Pristine Academy: Singularity's Manifestation

Mirror of Conflict

Minutes passed and they decided to go to their respective classes. Patricia went to the same building where Pristinity class was held. She settles on her seat, thinking about her roommate that she can’t get off her mind. Thoughts flooded her mind as she tries to piece the puzzle together with the few amount of shards of information she got.

A male teacher entered the building with short stature with a lean body. His black hair was curly and with his facial expression, he seems to be a strict one. “Good morning class.” The students greeted him as he steps in front of the classroom. “I am Professor Izkall Itscali, and I will be your teacher for Elemental Theories. A supplement subject for you to fully know how to efficiently use elements, and even the unique things that these things could do.”

Certain symbolic figures made out of rock with a gold lining were summoned around him, “There are four main elements in Thereal with few subtypes and independent elements that us, mentiels, was able to get hold of.” More symbols go around him. He opens his arms, linearly showing them. “Today, we will learn how humanity got the hold of these elements, well, at least as far as we know. I am sure Mrs. Gerville will teach some of these in your history, so we will just pass by them. Also, please be open-minded with some of the theories and religious beliefs that we will talk about. Like the variety of elements, beliefs will vary as well. Now, let’s start.”

He started to blabber all about the theorized origins of the elements and even certain religious beliefs proving different points. “Some said that since elements were abundant before that humanity was able to take it as some sort of weapon. Just like the fauna and flora of Thereal, absorbing these elemental energies. Some said that they were the gift of certain gods.”

Patricia looks at the professor yet her mind is wandering elsewhere. She’s trying to focus on the lesson but she doesn’t seem to be able to do it. She tries to get interested in the topic, but she fails every time.

She sighs as she looks down, her eyes widen at the sight of her nightmare. Her hand was mostly turning blue now. Patricia panicked and scrambles through her things, searching for the cream that her grandmother gave to her. She was able to reach it and as she opens it, there was too little that was just on the edge of the container.

Patricia didn’t mind it and collected the remaining ones. She applies it deliberately, trying to get all of it covered. She watches it turns into a normal hand again. Before she returns the container, she watches it again turn into her original hand. She internally panicked, “Is it too thin to work?” She whispers to herself, she doesn’t know what to do with her situation.

“You there,” Patricia looks at the front wherein she found herself she’s being stared at by people. “She has a freaky hand!” One of the students shouted as some others laugh. “Why do you have that kind of hand?” It was followed by more, “Freak!” Somebody shouted at her.

She shakes her head and blinks, she looks around, she was in a different place. It wasn’t the same classroom, yet she feels she was sitting in the same place. The people around her has different uniforms, but it was familiar to her. “Look, she’s a monster in disguise!” She turns to a young girl who she was again, familiar with. She was pointing her finger at her, “She’s been hiding her monster self.”

“B-belle?” She whispers to herself as she looks at her hand, fully crystallized. She looks back at her, “N-no.” She whispers again. “What no? You’re a monster that will kill us all!” Patricia shakes her head, “No! This is not true.” She looks around as all of the students started laughing at her. Their chuckles resonated in her ear that she needed to cover it with her hand. “No! No, you’re not true!” She shakes her head, trying to shake it all. The laughter became louder and louder. “No!” She screamed loudly again.

Patricia then snaps back to a reality wherein she found herself being stared at by her classmate but with the Pristine Academy uniform that signals her, she’s back. She raises her head and in front of her was a stern look from Mr. Itscali. “You have been making a show in my class since earlier, have you already woken up from your nightmare?”

Patricia flushes in embarrassment, she looks down, trying to hide her face with her hair. “If you aren’t done yet, you can leave my class and take your business elsewhere. We only have enough time to get this first lesson out of the way. We don’t need any distraction and any student breaking down here as if this is the guidance office. Out, now. Come back if you’re much calmer.”

The young lady nods and goes out of the classroom, bearing the embarrassment that she got from that class. She decided to go to one of the comfort rooms of the school wherein she found peace within her. The familiarity of the bathroom to Earth weirdly makes her feel at ease. Maybe deep inside her, she misses her life back there, but the other side does not want to go back to it.

Patricia closes the door tight as she settles her things on the sink. She looks in the mirror. Her eyes are quite bulging, she must have cried while she was in that wild daydream, well, a nightmare in the day. Patricia decided to fix herself up as she thinks of what happened earlier.

She caught the sight of her hand which reverted to its original form. The sight of her beautiful yet terrifying crystal hand brings back a lot of memories. Patricia remembers the word of her sihsih, which didn’t pass by her mind when she was panicking earlier. She sighs heavily, “I just can’t…” She whispered to herself, slightly regretting that she didn’t even attempt to calm herself earlier.

