《Vylt: The New Dawn》 Prologue Things didn¡¯t look good for us. We could hear its distant howling coming closer. We were foolish. ¡°I¡¯ll distract it! Keep running!¡± Those were Viper¡¯s final words before he turned his back on us and faced the monster on his own. He was the last tank in our group. I wanted to stay and help him, yet there was nothing we could do against it. We kept going, hoping to reach the exit before it was too late. We couldn¡¯t let his sacrifice go to waste. It wasn¡¯t long before its roar echoed through the cavern once more. Everything started when one of our guild¡¯s members discovered a new dungeon nearby. Its presence was a complete enigma. We all knew there were no unexplored dungeons in the vicinity anymore. More importantly, there was no way we could miss one so close to our base. The only explanation we had was that its entrance had been revealed recently. Regardless of its mysterious and sudden appearance, we were thrilled to see what treasures awaited us inside. Thirty-two of our guild members, including me, went into the dungeon to investigate. Two defenders, two healers, and four damage dealers were assigned to each party. It was standard practice for us. As a druid, I had access to all sorts of abilities. From powerful nature based spells to protective physical skills, druids could even act as full-time healers. That said, it was the norm for us to make a choice and focus on only one of those paths to get the most out of them. My duty for this mission was to heal and support my team. This wasn¡¯t because I had chosen the path of a healer. In fact, staying at the back while making sure everyone else was in fighting condition wasn¡¯t something I enjoyed that much. Quite the opposite, I preferred to be in the front lines as a damage dealer. Why did I end up in such a position then? Simple. We didn¡¯t have enough healers. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Despite knowing I needed to, I could never actually choose my path like I was supposed to. My indecision meant I wasn¡¯t durable enough to act as a tank for my team, nor as strong as any of the damage dealers in my guild. Not even my healing could be considered efficient enough. None of these things mattered when I ventured on my own. Rather, being a jack-of-all-trades suited me quite well, but it proved to be troublesome when working in a team. Or at least, that¡¯s what I thought at first. That unusual mix of skills made me one of the guild¡¯s wildcards. This meant that my role changed depending on the situation, and because of our annoying lack of healers, they assigned me to said position regularly. Once inside the dungeon, we were met with an interesting scene. A large cavernous system with ceilings so high they faded into the darkness. The hallways, no doubt created by intelligent life, were full of shattered sculptures and tapestries that had seen better days. The place was full of rooms, most of which were only protected by rotting pieces of wood and a few creatures that turned them into their new homes after the previous owners disappeared. All the creatures we faced were nothing close to a threat. Even the weakest among us made quick work of them. Because of this, we only spent around an hour clearing the place. It was rather boring, but the loot had been generous up to that point. We couldn¡¯t wait to see the treasures that awaited us in the final room. It was clear from the massive gates and the old warning scriptures that the boss of the dungeon awaited inside. There was no dungeon without a boss, after all. We were doomed the moment we walked through those giant gates. It attacked without provocation. The main party was killed before we could even get to our positions. We were still trying to understand what had happened when the culprit looked our way, preparing to strike once more. Its roar was enough to wake us from our stupor, and we immediately turned back and ran. Our blood froze when we heard the creature following close. One by one, my friends fell as we rushed through the halls trying to get to the exit. Some tried to stop or mislead it, others simply weren¡¯t fast enough. There was nothing we could do for them. The damned thing killed everyone instantly, just like we did to its underlings earlier. Only two of us remained after Viper died, and Ryme, who was my best friend and a fellow healer, suddenly stopped. I turned back to look at her, and she gave me a bitter smile. ¡°I guess this is it, Vylt. I¡¯ll see you on the other side.¡± I knew what she meant. The exit was still out of sight, and it was clear that we weren¡¯t going to make it. There was no point in running anymore. We couldn¡¯t honour our friends¡¯ sacrifices, but if we were to fall, we¡¯d at least do so while fighting. I returned the smile and nodded silently. At that moment, we turned towards the monster and rushed forward to face death head on. Chapter 1: Infected That thing was bugged. It had to be. While aggressive bosses weren¡¯t a foreign concept in the game, none were supposed to attack the players as soon as they came into vision, much less one with such a high damage output. If it was intentional, then the developers had finally gone crazy. I was furious regardless of the reason. I had taken my best equipment to that raid. In Danath Online players not only lost experience but also dropped everything they had on them whenever they died. It was annoying, yet it made the virtual reality game feel more realistic. We actually feared death because of it. The bright side was that we could always recover our things. All the items remained on the corpse and had no time limit unless they were perishable already. Anyone could claim them, but since the dungeon was unknown to everyone else, the risk of someone stealing my stuff was low. We still needed to go back for them as soon as possible, though. Mary, nicknamed Ryme inside the game, and I were lucky to die closer to the entrance, and chances were that she had already gone back to recover our things after I went to bed in frustration. She was better at keeping her cool. The biggest problem was that some of our friends, including our guild leader, had been less fortunate and died inside the boss room. Our only chance to recover their equipment was levelling up. We needed to, otherwise we wouldn¡¯t survive getting hit by that thing. That, however, was a concern for the future. I woke up earlier than usual. It was a very special day, after all. It marked the end of an era, and the beginning of a much more exciting stage of my life. It was my last day of high school, and the thought of finally graduating was enough to make me forget about yesterday¡¯s fiasco. The sun had yet to rise when I got to the bus stop. I always took the earliest rides to avoid dealing with the crowds that formed later on, and today wasn¡¯t the exception. I didn¡¯t consider myself antisocial. Not anymore, at least. I simply enjoyed those nice peaceful moments of solitude before school. Sitting on the closest bench, I took out my phone and began reading the new issue of Mysterium while I waited. I never missed a single release of my favourite digital magazine. While I particularly enjoyed reading horror stories and the legends of the Old Era, I also had a blast going through the fake news included at the end of each issue. It was mind-boggling that some people honestly thought many of those stories were real, no matter how far-fetched they got. People claiming aliens had abducted them and famous cryptid encounters were all too common. I was just done reading an article on zombies and survival when I heard a scream nearby. Turning to look at the origin of the noise, I spotted a young man leaning on a tree at the other side of the stop. I approached him cautiously to see what was wrong. He only grunted when I asked. It was clear that he was in a tremendous amount of pain, so I dialled the emergency line. There was more screaming and groaning. He fell to his knees, as if the last of his strength had finally deserted him. ¡°There¡¯s a very sick person next to me. I think. He seems unable to stand up or talk from the pain, and I don¡¯t see any wounds.¡± I winced as his suffering clearly increased. ¡°I think he¡¯s just a bit older than I am. Oh, sorry. Um, early to mid-twenties, maybe? He¡¯s kneeling and pressing his stomach with one hand. Wait¡­ He¡¯s gagging now!¡± What is that thing!? Realising the words never left my mouth, I told the lady what I witnessed. ¡°S-some black stuff just came out of his mouth!¡± The mass, no bigger than my fist, was so dark I couldn¡¯t see its shape properly. The moment it fell to the ground, some sort of smoke came out of it. ¡°It stinks!¡± I said, blocking my nose with my free hand. She practically shrieked in my ear. I quickly did as she asked and walked a few metres away from him. That¡¯s when I realised the bus was about to arrive. I could already see its faint lights in the distance, blurred by the thin morning mist. ¡°Hey, is it still necessary for me to be here? I don¡¯t mean to sound selfish, but I won¡¯t make it to school if I miss this bus. Surely you¡¯ve finished tracking if the ambulance is coming.¡± It was a small lie. I could always take the next ones. The situation was simply too uncomfortable for me. Who could blame me? I didn¡¯t want to be there unless I had no other choice. Although I felt bad for abandoning the guy, he was still conscious, and I had already done my part by calling for an ambulance. The lady¡¯s words dashed my hopes immediately. Just then, the guy collapsed on the floor. My shoulders dropped in defeat, followed by a heavy sigh. I simply couldn¡¯t abandon an unconscious person. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll wait.¡± She thanked me and ended the call. The bus arrived a couple of minutes after that, and the doors opened, tempting me to get in. ¡°I¡¯ll take the next one,¡± I told the driver, pointing at the unconscious man. He stared briefly, probably wondering what I was doing so far from him, but he eventually turned back to me and bobbed his head in acknowledgement before retaking his route. I could only watch despondently as the vehicle left without any passengers. It was a pity that things weren¡¯t going how I wanted. Hopefully, it would all be over by the time the last bus came. Setting the earlier lie aside, I really didn¡¯t want to miss class. I had a flawless attendance record, and I certainly didn¡¯t want to ruin it on the very last day of school. A few more minutes went by, and the man remained silent on the ground. The smell finally faded so, despite the warning, I got closer to check on him. Fortunately, he was still breathing. I looked around, only to discover the dark mass was nowhere to be seen. If the lady hadn¡¯t reacted so strongly to it, I would¡¯ve blamed it on my mind playing tricks on me. Eventually, the ambulance showed up with a black car following closely behind it. As they picked the man up, the owner of said vehicle stepped out and walked to me. He seemed to be around thirty years old, with short black hair, and wearing a suit of the same colour. He was thin and looked sickly pale. As if his emotionless face wasn¡¯t unsettling enough, he wore shades to hide any trace of life his eyes could show. The guy looked ready to wipe my memories of the incident. ¡°Good morning, Miss. I assume you¡¯re the one who made the call?¡± I nodded slowly. ¡°Okay. Could you also confirm that there was no one else near the victim when the black object was expelled?¡± A chill went up my spine. That didn¡¯t sound promising. ¡°I was the only one here. Why? Is it dangerous?¡± I asked in fear. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ It may be¡­ yes.¡± I frowned, confused by his reply. ¡°You mean you don¡¯t know for sure?¡± ¡°The virus that man contracted is new, and it can be very unpredictable, I¡¯m afraid. I don¡¯t mean to scare you, but there¡¯s a small chance you may have contracted it.¡± His words made me flinch. I had heard about something like that on the news not long ago. It was a virus with a low infection rate, but it was known to be lethal in most cases. I shuddered at the thought. Seeing my expression, he placed his hands on my shoulders and gave me a comforting smile. Or at least he tried to. Showing emotion was clearly not his specialty. His face remained mostly unchanged, like that of a statue. ¡°Relax, we won¡¯t let anything bad happen to you. I promise.¡± I felt oddly calm hearing that. It was weird how quickly my fears vanished. I was aware of that, and I also knew this whole situation was scary, yet there was no fear. Not anymore. I trusted this person completely. ¡°I know all this might confuse you, but I need you to cooperate with me, okay?¡± Nodding once more, I replied, ¡°Yeah, okay.¡± ¡°Thank you. First, we must run a quick test to see if you are infected or not. Would you please follow me to my car?¡± I did as he asked without hesitation, and he drove for about half an hour until we left the city. We stayed on the highway for another thirty minutes before we changed course and took a narrow path through the nearby forest. It made little sense for a hospital to be in the middle of such a place, but the ambulance was heading the same way, so I didn¡¯t question it. As we went deeper into the woods, I thought about letting my parents know of my situation. It wouldn¡¯t be good if they thought I had been kidnapped or something like that. I turned my phone on, only to see there was no reception. ¡°For security reasons we don¡¯t allow for communication in this area,¡± he said, noticing my confusion. ¡°Don¡¯t be alarmed, you will be able to communicate once we arrive.¡± I accepted his statement with a nod and turned back to the window to contemplate the passing scenery. Twenty minutes went by before we finally reached our destination. As we got out of the car, I saw the ambulance go through what I assumed to be the entrance to an underground parking garage. After that, an old man in a white lab coat walked down the front stairs of the building. He was tall, around 1.80 metres, with pale blue eyes, a full well-groomed beard, and a kind expression. He appeared to be in his late sixties, maybe even older. Despite that, he looked full of energy and carried himself with dignity. His mostly white mane still had some traces of black hair mixed in. ¡°Welcome, young lady! I am Dr. Blake, the director of this investigation centre.¡± ¡°You mean it¡¯s not a hospital?¡± I asked with a frown. ¡°Well, it is, technically. However, it is not your usual hospital, and I don¡¯t say this just because of its abnormal location. You see, our focus here is the study and treatment of a newly discovered virus. One that you might already be infected with, unfortunately.¡± ¡°How can you tell if I do?¡± He casually placed a hand on my shoulder and led me up the stairs as he explained. ¡°A quick blood test will tell us what we need. It won¡¯t take more than a few minutes, I promise.¡± It seemed simple enough. I still wanted to call my parents, though. Given my perfect attendance, it wouldn¡¯t be weird if the school tried to contact them to find out the reason. If not them, Mary would do it instead. ¡°May I call my family first? They might get worried if they find out I never got to school.¡± He raised an eyebrow and stopped to give me a concerned look. ¡°Is that really your only concern right now?¡± I didn¡¯t understand what he meant by that. Just then, the man with the shades, who was walking next to the doctor, whispered something in his ear. ¡°You did? I see¡­¡± The doctor raked his fingers through his hair in a pensive manner. He then looked back at me and continued. ¡°I understand your concerns, but I must insist on running the test first. This virus has a low infection rate, so there¡¯s a good chance you come out clean. If that¡¯s the case, we¡¯ll simply send you back home. How does that sound?¡± I looked at my phone as I thought about it. Huh. It has signal now, just like he said. Whatever, they seem nice. I guess it won¡¯t hurt to cooperate. That way I won¡¯t worry mom over this if it turns out to be nothing. ¡°Fine. Test first.¡± He smiled in response. ¡°Excellent! This way, please.¡± They guided me inside the building and into an elegant room full of bookshelves, a large monitor, and a desk full of paperwork with a plaque that read ¡®Dr. Blake¡¯ placed on top. There was also a small wooden table surrounded by a set of small wine coloured sofas and some medical equipment. It looked like the fancy combination between a consulting room and a psychologist¡¯s office. Dr. Blake offered me a seat and prepared to draw some blood. I was not a fan of needles, but I didn¡¯t mind them as long as I didn¡¯t see them in action. Once the doctor had the sample, he handed it to Stone Face, who stepped out of the room right after. Dr. Blake then grabbed a tablet from his desk and pulled a stylus from his lab coat¡¯s pocket. ¡°Now, I¡¯d like you to answer a few questions for me. For starters, can you tell me your full name and age?¡± ¡°Nora Hayes, 18 years old,¡± I replied. ¡°Nora then. Have you suffered from any major disease or injury? Any allergies, perhaps?¡± ¡°No, at least none that I¡¯m aware of.¡± ¡°I see,¡± he muttered, writing it down. ¡°How about your parents or close relatives, any health issues with them?¡± I thought about that for a bit, but I couldn¡¯t recall any member of my family having anything like that. The interview continued with him asking a few more questions regarding my diet, daily activities, and even my emotional state. His phone rang shortly after that, and he turned away to answer without leaving his seat. He hung up after a few seconds of silently listening and faced me once more. ¡°Well, I¡¯ve got good and bad news for you. The bad is that I just got the initial results regarding your blood sample. The quick analysis confirmed that the virus is active within your body. I¡¯m sorry.¡± This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. My jaw dropped. The fear was back with a vengeance, and this time, my heart didn¡¯t calm down like before. I bombarded the doctor with questions. ¡°How dangerous is it!? Is there a cure? What about the other guy? Is he even alive!?¡± ¡°Calm down. You¡¯re not in danger.¡± ¡°But the man with the shades said-¡± ¡°I know what he said earlier,¡± he interrupted. ¡°Trust me, you¡¯ll be fine. That¡¯s where the good news comes in. You see, everything you¡¯ve heard of the virus so far is nothing more than a fabrication. I do hope you can forgive us for misleading you in such a way, however, it¡¯s important that we keep it a secret from the general public.¡± I could only stare in disbelief. Minutes ago, I¡¯d been told I contracted a lethal virus, and now it turned out to be a farce? ¡°A fake? Why is it a secret? And why can you tell me now?¡± ¡°It¡¯s no longer a secret for you because you¡¯re now directly involved. Listen, why don¡¯t you call your family so I can explain everything in detail to everyone? Your parents should be safe given their age, so I wouldn¡¯t worry about them, but siblings or any young family members should stay at home or they may be exposed to the virus.¡± Can you make up your mind? Is it safe or not? I kept the thought in my head and gave out an exasperated huff. I looked at my bag and pulled my phone out of it once more. There was already one message from Mom asking where I was. I immediately called back. My mother asked as she picked up the call. ¡°Hi, Mom. Yes, I¡¯m fine.¡± I could hear her sigh in relief. ¡°Sorry. I kinda got myself involved in something... weird.¡± She made a brief pause before speaking again. ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know anymore¡­¡± I shook my head. ¡°Okay, so there was this guy with me at the bus stop. He contracted a virus or something. I don¡¯t know anymore¡­ A-anyway, I was taken to the hospital as a precaution. The doctor ran some tests, and it turns out I¡¯m infected.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, Mom!¡± I interrupted before she could spiral further. ¡°The doctor is not making any sense!¡± That earned me a confused look from the old man. ¡°He says he wants you and Dad to come so he can explain it or something.¡± She took a deep breath to calm herself before replying, ¡°I¡¯m sending it in a moment. Ah, right! I know it¡¯s weird, but the hospital is in the middle of the forest. You won¡¯t have any phone reception when you enter, but you¡¯ll get here if you keep driving straight.¡± No, really. What is wrong with me!? What was I thinking? Did I really just get in a stranger¡¯s car and let him take me here? It was, however, too late for regrets. I was already there, and if they wanted to do anything to me, they had plenty of chances to do so previously. I ended the call and sent her my location so they could find the place. Dr. Blake helped me by pointing out where they needed to exit the highway. Apparently, the trail wasn¡¯t marked on any map. Once ready, he led me to a room on the second floor of the building and gave me a sky blue hospital gown and a pair of slippers for me to change into before he left the room. I placed my bag next to the bed and my uniform on top of the nightstand next to it. Once I had the gown on, I got in the bed and closed my eyes, hoping to get some needed sleep after all the weird stuff. It was easier said than done. I kept turning around, far too nervous to do so. After a while, I gave up on that idea and opened my eyes to scan the white room. There was a small wooden table and four chairs next to the bed. Behind them, I saw a big window with prussian blue curtains. It had a nice view of the forest surrounding the building. The room also had a small dresser and an open door leading to a bathroom. While it had a few measuring devices like a stadiometer, a weighing scale, and a few other machines I didn¡¯t recognise, the room looked closer to what you would find in a cheap hotel than in a hospital. The summer heat was already making the place feel stuffy, so I opened the window a little to get some fresh air. I sat on one chair, enjoying the cool breeze, and took out my phone to finish reading my magazine while I waited. I was hoping it would distract me from everything, even if just for a bit. The last article was about shadow people and their many sightings in the Black Forest, a place far to the east of Eredel, the city I lived in. It included many stories about campers feeling as if they were being observed or hearing humming at night. In other instances, people reported some of their belongings and food disappearing as they slept. It was nothing new. Despite being a beautiful forest, it was considered to be haunted by those beings long before I was born. The scariest story was one about a family that claimed spotting a pair of glowing purple eyes staring at them from the darkness. They even managed to take a picture which was, conveniently, so blurry you couldn¡¯t identify anything in it. As I finished reading, I heard a vehicle approaching. I looked through the window and saw my parents¡¯ car pulling up. My phone¡¯s battery was low, so I pulled the charger out of my bag and connected it in case I needed it later. After that, I sat at the edge of the bed, waiting for them to enter. The door opened a few minutes later, and Dr. Blake led my parents into the room. Mom ran to me the instant she saw me. She hugged me tightly before sitting next to me. Dad grabbed a chair, dragging it closer to us and sitting down before gesturing for the doctor to explain the situation. Dr. Blake nodded and sat down too. ¡°I know you¡¯re concerned about all this, so let me begin by saying you don¡¯t have to worry about your daughter¡¯s safety. She will be fine once the virus completes its cycle in a few days. What Nora is about to go through is a series of mutations triggered by what we call the ¡®Mana Adaptation Virus¡¯, or MAV for short.¡± My father and I frowned at the mention of one particular word. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Dr. Blake, did you just say ¡®mana¡¯?¡± I asked. Dr. Blake smiled wryly. ¡°Yes, and I know what you¡¯re thinking, but it¡¯s the truth. This is the reason it must stay a secret to the general public. Mana is the name given to a newly discovered substance capable of manipulating our world in ways that defy logic. You could say it acts like the stuff from myths and fantasy. We learned of its existence thanks to the recent discovery of a species of microscopic animals named Aforidia, which is capable of manipulating small amounts of mana in order to improve its environment in extreme conditions.¡± We all showed clear faces of disbelief. The more he spoke, the less sense it made. Dr. Blake carried on as if he didn¡¯t notice. ¡°After this discovery, a group of scientists developed a virus with it. The purpose was to alter human genes to grant us those abilities. I¡¯m not sure of the details myself, but they considered the project unsuccessful and abandoned it as a result. ¡°Unfortunately, the virus was somehow released, and it has been randomly spreading for a while now. Thing is, it¡¯s not as useless as they originally believed it to be. Turns out only a small percentage of the population is affected by it. Those who do get infected mutate rapidly, and these changes vary greatly among the patients. Many of them can no longer be called human because of it.¡± Honestly, his story was quickly becoming outlandish with all this talk about mana and transformations. Looking from my angry parents to me, he cleared his throat and laced his fingers as he bent forward. ¡°I¡¯ll get straight to the point. We ran a blood test on Nora and confirmed that the virus is already making changes within her as we speak. The pain this causes once it gets to the next stage is enough to render the host unconscious during the process, so she¡¯ll have to stay with us while we monitor-¡± Dad had heard enough and stood up. ¡°Do you really expect us to believe this nonsense about magic!? I don¡¯t know who you think you are, but there¡¯s no way we¡¯re leaving our daughter here with a lunatic! We are leaving.¡± I went to grab my things before I heard the doctor calmly respond, ¡°I¡¯m afraid we can¡¯t let that happen.¡± A chill ran up my spine, I halted and turned slowly towards him. My parents had moved to stand between us after his comment. Dr. Blake sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry. That came out wrong.¡± He then raised his hand in a placating manner. ¡°Look, I know how crazy this sounds, but we can¡¯t afford to let her go in her current state. Trust me, the government won¡¯t like it one bit.¡± We all went stiff as we heard that. The government was not unfair to the population. Poverty was low, and they actively worked for the wellbeing of the entire world. Despite that, there were plenty of rumours about what they did beneath the surface to those who disregarded their authority. It was definitely a bad idea to make an enemy out of them if they were involved in this. ¡°Here¡¯s my proposal, Mr. Hayes. You say you won¡¯t leave her in my care because I¡¯m crazy, which is perfectly understandable given the situation. I couldn¡¯t believe it either until I saw it with my own eyes. Now, I take it there would be no problem if I can prove that all of what I said is real, correct?¡± Dad hesitated. He glanced at Mom and I, biting his lip before nodding at the doctor. Dr. Blake smiled and clapped his hands together. ¡°Thank you. Then, if you¡¯re kind enough to follow me to my office, I¡¯ll show you the undeniable proof of everything I have said. If you¡¯re still not convinced after that, you¡¯re free to take your daughter with you and deal with her problem and its consequences yourself. You¡¯re more than welcome to come back anytime if you change your mind, of course. Either way is fine by me.¡± He held his hand out, giving Dad a challenging stare. ¡°Do we have a deal?¡± Dad was still a bit reluctant, but we all knew we had nothing to lose. Even if this whole thing about magic was unbelievable, the other man was, in fact, really sick. If it turned out to be true, it was better to stay with someone who knew about it. Satisfied, Dr. Blake led them out of the room, while I returned to the bed to wait. ---<>----------<>----------<>--- They had been gone for a while, and I kept pacing from one side of the room to the other. When my parents finally returned, they looked as if they had seen a ghost. Mom¡¯s mascara was ruined by tear tracks. She immediately made her way to me and hugged me tightly with no sign of ever letting go. Whatever he showed them, I knew it was enough to convince them. Dr. Blake placed a small crystal box on the table and watched silently, letting us have our moment. ¡°We have little time now, the virus will enter its next stage soon,¡± he eventually said. ¡°Nora, I think you already know what will happen when it does. I understand that this may be too much to take in at once, but try to keep an open mind so it will be easier for you and your family to accept the change, okay?¡± My mouth was dry. I opened it to speak, but a knot in my throat made me choke. Unable to say anything, I nodded. Dr. Blake gave me a comforting smile before turning to my parents. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you alone with her so you can say goodbye.¡± As the door closed behind him, Dad trembled. Tears were running down his cheeks. It was something I had only seen him do a couple of times in my whole life. He quickly joined Mom in hugging me. From their reactions, I imagined that the changes I would experience were truly scary. I felt out of breath all of a sudden and tightened my hold on them. It¡¯s not fair. I am happy the way I am. Why did this happen to me? I tried being strong for them, but in the end, I broke too, and soon we were covered in tears. It took a while before we finally recovered. Mom held my face in her hands before pulling an errant lock of hair behind my ear with a shaky smile. ¡°Nora, we just want you to know that no matter what, you will always be our daughter, and we love you all the same.¡± ¡°We will overcome this together,¡± Dad added. ¡°Stay strong, okay?¡± I knew their words were meant to comfort me, but they only made me worry more about the changes. Even so, I wiped my tears away and faked a smile for them. ¡°I love you too. I promise to stay positive no matter what!¡± I really hoped I could keep my promise. Mom kissed my forehead, and Dad ruffled my hair. They told me they weren¡¯t allowed to visit me until my transformation was complete. Perhaps the process wasn¡¯t pleasant to look at? It didn¡¯t matter much to me since I would be unconscious anyway. We spent a few minutes in silence before they both hugged me one last time. Then, they hesitantly said goodbye and left the room. What did they see that made them change their minds so quickly? How could they accept leaving me here so easily? All this talk about magic still sounds crazy to me. What will I become? He mentioned that the purpose of the virus was to enable the use of mana... Does that mean I¡¯ll be able to use magic? ¡°Your parents are on their way home.¡± Dr. Blake¡¯s voice startled me. I was so deep in my thoughts that I didn¡¯t notice when he entered the room. ¡°If you have any questions, feel free to ask. We still have some time left.¡± ¡°What did you show them?¡± He pulled a chair close to me and sat down. ¡°They saw some other patients. They wanted proof, so I showed it to them.¡± ¡°Can I see them?¡± ¡°Some of them, sure,¡± he replied. ¡°Let me look for them as we speak.¡± I gulped and looked down, playing with my hands. Will they look the same afterwards? ¡°How much will I change?¡± ¡°It¡¯s too early to know for sure. The virus reacts differently for everyone, you see. It hasn¡¯t been that long since all this started, so we lack information to make such a prediction. The good news is that there is a high probability that you will remain human and wake up in less than a week. There is, however, a minuscule chance for your body to perish during the process and-¡± ¡°What!?¡± My heart skipped a beat right there. ¡°You said it wasn¡¯t lethal!¡± He shook his head. ¡°I told you that you were not in danger and that your parents didn¡¯t need to worry about it. I also assured you that everything will be fine once the mutation is over. I never denied the possibility of death.¡± How can he call that not being in danger!? Dr. Blake looked at my face as I trembled, and he sighed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I chose my words poorly again. I didn¡¯t mean to frighten you.¡± ¡°Who wouldn¡¯t be afraid of dying!?¡± ¡°I know it¡¯s confusing, but hear me out, okay? So far, there have been five casualties from the virus. That said, death may not be the right word here. In all of those cases, a being made entirely of mana emerged from the corpse. A ghost with no physical body. They look just like they did as humans and keep all of their memories from before the mutation started. They don¡¯t truly die; only their body does.¡± I exhaled slowly, forcing my heart rate to slow down. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to think of that, but okay, let¡¯s roll with it for now. What else can I, uh, become?¡± ¡°The important factor here is the way it infected you. Inhaling the spores will, in most cases, lead to one of five already established ¡®Races¡¯, as we call them. I already mentioned the first two. Their official names are Metahuman and Ghost. Metahumans are what we could call the primary goal of the MAV. They are merely humans able to produce their own mana.¡± I perked up at that. For the first time since this all started, hope grew in me. ¡°Will I be able to use magic then?¡± He chuckled at my child-like wonder. ¡°It¡¯s likely. It was the main purpose of the experiment, after all. Though I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t guarantee anything just yet. Only some have been able to do it so far. Speaking of which, the other three races are Elf, Draell, and Vampire. Since you reacted that way when I mentioned mana, I¡¯m guessing you are familiar with them, right?