The group stood before the weathered facade of the Aetherweave Institute, its exterior an ode to the passage of time and a love letter to neglect. Cracked stone walls and faded symbols gave it a worn appearance, standing in stark contrast to the bustling energy of the city. Eliza, Finnegan, and Captain Tiffin exchanged uncertain glances while Dellen listened to Gilgamesh, “This is the place.”

Captain Tiffin pushed open the heavy wooden doors, revealing a dimly lit entrance hall. Dust particles danced in the filtered sunlight that streamed through small windows. Despite the worn appearance, the inside was clean.

“Last time someone met us at the door, their name was Evelyn… Evelyn Thornbrook,” Gilgamesh said, sounding pleased to have remembered.

A long corridor stretched before them, lined with wooden doors on either side. The wooden floors creaked under their footsteps, echoing through the empty space. The faint scent of old books and musty parchment hung in the air. Just before them was a reception desk where a middle-aged man with spectacles perched on his nose sat, engrossed in his work. He looked up as they approached, a glimmer of surprise crossing his face. "Welcome to the Aetherweave Institute, you can call me Atticus. How may I assist you?" He inquired, his voice carrying a touch of fatigue.

Dellen took in Atticus’s steelskin, it looked more advanced than his own. “My companions and I are looking for assistance. I would like to reach Second Trinity, and they would like,” he stopped, he realized he did not know quite what they wanted.

“They would like assistance with Aetherforging,” Aurora filled in.

Atticus looked at Aurora, and his eyes widened, “You’re unforged, how remarkable, oh my my, yes,” his voice picked up enthusiasm, and his words came out faster, “I am certain that quite a few people will be very excited to speak to you. What are your affinities?” He pressed his glasses up his nose, “You do know your affinities, don’t you?”

“Electrical Aether,” Dellen said.

“Pyro Aether,” Eliza said a moment later.

“Kinematic Aether,” Finnegan and Aurora said at almost the same time.

“What a fine spread, and three of you unforged,” he shook his head, amazement evident on his face. “How have you managed? I can’t remember the last time I ever saw an unforged who was more than eight years old. Have I seen an unforged who was older than eight before?” He muttered to himself and shook his head again, visibly returning his focus to the present.

“How does an eight-year-old forge themselves?” Eliza asked.

“The usual way,” Atticus said, “But of course, you didn’t do anything the usual way. I’m getting ahead of myself. Come, come, come, we should go see Miss Thornbrook. She can get you all sorted out.”

“What about cost?” Aurora asked.

“For your first forging?” Atticus asked, an eyebrow going up, “It’s your first forging. It’s not like him,” he inclined his chin toward Dellen, “Trying to reach Second Trinity. No, no, my dear, you haven’t integrated any metals whatsoever. We couldn’t in good conscience turn you away. I cannot imagine how you have survived all this time.”

Eliza, Finnegan, and Aurora were all wide-eyed, with an uncomfortable amount of their whites showing by the time Atticus was done reassuring them.

“They’re going to be fine,” Gilgamesh said.

“You’re going to be fine,” Dellen reassured them. “Where is Miss Thornbrook?”

“She's in her study on the second floor. Take the staircase on the right, and it will lead you directly to her. Just knock on the door, and she should be there."

“I could have just led you there,” Gilgamesh said, “Oh, right, but that would have looked suspicious, hmm.”

Dellen nodded, “Thank you.”

The group nodded and continued on their way. Climbing the creaking staircase, they found themselves on the second floor, following the directions given. As they approached Evelyn Thornbrook's study, they could hear the faint sound of furniture moving across the floor. Dellen knocked, noticing that even Captain Aurora seemed less sure of herself after the conversation with Atticus.

“Come in,” came a cheerful voice.

The door creaked open, revealing a cozy study bathed in soft, warm light. Rows of bookshelves lined the walls, filled with weathered tomes and carefully organized scrolls. In the center of the room, a large wooden desk was strewn with open books, quills, and scattered parchments.