The door of the comfort room opens that alerted Patricia. Her head immediately turned and instinctively hides her hand behind her back. Entered the room was a familiar short-haired figure that she didn’t expect to see.

Veronika looks at her, there was a slight change in her expression which just reverted to her default one. “You look worse for wear.” She commented as she goes to the sink, washing her hands. Patricia didn’t know what to answer, she bits her lip and grips on her crystal hand.

Veronika looks at her again, confused about her lack of answer to her comment. “You also look like you have seen a ghost.” She looks at her arms that were behind Patricia’s back, “If you are worried about me knowing whatever is behind you, I couldn’t care less. I am just here to do my business.” She walks into one of the cubicles that gave Patricia time to find one of her gloves in her bag.

“Where is that thing?” She whispered to herself as she rushes to get something to hide her hand inconspicuously. The sound of things clanking and banging made her more suspicious of Veronika. Patricia’s relief as she saw her gloves in the bottom of the bag was immeasurable.

Veronika went out of the cubicle before she can even cover the secret she was hiding from everyone. She caught the full sight of it. The sound of the door of the cubicle banging called the attention of Patricia who was rushing to get her hand covered. She turns her head only to find that Veronika was looking at the crystal hand. She was terrified and horror was written on her face.

“Is that what you are trying to hide?” Veronika looks at it and back to her, “I don’t know what’s the big deal to that but whatever. It’s not something new here.” She washes her hand once more and looks at her, “Before you can say it, I have no intention of telling others. In fact, I will forget it when I reach my classroom.”

Patricia looks down, “I… I thought you will ridicule me.” Veronika was unfazed by it, “I’ll be going now. You should know you’re in Thereal now, not back there in your homeworld. You should leave whatever past you have there. Besides, there’s no point in hiding that hand.” She dries her hand, “I’ll be going now.” Veronika leaves her to be as Patricia was left frozen in place.

She sighs as she looks at the mirror again, “She’s honestly actually right.” Patricia places her hand on her head, “I should have listened to sihsih.” She sighs heavily and fixes her things. She decided to go back to her classroom wherein eyes were pinned to her again, but she didn’t mind it.

“Are your episodes already done?” Patricia nods gently. Professor Izkall nods, “Go back to your seat. Anyway, where are we?”

The blonde girl takes a seat and settles her things there. She didn’t mind her hand that was exposed to everyone, but it still makes her so uncomfortable. A certain student looked at her and her ginger hair was familiar enough for Patricia to hide her hand more. Vivian smirks, “Even if you hide that, it wouldn’t be enough for everyone to forget what they have seen. Besides, you just look much more pathetic when you do that.”

Patricia glares at her which Vivian snickers on, “I am just telling the truth. The sight of those things isn’t surprising here in Thereal. You breaking down earlier was just unnecessary.”

The blonde girl’s fists clench secretly with what Vivian has been saying. “If you aren’t going to say anything good, just shut up.” Vivian rolls her eyes, “I am just telling you that you won’t have to do all of that commotion earlier. Did you really think that you are unique with that hand of yours? It’s just pathetic, really.”

Patricia puffs, “I don’t care if you're the daughter of the vice-chancellor.” Vivian laughs, “I didn’t even have told anything about that. Don’t worry, I will not use my mother’s name in vain. Besides, she doesn’t have anything to do with this. I don’t think this situation calls for the protection that your grandmother has begged for my mother.”

“Why are you doing this?” Patricia looks at her. Vivian crosses her arms, “I am not doing this for a cause. Just suggesting not to do that next time and trying to knock off your senses that you are much safer here than back on Earth. I could recommend some of the guidance counselors that work here in the school if you want some therapy.”

Patricia’s blood boils at the words of what seems mockery to her, “I don’t want any of your help.” Vivian shakes her head, “I was not planning to give you some, anyway. I just don’t want the teachers of this school to be disturbed in their classes. Besides, this puts you on the wrong side of Mr. Itscali, according to the years I have been here, it’s not something you want.”

Patricia sighs, in her peripherals, she can see Vivian’s smugness on her face. She decided to ignore her for the rest of the class. Although, she was still puzzled by the sudden passive-aggressive conversation they had. The sudden bitterness of Vivian to her was so sudden, it was strange. The class ended finally and Patricia rushes to her next class without making eye contact that was in the class before.

After she have attained some of the equipment she needed for her potionry class, she went straight there, still feeling tensed up. Patricia took a seat and calm herself there. She’s slightly covering her face with her silky blonde hair, but it wasn’t enough for a certain individual to recognize her. “Patricia?