Pristine Academy: Singularity's Manifestation

Reconnecting

The professor suddenly floats in the air with one of the legs folded and the other one is hanging from the ankle of the previous one. Patricia suddenly floats as well which signals her to copy her professor’s stance. “Take a deep breath and think everything that makes you calm. Don’t let your mind crowd your thoughts.” Cassidy closes her eyes and moves her hand on her chest. Three fingers were upon each hand, with the index finger and thumb forming a circle. The other hand was inverted and the other was upright, merging the circles. Patricia follows suit and closes her eyes as well.

Her vision was darkened but slowly light appears in front of her. She was in a place filled with blue gradients and seemingly stars surrounding the skies. In the middle of it was a big ball of the wisp, swirling around in itself. She approaches it out of curiosity. In the middle of it was a diamond-shaped line that swirls towards the center. In it was a symbol that resembles half of a flower, with the petals surrounding it resembling much more of a crystal rather than the latter.

Patricia looks at the big ball of wisp once again, confused about what this place is. “Is this the core that Miss Cassidy is talking about?” She looks around, amazed at how beautiful the place was even with the constant blue theme. She looks back at the symbol, as she stares at it more, the urge to touch grows even more. Minutes later, she finally gave up on the urge and touches the symbol on which she suddenly woke up in reality.

Cassidy opens her eyes as well, she seems happy that Patricia was calmer than she was earlier. “I believe your meeting with your magic core went pleasantly, wasn’t it?” Patricia was still confused, “How… Why…” She muttered to herself. Cassidy giggles, “This meditation is the gateway to connecting with your inner self and composing one’s thoughts. It’s the time where mind and the core is at its most potential, where they could communicate better than any time.”

“That place was my magic core? I thought I was in some sort of astral projection space.” Cassidy giggles, “Well, those skies reflect your emotions that affect the core you just touched. I am glad that you did that with no problems. Although…”

“Although, what Miss Cassidy? Cassidy sighs, “That’s just a simple reconnection process to your magic core. If your situation is a bit worse than I expected, it might take you a lot of time just to control your powers. However, the important thing is that you managed to at least regained some control of the powers that you have within you. That matters a lot for it’s the first and very important step for our special class. The meditation will be useful as well just to calm your nerves.”

They slowly descended on their feet, “If you needed to do that again, just relax and go in the position we were just in.” “But I don’t know how to float…” Cassidy chuckles, “Such magic will be basic once you get used to it. Just communicate with your core, and it will do what you said. But just a warning for you, if you ever find yourself in a situation where your core seems severely out of control, don’t do that immediately. Calm down first before you even attempt to. I knew a lot of people who had been ill because of that mistake, even my students do it as well, you’re no exception.”

“Understood, Miss Cassidy.” Her professor, “Very well. Now, conjure a crystal. Even just a small one on your palm.” Patricia nods and closes her eyes. She raises her hand and opens her palm. She opens her eyes and was disappointed that nothing came out. “It’s fine, try again. Just command your core and prepare your palm. Maybe think how you have conjured one before, try having more passion on doing it.”

Patricia nods and tries it one more time, but this time she was more passionate to conjure even just one. As she opens her eyes, she was surrounded by a lot of beautiful crystals. It was something, it was rather more than what her professor asked for her. “I am sorry, but I won’t count this. You need to control how much you conjure. Summoning beyond what you need is just a waste of your energy. It does not show you have any control to your own core. Let it resonate with what you need. The exact amount.”

Patricia nods and closes her eyes again. She calms herself a little but still preserves the passion she had before. She takes a deep breath and opens her palm. She slowly opens her eyes and was excited to see a singular thin crystal in her hand. She jumps in the joy that causes a lot of crystals to conjure again around her. Her celebration stopped as she accidentally summoned more.

Cassidy giggles, “I will count the one you did before. The last one was your input, but I need to say, you’re still not in full control. Your core is still heavily affected by your strong emotions. It’s not that bad, but it should not be always the case. Besides that, you seem learned something today. There’s still a lot of time to learn.”

Patricia smiles in victory, there was a progress, at least. “That’s pretty much everything for today. I thought we will be in here for hours on end, but you have exceeded my expectations today, Miss Patricia. You are now dismissed.”

They part ways as they stepped out of the building. Patricia decided to go to the marketplace of the school and buy something to eat there. After buying, she went to her dorm where some of the students are already cooking for themselves. There was a dining room for all of them where she decided to join with the food she bought.

“Oh, it’s you!” Patricia turns her head and saw Antonietta approaching you. “I didn’t know we have the same dormitory.” She decided to take a seat with her. “Oh, Antonietta, it’s nice to see you here.” Patricia gave her a big smile.

Patricia talked to other people and even tried to get her friend to talk. Antonietta was quiet until someone else tried to have a chat with her. She’s incredibly shy and avoids talking much. Once she talks a lot, she suddenly stutters, making her embarrassed. Patricia was kind to rise her spirits up and even fill her up if she started to stutter again.