¡± I nodded with a small grin. Elves and vampires were a staple of fantasy. ¡°Then I¡¯m sure you probably know what they look like already. Still, these are the pictures I have of them.¡± He presented his tablet for me to grab. ¡°Take a look.¡± I took the device in my hands and inspected the three images on display. The first was clearly that of an elf man. Mostly human in appearance, with silver blond hair, grey eyes and long pointy ears. His body was slender, too. Save for the modern clothes he wore, this elf looked just like a character from Danath Online. Next was the vampire. Her appearance was very similar to the elf, but her ears were much shorter, and her cat-like eyes were red, like a brick. She had long black hair and skin white as snow. ¡°Do vampires have fangs, too?¡± I asked, looking up at him. The girl in the picture had her mouth closed, so I couldn¡¯t tell. ¡°They do,¡± he replied. ¡°Interestingly enough, because of the lack of pigmentation in their skin, they are prone to getting sunburnt, so they even share that with the ones from legends. That said, they won¡¯t turn to ash or crave human blood like the ones from legends.¡± ¡°And is this last one a dark elf?¡± The last person certainly looked like one. He had almost identical traits to the elf. The only difference was that this guy had black hair and grey skin. ¡°Correct,¡± he answered. ¡°Many do refer to them as dark elves, but we were told to call them Draell. Makes it a lot easier to see them as different races.¡± ¡°Draell then. I see¡­¡± Truthfully, I felt much better after seeing the pictures. The mutations were nowhere near as scary as they seemed at first. I wasn¡¯t sure what to think about leaving my body or having my skin change colour, but it was still better than becoming deformed or something like that. Wait¡­ ¡°Isn¡¯t it too much of a coincidence for them to look like that?¡± He nodded in agreement. ¡°Weird, isn¡¯t it? I originally thought that the developers of the virus intended it, but that¡¯s no longer the case. My current theory is a bit crazier, actually. While we have yet to find any convincing evidence of this, I have my reasons to believe some of these beings actually existed centuries ago, back in the Old Era. ¡°The humans of the past may have found a way to use magic, just like us. If that¡¯s the case, perhaps they were also transformed into these races as a result. There could have been another virus or something quite similar that enabled this.¡± My eyes went wide with that revelation. ¡°How is that possible? Shouldn¡¯t there be some kind of evidence or something? They couldn¡¯t just vanish, right?¡± I may have pressed the right buttons. His wide smile told me of his excitement about this topic. ¡°Well, like I said, there¡¯s nothing to prove it yet, but we may actually have some evidence. There are so many stories and legends around the world after all. I think they are too similar to be a simple coincidence, and they do say legends always hold a bit of truth behind them. ¡°The bigger mystery is the virus¡¯s ability to transform someone in such a way. It defies logic just like mana does. Why can humans become those beings? Is it the virus trying to refill a niche we are not aware of, or is there something else? If my theory is correct, maybe some of us simply happen to be the descendants of those ancient creatures. That would explain why not everyone is affected, don¡¯t you think?¡± I was fascinated at this point. He probably wasn¡¯t sober when he came up with any of that, since everyone knew those were simply fairytales, but it was interesting at least. The moment didn¡¯t last, though. My whole body was in sudden pain. It started as a small sting, and it kept growing stronger with each second. Dr. Blake noticed this and quickly grabbed the crystal box from the table as he told me to endure it. My heart was racing. After a few minutes, the pain became unbearable, and I felt something moving inside of me. I remembered the black mass from earlier as I started gagging. Soon, the dark object emerged and fell from my mouth into the box the doctor had already placed just below my face. He closed it quickly and set it on the table. I could see how the thing evaporated, sticking to the walls of the container. The pain worsened, and I clenched my eyes closed. Soon enough, I couldn¡¯t bear it anymore and everything faded to black. Chapter 2: Ask the Elf Immersed in darkness, I could neither see, feel, or hear anything. I lost track of time. The silence was maddening. My only form of comfort was that this same numbness prevented me from feeling the agonising pain that came to me before I lost consciousness. Hm? What¡¯s that? As I felt myself going crazy with the silence, an ice blue flame appeared from the nothingness. Its slow bobbing soon turned into some sort of hypnotising dance, making my concerns vanish in an instant. At some point, the light seemed to get closer to me, and then, just as suddenly as it arrived, it faded. Wait! Don¡¯t go! My senses gradually came back to me after that. First came touch, which I noticed when I felt something brush the tips of my toes. The pain was back with it too, although it was much more tolerable. Then, I heard a muffled female voice I didn¡¯t recognize. I opened my eyes to seek its source, only to get blinded by the lights on the ceiling. Someone gasped and slapped something next to me. After getting used to the brightness, I looked to my left and saw a girl around my age staring at me, mouth agape. She was a redhead with sapphire eyes and countless freckles that covered what would otherwise be porcelain skin. Her long hair was tied into a low ponytail that draped over the white lab coat she wore on top a dark green chequered shirt. She was slender, perhaps bordering what would be considered healthy, but it looked like it was simply her complexion. We kept staring at each other for quite some time, and not once did she remove her hands from the sides of her head, as if to mute every sound around her. Quickly snapping herself out of her trance, the girl jumped up from the chair she was sitting on and ran away yelling, ¡°Dad! Come quickly!¡± My eyes followed her as she left, half expecting her to fall as her hands were still glued to her ears. My memory slowly came back to me after she was gone. The infection, my parents, and the conversation with Dr. Blake. I thought the pain was supposed to disappear by the time I woke up¡­ What about the mutation? What do I look like now? How long has it been? Looking over my body, nothing seemed to be any different. The round shape of my ears, my light brown shoulder length bob, and the same pale skin I had from staying indoors most of the time. They all indicated my appearance hadn¡¯t changed at all. I didn¡¯t feel like a ghost either, although I didn¡¯t know how that was supposed to feel to begin with. Luck had smiled upon me. My excitement grew as I realised I managed to remain human. One that could probably use magic at that! My silent celebration was interrupted when I heard hurried steps down the hallway. Dr. Blake appeared at the door frame panting heavily with the same stupefied expression the girl, who now stood next to him, had before she left. ¡°Do you believe me now?¡± The girl asked him, pointing at me with an open hand. She was now wearing an oversized navy blue beanie. She left calling for her dad, didn¡¯t she? Is she really Dr. Blake¡¯s daughter? If that was the case, she probably took after her mother. The only thing these two had in common was their height. Dr. Blake looked too old to have a daughter that young, though. Perhaps he had one of those weird marriages with large age gaps. It wasn¡¯t my place to judge. The doctor approached, grabbed one chair and sat down next to me. ¡°How do you feel, Nora?¡± he asked in a worried tone. I sat up straighter and smiled at him to lessen his concerns. ¡°It still hurts some, but it¡¯s not that bad. Is it all over, doctor?¡± ¡°No,¡± he replied, shaking his head slowly. ¡°You just got here a few hours ago. You shouldn¡¯t be awake yet, much less complete your transformation.¡± My eyes widened. It felt like I had been floating in that void for days at least. ¡°What does this mean?¡± He raked a hand through his hair as he thought. ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know. This is the first time someone woke up so soon. You said you¡¯re still in pain, so the virus should be active¡­ I must take another blood sample to find out what¡¯s happening. I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± There was no point in declining. ¡°Thank you.¡± He smiled and turned to his daughter. ¡°Anna, go get me a collection kit, please.¡± Anna nodded and rushed out of the room, causing the beanie she wore to drop from her head as she crossed the doorframe. The absence of her hat revealed that which she was trying to hide so much. Her ears; they were far too long. She¡¯s an elf! Realising her mistake, she stared at me briefly before picking the accessory up and putting it back on. She then ran out of sight. Her steps resonated through the hallway, followed by the sound of a door opening and closing soon after. She came back the same way and entered my room with a white box, which she handed to Dr. Blake. I was so focused on her, trying to process everything that happened in such a short time, that I didn¡¯t notice when the doctor drew blood from my arm. With the sample ready, he passed it back to his daughter and sent her to the lab. The room was still silent after she left. I wasn¡¯t the only one who was speechless. The doctor kept gawking at me as if I contained the secrets of the universe. Not able to bear with the awkwardness anymore, I broke the silence with the only thing I could think of at that moment. ¡°Is your daughter an elf, doctor?¡± He blinked out of his trance and cleared his throat. ¡°Yes. She is the reason I¡¯m taking part in this investigation, actually. I wanted to understand and help with the transformation she went through. She¡¯s now used to the changes, although she is still self-conscious about her ears, especially with strangers.¡± I looked away from the embarrassment, but turned back quickly as I came up with my next question. ¡°Can she use magic now?¡± He grinned proudly. ¡°Yes, she can! We discovered it by accident when-¡± His phone rang, interrupting him. He grumbled, pulling the device from one of his pockets. I sat quietly as I waited for him to finish the call. He, on the other hand, frowned as he listened silently. Once he ended the call, he turned his attention back to me. ¡°Well, a quick view of the new sample indicates that the virus is still active and replicating within your body. Hopefully, we¡¯ll learn more about your situation with a full analysis. ¡°That reminds me... We¡¯re going to keep track of the changes in your body and record the data on a daily basis. We want to figure out if there is a way to predict what the patients like you will transform into. Our hopes are that we can learn to prevent it from happening or perhaps even find a cure. Your peculiar case might give us an important clue to solve this, so I¡¯d appreciate it if you cooperate with us.¡± Honestly, I was curious about this matter too. I wanted to learn as much as I could about my ongoing transformation. ¡°I guess it¡¯s fine as long as it¡¯s harmless... Say, you ask me now that I¡¯m awake, but what would you have done if I remained unconscious?¡± He smiled wryly. ¡°Well, to tell you the truth, Anna was already done with it before you got up. We do so with every patient. I simply assumed it won¡¯t be as easy without your approval now that you¡¯re awake. Don¡¯t worry, though, it will be harmless, like you said. Measuring and taking pictures, mostly. We will also need regular blood samples, but you¡¯ll regenerate blood quickly in your current state.¡± ¡°Okay, if you say so. What happens now?¡± His daughter entered the room as I asked this. Dr. Blake looked at her and smiled before turning back to me. ¡°I¡¯m heading back to the lab. I want to inspect and compare your samples as soon as possible. That said, assuming you have any questions left, why don¡¯t you ask Anna? I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be able to answer most of them, if not all. Do you want me to tell the kitchen staff to prepare something for you? Most patients do wake up with quite the appetite, though I¡¯m not sure if that will apply for you.¡± I placed a hand on my growling stomach. Now that food was mentioned, I realised he was right. ¡°Yes, please.¡± You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. Looking back at him, all I saw was the trailing edge of his lab coat as he exited the room. His daughter had the same surprised expression I did. Shaking her head in defeat, she walked closer and took the seat Dr. Blake had been using. ¡°Um, so... Do you have any questions left?¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t hide them,¡± I commented. ¡°Your ears.¡± She looked away. ¡°They¡¯re weird. People stare because of them.¡± I felt a bit guilty about doing the same, but I feigned ignorance. ¡°To each their own, I guess. If I were in your place, I¡¯d show them proudly. I think elves are really cool. Can I see them?¡± Anna looked at me quietly before hesitantly reaching for the hat and slowly pulled it off. Her ears bounced out immediately. They looked quite flexible. I felt an urge to touch them, but I suppressed it. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s better.¡± I changed the topic to avoid making it any more awkward. ¡°Hey, when did the virus start spreading? Your father only said it was recent.¡± She took a deep breath before she placed the hat on her lap and replied, ¡°As odd as this may sound, the earliest victim we know of was infected on the fifth of Vikson.¡± ¡°Last year?¡± I asked, raising my eyebrow. She shook her head. ¡°No, earlier this month. A lot more recent than you thought, right?¡± Anna smiled wryly. ¡°It¡¯s true, though. As for how it is spreading, that¡¯s something we¡¯re still trying to figure out. It does require very specific conditions to do so. We know it originated somewhere west of here, and that it¡¯s quickly spreading everywhere else, but that¡¯s it. Both the government and investigation centres all around the world; We are all doing what we can.¡± Her answer was not something I expected. ¡°How can there be investigation centres all over when this began just three weeks ago? I mean, looking at this place, I doubt it was built in such a short time.¡± She shrugged. ¡°This place, like many others, was built for another purpose many years ago. What that was is a mystery to everyone. When my father came here to study my own transformation, all they told him was that this facility was equipped with everything he needed. ¡°All of our staff is new here too, so there¡¯s no one who can tell us. There are plenty of obscure rumours with no definitive answer. Even our own research must remain secret by government orders, and we can only share it with them or the other MAV investigation facilities. ¡°I guess they don¡¯t trust us ¡®outsiders¡¯ enough to tell us, even if we¡¯re employed by them. It¡¯s annoying, but it¡¯s the best chance we have to learn about this, and the pay isn¡¯t bad either.¡± I could only frown at her answer. ¡°If it¡¯s such a big secret, why are you telling me this? Why were my parents allowed here? I know them, and I¡¯m sure they will remain silent, but I doubt your father could trust them so easily. I also find it hard to believe that my mother would accept being separated from me that easily, she¡¯s too clingy, regardless of my age.¡± She laughed lightly. Regaining her composure, she answered. ¡°First of all, since you¡¯re directly involved, we already consider you and your family to be part of this community. Like it or not, you¡¯re now helping us with this research just by being here. ¡°I¡¯ll be honest with you, this policy doesn¡¯t apply everywhere, which means other places may simply kidnap anyone they know is infected. I guess you can say we have the same system as schools. We are all supervised and controlled by the government, however, the management of each place depends completely on the director. ¡°Our supervisors were clear in mentioning they only want to make sure the knowledge doesn¡¯t spread too fast in hopes that we can actually find a cure in time, so as long as we can meet their requirements, we can choose how we handle things. Fortunately, most of us have come up with friendly alternatives. For example, we used magic to convince your parents that you would be fine and to make sure they¡¯ll keep the secret.¡± Good. I¡¯m glad they found an alternative. ¡°You used magic on them!?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s nothing permanent. Let¡¯s just say we gave them a deep sense of trust in what we¡¯re doing so they wouldn¡¯t overthink things. They won¡¯t stop acting like they normally do, and the spell will fade eventually on its own. Jack will visit them a few times to make sure it doesn¡¯t before you¡¯re done with your transformation, though. He also placed your brother under his spell, just in case.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s Jack?¡± She looked surprised. ¡°Oh, I thought you knew... He¡¯s the ghost with the shades who brought you here.¡± ¡°A ghost?¡± I recalled the ride on my way here as I spoke. That feeling of safety, it made sense now. ¡°Do you know if he used his spell on me?¡± Anna nodded. ¡°Oh, I¡¯d bet on it. He¡¯s not fond of speaking with others so, ever since he learned how to do it, he prefers to avoid problems and misunderstandings by meddling with people¡¯s minds beforehand. What he uses is called Psychic Magic. It allows the user to influence the mind. This magic is quite weak, though. It has little to no effect once you¡¯re aware of it.¡± She paused and briefly covered her mouth. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have said that¡­ Please don¡¯t tell your family about the spell, it¡¯s for their safety and your own. Actually, it will be best if they don¡¯t know you¡¯re awake; Not until you¡¯re ready.¡± That makes sense, I guess. It wasn¡¯t like I trusted them completely. However, I couldn¡¯t tell what would happen to my parents if the spell suddenly broke. I didn¡¯t know how much influence it had over them in the first place. It was better for me to go with the flow for the time being. At least until I got a better idea of who these people actually were. ¡°I¡¯ll stay quiet as long as you keep your promises, so don¡¯t worry about it. Then, what kind of magic can you use?¡± ¡°Mine is called Healing Magic, and it does just what the name implies. I happen to be the first one to ever use it, by the way.¡± She added proudly. I smiled. It was difficult to stay cautious with the excitement that the idea of magic built up in me. ¡°What other kinds of magic are there?¡± I asked her. ¡°None, sadly. So far, we have only discovered those two. It¡¯s still early, though. Most people have yet to finish their transformation, to begin with. Even then, not everyone learns as fast as Jack and I did. We both discovered it by accident and seem to be talented at it.¡± ¡°Well, I say that, but I can only use a single spell,¡± She added with a wry smile. ¡°So far, only ghosts and a vampire have been able to learn psychic magic, and only one more elf can use healing magic. No metahumans nor draell have shown any signs of it yet.¡± Were certain races more in turn with magics? It certainly gave me that impression. It made me wonder how many there were, as well as how many among those I could meet at that moment. ¡°How many patients do you have here?¡± ¡°Five, counting you and me. We have Allison, who arrived a week ago, and then there¡¯s Jack and the guy who infected you earlier, Dave. We also had two metahumans, but those already went back to their normal lives. We are keeping tabs on them, of course.¡± Well, that¡¯s an underwhelming number. ¡°I¡¯m surprised. I thought there would be a lot more given how easily I was infected.¡± She shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s actually far more difficult than you think. The MAV can only infect a small percentage of the population. It also seems to have an age limit since the oldest person to be affected so far is only thirty-five years old. Older people seem to be immune. ¡°You have to consider the way it spreads, too. The black spores the host releases will degrade in mere minutes when exposed to the air. Only those unlucky to be close enough to inhale them when they become airborne will be in danger of infection. That¡¯s also the only stage where the virus is contagious.¡± ¡°Guess I¡¯m just lucky then...¡± She giggled. ¡°Depends on your point of view, I guess. For all we know, you could get these same ears of mine. Something to be proud of, right? There is another way to get infected, though, and it¡¯s the most problematic, as well. Some animals started acting as carriers for the virus, and their bite has proven to be a more effective transmission method than the spores. ¡°The infected animals we were able to capture and analyse turned out to be immune to the virus itself, and yet, it doesn¡¯t perish in their bodies as it does with incompatible humans. Instead, the MAV mutates slightly with the carriers¡¯ DNA, and we can observe the effects of this in the victims. The virus is easily transmitted among animals of the same species, so we theorise this might be how it¡¯s spreading so fast. We don¡¯t have enough data to confirm this, unfortunately. ¡°Anyway, those who are bitten by a carrier present characteristics belonging to that specific animal in their mutations. Oddly enough, they still release spores with the original virus during the second stage of infection. Since you were directly exposed to the spores, you have a strong chance of becoming one of the five established races. We don¡¯t know if the transformation will be affected now that you¡¯re awake, though.¡± It made me glad I was infected through spores. Being able to use magic... Who wouldn¡¯t want such a thing? Well, they did say it¡¯s only a possibility¡­ In any case, I didn¡¯t see that many downsides. Other than being in pain for a few days, the worst case scenario for me was having a weird skin colour. What did my parents see to make them worry so much then? Anna said there are only five of us here. Ghosts and elves look fairly normal. Dave just got here, so that only leaves the last patient. I looked back at Anna who had an odd expression. My silence probably concerned her. I simply couldn¡¯t help going deep in thought sometimes. ¡°Can I visit Allison?¡± ¡°Huh? Allison? I¡¯m not sure... I¡¯ll ask Dad since I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea for you to move without us knowing what¡¯s happening to you. Why do you want to see her, anyway?¡± ¡°I just want to know why my parents looked so concerned if most of the patients here look normal.¡± ¡°Well, you could¡¯ve asked. Isn¡¯t that why I¡¯m here in the first place?¡± She sighed. ¡°To be honest, we cheated by showing them pictures of the patients from other centres, mostly those who were attacked by carriers, as a possibility for you to transform into. Some of them had very striking changes, which is what shocked your parents the most.¡± ¡°Can I see them?¡± I asked, hoping to get a positive response this time. She shook her head. ¡°You really don¡¯t want to, trust me. There¡¯s a reason we only use them as a shock factor.¡± ¡°If you say so¡­¡± I slumped my shoulders. ¡°Did they see anything else?¡± ¡°Dad also had Jack go through a wall and lift a few things to prove he was the real deal. Now, Allison still looks mostly human since she was infected in the same way as us. Given her special condition, however, the transformation is behaving somewhat... differently for her. You¡¯ll see what I mean if we go. I don¡¯t want to ruin the surprise. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ll let my father know about our conversation and ask him if you can see her tomorrow since it¡¯s already too late to do so today. Speaking of which, I hope you don¡¯t mind, but I¡¯ll leave for now. I¡¯ll answer the rest of your questions later. Well, assuming you wake up again.¡± I nodded in understanding. As much as I wanted to continue, there was no denying it was very late already. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Thanks. Someone should bring you something to eat shortly. Try to get some rest after you¡¯re done. We don¡¯t know why you woke up, but we do know the virus is still within you, and it would be better if you have enough strength for it. Oh! Before I go, how do you feel? Does it still hurt?¡± ¡°Just a little bit.¡± She nodded in response. ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave then. Have a good night, Nora.¡± ¡°You too, Anna.¡± She left the room, and a nurse brought me my food a few minutes later. I didn¡¯t really have much to do after I ate. I was alone and bored. Casually looking around the room again, I noticed my phone was no longer charging where I left it. My anxiety slowly increased until I saw they had merely moved it to the nightstand. I sighed in relief and reached over to pick it up. Sitting down on a chair at the table, I made sure to set my status as offline before reading a few horror stories to distract myself until I felt sleepy. Finally, I plugged my phone back into the charger, climbed back to my bed, turned off the lights, and closed my eyes. The pain made it difficult to fall asleep at first, but I was so tired I was able to drift off at some point. Chapter 3: The Sleeping Giant I woke up from a dreamless sleep to the sound of knocking on the door, followed by Anna opening it. She entered the room pushing a small trolley with a blood collection kit, a camera, a measuring tape, and a covered tray. Setting the tray on the table, her eyes widened in surprise when they finally focused on me. A brief chuckle made its way out before she quickly covered her mouth and looked away. ¡°Is there something funny on my face?¡± My question was all it took for the elf to lose any semblance of control she had, causing her to laugh rather loudly. She took a few seconds to relax and finally spoke. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Nora. I was surprised, that¡¯s all. Don¡¯t you feel, well, different?¡± ¡°Different how? Is it so hard to tell me what¡¯s wrong in the first place?¡± More laughter came in response. I followed her line of sight and brought my hands to my head, trying to see if anything was, indeed, different. My hair! What happened to my hair!? I stood up and ran to the bathroom, ignoring the annoying and increasing pain, only to stare at my reflection in abject horror. Not only the top of my head, my eyebrows and eyelashes were also gone! Not a single hair remained on my body. I slowly returned to my bed, depressed and in pain, and saw Anna collecting all of my hair and placing it in a small plastic bag. She glanced at me briefly, causing her to lose control of herself once more. ¡°Do you laugh like this with every patient?¡± I asked, slightly annoyed with her behaviour. She noticed my reaction and gasped, covering her mouth with one hand. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Nora. I¡­ I don¡¯t know what happened to me there.¡± I sighed heavily. ¡°It¡¯s fine. This isn¡¯t permanent, right?¡± She paused and stared at me with a raised eyebrow. ¡°What happened to showing your changes with pride?¡± I scowled at her. ¡°Well, you make it hard with how loud you are. Plus, there¡¯s a huge difference between cool elf and balding at eighteen, you know.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I just can¡¯t help it.¡± She stifled another laugh. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s normal. It means that you are going to become a draell or a vampire. They don¡¯t have brown hair like you, so it falls out while the follicles ¡®reset¡¯. ¡°Your skin should start changing soon, too. If it becomes lighter you¡¯ll be a vampire. For the draell, the most common colours are steel blue and grey, although there have been a couple of cases where it turns mauve.¡± A dark elf¡­ That¡¯s probably the one with the biggest changes. I could suddenly see myself hiding my appearance like Anna did the night before. Although my skin tone would make that a lot more challenging. Being a vampire was a better option. I was already pale, anyway. Final looks aside, the present brought a much bigger concern for me. I felt too exposed without any hair. I placed my hand on top of my head in an attempt to hide it. ¡°Hey, since you don¡¯t seem to be using it anymore, do you think you can get me that beanie of yours to hide this for now?¡± Anna chuckled again, to which I simply rolled my eyes. Noticing this, she cleared her throat and answered. ¡°I¡¯ll bring you my hat, no worries. For now, let¡¯s begin by getting some measurements, shall we? After that, I¡¯ll just take a few pictures and a small blood sample.¡± I winced at the mention of drawing more blood, though it reminded me of the events from last night. ¡°Any news on my last sample?¡± As I stood up, the pain I had ignored when I first rushed to the mirror returned with a vengeance, particularly on my back and the top of my head. It was still nothing to worry about, but I realised I needed to avoid exercise as much as possible. She took out a mini tablet from her lab coat¡¯s pocket and led me to a scale to get my weight as she answered. ¡°Well, there were almost no changes compared to the previous one.¡± I could only shrug. ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± ¡°Sorry. It means the virus wasn¡¯t acting as it should. The tests show that your mutation slowed down, maybe even stopped at some point. The problem is that the process is supposed to be fast and continuous. Just a few hours are enough to create some substantial changes in your genes. ¡°We think that lack of activity is the reason you could regain consciousness so soon. You mentioned still feeling some discomfort yesterday, so it¡¯s more likely that it didn¡¯t stop completely. Pain means change for you, after all. Your hair loss also suggests the virus does remain active. I suppose we¡¯ll know for sure with this new sample.¡± Anna wrote down the remaining measurements, frowning briefly at her tablet¡¯s screen. Whatever it was, however, didn¡¯t seem important enough to mention. Instead, she nodded and grabbed the camera. ¡°Now I just need some pictures of you. Would you remove your clothes, please?¡± She sighed in annoyance as I began to fidget and blush furiously. ¡°Seriously? Trust me, you have nothing I haven¡¯t seen before, and while I may not look like it, I am a doctor. These pictures are meant to help us monitor your changes, nothing more. It¡¯s not like I¡¯ll publish them.¡± Honestly, she looked far too young to be an actual doctor. That aside, she was right; I was being immature. It simply felt more than a little perverted to have nude pictures of me taken. The fact that my head looked like a cue ball was of no help either. I looked down and fidgeted some more. ¡°It¡¯s still embarrassing, though. Can¡¯t I refuse?¡± ¡°You can,¡± Anna replied calmly, aiming the camera at the floor. ¡°But I thought you wanted to follow your own progress. Few things compare to visual evidence.¡± ¡°Can I keep my underwear?¡± She shrugged. ¡°Sure, why not.¡± I sighed as I took off my gown. Thankfully, Anna took the photos quickly, and all she needed now was the blood sample. Same as before, I looked away from the needle. I was still preparing myself for the pinch when she said, ¡°Okay, all done for today.¡± Huh?! When did she do it!? ¡°I¡¯ll take this to the lab and come back so I can give you a tour of the place. You might need it if you¡¯re going to wake up every day. Then I¡¯ll take you to see Allison like we agreed. Dad granted you permission, in case it wasn¡¯t obvious.¡± ¡°Here¡¯s your breakfast, by the way.¡± She placed the tray on my table and uncovered it. ¡°We will begin once you¡¯re done eating. I¡¯ll be back in a moment.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget the hat!¡± I shouted as she exited the room. Anna turned to look at me and nodded before closing the door. Once alone, I began eating. Despite the cover, the food was somewhat cold now.. Fortunately, I wasn¡¯t a picky eater. It was still good enough for me It wasn¡¯t too long before Anna returned. Once I finished my breakfast, she handed me her beanie to cover my head, and I slowly got on my feet after putting it on. Standing up, I slid my feet into the slippers and took a few tentative steps to test if I would hold out during the tour. My whole body hurt even after resting, but I could endure it. Anna glanced at me to make sure I was doing all right as we walked through the hallway. Then, she took out her mini tablet again. ¡°Yesterday you said your pain was not as intense as the first time. Can you describe it in more detail?¡± The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. I was about to answer when something caught my attention. A door with a nameplate that had ¡®Dave Anderson¡¯ written on it. I wonder if he¡¯s okay. ¡°Hey,¡± she called, snapping me out of my thoughts. ¡°Oh, sorry,¡± I replied, turning to look forward. ¡°When it began, it felt as if I was burning from the inside out. It started like a small flame that gained strength over time. It was as if it were tearing me apart just before I fell unconscious. The pain I feel now is closer to what you would get the day after a long workout. It became stronger when I ran earlier.¡± Anna took note of what I said. ¡°I don¡¯t really like how that sounds.¡± She then placed a hand on my shoulder, forcing me to stop. ¡°If movement causes it to rise, it¡¯s probably best that you stay in bed and rest. At least until we know it¡¯s safe.¡± ¡°What about painkillers?