At the desk sat a woman with silver-streaked auburn hair. Her fingers delicately turned the pages of an ancient-looking manuscript, her expression a mix of curiosity and concentration. As the group entered, she looked up, her gaze piercing yet welcoming. Her youthful features looked at odds with the silver until Dellen realized it was all forged metal. Her steelskin almost gleamed.

"Ah, visitors," Evelyn Thornbrook said, her voice carrying an air of authority. "Please, come in. What brings you to the Aetherweave Institute?"

“Are you Miss Thornbrook?” Dellen asked.

“I am.”

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Aurora stepped forward, extending her hand in greeting. "We've come looking for help,” before she could finish her sentence Miss Thornbrook was out of her chair and rushing toward her.

“My gracious, an unforged adult.”

Aurora flinched back a step, as did Eliza and Finnegan.

“She’s enthusiastic,” Gilgamesh said.

“My goodness, you don’t have a trace of steelskin on you, you just have… skin.” She poked at Aurora’s arm in a manner reminiscent of a curious child poking an octopus with a stick, “Hmm, a similar give and bounce. You say you want help forging?”

“Yes,” said Aurora still leaning back, and a little bit away.

“Unfortunately, I can’t help you, but I can help her. What’s your name, my dear?” She said to Eliza.

“Eliza Montgomery,” Eliza said, looking the faintest bit alarmed.

Miss Thornbrook stepped around Aurora and examined Eliza. “Your Flame Core is weak, but that’s to be expected in an unforged,” she took Eliza’s hand in her own, “Hmm, nothing wrong with your Aether channels. Why haven’t you been forged? Where are you from?”

“She asked this last time and still helped,” Gilgamesh said.

“Copperopolis,” Dellen replied.

“That tiny little city The Mercantile Guild keeps all to itself?” She said, looking surprised, “How very odd, are there many unforged in Copperopolis?”

“Practically the whole population!” Finnegan burst in, “Lord Northcote here is one of the only Aetherforged I’ve ever met.”

Miss Thornbrook looked at Dellen, “My word, and you’re only First Trinity.”

“That’s a recent development.”

“So I can see from your scars, those look fresh.”

Dellen nodded.

“I can bring you to First Trinity in the next few minutes if you’d like,” Miss Thornbrook said to Eliza.

“The next few… minutes?” Eliza asked.

Dellen’s eyebrows shot up, Eliza was getting much kinder treatment than he’d received from Ardentus.

“Certainly, well, really, it would be best if we spent an hour or so at it.”

Eliza looked a little relieved, “Yes, that would be,” she hesitated again, Dellen could tell she was feeling overwhelmed, “Lovely.”

“Sit, sit,” Miss Thornbrook said, pulling Eliza to a pair of chairs that were on the side of the room, she looked Eliza up and down, “Three ingots each should do it, you’re not a particularly large person.”

Miss Thornbrook went back to her desk, opened a drawer, and pulled out nine ingots, copper, iron and silver, “I keep these against when parents bring their children to us.” She returned to Eliza and placed the ingots in a stack next to them both, and sat down in the empty chair.

“Are you ready, dear?” She said to Eliza.

“Yes?”

Miss Thornbrook took Eliza’s hand, “This will feel a little funny, try to feel your Flame Core.”

Eliza looked nodded and closed her eyes. Almost immediately, her nose lips and nose twitched, and her eyebrows scrunched and unscrunched.

“She did this last time too,” Gilgamesh said, “I don’t think she had ever touched her Aether before.”

After five minutes of Eliza sitting silently, expressions bouncing across her face, Miss Thornbrook reached down and collected the iron ingots in a single hand. She held them just above Eliza’s hand, and in a blink they vaporised, Dellen could just see the gaseous iron vanish into Eliza’s skin.

A gasp escaped Eliza’s lips, mirrored by Finnegan and Aurora.

