Slowly, gently, the warm rays of the morning sun nudged the city of Mangolia awake. Like a mother waking her child for school. Speaking of which... A grim shadow stood at the gate of the local school. Mute and motionless. Honestly, Mary was starting to have second thoughts about this quest. For starters, she had never been good with kids. She did like them, yes, but... They didn’t like her for some reason. Furthermore, dealing with a whole class at once felt beyond intimidating. It was one thing to sit at the back and hide behind a book and another thing entirely to keep watch on others. O-oh dear... She wasn’t feeling well anymore. M-maybe she could still make up an excuse and slink away.

However, a sudden voice shattered the cowardly plan. “Ah, you must be Mary.” A woman with glasses and a gentle smile approached the eerie specter. She eyed the mage up and down before clasping her hands together. “I was told you would be...” A number of words sprung to the teacher’s mind, but it would’ve been rude to use any of them. “...recognizable.” Good enough. “I am Sandine, the teacher who requested help.” She finished with a polite nod, leaving behind expectant silence. The nervous wreck mimicked the motion. She wanted to politely decline, but the social pressure was too much to bear. “Y-yes... I shall do my best...” After coming this far, it was less embarrassing to just follow along.

Soon, the teacher and her new assistant were in front of a full class. The kids were sharing nervous glances and whispers. Already the rumors were circling, getting worse with each pass. Mary swallowed a glump of nervousness that threatened to clog her throat. Politely and clearly now. “Nice... to meet you...” She cocked her head and offered the most reassuring smile she could muster. “I... hope we can get along...” Meanwhile, what the kids saw was something completely different. The ghastly creature twitched and trembled, moving like a marionette with broken strings. Her features split into a demented grin. A haunting voice trailed across the room. It left them all speechless.

As the first lesson started, Mary paced about restlessly. She was trying her hardest to remain quiet. Every step was slow and careful. Almost like she was gliding across the floor. In truth she wasn’t quite sure where she should stand. Or maybe sit down instead? The kids quivered as the gloomy woman passed near them. All of them kept their eyes on the board. When one poor, sleepy soul started to nod, his descent into a nice morning nap was stopped short by a chilling sensation. Cold fingers crept onto his shoulder, a touch so light he wasn’t sure if it was even real. Trembling, he slowly forced himself to glance aside. A scream got stuck in his throat when he saw a pale hand. A haunting whisper slipped into his ears. “You can rest when you are dead...” He went pale and straightened his back. All his peers followed the suit.

After what felt like a small eternity, the bell finally showed mercy to the kids. The teacher didn’t even have time to bid them farewell before the class was empty. Only a lonely piece of paper and dancing dust remained in their wake. She watched the kids running home like their life depended on it. “Well... At least nobody fell asleep this time...” She twitched back with a startled yelp when she realized Mary had crept right up to her. A couple of seconds of silent staring passed. “Uh... Y-your reward. Right. Of course.” Mary nodded. A pouch was offered. She accepted it with a gentle nod and a quiet mutter. “A coin to pay Charon...” The teacher blinked, unsure if she heard that correctly. “...What?” The question was met with a meek squeak. “N-nothing.” And so the ghastly mage hurried away before she could embarrass herself further. Job... Well done?