“You want to hang out for a while, or do you have to do something?” Patricia turns to her as they finished their food. “Well, a simple downtime with a friend wouldn’t hurt.” The blonde girl smiles, “Well, then, wanna hang out in my dorm or outside?”

“I prefer to be inside, it’s already getting nighttime. I don’t want my brain to get chilled by the fog.” Patricia didn’t question what she just said and went to her dormitory with Antonietta. “Will your roommate mind me here?” The blonde girl peaks at the door and is welcomed by an empty room. “I observed that Veronika is not going home that early. Whatever she’s doing by the night is not my business. She also said that as long as I leave the dorm clean when she goes home, she will be fine with everything.”

“Wow,” Antonietta looks at her, “You got a nice and considerate roommate. Mine is a bit rude.” She sighs, “I wished my mom just took me some single room. Alas, she desperately wants me to have a friend.” She looks back at Patricia, “Do I look unfriendly to you?”

Patricia shakes her head, “No, you seem kind enough to attract people to be your friend. Why? Don’t you have any single friend before?” Antonietta nods softly, “I do. Wanitha was my best friend until…” She sighs, “I rather not go to the specifics, but my idea is that I had friends before. Some of them I had a good friendship and some that are not.”

“Then why does your mother seems to be so concerned about those things?” Antonietta shrugs, “It must be the fact that I am in a much different school than before. I spent my primary and secondary practical education in one school. But to me, this is just overreacting.” She sighs, “But what’s wrong with your mother being concerned about your future relationships?”

“I don’t know, it may leave you an impression that you need friends no matter what’s their attitude.” Antonietta shakes her head, “I still have a mind to decide whether a person is a friend or not.” She smiles, “That’s why I picked you. I was so nervous to ask you to be one because you might just save me out of pity and don’t have a plan to be at least acquaintances.”

“I am finding friends as well, don’t worry. I am from the world they seemingly call here Earth.” Antonietta was surprised, “You’re an Arthean Mentiel?” She looks at her hand, “Your hand speaks to me that you’re a hybrid. How did you manage to survive there with that?”

Patricia looks at her hand that was now a crystal one. She didn’t realize that it turned back to its original form. “Gah!” She panicked and rushes to her bag where her cream was. “Why are you panicking? Did I scare you? I am sorry. I am sorry.” Antonietta bows as an apology gesture. As Patricia touches the cream, she looks at her. She takes a deep breath and sighs, “I am sorry, it’s just a habit of mine. I always panic when people start to notice that my hand is turning blue.”

She looks at her gloved hand, “My sihsih said that I should not hide it anymore in this world, but old habits die hard, you know? It’s just… I lived a life that I need to hide something and it became the way I live every day.” She puts the cream out of her bag, “This is a concealing cream that my sihsih gave me. It’s magical enough to hide my true hand away from people that will think I am a monster with these sharp shards as my fingers and fists as hard as a rock.”

“I am sure that you didn’t conceal this all of your life.” Patricia sighs, “There are some people that knew it, some were kind enough to stay quiet and kept it a secret. Some had ill-intentions and almost made it to something that they could blackmail me with. I am glad that sihsih took care of it for me or else I will a sensation and a target of many scientists I have in my world.”

“Some of those words are new to me, but I understand that your situation seems dangerous.” Patricia giggles, “If I were caught before, I shouldn’t be here right now talking with you. My sihsih is the one that supported me through the years when my dad tried to conceal half of my true identity. Just like my hand, it didn’t take that long for me to know that I am indeed a mentiel.”

“Your father tried to conceal that you are an elemental?” Patricia nods, “It leads to… not so good consequences.” Antonietta feels the sudden big drop of atmosphere between the two. “ Despite that, you found your true identity. I am glad that you found your way here.” Patricia smiles, “Yeah, it opened a lot of things inside me that I found weird before. I have an obsession with fantasy stories and even imagined having some, only to find out that I have my own magic.”

“Does your hand didn’t give away that you have magic?” Patricia shrugs, “It gave me an idea that there’s something more to me that I don’t know. Alas, I am more with my father than my sihsih, so he gets in his way to tell everything was non-magical.”

“He’s more outrageous than I thought. He has some issues.” Patricia giggles, “Oh, he really does.” Antonietta smiles, “Well that explains everything. Where is he now?” Patricia bites her lip and looks around, “Hey, Antonietta.”

“Yeah?” Patricia puts her history notebook out, “Do you have the same assignment as us?” Antonietta looks at her notes and nods. “Could you help me? I am not that quite used to doing my assignments without my friends.” The braided girl nods, “I am glad to help you out.”

They spent an hour exchanging different terms in history until the door’s knob clicked. Both of them turned to the door and saw a familiar cold figure standing. “Good evening.”