¡± I suggested. She shook her head. ¡°First of all, they won¡¯t work. We¡¯ve tried with other patients. Your body will simply burn them out. Second, I¡¯m worried about the consequences of ignoring the signs.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t we at least try?¡± I pleaded. ¡°Staying in bed all day sounds way too boring, even with my phone.¡± Anna stared at the floor in silence, her left hand covered her mouth as she pondered about it. Finally, she sighed and looked back at me. ¡°The painkillers are still a no, but let¡¯s go. Just promise me that you won¡¯t hide your discomfort if your condition worsens.¡± I merely nodded in reply, and we continued with my tour of the facility. The research centre was a four storey building. The top three floors were used entirely for living quarters, which had a total of one hundred and twenty rooms. Most of these were empty since the staff returned to their own homes to rest. Dr. Blake, Anna, Jack, and a few others, however, stayed here permanently. There was no mention of Anna¡¯s mom. I was curious about it, but I didn¡¯t want to meddle in what could be a sensitive topic. The main floor had high ceilings, probably five to six metres tall. The cafeteria, laundry room, lobby, security room, offices and the access to an underground parking garage were all located here. The laboratory was down in the basement near the stairs. I wasn¡¯t allowed to enter ¡®yet¡¯, so I only saw the entrance door. There was an additional section of the main floor which was being remodelled as an extension of the living quarters for the races that required ¡®special conditions¡¯. Allison would be relocated there once it was ready for her. Until then, they kept her inside a medical tent mounted right next to that area. If she still looks human, why does she need all this? My question was answered the moment we walked into her tent. She was lying on top of a few mattresses placed on the floor. ¡°She¡¯s huge!¡± Anna smirked at my indiscreet comment. ¡°She is currently 2.5 metres tall, and her growth shows no signs of stopping anytime soon.¡± Allison was the largest person I¡¯d ever seen. It was hard to believe she was still growing. She was completely bald, just like I was. Even then, she was extremely beautiful. Her skin was fair and unblemished safe for a tiny mole under her left eye, and her face gave out an air of gentleness. One that broke whenever she groaned out of pain. Her delicate facial features were at a mismatch with her robust frame. Taking a closer look, I discovered it was all muscle, probably to help support her new weight. Despite that, her figure was still somewhat feminine. ¡°A giant...¡± I muttered to myself. Anna¡¯s ears twitched. Despite my soft voice, she turned to me and said, ¡°Although it¡¯s not yet the official designation for her, that seems to be the case. Allison was diagnosed with gigantism when she was young. She was already 2.2 metres tall when we brought her here. ¡°At first, we thought the tumour responsible for her original condition had returned due to the effects of the virus. Though our analysis proved us otherwise. Eventually, we received confirmation from other facilities stating that other people with a similar medical history were experiencing the same symptoms. We also noticed how the proportions of her body began normalising to reach her current looks, as well as showing signs of rejuvenation.¡± ¡°You mean she¡¯s becoming younger?¡± ¡°Yup. Many of the new races show some sort of change in this matter. Giants are one of the two races with the highest regression rate. The other one remains unnamed as it¡¯s relatively new and none of its members have finished their transformation. Older elfkin like me also experience some slight changes in our appearance. By the way, ¡®elfkin¡¯ is the term we use when referring to elves, draell, and even vampires since we share so many characteristics. ¡°The theory, for now, is that all these races are meant to develop at a different rate than humans. They say the MAV is only readjusting our biological age to match the chronological one. Unfortunately, there is another race that is suffering from accelerated ageing, although there¡¯s an additional factor that may be at play with them.¡± I wouldn¡¯t mind becoming younger if it means I get to live longer as a result, but I can already see a few disadvantages to that. It depends on how much younger it would make me in the first place. Accelerated ageing, on the other hand, sounds absolutely terrifying. Even becoming a ghost seems like a better fate than that. I wonder if ghosts can die again. Wait... ¡°Older elves like you?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m 28. The virus made me about a decade younger. I can¡¯t say I¡¯m dissatisfied with the results.¡± I chuckled. ¡°I guess you won the lottery with this virus then. You mentioned most of the other giants were diagnosed with gigantism before they were infected, right?¡± She nodded. ¡°The MAV is an interesting virus. We know it works as it was intended because we have the metahumans. They are normal people with mana, which is the main reason they created it to begin with. As to why we have other races, the problem seems to originate when the infected person presents a particular condition or genetic anomaly, which clashes with its normal behaviour. We consider giants as proof of this theory since most of these patients presented some form of gigantism or acromegaly before mutating. ¡°Then we have the animal carrier victims, whose changes depend on the species that bit them. The five races you already know of are a lot tougher to decipher, which is why we try to keep track of the medical records of every patient and their close relatives, as well as their genetics. So far, things point to their genes. This caused my dad to be obsessed with the ridiculous idea that elfkin are descendants of actual elves. He even has a conspiracy theory going on because of it.¡± ¡°He said he had his reasons to believe it¡¯s true.¡± I interrupted. ¡°Oh, he¡¯s already told you about it,¡± She said, rolling her eyes. ¡°Trust me, he just wants to believe he¡¯s the descendant of a superior race; his words, not mine. He¡¯s a great scientist, but a huge fantasy nerd as well.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it possible, though?¡± I asked. ¡°He seems really convinced for it to be just wishful thinking.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t deny we¡¯ve seen a few things that might suggest that, but seriously, it¡¯s actually easier to believe the virus was sabotaged by someone who was just as obsessed with that stuff as he is. That would explain why it got ¡®out of control¡¯ in the first place. The one thing we agree on is that the government is hid-¡± The door of the laboratory banged open, interrupting her. We turned around to see Dr. Blake and Jack rushing to the stairs. We got out of the tent and walked back to the living quarters, mostly to avoid my pain from building up. By the time we got there, Dr. Blake was standing in front of my room with crossed arms and a nervous expression. The door was still closed, and I could hear whom I assumed to be Jack cursing and knocking stuff over. As expected, I could hear no steps. ¡°Is something wrong, Dad?¡± Anna asked. He didn¡¯t even look at her as he answered, ¡°The cleaning staff found a small bat in Nora¡¯s room, so they locked it in there for us. We don¡¯t know how it got in.¡± ¡°Huh, now that you mention it, the window was open yesterday when I came to get Nora¡¯s data. The bat probably sneaked in before I closed it,¡± Anna mentioned. Feeling like it was my fault, I explained, ¡°I opened it to get some fresh air while I waited. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Dr. Blake closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. He looked a little annoyed. ¡°Well, nothing we can do now. Don¡¯t worry about it. It¡¯s not your fault. The important thing is to catch it before it¡¯s too late.¡± I raised my non-existent eyebrow at his comment. Unlike many other people, I thought most bats were cute and rather misunderstood animals. I couldn¡¯t see why they were making such a fuss over it. ¡°Aren¡¯t you overreacting a little? Why don¡¯t we just open the window so it can leave?¡± He finally turned to look at me with a worried expression. ¡°I would be more concerned if I were you. Ignoring the danger of rabies, since you¡¯re currently immune, bats are confirmed carriers of the MAV. We need to catch it to verify if this one is.¡± The old man stood in silence and ran a hand through his hair. He glanced at me and seemed to come to the realisation of something. ¡°Tell me, Nora. Did you, by chance, feel anything like a small pinch after you collapsed?¡± ¡°No, all I remember is having this weird dream before waking up. I was floating in complete darkness, and I couldn¡¯t sense anything for a long time, not even pain. Then there was a blue light and...¡± Interrupting myself, I sat down on the floor and quickly removed the slippers I was wearing to examine my feet. Anna crouched and placed a hand on my back. ¡°Are you alright Nora? Is the pain getting worse?¡± I shook my head. ¡°I didn¡¯t feel the bite itself, but I think something did touch my foot right before I woke up yesterday.¡± Found it! There was a small bite mark under one of my toes. It had almost fully healed, which meant it was barely visible. If it hurt, it wasn¡¯t noticeable compared to how my entire body felt, but the small holes were there. I moved my foot so they could see. ¡°Here it is, look.¡± Dr. Blake kneeled to see the mark and frowned. ¡°That can¡¯t be a coincidence... We will confirm it once we analyse its blood and saliva, but I believe this bat is a carrier, and that you were infected with the MAV variant within its body. We haven¡¯t had a case where a patient contracted two variants of the virus, so we¡¯re treading uncharted territory now. Your lack of hair strongly indicates that the carrier variant might be taking over. You could also become a draell or a vampire, but I¡¯ll place my bets on the carrier being the dominant one. We will find out soon enough.¡± As he said that, Jack opened the door with a wiggling pillowcase in hand. ¡°I caught it, Doc.¡± ¡°Well done! Let¡¯s take it to the lab!¡± He looked at me and continued, ¡°I¡¯ll let you know as soon as we find something of interest.¡± I nodded, and both of them walked down the hall to the stairs with their new test subject. I sighed in exasperation once they were out of sight. Great, just what I needed. Chapter 4: The Wings of Change My plan was to lay down and have a short nap after enduring the increasing pain from walking. My condition, however, made it so I wouldn¡¯t wake up for the rest of the day. The next morning, I found myself staring at the mirror. My hair had surprisingly grown around one centimetre overnight, and my eyebrows and eyelashes were back too. Now matter how short, I was glad to have hair again. That said, the colour intrigued me. It was dark blue, like the night sky. It seems I¡®m becoming a dark elf after all. Still looking at my reflection, I noticed my originally brown eyes had also changed to amber. My face seemed different as well, although I couldn¡¯t tell why. Eventually, I heard the door open, and stepped out of the bathroom to receive my visitor. ¡°Good morning, Anna,¡± I said as I saw her getting behind the trolley to push it into my room. ¡°Morning.¡± She walked in and left all of her equipment next to my bed before she turned and looked at me intently. ¡°Hm, it seems like Dad was right, the variant won the fight.¡± Huh? ¡°You mean I won¡¯t turn into a dark elf? I thought some of them were blue.¡± ¡°Only their skin,¡± she replied, leading me to the centre of the room. I stood still to let her measure me. ¡°There are no records of blue-haired draell so far. Those who were bitten by bats, however, do display a wide range of unnatural hair colours. Some patients manage to keep their original tone, but you clearly weren¡¯t one of them. Speaking of bats, now we know it doesn¡¯t carry rabies. Not that you were at risk to begin with.¡± I was somewhat relieved. It was great to finally have my safety confirmed, even though she told me the MAV eliminated other viruses while active. I stepped onto the scale before saying, ¡°One less worry then. I¡¯m just glad I have hair again, and I dig the colour. My eyes changed too, by the way. They¡¯re no longer brown.¡± Anna took note of my weight and led me to the stadiometer. She measured my height and looked into my eyes briefly as she did. ¡°You¡¯re right, I hadn¡¯t noticed. Thanks for telling me.¡± She wrote down some more on her tablet and placed a hand on my back. She seemed to be searching for something under the gown as she led me to the bed. ¡°Can you sit down and hold out your legs?¡± Anna asked. ¡°There is something I want to confirm.¡± I did as asked, and she rubbed the sides of my ankles carefully. ¡°What are you looking for?¡± Anna grabbed my hand and led it down until I had two of my fingers on my ankle. I felt a hard lump there. ¡°Can you feel that? That is a new bone. You should have a bigger pair on your back, too.¡± She opened my gown from behind and used the measuring tape once more. ¡°You do. Believe it or not, these are already five centimetres long. Congratulations! You¡¯re growing wings, Nora.¡± My eyes went wide open in surprise. ¡°Will I be able to fly then?¡± I gasped. ¡°What¡¯s going to happen to my legs!?¡± Anna went silent and grabbed a syringe. She calmly replied as she took another painless blood sample. ¡°Regarding your legs, all we know, for now, is that your ankles will develop some sort of extra finger. Unfortunately, we don¡¯t understand what its purpose might be, yet. Bat carriers are fairly new to us, so we¡¯ll have to wait for any of the other patients¡¯ transformation to finish, or at least get close enough for us to speculate. As for flight, I¡¯d say it¡¯s impossible with the changes we¡¯ve seen so far. Then again, we thought the same thing about magic until recently.¡± I pictured myself soaring through the skies, looking at the scenery below. It made me smile. ¡°I¡¯d love to fly.¡± She chuckled. ¡°Who wouldn¡¯t? Just don¡¯t get your hopes up yet. You¡¯re also growing a tail, by the way.¡± I froze briefly and twisted my body, trying to look behind me. Indeed, I was. It looked like the stump some dog owners like their pets to have, but I suspected it would grow longer with time. ¡°I must say, you are taking these changes a lot better than I expected,¡± Anna commented, grabbing the camera. ¡°All things considered.¡± ¡°Well, I know it¡¯s a bit early to say this, but I was expecting things to be much worse. Being able to fly and use magic when this is over also helps a lot, I guess.¡± ¡°I see. That¡¯s good, Nora,¡± she replied with a smile. ¡°Very good, actually.¡± After she took a few pictures, Anna placed all of her equipment back on the trolley. ¡°We¡¯re done for now. I¡¯ll take the sample to the lab and return shortly. Why don¡¯t you eat something while you wait?¡± She left the room, and I slowly headed for the table as I put the gown back on. The tray with my breakfast awaited. I was halfway through my meal when I chewed on something hard. I reached for the offending object in my mouth, expecting to find a rock or a very hard seed. What¡¯s this? A tooth!? I used my tongue to feel around until I found an empty spot where one of my canines should have been. There was no blood, only the hole. I didn¡¯t know whether to feel relieved or worried when I discovered the tooth was mine. The remaining ones were still there, although one of them felt a little loose. I panicked when I tried pulling it and it came off effortlessly; root and all. It reminded me of an old horror movie I saw when I was a kid. My first reaction to that thought was checking my fingernails and ears. I sighed with relief once I realised I was being too paranoid. My hair had also fallen out, and it had come back. The same thing would probably happen with my teeth. What kind of bat doesn¡¯t have teeth in the first place? They don¡¯t have blue hair, though... Anna entered the room again and saw my nervous expression as I brooded about becoming a monstrous hybrid like the protagonist of that movie. ¡°Is everything okay, Nora?¡± I placed my fallen teeth on a napkin and slid it across the table in her direction. ¡°Will they grow back too?¡± She frowned and came closer to have a look. When she saw what they were, she gave me a reassuring smile. ¡°Yes they will, don¡¯t worry.¡± I sighed in relief. ¡°Do you mind if I take them, or do you plan on putting them under your pillow when you go to sleep?¡± I laughed. ¡°Be my guest.¡± I could tell the lack of teeth was already causing a faint lisp. Before returning to my breakfast, I tried getting additional information from her. It was mostly for my peace of mind. ¡°I know you told me no bat victims were done with the transformation yet, but can you tell me what other changes I should expect for now? If you can tell I am developing wings, it means some of them are already far ahead of me, right? What worries me is ending up as something closer to an animal than a person.¡± If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°The first bat carrier only appeared twelve days ago, so I can¡¯t fully confirm nor deny that. Sorry.¡± I nodded in disappointment. ¡°If it helps, there¡¯s no evidence showing that you will look like a giant bat. Other than the wings, of course. The changes we¡¯ve seen so far are mostly extra limbs and different pigmentation of hair and eyes. It¡¯s certainly one of the tamer carrier transformations we¡¯ve seen so far.¡± It did make me feel better, and I was more relaxed after that. She sat down across from me and continued, ¡°First, expect the rest of your teeth to fall and be replaced with sharper ones. It won¡¯t be anything too crazy, but your diet might also change with this. Your ears will become pointy, just like a vampire¡¯s, and your hearing might also improve as it did for them. It could be even better considering bats have great hearing. We can do some tests on this today if you¡¯re up to it.¡± The pain had gone back to being barely noticeable after sleeping, so I nodded once more. ¡°Good.¡± She continued explaining, ¡°Next, your eyes will grow slightly, and your pupils will become vertical slits. They will look and work like a cat¡¯s. They¡¯ll provide you with better night vision without hindering you during the day. This last detail is weird considering bats depend more on their hearing, but you can think of it as a nice bonus. ¡°Your chest will also grow a little to make space for bigger lungs and some additional muscles. Lastly, bat victims happen to be the other race that experiences heavy rejuvenation. You might want to prepare for that too.¡± I had been so concerned about the immediate changes I didn¡¯t think about it. I remembered that she frowned when she looked at my measurements. ¡°How tall am I right now?¡± ¡°1.57 metres,¡± she answered. I was 1.60, so I lost three centimetres in just two days¡­ I¡¯m shrinking fast, huh. ¡°I¡¯ll grow back eventually, so it¡¯s not as bad, I guess... Well, it depends. How much younger will I become?¡± ¡°It¡¯s uncertain. For now, we know every patient of your race goes through the process, no matter how old they are, and it seems to be a greater change than with giants too. ¡°We can make a few predictions based on the other patients¡¯ notes, but it¡¯s hard to tell by appearance only. Every person ages differently, after all. That said, we believe your biological age will decrease around fifty percent by the end of the third week. The transformation could be completed before that, but we estimate it will need at least one full month.¡± I said I didn¡¯t care, but that is way too much! ¡°Are you telling me that in three weeks I will look like a nine-year-old?¡± ¡°Well¡­ Yes. You might look even younger once the changes are over, since it could last more than what we expect.¡± This is bad. I enjoyed my childhood, but I can¡¯t say I¡¯d like to go so far back. People might not take me seriously anymore if they think I¡¯m just a kid. ¡°No point in worrying about it now. Let¡¯s leave that for when it matters. Say, since you¡¯re done eating, how about doing the hearing test? Is your pain low enough for walking? Being so small has plenty of disadvantages too. Plus, if I age too slowly, I will be a child for many years to come. ¡°Hey, are you listening?¡± Mom and Dad probably won¡¯t like it either. Maybe they will? She probably will... ¡°Nora?¡± I suppose it¡¯s still better than ageing faster. Hopefully, my friends and family will understand and treat me the same as always. ¡°Hello?¡± Anna waved her hand in front of my face, snapping me out of my reverie. ¡°Huh?¡± I looked up and saw Anna¡¯s worried face. ¡°Ah, sorry. I was lost in thought.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t say!¡± She replied with a smirk. ¡°A-anyway. What were you saying?¡± She sighed as she pinched the bridge of her nose. ¡°I asked if you feel well enough to take a hearing test.¡± ¡°Oh, sure. Where to then?¡± She walked towards the door and looked back over her shoulder. ¡°Follow me.¡± We headed downstairs and entered the first lab section. Anna told me I was allowed in as long as I remained with her and didn¡¯t stray from my designated testing area. She stopped to speak with one assistant before we continued deeper into the lab. The place was a large corridor with many rooms to each side. I could see a bigger door at the end, but we didn¡¯t get close enough for me to read what it said next to it. The room we entered was completely white and empty save for a metallic table and a few cabinets against the wall. The assistant, named Gary, followed us into the room. He then grabbed a couple of speakers from a cabinet and connected them to a tablet he was holding. The test was simple enough. He played sounds with different frequencies and volume. I was supposed to raise my hand as long as I heard something. Anna decided both she and Gary would participate too, just to compare my hearing to hers and that of a normal human. Following that, I continued the experiment by selecting pictures matching what I heard. By the end, I realised my hearing was somewhat better than Gary¡¯s, but it was hard to tell if this was caused by the mutation or not. Anna, on the other hand, kept her hand up seconds after we dropped ours during each stage of the first test. If she hadn¡¯t heard my comment the day before, I would have thought she was bluffing. She wore a smug smile as we walked out of the lab only to blush and cover her ears when I kept staring at them. Her phone rang as we left, and she walked a short distance away to answer the call. She tensed up after listening to the other person. Despite her visible anguish, it was fun seeing how her ears reacted along with her expressions. Ending the call, she walked back to me. ¡°It was Jack. We received news of the location of another infected earlier today, he¡¯s already on his way back with the ambulance. Let¡¯s wait for them in the lobby, shall we?¡± As we walked, she told me they seemed to have no clues on how this new patient was infected. ¡°The parents told Jack they were with their daughter the whole weekend and never saw anything resembling the black spores until she spat out her own. There was no mention of any animal attack either, so this could be a lead on how some people are getting infected out of nowhere.¡± It didn¡¯t take long for us to hear the ambulance approaching and entering the building¡¯s underground. Jack walked in shortly after, followed by a nurse and an assistant pushing a trolley with an unconscious young girl lying on a stretcher. Noble born or at least from a wealthy family, considering the expensive looking clothes she wore. Anna joined them as they passed next to us. I tried to run and follow them to the living quarters, but my pain flared up preventing me from keeping up. It became so intense it forced me to my knees. Noticing my reaction, Anna came back to me and placed a hand on my shoulder. ¡°Nora, are you okay?¡± I slowly stood, trying my best to smile through the pain. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I just forgot I can¡¯t run. I¡¯ll be fine once I get there and rest some.¡± She didn¡¯t seem convinced. ¡°I¡¯ll trust you, but don¡¯t push yourself. Tell me if it hurts too much, and I can bring a wheelchair for you.¡± I thanked her, but dismissed the idea and began sauntering to the elevator. Despite slowing down, the pain kept getting worse. It was weird considering I hadn¡¯t been all that active until that moment. Anna kept glancing at me, so I had to keep my act up. I feared that I would be confined to my room if she discovered how much it hurt after just a few minutes of activity. Once inside the new patient¡¯s room, I headed over to the closest chair and sat down to rest. Jack and the nurse seemed to be bothered by my presence here. Anna and Dr. Blake didn¡¯t mind it, so I ignored their stares. This room was closer to the elevator than my own, so it was better for me to rest here until the pain died down, if it did at all. Even sitting didn¡¯t seem to do all that much to reduce the rising flames. Anna got closer to the girl and gently touched her cheek. ¡°Her skin is too dry. Did her parents mention anything about it?¡± Jack walked from the corner he was leaning at and stared at the girl. ¡°She wasn¡¯t like that when we arrived. We found a wound at the tip of her finger shortly after I called you, though. Those two didn¡¯t realise it was there to begin with, so the part about them being with their daughter all the time was a lie. It¡¯s either that or this girl is good at hiding her pain.¡± It could¡¯ve been my imagination, but I could¡¯ve swore he glanced at me as he said the last bit. ¡°The dryness of her skin is most likely caused by an unknown carrier, so I plan on visiting her house tomorrow to see if I can find any clues. For now, I think it was something much smaller than a bat. Maybe an insect.¡± Hearing this, Anna¡¯s ears perked up. ¡°An insect as a carrier?¡± ¡°Is that strange?¡± My voice was already shaking from the pain and sudden exhaustion. ¡°Carriers, so far, are all vertebrates like dogs or cats,¡± Dr. Blake answered. ¡°If Jack is right, this would be the first recorded case of a¡­ Are you okay, Nora? You look rather pale.¡± Anna snapped at me. ¡°That¡¯s it! I¡¯m taking you to your room!¡± It was almost like a mother scolding her child. I just wanted to learn more about this whole thing before resting. They were right, though. I was probably pushing myself too much. I sighed, giving up. ¡°Fine...¡± ¡°Good! I¡¯m getting that wheelchair, so stay put.¡± She quickly left the room, and everyone else turned their attention back to the patient. It was already difficult to focus, but I learned a bit about her from their conversation. Her name was Lily Rossendale, and she was only thirteen years old. She lived with her family in a mansion near a lake on the outskirts of the city. Jack commented that, while the house was huge, there didn¡¯t seem to be much personnel, and that the few who were present stayed far from the family. He also mentioned that Lily¡¯s parents were acting a bit too friendly towards him and trusted in everything he said without questioning. He still used magic on them, just in case. I felt his stare as he mentioned this last part. They continued discussing her medical history and took a blood sample just before Anna came back with the wheelchair. I stood to get on it, and... Chapter 5: Ghosts and Mummies Feeling cold, I found myself waking up in the middle of the night. My immediate thought was of standing up to see if I could find something that could double as an additional blanket in one of the drawers. I had barely moved when the sound of whispering stopped me. I scanned the room, hoping to find the source. Nothing. Shrugging it off as my mind playing tricks on me, I took off my cover and moved my legs to the edge of the bed. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a silhouette emerging from the darkness. A small pair of bright golden lights stared at me. I couldn''t make out the face, but its shape was that of a young girl. How did she get in!? I pulled my legs back up and covered myself with the blanket at the sight of the mysterious figure, somehow expecting the thin layer of fabric to protect me from whoever, or whatever, that was. Despite the fear, I took a deep breath and attempted to reason with this being. "Hello?" Silence. She cocked her head to one side and took a few tentative steps in my direction until she stood in the middle of the room, never removing her eyes from me. I was more than slightly nervous and uncomfortable at this point. "What do you want?" She took a few more steps towards me, sending a chill up my spine. Gripping my blanket fearfully, I returned her stare. She raised her hand to point at me and then moved to the foot of my bed. All of my instincts were screaming at me to run, yet I was frozen in place. Climbing onto my bed, she crawled along me until we were face to face. Suddenly and inexplicably, I was in excruciating pain. "Go away!" Screaming was the only thing I could do as she dispassionately stared at me with her glowing yellow eyes. "Nora..." A distant voice called out to me. The girl reacted by jumping off of the bed and darting into the bathroom. After a brief pause, her head peeked around the door frame to stare at me once again. "Nora!" The voice was louder now. The girl walked further into the bathroom and giggled mischievously before climbing into the mirror over the sink and disappearing after a blue flash of light. "Nora, wake up!" I opened my eyes to find myself violently shaken by Anna. She sat beside me and took me in her arms, rubbing my back as I cried. "Shh... It''s okay now. It was just a nightmare." She leaned back to look at me. "Do you want to talk about it?" Hesitantly, I sat next to her at the edge of my bed and narrated what I saw to her. While I was explaining, I noticed the small finger-like protrusions coming out of my ankles had grown to be about six centimetres long. I tried moving them, unsuccessfully. Anna tapped a finger against her chin when I finished. "Yellow eyes, you say?" She thought about it for a short while, then smiled. "Don''t worry, I think I might know who she was." My eyes widened, "You do?" She nodded and stood up. "Yup. Why don''t you wash your face while I go and get my stuff for today''s examination? I''ll tell you more about her in a bit." Reluctantly, I let her leave the room. I stayed in bed looking at the bathroom in trepidation. Yes, despite her words, I was hesitant about going to the place where the ghost in my dream went before Anna saved me. My mind kept going back to that girl''s appearance. If Anna knew that person, perhaps that meant I caught a glimpse of her at some point during our tour and didn''t remember. I once read that dreams used the faces of people we saw in our lives at one point, so it actually made sense if that was the case. However, there were no other patients around, and the only way someone else had eyes like that was for them to wear contacts. After convincing myself it had only been a nightmare, no doubt caused by all the horror stories I''d been reading, I walked into the bathroom. I glanced at the mirror and screamed when I saw those same terrifying eyes staring back at me. I fell on my butt and quickly dragged myself out of the bathroom. "You have one hell of a scream, Nora." Anna laughed as she walked through the doorframe. More than a little confused by her statement, not to mention upset, I looked at her through my tears. "What are you laughing at!? That thing is still in the mirror!" She crouched and stroked my hair with a gentle smile. "That''s your reflection, silly." "Huh?" Her words stunned me briefly. I stood up and went back to look into the mirror, my fear quickly replaced with curiosity. There they were again. Those bright eyes stared back at me. Yellow like a canary and with a vertical slit for a pupil, just like Anna mentioned previously. I knew they were mine and yet, they made me feel uneasy. The young girl in the mirror kept staring at me. Her face looked so different my mind refused to recognise her as myself, and yet, I was reminded I used to look like that long ago. My sight then focused on my mouth. I got closer and pulled one corner with a finger to reveal my teeth. Slightly smaller incisors, yet bigger and sharper canines were the first changes I noticed. They were followed by what should''ve been the two sets of premolars. In essence, they were still that, but they were so pointy they looked more like extra fangs. Lastly, my molars looked the same as before, though I only had two sets now. I could probably deliver quite the nasty bite. Finally, the shape of my ears had changed slightly. They kept their original length, though they were now pointy, just like the vampire I saw in that picture on the day of my arrival. "How is this possible?" Anna came over and stood behind me as I looked at my reflection. It was then when I noticed she was much taller than I remembered. "You''ve been unconscious for eight days, Nora. We thought you would remain like that until your mutation was over. Well, that was until I heard you scream." I wiped away what was left of my tears and turned to look at her with a frown. "Why didn''t you say anything earlier?" "Well, you scared the hell out of me when you collapsed the other day. I simply took the chance and returned the favour." Giving her a hurt, pouty expression, I muttered, "You''re so mean. I was terrified!" She merely smirked at me. "I''m sorry. I really couldn''t help it. Going back to our previous topic, though, I don''t know why your dream was so creepy, but I think it was some sort of premonition about what you''ll end up looking like." "That makes little sense. Why would she act like that? She had no wings either." She began taking measurements as she answered. "Look, I''m no dream expert, so this is merely my guess. Speaking of wings, have you seen yours? They''re 43 centimetres long already! The tail is not far behind either." How did they grow so much in just eight days!? I looked back to the mirror so I could get a better view of them. Not only were my wings bigger; they had somehow split into two ends. It was as if I was growing two pairs of wings instead of one. The first and biggest set looked like my upper arm, so it was obvious that a forearm and a hand would eventually sprout to complete the wing. The second one was strange, though. While it also grew from the wing''s shoulder, it was barely thicker than my fingers and had close to no muscles. It was more like a stick than a limb. Bats'' wings are very similar to our arms. Their hands are huge and they have a skin membrane connecting everything, from fingers to legs. Such tissue was also present in my wings, and it connected their ''upper arms'' and the mysterious bone. "What are these things for?" I asked, pointing at the skin covered sticks. Anna gave me an apologetic look as she replied. "We aren''t completely sure, yet. Even after three weeks, the first patients who share your condition have yet to finish their transformation. This is only speculation but, from what we''ve seen, we think they''re meant to give your wings additional surface area." My tail had also grown to be quite long and thin, somewhat like a whip. While I remembered some bats having similar tails, mine was unusually long in comparison. It was closer to that of a rat. I tried moving my new limbs like I did with my ankle protrusions. Needless to say, it was equally successful. I didn''t even feel them. They simply hung from my back like the arms of a puppet whose strings had been cut. "Any other things I should expect?" I asked as I played with my limp tail. "There are," Anna answered. "You should expect a pair of black horns to come out in a few days." "Horns?