28: Plan Evaded

The Alchemy Arts Hall was enveloped in an eerie silence as the incense filled the air, causing the first-year students to fall into a deep slumber while they were still sitting upright in their seats.

Evelyn felt a wave of dizziness wash over her as the incense burned. She turned to see Zoya and Elvis, who were sitting beside her, already fast asleep, not putting up much of a resistance, just like her.

Panic welled up within Evelyn as she realized that all the students had succumbed to the effects of the incense.

She glanced toward the front of the hall and saw Werney channeling his energy into his diamond amulet. With the waves of energy emanating from Werney's amulet, rippling throughout the entire hall, Evelyn felt her resistance waning. Soon, Evelyn also drifted into slumber, her face etched with realization.

The wave of energy that Werney was releasing from his amulet instantly began to scan the students one by one. Obviously, he scrutinized them to find clues about the other twin amulet he was looking for.

The energy reached every student in the hall, including Evelyn, and scanned them, but nothing happened. Werney's amulet remained motionless, showing no reaction.

'Why? Why am I not receiving any reaction from the other amulet?' Werney's troubled thoughts filled the silent hall as he contemplated his failure.

Werney's eyes widened in disappointment, and he quickly retracted the waves of energy back into the amulet, dispelling its effects. 'I will personally investigate whether any of the students have a similar amulet to mine,' Werney resolved as he left the front of the hall and began pacing back and forth, checking each student.

As the amulet's energy dissipated, Evelyn slowly awakened from her induced slumber. Her eyes fluttered open, and she surveyed the room, noticing her sleeping classmates. It seemed that she was the only one with a high resistance to the effects of the incense.

Perhaps she wouldn't have succumbed to the drowsy feeling if it weren't for the overwhelming effect of the amulet's energy that forced her into slumber. This also explains why she was the only one among the 155 students, who woke up immediately after the energy of the amulet was dispelled, while others were still under the effect of the incense.

As Evelyn lifted her head slightly to look at Werney, she saw him strolling down the hall, checking on the students. She knew he was up to something, even before she fell asleep a few minutes ago when she saw him channeling his energy into his amulet.

Seeing him approach the side of the hall where she was, Evelyn feigned sleep. She watched with one eye slightly open as Werney made his way through the hall, checking each student's neck for an amulet.

Werney's frustration grew with each student he inspected. Many of them wore necklaces, pendants, and amulets, but none had the twin amulet he had been searching for. He let out a sigh of disappointment as he realized that he had failed to find the amulet.

That was when he came to a halt before a girl with brown, wavy hair who was wearing a sparkling diamond amulet. Only this one was spherical in shape and smaller in size, unlike Werney's, which was almost rectangularly hexagonal in shape and twice as big as the girl's.

Still, due to the desperation that had accumulated within Werney in his search for the other amulet, he released a small amount of energy from his own amulet into the girl's amulet. However, there was still no reaction at all from either of the two amulets.

He sighed when he discovered that the girl was neither a witch nor a human-witch hybrid at all. The probability of the girl being Leviathan's daughter had been completely ruled out, so he continued to go around the hall.

Evelyn, who saw this scene with her slightly opened right eye, had now confirmed her suspicion that Werney was after her amulet. But thanks to the decision she made yesterday, she won't be discovered by this teacher today.

Earlier today, after being discharged from the infirmary, when inside her dorm room after Zoya had already left for the training grounds. Evelyn had hidden her amulet inside the small armoire before retrieving her longbow and its quiver of arrows. Because yesterday, she had decided to attend alchemy classes without her amulet. This was because she needed to learn how to brew pills, elixirs, or potions that would help her become stronger, even though she was wary of Werney.

When she felt Werney approaching to check on her, she instantly pretended to be asleep, just like before. 'Phew! That was close. If I hadn't thought of not bringing the amulet to the alchemy department, it would have been taken away from me today... I should also be wary of other teachers too'

After circling the class, Werney returned to the front, his face etched with frustration. With a wave of his hand, he extinguished the incense, and slowly, the students awakened from their slumber.

"I am glad that you students tested the effects of the products from the alchemy department. There is more you will learn in the future..."

The class ended with Werney cautioning the students about the dangers of creating an incense that induces sleep.

As the students filed out of the Alchemy Arts Hall, Evelyn couldn't help but glance at Werney, whose face was now filled with a frown. It was clear that his search for the amulet was far from over.

***

As Evelyn was leaving the hall with Zoya, she noticed that Elvis had gone off with Cedric. Her gaze then landed on the girl she had met at the archery area of the general training unit. It was also the girl whom Werney had inspected her amulet a few minutes ago.

The girl was being escorted by a group of students. Evelyn turned to Zoya to inquire about her.

"Zoya, who is that brown-haired girl that those students are following?," Evelyn asked Zoya, pointing at the girl and her group as they left the department.

"Oh, her? That's Lisa Chesterfield. She is a genius from the Chesterfield family of Liventhon City, renowned for their affinity with wind elements... However, Lisa is different. She is a variant with a unique affinity. I don't even know what her ability is," Zoya explained.

"Why are you asking about her? Did you know her or did you have an encounter with her?" Zoya asked, raising her brow. She couldn't let Evelyn get on the bad side of those hotshots; she had personally experienced how ruthless they can be.

Evelyn's mind raced as she narrated to Zoya about her encounter with Lisa in the general training unit earlier. She made a mental note to steer clear of Lisa. The last thing she needed was to attract more attention or enemies to herself, especially someone like Wilson, especially now that she is not yet strong enough to defend herself.

Zoya's face twitched when she heard what Evelyn had just told her.

"Don't dwell on what she said so much. She won't do anything to you. She was just trying to mock you in front of others. I heard that it was her specialty," reassured Zoya as they walked out of the department.

***

Meanwhile, two people remained in the Alchemy Arts Hall. Werney had asked Derek to stay behind when the other students were leaving. It was Derek, the same guy who had mocked Evelyn during the Magical Prowess Test.

"You are?" Werney asked the boy standing before him, glaring at him.

"Derek, sir," replied the boy, who had a puzzled look on his face. He might be wondering what a department head wants from him. He was just an early intermediate mage, a 4-star mage. What did he do wrong during the class? He even thought that the teacher had caught him when he was making noise during class with his friends.

"Derek, I have a proposition for you. I need your help to find someone among the academy students who has an amulet similar to mine," Werney straightforwardly told Derek, explaining the reason why he had been called out by him.

Derek felt relieved upon hearing what the teacher said; at least he wasn't in trouble. But he was really confused about what the teacher asked of him. "A student? With a similar amulet?" Derek asked, looking at Werney.

"Yes. A female student, to be precise. She had my twin amulet. Since you are also a student, it will be easier for you to investigate this student for me... In return, I can offer you specific rewards."

"I will do it, sir," Derek replied, smiling. "But what kind of reward are we talking about?"

"Crystal stones that can assist you in your progress, and you may also receive personal guidance from me, depending on how long it takes you to find her. You may still be a 4-star, but the crystal stones can help you break through to the expert level," Werney said, grinning because the fish had taken the bait. Soon he will complete his mission here in Humaldor and return to Wiccaland.

Derek's eyes gleamed with ambition as he considered the offer. The opportunity to gain power, rise in the ranks, and receive recognition was too enticing to resist. He agreed to the proposition.

"Alright then, let me take a look at your watch. It will serve as a means of communication between us. As soon as you find the wearer of the other twin amulet, tell me about it through your watch," Werney said. Derek raised his right hand to Werney, who pressed his thumb on the watch's screen while muttering some unknown words.