true greatness when it stepped onto the marble."
"Wait, so it WAS you?!" a girl from the side gasped, covering her mouth. "Even Class A and Class B have been whispering about it all morning!"
"I neither confirm nor deny the whispers of destiny," Axel declared, adjusting his high collar with immense pride. "A secret weapon must maintain his mystique. Just know... Class C is in capable hands."
I blinked, staring at the sight from the doorway.
Axel...? Dancing with Princess Rose Valentine? The imperial heir who is known for her perfection?
What on earth is he talking about?!
I shook my head, deciding that trying to understand Axel's delusions was a waste of mental energy, and hurried out into the hallway toward the dormitories.
---
March 8th, 2012 — 1:35 PM
Class C Dormitories — Elfie's Room
Perspective: Elfina
The afternoon sun peeked softly through the small gap in the curtains, casting a warm sliver of light across the foot of my bed.
I sat propped against the plush pillows, both of my hands wrapped around a warm ceramic mug of boiled water. Kai was sitting right on the edge of the mattress beside me, his right hand gently stroking my head, his fingers rhythmically smoothing down my flyaway pink hair and patting my crown with a steady, grounding cadence.
I took a slow sip of the warm water, feeling its soothing heat glide down my throat, but my eyes couldn't leave his face.
Look at him.
Every time I looked at his calm, handsome face, my cheeks felt uncomfortably hot. Ever since yesterday morning when everything happened, he had stayed right here. He had made sure I was fresh and clean, kept my room spotless, changed my warm cloths without hesitation, and fed me warm porridge and soup so I wouldn't feel weak.
Kai noticed my gaze and looked down, his light blue eyes softening.
"All done with the water?" he asked softly.
I gave a small, obedient nod, handing him the empty mug.
"Good girl," Kai murmured, setting the cup on the nightstand. He reached back over, his fingers gently brushing a loose lock of hair behind my ear.
My heart did a tiny, fluttering flip. I couldn't help myself—I leaned my head sideways into his palm, pressing my cheek against his warm skin like a sleepy cat.
Kai let out a quiet, amused chuckle, his thumb gently caressing my cheekbone.
"You're in a much better mood than yesterday," he noted, a faint smile touching his lips.
"Because you're here..." I whispered, my face flushing pink. I looked up at him through my lashes, fiddling with the hem of my knit sweater.
"Kai... once my stomach stops hurting and I'm completely better... can we go out together? Just the two of us?"
Kai tilted his head slightly. "Go where?"
"Anywhere!" I beamed, my eyes sparkling with hopeful excitement. "We could go to the 4th district market, or visit that quiet park near the edge of the capital again, or find a bakery! A mini adventure, just us!"
Kai's expression softened into that rare, completely unguarded warmth he only ever showed me.
"Sure," he promised gently. "Once you're fully rested and your cycle passes, we'll go on a mini adventure."
A massive, bubbly smile broke across my face. "Hehe! It's a promise!"
But the moment the word left my mouth, a sudden, violent spasm seized the deep muscles of my lower pelvis.
Ah—!
The breath was knocked completely out of my lungs. A sharp, wrenching cramp ripped through my lower abdomen like a hot wire twisting my insides, radiating a dull, heavy ache straight into my lower back and thighs.
"Ngh..."
I winced hard, my shoulders curling inward as my hands flew to clutch my stomach. My knuckles turned white against my sweater, and my teeth clamped down onto my lower lip to keep from crying out.
Kai didn't hesitate for even a fraction of a second.
He immediately shifted forward onto his knees on the bed, pulling me gently against his chest. His right arm wrapped securely around my back to support my posture, while his left hand pressed firmly against the center of my lower belly over the knit fabric, channeling steady, grounding friction directly into the cramping muscle.
"Breathe, Elfie," he commanded in that low, hypnotic tone. "Match me. Slow inhale through the nose. Don't fight the contraction."
I tried to pull air in, but fresh tears leaked from the corners of my clenched eyes, soaking into his collar.
"It... it hurts so much, Kai..." I whimpered, my voice trembling with raw, tearful exhaustion. "It feels like someone is squeezing my stomach with pliers..."
"I know. The prostaglandins are peaking," he whispered, holding me tighter, his warm palm moving in that slow, firm circle against my belly to ease the tension. "Just let your shoulders drop. Let the weight fall into me."