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "Why?" "Beats me." She shrugged. "Why would it give you blue hair? Not even my father could come up with anything other than those being random side effects of the mutation. Perhaps the result of a clash between genetic codes. They will be too small to affect your daily life, so don''t worry about them." Wings, horns, a tail... No matter how I look at it, I''m starting to resemble a... I kept playing around with my unmoving limbs while deep in thought. Anna noticed this and she stared at me briefly before saying, "Your wings are probably just underdeveloped. I''m sure you''ll be able to move them once your transformation is complete." That''s not what worries me, though. "Alright, time to take some pictures, Nora," she said, flaunting the camera at me. "Yeah, sure." After a couple of sessions, it no longer bothered me that much, or so I thought. I wasn''t so sure when I realised my underwear was gone. I quickly closed the gown at the sight. Seeing my face, Anna snickered. "Oh right. We took those already. They didn''t quite fit you anymore. And since you weren''t waking up, we didn''t think of getting a replacement." I gave her a pleading look and asked, "Any way you can get me some? I don''t feel too comfortable with this." She gave me a wry smile as she replied, "Not right now, sorry. We don''t have anything you can wear other than gowns. I''ll check with some of the staff and see if we can gather a few things for you to use until your transformation is over, but it will have to wait until tomorrow." "Okay, I get it." I replied, as I shyly removed the clothing once more. Her comment, however, reminded me of the other three patients. "Speaking of which, how is everyone else doing? Has anyone besides me woken up?" If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Anna replied as she took the pictures. "Dave did. It''s been four days since then. He''s a lucky metahuman and has already returned home. We chose not to tell him about the transformation. There''s no need to, yet. We''ll keep him under surveillance in case he somehow learns how to use magic, though. "Allison, on the other hand, is about to reach three metres tall. The good news is that the first giants are finally waking up after a month, so we got an approximation of what her final height will be and prepared her room accordingly. We relocated her two days ago. What a mess that was! It only helped showing how understaffed we really are." I had, indeed, noticed there weren''t many helping hands around. A couple of nurses and a few assistants had been the only people I''d seen. Based on her comment, I assumed it was hard finding people who could keep the secret. "What about Lily?" I asked, noticing she hadn''t mentioned her yet. Her ears dropped as she replied, "She''s shrivelling up. We know the culprit is a dragonfly carrier, and we have received reports of other dragonfly victims going through the same mummification. I tried to use my healing magic on her, but I only sped up the process. I don''t know what I did wrong! It hadn''t failed before! "We told her parents she would be fine. That they didn''t need to worry about her. How are we supposed to tell them their daughter will really die after all!? We can''t even do anything about it because they''re forcing us to wait until she either withers completely or miraculously recovers." I didn''t know her, but it was sad for Lily to suffer such a fate when she was so young. "It''s not your fault, Anna. If someone is to blame, it would be the people who created this thing. If she''s still alive, then there is always a chance for you to save her, so don''t lose hope just yet!" Even I wasn''t convinced by what I said. Still, I didn''t want her to feel bad when she had done nothing wrong. Anna silently hugged me for a few minutes. She eventually let go, forcing a faint smile. "I have to take this sample to the lab before it goes bad. I''m sorry, I didn''t bring your breakfast because I didn''t know you would wake up like this again." "It''s all right, Anna." She nodded and wiped the few tears that came out with her sleeve. "Say, I''d rather have you rest here for safety, but I know it can get boring for you. How do you feel right now? Do you want to come with me downstairs and join us at the cafeteria?" "Sure thing, I feel great!" While I was still in some pain, it was only at a mildly annoying level. It was the same as every time I woke up. "Actually, wait..." Giving me a concerned expression, she continued. "You did mention having a lot of pain during your dream, and I don''t want you collapsing on me again. I should probably bring that wheelchair for you." "Why did you ask if you won''t believe me? There''s no need for that, I swear. It was intense during the dream, but now it''s barely there. I think the pain may get stronger when I sleep." She crossed her arms and looked at me in silence. "Well, that does make some sense. The changes are stronger at that time too. Excluding the scream, you do act like the rest of the patients while you sleep. The pain is evident. I don''t remember having any dreams or nightmares, though. What worries me the most, is that you being awake is probably slowing down the process. Let''s keep an eye on it." We headed out into the hall where Anna forcibly led me to the elevator. She still didn''t believe me, even when I assured her I could walk down the stairs without a problem. Once we arrived at the main floor, she went into the lab to drop off the sample while I waited for her beside the entrance. With that task completed, we made our way to the cafeteria. The place was nothing extravagant, but also not as lame as my school''s cafeteria. There were plenty of sturdy looking, dark wooden tables and cushioned chairs in the middle, while the walls had the typical booth seats you would find in restaurants. Despite the large windows, the presence of curtains made it so it wasn''t too bright. It was just enough to eat comfortably. As we stepped inside, we saw Dr. Blake sitting alone at one table. He was reading something on his tablet when he heard us walk up and raised his head. "Good morning, Anna." Then he turned to face me. "I''m surprised to see you again so soon, Nora. I thought you would stay down until the end of the process this time." I shrugged and replied, "I''m not giving up that easily." He chuckled and dropped his tablet on the table. "Well, now that you''re here, shall we go get our food?" he asked, standing up. Was he waiting for her all this time? It made me feel a bit guilty for taking so long. It didn''t last, though. I was quickly distracted by the large selection that awaited us at the food warmers. Seeing my amazement, Anna chuckled and mentioned it was nothing compared to what they would serve for lunch and dinner. Confused by all the options, I decided on something simple, so I went with scrambled eggs, a glass of milk, and an apple. I would try everything else later on. Once we filled our trays, we went back to our table, where I had trouble finding a comfortable position to sit as my dangling wings and tail kept getting in the way. Thankfully, Anna got a small stool for me so I could sit comfortably and, since I was much shorter now, its increased height compared to the chair allowed me to reach the table properly as well. Dr. Blake looked at me as he ate. "I meant to ask earlier, but is anything wrong with your wings, Nora? They don''t seem to be in a good mood right now." I shrugged. "I can''t move or feel them at all. If it weren''t for Anna, I probably wouldn''t even know they are there." He continued eating quietly with a thoughtful expression. Then stared at me once again and nodded to himself. Standing up with his fork in hand, he walked around to stand behind me. "Don''t move. I want to try something," he told me, grabbing my fork, too. I started fidgeting, suspecting what he was about to do. A moment later, I felt pain in my back as Dr. Blake poked my wings with the forks. They jerked in response, hitting his hands and knocking one of the utensils away. I hoped it was his. Thanks to his actions, however, I could finally feel and move them normally. It was just like an additional, and rather clumsy, set of arms. A little bizarre, to put it mildly. After some stretching, they folded tight against my back with the additional extensions now lined up parallel to the wings'' humerus. I looked at him in confusion. "How did you know that would work!?" Dr. Blake laughed and immediately tried the same to my tail, only to get smacked by it before making contact. He yelped and threw the second fork somewhere behind him. "It was merely a hunch," he replied, rubbing his hand as he walked away. "You''re welcome by the way," he added, taking a new pair of forks from an empty table. He handed me my new utensil, and I rolled my eyes as I accepted it, which made his smile widen. "What, no apologies?" I looked up at him and returned the smile. "I think we''re even." Anna quietly watched our exchange with an amused expression. It only took a few seconds of looking at each other for all of us to crack up. I barely knew these people, but I found it easy to get along with them. They reminded me of my family. I already missed them. We continued eating and talking. Their main topic was about carrier animals. Dr. Blake told me they began appearing a few days after the first infection. Only cats and dogs at first, then bats a few days later. Before the dragonfly got Lily, there were only a total of four types of known carriers. The fourth being a species of lizard called a ''Skink''. They identified it as the first reptile carrier a couple of days before my infection. He further explained that the increasing number of carriers made it difficult to prevent the MAV from spreading. They still had it under control, but it was only a matter of time until the truth was made public because of them. Things were worse now that insects could become carriers, too. As if that weren''t enough, the virus also made animals prone to biting. In an attempt to find out how these animals got infected, Dr. Blake mentioned sending Jack to retrieve some water samples and live specimens from the Lake where Lily got bitten. Unfortunately, they still had no clues after that. Once we were done eating, Dr. Blake headed off to the lab. Since I had no trouble moving around yet, Anna took me to perform a hearing test once more. My hearing still wasn''t nearly as good as hers, but I could see it had improved when comparing it to Gary''s. She also had me blow on a weird machine to measure my lung capacity. After that, Anna needed to continue with her morning duties of checking on the other patients. I offered to help her since it was much better than sitting in a room alone while doing nothing. She gladly accepted, mentioning the only two nurses they had were not available at that moment. Now I understood what she meant when she said they were understaffed. Even the cleaning personnel were rarely around. First, we visited Allison''s room. It was basically a much bigger version of my own, though it had two entry doors next to each other. The bigger one clearly meant for her exclusive use. I imagined they would place the normal door within the bigger one to save space, but when I mentioned it to Anna, she replied by saying that it was an accident waiting to happen. Allison could try opening her door at the same time someone else did with the small one. Looking at her when we entered, the rejuvenation had already made Allison look as if she were in her early twenties. The way the virus did this kind of thing was impressive, to say the least. Her black hair had also grown back some. Each strand thicker than normal. Anna mentioned that she''d look around sixteen by the end of her transformation since it was already known giants aged at half the rate of a human. I remembered when she said that my race had an even stronger age regression. I hoped they were wrong in their calculations. I was already down to 1.45 metres tall after just ten days, and it scared me to think I could even go back to being a baby if my transformation took too long. We followed the same procedures as Anna did with me. Allison couldn''t stand up while sleeping, so we used a long measuring tape to get her height. We skipped weighing her; She was so big and heavy, it would have taken far too much effort and people to do anything about it. Anna also mentioned that getting data from her was a formality more than anything, since they already had plenty of information about the transformation process from other giants, so it was fine to get it once she woke up. One thing I noticed whilst helping with Allison was that there was no serum or anything to supply nutrients. I found it weird considering the amount of energy and matter I expected was needed to change someone like that. When I asked Anna about it, she explained that it wasn''t necessary. Apparently, the virus didn''t need any external help when transforming someone. They initially thought they could accelerate the process by supplying said nutrients, but they hadn''t gotten any proof of it making a difference. More importantly, it took mere minutes for the body to expel any foreign object like the needles they used to administer the serum. It was a mystery how the body created its own resources when mutating, although many believed it was due to the mana itself. Once we were done and dropped off Allison''s blood sample at the lab, I followed Anna to the living quarters. We silently stood in front of Lily''s door when we arrived. We needed to check on her status by order of the government. Anna had that grim expression again, though. The situation was too much for her. It made me wonder why she became a doctor if she couldn''t deal with this sort of thing. Jack was supposed to be the one checking on Lily, but he was still out in the city, patrolling as he did every day. I didn''t like the idea either, but I offered to check on her so Anna didn''t have to. It truly was a horrendous sight. The poor girl looked like a flat mummy. Her head, limbs, and abdomen were nothing but pieces of dried grey skin. Neither meat nor bones were present anymore, and her fingers were already disintegrating. I couldn''t even imagine how they could consider her to be alive. The only part that had any volume was her chest. I assumed it was because of her ribs and poked it out of curiosity, only to discover it was nothing but a leathery bag full of a viscous substance. The sensation alone almost made me puke. I was glad there was no odour, or I probably wouldn''t have been able to resist. Looking around the room, I saw a thermal camera and a screen displaying the image it picked up. Whatever was inside of that bag appeared as a yellow, orange, and red image on the screen. This must have been the reason they thought she was still alive. I kept looking at the screen for a while, though there was nothing important. Convinced that I wouldn''t see anything else, I turned to leave when I saw some movement out of the corner of my eye. I rubbed my eyes and blinked several times. There it was again, movement so faint I almost missed it. I looked at the door and, even though I wasn''t sure if it was a good idea, shouted, "Anna! Come quickly!". She rushed into the room the instant she heard me. I would have hated myself if I was wrong. Her expression was bad enough after seeing Lily''s current state. She had obviously not looked in on her for days. "I know she looks terrible, but I saw something move on the monitor just now!" Her eyes widened, and she placed her face right in front of the screen, grabbing the frame with both hands. I could barely see anything with her blocking the view, but it happened again. They were slow, erratic movements. If I had to relate them to something, it would be like those of a baby. As we kept looking at the screen, an idea came to my mind. "You said your magic sped up the process, right?" Anna knew where I was heading with this and approached the mummy. She took a deep breath and placed her now glowing hands on Lily''s ''chest''. It was my first time actually witnessing magic, so I was excited. The result was strange, though. The sack shrank slowly. I turned to look at the screen again and noticed the movements inside became faster, violent even. Something is wrong. "Wait!" I yelled. Anna stopped and looked at me confused. I sat down and prepared myself mentally. "Cast it on me first. I want to check something." She raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. "Can''t you wait until I''m done with her?" I shook my head furiously. "I just have a terrible feeling about it." Surprisingly oblivious to what I meant, she nodded and placed her hands on me. I clenched my teeth, somewhat expecting what was coming. She applied her magic once more, and it happened. The excruciating pain almost made me feel as if I were disintegrating. "Stop, stop, stop!" I shouted at the top of my lungs. Once her magic stopped, the pain slowly began to fade. At first, I was curled into a ball on the floor, unable to move or speak. What I felt eight days ago wasn''t anywhere near this horrid. It surprised me that I didn''t lose consciousness immediately. I would have preferred that. Anna was saying something, but I couldn''t understand anything. She sounded frightened. No wonder Lily moved around like that when she was being ''healed''. A whole hour passed before I could finally sit back up on the chair. Even then, I had to fight to keep myself awake. I brushed away my tears and looked at the still worried Anna, who kept trying to get a response from me. "Never use that on someone while they go through this again, okay?" "I''m so sorry!" She hugged me while crying. "I''m such an idiot!" Returning the hug, I weakly told her, "It''s fine. I didn''t know it would be this bad, but it was me who asked you to do it. It''s not your fault, and I''m glad we didn''t continue hurting her." We acted far too rashly. Hope blinded us. Anna turned to the bed and looked at the now smaller sack. "I owe you an apology too, Lily. I''m sorry I made you go through this." Chapter 6: Fairy Tale Five days went by after the incident with Lily. We were ashamed of acting without thinking as well as fearful of what Dr. Blake would do if he ever found out. Because of this, Anna and I chose to hide what happened. At least, that was the idea. Unfortunately for us, the after-effects of Anna¡¯s healing magic incapacitated me for three days the moment I went to sleep. She tried to hide it by saying I overworked myself again, but it wasn¡¯t too hard for everyone to connect the dots when they noticed my and Lily¡¯s mutation rates accelerated at the same time. Dr. Blake scolded us for not consulting with him beforehand. I had it easy, since he considered the pain I experienced to be more than enough punishment. Anna, however, got the worst of it since she was supposed to be a responsible adult. Her father mentioned she should have at least stopped to think what boosting a process painful enough to render most of its victims unconscious could mean. Additionally, she attempted to hide important information regarding the transformation progress of a new type of mutation. I was never told what her punishment was, although the look she gave me when I asked was enough to make me shudder. Not everything was bad news, though. Thanks to our actions, they figured out that healing magic worked by improving the target¡¯s cellular activity rather than reversing a wound. Lily was also alive and well. She was just transforming like all of us and, despite the pain, Anna¡¯s magic did make things faster for her. The image from the thermal camera now showed the shape of a person moving sluggishly inside a ¡®cocoon¡¯ roughly the size of an emu egg. I felt bad for her, though. At an estimated height of 15 centimetres, she had shrunk too much to have a normal life. Although my own changes didn¡¯t make things easy for me either. On that topic, my wings were over 70 centimetres in length, and my tail wasn¡¯t far behind. Long fingers were developing at the tip of my new limbs as well. The same skin membrane fully covered four of them, while the much shorter thumbs remained mostly free. The additional extensions growing from both of my wings¡¯ shoulders were also longer, and developed their own articulations. An elbow that matched in length with my wing¡¯s, and a single hook-like finger at the tip. According to Anna, these ¡®modified fingers¡¯ would eventually be long enough to connect with the smaller pair of hooks on my ankles. Proving their theory correct, these extensions would help by increasing the wings¡¯ surface during flight, just like a bat¡¯s legs were connected to their wings to achieve the same objective. The advantage of this mutation was that my limbs would remain independent from each other most of the time. Considering how much of an inconvenience my wings were when moving around, sitting and sleeping, I was thankful to hear my movements wouldn¡¯t be limited any further. My age regression was also progressing steadily, and I already looked and sounded like a ten-year-old. While my shorter stature was an inconvenience on its own, the way people began treating me was what really made me hate it. Most stayed holed up inside the lab or patrolling the city in search of new patients, so they rarely interacted with me. However, Jackie, one of the two nurses, as well as many members of the service staff talked to me with the typical condescending tone adults used on children. I was thankful that they treated me like a person, but I still ended up distancing myself from them. Clarice, the other nurse, had a more professional approach, which I appreciated. Dr. Blake and Anna also continued treating me like an adult. Though the latter did tease me a lot whenever she could. It made me wonder if the regression had affected her mind somehow. I hoped that wasn¡¯t the case, because that meant I could suffer a similar fate, if not worse. Jack was a completely different story from everyone else. He didn¡¯t show any signs of hostility, yet he seemed to avoid me more and more for some reason. I wondered if I did something to make him dislike me. Surely it couldn¡¯t be that time I entered Lily¡¯s room and collapsed. Back to the changes, the horns Anna mentioned the other day also showed up. They were barely visible, and I only found them when I decided it had been far too long since my last shower. While I was assured that the nurses kept me clean when I was unconscious, it felt a lot better to have one. Anna also told me that my race had finally received the official name of ¡®Demon¡¯. I wasn¡¯t surprised. After all, it was a fitting name given my appearance. There was simply no other way to describe it. My one concern about it was the fact that demons were seen as a source of evil. It was still early in the morning, and I was having breakfast with Dr. Blake and Anna. They were awfully quiet, making our meal somewhat boring. It had been the same ever since I woke up from my last black out. Looking around leisurely, I saw Jack run towards the reception desk to answer a ringing phone. With my mind going all over the place from boredom and us eating, I wondered how ghosts fed, if they did at all. ¡°Do ghosts ever eat?¡± I asked out of curiosity and to break the uncomfortable silence. ¡°It¡¯s complicated,¡± Dr. Blake answered. ¡°They have no physical body, so they can¡¯t eat like us. They seem to absorb all sorts of energy instead. Sometimes, you can feel the air around him getting colder as he takes in the surrounding heat. It¡¯s not a harmful amount, so don¡¯t worry about it.¡± I tilted my head, ¡°If they don¡¯t have a physical body, how can Jack wear clothes and grab things? I mean, he could even drive me here.¡± My eyes were on him once more. The ghost was holding the phone just fine. There had to be something physical to achieve that. It didn¡¯t make sense otherwise. Dr. Blake gave Anna a concerned look before he answered. ¡°His clothes are part of his body. That suit is what he always wore at work, and it was the last thing he had on before he...¡± ¡°Before he was bedridden,¡± Anna finished his sentence with a gloomy tone as she played with the food on her plate. Her ears were low. ¡°Yes¡­¡± Dr. Blake cleared his throat. ¡°In any case, he cannot change his appearance now. All ghosts retain the last look they remember having. Out of all the races, they are the most mysterious. They perceive the world very differently, and they can interact directly with any object, yet nothing can touch them. We think they are subconsciously using a form of telekinesis, but we have no proof of it since none of them has ever moved anything without touching it. ¡°I believe, however, that this is merely a mental block that can be overcome with hard work and practice. It¡¯s as if their minds held onto the idea of being human, just like your wings didn¡¯t move until we stimulated them. Of course, poking him with a fork won¡¯t work for us this time.¡± ¡°Talk about a demon, and it shall appear,¡± Anna commented. ¡°Is it weird that I already feel offended by that?¡± I asked before turning to look at Jack, who was now coming our way. Dr. Blake chuckled and stood up to receive the ghost. Jack arrived and glanced at me briefly before shifting his eyes to address the old man. ¡°We have a problem, Doc. A carrier bomb was reported just now.¡± His words were loud and clear, allowing everyone nearby to hear him. Dr. Blake¡¯s smile vanished from his face. ¡°How many?¡± ¡°Fifteen. A dog was confirmed as the source. They¡¯re being held at Spring Fountain Hospital,¡± Jack replied. The doctor turned to the rest of the staff present at the cafeteria. ¡°You heard him. Move on!¡± A group of assistants nodded and stood from their seats. Then, they followed Jack to the parking garage. Dr. Blake excused himself and picked up his half-full tray before heading to his office, accompanied by two other individuals in lab coats. An old man and a woman I hadn¡¯t seen before. ¡°A carrier bomb?¡± I asked Anna once everyone was gone. ¡°Just a term we came up with. As you already know, it¡¯s harder to keep the virus from spreading thanks to the carriers. Because of this, hospitals were instructed to call us whenever a person is bitten or attacked by any animal, so we can act on time. The problem comes when the wound is not serious enough, so people resort to first aid and stay home instead. That¡¯s what happened with Lily in a way. ¡°A carrier bomb is what happens when such a person happens to be in a crowded place once the incubation process is completed, and the spores are released. We can control it for now since the number of people who become infected is still fairly small. However, if more and more people are exposed to situations like this, we won¡¯t be able to keep the virus¡¯s true nature a secret much longer.¡± So hospitals also know about this. I wonder if they are aware of what happens after the infection. ¡°I still don¡¯t get the point of keeping all of this a secret. Is it really worth the trouble?¡± That was what confused me the most. It was obvious that they would need to reveal it sooner or later. If they explained properly, I was sure most people would, at least, learn how to avoid it. It would even reduce the amount of victims. Could it be that the government doesn¡¯t want that? ¡°What they¡¯re trying to avoid is mass panic. A person is smart; People are prone to panic. I mean, just look at how scared you were when you first came here. Yes, I¡¯m aware that my father could have handled it better, but he gave you the information and told you it would be safe. Believe it or not, we¡¯ve already had trouble with two guys a few days before you arrived. Now imagine what would happen with a large group.¡± She shook her head slowly. I had to agree with her. It was true that I was scared and that, without Jack¡¯s spell, I would have outright refused his invitation out of fear. She continued. ¡°As I said before, we¡¯re slowly trying to get the new races back into society. You know, tiny steps to be safe. I was told they even need to work on new laws as well as adapting existing ones. That¡¯s why your family is allowed to know about it but aren¡¯t allowed to share it freely. Sure, it¡¯s still a risk to tell them; Even with the spell they might talk about this, but we think it¡¯s better to make that gamble than having them think their daughter suddenly vanished. We aren¡¯t trying to destroy families; quite the opposite, we want to help the victims so they can keep on having a good life after this ordeal is over.¡± I thought about it as we continued to eat in silence. I wasn¡¯t entirely convinced, but decided to drop the topic for the time being. After breakfast, I helped Anna and Clarice arrange for the group¡¯s arrival. It was mostly having the equipment ready and to prepare a few rooms to keep those who were infected isolated from the others. I also had to print 14 pamphlets about a fake disease that would be given to those who were released as clean. I only needed to press one button, but each piece took its sweet time to come out. That noisy printer was probably the oldest machine in the entire building, and it was most likely the reason no one else wanted to do this task. I opened the first one and read it out of curiosity while the rest came out. It included signs of infection, prevention methods, and numbers to call in case someone detected it. While the potential deadly consequences of the virus portrayed in it were a hoax, the rest of the details matched the characteristics of the MAV. I had to admit it was a nice alternative since it still discouraged people from exposing themselves. Once all of them were printed, I went to the living quarters and handed them to Anna, who informed me that the new group was already on its way. Since we still needed to check on the two other patients, she decided it was best if the three of us split up to finish the remaining tasks in time. Clarice would finish preparing the rooms. The nurses never helped with getting data from the patients, so it was a given. It was something that I found odd, though Anna told me not to mind it. That those were their instructions. Anna would then check on Allison, who required the most attention and data gathering. The giantess had reached 3.25 metres tall, and they believed she¡¯d wake up within a week, although they weren¡¯t exactly sure when. They had already dressed her with a white custom-made gown which was, ironically, a bit oversized for her. It helped in giving me an idea of how much bigger she would grow. That left me in charge of Lily¡¯s room. My task was fairly simple. All I needed was to make sure the equipment was working properly and write down any changes I could observe whilst looking at the screen for a few minutes. As I walked to the table, I noticed the cocoon was no longer round. It had deflated like a balloon. I rushed to it in a panic, only to see a small humanoid shape slowly clawing her way out of it. I wanted to help her, but I was afraid I could hurt her in the process, so I silently stood there, watching her rebirth. After several long minutes, a tiny person covered in slime emerged from the cocoon. She had shoulder-length lilac hair, and four transparent dragonfly wings of the same colour attached to her scaly looking back. They were quite wrinkled. She seemed to be rather disoriented and tired as she looked around the room slowly. It was then that she spotted me, and I felt terrible when I saw her eyes widen in terror. Her irises were so big I could barely see the scleras, and I could not spot any pupils at all. It was as if she had a pair of pale emeralds instead. Letting loose a shrilling scream I deemed impossible for such a small person, Lily fell on her butt and scooted as far away from me as possible. I remained motionless and in shock. Thanks to everyone¡¯s support and the promise of magic and flight, I had been able to accept or ignore many of the changes in my body. Most of the staff viewed me as a kid, sure, but they still treated me like a person. Her reaction was enough to bring me back to reality. I knew the size difference was probably an important factor; however, I also understood my overall appearance had as much influence on her. I was no longer a human being. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Lily stood up and cried as she desperately banged on the opposite wall of the incubator. ¡°Help! Someone please help me!¡± I held back my own tears forcing their way out whilst trying to look as non-threatening and friendly as I could. I spoke softly to her. ¡°I¡¯m not going to hurt you, Lily. Please calm down.¡± She turned and yelled at me. ¡°H-how do you know my name!? Wh-what do you want from me!?¡± ¡°I know I look like, well, this... but I can assure you, I won¡¯t hurt you.¡± ¡°No! I¡¯m not falling for it, you monster!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a monster!¡± I finally cried. ¡°I¡¯m just trying to help you!¡± I quickly wiped my tears away and took a deep breath to calm myself before continuing. ¡°Just look at your wings if you don¡¯t believe me. You¡¯re a fairy, Lily!¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not!¡± Still, she reached for her back. ¡°I don¡¯t have any-¡± Lily yelped the moment her hand brushed one of her wings. She looked like a dog chasing its tail when she tried to see what touched her. ¡°Hang on. I¡¯ll be right back,¡± I told her when an idea came to me. ¡°Do I have a choice?¡± She yelled. I chose to ignore her and pressed my ear against the door. The lack of noise meant it was safe to go out. It wasn¡¯t the best idea to let any of the new arrivals see me yet. Chances were that they hadn¡¯t arrived or they were still waiting on the blood samples. Still, I opened the door and peeked out to make sure the coast was clear. After that, I went straight to my room. When I returned, Lily was sitting on the floor of her enclosure, facing the other way. As I walked to her, I noticed her wings were already expanding. Each of them now revealed a dark emerald stripe near the tips. ¡°Where are my clothes?¡± she asked, noticing my presence. That made me giggle. ¡°I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll fit,¡± I answered, shaking my head. I then showed her my phone before getting any closer, and she lowered her guard at the sight of the familiar device. It was something I considered both helpful and worrying. ¡°I¡¯m going to activate the camera so you can see the changes, okay? Stand still.¡± With Lily¡¯s nod of approval, I turned the camera on and showed her the screen by placing the phone against the wall of the incubator. I backed off a little to give her more space. ¡°You see? That¡¯s how you look now.¡± She slowly approached it in wonder. ¡°How did this happen?¡± A groan followed her question. She covered herself and looked at me. ¡°Is there really nothing I can wear?¡± Understanding her discomfort, another idea occurred to me. I looked around the room and spotted a few tools on top of a desk. Among those tools, I found a pair of scissors, which I used to cut out two pieces of clothing from an unused gown I got from one drawer. I swiftly worked on the fabric to make an improvised mini dress that would accommodate her wings and a towel for her to clean herself from the remaining cocoon¡¯s slime. I explained as I cut through the cloth. ¡°This happened because you were bitten by a dragonfly. It infected you with the virus it carried. You¡¯ve been unconscious for two weeks and became a fairy. Don¡¯t ask me the specifics, though. I¡¯m just another patient.¡± Once I finished, I examined the products resting in my hand. I was certainly not as skilled as my mother, but I was satisfied with what I made. With a nod, I got closer to the incubator, only noticing my mistake when she yelped and fell on her butt once more. I couldn¡¯t blame her; I did it without warning. ¡°I know all of this is hard to believe, but you¡¯ll have to trust me on this. I¡¯m going to remove the incubator''s lid now, okay?¡± She nodded nervously in response. I grabbed one chair and placed it next to the table so I could reach the top of the incubator. Then, I removed the lid carefully and placed my hand with her new garments at the bottom of the box. My palm was facing up as an invitation for her. ¡°Go ahead, I promise I won¡¯t harm you. My name is Nora, by the way.¡± Lily hesitated at first. The position was getting uncomfortable for my arm, but she eventually cleaned herself and wore the dress before climbing on. Slowly, I pulled her out of the incubator and put the lid back in place. Finally, I grabbed my phone and took her with me to a more comfortable location. The living quarters were still empty, making it easy for me to sneak into my room again. Once there, I placed Lily on top of my table so she had space to move around without feeling trapped. By this moment, her wings had fully expanded. It was as if she had stained glass attached to her back instead. They were beautiful. Lily stood still and looked around. After examining the room in silence, most likely taking in how big everything was, she bent slightly forward and scrunched her face. I frowned at her strange behaviour and got closer to see if anything was wrong with her. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a fairy now, right? I want to fly, but I can¡¯t move my wings.¡± I sighed in relief and recalled Dr. Blake¡¯s words as I told her, ¡°Your mind still thinks you¡¯re human. We have to stimulate your wings first. I had the same problem until Dr. Blake poked mine with a fork. I don¡¯t think it would be a good idea to do the same thing to you, but I¡¯m sure he will come up with something.¡± Lily tilted her head to one side. ¡°Who¡¯s Dr. Blake?¡± ¡°Oh, he¡¯s the man in charge of this place. You¡¯ll meet him soon enough, I¡¯m sure.¡± ¡°Then, what is this place? Where¡¯s Ash- I mean, my parents?¡± I also took a seat, making sure the backrest of the chair was facing the table because of my wings. Then, I crossed my arms on top of it to be more comfortable. ¡°We¡¯re in an investigation centre within the forest near Eredel City. Your parents are probably at home waiting for you to wake up. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be glad to see you again.¡± Lily looked down at herself. Smiling bitterly, she muttered, ¡°I hope so.¡± It was a strange reaction, but then again, she was probably nervous. I did have moments like that every now and then. Her hands then went to her belly. ¡°When can we eat?¡± ¡°The food will need to wait.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m hungry!¡± She whined. ¡°Can¡¯t we call the kitchen and tell them to prepare something?¡± I took a deep breath and shook my head. ¡°We can¡¯t. Not right now. You¡¯ll need to be patient and wait until someone comes to check on us.¡± She sat down and crossed her arms. ¡°Fine¡­ ¡± Ignoring that minor fit, Lily was quite friendly and a bit more trusting as long as I didn¡¯t make sudden movements. The conversation moved to her asking questions about my appearance. I told her about magic, and that my looks were the result of me getting bitten by a bat. She was surprised when she realised I was five years older than her. Despite our size difference, she could tell my body was definitely not that of an adult. All in all, it was amazing how fast she adapted to the situation as a whole. Not even her size seemed to bother her that much anymore. We even began joking around and talking about what we¡¯d do when we could finally fly. After a few minutes into it, we heard a scream coming from the hallway. It was Anna¡¯s. Walking out of my room, I followed her wailing over to Lily¡¯s room. As I entered, Anna was kneeling on the floor, crying as she held the empty cocoon in her hands. It then dawned on me that I forgot to leave a note or something to explain what happened. Her ears twitched, letting me know she heard me as I walked in. ¡°She¡¯s gone...¡± She muttered without moving. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Anna. She¡¯s safe and awake in my room.¡± She turned to look at me. Her now red eyes were wide open as she stood up to glare at me in silence. Suddenly, she slapped me. ¡°Don¡¯t you ever scare me like that again! I thought she was dead!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Tears formed as I held my stinging cheek. ¡°I know I should have told you, but you were busy down there, and I was so distracted trying to calm Lily down that I forgot to leave a note.¡± Anna stared at me for a few moments before she covered her mouth with one hand. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Nora! I don¡¯t know what came over me.¡± It hurt, but I wasn¡¯t going to hold a grudge for it. It was partially my fault, after all. Seeing that I still kept a hand to my cheek, she raised hers, glowing with magic, and moved it towards me. Knowing what was coming, I darted away frantically. This made me slam into Dr. Blake, who was just walking into the room. He simply raised an eyebrow as he looked down to face me. ¡°What are you doing!?¡± I yelled at Anna as I hid behind him. ¡°What do you think? I¡¯m going to heal you, silly. I¡¯m sure it hurts.¡± Still hiding behind the old man, I pointed at her hand. ¡°Not as much as that will if you touch me!¡± She froze, and the glow faded instantly. Dr. Blake laughed loudly. ¡°You have to be more careful, Anna. You don¡¯t want to go through that again so soon, do you?¡± She gulped audibly and shook her head. Seriously, what did he do to her!? After explaining the situation, we went back to my room. Lily was sitting at the edge of the table, swinging her legs back and forth whilst humming. I couldn¡¯t understand how the height didn¡¯t bother her. Once introductions were done, they asked her if anything hurt or felt weird, aside from the obvious stuff, of course. She told us she felt tickling down her throat whenever she spoke, but that it seemed to be getting better the more she talked to us. Everything else was fine as far as she could tell, other than her hunger, of course. Having confirmed that she was well enough, Dr. Blake looked at Anna. ¡°Would you mind calling Lily¡¯s parents and letting them know their daughter is awake?¡± Anna nodded and stood up. ¡°Can you also bring something to eat?¡± Lily asked as the elf was about to leave. ¡°Will do!¡± Anna replied as she left. I was genuinely happy for Lily when Anna returned and told us her parents would be coming in a few hours. Oddly enough, she seemed somewhat indifferent to the news. Instead, she focused on eating as many of the apple bits Anna brought with her. While we waited for Jack to bring her parents, Dr. Blake explained to Lily her situation with more detail. He also tried to help her with the numbness of her wings by gently applying pressure on them with a swab. After a few unsuccessful tries, he grabbed a thin needle and pricked the base of her wings with care. Lily winced at the slight pain and finally moved them. Surprisingly, after that small push, she flapped them fast enough to hover over the table effortlessly. She then moved around to test manoeuvrability and speed for a few minutes until she got bored and landed. It was clear she could do it by instinct since she made it look so easy. I hoped the same went for me when the time came. Dr. Blake spent most of the remaining time taking notes, photos, and measurements. While doing that, we learned that she could hear us normally and with no distortion despite her size. The same went for how we heard her voice, which was something I hadn¡¯t thought of until then. He also informed Lily about the secrecy of the virus and told her she wasn¡¯t allowed to return home with her family due to the amount of people that worked in her mansion, but that her parents could visit once a week. Lily agreed almost instantly and then practised flying some more until Dr. Blake¡¯s phone rang. It turned out to be Jack, who called to let us know they would arrive within five minutes. Hearing that, Anna placed her hand facing up on the table. Lily hesitated briefly before climbing up. I remained on my seat and watched them leave. Lily noticed this and asked, ¡°Are you not coming, Nora?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure it¡¯s a good idea,¡± I replied, showcasing myself with both hands to remind her of my appearance. ¡°Not when I look like this.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t worry about that,¡± Dr. Blake commented. ¡°From what Jack told us, her parents seem quite reasonable and accepting. Additionally, because of Lily¡¯s particular case, they¡¯ll be visiting frequently, so they need to get used to seeing you anyway. I don¡¯t see why you should stay if you don¡¯t want to.¡± Convinced by his words, plus a bit curious about meeting such accepting parents, I stood up and followed them to the main hall. When she finally saw the couple enter the building, she jumped and flew towards them. I felt my heart skip a beat when her mother screamed. At first, I thought it had been because of me. That changed immediately when Lily¡¯s father tried to swat her with his hand, barely missing. Bewildered by their behaviour, I dashed towards them, which triggered another scream from her mother. If she hadn¡¯t seen me before, now I was sure she had. The man stood in front of his wife in a protective stance, but I merely glared at them as I snatched one confused and upset fairy. Using my wings for extra impulse, I lept backwards. What the hell?! Why did they react that way? Are they crazy!? Once I was at a safe distance, my wings went wide open and I continued my glare. I also growled at them, like a beast threatening its attacker after getting cornered. Wait, what? ¡°Monster! Demon!¡± The woman yelled whilst grabbing her husband¡¯s shoulder. She hid behind him for protection. I snapped out of my trance when I heard her words. It was as if my instincts had taken over my body for a moment. Anna ran beside me and grasped my shoulder. I looked at my hands and saw Lily crying. We were both relieved to see she wasn¡¯t hurt. ¡°Mother! Father! It¡¯s me, Lily!¡± ¡°Liar!¡± her mother shouted back. ¡°There is no way that bug can be my daughter! Where is she!?¡± Did she just¡­ smile? It was brief, yet I could have sworn she did. Looking around, no one else seemed to notice. Lily flinched and cried even louder in response. ¡°Mother, please!¡± I shook my head in confusion. I saw Dr. Blake¡¯s fist clench and then looked at his face. It was the first time I¡¯d seen him that angry. Not even when he scolded us did he look like that. Even so, he somehow managed to regain his composure. ¡°I believe my assistant was clear enough when he told you there was a possibility that your daughter would change drastically.¡± His left hand went into his pocket as he spoke. It moved briefly before coming back out as empty as before. ¡°We understand it is hard to take in. Not even we expected her to transform like this, but trust me when I say this little girl is your daughter.¡± ¡°Do you really expect us to believe that someone can suddenly shrink like that!? That bug doesn¡¯t even look like her,¡± the father yelled. As I got distracted with their exchange, Lily escaped from my hand and flew back to them. I tried chasing after her, but Anna held me back. ¡°Don¡¯t! We can¡¯t hurt them. We need Jack,¡± she whispered. ¡°They¡¯ll kill her!¡± I yelled back. I could feel her hold on me weaken. None of this made any sense to me. I couldn¡¯t help thinking about my own parents. What if they act the same way when they see me? No. They wouldn¡¯t¡­ Would they? Lily¡¯s father stepped forward and prepared to smack her with his hand. Once again, she barely dodged him and remained hovering out of his reach, still trying to convince him it was really her. He refused to listen and readied for another strike. My instincts kicked in once more, and by the time I noticed, I was already chomping his arm as hard as I could. He screamed in pain and began punching my head repeatedly until I let go. I turned to Lily and apologised as I used my wings to jump higher than I thought possible to snatch her again. I went back to Anna and kept growling as I observed the blood gushing out of the man¡¯s arm. Lily squirmed, trying to get free. She wasn¡¯t thinking clearly. I was concerned about my behaviour too, but her safety was my priority at the moment. The woman tried to stop her husband¡¯s bleeding without success. She glared at me again, and I realised that my presence was probably making things more difficult because of my appearance. It was too late to do anything, though. The man then pointed to his wound, and yelled at Dr. Blake, ¡°Look at what your beast did to me!¡± I snarled at him in response. Anna held me tighter this time. I could feel her tremble. What¡¯s happening to me!? I was fully aware, yet I didn''t have any control of my own body. The woman kept barking, accusing us of killing her daughter, even though she was right in front of her. Their denial during this whole situation was ridiculous. This mess lasted a few more seconds before Jack appeared. He somehow got behind them without being noticed and placed his hands on their heads. He muttered something, and both of them fell unconscious on the floor. I was dumbfounded, and Lily took this chance to free herself once more. She landed on top of her mother¡¯s face and cuddled to her while sobbing. They were harmless at this point, so I finally regained enough control to stop myself and let her have her way. Anna also left my side and walked over to the man to begin healing his arm. I understood it was necessary to keep things secret, but it still felt wrong to see her help such a person. That said, it was my first time seeing her magic working as it should instead of being used for torture. The bite marks were deeper and messier than I expected, and it was taking her a while to heal him properly. I noticed his other hand was bleeding as well, probably from hitting one of my horns. I reached my throbbing head with one hand and confirmed neither was broken. I was finally able to relax, and it was at that moment that a huge wave of pain assaulted me, forcing me to my knees. It was so intense, I was certain that the moment I collapsed, I wouldn¡¯t be waking up for a long time. ¡°What are we going to do now?¡± I asked, panting heavily. To my surprise, the one who answered me was Jack himself. He was placing his hand on the man¡¯s head once more. ¡°I¡¯m trying to alter their memories so they really think their daughter died.¡± Anna looked up at him in disbelief. ¡°You can do that!?¡± He sheepishly scratched the back of his head with his free hand. His sight never left Lily¡¯s father. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, yet. The spell isn¡¯t very reliable, and I need a base to make it work. It¡¯s thanks to all the things they said that I can try to alter their memories to make them think a beast really killed their daughter. Hopefully, I can also hide any memories of this place and the virus. Can you stop healing his wounds when he¡¯s no longer at risk? It will be a problem if he is unharmed when they wake up. At least the wound doesn¡¯t look like something a person would do.¡± His comment hurt a little, but I felt grateful at the same time. Anna nodded and looked at the woman¡¯s face. ¡°What about Lily?¡± She had fallen asleep, curled against her mother¡¯s cheek. My heart melted at the scene. She still loved them regardless of what they did and said to her. Dr. Blake picked her up and gently cradled her in his hand. ¡°For now, she¡¯ll have to stay with us.¡± That was the last thing I heard before my sight went hazy, and I collapsed on the floor. Chapter 7: Size Matters I found myself standing in the middle of the forest. Everything was dark, foggy and unusually quiet. Despite all that, I could see my surroundings with clarity thanks to the bright blue moon shining above me. Its light gave a mystical look to the woods. A dream? It sure looked like it. The place definitely seemed cold enough to make me shiver, yet I felt nothing. I also had no memory of leaving my room. Determined to find the answer, or at least someone else, I walked through the woods, searching for any sign of civilization. I had barely taken a dozen steps when I heard whispering. It didn¡¯t sound like the girl from my nightmare. The voice belonged to an adult, although still female. I turned around, and I was met with two silhouettes. A man and a woman peeked at me from the shrubbery. The blue mist made them hard to see, but I could still make out their silver-blond hair. I really need to stop reading horror stories before bedtime... They kept whispering, though I could not discern any words of their conversation. ¡°Hello?¡± I called. Both of them hid when I did so, and the dream ended shortly after that. Waking up in my bed, I saw the first rays of the rising sun coming through the window. I sat up and stretched, giving out a loud yawn. ¡°Nora, you¡¯re awake!¡± The sudden voice made me yelp, and I scanned the room in search of the source without success. Am I still dreaming? ¡°Down here, you dummy!¡± My sight dropped and focused on the little person waving her arms at me from the nightstand. She was wearing a set of pink pyjamas that I was sure belonged to some rather unfortunate doll at some point. The stolen clothing had been cut and modified to fit a fairy¡¯s wings. ¡°What are you doing in my room, Lily?¡± Her wings made a loud humming noise as she flew closer to me. ¡°This is my room too, see?¡± She pointed to a small set of pink plastic furniture on top of the nightstand. It looked rather cheap, but at least the pillows and blankets were real. I also noticed Lily¡¯s back was completely exposed because of the opening in her clothes. It didn¡¯t look that comfortable, even with the summer heat. It made me wonder if she could feel anything with those scales on her back. She certainly didn¡¯t seem to mind it. The gown I was wearing closed at the back, so it was perfect to accommodate my own wings. I hoped all my future clothes had a similar feature. Exposing so much skin wasn¡¯t for me, even if it was only the back. ¡°Well, only until they finish building mine,¡± she continued. ¡°Anna said it was easier to have me here while I waited. You sure sleep a lot, huh.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because of the virus. If I-¡± She giggled, interrupting me. ¡°I know, I know. I¡¯m just teasing you.¡± I sighed. ¡°How long was it this time?¡± ¡°Almost six days.¡± Not as bad as I thought then. The virus is very inconsistent with this. I hopped out of bed and walked into the bathroom to see myself in the mirror, only to go back and drag a chair to get on so I could see the reflection better. I missed being strong enough to carry it, or tall enough to not need it to begin with. The first thing I noticed was the presence of blue patches in some parts of my body. It wasn¡¯t the same colour as my hair, but a much paler version of it. Anna didn¡¯t mention this. On my face, the tinted skin circled around my eyes like some heavy eyeshadow. Lines then extended from both corners of each eye and narrowed into a point. The inner ones were short and barely reached the bridge of my nose. The longer external ones ran down in a small arc along my temples before stopping at the same height my cheekbones began. It reminded me of some sort of ancient war paint or tattoo. The entire back of my wings was also fully painted and, from what Lily told me, the colour continued on my back and went down in a line until it reached my tail, which was also completely blue. She also mentioned asking Anna if I was sick because of it, and the answer to that was no different from the last time. Nothing more than random mutations generated from the clash between human and bat DNA. For the front of the wings, only the fingers were painted while the membranes retained my original skin tone. My nails also turned dark blue like my hair. They could be called claws now; Sharp and tough. Finally, my horns were about three centimetres long, so they were visible at last. Lily hovered next to me as I continued to examine myself in the mirror. ¡°So, I was wondering...¡± I splashed my face with some water, waiting for her to continue. ¡°Yes?¡± I finally asked, noticing she paused intentionally. ¡°So, what¡¯s your take on all this? I mean, I¡¯m still getting used to my new size, and there are many things I can¡¯t do by myself. Everything looks so dangerous and scary to me now. I don¡¯t know what I¡¯d do if I was alone or couldn¡¯t fly.¡± I dried myself with a towel and looked at my wings again. I smiled in anticipation. ¡°Yeah, I can¡¯t wait for my turn to fly.¡± Lily frowned at me and fidgeted a little. She clearly wanted to say something else, and I knew what it was. I was simply trying to avoid it. Realising I needed to confront it sooner or later, I gave in. ¡°You want to know if I¡¯m fine with how I look, right?¡± She nodded shyly. I looked into the mirror again and saw a juvenile demoness staring back at me. There really was no other name for the creature I had become. Lily¡¯s mother only helped confirm that very fact. Save for a couple of minor differences, I looked like how they were depicted in any source. My fingers traced along the markings on my face. ¡°To be honest, I was quite open to it at first, even when I knew how much I resembled an actual demon. I kept thinking on the bright side of things. Being able to fly, use magic, I may even have a longer lifespan, who knows? ¡°What happened that day showed me that I had been disregarding the negatives too much. Looking at the mirror now, I can see why you and your parents reacted like that when you first saw me. Being so young and small helps with my appearance, but I know it¡¯s still unnerving.¡± Lily got closer, trying to comfort me. ¡°Nora, I¡¯m sorry. I-¡± I waved my hand to stop her. ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologise, Lily. You did nothing wrong. Besides, it¡¯s the truth. Even I reacted like that when I first saw myself, you know? These yellow eyes are intimidating. Whenever I look at them, it¡¯s as if they stared right into my soul. I can¡¯t seem to get used to them. ¡°My appearance is bad enough already, but it¡¯s the way I reacted back then that truly scares me. I went feral; I couldn¡¯t control myself. What if it happens again? Would I hurt someone I care for?¡± Her tiny hand caressed my cheek. ¡°You protected me, didn¡¯t you? I don¡¯t think you should worry about it too much.¡± I gave myself one more look and sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I hope you¡¯re right. Still, my presence just made things worse. Maybe they would have stopped and listened if I wasn¡¯t there looking like¡­ this.¡± Lily paused, then shook her head. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so. They¡¯ve always been like that.¡± I narrowed my eyes at her comment. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°They are my parents, and I¡­ Well, I love them. Even after seeing what they did, there¡¯s this part of me that refuses to believe they meant it. I can¡¯t help it, even though, deep down, I know they never really cared for me.¡± She looked down and pressed her lips. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how to say this... I guess it felt more like they pretended to care? They showered me with gifts, sure, but they never gave me one in person. It was always through one of the attendants. It wasn¡¯t that difficult to notice they only ever showed affection when someone watched us, especially when Grandpa was present. They never hurt me or mistreated me, rather, they pretty much ignored me whenever we were alone. That, itself, was already rare since they spent most of the time outside. Sometimes they would drink too much and not come back until the next morning.¡± ¡°They left you home alone?¡± I asked with a frown. ¡°Even when you were a child?¡± According to the law, children couldn¡¯t be left unsupervised until they turned eleven years old. Shaking her head once more, she corrected my assumption. ¡°No, I had Grandpa. At least until he passed away. Ashley also took care of me since I was very small. She is¡­ was my babysitter. The workers at home rarely talked to me, and the maids were only around in case I needed something, so she was the only one who played with me. My parents stopped hiring her two years ago. They said it was because they considered it a waste of money when I was already old enough to take care of myself.¡± ¡°Do you miss her?¡± ¡°Yes... I wished Ashley stayed with me like before, but I knew she needed to work. She still visited me most weekends, so it was enough for me. She probably thinks I¡¯m dead now¡­¡± I gently stroked her head with my finger as she stood near the sink. Unlike the day we met, she didn¡¯t flinch. We spent a few minutes in silence until she calmed down. I wanted to do something for her, and the one thing that came to my mind was helping her meet with Ashley again. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Easier said than done; I didn¡¯t know anything about her other than her name. Asking Lily after she had just recovered was also a bad idea, and even if I got the information, there was a chance Ashley wouldn¡¯t be allowed in. I needed to consult Anna first. Unable to continue with my idea, I changed the topic and tried catching up with what I missed the last six days. ¡°Hey, Lily.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Do you know anything about all the people they brought the other day?¡± ¡°Yeah, Anna let me keep her company all this time, so I saw them every day. Well, the ones that stayed. Out of the fifteen, only three were infected, and two already left yesterday because they didn¡¯t really change. The other one is turning into a werewolf.¡± ¡°Like the ones from legends?¡± ¡°I think? He hasn¡¯t changed that much to be honest, but Anna said he will look closer to a wolf standing on two legs than a person.¡± I felt a pang in my chest at the thought. If some animal carriers were capable of such changes, Lily and I were extremely lucky. That was, if you could call becoming a fairy ¡®luck¡¯. ¡°Poor guy¡­ I hope it doesn¡¯t affect him too much.¡± ---<>----------<>----------<>--- Breakfast time arrived, so Lily changed into a different set of clothes and I put on my slippers before we left our room. Thankfully, my gown and underwear had been changed to fit me while I was unconscious. We were already halfway to the cafeteria when we saw Anna walking our way. She greeted us and welcomed me back to ¡®the world of the living¡¯. She explained that she was on her way to wake Lily up, so, having saved her the trouble, we went downstairs directly. Dr. Blake was already eating with other staff members when we arrived. Seeing this, we chose a separate table for the three of us. I allowed Lily to pick what she wanted to eat for breakfast, and I gave her small bits of each dish when we got back to the table. Her eyes twinkled when I gave her a piece of bacon, which she ate gleefully after complaining about how Anna only picked fruits and vegetables whenever it was her turn to share her food. ¡°Are you a vegetarian, Anna?¡± I asked, remembering I never actually saw her eating meat. ¡°Close, but not quite,¡± she replied, picking at her stacked salad. ¡°This is a side effect of being an elf. Fruits and vegetables have been a lot tastier than meat ever since I became one. I still enjoy a good burger occasionally, but the flavour can be overwhelming.¡± ¡°I see. You did mention something like that before. I wonder if my tastes will change after I¡¯ve fully transformed, too. Have you noticed anything like that in your case, Lily?¡± She shook her head while munching on a small piece of a doughnut. Anna chuckled at her response. ¡°Don¡¯t be silly, you¡¯re quite the glutton now.¡± Not getting any response from the fairy, she explained it to me. ¡°Her metabolism is like that of a hummingbird¡¯s. She needs tons of energy to stay healthy now. You don¡¯t seem to have any changes yet, Nora, but you might also need to consume more food to keep those wings of yours working. I think it will be fine as long as you don¡¯t start catching moths and grasshoppers.¡± It is true that many bats eat bugs. I smirked at her. ¡°I don¡¯t mind it much. Cooking is a shared hobby in my house, and we often eat unusual dishes, insects included. My dad once had us eat ant larvae by saying it was an exotic variety of rice.¡± Mary had come over to eat with us that time, and she almost threw her plate at Dad when he revealed the true nature of our food. ¡°They were rather tasty,¡± I added, laughing at the funny memory. Both of them grimaced in response. ¡°Ew!¡± ¡°Gross...¡± I shrugged and continued enjoying my breakfast. When we finished, we followed Anna to help her with the daily checks on the other two patients. We visited Allison first, like always. However, as we approached the door, Anna noticed she forgot to get her equipment from the storage room. After all, she did meet with us before she had the chance to get it. She asked me to get started while she ran to get what we needed, and Lily followed behind her. The first thing I saw as I entered the room was Allison sitting up on her bed. It felt like fate wanted me to be alone and present whenever this happened. That¡¯s right, she was supposed to wake up soon. Her tar black hair had already grown out past her shoulders, and her previously robust frame had toned down as if the previously large muscles had compacted somehow. Noticing my presence, her big olive eyes quickly focused on me. She silently stood up and slowly walked towards me. Now that she was up, I could tell she was easily three times as tall as me. My instincts yelled at me, making me take a step back. Unaware of my situation, Allison crouched to get a better look at me. Her expression turned from curious to worried when she finally noticed my shaking frame, and she cooed at me, ¡°Calm down, little one. I won¡¯t hurt you, I promise.