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In the heart of Cobalt Crescendo, where the air hummed with forgotten harmonies, stood Elemental University—a sanctuary for both knowledge and enigma. Its spires pierced the sky, their cobalt-tinted glass refracting sunlight into spectral hues. Here, the mundane and the mystical danced a delicate waltz.
Within the teachers’ quarters of the university residential area’s walled campus, two professors — their names whispered in reverence across lecture halls and moonlit courtyards, were on the edge of their seats, awaiting an important piece of news.
Fluora Fury, the enigmatic journalism professor had nothing to say for once in her life. Most days, she always had an opinion on everything, but for once, she remained inert. Her office, in an easy-to-find location, was full of students’ books, which she liked to correct, and roast sometimes. She liked to paste a sticky note on her students’ notebooks, saying, ‘This notebook is like a salad - a little bit of everything tossed together and dressed in mystery,’ with a small smiley face, to tell them it was just a joke. It made the 20-year-olds feel ten again and was always in good fun.
“I’m scared, Flo… what’s the result of the test going to be?” her husband, the silent, noble Mathematics professor Dr. Xeno Aurelius asked her, squeezing her hand. Unlike Fluora, Xeno never liked to socialize. He preferred to stay in his office, in the most remote corner of the university, and work on his algebra. He found talking to people as complex as imaginary numbers; interesting to think about, but hard to grasp. “The probability of you actually liking your elemental powers are only ½.”
Fluora chuckled slightly. “Xeno, you would rather have calculated the probability of this event than actually attending it.”
“Actually, I have… it was only 1/15, when I calculated it as a college student myself.” he replied.
“That makes it all the more special. Now, we really need to focus, because I did not go on maternity leave for six months to…” Fluora’s voice trailed off as she glanced at her watch. “To miss the moment when she makes her grand entrance after the identification test. They said it’ll be done by now.”
Xeno’s fleeting smile gave way to a furrowed brow as fear crept into his voice. “The anticipation is almost unbearable,” he admitted. Then, a shadow of concern darkened his expression. “But what if… what if her element is one of those… hazardous ones?” The word ‘radioactive’ hung unspoken in the air. “Suppose she inherits an affinity for something like uranium or polonium?” His voice trailed off, the names of the elements themselves seeming to carry a weight of worry. “Or something even more… No, I can’t bear to think of it,” he concluded, the unease evident in his tone.
“Radon?” Fluora echoed, her voice tinged with surprise, noticing Xeno’s visible discomfort. “Don’t worry, Xeno. Even if she inherits a radioactive element, we’ll educate others about it, dissolve the myths. It won’t be as daunting as it seems.”
Xeno exhaled, seeking to change the subject. “Can we stop talking about this, please?”
“Of course, I’m sorry,” Fluora replied, her journalistic instinct to speak candidly clouding her sensitivity for a while. “You should have thought about that before falling for a journalism professor, huh?”
“I don’t mind,” he shrugged, and smiled. “You’re right. Whatever happens, we’ll be there for her.”
Moments later, a figure dressed in a protective yellow suit appeared. “The time has come,” she announced, gesturing for them to follow. “Please, this way.”
The new parents gulped slightly and exchanged a quick glance. As they stood up, Fluora grasped his hand, and at him reassuringly. The two walked together into the room, and saw their daughter inside, giggling and trying to pull a small bandage off her hand. The air in the room, full of nitrogen, oxygen and mystery, was witness to the secretive identification test, known only by those who conducted it. A scientist would draw a small dose of blood from a newborn, and using the sample, would conduct a series of tests to see which element they resonated with. The scientists, Xeno and Fluora had all gone through it as children, and now, it was their daughter’s turn.
“Congratulations,” the head scientist said, a smile on his face. “She has the powers of oxygen, gold and traces of helium.”
Her parents gasped, astonished by the results. Gold and helium were both rather rare.
Fluora’s eyes sparkled with unshed tears of joy, mirroring the luster of gold that now seemed to be a part of their daughter’s destiny. Xeno, ever the stoic, felt a warmth spread through him, a stark contrast to the cool, calculating demeanor he was known for. They both knew that their daughter’s unique combination of elements heralded a future filled with potential and promise.
“Oxygen and gold signify a strong connection to the earth, a grounding force,” the head scientist continued, his voice tinged with excitement. “And helium, though rare, speaks of the ability to rise above, to see things from a higher perspective. Your daughter could very well be a bridge between the tangible and the ethereal.”
As the implications of his words sank in, the couple watched their daughter, who seemed oblivious to the gravity of the moment. She was more interested in the floating balloons near the ceiling, her giggles filling the room as one of the balloons drifted towards her. To their amazement, the balloon paused in mid-air, as if held by an invisible string, before gently descending into her tiny, outstretched hand.
The scientists exchanged looks of awe. It was clear that the child had already begun to exhibit control over her elements, a rare feat for one so young. The room buzzed with whispered theories and possibilities, the air itself seeming to vibrate with the potential of what was to come.
“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Fluora asked.
“We should name her?”
“I was thinking we publish the great find… but we do need to name her first. How about… Aurelia? Aurelia Oxide.”
Xeno nodded in agreement, his smile betraying the calmness he tried to exhibit at all times.
Thus, the name Aurelia Oxide was etched into the records of Cobalt Crescendo, marking the birth of a child graced with the regenerative prowess of oxygen, the radiant luminescence akin to gold’s gleam, and the levitational gift that echoed helium’s lightness, sending balloons adrift on an invisible breeze.