I buried my face in his neck, trembling as the peak of the spasm slowly, painfully ebbed away into a dull throb. I sniffled loudly, pulling back just enough to look at him with desperate, wet blue eyes.
"Kai... isn't there something that can make it stop?" I pleaded, tugging his shirt. "Like... medicine? Isn't there a painkiller we can take?"
Kai paused, his analytical mind visibly turning the variables over behind his steady eyes.
"Standard pain-blocking potions and chemical analgesics exist," he explained carefully. "Synthetic cyclooxygenase inhibitors or herbal salicin extracts can dull the pain receptors."
I nodded frantically. "Yes! I want that! Can we get some?"
"I'd prefer you avoid heavy chemical painkillers if possible, Elfie," Kai advised gently.
"Synthetic analgesics carry physiological side effects. First, they cause gastric irritation and mucosal thinning in an empty or sensitive stomach, which leads to nausea. Second, they can cause sudden rebound headaches and dizziness once the dosage clears your bloodstream. And third, relying on them too early interferes with your body's natural pain adaptation, which can actually make subsequent menstrual cycles feel more severe."
I listened to his long, smart explanation, but my lower belly gave another miserable, aching throb.
"I don't care about side effects..." I whined, my lower lip trembling as I looked at him with the most pathetic, begging face I could make. "Please, Kai... the pain is unbearableeee... just a little bit of medicine?"
Kai stared at my pouty, pleading expression for a few seconds. The corners of his lips curved into a warm, defeated smile.
"Alright," he conceded softly, patting my head. "I'll formulate a mild, herbal-based antispasmodic compound that targets the uterine contractions directly without the harsh chemical load. I'll take care of it."
I giggled through my leftover tears, sniffling happily. "Hehe! Okie! Thank you, Kai!"
Knock, knock, knock.
A soft, polite knock sounded at the door.
Kai smoothly withdrew his hands, stood up from the bed, and walked over to the entrance. He unlocked the deadbolt and pulled the door open.
Leena was standing in the corridor, her satchel slung over her shoulder, her green braids resting over her green academy blazer.
"Hey, Kaiser," Leena greeted with a warm smile, peering past him. "Instructor Aisha sent me to check on Elfie and deliver the briefing for the 2nd Monthly Exam. Is she awake?"
"She is," Kai replied, stepping aside to let her in. "Come on in, Leena. I need to step into my room for a minute to change into street clothes anyway."
"Sure thing!" Leena stepped inside, closing the door behind her as Kai slipped across the hall into his room.
The moment Leena saw me sitting on the bed in my pink sweater with my blankets piled around me, her green eyes filled with sisterly concern. She walked over, pulling up the wooden chair beside the bed and sitting down.
"Elfie! How are you holding up?" Leena asked softly, leaning forward. "You missed homeroom today. When you didn't show up, I was really worried!"
"I'm... okay," I murmured, looking down at my hands with a slight blush. "It's just... my stomach. It started yesterday."
Leena tilted her head, observing my pale face and the way I held my lower belly. "Is it a fever, or food poisoning?"
"Neither..." I whispered, leaning in closer so no one in the hallway could hear. "It's... it's my first period."
Leena's eyes widened in genuine surprise. "Your first period?! Really?!"
I nodded sheepishly, my face heating up.
"Oh, Elfie!" Leena gasped, her expression instantly shifting into deep, empathetic warmth. "No wonder your stomach hurts so much! The first one is always the most terrifying! How are your cramps? Are they sharp or dull? Are you feeling dizzy at all?"
"It feels like a heavy rock twisting inside me," I explained honestly. "And sometimes it gets really sharp and makes me want to cry. I thought I was dying yesterday morning because my healing magic wouldn't work on it."
Leena chuckled softly, shaking her head. "Healing magic only fixes tissue damage, not hormonal shedding. I remember when mine started when I was 11 back in the village territories—I locked myself in my room for three days and thought the world was ending! You're honestly being so incredibly brave and strong to manage yourself this well in the dorms!"
"I didn't manage it myself," I corrected immediately, shaking my head with a bright smile. "Kai has been taking care of everything."
Leena blinked, completely stunned. "Wait... Kaiser? Kaiser took care of you?"
Before I could answer, two sharp knocks sounded on the door. Kai pushed it open, now dressed in a simple black hoodie, dark trousers, and sturdy leather boots.
He looked at Leena, his demeanor calm and practical.
