The hallway's ambient chatter thinned as Sa'ha slipped into the science classroom behind Mr. Dalton and Nadia. The door clicked shut with a decisive promise. Nadia twisted the lock—a soft metallic snap—and retrieved a thumbtack from the drawer, pressing a faded "Science Club Meeting in Progress" poster over the window. It swayed slightly, obscuring the world beyond the glass.
Sa'ha took in the room. Four rows of desks stretched evenly across the floor, each desk holding glass beakers, test tubes, and flasks, all meticulously arranged. The faint metallic scent of clean glass and chemical residues hung in the air, and the floor's tile reflected the glow of the overhead lights. This was no makeshift classroom; this was a proper laboratory, orderly and precise, each station waiting for experiment and observation.
Adam shuffled papers and notebooks across his desk, muttering softly to himself. Sa'ha watched, her eyes flicking from the neat stacks to the small drawers, each movement purposeful yet oddly rhythmic. After a few moments, he retrieved a thin, flat object, dark and featureless except for a few faint markings along its surface.
He held it in his hand, pressing on it with his thumb. A quiet click answered, and the blinds she had watched lowered, sliding down smoothly without human touch. A row of lights overhead flickered and hummed to life, casting the classroom in a soft, steady glow.
Sa'ha tilted her head, curious. What is that… flat brick with strange marks? she thought. She had never seen anything like it.
Adam glanced at her, offering a small smile as if reading her confusion. "This is a remote control. Each one has its own function. This one operates the lights and the blinds," he said simply.
Mr. Dalton then turned fully toward her, hands folded neatly in front of him, as though welcoming her into a sanctuary of equations and experiment.
"My name is Adam Dalton," he said, voice steady, deliberate. "I'm a science professor here at this school."
Sa'ha let her gaze wander over the desks and glassware, noting the symmetry, the care, the quiet promise of knowledge arranged so perfectly. Structured. Observational. Rational. Everything here fit the title he'd claimed. For the first time, she allowed herself a small measure of trust—at least in appearances. So far, he wasn't lying.
"My name is Sa'ha Liadon," She replied.
Her eyes lingered on the neat rows of desks, the glassware glinting in the overhead light, before she finally spoke. "Which kingdom is this?"
Adam chuckled softly, a brief, easy sound that made the edges of the classroom feel warmer. "This is the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga," he said, pointing toward a large world map pinned to the wall. "Which is in what's called the United States of America."
Sa'ha tilted her head at the unfamiliar words, then pulled out her sketchbook, eager to capture the map in careful lines and shading. Her pencil hovered over the page, ready to trace the outlines of this new world.
"Hold on."
Nadia's hand landed lightly on Sa'ha's, and before she could protest, a small, strange-looking book with curious lettering appeared in her hands. She flipped it open and carefully turned to a page depicting a map—not like the one on the wall, but with twisting serpents and symbols that slithered along the borders. Without warning, Nadia ripped the page out and handed it to Sa'ha.
"Here," Nadia said simply.
"Hey—ah," Professor Dalton started, raising his hands in mock protest, but then shrugged. "Oh well. We have new ones coming in anyway." His voice carried a mix of amusement and acceptance, as if page-ripping was merely a minor disruption in a day of order and science.
Sa'ha blinked at the torn page in her hands, the strange serpentine map contrasting sharply with the world she had just begun to understand. She looked at Nadia, who simply gave a small, knowing smile. Then, she returned her gaze to Dalton, curious to see how much more of this place—or perhaps another—she might uncover.
Carefully, she placed the torn map into her bag. Adam's eyes followed the movement, and he asked, "May I have a look?"
Sa'ha hesitated only a moment before nodding. "You now have permission to use the bag," she said.
Adam lifted the bag gently, placing it on a small scale on his desk. He adjusted it slightly, then studied the readout. "Around 2.5 pounds," he noted, as if filing the information away for later.
Then, with careful curiosity, he reached a hand inside the bag and retrieved the familiar water skin. He held it up, fingers pressing against its surface. "Interesting," he murmured, tilting his head. "It feels… like pushing through water that isn't wet."
