Danrick jolts awake, eyes wide, drenched in sweat. His chest heaves as he tries to steady his racing heart. Blinking through the haze, he notices more students entering the classroom—chatting, laughing, slipping into their seats.
The sound of footsteps and lively conversation have soothed his heart, He lowers his gaze to his light-colored oak desk, closes his eyes, and props his head up with one hand. The other still clutches his chest as he breathes slowly. 'Another twisted dream…', he pondered.
More classmates trickle in, most of them absorbed in their conversations and gossip when a shadow looms. Danrick looks up—straight into the sharp, slitted eye of a purple-skinned draconic girl, her long hair hides a part of her face, making her sharp teeth visible with a wide grin emitting condescending mockery, leaning uncomfortably close: "What's wrong worm?" she leans closer as she makes her eyes a bit more visible through her hair, "Have reality finally dawned you down?" She chuckles, and a few others join in, entertained at Danrick's expense.
The pale human exhales softly and replies in a calm, almost stoic tone, "No, no. I just had a delightful dream… it turns from peaceful into a nightmare when your graceless face appears, Valeryne."
Her eyes narrow. She grabs him by the collar. "Care to stop your spouting, prick?", Danrick doesn't flinch. He meets her gaze with an unreadable, numb expression—and then calmly grabs her wrist.
Valeryne shivers to his touch while warm and his pulse can be felt, she can sense something aerie and abstracted in his touch, not even the deathless-folk emit such a sense of uncertainty. Her grip loosens involuntarily, if only for a moment, but to her it feels as if an eternity had passed. She yanks her hand back within that moment, scoffing.
"Even in entertainment your futility barrow…" she mutters, slipping her hands back into her uniform's pockets as if nothing happened.
She sits down beside him with swift minimal movement. "Keep your words to yourself. I find the grace and manners in hearing your spouts lacking"
Danrick turns his head to the window beside him, eyes on the clouds. "I cannot care any less in finding merit in your's…" he says without looking at her, "...Let alone your intimidation"
Valeryne clenches her fist, "Were my words unclear, or have your ears bedamned by the Arcane as well?!"
While calm and still grinning, she throws a punch—fast, but not fast enough. Danrick catches her wrist mid-air, halting the blow an inch from his face, while blood drips from his palm.
"Predictable," he murmurs with a smug twist of his lips as he turns towards her, Valeryne, expression begin to seethe, although more annoyed rather than angered.
Suddenly, the classroom door swings open and A tall, elegant woman steps in, clad in a buttoned black shirt beneath a soft blue blazer and long pants. Her long red hair and calm, emerald eyes radiate poise and subtlety. Even her footsteps seem composed.
she enters through the doors, and immediately in her presence the tension eased, while walking towards the the desk in the front of the classroom, she moved her fingers with little efforts and the whiteboard marker on the desk in the front of the class levitates and begins to write on the whiteboard in the front of the classroom at the top of the board with an underline: 'Mysitikaology' and written beneath it: 'The Quantum Mechanic of The Holy Arcane', once she stands behind the front desk, she turns her head towards the class, and with a calm suiting voice: "Greetings and Good morning, dear students", and the students then responses with: "Good morning Ms. Riphorohn!".
She then continues: "Welcome back, and may your respite over the weekend have been one of renewal and clarity.
Today, we shall begin with an exploration into the quantum mechanics of the Holy Arcane—
followed, time permitting, by a primer in mystica-biology.
As many of you are aware, the Holy Arcane is a pervasive entity—subtle, and responsive to all, and ever-intertwined with the lattice of reality.
It alters. It augments. It responds.
And not solely to us as who hold cognition and consciousness or will.
The terrain, too, the ether, even what lies dormant in the stone and root—these, too, are not foreign to its influences.
Such interactions are often intertwined by what scholars classify as Arcionuses—constructs through which the Arcane mediates the transference of particles, ions, and subatomic expression."
Valeryne leans toward Danrick, with a low, mocking whisper: "Hold your tears and find your path out, I know she never meant to disregard yo—"
She freezes mid-sentence, eyes locking on Ms. Riphorohn, now standing silently before her desk—arms crossed, expression stern.
"Lacking the manners to not disrupt a teacher during a class" the teacher says softly, her tone calm yet unmistakably sharp, "you've encouraged others to dismiss a subject you clearly unable to foresee its value. Whether this knowledge is relevant is not for you to regard nor interpret for such."
Despite her composed demeanor, a chilling stillness spreads through the room, like frost edging across glass.
Valeryne averts her gaze, staring down at her desk, her arrogance visibly drained. "Yes…my apology, Ms. Riphorohn."
Satisfied, the teacher glides back to the board. With a mere gesture, her telekinesis lifts the marker, poised once again to write.