"Leena, I'm going out to the apothecary district to procure some specific dried herbs and supplies," Kai said. "Could you keep Elfie company while I'm gone?"
"Of course!" Leena nodded immediately, waving a hand. "Take your time, Kaiser. I'll stay right here with her."
Kai turned his gaze to me. He caught my eye, a playful, reassuring wink flashing across his face.
"I'll be back soon, Elfie."
The moment the words left his mouth, my lower lip jutted out into a massive, exaggerated pout.
He's leaving.
Even though I knew he was just going to the market to get medicine for me, a sudden, heavy pang of loneliness clamped around my heart. I had gotten so used to having his warmth right beside me all day that seeing him stand by the doorway felt like torture.
I want him to stay. I want him to keep holding my hand...
I looked at him with big, pleading eyes. "Take care, Kai... and come back really fast, okay? Don't get distracted."
Kai let out a soft laugh, holding my gaze with that quiet, unbreakable certainty.
"I won't get distracted. I'll be back before you know it. Promise."
With a final nod, he stepped out and pulled the door shut, his footsteps fading down the corridor.
I sighed, slumping back into the pillows.
Beside the bed, Leena was staring at the closed door, her mouth slightly agape, before slowly turning her head to look at me with utter disbelief.
"Elfie... are you telling me Kaiser actually knows what a period is?!" Leena asked, her voice hushed in complete shock. "He's a 12-year-old boy! Most boys our age run away screaming if you even mention stomach cramps, let alone blood!"
"He knew immediately," I said proudly, a soft blush spreading across my cheeks. "When I was crying yesterday, he hugged me and told me I wasn't dirty, and that every girl goes through it. He washed my sheets, changed my bed, and made me hot grain porridge with honey and chocolate to help my digestion."
Leena's jaw practically hit the floor. "He WASHED your sheets?! And cooked for you?!"
"Mhm!" I nodded, smiling happily as the memories rushed back. "And when my cramps got really bad last night, he put hot towels on my belly, guided my breathing, and even massaged my stomach with his warm hands until the pain unspooled. Then he slept next to me so I wouldn't be scared."
Leena stared at me in absolute, speechless awe for ten full seconds, before letting out a long, breathless whistle.
"Unbelievable..." Leena whispered, shaking her head. "Kaiser Everhart is officially not human. He is operating on a completely different plane of existence."
"What was it like for you, Leena?" I asked curiously, tilting my head. "Did someone take care of you when yours started?"
Leena let out a self-deprecating laugh, leaning back in her chair.
"I can tell you about my experience, Elfie," Leena smiled warmly, "but I can promise you right now... I definitely did not receive that kind of princess treatment."
"Princess treatment...?" I repeated softly.
The words echoed in my chest like a sweet, secret melody.
I pulled the blanket up to my chin, burying my burning face into the fabric, a goofy, unstoppable smile spreading across my lips as I waited for him to come home.
---
March 8th, 2012 — 1:50 PM
Capital Commercial District — Apothecary Street
Perspective: Kaiser Everhart
The cobblestone streets of the capital were packed with afternoon traffic.
Merchant carts rattled over stone pathways, their heavy draft beasts snorting steam, while bustling crowds of academy students and civilian shoppers weaved between the timber-and-slate storefronts. The air smelled of roasted ground nuts, dried sage, and horse sweat.
I walked with my hands buried deep in the front pocket of my dark hoodie, scanning the hanging wooden signboards lining the apothecary arcade.
Willow bark... wild meadowsweet... dried cramp-bark extract...
I mentally cross-referenced the botanical inventory of the district. I needed raw plant material, not the processed, sugar-laden syrups the academy dispensary handed out like candy to pacify freshmen.
"KAISER!"
A loud, ear-splitting screech sliced through the bustling street.
I paused, closing my eyes, and let out a long, weary sigh.
Of course.
A black blur in an absurdly oversized dark trench coat came sprinting through the crowd, dodging an angry fruit vendor and sliding to a halt directly in front of me, his chest heaving dramatically as tiny sparks of yellow lightning crackled across his collar.
"What is the issue now, Axel?" I asked, my voice completely flat.
"What is the issue?!" Axel gasped, gripping the lapels of his massive coat and waving an accusing finger in my face. "YOU! You are the issue! You danced with Crown Princess Rose Valentine, and you used MY NAME! Do you have any idea what happened in class today?!"
