Amber was clearly not having a good time. There was a scowl on her face as she angrily marched through the halls of Nemendias, sending glares at everything. It was obvious from her expression that she didn’t just dislike me - she disliked everything in the highborn Arcanarium from potted plants to gothic arches to statues featuring long gone mages of distant past.

“Bring Nora into her path with the rule-book and copy exactly what I’m doing in regards to body motion and words,” I ordered to the banner of Nemmy hanging on the wall of the Keeper’s office.

The silver-haired woman on the banner nodded. Two pinhole gates flashed over my eyes as I was now seeing the world through the eyes of the duplicate of the Keeper of Keys.

“Initiate Snippy,” I said and the lips of magic-forged Nora Frid Antienni repeated the words in perfect synchronicity.

Amber froze, nearly dropping the book she was carrying.

I glanced at the book’s title, my sharp chimera eyes zooming into it like two little binoculars.

[Novitiate's Guide to Depictomancy, by Mayovia Lem.]

Hm. I could use this. If she's interested in Depictomancy, maybe she will like Dawn? Maybe we can practice Depictomancy together? Hrm. Maybe I can read The Rise and Fall of Thomas Cole in front of her or something?

“Yes, Keeper?” Hostility-filled, azure-blue eyes of Amber stared at me.

“I believe I was a bit too harsh with you,” I said. “Here is your rule-book back.”

I offered Miss Snippy her book. Amber grabbed at it with a frown.

“Is that all, madam Keeper?” She asked, clearly eager to run away to read alone in the gardens.

“No, that is not all,” I said. “Plus one hundred points to Novitiate Amber of Snippy for being a goodly enforcer of the rules.”

The negative number above the redhead girl vanished. She looked up and then looked back at me.

“I don’t understand,” she said.

“I was unfair to you because I was in a bad mood that day,” I said. “You did nothing wrong. You’re here to learn. You’re here to make friends and to grow as a person. You should make friends with your roommates.”

“What, the bog underling and the pompous lordling? No thanks,” Amber shot back. “I’d like to request a different room.”

I sighed.

“Why do you hate your roommates, Amber?” I asked.

“Other than the fact that they’re both idiots who are hell-bent on breaking the rules?” Amber raised an eyebrow. “Why isn’t the Undertown girl expelled? Why is that red banner still up? Why is the second bed still there?!”

“Amber,” I said. “Why are you in Nemendias?”

“Because I have nowhere else to go,” she huffed. “My Estate was destroyed.”

“Destroyed by whom?”

“That’s irrelevant,” she snapped at me.

I crossed my arms.

“Novitiate Snippy,” I said. “It is my job as the Keeper to keep the peace at Nemendias. If you have enemies, please let me know about them.”

“Novitiate Misem is my enemy!” Amber’s rapid answer stabbed me right through the heart.

“What is it that makes you think that Novitiate Misem is your enemy?” I asked, my heartbeat intensifying.

“She’s one of them! It’s freaking obvious! Why is she allowed to be in Nemendias?! Why is she allowed to hang up that vile banner?!”

“One of whom?!” I demanded.

“People who believe in Equality,” Amber hissed through her teeth.

“What,” I blinked.

“You heard me!” Amber growled. “She’s probably going to stab me while I sleep! I haven’t slept a single night properly here! I keep waking up in terror that she’s standing over me with that black knife of hers, just waiting to plunge it into my heart! I bet that it’s a ritual knife that eats souls or something!”

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“What?” I gaped at the distraught girl.

Did she somehow know HOW Endy worked? What?!

“She’s obviously a darkling, a witch,” Amber growled. “A cultist! You MUST expel her before it’s too late! I’m serious!”

“That’s enough drama, Novitiate Snippy,” I said. “Just because she has a cute black kitten it doesn’t mean that she’s a witch. Please don’t overblow the situation. Grogtilda Lic Misem isn’t a cultist. I interviewed her myself under the light of the absolute Truth hexagram. She’s a good person who wants to make the world a better place.”

“She believes in Equality!” Amber waved her hands like it was the winning argument.

“What’s wrong with equality?” I asked.

“What do you mean what’s wrong with Equality?!” Amber stepped back from me, her eyes suddenly filled with panic. “You… you’re one of them too… aren’t you?! No wonder you won’t expel her!”

“One of whom?!” I growled exasperatedly.

Amber was already running, feet flashing under her robe as she turned the corner.

“Impressive,” the drawing of Nemmy said from the wall.

“Quiet you,” I glared at her. “Move the Keeper’s avatar into her path.”

