The Extra's Reincarnation

The Alchemy building stood on the southern edge of the campus, a towering structure of white stone and shimmering glass domes that caught the afternoon sunlight.

As Julian approached, he couldn't help but admire the alchemical symbols carved into the massive oak doors showing the transmutation circles and elemental runes that practically oozed out with energy.

Inside, the lecture hall was arranged in tiered semicircles, each row rising higher than the one before it, providing an unobstructed view of the demonstration table at the front.

The room smelled of herbs, minerals, and something slightly acrid that Julian couldn't quite identify.

Most students had already claimed their seats, clustering near the edges of each row.

Strangely, the middle section the one which Julian considered prime real estate with its perfect sightline to the professor's table remained largely empty.

'"That's strange, why does no one sit here?" He muttered to himself and made his way down the center aisle.

Why crowd at the edges when the best seats were available?

He chose a spot in the middle of the fourth row, setting his notebook down and easing himself into the chair, mindful of his still-healing ribs.

Almost immediately, the whispers started.

"Is he serious?" a voice hissed from two rows back.

"Someone needs to warn him," another murmured urgently.

"Ten gold says he gets frostbite before the lecture ends," a third added with a snicker.

Julian frowned, glancing around at the suddenly attentive faces.

'What was their problem? The seat was comfortable enough, and the sightline to the front was perfect.'

Not to mention being in the center meant he wouldn't get trapped behind a crowd when class ended.

He settled back, ignoring the continued whispers.

His body still ached from the fight with Uzan, but Elenore's healing had taken the edge off the worst of the pain.

Now he could at least sit without feeling like his ribs were grinding against each other.

As he pulled out his notebook, Julian pondered the strange emptiness of the middle section.

It was like an invisible barrier had been established, with students crowding the far edges of each row rather than utilizing the perfectly good seats in the center.

Perhaps there was something he was missing?

Some unspoken rule about seating arrangements in the Alchemy lecture hall?

A sudden chill crawled across his right shoulder, as if someone had pressed an ice cube against his skin through his uniform. The cold was so intense it momentarily stole his breath, causing him to stiffen involuntarily.

"What the—?"

As he muttered turning around thinking who it could be, he saw the sleek white student council uniform, the elegance and the cold demeanor that marked her as the stand alone queen of ice, personality and appearance wise.

Pale blue hair cascaded in perfect, controlled waves over her shoulders, and dark blue eyes regarded him with glacial indifference.

Then to the side of her hair laid a delicate golden snowflake hair pin glinted catching the light with each slight movement of her head.

It was Audrey Glacia sitting next to Julian.

The revelation struck him like a second ice cube to the spine. Now the whispers and warnings made perfect sense.

This section of seats wasn't empty by chance…

It was Audrey's territory, avoided by students who knew better than to invade the ice queen's domain.

The classroom fell into an unnatural hush, the earlier whispers dying down to barely audible murmurs.

Julian could feel dozens of eyes on him, watching the scene unfold with a mixture of horror and morbid fascination.

The silence was so complete he could hear the soft scratching of pens against papers several rows away.

"He's dead."

"Did he really just sit in Glacia's spot?"

"This is going to be brutal."

For a moment Audrey looked at Julian with a cold expression, her dark blue eyes assessing him with the detached interest one might show an unusual but ultimately insignificant insect.

Julian waited nervously as if she was going to say something to him.

But then… she resumed as if he wasn't there at all, turning her attention forward without a care.

She looked straight at the board, her perfect posture making Julian's own slouch feel suddenly inadequate.

The students around the room exchanged bewildered glances, finding it strange that she hadn't done anything about him.

This wasn't like her at all.

Where was the biting comment?

The withering stare that had reduced other boundary-crossers to stammering apologies?

The temperature drop that usually accompanied her displeasure?

"Why isn't she freezing him out?"

"Maybe she's still deciding how to destroy him?"

"I've never seen her just... ignore someone before."

'Holy shit, I need to get out of this seat.'

Julian in his head was going crazy.

He could move out right now since there were still plenty of seats at the edges.