"I assume they recognized your undeniable charisma."
"They swarmed my desk like hungry hyenas!" Axel yelled, throwing his hands in the air. "Roman, Daniel, Milo—even the girls from Class B were looking at me! They asked if I was her secret lover! They asked if I swept her off her feet with my dark aura!"
"And did you clarify the truth?"
Axel's frantic expression froze. He adjusted his trench coat, cleared his throat, and looked up at the clouds with deep, brooding solemnity.
"The Dark Wolf does not owe the public a confession," he declared. "I neither confirmed nor denied the allegations. I let the mystery simmer."
"Good. Keep simmering," I said, turning and continuing down the street. "It keeps the imperial intelligence officers looking at your empty dorm room instead of mine."
"Bro! That's an assassination hazard!" Axel jogged to keep pace, his eyes darting to the weathered wooden signs around us. "Wait, why are we walking toward the old apothecary alleys? This place looks primordial. If you need medicine, why not just go to the central medical clinic down the boulevard?"
"Because standard clinics sell broad-spectrum commercial analgesics," I explained calmly. "I require specific antispasmodic precursors."
Axel puffed out his chest, shaking his head with mock disappointment. "Boss, I thought you were a real man. Real men do not feel pain! Pain is just weakness leaving the soul!"
"It isn't for me," I noted. "It's for Elfie."
Axel's comedic swagger instantly evaporated. His jaw snapped shut, his eyes going wide with sudden, terrifying intensity.
"Who hurt my buttercup?!" Axel gasped, grabbing my arm with both hands. "Did Class A ambush her?! Tell me their names! The Dark Wolf shall strike them with lightning!"
My eye twitched slightly.
"'Buttercup'?" I repeated, staring at him with unhidden cringe. "What kind of atrocious nickname is that?"
"She is the stealer of my heart, bro!" Axel argued passionately. "Don't be an opp right now! You said you'd tell me what was wrong today! What happened to her?!"
I gave him a brief, clinical summary—explaining that she was suffering from severe, acute abdominal cramping due to her first biological cycle and required targeted pain relief.
Axel stared at me for three seconds, his brain short-circuiting as the reality landed.
Then he grabbed my wrist and aggressively dragged me down the street.
"Bro! We need PILLS!" Axel shouted in a panic. "Real, hard pills from a certified doctor! You cannot brew witchcraft in a dorm room! Come on, I know the biggest clinic in the district!"
"Axel, synthetic chemical pills have high gastric acidity," I argued, resisting his grip. "Her stomach is already sensitive. Botanical decoctions have superior bioavailability."
"No, bro, you are wrong!" Axel shouted with complete, unshakeable confidence. "Pills are small! Liquid is big! Small things go into the stomach faster because of basic gravity! It's advanced physics! My uncle ate a root once and turned blue for four days! We are going to the clinic!"
I stared at his baffling, completely fabricated logic, too tired to dismantle it in the middle of a crowded street.
His source was trust me bro.
"Fine. Let's inspect their inventory."
We walked two blocks until we reached the Valerius Civic Health Pavilion.
The clinic was a massive, high-ceilinged stone building with arched glass skylights and polished marble counters. The main hall was crowded with sick citizens, injured laborers, and academy students waiting in long queues. Aether-lamps hummed softly overhead, illuminating shelves upon shelves of labeled glass vials, boxed tablets, and compressed herbal wafers.
Axel flashed a brass merchant-guild token he had likely scavenged from his coat, bypassing the general consultation line and pulling me straight to the express medicine counter.
A young clerk with a high collar and a pair of brass spectacles looked up from his ledger.
"Welcome to Valerius Health," the clerk said mechanically. "What do you require?"
"We need the strongest painkillers you have for severe abdominal cramps!" Axel demanded, slamming both hands on the wooden counter. "Give us the ultimate cure!"
The clerk nodded, reaching under the counter and sliding a sleek, blue-labeled tin across the marble.
"That will be 45 copper coins," the clerk stated. "This is Nirvanex-Fortis. Our strongest, premium-grade fast-acting pain relief tablet."
I picked up the tin, turning it over to inspect the stamped chemical registry on the back.
My eyes narrowed.
"No," I said, setting the tin down. "These are completely wrong."
The clerk blinked, clearly irritated. "What's wrong with them, kid? That is standard imperial military-grade pain management. It numbs the entire central nervous system in under 10 minutes."
