#aeris lore

On the planet of Merchara, it rarely rains. Due to the planet's position from the sun, the sky is a permanent rust orange, with hints of yellow when the sun moves from east to west. It leaves no room for the sun to set or for clouds to form, except for one month out of the year, when the cold front from Glacius, another planet, makes its way to Merchara, heading right into your city of Theodion. When it rains, it pours for days, and unfortunately for you, it decided to pour on the first day of your new job as a teacher at the local primary school.

Bad omens seem to follow you wherever you go.

You aren’t from this town or this planet, but you planned to make this your home forever, to escape your dark past and make your amends in your own way— by being a good person. You’ve done things that you aren’t proud of, and your family is hell, but you refuse to let that define you. You’re safe now, you’re free, and despite the rain that decants outside of your window, you are determined to make it a great first day.

You decided to wear your teacher’s best: a dress that fit your shape nicely, paired with a cardigan to match. It’s important that you make a good first impression, as you are new here and don’t know anyone but your landlord. Your hair flowed past your shoulders, covering the tattoo of your family’s crest on the back of your neck that you have tried to ignore for many years now— the same crest that makes people shudder whenever it’s heard. You don’t want to be judged by that.

You glance at the time; the clock on the wall displays a quarter to 7, the neon lights illuminating your dark apartment. Scarfing down your breakfast of oatmeal, you quickly wash out your bowl and spoon, your body full of nervous jitters as you think about the day ahead. What will your kids be like? Will the other teachers like you? Can you even do this?

Shaking those thoughts out of your head, you put on your raincoat and slip on your mask, a necessity for the smog that plagues the city. You take one last look at your apartment, stepping out quietly and locking the door. The rain continues to fall, the smell of petrichor filling your nose as you approach the door. It’s an odd thing, seeing water come down from an orange sky. You’ve read about it in books and heard people talk about it, but to see it in person is nothing short of amazing.

“It’s going to be a good day.”

You repeat it in your head like a mantra over and over until you reach the school, a short jog from your apartment. The school’s sepia-colored building looms ahead, standing at two stories high. Its wide, inviting windows and rugged, weathered textures show its history, as it’s one of the oldest schools in the city. Maybe you will be here long enough to be a part of its history.

You approach one of the guards standing by the front doors, dressed in black, and his face covered in a specialized mask. “Can I see your badge, please?”

You slowly pull it from your jacket and place it in his hand. You stand there awkwardly as he scans it, while others pass by, giving you curious looks. “You can come in. Make a left turn into the hall, and you will see the admin office. Principal Young’s office is in the back.”

You whisper “thank you” as you take the badge from him, following the guard’s instructions until you find yourself at the Principal’s door. You raise your hand to knock as the door swings open, meeting a tall woman with bone-straight hair and round, kind eyes.

Ah! You made it!” She chirps, her happiness spreading over like a virus. “I am thrilled to have you with us!”

“I-I’m happy to be here,” you respond nervously, shaking her hand.

“You got here early, and that is perfect. Let me show you around the school and where you will be teaching.”

You practically speed walk with her as she shows you the different classrooms and talks about the lore. You couldn’t help but notice you were one of the youngest teachers in the building and the only one who didn’t seem to know everyone by name. Still, the staff smiled politely as you passed, some giving you curious nods, others watching you with unreadable eyes. You’d expected this. Small cities—even ones on other planets—always had that insular feel. You were the outsider. The new teacher. The enigma.

After an hour of maps, school traditions, and going over your class roster, you arrived at the last classroom on the left, with a view that overlooked the bustling city below.

“This is your classroom, O-4,” Principal Young announces, leading you inside. “I take it you went over your lesson plans that I emailed you?”

You nod, setting your bag on the desk. “I read over everything and emailed all of the parents, introducing myself. I’m sorry again, I couldn’t come to the meeting for all the teachers and students.”

“Oh, it’s okay,” Principal Young affirms warmly. “You were a last-minute addition, and I’m just glad we got another Literature teacher in time. There aren’t a lot of kids in your grade, so you will have one class in the morning, and the rest of your day will be for lesson planning and projects within the school.”

“That sounds good,” you respond, looking around the classroom. “I can’t wait to meet the kids and get started.”

“I will leave you to it,” she says, stepping back towards the door. “I see your materials for your class have arrived. You still have time to put everything together before the kids come. Have a great first day!”

You spend the next hour assembling your materials and assigning names to the desks. By the time the first bell rings, your nerves are almost forgotten. The children shooed in, dripping from the rain, their little faces filled with curiosity. Some are shy, others bold, but all of them stare at you like you’re some strange creature from a distant planet. In a way, you are. But you meet them with a warm smile and a gentle voice, and before long, you’re in the groove of teaching. You ask everyone to introduce themselves, and they do it without missing a beat.

There is one student who stands out the most—Yoon Sohee. She wears her hair in pigtails and keeps her nose to her book for the most part. She reminds you of yourself when you were younger, when all you knew was laughs and sunshine… before you’re life took a turn.

“So everyone—”

“There you are!”

Sohee shoots up from her desk, running to the door as a tall, lean, handsome man with dark hair hanging to his neck stands before her, the rain still beading off his shoulders. He is dressed in all black, holding up a lunchbox and a dripping umbrella in the other hand. Your eyes meet, and a slow smirk forms on his lips, sending a slight shiver down your spine.

“I’m here to bring Sohee her lunch,” he says smoothly and low. “You must be the new teacher.”

“I am, “ you confirm, observing him. “And you are…?”

“This is Jeonghan, my big brother,” Sohee beams, grabbing the lunchbox from him. “I thought you forgot.”

“I would never forget something as simple as lunch, kid,” he murmurs, his eyes not leaving yours.

“Well, that’s not what happened last week when you forgot to make dinner—”

“Ah, that’s enough of that,” Jeonghan covers Sohee’s mouth quickly. “I didn’t mean to interrupt your class. I just wanted to bring it to her.”

“It’s okay,” you smile softly, stepping behind your desk. “I’m sure she appreciates it.”

He gives a slow nod, his gaze piercing into your soul. “Welcome to Theodion, then.”

“Thanks,” you say, trying to sound steady. “I’m still learning everyone’s names.”

“I’m Jeonghan, but you knew that,” he offers. “Sohee’s older brother, legal guardian, sometimes lunch delivery guy.”

“So I heard,” you quip.

You glance down at the girl, who’s hugging her lunchbox and watching you both like she knows something you don’t. Shaking your head playfully, you gesture for her to sit in her seat, feeling the energy shift in the classroom as everyone’s eyes are on you two.

“Well, it was nice to meet you, Jeonghan,” you say, as it takes everything in you to turn away from him.

“It was nice to meet you as well, Miss…”

You raise an eyebrow, pointing at your name in bold letters on the wall. Jeonghan looks up and chuckles, his airy laugh as light as a feather.

“I guess I’ll be seeing you around then?”