Alteng tapped the table lightly with the jar, and the metallic sound of glass spread irritatingly throughout the room. The murmuring ceased instantly; tension began to rise, although some remained hopeful about the class.
—"I believe there is no need to say more… begin," —he ordered with a dry voice, without losing his sly smile.
I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous; after all, it was my first time doing something like this. I took a deep breath and focused my attention on the tools in front of me. Dark stone mortars, silver spoons, small crucibles that reflected the light from the lamps like mirrors, and a miniature alchemical furnace, whose central rune glowed with a soft blue hue. Everything was meticulously arranged. I recognised some of the instruments, others I had never seen before, but that didn't bother me. After all, I knew first-hand that the basis of alchemy was control and precision, and if there was one thing I was good at, it was precisely that.