"It's a concentrated compound of Dormis-Alkaloid and synthetic Phenacetin-hydrate," I said flatly, pointing at the fine print.
"It inhibits somatic pain by forcibly blocking spinal neurotransmitters, which causes severe renal vasoconstriction, acute hepatic toxicity, and heavy drowsiness. Prescribing a heavy-grade neuro-blocker for localized pelvic smooth-muscle contractions is medical negligence. An adult soldier shouldn't take this on an empty stomach, let alone an 11-year-old girl."
The clerk stared at me, his mouth opening and closing in mild shock. He cleared his throat, snatched the blue tin back, and grumbled, sliding a smaller, yellow-labeled glass bottle across the wood.
"Fine. Here. Sedal-C. A milder, standard household painkiller. 20 coppers."
I picked up the bottle, swirling the clear liquid and reading the fine-line formulation.
I let out a soft scoff.
"This is even worse."
"Excuse me?!" the clerk snapped, his face flushing red.
"This is 80 percent distilled ethanol, 15 percent refined sugarcane syrup, and 5 percent crushed Beladonna-tincture," I analyzed ruthlessly, looking the clerk dead in the eye.
"You're charging 20 coppers for cheap flavored liquor that merely dumbs down sensory perception while actively irritating the gastric lining and increasing blood pressure. This doesn't relieve smooth-muscle cramps—it just makes the patient mildly drunk while their uterus continues to spasm. Are you a pharmacist, or an unlicensed bartender?"
SLAM!
The clerk violently slammed both fists against the counter, glaring at me. "Listen here, you little brat! You're a child, not a licensed medical practitioner! Stop making up nonsensical words and insulting our inventory!"
"What is the commotion here?"
A deep, commanding voice echoed from the inner consultation office.
The heavy velvet curtain parted, and an elderly man stepped out. He was tall and broad-shouldered, around 58 years old, wearing pristine white physician robes trimmed with gold thread. He had sharp, hawkish gray eyes, neatly trimmed silver hair, and a polished brass medallion pinned to his chest reading: Chief Physician Zephyru.
The clerk immediately bowed his head in panic. "Chief Zephyru! I apologize, sir! This arrogant boy is refusing all our standard products and making wild claims about our medicines!"
Zephyru adjusted his spectacles, looking down at me with cold, professional authority.
"I heard you from my office, young man," Zephyru said, his voice deep and measured. "You speak with surprising fluency, but clinical medicine is not a game of throwing around complex terms. State the precise physiological condition you are attempting to treat."
I held his gaze without flinching.
"Primary dysmenorrhea," I stated clinically. "Hyper-production of endometrial prostaglandins resulting in acute, localized ischemic spasms of the myometrium, accompanied by elevated visceral hypersensitivity and secondary gastric nausea."
The surrounding waiting room went dead silent.
The clerk's eyes bugged out, Axel stood with his mouth agape, and several nursing assistants stopped in their tracks.
Zephyru's silver eyebrows raised high above his spectacles. A flicker of genuine shock crossed his stern face before he quickly masked it behind his physician's composure.
"A precise diagnosis..." Zephyru conceded, nodding slowly.
He walked behind the counter, retrieved a small velvet-lined wooden box, and opened it. Inside were six individually wrapped crimson wax tablets.
"If that is the case, then this is the exact pharmaceutical solution," Zephyru explained with practiced confidence.
"This is Cor-Sanguis. A medium-dose, refined composite tablet. It utilizes distilled Khor-Root extract and stabilized Pyrrhic-Resin. It acts directly on the pelvic blood vessels to reduce local swelling and numbs the abdominal nerve cluster for exactly 8 hours with zero narcotic sedation. It is completely safe, used by high noblewomen across the capital."
I picked up one of the wax tablets, broke the seal slightly, brought it to my nose, and inhaled the sharp, faintly sulfurous aroma.
I looked back at the Chief Physician.
"No."
Zephyru's jaw tightened, a flash of annoyance creasing his forehead. "What do you mean, 'no'? That is the premier formula in the empire!"
"Your label is a falsification," I stated coldly. "The active agent in Khor-Root is Anthraquinone-glycoside, which functions primarily as a violent stimulant laxative, not an antispasmodic. And your Pyrrhic-Resin is a sulfur-bound vasodilator. When combined, they cause sudden, severe drops in peripheral blood pressure, leading to dizziness, heart palpitations, and acute dehydration."
