The alchemy room was a complete mess, with open flasks, powders scattered across the workbench, and tools strewn about.
Anna observed the chaos while holding a small bottle filled with a translucent liquid she had found on one of the higher shelves. Beside her, Elara carried a box filled with dried herbs and shards of crystal. They both placed their finds on the table in front of Aria, who was hunched over her book, tracing the instructions with her finger as she murmured to herself.
"This should be everything," Elara said, straightening up and brushing her hands to rid them of dust. "Though I'm not sure that bottle is the right one."
"It's the right one," Aria replied without looking up from the book. "We need it to stabilize the mixture. Without it, we could end up with something that dyes more than just hair—and we don't want permanent black stains on our hands, do we?"