But something in him rebelled at the thought of being chased away.

He'd just gone toe-to-toe with Uzan Modan Jr., after all.

Surely he could handle sitting next to the academy's resident ice queen for one lecture.

Before he could decide, the classroom door swung open with a decisive click.

A tall, lean man with a neatly trimmed beard strode in, his simple but well-tailored academic robe swirling around his ankles as he approached the demonstration table.

"Good afternoon, class!" The man's voice resonated through the hall.

"I am Professor Nathaniel Farrow, assistant to Professor Jane Kristinsson, who is currently attending the International Alchemical Conference on the Aetherius continent."

A collective sigh of relief rippled through the classroom.

"Thank the Great Tree," a student whispered loudly enough for Julian to hear.

"A whole week without Kristinsson's magnifying glass hovering over our transmutations."

"Last time she made me redo my solution four times because the shade of blue wasn't 'cerulean enough,'" another added with an exaggerated eye roll.

Ehem…

"I understand Professor Kristinsson has... exacting standards. However, precision in alchemy is what prevents explosions, transmutation sickness, and other unpleasant outcomes. That said," he added with a wink, "I promise not to measure your stirring angles to the exact degree."

Laughter bubbled through the classroom, easing the tension. Julian felt himself relaxing slightly, though his awareness of Audrey's frigid presence beside him never completely faded.

"Now then, let's continue where Professor Kristinsson left off last week," Professor Farrow announced, waving his hand over the demonstration table.

WOM…

A complex alchemical circle appeared, glowing with runes and symbols.

"The Fundamentals of Reactive Catalysts in Elemental Transmutation."

Julian leaned forward, instantly intrigued. While he'd missed the first week of classes, alchemy had always fascinated him to an extent.

The combination of measurements, elemental theory, and practical application aligned perfectly with his analytical mindset.

"As you'll recall from last week, every transmutation requires a catalyst such as the substance that facilitates the reaction without being consumed in the process. Today, we'll examine how different catalysts affect the efficiency and output of elemental transmutations."

'Damn… I don't know a single thing.'

Julian frowned slightly, realizing he was already at a disadvantage.

The other students had a week's head start on these concepts, and from the confident nods around him, they seemed familiar with the material.

"Now, who can tell me why silver dust is preferable to copper filings when transmuting water-based solutions into air-based compounds?"

Professor Farrow asked, his eyes looking around the room.

Several hands shot up, including a dark-haired boy near the front and a freckled girl by the window.

Professor Farrow pointed to the boy first.

"Because silver has a higher elemental affinity to water?" the student suggested, his voice rising questioningly at the end.

Professor Farrow's expression faltered slightly. "Close, but not quite. Anyone else?"

The freckled girl by the window offered, "Silver creates a more stable reaction matrix because of its conductive properties?"

"That's part of it," Professor Farrow nodded, "but not the complete answer."

Audrey's hand rose elegantly beside Julian, her movement precise and unhurried. Every eye in the classroom turned to her, anticipation evident on their faces.

"Silver possesses a unique molecular structure that allows for seamless energy transfer between water and air elements, Its natural resonance with both elemental fields creates a more efficient pathway for transmutation."

Professor Farrow beamed.

"Excellent, Miss Glacia! That's precisely—"

"Actually," Julian found himself saying before he could stop himself, "while silver does facilitate the transfer between elements due to its resonance properties, it's also because silver doesn't bind to oxygen molecules during the transmutation process, unlike copper which forms copper oxide. This prevents catalyst degradation and maintains reaction purity."

The classroom went deathly silent. Julian could feel Audrey stiffen beside him, the temperature around them dropping several degrees.

Professor Farrow blinked, then broke into a wide smile. "Why, that's absolutely correct! A more comprehensive answer than I was expecting. Excellent addition, Mr...?"

"Ah.. just Julian sir."

"Mr. Julian! Well done. It seems we have two exceptional alchemists in our midst today."

CRACK…

Audrey's pen snapped between her fingers.

She believed her answer was sufficient, but realizing that someone like him could outdo her in one of her greatest strengths meant he was intentionally trying to challenge her.