¡± Is this how Lily felt? I raised my head to look at her face in search for any indication of disgust towards my appearance. Instead, I was only met with a gentle smile, making me feel much more at ease. I smiled back at her. Big mistake! ¡°Aw, you¡¯re so cute!¡± She placed her hands under my armpits and picked me up. I yelped and struggled to get away, but Allison hugged me tightly, keeping me from doing so. I gave up fighting as I felt my body warning me to stop. She looked pleased with my forced submission. ¡°My name¡¯s Allison. Can you talk, little one?¡± ¡°N-Nora...¡± I said, avoiding eye contact. Allison sat on her bed and placed me on her lap. ¡°Nice to meet you, Nora.¡± She observed me from head to toe and raised an eyebrow. ¡°What are you, exactly?¡± I made another attempt to escape, but she prevented it by placing her huge hand behind my wings. She is gentle, at least. ¡°I¡¯m a demon... or will be in a few days.¡± ¡°Will be? What do you mean by that?¡± She asked, cocking her head. ¡°I was still human a few weeks ago, but a virus is changing me. You¡¯re the same as me. Well, sort of.¡± The moment I said those words, she placed me on the bed and ran to the bathroom. The bed vibrated slightly with each step she took. She also seemed to have some trouble stopping her body¡¯s momentum due to her new size. When she recovered, Allison inspected herself in the mirror. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ normal?¡± She touched her face and examined her body thoroughly. ¡°Am I dreaming?¡± ¡°This is all real,¡± I replied. I remembered watching a documentary explaining that people with gigantism often experienced difficulties with their bodies. Not taking her size into account, the virus had most likely fixed that problem, if she had it. I was about to tell her the truth when I saw her crying tears of joy. Because of that, I decided to wait for Anna to be the one who ruined the moment. She was the one responsible for leaving me alone with Allison in the first place. Once she was done admiring her new body, Allison returned to sit on her bed and, despite my attempt to escape, placed me on her lap once more. ¡°Why did it fix me when it did that to you?¡± ¡°Can you let me go first?¡± With a blink as her only response, I sighed and shrugged. ¡°It depends on many things. I look like this because a bat bit me. Do you remember how you got infected?¡± They told me it¡¯s unknown how the original virus propagated, so it¡¯s worth asking to find any clues. ¡°No. The only unusual thing I remember was feeling pain and vomiting some black stuff on the floor. The next thing I know, I¡¯m in a strange place speaking to a baby demon.¡± ¡°Baby!?¡± I scowled. I knew I looked like a child, but that was way too much of a stretch. ¡°I may not look like it, but I¡¯m already eighteen years old.¡± Frowning, she lifted me up and brought me closer to her face. ¡°It¡¯s not good to lie, little one.¡± Being so close was intimidating, but I was far more annoyed. There was a sudden burst of laughter as I tried freeing myself. Looking over my shoulder, I saw Anna leaning against the door, struggling to regain control. Lily was on her shoulder, laughing as well. Allison turned her attention to Anna. ¡°Hey!¡± She placed me back on the bed and walked until she stood in front of her. She then bent forward with her hands on her hips. ¡°It¡¯s not polite to laugh at others, young lady.¡± I fought hard to contain my own laughter. Anna¡¯s shocked expression was priceless. Allison then looked behind them and finally noticed something was wrong. ¡°Why is there a tiny door there?¡± Anna cleared her throat before speaking. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for laughing. I just didn¡¯t expect to find such an interesting scene when I opened the door, that¡¯s all. I know it sounds crazy, but Nora was telling the truth.¡± Allison seemed perplexed at first. She looked at me, seeking a clear answer. Why me!? She¡¯s already explaining! Oh, whatever... ¡°You¡¯re a giant, Allison.¡± She laughed in response. ¡°I know that already, little one.¡± ¡°You¡¯re over three metres tall,¡± I replied instantly. I lowered my sight as she approached and lifted me again. I really hoped this wasn¡¯t how she would treat me all the time. ¡°Please look at me.¡± Allison held me tightly, but she was still careful not to hurt me. She waited until I lifted my sight to speak. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say anything before?¡± ¡°You looked really happy when you saw your reflection. I didn¡¯t want to ruin it for you.¡± Her face suddenly relaxed. ¡°Aw, thank you~! I still prefer that you tell me the truth, though.¡± She hugged me briefly before placing me back on the bed. ¡°Plus, I don¡¯t mind being a giantess. I¡¯ve been one for a long time, after all. More importantly, my body doesn¡¯t hurt now! Being a bit bigger is a small price to pay, don¡¯t you think?¡± Yeah, just a little bit bigger¡­ ¡°I probably won¡¯t fit in my apartment now, though,¡± she added jokingly. Anna came closer and cleared her throat once more to get her attention. ¡°You can always stay in this room if you want, Allison. We designed it for you, after all. I can even get a few volunteers and bring your belongings here. You won¡¯t need to pay anything as long as you help around the place.¡± Allison smiled enthusiastically. ¡°Thank you! I¡¯ll take your offer, uh¡­ I don¡¯t think I got your name.¡± ¡°My name¡¯s Anna, and this is Lily,¡± she said, pointing at the fairy standing on her shoulder. Allison seemed confused for a moment, so she moved closer to see what Anna was pointing at. The elf, in return, stepped back until the door stopped her. Allison frowned and slightly squinted her eyes before she spotted Lily. ¡°Oh, a fairy! Aw, you¡¯re so tiny~!¡± She cleared her throat. ¡°Nice to meet you both. And Anna, there is no need to be afraid. I have no intention of harming any of you, so please, relax.¡± This was simply something we needed to get used to. Lily acted the same way when she came out of her cocoon and she was fine now, even with Allison, surprisingly. ¡°Sure. Sorry about that.¡± Anna then clapped her hands together. ¡°Now, I know it¡¯s a bit sudden, but I¡¯d like to get some measurements and a blood sample from you if you don¡¯t mind.¡± Allison stood up and walked to the bed. ¡°Sure, I guess. What do I need to do?¡± She asked as she placed me back on the floor. Freedom! We went through the same routine as always. Since she was awake, however, we could finally weigh her again. The room had a special scale designed to support her weight, so she only needed to stand on it like any other device of that kind. Her expression filled with horror for the first time as she looked at the number marked by the machine. Her weight was 653 kilograms! That made Allison at least eight times heavier than the average woman. After she recovered from the shock, we got her to lay down on her bed so we could measure her final height of 3.62 metres. Finally, Anna took a few pictures of her, as well as the blood sample. She then looked at me and smirked. It gave me a bad feeling. ¡°Hey, Nora, since you seem to get along so well with Allison, would you mind keeping her company for a while longer? I still have to visit Connor, and Lily needs to go through some tests at the lab. We¡¯ll get your own measurements later today.¡± I assumed ¡®Connor¡¯ was the name of the werewolf Lily mentioned earlier. That aside, I didn¡¯t want to be left alone with Allison again. I hated being treated like a child, and she made it even worse by handling me like a baby. Despite that, I accepted. I felt it was my duty to help by answering any questions she could have, like Anna did for me before. After the door closed, Allison did as expected and picked me up before sitting on her bed and placing me on her lap again. This is my life now¡­ I was about to protest when she found my biggest weakness. She began stroking the top of my head with her fingers, causing me to melt instantly. It wasn¡¯t rare for me to ask one of my parents to do it whenever we sat on the couch to watch the telly, but I would never ask this of a stranger. Since she took the initiative, however, there was nothing I could do other than enjoy it. I laid down across her legs and let her continue. Allison kept running her fingers through my hair whilst avoiding my horns. She looked down at me with an odd expression. ¡°Where are your parents, little one? Are you alone?¡± I groaned. I just told you I¡¯m eighteen¡­ Feeling too sleepy to go through it again, I remained motionless and slowly closed my eyes. ¡°No, they¡¯re back home. They are not allowed to visit until my transformation is over.¡± She clicked her tongue in response. I simply disregarded it and continued with my own question. ¡°What about you, Allison? Won¡¯t you let your family know about your situation?¡± Her hand flinched briefly before continuing. ¡°I wonder if they even know where I am. How long have I been here?¡± I was already having trouble concentrating as I became sluggish. I yawned before responding, ¡°A bit less than a month. I don¡¯t know if anyone told them you were brought here or not. You may need to ask for permission to call, actually.¡± ¡°I see¡­ I¡¯ll check that later then. They might get worried if they don¡¯t hear from me after so long.¡± She chuckled briefly before adding, ¡°I lost my job for sure, though.¡± That was the last thing I heard before I finally drifted off into sleep. Chapter 8: The Magic Training Begins My sleep was disturbed by a rumbling noise. I rolled over as much as my wings let me and opened my eyes to see Allison staring at the window. I couldn¡¯t tell if she was sad or simply lost in thought. The angle didn¡¯t let me see. Looking at the window myself, I noticed it was still somewhat early. Probably just past noon. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± I asked, getting her attention. ¡°Hey, little one,¡± she cooed. ¡°How are you feeling? Is the pain gone?¡± Oh right, that happens when I sleep. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine.¡± It¡¯s faint enough, anyway. She sighed. ¡°I¡¯m glad. They told me you¡¯d be okay, but you squirmed a lot and didn¡¯t wake up at all. I was worried they were wrong.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, they know their stuff. It was rather nice to fall asleep peacefully for a change.¡± A second grumbling made Allison¡¯s hunger clear. ¡°Shall we go eat something?¡± I suggested while stretching. I didn¡¯t know how long it had been since I fell asleep, but I felt hungry too. She nodded and lifted me from her lap. I was disappointed when she continued holding me instead of placing me on the floor. She sat me on her left arm as she opened the door, and I instinctively held onto her shoulder to avoid falling. ¡°I can walk, you know,¡± I protested. Allison giggled and used her right arm to secure me after exiting her room. ¡°You¡¯re simply too cute to let you go!¡± Noticing my discomfort, she smiled and added, ¡°It¡¯s also faster if we go like this.¡± I could only pout at her. Teasing aside, she had a point. Given our clear size difference, there was no way I¡¯d be able to keep up with her on foot unless I ran, and I preferred to avoid any unnecessary pain. Although that didn¡¯t make being carried around like a baby any less embarrassing. Dr. Blake was the only one at the table when we arrived. Once we were close enough, he stopped eating and stood up to introduce himself. He welcomed Allison to her new home as she finally set me free. Anna and Lily arrived shortly after, showing how nice our timing had been. With the four of us ready, we went to get our food. It didn¡¯t take long for Allison to find the first complications that came from being a giant outside of her room. For starters, she had to sit on the floor so the table was within decent reach. Not that there were any chairs big enough for her in the cafeteria. Then, since the special sized dishes and silverware they ordered for her hadn¡¯t arrived yet, they had to improvise by giving her kitchen tools like a carving fork and a serving spoon. The kitchen staff didn¡¯t look too happy about sharing those. Getting clothes was an even bigger issue. The giant gown she wore was only a temporary solution after all. Fortunately, it was long enough to reach her ankles, preventing anyone from getting a free glimpse from below. In fact, it looked more like a plain long dress than a typical hospital gown like mine. Despite the inconveniences her new size brought her, she never stopped smiling and even joked about it whenever she got the chance. After lunch, Dr. Blake returned to his office as usual, whilst the rest of us were left free to do anything we wanted. Because of this, Anna suggested going outside to show us the latest project they had been working on. Walking out to the back of the building, we were met with a huge terrace full of wooden furniture that matched perfectly with the surrounding forest. It was entirely fenced except for a section in the middle. This opening connected to a wide flagstone path that led to the forest. It was as if we were suddenly transported to a resort. We walked along that path as Anna explained that Dr. Blake had decided to revamp the place so it could be much more than just an investigation centre. After what happened with Lily, he wanted to give us a place where we could feel at home and protected. Because of that, once he was given the green light, he dedicated an important percentage of his income to make the place friendlier for those who no longer had a place to go back to. It made me wonder how much the government paid them. Not far from the terrace, we saw a large playground full of swings, slides, monkey bars, nets, and other oddly inviting structures they built by using the forest¡¯s trees as support. Considering that it was meant for kids, it made sense that it was the closest to the main building. The whole area was floored with a springy yet firm combination of dirt, leaves, and mulch, and it was surrounded by a tall black iron fence. I imagined the latter was meant to keep dangerous wildlife away, though it was strange that the path only had a short wooden fence if that was the case. ¡°Why isn¡¯t everything fenced like this?¡± I asked Anna, pointing to the black bars. ¡°Because it¡¯s too expensive. We also have rangers who keep the bigger animals and campers away from this place, so it¡¯s not like a bear will show up anytime soon. Still, it isn¡¯t a bad idea to stay alert. The fence is there in case something does manage to slip through security. The least we want is a kid getting attacked while playing. There aren¡¯t any children here yet, but we know it¡¯s only a matter of time until it happens. It¡¯s better to be prepared, don¡¯t you think?¡± She looked at me in silence before a mischievous smile emerged on her face. ¡°Actually, do you want to be the first kid to play here, Nora?¡± I humphed, turning my head away with my arms crossed as my reply. ---<>----------<>----------<>--- Is it really happening? Am I becoming a child in mind too? Did Anna experience something similar? Those were my thoughts as I found myself swinging merrily, asking Allison to send me higher and higher with every push. I had decided to surprise Anna by accepting her proposal as a way to counter her joke. Playing for so long was definitely not part of that plan. However, as much as I wanted to deny it, I was truly having a good time playing like a kid again. Lily even joined me for the slides, which I¡¯m sure were quite fun at her size. I still had to be careful and avoid things that required more physical effort to prevent my pain from rising, though. In a sense, it was fine. I didn¡¯t want to embarrass myself any further by entangling my wings with a net or something like that. It hadn¡¯t been half an hour before Anna decided it was time to move on. She had probably grown bored from watching me try every single thing I could. It wasn¡¯t my fault her joke backfired that much. Well, not entirely, at least. I slid down one last time and walked over to the group. We returned to the path and kept walking on it for a few more minutes. Eventually, we reached a lake with water so pure and crystalline I could probably drink from it without risk. There was a small hut, and I could see some benches and tables scattered around. It was an ideal spot for relaxing. I could even picture myself sitting near the shore to play the fessy or fish. I spotted Jack reading at one bench. He waved briefly when he noticed us before he returned to his book. I couldn¡¯t understand that guy. Excluding the first time we met, he always acted cold towards me. Although he did wave at us this time, he was still expressionless. I wondered if being a ghost had somehow altered his personality, too. Not staying for long, we continued walking until we reached our final stop. Anna called it ¡®the training grounds¡¯. It wasn¡¯t anything special considering most of it was untouched forest. There were only two things that showed signs of human activity. The first, and most visible, was a rather tall tower standing alone at the centre of a clearing. At first, I assumed that this was one of the watchtowers used by the rangers Anna mentioned previously. It even had a tiny cabin and a platform at the top from which they could observe the forest. The platform, however, was rather small and lacked railings or any other thing to prevent people from falling. ¡°What¡¯s that tower for, Anna?¡± I finally asked. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a hint,¡± she answered whilst smiling. ¡°It¡¯s something we made for you, Nora.¡± It wasn¡¯t hard to figure it out after that. ¡°It''s a flight training platform! I can¡¯t wait to use it!¡± I yelled excitedly. She chuckled. ¡°Calm down. It¡¯s way too early for that. We don¡¯t even know if demons will be capable of true flight. It¡¯s actually more likely that you are only meant to glide.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind. I can use it either way.¡± I really hoped my wings would let me fly for real, but I didn¡¯t care even if it was merely falling with style. To be honest, as long as they stopped being the dead weight they had proven to be ever since I got them, I was happy with anything. ¡°Alright, just keep in mind that this thing will be the very last part of the learning process. We need to make sure it¡¯s safe for you to use it, regardless of how capable those wings turn out to be.¡± I nodded in response. Right next to the tower was a large circle with some sort of yellow dirt as flooring. It looked like the kind used to fill house foundations. The place was clearly made for magic training in mind. It was devoid of any vegetation to prevent something catching on fire, assuming one of us learned something like that. Additionally, the surrounding tree trunks were covered with what I assumed to be fire retardant. When I asked Anna about any new magic, however, she replied by saying there were no reports of anyone doing anything different, so the only spells available were either healing or slight variations of brainwashing. I really hoped we¡¯d be able to throw fireballs eventually, since I didn¡¯t see the point of practising psychic or healing magic in such an open area. I also couldn¡¯t think of a way of learning those two without any real, and willing, test subjects. This gave me a new goal for myself. To discover a new type of magic. That said, I needed to find out how to use mana in the first place. Fortunately for me, there were two magic users whom I could consult. Clearly, Anna was my first choice, however, Jack seemed to be in a particularly good mood today, if you could call it that. I couldn¡¯t let the chance to talk to him go to waste. The tour ended with Anna warning us not to go outside before lunch, since the people working on this didn¡¯t know what it was meant for. They were government employees, so they were trusted to keep the project a secret, but I already knew they wouldn¡¯t be given more information than what they needed to get the job done. With all these precautions, I wondered what would happen once my transformation was over. Will they truly let me go home looking like this? And if so, will I have to stay inside so no one can see me? I wanted to ask Anna, but I wasn¡¯t sure I wanted to hear the answer. Instead, I decided to stay on the topic of magic. She was about to enter the building when I called her. Anna stopped and turned to face me. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°How do you use your magic?¡± She gave me a concerned frown. ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s too early to try that? You may not be able to use it yet, or ever. Even if you are, it might be painful.¡± ¡°I promise I¡¯ll be careful. I just want to try! I¡¯ll even use the training area!¡± I did my best puppy eyes to convince her. Sadly, her expression told me they didn¡¯t achieve the expected result. I had forgotten what they looked like. I turned away to avoid making her any more uncomfortable. She laughed and rolled her eyes. ¡°Fine, but you can¡¯t practise alone. The last thing I want is for you to fall unconscious in the middle of the forest. Could you do me a favour and babysit her while I help around the lab, Allison?¡± ¡°Who needs a babysitter!?¡± I asked, irritated. Though it clearly fell on deaf ears, since Allison¡¯s eyes sparkled at the opportunity. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°Sure!¡± the giantess quickly replied. ¡°What¡¯s all this talk about magic though?¡± Anna covered her mouth with her hand. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Allison! I completely forgot to tell you! Well, I guess it¡¯s obvious already, but we can do actual magic now. Some of us, at least. There¡¯s no clear confirmation that everyone who transforms can.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Allison smiled eagerly. ¡°In that case, I¡¯d love to give it a try! Or... is it risky for me too?¡± ¡°Not at all, you could say Nora is a little special in that regard. Once her transformation is complete, there shouldn¡¯t be any problem.¡± ¡°Great! Then yes, I want to learn.¡± ¡°Me too!¡± said Lily as she waved her arms over her head. ¡°So now everyone wants to give it a go, huh.¡± Anna placed her hands on her hips and chuckled. ¡°Alright, then. First of all, you¡¯ll need to feel the mana within you. We all produce it naturally through a new organ we simply call the ¡®Mana Core¡¯. Think of it like a generator we need to turn on. What I did when I started was imagining the normal flow of blood within my veins. Once you do that, picture the core deep in your chest, pull the energy stored in it and pour it slowly into your body. Let it mix with your blood. You¡¯ll know if it works, trust me. The tingling sensation it produces at first is unmistakable. It does become less noticeable as your body grows used to it, though. ¡°That should be all you need to get started. I¡¯ll come to your room once I finish my work at the lab, Nora.¡± She looked up at Allison and continued. ¡°I¡¯ll need her to be back before dark, and please, don¡¯t let her overwork herself, okay?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll be fine,¡± Allison replied. ¡°Uh huh¡± The elf sent me another worried look before walking into the building. Once she was inside, we headed back into the forest and to the lake where Jack was still reading his book. He glanced at us, then returned to reading. No waving or anything. Maybe this is not such a good idea after all. I sent Allison a pleading look, but she only nudged me forward with her leg. I nervously walked over to him, successfully getting his attention. I couldn¡¯t stop fidgeting. ¡°I¡­ uh...¡± He raised an eyebrow, keeping the same stone face as always. I could feel his boring gaze through those shades. Allison crouched and patted my back, smiling encouragingly at me. Lily, on the other hand, lost her patience and spoke up instead. ¡°We want to know if you can teach us how to use magic.¡± Thanks, Lily. Allison sighed and explained further. ¡°Anna already told us how she uses hers, so I guess Nora wants to hear if your way is different.¡± He snapped his book shut and placed it next to him. ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°You will?¡± I asked wide eyed. ¡°Of course, why wouldn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Well, I thought you hated me or something.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± He stared at me in silence. I hoped he didn¡¯t change his mind because of that. ¡°No, that wasn¡¯t it. I just¡­¡± He sighed and scratched the back of his head. Did ghosts even itch? ¡°Anna mentioned you were angry with me because I used magic on you and your family. I guess I felt a bit guilty about it. I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t apologise before, but I¡¯m not very good with that stuff. It felt awkward to say something after a while. I was hoping you wouldn¡¯t notice. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Well, that¡¯s not what I expected. ¡°I don¡¯t know what she told you, but she was probably teasing you.¡± He looked away and rubbed his forearm. Despite his sheepish behaviour, his face remained the same. ¡°Yeah, that does sound like her, now that you mention it. I guess I should have noticed. Sorry about that.¡± I smiled at him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I was more surprised than anything. I understood it was necessary, so I was never angry at you. You don¡¯t have to apologise.¡± ¡°I see. Thank you,¡± he muttered. There was an awkward silence after that. ¡°So, regarding our question¡­¡± ¡°Right, my bad. I suppose I could start by stating that my use of magic is very different from Anna¡¯s. I can¡¯t do that ¡®mixing of mana and blood¡¯ thing she does to begin with. I¡¯m made of that stuff, so I can sort of skip that step and cast it directly. You should definitely learn how to use it with her method. The same goes for her healing magic. I can¡¯t use that. Almost no one can, to be fair. ¡°Psychic magic, on the other hand, is something I can be of help with. And given the reports, it should be easier to replicate. The spells I can use are: ¡®Telepathy¡¯, ¡®Fake Emotion¡¯, ¡®Hypnosis¡¯ and ¡®Memory Sculpting¡¯. I don¡¯t think I need to explain them since their names are quite straightforward.¡± Allison sat on the ground and asked, ¡°How did you come up with all of those?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t. Hypnosis is the only spell I can take the credit for. I learned the rest through reports from other research facilities.¡± ¡°That is impressive in its own way,¡± the giantess added, making the ghost look away. ¡°Okay, how do we use them?¡± I asked. ¡°Is chanting necessary?¡± Jack quickly turned back to us. ¡°Not needed at all. Oh, and I hope you don¡¯t mind, but I¡¯ll only teach you fake emotion since it¡¯s mostly harmless. If you prove that you can actually learn it and use it responsibly, I will consider teaching you the rest¡­ Uh, sorry if that sounded rude. It¡¯s just that not many have been able to do it, and I¡¯ve heard it led to accidents in some cases.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± I replied. He seemed rather shy compared to other times. I couldn¡¯t help wondering what caused it. ¡°Oh good. So, are you okay with that?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Lily and I shouted in unison. Allison merely nodded. ¡°Very well. So, to use Fake Emotion, you need to choose a target and try to feel the emotion you want to change. Many psychic spells depend on your own comprehension of the mind. Once you get an idea of what you want, make it as strong or weak as you need and try to project that same feeling on them. Imagine you are connected with a cable and you send this new emotion through it.¡± After he explained, he reopened his book to continue reading. ¡°Really? Nothing else?¡± I asked, frowning. I felt his instructions were too vague. ¡°Uh, sure, let me think. I guess there are a few things that you may want to keep in mind. First, while the spell itself is easy, practising it requires some additional effort. Psychic magic can be easily dispelled if the person is aware of it, so you must hunt your targets instead of asking them to help you. It¡¯s also easier if you¡¯re able to read the target¡¯s current emotion and focus on replacing it with the one you want, so it¡¯s a good idea to work on that too. Finally, the closer you are, the easier it is to access the target¡¯s mind. Make contact with them if possible.¡± ¡°I see¡­ thanks!¡± I was about to turn around when he reached out with his hand. ¡°Also¡­ don¡¯t get discouraged if it doesn¡¯t work. This magic is tricky, and the number of people who can use any is still very limited.¡± I nodded and thanked him once more. I was glad I asked for more. Now I had something I could work on after getting control of my mana. With that, we left the lake and walked to the training area. Once there, we tried to follow Anna¡¯s steps. We sat on the ground and closed our eyes as we concentrated on picturing the core she mentioned. In my case, I imagined it as a shiny orb, floating in the darkness like the flame from the dream I had the day I was infected. After that, all we needed to do was distribute that mana through our system. A couple of hours passed, but nothing happened. No flow, no tingling, nothing at all. I was about to give up when Lily shouted, ¡°I feel it!¡± Allison and I approached her, trying to spot any visible sign of it. I was expecting to see something like Anna¡¯s glowing hands when she used healing magic, yet there was no change. We couldn¡¯t discard the possibility of it being all in her mind, to which she added that it was the same feeling she had in her throat when she first woke up as a fairy. It only made things more confusing to us. The sky was turning dark, and Lily claimed she could feel it twice more after her first attempt. Even then, she could only hold it for a couple of seconds at most. Allison and I had no such luck. It was rather disappointing. We were supposed to go back before nightfall, and the sky was already turning red, so we stopped practising and stood up. Lily went back first, swiftly flying through the treetops. Allison was about to follow her when she noticed I hadn¡¯t moved from my spot. She walked up to me and picked me up, cradling me in her arms. ¡°It¡¯s okay, we¡¯ll get there soon.¡± Embarrassing as it was, I was in no mood to fight back. Instead, I welcomed her embrace and buried my head in her shoulder. She then carried me all the way back. As she walked, I thought about what Anna said earlier. Maybe it really is too early for me to try after all. Still, I wanted to keep practising every day until I could. I had nothing to lose. I would not stop until I got it or there was clear evidence that I couldn¡¯t use any. My mood improved by the time we got to the building. Seeing this, Allison set me down, and I headed to my room to meet up with Anna. I didn¡¯t see her when I entered, though I did spot a few pieces of underwear I could use lying on my bed. Seeing the opportunity, I grabbed one of them as well as a clean gown from the drawer and took a shower to freshen up whilst I waited for her. As I cleaned myself, I noticed the more my wings grew, the harder it became to wash them. I needed to ask for a long brush so I could reach properly next time. It reminded me that Allison wouldn¡¯t be the only one with clothing problems. The gowns I¡¯d been wearing were fine for the time being, and the underwear they brought me had been modified to accommodate for my tail, but I would need to get clothes that fit around my new limbs soon. Fortunately, Mom was a seamstress, so I didn¡¯t think it¡¯d be too problematic for her. I also knew very well that she kept all of our old clothes stored in the attic. That would give her something to work with without spending anything. Stepping out of the shower, I donned a new set of clothes and walked into my room to see Anna sitting on my bed with all the equipment ready for my daily examination. ¡°Before we begin, I have some news for you, Nora.¡± I watched intently as she reached for her lab coat¡¯s pocket and brought out her tablet. ¡°I got these a few days ago, and I think they might be of interest to you.¡± I took the device and looked at the screen with multiple pictures of two demons, a guy and a girl. Both of them appeared to be in their teens, but I knew better. The girl had blood red hair, skin marks and eyes. The pattern on her face was similar, yet more intricate and vivid than mine. Her horns were also twice as big, probably because she was older. I also noticed that they were shaped differently. Hers were quite curved compared to mine, which were almost completely straight. The boy¡¯s hair was seaweed green and his eyes cerulean. The pattern on his face was even more complex than the girl¡¯s as it went all the way down to his neck and branched off a few times along the way. His horns were also much longer than hers, probably 4 times as much as mine, although they were straight as well. Since they both looked to be around the same age, I concluded that men had larger horns and more intricate patterns. Additionally, there were probably different types of horns among our kind. Having looked at all the pictures, I returned the device to Anna, who began her explanation. ¡°We now know that the demon race¡¯s ageing rate is the same as giants. Demons just happen to be shorter than humans, so it hampered our early calculations. We estimate that the average height for demons will be around 1.5 metres. On the bright side, your age won¡¯t revert as much as we thought.