I set the tablet back in the box.
"You're marketing a harsh chemical cocktail as a soothing remedy. The risk of visceral shock in a young, developing body is higher with this 'medium' dose than with a pure anesthetic. You wear the medallion of a Chief Physician, yet your pharmacological chemistry is fundamentally flawed."
"Why do you sell compromised compounds with misleading warning labels?"
Zephyru's face flushed with indignation, his composure finally shattering.
"Enough!" Zephyru shouted, glaring at me. "You think medicine is a realm of absolute perfection?! There is no such thing as a drug without side effects! Every painkiller in existence carries physiological trade-offs! If you want a magical cure that eliminates pain with zero toxicity, zero sedation, zero gastric load, and zero vascular stress—then you are chasing a ghost! No such medicine exists in this world! If you do not wish to purchase our approved remedies, take your friend and get out of my clinic!"
I stared at the Chief Physician in complete, icy silence.
Then, I spoke.
"It doesn't exist because you lack the intellect to synthesize it."
The room seemed to drop three degrees in temperature.
"You rely on aggressive synthetic shortcuts because you cannot balance natural chemical vectors," I continued, my voice calm, clinical, and devastatingly precise. "The optimal solution for acute uterine spasm is a quadruple-vector botanical synergy."
I held up my fingers, listing the components with effortless mastery.
"Vector one: Salix Alba—white willow bark. Hydrolyzed into natural salicin, converting into salicylic acid in the bloodstream to inhibit prostaglandin synthesis with zero gastric mucosal erosion."
Zephyru blinked, his breath hitching.
"Vector two: Papaver Somniferum—micro-dosed raw opium poppy extract. Not a blunt narcotic load, but a strictly titrated 0.05 percent concentration to selectively inhibit visceral pain receptors while avoiding central nervous sedation."
"Vector three: Filipendula Ulmaria—wild meadowsweet. Rich in natural mucilage and buffering flavonoids, acting as a direct gastroprotective shield to neutralize the acid load of the salicin entirely."
"And the neutralizing catalysts," I concluded, narrowing my blue eyes. "Cold-pressed Viburnum Opulus—cramp bark—for direct, non-vascular smooth-muscle relaxation, bound with Pimpinella Anisum to cross the intestinal membrane in under 4 minutes with a 99.4 percent metabolic clearance rate."
I lowered my hand.
"Zero toxicity. Zero gastric bleeding. Zero blood pressure fluctuations. Immediate relief. I will synthesize it myself."
Zephyru stood frozen behind the counter, staring at me as if he had just witnessed an ancient arch-scholar materialize in the body of a 12-year-old child. His lips parted, but not a single sound came out.
I turned toward the door, gesturing to Axel.
"Let's go."
Before stepping through the exit, I stopped, casting one last cold glance over my shoulder at the Chief Physician.
"If this medicine were for myself, I would have tolerated your flawed compounds," I stated coldly.
"I have survived far worse poisons. But this is for someone far more important than me. She deserves every safety, every comfort, and every protection this world can offer. I will not allow a single flawed molecule near her body. If you have any remaining medical ethics, stop selling commercial garbage to desperate patients—or go back to the academy and learn basic organic chemistry."
With that, I pushed the heavy glass doors open and stepped out into the afternoon sunlight.
Axel sprinted out behind me, his black eyes practically glowing with unhinged excitement.
"BROOOO!" Axel roared, grabbing my shoulders and shaking me vigorously. "THAT WAS INSANE! You literally obliterated the Chief Physician's entire life career in front of 30 people! He looked like he wanted to cry! Are we really going to synthesize our own legendary medicine now?!"
I looked up at the pale blue sky, watching a soft white cloud drift lazily across the sun.
In my mind, I saw Elfie's flushed, teary face from earlier—the way she had leaned her cheek into my hand like a sleepy kitten, giggling softly when I promised her a mini adventure.
The cold, ruthless edge in my chest melted, replaced by that quiet, immovable warmth that governed everything I did.
"Yes," I replied, a small, genuine smile gracing my lips as I pulled my hood up. "We're going to make the cleanest painkiller this city has ever seen. Get ready, Axel. We have ingredients to gather."
Axel grinned, pumping his fist into the air. "The Dark Wolf is ready for the lab!"
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