"Now then," she resumes "as I have shared—The Holy Arcane is a mystical force, existing within and around every particle. It interacts with all living things: humans, animals… possibly even plants and inanimate matter. The latter, however, remains a theoretical hypothesis, yet to be conclusively proven."
A few students in the back snicker, one of them muttering under his breath with scorn:
"Well, those filthy, be-damned undead have prov—"
He cuts off abruptly as Ms. Riphorohn's eyes pierce through him with chilling precision. She raises a hand and points toward the door.
"Out. Now!"
Her voice is quiet, but the authority behind it is absolute
"Whatever your mind may be of those from the deathless—or any species or race for that matter—know this: if ever unjustly foul or forsaken, there will be consequences to answer. especially when you tarnish it with slurs!"
The offending student gathers his things and slinks out, tension thick in his wake. Once the door shuts, silence settles.
Unbothered, Ms. Riphorohn turned back to the board, her voice steady, composed, and effortlessly commanding.
"Shall we proceed?" she asked with calm precision. "Who can define the Anteriuses and Extenuses?"
A hand shot into the air.
"An Anterius channels the Arcane inward to enhance their physical abilities—strength, speed, senses. An Extenus channels it outward, manipulating the world around them."
"Splendid," Ms. Riphorohn responded, as glowing glyphs unfurled across the board, shaped and written by her telekinetic will.
"Bestowed by the Holy Arcane, all living beings possess the latent ability to manipulate the very particles and structures of reality.
Anteriuses draw the Arcane into themselves—empowering muscle, bone, nerve, and mind.
Extenuses, in contrast, project the Arcane outward, reshaping matter, bending force, altering energy flows beyond the confines of the self."
Another student raised her hand.
"And what about warriors and magicians? Where do they fall?"
Ms. Riphorohn offered a faint, knowing smile.
"'Warrior' and 'magician' are imprecise—popular terms at best. Labels used by the unlearned.
In truth, these are informal stand-ins for Anterius and Extenus.
The actual disciplines, the theories behind them, their applications—they far exceed the grasp of common academia.
I do not question your intellect, only caution that the sheer complexity may overwhelm even the most eager student."
She paused, then added in a calm, but slightly weightier tone:
"Also... Anteriuses possess what is called an Animastrum—a unique, personally attuned inanimate object that resonates with their Arcane.
Its nature remains poorly understood, even among seasoned scholars.
Dozens of theories circulate in the highest circles of magical research, but the truth remains elusive."
A curious boy raised his hand.
"And what of the Master Knights and Arch-Mages? I've heard those titles used often."
Ms. Riphorohn's eyes narrowed slightly, her tone growing more precise.
"An excellent question.
Those titles—Master Knight and Arch-Mage—are colloquial designations for the Absoluta Extenusa and Absoluta Anterius.
The Absolutares are rare individuals who embody a pure alignment—either entirely Extenus or entirely Anterius."
She noticed the uncertain expressions spreading across her students' faces and let out a soft sigh.
"This may lie outside the boundaries of your current curriculum, but understand this: most individuals exist on a spectrum between Extenus and Anterius.
Some lean more strongly to one side—but rarely is the other side entirely absent.
Only the Absolutares exist at the extremes.
And no, the idea of someone perfectly balanced in the center of that spectrum is not only theoretical—it is utterly alien, even to our most enlightened sages.
Still, every conscious being lies somewhere on that line. Everyone..."
A smug voice cut in.
"Everyone except Danrick," Varelyne sneered, her sharp violet eyes narrowing. "He's one of the Arcane-Less Damned."
A ripple of cruel laughter echoed through the classroom.
Danrick's cold, pale eyes met hers—unyielding, unblinking. He spoke in a low, sharp voice, in fluent Draconic:
"Lexri renthisja ini wer ranimra tilsin…"
Varelyne bolted upright, her scaled fists clenched, her voice a snarl.
"DARE TO REPEAT THAT, ASSHOLE?!"
Danrick rose from his seat, fire flickering behind his gaze.
"TIRA TI WUX NYMUER VE, KENZI?!?!"
"DO NOT POLLUTE MY PURE EARS WITH YOUR FILTH, FREAK!" Varelyne roared back with tameless fury, her voice nearly in a roar.
"ENOUGH!"
Ms. Riphorohn's voice thundered across the room like a blade through stone. Her hand raised—and both students were lifted from the ground by invisible force.
Her hair floated as if submerged in still water, her eyes glowing with silent fury.
"I will not tolerate vulgarity, violence, or discrimination in this classroom—be it Common, Draconic, or otherwise.
You will both report to me after school. No excuses. Understood?"
Hanging midair, their anger swallowed by shame, both Danrick and Varelyne replied in unison, voices quiet and uneasy:
"Yes, ma'am."