Amber nearly collided with the newly-manifested figure of Nora. She stopped a moment before her face smashed straight into the Keeper’s chest and froze, panting furiously and looking terrified.

“H-how did you g-get ahead of me?” She uttered, her face beet-red.

I crossed my arms.

“Novitiate Snippy,” I said. “I’m not here to hurt you. I just want answers as to what you think is going on.”

The girl gritted her teeth, looking for a way out.

“Amber,” I said, channeling my inner sociology professor. “You’re here to learn many different things. Not just how to fire spells or how to weave magic. You’re here to learn how to interact with people, how to make friends. When you graduate from Nemendias you will encounter plenty of oddballs, idiots and weirdos. You’re a Baroness and you have a responsibility to your Estate. You will have to work with people you do not like and find some common ground so that your Estate can benefit from the collaboration. You cannot exist in a vacuum as a hermit. You're a lady of high society!”

Amber huffed. She didn't see herself as a Baroness for some reason. Maybe she was too young for such a responsibility.

“Please try to get along with your roommates. I promise you that they won’t hurt you,” I added. “They’re both really good, kind girls who can offer you plenty of things to learn from. Do you know why I’m letting them break the rules and keep the bed and the banners? They’re exactly the kind of an experience you need, skills that will allow you to get ahead in life later on.”

“But,” Amber opened her mouth. “The rules…”

“There are NO rules in the real world,” I said. “Business partners deceive each other and bamboozle their clientele to get more gold. Salespeople embellish the quality of their wares to make more gold. You need to know when someone is a genuine person or a liar. Just think of it as a fun game, a test that you must pass. If you can figure out how to make friends with Grogtilda and Emerald you will be able to get a lot more done when you’re older. You won’t get hurt, trust me.”

Amber’s frown remained.

“The ward of Nemendias has kept students safe for millennia,” I said. “You are absolutely safe here from physical harm, but this school will NOT provide you a perfectly positive-space where your ideas and morals won’t be challenged or pushed against. You aren’t here to get coddled into thinking that your status and wealth will provide you everything - you’re here to face a variety of challenges! The first challenge you must overcome is to figure out how to co-exist with people you clearly cannot tolerate.”

“Ugh,” Amber’s shoulders fell. “You’re… doing this to me on purpose?”

“I’m doing this on purpose,” I nodded. “I might not be a teacher but I am here to teach you things too. This is a learning experience. Talk to your roommates, find some common ground. I placed Emerald and Grogtilda into the same room because they’re total opposites with completely clashing ideologies. Each of them must learn to accept, respect and tolerate the other!”

“And what if I don’t find common ground with them? What if…?” Amber uttered exasperatedly.

“You’re welcome to come to my office and talk to me anytime, seek my aid,” I said. “I can advise you on how to deal with people using words, not hostile actions.”

Amber looked forlorn.

“If someone has an opinion that you oppose, you should engage them in debate. Face them head on, challenge them to a fight of words. Not every situation can be resolved with magic,” I said. “Don't just run away or shut them down by saying, 'I can't hear what you have to say because I'm too fragile to handle it.' That's not how we gain knowledge, novitiate!”

“I… I understand, Lady Keeper,” Amber bowed her head.

My words had finally gotten through to her. Great success!

“M-may I go now?” She asked.

“You may go,” I nodded.

As Amber rushed away from me with two of her books, the pinhole gates in front of my eyes folded away.

“Now that… that was VERY clever,” Nemendias nodded.

“Oh?” I raised an eyebrow.

“Since I’m the new Keeper of Keys,” Nemmy purred. “I think I’ll implement your opposites-confronting strategy school-wide. For far too long have students been permitted to simply choose their roommates, stick to certain cliques and never make friends outside of their circles.”

“Make sure to guide the new students to understanding and friendship,” I smiled at her.

“Obviously,” she nodded. “I’m not going to place my students into challenging situations and not help them find solutions. There have been many good and bad teachers over millennia in my halls. I learned a thing or two from each of them.”

“That’s the spirit,” I put my thumb up at the now confident-looking Nemmy on the banner.

. . .

I stretched. Convincing people to be more tolerant of my weirdness was easier than thinking about countless doomed worlds. I pushed the issue to the back of my mind, refusing to think about it further. It would be a problem for the future me of distant tomorrow.

“Volty?” I turned to my bestie.

“Yes?” The maid looked back to me.

“Let's go explore the deep, dark halls before school starts,” I said. “I want to see what other fantastic mysteries I can uncover! You can be my Urbex partner!”