It was interesting seeing the process from the outside. Dellen was certain that Eliza’s body was more relaxed than his had ever been during a forging. Threads of iron rippled across her skin, faint, but present, spreading from her hand into her sleeve, continuing a few seconds later at her neckline and up her throat.

Unlike Dellen’s own experience forging, there was no smell of burning, and as far as he could tell Eliza was feeling little to no discomfort.

With a start he realized there were no obvious sources of Pyro Aether in the room, Miss Thornbrook was providing all of the Aether needed. “What Trinity is she to do that?” He murmured to himself.

“Sixth or Seventh,” Gilgamesh said, “If she wanted to she could melt a hole straight through this ring.”

The forging continued for another fifteen or so minutes, according to Dellen’s watch, before Miss Thornbrook, picked up the copper ingots and repeated the process, gaseous copper rushed into Eliza, and lines of metal laced their way through her skin again. This time, Dellen saw her straighten a little, and some signs of discomfort crossed her face, but her eyes stayed closed, and her expression smoothed. Another half an hour passed by before Miss Thornbrook picked up the silver ingots.

There was a substantial change in Eliza’s appearance as silver threaded its way into her skin, even passing into some of her hair. Discomfort passed over her face, before her expression smoothed out again.

Dellen’s mouth twitched with mild irritation, when reaching First Trinity he had held onto a deck in a storm while being hit by a lightning bolt.

Another ten minutes later and Miss Thornbrook broke contact with Eliza’s skin.

Eliza opened her eyes and blinked at everyone, before turning back to Miss Thornbrook, “I can feel my Aether!”

A satisfied smile crossed over Miss Thornbrook’s face, “Yes you can.”

“I thought you said we’d spend about an hour.”

“We did, the forging process affected your perception of time.”

Eliza’s eyebrows shot up and she leaned back in her chair, then she caught sight of her hands, “Oh my.” She held up both hands turning them in the air before her face, quickly at first, then slowing down, “I have steelskin. I have steelskin!”

A lick of flame began at Eliza’s fingertips, she gasped, and it immediately died. She looked at Miss Thornbrook and at Dellen before looking back at her fingers. A flame danced over her index finger, jumping to her middle finger, then her ring finger before going back again.

Eliza snapped her fingers and the flame went out.

“I want to get forged,” Finnegan said.

“That one’s eagerness is going to get him killed,” Gilgamesh said without heat.

Eliza stood up and immediately pitched forward, caught by Miss Thornbrook, and returned to her chair before she hit the ground, “My time guiding your Aether has given you enough of a foundation that you won’t be a danger to yourself, but your new strength, you will need to master on your own.”

Eliza, stood, pushing up from the chair with greater care, and then, with exaggerated caution, took small steps.

“Is this how you feel all the time?” She said to Miss Thornbrook.

For her part, Miss Thornbrook just laughed, “No, I was First Trinity a very long time ago.”

Eliza frowned, then pulled her glasses from her face and looked at the shelves on the wall several times with her glasses on, then her glasses off, “Do I still need these?”

“Probably not.”

“Why does Atticus need glasses?”

“Poorly executed forging when he was a child. It’s stories like those that keep me doing this.”

“How do you feel?” Finnegan asked.

“Phenomenal,” Eliza turned back to Miss Thornbrook, “Thank you. This is so much more than I could have hoped for when I came here.”

“Think nothing of it dear. Still, you are only First Trinity, you won’t stand out on the streets anymore, but you need to think about raising yourself to Second Trinity as quickly as possible. You just need to prove your competence in handling Aether so it can be done with a modicum of safety.” She took in all of them with a glance, “That goes for all of you, but first, let’s get the two of you forged as well. What kind of Aether do the two of you have?”

“Kinematic,” Finnegan and Aurora said at the same time.

“Well, that’s easy enough, though not so simple as if you also used Pyro Aether. Come this way.”