Sa'ha watched, intrigued by his words and the way he examined it. Adam placed the water skin on the scale beside the bag and waited for the measurement to stabilize. "Roughly five pounds," he noted aloud, his voice a mix of scientific fascination and genuine wonder.
"Amazing," he added, his eyes glinting slightly as he set the water skin back down, clearly impressed by the properties of this unusual object.
Nadia leaned forward, curiosity brimming in her voice. "Where are you from? And why are you wearing armor?"
Sa'ha straightened, her hands resting lightly on the straps of her armor. "I'm from the kingdom of Alveře," she said, her voice steady. "And I'm wearing this because I was taking the trials to become a student at The Verdant Spires—the most prestigious magic school in my kingdom."
Both Adam and Nadia blinked, then almost simultaneously exclaimed, "Did you say magic!?"
Sa'ha's eyes flicked between them, reading their astonishment, before she nodded calmly. Without hesitation, she reached into her bag and pulled out a small red potion. She set it on the desk, then drew her dagger. With a quick, precise motion, she cut her palm. The two observers gasped, frozen in shock.
Sa'ha tilted the potion to her lips and drank a small sip. Within moments, the wound on her hand closed as if it had never existed.
"Although my own magic isn't working here," she said, letting her gaze linger on both of them. "Magic items seem to be just fine."
Adam's eyes widened slightly, and Nadia's hand hovered near her mouth in disbelief. The room, orderly and rational moments ago, now seemed to pulse with the impossible.
"May I have the rest of the vial?" Adam asked carefully, his voice measured, almost reverent.
Sa'ha shook her head lightly, then smiled. "I don't mind. I have two more anyway." She handed it over.
The professor examined the red liquid closely, tilting the vial under the overhead light. He carefully placed a single drop beneath the microscope, adjusting the focus and studying its structure with meticulous attention. The remaining potion he poured into a test tube, labeling it for later analysis to determine its composition and properties.
Nadia's gaze shifted to the pendant hanging around Sa'ha's neck. "Is that magic?" she asked.
Sa'ha shook her head slightly. "I don't think so. My mother gave it to me. I never really checked."
Adam leaned in closer. "May I have a look at it?"
Sa'ha raised a hand protectively. "Don't break it. I'm not sure I can fix it—I don't know the mending spell and, even so…" She lifted her hand slightly. "…my magic isn't working to boot."
The professor smiled faintly, then picked up a small magnifying glass from the desk and examined the pendant carefully. "Looks to be some form of jade," he said after a moment. "A really rare jewel."
Sa'ha nodded. "My mother got it from her mentor long ago."
Suddenly, Nadia spoke in a language Sa'ha did not understand. Adam looked between Sa'ha and the pendant, then slowly handed the necklace over to Nadia.
"Can you understand me?" she asked Sa'ha.
"Yes," Sa'ha replied, frowning slightly. "What language were you speaking before?"
The professor repeated a phrase in the same strange language, pointing at the necklace. Nadia then handed the pendant back to Sa'ha. Adam took a deep breath to calm himself before speaking again.
"Sa'ha," he said, voice steady, "it appears you don't actually speak our language. That necklace of yours is translating what you are saying to us… as well as what we say to you."
Adam glanced at Sa'ha, his expression thoughtful. "Well, it seems we need to get you out of that armor and into something a bit more… practical," he said carefully. "We can't have you walking around campus in battle gear."
Sa'ha raised an eyebrow, but said nothing, letting him continue.
"Nadia," he added, turning to her, "would you mind finding some clothes that actually fit her? Something suitable for a student here, nothing fancy or restrictive. Lost and found should have a few options, but get her a shower first."
Nadia nodded, already moving toward the door. "Got it. I'll be back in a few minutes with something," she said, a small smile tugging at her lips. "She definitely needs a shower."
Not bothered by the suggestion of cleansing herself, Sa'ha watched her go, curious how this world would handle someone like her. Adam, meanwhile, returned his attention to the vial, handling it carefully as if it were priceless.