[@Pseudo Stygian]

ShiZhen woke up in the infirmary, her extremities stinging from the frostbite. She flexed her fingers and wiggled her toes to confirm that there wasn't anything wrong besides the pain. With a shaky arm, she reached over the the nightstand next to her bed to put on her glasses, seeing Lyra in the bed next to hers. ShiZhen bit her lip and fought back the shame welling up in her heart.

The events of the previous night had been a blur. She remembered being unable to free herself from the freezing water snake. She remembered that despite the hopelessness of the situation, Lyra had stayed to help. She remembered the cold and the darkness encroaching upon the both of them.  

[color=a187be][i]"If only I could control my element,"[/i][/color] ShiZhen thought, [color=a187be][i]"Then maybe we could have finished the race, then maybe we wouldn't have missed classes...then maybe Lyra wouldn't have been put in danger..."[/i][/color] ShiZhen noticed the pamphlet on the table and read it idly. [color=a187be][i]"At least we didn't miss classes,"[/i][/color] ShiZhen thought. Placing the paper back on the nightstand, ShiZhen flopped heavily back into bed. She didn't want to get up. She didn't want to be at this school.

ShiZhen sighed. She needed to learn how to control her element. Before it was for her own sake; the inconvenience of always becoming wet randomly really put a damper on her everyday life. But now she felt responsible for what had happened to her and Lyra. Climbing out of the bed, she spoke with the nurse and got herself discharged. Taking a look back at Lyra's sleeping form, ShiZhen renewed her resolve to learn the art of water, even if it meant confronting the scariest individual she had met at this school thus far.

ShiZhen found herself heading towards the training pool in the on-campus hot spring. A short journey to the headmaster's office, the only water elementalist teacher she had met so far, brought he face-to-face with a note of the Headmaster's whereabouts, which led her here. Still, if he was in the hot spring and actually bathing, it would be prudent not to just waltz in and catch the man naked. [color=a187be]"H-hello?"[/color] ShiZhen called from the entrance to the pool, [color=a187be]"H-headmaster Hargor? I was wondering if you had some time...to give me some pointers..."[/color]

[@Kalleth] [@Zelosse]