¡± I¡¯ll look younger because of my height, though. Isn¡¯t it the same? ¡°Oh! I almost forgot. You will also develop a set of transparent eyelids called Nictitating Membranes. They¡¯re something that animals like crocodiles and some birds have. They will help protect your eyes from the wind and dust, so you can think of them as natural goggles.¡± ¡°I see... Thank you, Anna.¡± To be honest, I was too focused on the previous information to care all that much about it. Knowing that things were almost over was good, though. ¡°You¡¯re welcome. That¡¯s all I had for you today, do you have any questions?¡± I thought for a moment and remembered there was something I needed to consult with her. ¡°I do. It doesn¡¯t have to do with me, though. Is that alright?¡± She raised an eyebrow and nodded. ¡°So, I spoke with Lily earlier this morning, and she told me a bit about her life before coming here-¡± ¡°About her parents and Ashley, no doubt.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s been a few days since then. It¡¯s only natural that she told us about it. So? What is it that you wanted to ask?¡± I bit my lip and paused briefly before sharing my suspicion. ¡°Do you think they¡¯re hiding something? Her parents, I mean.¡± ¡°Not just think, we know they were. We did some digging and found out that her grandfather was a retired noble who chose not to let his son inherit the title. We don¡¯t know what happened between them but he also restricted his will to only validate if his son had any children. Sonyer Rossendale seemed to be a good person, so it¡¯s not clear what his intentions were by doing this, but it¡¯s quite obvious that those two had a child because they couldn¡¯t get the inheritance without one. ¡°Unfortunately for the couple, Lily¡¯s grandfather got to live long enough to meet his granddaughter, which also led to the testament getting modified again. This time, they could only receive a fixed amount to live comfortably until Lily was an adult. The money would then be split between both parties, but the mansion¡¯s ownership was given exclusively to Lily.¡± I frowned, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why would they abandon her like that? Don¡¯t they need her?¡± ¡°Not anymore. Lily¡¯s condition opened another possibility for them. Since they only had one child, if Lily dies accidentally, the terms of the inheritance would be nullified and everything would be automatically passed onto the closest living relative. Guess who they claimed to have died that day.¡± ¡°Will they be punished?¡± I asked. Anna shook her head. ¡°No, at least not yet. Even though their intentions were clear, the government chose to turn a blind eye to avoid making any unnecessary waves for now. Lily is alive, and she can claim what is rightfully hers once this whole secrecy is over. After a week of living with her, though, I think she¡¯ll probably let them go. Whether they expected something like this or are simply lucky that things turned out this way, we may never know.¡± ¡°Lily said she still loves them.¡± I clenched my fist in frustration. At least as much as my claws let me without drawing blood. ¡°I can¡¯t understand how anyone would feel any sort of affection for people like that.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not the only one to think that. However, that is not our choice to make. I do believe she¡¯s too kind for her own good, though.¡± ¡°I know.¡± I felt guilty for feeling jealous of her earlier. ¡°That¡¯s why I wanted to do something for her.¡± ¡°And you thought about bringing Ashley here so she could see her again.¡± ¡°...Yes.¡± She chuckled and smiled at me. ¡°I knew you¡¯d say something like that. In fact, I''ve been looking into that myself. I can¡¯t make any promises, but I¡¯ll see what we can do, okay?¡± ¡°Thanks, Anna.¡± I said, returning the smile. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡± She stood up and stretched before looking back and extending her hand to me. ¡°Let¡¯s go through your check up so we can have dinner, shall we?¡± ---<>----------<>----------<>--- When we got downstairs, Dr. Blake was chatting with Lily, whilst Allison read a magazine. I walked over to Allison and climbed on her lap to get a better look at it. Now that I was close, I could see it was a clothing catalogue. It was an interesting coincidence. I only realised what I did after that. Allison was surprised as well, but quickly returned to her usual smile and lowered it for me to see the outfits. ¡°Robert says he knows someone who can make clothes for us. He gave me this magazine so I could mark anything I liked,¡± She commented. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, who?¡± ¡°Well, he didn¡¯t tell me her name...¡± Allison replied as she looked at Dr. Blake in search of an answer. The doctor laughed. ¡°That would be me, Nora. I¡¯m Robert.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± He always presented himself as Dr. Blake, so this was the first time I¡¯d heard his actual name. Not even the plate on his desk included it. ¡°Oh, I thought you meant his friend,¡± explained Allison. I shook my head slowly. ¡°It¡¯s my fault. I should¡¯ve been more specific.¡± Dr. Blake searched through his pocket and offered me a blue marker. ¡°Here, it¡¯s still early for you, but mark anything you like. Avoid choosing anything too loose since it will hinder you during flight.¡± I gladly took it. While I knew I could always count on my mother for this, I couldn¡¯t turn down free clothing. The rest of the night was just us having dinner and talking about our progress with mana manipulation, after which they congratulated Lily for her success. I couldn¡¯t help feeling dejected from my lack of results. I¡¯ll get it tomorrow. I hope... Chapter 9: First Blood We spent the next four days attempting mana manipulation. During that time, Lily had proven to be extremely talented. She could already control the flow for several minutes, and Anna decided that was enough to see if she could learn healing magic from her. Allison and I, on the other hand, showed no progress whatsoever. I was growing more desperate with each day. Concerning my transformation, the nicti-something membranes Anna mentioned made themselves present. Unlike my wings or tail, I had no trouble moving them from the start, and I could see through them almost as if they weren¡¯t even there. They were a single transparent eyelid that closed from the side of my eye and fully covered it. They looked alien, but I couldn¡¯t deny that they were quite useful, especially when taking a shower. No more shampoo accidentally getting in my eyes. I also challenged Allison to a staring contest while using them, and it took her some time to notice that I was cheating because of how difficult to see they were. My skin patches also reached their final hue. One trait all demons shared was that this skin colouration always matched our nails and hair. The purpose of this pigmentation was still a mystery. Some thought it helped reduce glare, like a raccoon¡¯s mask, while others claimed it was meant to be a form of sexual selection. Dr. Blake supported both of them equally. I didn¡¯t really care about its purpose, though. The dark colour only made my already scary eyes stand out even more. No matter how long it had been since they changed, I still couldn¡¯t ignore them whenever I looked at myself in the mirror. The training area was slowly taking shape, too. The biggest change was a group of wood, rubber and straw target dummies Dr. Blake gifted us in hopes of increasing our morale and in case we actually discovered a more destructive kind of magic. I heard that the workers were quite curious about the dummies at first. Despite being hired by the government, it was probably hard for them not to wonder about their purpose. To avoid any further suspicions, Dr. Blake built a big shack and filled it with some training swords of varying sizes and six rustic wooden bows. Word of them being mere recreation props for the staff quickly spread, and it seemed to quell the worker¡¯s interest. His statement soon became true, as Anna was the first one to make use of this new equipment. With her being an elf, I thought it would be cool if she tested her abilities with the bow. Anna liked the idea and grabbed one of them to begin practising with it. She gave us a good scare at one point when she dropped the arrow before firing, causing the bow to crack loudly. Our first thought was that the bow was simply defective, so we paid it no mind. That was until the second one broke in the same manner. Having lost a third of our bows, she did some research online and learned that ¡®dry firing¡¯ sent the energy meant for the absent arrow straight to the bow instead. Our low quality weapons couldn¡¯t resist the force, so they broke. I wished Anna had done such an investigation before losing them in such a way, although I doubted her father would be too stingy about buying more. Regardless of her initial disappointment, Anna kept working on it and was steadily getting the hang of the weapon. Though she still got tired rather quickly and got hurt with enough frequency that Dr. Blake was forced to get some protective equipment, regardless of her insistence in simply using healing magic to fix it. Her accuracy was definitely not the best either. So much for the stereotype. While the elf kept on juggling with practising and helping Lily, Allison and I concentrated on our mana unsuccessfully. We repeated the same procedure over and over, and I even tried changing my approach a few times to no avail. I couldn¡¯t imagine how Anna was able to come up with it so easily. From what she told me, it came naturally to her and Jack after Dr. Blake was badly hurt, days before my arrival. Apparently, one of the angry patients she had told me about didn¡¯t like the doctor¡¯s ¡®informational speech¡¯ and went violent. According to her, they got the hang of it pretty quickly after that emergency push. Seeing my frustration, Anna insisted that I could always try again once my transformation was complete. I wanted to believe her, but it didn¡¯t explain why Allison couldn¡¯t achieve it either. Tired of not getting results, I decided to take a break from my meditation and grabbed a bow to try archery instead. This turned out to be equally frustrating since every single bow we had was meant for adult use, and I was too small and weak to use them properly. That was the last straw for me. I needed to vent somehow. My eyes focused on the storage shack, and I felt the urge to grab a sword and mercilessly attack one of the dummies to vent. Anna reminded me of my condition, but I didn¡¯t care, I was too fed up with everything to listen. As I made my way to the small building, a shadow loomed over me. Allison now stood between me and my objective with her arms crossed. She was clearly upset about my careless choice. Her size probably had a huge influence on it, but her scolding was one of the scariest I had ever experienced. She didn¡¯t need violence or any kind of physical contact. Her tone and presence were enough to make me turn around and resume my meditation while sobbing. It took me a few minutes to calm down, and when I did, I felt guilty. They were only trying to help, and I was acting like a spoiled brat. I knew that wasn¡¯t the real me. I couldn¡¯t let the child take over. I¡¯d do my best to prevent it from happening again. Sunset approached. I was about to call quits and head back to my room when I finally felt it. That tingling Anna mentioned came and went so suddenly I barely had any time to register it. Even so, it was progress. ¡°I¡­ I did it! I finally did it!¡± I screamed joyfully, leaping to my feet. Allison congratulated me and patted my head. No matter how brief, it was enough to boost my morale once more. That was until I turned around. Anna didn¡¯t hear me at all. She was too focused on Lily, whose hands were glowing intensely. She was so excited, she even cut herself so Lily could try to heal her. Allison was furious because of that, but Anna shrugged it off by saying the wound was too small, and that she could heal it even if Lily was unable to. It seemed to me like having healing magic made her too careless. The wound was fully closed in mere seconds, and Lily turned our way with a huge smile on her face, one that faded as soon as she saw me. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Nora?¡± I was unsure of what kind of expression I had at that moment. Still, I tried hiding my jealousy. Lily was not guilty of anything after all. ¡°S-sorry. I guess I still haven¡¯t gotten used to seeing magic. It left me speechless, that¡¯s all. Oh, right, I could finally feel the thing!¡± Allison and Anna didn¡¯t buy it, of course. However, Lily flew straight to me with an enthusiastic cheer. ¡°That¡¯s great, Nora!¡± You¡¯re too innocent... ¡°It¡¯s nothing compared to you, Lily. I mean, look at that. You¡¯re already able to use healing magic! You¡¯re amazing!¡± I meant it this time. Despite my frustration, it was nice seeing one of us do so well. Allison proudly nodded at me whilst sitting behind her. It made me giggle, not only because of how absurd a fairy and a giant looked next to each other, but because I knew I was only a child in her eyes. Despite knowing my real age, her image of me didn¡¯t change. When I thought about it, I couldn¡¯t really blame her since she didn¡¯t get to meet me before my transformation, and my recent behaviour didn¡¯t help me either. At this point, it was probably better to accept it as something normal. I didn¡¯t mind the cuddles, anyway. The fact that she kept trying to usurp my mother¡¯s role was still something I couldn¡¯t understand, though. ---<>----------<>----------<>--- Three more days flew by after that, and while the first two were pretty uneventful, the third came with a nice surprise for me. I was suddenly able to keep control of the flow of my mana for several seconds. It was a far cry from what Lily had achieved, but it was enough for me. I could finally feel at ease. Just like Anna mentioned, the energy was strongest in my chest. It then spread to the rest of my body, only to reach the tips of my limbs and eventually return to the core where it began. The tingling was a bit less noticeable with each try, yet I could feel the flow regardless of it. As to why I managed such a jump in skill, the answer was simple. My transformation was finally complete! Anna had been right the whole time. All I needed was to wait until my core was ready. Unfortunately for me, while I was eager to see how far I could get, it was difficult for me to concentrate. The reason being, ironically, the end of my mutations. This meant Anna would notify my family about it and give them the green light to pick me up. It made me excited and nervous at the same time. It was early in the afternoon when the moment came. I had somehow finished my training for the day, so I simply watched Allison meditate. She had yet to feel anything at all. When Anna walked into the training area, both of us stood up, and I ran to greet her. I was so glad I could finally move without limitations. ¡°I made the call, Nora. They will be here in about two hours. How is everything going over here?¡± I frowned. ¡°Not so good. I kept thinking about my parents so I couldn¡¯t focus. I¡¯m scared.¡± Allison looked at me in confusion. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to see them?¡± ¡°I do, it¡¯s just¡­ What if they don¡¯t accept the new me?¡± Lily rose from her spot the moment she heard me and flew away. Anna hesitated briefly, then chose to follow her back to the building. I felt guilty since I probably made her remember that day. Even though she acted cheerful most of the time, I could still hear her cry at night when she thought I had already fallen asleep. Allison stared in their direction briefly before looking back to me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, did I miss something?¡± If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°A few days before you woke up, they brought Lily¡¯s parents so they could meet her after her transformation. Their reactions were, well, the opposite of what we expected. They went as far as claiming she was dead right in front of her.¡± ¡°And you think the same will happen with yours?¡± ¡°Yes, I mean, no, I mean, maybe? I don¡¯t know...¡± I sighed. ¡°Those two were crazy, but it doesn¡¯t mean my appearance won¡¯t cause trouble. I mean, look at me. What do you see?¡± ¡°A bab-¡± ¡°Forget I asked,¡± I interrupted, knowing Allison wouldn¡¯t get it. ¡°I¡¯m a monster, Allison! I have wings, horns, and a tail! I¡¯m a demon through and through!¡± I looked down as I felt my eyes water. ¡°All I¡¯ll get whenever someone sees me will be their terrified screams!¡± Allison sat down next to me and gently brushed away my tears with her finger. ¡°Please don¡¯t say such things, little one. You¡¯re not scary and most definitely not a monster. Did I react like that when I first saw you? Hmm?¡± I looked intently into her eyes. She still had that gentle expression of hers. It amazed me how easily she could ignore my stare when not even I could. ¡°No, but that¡¯s only because I¡¯m tiny compared to you.¡± She hummed in contemplation. ¡°Well, I can¡¯t deny that completely, but I¡¯m scared of mice, and they are tiny too.¡± Her arms wrapped around me. ¡°You¡¯re a nice girl, Nora. I¡¯m sure your parents know that very well, and they will love you no matter what you look like. They¡¯ll be happy to see you again, I guarantee it.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± I replied, returning the hug. We waited for me to relax a little more before we walked back to the building. Once there, we separated, and I waited for my family in my room. I thought giving them a similar setting to when they left me would increase my chances of them accepting the new me. I was still anxious; I couldn¡¯t avoid it. After closing the door, I grabbed my phone and climbed onto my bed. I turned the device on and read the latest issue of Mysterium. I needed some sort of distraction, and this was the best thing I could think of. As always, it had fascinating legends and stories. When I got to the news section, there was one particular article that caught my attention. It mentioned a few recent cases of vampire attacks. Knowing that vampires were real now, I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about them. I thought it was a coincidence since Dr. Blake mentioned they didn¡¯t crave blood like the ones from folklore, yet the timing of this article was too convenient to be only that. I was still trying to process what I read when someone knocked on my door. I could identify my mother¡¯s voice as she talked to Anna. They¡¯re here! I was so focused on the magazine, I didn¡¯t even notice when the car arrived. Anna spoke from the other side of the door. ¡°Nora, are you ready?¡± ¡°Y-yes...¡± My reply came out weak, but I knew she could hear it, so I didn¡¯t repeat myself. The door opened, revealing Anna and three other silhouettes. My family stood there, looking straight at me. Or at least they tried, for I was already hidden under the covers of my bed. I could see their shapes through the thin white sheets as they got closer to me. Mom was the first one to speak. ¡°Is everything okay, sweetie? Can you come out of there so we can see you?¡± I took a deep breath and slowly revealed my face to them. That was all it took for her to jump on top of the bed and hug me. Dad joined her in an instant. Just like that, all the remaining insecurities were gone, and only tears remained. Allison was right. I feel stupid now. I was truly happy to see them again. We remained like that for a long time before they stood up and backed a bit. ¡°It¡¯s worse than we thought, dear. She can¡¯t even do her makeup anymore.¡± ¡°Ha ha. Very funny, Dad.¡± He laughed and asked, ¡°Why don¡¯t you come out of there and show us your new look?¡± I did just that and looked at their shocked expressions. They remained silent for a long time. It felt like when they sang on my birthday. I didn¡¯t really know what to do or say. ¡°Wow,¡± was the first thing that came out of Allen¡¯s mouth. He walked closer and looked down at me with a frown. ¡°They weren¡¯t kidding when they said you were getting younger.¡± My official height was 1.16 metres at the end of my transformation. I could easily be mistaken for a seven-year-old girl, or maybe even younger. Wait a minute! ¡°You knew?¡± ¡°More or less, yeah,¡± Dad replied. ¡°Jack told us about your changes a few days ago. He mentioned a change in policy or something. He wouldn¡¯t show us any pictures of you, but he did give an accurate description.¡± Bewildered, I turned to Anna. She smiled and nodded slowly. ¡°I was aware of how nervous you were after what happened with Lily. We knew your family would accept your new look, but we saw no harm in telling them beforehand so they would be mentally ready for this moment.¡± Allen¡¯s frown was replaced with a smirk as he continued to look at me. ¡°I guess I have a little sister now.¡± I glared at him and shouted, ¡°Hey! I¡¯m still three years older than you!¡± ¡°No way! It would be too weird to tell others you¡¯re my older sister!¡± ¡°He makes a good point, don¡¯t you think?¡± Something told me that Dad wasn¡¯t joking this time, adding salt to the wound. ¡°Dad! Not you too! Hey, Anna. Do you still have that bat? We could use another test subject, don¡¯t you think?¡± I commented, eyeing my brother. Allen stepped back at my comment, pretending to be scared. Anna burst out laughing. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Nora. My dad would kill me.¡± Mom seemed worried, however. ¡°A bat? Test subject? What do you mean, sweetie?¡± ¡°I look like this because a bat bit me, Mom.¡± Dad raised an eyebrow at my comment. ¡°I don¡¯t remember any bat mentioned last time we came.¡± ¡°Looks like they didn¡¯t tell you everything. I¡¯ll explain things in more detail on our way home. Which reminds me, is it really okay for me to leave, Anna?¡± She crossed her arms and glanced at my parents, then back at me. ¡°Well, yes and no. The government doesn¡¯t support the idea too much, but they¡¯ve agreed to let you visit them during the weekends. Just make sure nobody sees-¡± ¡°What? You mean I still have to stay here most of the time?¡± Looking at my parents, I could tell they clearly didn¡¯t like it, but they weren¡¯t surprised by the revelation. ¡°Did you agree?¡± ¡°To be fair, they didn¡¯t have that much of a choice,¡± Anna answered instead. ¡°Think about it. When you arrived, the chances of you becoming a metahuman or at least another race that could blend in was quite high. Becoming a draell was always an option, but the odds were in your favour. Now, however, you have changed too much for that to be a possibility. Additionally, you¡¯re the member of a race that was just born a few days ago. It¡¯s almost the same as Lily. We lack plenty of information, and we need you here for that. You¡¯re also learning magic, which I strongly recommend you not to practise inside your house in case you discover something dangerous. Last, but not least, now that you¡¯ve fully transformed, it¡¯s about time you learn how to use those wings of yours, don¡¯t you think? There are plenty of reasons to come back if you ask me. Don¡¯t worry, though. We¡¯ll give you a full week this time, so you have plenty of time to catch up with them.¡± She left me speechless. I wanted to complain, but had nothing against her arguments. It was still better than what I feared. I sighed in defeat. ¡°Yeah, I see your point...¡± ¡°There¡¯s something we haven¡¯t discussed, though,¡± Mom said. ¡°How long does she have to remain hidden? Will she be able to go to college? We must think of her future, after all.¡± ¡°She¡¯s already been accepted by the University of Eredel,¡± Dad added. ¡°We can¡¯t just throw that opportunity away. There must be a way she can go!¡± Hearing the unexpected news, I quickly turned to them. ¡°I was accepted!?¡± Anna pinched the bridge of her nose and pressed her eyes closed in annoyance. ¡°I understand your concerns, but we can¡¯t have a little girl with wings walk freely in public. We¡¯re already taking a risk by allowing her to leave the facility regularly, and it¡¯s only under the condition that you¡¯ll do your best to keep her hidden at home. Now, if I remember correctly, we still have around six months before that, don¡¯t we? I¡¯m sure we can come up with something by then. Jack and a few others are already working on creating an illusion spell that should help us with it.¡± Jack is working on another spell!? How diligent. ¡°Even if we can¡¯t solve it by then, we can arrange for her to begin her studies at a later date. She did get younger, so waiting for the right time shouldn¡¯t be that bad.¡± Studies aside, I hoped they managed to create that illusion spell quickly. It really wasn¡¯t a good idea to show myself to the world, especially when those rumours of vampire attacks had started. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right!¡± I screamed, making everyone jerk in response. ¡°Um, sorry. I was just reminded of something, Anna.¡± I took out my phone from my bag and swiped through the magazine¡¯s pages. ¡°Here, look at this.¡± Anna frowned when she saw what kind of magazine it was. She smiled wryly as she read the last lines. ¡°The descriptions match, I¡¯ll give them that. Still, vampires don¡¯t need to drink blood. I thought you knew.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid that article might be true, Anna.¡± Jack was leaning on the door frame as he said that. He was too sneaky. ¡°You should come and see this. I think everyone should.¡± We followed Jack to Dr. Blake¡¯s office, who glanced at us briefly before turning his eyes back to the TV and pressed the play button on his controller. He was watching the news. Something regarding a massive storm hitting the northeastern coast of the continent. It was so large that a great number of cities were affected by endless rain and flooding. While it was worrisome, it was too far away to be of importance to us. I also failed to see what that had anything to do with vampires attacking people. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I turned to see Allison at the door. My family was amazed at the sight of the giant girl squeezing her way inside. Mom seemed particularly interested in her for some reason. Lily flew in after her and landed on top of my head, increasing their awe. ¡°We saw everyone heading here in a hurry. Is there something wrong?¡± ¡°Wait for it,¡± Dr. Blake said, keeping his eyes glued to the screen. Soon enough, the images of the natural disaster were replaced by that of a cage and a crowd surrounding it. Inside the cage was a girl with snow white skin and hair. Her red eyes only confirmed what she was. ¡°A vampire,¡± Anna muttered, covering her mouth with one hand. The reporter explained that the vampiress was discovered breaking into a small boy¡¯s room in the middle of the night. When confronted, she crouched and silently backed into a corner. She didn¡¯t seem aggressive, so the parents acted quickly and restrained her before calling the police. Apparently, the child remained in a deep trance for several minutes before he regained consciousness. Other than that, he was unharmed. We could hear the angry mob demanding to kill the vampire for attacking a child whilst some others, not believing her to be one, defended her rights as a person. The Sovyer in charge of Kelpont, the city where that was taking place, stated that she¡¯d be taken to a safe location for investigation. As that happened, I saw a guy step forward, pointing a gun at her. How did he even get that thing!? The police were trying to stop him when my vision went black. I heard the shot and the crowd screaming. Everyone around me gasped, and I was suddenly pulled into Allison¡¯s embrace, still unable to see a thing. ¡°Allison, is this really necessary?¡± I asked, trying to wiggle away. She let me go. Her usual smile was nowhere to be seen. ¡°Sorry.¡± I turned to the screen and saw the guy being taken away by the police as some others moved the cage that contained the lifeless body of the girl. A chill ran down my spine. I could suddenly see myself in a similar situation. Both of my parents came to me and hugged me tightly. The whole room was silent. ---<>----------<>----------<>--- Looking out the window, the sky was already painted a beautiful red. My parents decided it was time to leave when I had somewhat recovered from the shock of that scene. As the moment finally arrived, I stood by the entrance of the building looking at the friends I made during my stay. Anna came over to me and handed me my bag and the clothes I wore the day I arrived. I had completely forgotten about them. She also gave me a small card with her contact information written on it. I thanked her and turned back to the car. The ground shook as I walked away, and a huge pair of arms wrapped around me affectionately before I could turn. ¡°Stay safe, Nora.¡± ¡°I will. Don¡¯t worry,¡± I replied, returning the hug. After watching the news, I was not going to take any chances. Allen opened the car¡¯s door for me and climbed in once I was inside. The vehicle soon started moving, and I turned to the building and waved at them one last time. I continued to do so until they were out of sight. At that moment, my brother smirked at me. ¡°Why don¡¯t you fill us in as you said, little sis?¡± Somewhat annoyed, I glared at him. His smug expression told me he wouldn¡¯t give up on the idea, and my parents'' silent approval was of no help either. Guess that¡¯s another thing I¡¯ll have to get used to¡­ I sighed in resignation. ¡°Well, the mess started when I opened this stupid window...¡± Chapter 10: Back Home I dashed to my room the moment we entered the house. The one I had back at the investigation centre was all right, but it lacked my personal touch. After looking around briefly to see everything as I left it, I placed my uniform on my bed and stared at it. I never went to the graduation ceremony. Guess I missed the party as well. While I wasn¡¯t what you would call ¡®the heart of the party¡¯, and rather avoided most of them, I was actually looking forward to this one. It marked the end of twelve long years of general education, after all. Hearing steps coming closer, I turned to see Mom already standing by the door. ¡°Why don¡¯t you take a shower, sweetie? I¡¯ll go get some PJ¡¯s for you to change into while you do. You must be tired of wearing that¡­ thing.¡± ¡°Okay, Mommy~.¡± The sound of a scratched record played in my mind just then. Outside, however, there was silence. It was disturbing that it came out so naturally after years of simply calling her ¡®Mom¡¯. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since you called me Mommy.¡± I shrugged. ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t know what happened there.¡± Mom giggled and hugged me. ¡°Actually, I wouldn¡¯t mind it if you kept on doing it.¡± She said that, but the suggestive tone she used made it clear to me. ¡®Please, keep doing it.¡¯ Just roll with it. Aside from the awkward situation, this brought me back to what I was already suspecting. My transformation was still active; however, instead of changing my body, it was affecting my mind. I could only hope that, by being aware of it, I would put a stop to it. After Mom let me go, I headed for the bathroom. The original idea was to take a shower like she said, but the moment I reached my destination, the tub called to me. It had been a very long time since I had the time to truly relax, and a warm bubble bath was a great way to do it. My size made it harder to prepare everything, and I even stopped to think if it was a good idea to do so after all. The thought didn¡¯t last long since I had already done most of the job and only needed to wait until the water reached high enough for me. I undressed myself and looked at the mirror whilst the tub continued to fill up. All I could see was my face peeking over the sink. I had noticed it in the morning, but my eyes no longer intimidated me. I could stare at them normally, like I did when I was human. Not only my eyes; my entire body felt normal to me now. It was as if it had always been like that. A shiver ran down my spine. This only reinforced my previous theory. As the water rose to an acceptable level, I felt the temperature with my hand to see if it needed any adjustments. Perfect! Satisfied, I climbed in and sank to the bottom of the tub until the bubbles reached my shoulders and covered most of my wings. Right after that, I heard the door open. Mom stared at me with wide eyes before shaking her head and placing a pink bundle of clothes on top of the cabinet. She remained silent as she walked to me and only spoke once she was by my side. ¡°You should¡¯ve told me you were going to take a bath. I got worried when I didn¡¯t hear the shower.¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± Mom smiled and rubbed my cheek softly. ¡°It¡¯s fine, sweety. Just let me know next time, okay?¡± I nodded, and she kneeled to kiss my forehead, but something interrupted her. She observed the bubbles and frowned before shoving a hand into the water. Her eyes widened once more. ¡°Is the water fine for you?¡± ¡°Yeah. Is there something wrong?¡± I frowned and cocked my head in confusion. ¡°No, I just didn¡¯t know you liked it... lukewarm. Anyway, don¡¯t stay too long there. I¡¯d hate it if you got sick right after coming back.¡± Lukewarm? I parted some bubbles and observed the surface. There was no steam coming out of it. I could have sworn I checked it! And why does it feel fine like this? Another side effect? ¡°You¡¯re getting distracted again. Did you hear what I said?¡± I blinked quickly and snapped out of my thoughts. ¡°Sorry, Mommy. Yes, I¡¯ll get out soon.