My dreams were getting stranger. While I couldn't rule out the idea that the curse was having some effect on them, perhaps it was the worrying that was affecting my dreams.

I was in a room full of mirrors, endless versions of myself staring back at me. But there was something wrong with them. Their eyes were wrong. Some were curse green, some were my pink, and the rest were varying shades of red.

I was lost amongst all the silver glass and fake images. Their movements felt like a mockery of me. I reached out to one with red eyes.

The all of the glass shattered before my hand could touch it.

I woke up in a cold sweat. I was shivering and shaking.

It was too early. The sky was still too dark for me to worry. Except I could already see the hint of pink staring back at me in the window. Already? Damn it.

(*********)

I held my cup of tea tightly and just tried to focus on my breathing. There was an awkwardness around the table as the others plus Angelina all seemed to be avoiding looking at me.

I sighed. "Yes, I know. Please feel free to continue your day like nothing strange is happening. Please?"

"Have you talked to anyone about that?" Fethris asked.

"I have. Vivian knows."

Angelina looked relieved. "I'm glad you're relying on at least one adult."

"She's yet to disappoint me, and so far seems to be the only one with a plan to solve…this." I waved my left hand to demonstrate. Small sparks of my pink came out of the tips of my fingers.

I ducked my hand under the table and into my lap.

The urge to be literally anywhere else was strong, but the fear of making a scene was stronger.

I needed to distract everyone.

"Isn't that thing today Russel? The duel with whatever his name was?" They all probably saw right through it but the smug and perked up expression on Russel's face told me it worked well enough.

"After our final class for the day," Russel confirmed.

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"I wonder if the lady in question is going to be there," Celica teased as she winked.

"She and I mutually agreed a second date wasn't worth our time, if that's what you're getting at," Russel chuckled.

"Can't blame me for being curious what all the fuss is about," Celica shrugged.

"It sounded like it's about ego," Jarec responded.

Russel didn't deny it. He looked kind of proud, actually. "What are we all here for if not to knock each other down a peg or two?"

Maybe there was a hint of Salamander in him after all.

"Assuming of course you can win," Fethris commented.

Russel laughed again, "The insecure goblin doesn't scare me. Guys like that are almost all talk."

Almost. And they both had magic powers. Really we had no idea what he could do to Russel. There were rules against real harm and the rooms had enchantments meant to limit the amount of damage spells can do. But if there was one thing being here had taught me, it was that accidents could happen.

"Just be careful out there, okay? I know from experience that the Healer Wing is not any fun."

"Yes representative Stewart." I wasn't sure I appreciated the sarcasm, it kind of sounded like when I was being strong-armed into agreeing with my mother.

It was probably the best I was going to get.

(*********)

It was a nice day in Alchemy. We were setting metals on fire.

"Oh look Serafina, this one is your color," Celica held up a glass tube with something that was rapidly turning pink. The exact shade was off, but the sentiment was there I suppose.

We hadn't found one that matched her purple, unfortunately.

"Hmm."

She huffed, "Your eyes glowing is still strange. Mother always told me that it was a sign of someone pushing themselves to their limits."

I froze.

She continued, "But I suppose that's normal for you. Breaking norms and changing the rules."

I inhaled slowly, I didn't want to snap at her. "Please don't."

Yes, I was begging. But in my defense, we were in class and I was a bit of a ticking bomb right now. Nobody wants my curse to act up. It was for both of our safety that she not push me much.

She raised an eyebrow at me. Oh no. "I'm simply saying that if your goal is to be like everyone else, you're not doing a very good job of it."

"You see that's the thing Celica, my eyes glow because the truth is, it takes almost everything I have to just be sitting here and pretending. Yeah, it's different, but it's me."

I should not have said that. Damn it. I looked down and away from her. Ugh. Why was this so hard? I took several deep breaths. In and out Serafina.

Everything was going to be okay. Just focus on the lab.

Celica huffed.

In a moment of reckless courage I looked over to her. She was leaning back, not enough to be called casual but enough to be looking forward past the front of the class.

"Now you have me wondering if it's a human thing."

"If it was Celica, I wouldn't be here."

The corner of her mouth twitched, not a smile, but it was enough to fill me with relief.

Today was not the day I ruined the strange friendship we had.

(*********)

The others, on the other hand, were being uniquely irritating. Was this my punishment for letting Russel duel instead of doing something else?

But letting the issue fester would probably have been worse.

I tried to not let the irritation show on my face as he grinned as Jarec and Fethris asked him questions.

"Do you have a plan? What kind of magic does Orebranch use?" Fethris asked.

"Plants and vines usually. Though he can make these leaves that are sharp that I'll have to avoid." Russel sounded way too excited about this, considering the risk of injury was higher than zero percent.

"Also he has a sticky mold thing he can do, watch out for that too," Jarec interjected.

I wondered if Russel would mind if I just didn't show up? He hadn't asked any of us to be there but was that because he had already assumed we would or because he didn't care if we did?

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