Edward looked up to see William still standing in the doorway.

—Well, you just put your interests ahead of others. I get it —Edward said, as he tilted his head to the side, inviting William inside.

William placed himself between the sword and the violin, bowing his head, he muttered:

—I knew that you would, haha. By the way, you don't look very healthy. You're fucking pale —William grinned as he placed a flask the size and thickness of a finger on the table—. It's a Hydrium potion, the only Aetherian in my whole family was able to get it while advancing to the Ether Phase of Glyph 0; I suppose you will understand its value. Its properties are also well known, it is extremely efficient against physical and internal lesions. That's the way it should be, isn't it? It is, after all, the main potion in any Aspect Warrior's kit.

“Ether phase? Glyph? Aspect Warrior?”

The terminology didn't appear in his memory, but it didn't take long for Edward to pick up the pitch-colored "potion."

—Good! Now that we've made amends I can feel more at ease —William stood up and stuck his head in the door—. Looks like dinner is about to start. I'll expect you there... Oh, right. Remember, you must take three drops of the potion and return the flask to me. It's the only one I have, haha.

After that mean warning, William hurried out of the carriage.

Seeing the seat where William was sitting, Edward could not help but massage his eyes.

—Tss, anyway, what the hell do I want this potion for?

When Edward lowered his head and removed the part covering the wound from him, there was nothing but a large smear of blood. The hole had already fully regenerated.

—I have no reason to doubt the veracity of its effects, not because I trust the worthless William, but because my body has experienced the magic itself.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

It was true that his body still ached, but did it hurt enough to waste three drops of suffering that he would surely get used to in a few hours?

“Even so...”

For him, the idea of something as mystical as a real potion made his logical and miserable reasoning fall behind in the face of his unbearable need to experience the effects of the Hydrium.

“One drop should be enough... right?”

And so, Edward raised the flask above his head, tilted his neck back, and opened his mouth to let a drop fall.

As soon as the substance fell down his throat, the effects were immediate and extremely effective. Along with the addictive and refreshing sensation, the pain was gone. The feeling was similar to taking some kind of really powerful narcotic for the first time.

“One more won't hurt me either...”

And with this way of thinking, Edward ended up drinking half a bottle of Hydrium.

Realizing that he might be developing an addiction, Edward closed the jar tightly and set it aside. For now, he needed to change to be presentable for dinner and not arouse suspicion.

When he got out of his car, with his hair disheveled, his suit and shirt untucked, and red spots on his neck and hands; It wasn't strange that most of the girls who met him in the tight and narrow corridor looked at him with lust and shame.

Edward had tried his best to hide his face from others as he hurried past, but it seemed like he hadn't measured the sound on the other side very well. Perhaps, ¿the Hydrium had made him forget that literally, all the students were leaving their rooms to go to dinner...?

He finally got to the men's bathroom, bolted the door to prevent anyone from entering, and took over the entire bathroom.

Suddenly, when he bumped into a figure in the mirror he thought for a moment that he had locked himself in with someone else. But it wasn't until he saw the blood on his abdomen that he understood that the tall, thin young man with sharp features and piercing blue eyes, who had a fine nose, soft red lips, and neatly cropped black hair, was him.

Edward caressed her cheek with his long, slender fingers.

—Am I really... this? This is the new me? Well, at least it is true that my grace is not for less. What a waste... To have such a handsome face, in such a useless body ruled by such a cowardly mind.

After flattering himself for a few minutes, Edward changed. His clothing was very different from what the original Edward Fitzgerald would be used to. For starters, he was wearing a black frock coat, matching pants, and a high-collared white shirt. He, too, wore a silk tie and a wristwatch, but under all his suit he'd made sure to wear the leather sash across his shoulders and used to hold and carry the revolver.

The original Edward didn't like the color black very much, so his hat was light blue and his tie was purple.

When he arrived at the elegant and luxurious dining room, Edward noticed that several students had already formed groups in a circle for a temporary gathering. Many others simply stood in groups of two or three and ate in silence like strangers. Others laughed and talked loudly as they drank glasses of wine.

Edward headed towards the large table on the left wall of the carriage, he supposed that due to the number of delicacies and drinks, this was an all-you-can-eat buffet. He saw the students standing one behind the other, it seemed the unwritten rule was to wait each individual's turn.

The looks he received as he approached the buffet were varied and complex. On the one hand, some girls would look away when he saw them, their cheeks turning red and they would start muttering among themselves while laughing. On the other hand, some would look at it and just laugh, as if they were simply making fun of a commoner who wore fancy clothes. Lastly, there were those looks of contempt and disgust, looks of hate that no young man should be able to do.

Edward, however, was holding his silver tray and waiting with his cold, shiny cutlery as if he were all alone in this entire carriage.

These were just uneducated brats to him, how was he going to be affected by the scorn of teenagers?