¡± Somewhat satisfied with my reply, she got up and left the bathroom. Some time after that, I stepped out of the tub and dried myself with a towel. I then looked at the pyjamas Mom brought me. They were a simple set of pink shirt and pants with strawberries printed all over them. I remembered wearing them when I was much younger. For once, I¡¯m glad she kept all of my clothes. They still felt soft and comfortable. I sniffed them, expecting them to smell old, but I was surprised to see that wasn¡¯t the case. Those expensive airtight boxes Mom insisted on buying kept my clothes in perfect condition. Being able to wear my old clothes again made me feel a bit nostalgic. Unfortunately, the moment was killed when I tried putting them on and remembered my body was quite different now. Apparently, my mother forgot about it as well. ¡°Mommy!¡± I heard her rushing from the attic before entering the bathroom with clear concern stamped on her face. ¡°What is it, sweetie?¡± When Mom saw me, she relaxed and smiled in humour at my predicament. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back.¡± She quickly returned with a disappearing ink pen and a measuring tape. Holding the clothes against me, she drew a few lines on them and hung them on her arm. ¡°Go back to your room. I¡¯ll fix these in no time.¡± Not having any other choice, I wrapped myself in towels and did as she told me. I turned the computer on and tried to find the best position to sit. Once ready, I searched for news regarding the incident we saw back at the centre. The Internet had gone crazy over the matter. There was an official report stating that the girl wasn¡¯t actually a vampire. According to them, an autopsy showed she was merely an albino girl under the effects of a nasty new drug. I knew better than to believe such an obvious lie. I¡¯d seen vampires before, even if only through a picture. Her parents, kept anonymous by the media, were obviously furious when she was accused of taking drugs, but they didn¡¯t give a clear answer when confronted about her nature as a vampire. For me, and many others, it served as confirmation of the truth. Although, if that was the case, this event meant that most of the other vampire sightings were probably real too. The simple cover up wouldn¡¯t last long enough. I wondered how they planned on handling it. Many others came to the same conclusion as me. Blogs all over the internet took no time in coming up with a number of conspiracy theories. Others didn¡¯t limit themselves to only vampires, but ¡®mythical beings¡¯ as a whole. One guy even started uploading videos where he talked about some legends from the Old Era his great grandfather used to tell him when he was a kid. Mysterium¡¯s chat and forum were a huge mess because of their article, too. I didn¡¯t even bother reading most of it. I decided to check my social media for a break, and a message appeared a couple of minutes after. Mary: [Nora, you¡¯re alive!] Oh no¡­ Mary: [I got really worried when your parents told me you were taken to the hospital.] Mary: [Are you okay noe?] Mary: [now*] I forgot to change my computer¡¯s status to invisible! I did it immediately, but the damage was already done. I had to reply. Nora: [Yes, I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t tell anyone yet, please!] Mary: [What do you mean? Why not???] Nora: [It¡¯s complicated¡­] Nora: [It has to do with my condition.] Mary: [Hmm~] Mary: [Okay~ Important things first then! I have your equipment safe in my bank.] Nora: [Oh! That¡¯s great! Thanks so much, Mary!] Nora: [And what about the others?] Mary: [Well, most corpses were easy to recover, but we had to hire one of the top guilds to get the boss room for us.] Nora: [How much did you guys even pay for that!?] Mary: [Our dear leader made a deal with them. They were quite interested in the new dungeon, so we just had to show them where it was and help them clear what we could.] Mary: [They weren¡¯t aware the rest of the dungeon was full of fodder, so we ended up paying less without effort.] Mary: [We had to give up on all the legendary and epic loot, though.] It was to be expected. Dungeons always had the best drop rates when they were beaten for the first time. It was a pity our guild didn¡¯t get any of it, but it was better than losing all the high grade equipment we had on us when we died. Nora: [I think that¡¯s fair. How is everyone, then? Did I miss anything else?] Mary: [Well, our party was disbanded.] I sighed. Nora: [Because of me, right? I¡¯m sorry.] Mary: [Nah, don¡¯t worry. If it were only you, it wouldn''t have been a problem.] I raised an eyebrow. Nora: [What happened?] Mary: [Flex and Potato ragequitted, and Viper bought a new metal detector, so he went treasure hunting with a friend a week after.] Mary: [He said he would be back in a few days, but I haven¡¯t heard of him yet. Hope he¡¯s having fun at least.] Mary: [Anyway, I¡¯m glad you¡¯re back. When can you log in? I kinda need that space in my bank.] Nora: [Most likely tomorrow. There are a few things I need to take care of now.] I hope I can wear the headset with my horns. Mary: [No problem, I can wait one more day.] Mary: [Back to your sickness! Don¡¯t think you¡¯re getting away that easily! Spill the beans!] Nora: [I¡¯m not sure how to explain it¡­] Mary: [Okay then! I just need to pay you a visit tomorrow and see it for myself!] Shit! What should I do? I can¡¯t let her see me like this! Nora: [Let me ask my mom first, okay? We¡¯re kinda busy at the moment.] Mary: [Pfft] Mary: [Are you a little girl or something? Since when do you need to ask Emma if I can come over?] If only you knew¡­ Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. As if waiting for her queue, Mom knocked on the door and walked in. ¡°Here they are, sweetie,¡± she said, handing me the altered pieces of clothing. She made two slits for my wings at the back of the top. The holes opened from below the shoulders and went all the way down. They had a few buttons at the bottom so I could close the back of the shirt once I put it on. Regarding my pants and underwear, she only made a small hole for my tail to go through. ¡°Thanks, Mommy!¡± I said with a hug. I tried my ¡®new¡¯ PJ¡¯s on. It took me a few minutes of practice before I could finally do it by myself. I expected to feel cold at the back because of the openings, but I was surprised to discover that wasn¡¯t the case. They closed very well around my wings. It was rather comfortable. I spun once for Mom to see, and she smiled proudly at her work. ¡°You look great! Let me take a picture!¡± Mom quickly aimed her phone¡¯s camera at me, not giving me the chance to refuse. I sighed in slight annoyance and smiled for her. I didn¡¯t know how to pose, so I just stood still with my hands behind my back. She looked at the picture and gave me a thumbs up. ¡°I need to go now, sweetie. I¡¯ll be in my workroom modifying the rest of your clothes. Allen ordered some takeaway, so don¡¯t go down until they¡¯ve brought it. You know, just in case.¡± I tugged at her sleeve as she turned to leave. ¡°Wait! Mary found out I¡¯m back home and said she wants to come visit, even when I told her I am sick. We can¡¯t let her see me like this! What should I say?¡± ¡°You could just tell her it¡¯s contagious, right?¡± Why didn¡¯t I think of that!? I facepalmed myself in regret. ¡°That¡¯s a good idea, but I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll buy it now. I told her I needed to ask for your permission.¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡± She giggled and pondered on it briefly. ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be fine. She¡¯s such a nice girl, after all.¡± I knew she was. There was a reason our classmates often called her ¡®The Loud Angel¡¯. Given her northern appearance and kindness, all she needed was a pair of feathery wings attached to her back, and you pretty much had the real thing. That image, of course, disappeared whenever she opened her mouth. I just hoped she could understand my situation and kept it a secret from everyone else. Whatever, what¡¯s the worst that could happen? I sat back and looked at the screen after Mom left. Mary: [¡°Seen: 21:36¡±] Nora: [Sorry, I was talking to her just now.] Mary: [Okay! I¡¯ll be coming around noon tomorrow.] Nora: [Hey!] Mary: [What!? Did she say no!?] Nora: [No, but what if she did?] Mary: [But she didn¡¯t! See you tomorrow!] Of course you logged out¡­ I couldn¡¯t even tell her to expect some changes. I sent her a message telling her I¡¯d look very different, but, knowing her, she wouldn¡¯t log back in until she arrived. After that, I added Anna to my contact lists and turned my computer off. I went to bed shortly after having dinner. It had been a long day, and the next didn¡¯t look any better. ---<>----------<>----------<>--- I woke up to find Mom storing all of my clothes in a huge box and replacing them with the ones from my childhood. She had already altered everything to fit me. Did she even sleep!? She had also placed a plain yellow summer dress on my bed for me to wear. It was perfect for the heat, and wasn¡¯t a problem since I wouldn¡¯t be flying anytime soon. Still, I glared at her. ¡°I may be a kid again, but I¡¯m still capable of choosing my own clothes, you know.¡± She giggled, disregarding my comment. ¡°Good morning to you too, grumpy.¡± I groaned and grabbed the dress. Mom watched me with a sad expression as I carried it back to the dresser, and I stopped to frown at her. We stared at each other in a silent battle of wills until I sighed and walked back to my bed. I placed the dress on top while I removed my PJ¡¯s. Getting it on was a bigger challenge than I expected. Unlike the pyjamas, the slits didn¡¯t reach all the way down, stopping around my waist instead. I had to shrink my wings as much as I could and find the best way to get them through the holes without tearing the seams. Mom saw my struggle and pulled the dress down as I moved my arms down to my sides to decrease the pressure I exerted on the fabric. It was much easier after that, but I dreaded the moment I had to take it off. Something told me the dress wouldn¡¯t survive that, even with Mom¡¯s help. Once I was changed, she thanked me with an affectionate hug and a kiss on the cheek. ¡° I knew you¡¯d look great, sweetie.¡± I rolled my eyes and returned the hug. I wore it for her, and I actually liked it, but it was clear this type of clothing was no longer an option for me. Mom probably thought the same since she separated all the remaining dresses and put them aside after that. Although, knowing her, she was probably going to find a solution for them. With that done, I helped her place the rest of my new clothes in the dresser. Since demons were shorter than humans, I¡¯d never be able to wear the ones in the box again, so I suggested selling or donating them. She blatantly refused. When we went downstairs, I saw Dad and Allen playing a fighting video game in the living room. It was lucky for me to come back in time for the weekend. That way I could enjoy two whole days with my family. I walked over to join them while Mom cooked breakfast. ¡°Good morning!¡± ¡°Morning!¡± They replied in unison, their eyes still glued to the screen. I sat on the couch between them and watched the game. Dad won the match and celebrated with an embarrassing victory dance. I joined them for the next round. I was not a fan of fighting games since I found most of them boring and repetitive. The fact that I always lost didn¡¯t help at all. I preferred to play fantasy themed mmorpg and adventure games, particularly those with a virtual reality feature like Danath Online. This one was different, though. I liked it because I could move freely around the map while using randomly spawned items. It added a fun luck factor to the fight. The character I chose reminded me of Anna, and I couldn¡¯t help but laugh as I pictured her fighting in a dress like that. What would she fight against anyway, a robber? We have no goblins or dragons here. I wonder if they ever existed like Dr. Blake said? Oh¡­ I walked off the stage¡­ I could no longer recover from it, and both Dad and Allen burst in laughter as my character fell to her death. Once breakfast was ready, we paused the game and headed to the table. Mom was obviously tired from fixing my clothes since she only made bacon and eggs. She always did that when she wasn¡¯t in the mood for something more demanding. We resumed the match after our food break, and it resulted in Allen¡¯s victory. We continued playing for a couple of hours before I decided to drop out and watch. Mary would arrive any minute and it would be better if I wasn¡¯t busy when she showed up. Soon enough, the doorbell rang, and Mom came out of her workroom to answer the door. A tall blonde girl with grey eyes and a huge smile stood in front of her. Mom greeted Mary before letting her in and going back to her work. I stood up from the couch and cautiously walked towards her. I couldn¡¯t find the words to greet her. Mary had barely taken a few steps when she turned and let loose an ear-piercing scream. A reaction I probably should¡¯ve expected, and that I needed to get used to. I flinched and covered my ears with my hands. My new hearing was far too sensitive. ¡°Mary, stop! It¡¯s me, Nora!¡± I shouted. She immediately went quiet and stared at my face. Finally able to recognize me, she stepped toward me with wide eyes. ¡°Nora!? Oh my gods, is that really you? Wow! You¡¯re so small! Huh, you¡¯re kinda cute, too.¡± She placed a finger on her lips and hummed. ¡°Well, maybe more if you close your eyes¡­ And your mouth¡­ And-¡± ¡°Okay! Okay! I get it!¡± I yelled. Mary chuckled. ¡°So? What happened to you? You told me to expect changes, not a full on transformation! This isn¡¯t a prank, is it?¡± She asked, clearly searching for a hidden camera. I sighed tiredly, not wanting to explain it again. ¡°Long story short, this is the result of my sickness.¡± She grabbed one of my wings in awe. ¡°Wow, they¡¯re real! Can you actually fly with them? How do you deal with things like upskirt?¡± I jerked it away from her grasp, earning a pout from her. ¡°I should be able to, but I haven¡¯t tried yet. You saw the news yesterday, right? If I go out, they might do the same to me. Just look at how you reacted when you saw me.¡± Mary frowned. ¡°Hey, I wasn''t afraid! I was just taken by surprise! You know I¡¯m not good with jumpscares! Anyway, I¡¯m sure that if we explain, the neighbours won¡¯t complain unless you go out at night and scare them to death... What do you mean by yesterday¡¯s news?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sure you know. I¡¯m talking about the vampire girl someone killed on TV.¡± Her eyes rolled before she looked at me with a smirk. ¡°Oh that. I guess you haven¡¯t heard then. I mean, it¡¯s sad, but she was just an unfortunate junkie. Vampires aren¡¯t real, silly.¡± It perplexed me. ¡°You really believe that? Even with me standing right in front of you, huh?¡± Amazed, I shook my head and began correcting her assumption. ¡°That¡¯s the government¡¯s attempt to keep it a secret, Mary. That girl was definitely a vampire. I¡¯ve seen pictures of them.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve uh¡­ seen pictures?¡± I sighed and explained it better. ¡°There is a virus that can transform people into mythical beings. I am a good example of that since it turned me into a demon.¡± ¡°A virus!?¡± She immediately took a step back. ¡°I-is it contagious? You won¡¯t turn me into a zombie, will you?¡± Ignoring the fact that my family had been casually sitting right next to me without risk of contracting anything, I couldn¡¯t say I blamed her for her reaction. I would have probably done the same in her place. For the most part¡­ ¡°A zombie? Really?¡± She shrugged, still keeping her distance. ¡°Hey, you never know! Well? Is it safe or not?¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s safe. Don¡¯t worry, someone who has already transformed won¡¯t infect you. I¡¯d be extra careful with animals or people gagging if I were you, though. Her shoulders dropped in relief. ¡°Noted. That¡¯s good then. I¡¯m glad you¡¯re fine, Nora. You know, it¡¯s quite cool having a demon friend. Just keep in mind that my soul isn¡¯t for sale, okay?¡± She looked at me with concern once more. ¡°So? What are you going to do now? You can¡¯t stay hidden your whole life, can you?¡± I shrugged. ¡°We¡¯ll see. Yesterday¡¯s incident might make it harder for me to rejoin society.¡± ¡°Speaking of which, why did she do that? Do vampires really need blood?¡± She gasped. ¡°Should I wear a garlic necklace from now on?¡± ¡°I doubt the garlic will work, and I was told they didn¡¯t need blood, but there is no other explanation. From what I read on Mysterium, a few other vampires are acting the same way. Maybe they are driven by their instincts or something. In any case, it¡¯s not safe for me to go outside yet. Can you promise me you really won¡¯t tell anyone?¡± ¡°Hey! Who do you think I am?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± She ruffled my hair with an honest smile. ¡°Yeah, I promise. Glad to have you back, Nora.¡± After our exchange, Allen cleared his throat to get our attention and handed us each a controller. ¡°Good! Now that you¡¯re done filling her in, why don¡¯t you come and join us?¡± I took the controller and raised an eyebrow at his odd behaviour. Dad laughed. ¡°He¡¯s just tired of losing to me.¡± Allen rolled his eyes in exasperation. ¡°It¡¯s not my fault the game loves you and places random bombs in front of me all the time!¡± We all laughed, earning us a glare from my brother. While we played, I gave Mary a summary of my stay at the centre. I did leave out some unimportant details, though. I knew she didn¡¯t care for the scientific details, and no one present needed to know about my feral moment. Time flew by, and lunchtime arrived. Mom invited Mary to join us, but she declined by saying she already had plans, and that she only came to make sure I was fine. She promised to come back the next day, so I could tell her about the whole thing in more detail and left shortly after that. Ignoring her initial reaction, I was glad she took it as well as she did. As the door closed, I followed Mom into the kitchen. Both of my parents were great cooks, so they took daily turns preparing the meals. I usually helped them and learned all I could in the process. I even took care of everything myself sometimes. Mom stopped when she noticed me walking behind her. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go back and play with Dad while Allen and I prepare the food, sweetie?¡± Since when does he even help in the kitchen? I shook my head, declining the offer. ¡°I want to help you, Mommy!¡± She lowered herself to meet my eyes with hers and placed a hand on my cheek. ¡°I know, but I don¡¯t want you to hurt yourself.¡± That shocked me. ¡°I¡¯m eighteen years old, Mom!¡± Allen, who was listening to our argument, placed a hand on my shoulder. His grip was a little too tight for my taste. He was probably used to me being bigger. ¡°Come on, Mom, let her do it. She knows what she¡¯s doing.¡± I was surprised he vouched for me like that. She sighed in defeat. ¡°You¡¯re right, Ali. Come on, Nora. Wash your hands and help me peel some potatoes.¡± ¡°Yes, Mommy~!¡± I looked up to Allen with a smile and whispered, ¡°Thanks!¡± ¡°Anything for my little sister,¡± he responded, patting my head. I stuck my tongue out to him in response. He had to go there and ruin it. He did help me out, so I let him have his way. It was better to just go along with it and pretend to be the younger sister for now. It wasn¡¯t that big of a deal. ¡°Yeah, sure. Having to help us every day while she was gone has nothing to do with it,¡± Dad intervened from the couch. Ah, so that was it¡­ Allen placed a hand on his chest as he replied, ¡°How can you say such a thing, Dad! It hurts my feelings. You know I love helping you both.¡± Dad raised an eyebrow and smirked. ¡°Great! Then you won¡¯t mind-¡± ¡°Cleaning my room? Absolutely! Let me know when the food is ready, Mom!¡± He dashed upstairs and closed his door. Dad snorted and laid back to watch TV. ---<>----------<>----------<>--- Peeling potatoes. It was obvious that Mom picked this task for me since it was relatively safe. I knew Allison only knew me as a small girl, so her motherly behaviour, while strange and sudden, especially from someone who looked sixteen, was somewhat understandable. It bothered me at first, but it wasn¡¯t that hard to get used to it. During the last week at the centre, she hugged me when I needed it, praised my achievements, stopped me from being reckless, and even scolded me when she thought I deserved it. However, there was one thing she never did, and that was belittle me. I might be a kid now, but I¡¯m still as capable as before! ¡°Owie!¡± I got distracted and ended up cutting myself with the peeler. Mom was instantly on top of me, holding out my hand to check the insignificant cut on my finger. She tended to my wound with a bandaid we had in our first aid drawer and kissed it before letting me go. I rolled my eyes, but smiled at her. ¡°Thanks, Mommy!¡± The moment she saw me walk back to the peeler, she grabbed it and held it high. ¡°Just what do you think you¡¯re doing!?¡± I knew exactly what she meant; I couldn¡¯t accept it. ¡°I¡¯ll finish peeling the potatoes. Can I have the peeler back, please~?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sweetie. I can¡¯t let you hurt yourself again.¡± I glared at her in disgust. I knew she cared for me, but ever since I came back she had been extremely annoying. ¡°It was an accident!¡± I yelled. ¡°Yes, it was. And it¡¯s my fault for letting it happen in the first place.¡± Oh, come on! ¡°Did you just growl at me!?¡± My eyes widened in realisation of what I had done. In a panic, I covered my mouth with my hands and ran straight to my room, slamming the door shut. I locked it and threw myself to my bed. I was angry, scared, and confused. I couldn¡¯t believe it happened again; this time towards my own mother. I heard Allen¡¯s door open, and he knocked on my door soon after. My claws punctured my pillow as I gripped it. ¡°Leave me alone!¡± I couldn¡¯t let him in. Not until I made sure I was in control. He tried opening the door, unsuccessfully, then walked away. A few minutes silently passed before I heard the knocking again. ¡°I said I¡¯m not opening! Just leave!¡± I let another growl into the pillow, followed by a muffled scream at the top of my lungs. Why me!? Why? ¡°I understand, honey.¡± Hearing Dad¡¯s voice, my eyes widened. There was a brief jingle, followed by clicking coming from the doorknob. The sound stopped, and he entered the room all smug. ¡°Which is why I brought the key.¡± I rolled my eyes and sighed heavily. I could tell his mere presence helped me calm down somewhat. Still, I scowled at him and sprawled back on my bed. Dad walked to my bed and sat beside me. Then, he patted his leg as an invitation, knowing I couldn¡¯t resist. I took a deep breath and crawled over to place my head on his lap. He ran his fingers through my hair once I stopped moving. ¡°How¡¯s Mom?¡± I asked out of concern. ¡°She¡¯s fine, just a bit upset about what happened,¡± Dad responded calmly. I groaned in response. ¡°You know she¡¯s only worried about you.¡± I exhaled heavily. Honestly, it was the least of my worries after what I did. I didn¡¯t feel comfortable enough to talk about my behaviour, though. ¡°She cares about my safety, but what about my feelings? I know I have the body of a child. I can accept that, but that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ve forgotten everything I know.¡± I rolled over to look at him. ¡°Yes, I cut myself. Big deal! Accidents happen all the time. It¡¯s not like I never got hurt when I was, well, older.¡± That sounds really weird. He chuckled and pulled the strands of hair that covered my face. ¡°Let me tell you something. You know how parents on TV always complain about kids growing up too fast?¡± ¡°Uh-huh.¡± ¡°Well, it may sound like a clich¨¦ to you, yet for us, it¡¯s nothing but the truth. Your mother and I love you very much, and we enjoy every single phase you go through. Waking up in the middle of the night to feed you, seeing you take your first steps, go to school, adopt new hobbies, even your antics¡­ ¡°Your mother once told me that if she could, she would have one of you for each stage of your lives. Imagine what she felt when she saw her baby girl again, especially after a month without communication. Just give her time to adjust, I¡¯m sure things will go back to normal after a while.¡± I closed my eyes and nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll try. Thanks, Daddy.¡± Side Story, Part 1: There is Another I watched the raindrops slide across the window. The car ride was a quiet one, and Mum was already asleep. Travelling always had that effect on her. My eyes met Dad¡¯s in the rear mirror, and I immediately smiled for him. He winked at me before focusing back on the road. I felt relieved at the knowledge that he believed that smile. Our vacation had just ended, so my concerns could wait until tomorrow. I opened my sketchbook to look at my work. My fingers gently traced the grey landscapes inside. I wished I could travel like that all the time. Discovering new places and getting to know their culture, history and legends. For me, nothing else could compare to that feeling. It wasn¡¯t long before the night fell, and the rain intensified. My mind wandered back to that woman. The memory made me tighten the grip on my sketchbook. I could still hear her screams and smell the acrid odour of the disgusting black thing that fell from her mouth. My stomach felt queasy at the memory. I shut my eyes, trying to force out the horrifying image from my mind. We were leaving soon, and I was supposed to be packing. I panicked and ran away. I couldn¡¯t get involved. Her agonising stare as she begged for my help refused to leave my mind. I rubbed my chest in discomfort. The small sensation I originally blamed on guilt started to spread. My whole body felt hot, and it kept getting worse. I tried to hold back a whimper, but when I felt Dad¡¯s sharp gaze, I knew I wasn¡¯t successful. I tried reassuring him with a smile, only for it to come out as a grimace. It burns¡­ No longer being able to hide it, I curled up and screamed in pain. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. ¡°What¡¯s wrong!?¡± I heard Dad¡¯s voice, but I could only let out another whimper. ¡°Darling?¡± I didn¡¯t realise that Mum was awake, but I was grateful to feel her hand on mine. ¡°Stop the car!¡± She yelled. ¡°There is nowhere to stop! She needs a hospital!¡± He responded. Dad accelerated. I raised my head to see Mum giving him a hard look whilst unbuckling her seat belt. Once free, she reached out for my hand again. Dad¡¯s attention kept jumping between me and the road. I caught the glimpse of a deer on the road moments before I heard the deafening sound of shattering glass and twisting metal. Suddenly, the world was spinning. Each second felt like an eternity. Mum¡¯s hand was ripped from mine, and I heard a loud scream. It took me a second to realise it was mine. It all ended as suddenly as it started. I blinked and found myself upside down. My ears were ringing, and my vision was blurry. My forehead felt sticky, and there was pain, so much pain. I had one saving thought. We¡¯re alive. ¡°Mum? Dad?¡± My tongue felt heavy, and my hands fumbled to unbuckle my seatbelt. I shifted my eyes to look at the front seats when there was no answer. I forgot to brace myself and fell hard on the ground. I groaned and stayed there for a moment. I¡¯d never felt such excruciating pain, but I needed to see my parents. I needed to know they were all right. I crawled forward and noticed most of the windshield was missing. Mum¡¯s seat was empty. I turned to see Dad hanging upside down, his face was covered in blood, and he didn¡¯t wake up when I shook him. The airbags didn¡¯t deploy. My eyes were watering, but I still needed to find Mum. The rain kept falling hard when a bolt of lightning illuminated my surroundings. I thought I saw her. She was next to a tree, not far from the car. I forced myself to crawl out. I was shaking badly, but I needed to reach her. I didn¡¯t make it very far before I collapsed. I thought I heard leaves rustle, and the next lightning strike revealed a silhouette. A pair of bright amethyst eyes stared back at me. I wasn¡¯t sure if it was real; My consciousness was fading. Still, I reached out for the humanoid shape, asking for help. The only thing that left my mouth was a dark mass with a familiar acrid smell. I rolled over to lay on my back and, as the rain hit my face, I had one last thought before I surrendered to the darkness. This is all my fault. Chapter 11: Side Quest Waking up in Dad¡¯s arms as he carried me downstairs, I rubbed my eyes and looked up. ¡°How long was I asleep?¡± ¡°About an hour.¡± He replied softly. He put me down when we reached the dining room. Everything was already set on the table, and both Mom and Allen were waiting for us at their seats. Mom looked at me and smiled, pretending nothing happened. Her bloodshot eyes revealed the truth. I slowly walked over to her as dad took his seat next to Allen. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to act like that.¡± Hearing this, she pulled me to her and hugged me. ¡°No, sweetie, it¡¯s my fault. I got carried away and treated you like a kid when you¡¯re not. I¡¯m so sorry.¡± I shook my head in response. ¡°That¡¯s not it. I mean, look at me. Whether I like it or not, I am a child. At least my body is. I know very well that I won¡¯t be able to do everything I used to because of it, but I still have my eighteen years of experience. You said it yourself; That no matter how different I may look, I¡¯m still me. All I ask is to be taken seriously.¡± Her face relaxed. The smile she showed this time was genuine. ¡°You¡¯re right, sweetie. I understand, and it might take me a bit to get used to all these changes, but I prom- Allen!¡± She snapped at him. I looked over to my brother, who had already started eating without us. ¡°What? You¡¯re taking too long and it¡¯s getting cold. Dad¡¯s eating too, see?¡± As he said that, I heard a faint knock on the table. I turned to see my father, who was sitting still, with an overly serious expression. His fork, however, was already dirty. When we noticed and stared at him, his poker face broke into a huge grin, followed by laughter. ---<>----------<>----------<>--- Having finished our meal, I helped Mom by cleaning up and washing the dishes. This time there were no accidents. Once we were done, I excused myself and went to my room. I looked out the window through the curtain to see that the day was still beautiful and sunny. Too bad I can¡¯t go out. The kid in me was trying to take the reins again. She wanted to run outside and play to my heart¡¯s content. I couldn¡¯t believe I missed the playground back in the forest. I only got to use it once. Shaking my head, I walked away from the window and I booted up my computer. What I needed was a distraction, and there was nothing better than video games. Danath Online was my first choice until I remembered I didn¡¯t have my equipment and, from what Mary told me before she left, she wouldn¡¯t be on for at least a few hours. I tried playing other games, and they did work for a while but I quickly lost interest in them. When did everything become so dull? It didn¡¯t take me long to realise nothing actually did. The games themselves were just as enjoyable as before. The true problem was my current situation. I always considered video games to be my one escape from reality, but now, in a sense, they were my reality. I had a hard time dealing with some of the enemies, as vampires would remind me of that girl, and I saw myself in the demons I was meant to slay. Even the spells themselves made me think about my own magic training. I knew it was silly, yet I couldn¡¯t help relating everything I did to something in my new life. They did give me an idea, though. After saving my progress, I closed the application. Then, I set up some relaxing background music and turned the volume up a bit before sitting down on the floor of my room to continue my training. It was important that I didn¡¯t lose the little progress I¡¯d already made in controlling the flow of mana within me. Hours flew by, leading to another breakthrough. I could now stay in control of my mana¡¯s flow for several minutes without breaks. I also discovered that, while some degree of concentration was still needed, it no longer required my full attention. Though a strong distraction, like the sudden ringing of my phone was still enough to bring me out of my focus. Annoyed at the interruption, I stood and walked over to my desk to check on it. Turning the screen on, I saw Anna had sent me a message asking if I could have a quick video chat with her. I still had plenty of time left before dinner, so I went back to my computer and replied to the text with my confirmation. She initiated the call as soon as I logged in. Being mindful of my horns, I adjusted my headset so the band would sit right behind them. My slightly longer ears felt weird with the equipment, but it was something I could get used to. I wondered how Anna would solve that problem until I accepted the request and saw that she had a small pair of earbuds on. A microphone also stood on her desk, next to her face. ¡°Hello, Nora. How are things going with your family?¡± I made a pause, not sure of where to start. ¡°Okay, what happened?¡± I sighed. ¡°My mom kept treating me like a kid. I know I told you I would be fine with it, but she took it too far. We even had a small fight because she was afraid I would hurt myself in the kitchen. To make it worse, when I finally convinced her to let me help, I cut myself with a peeler. Then I¡­ uh¡­ We already talked about it, so it¡¯s all good now.¡± Anna narrowed her eyes. ¡°Is that all there is to it?¡± ¡°Y-yeah.¡± I wasn¡¯t sure about bringing up what happened to me at that time. Every time I remembered it, I felt uncomfortable. She hummed in response. ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad to hear that, Nora,¡± she said with a smile. ¡°Alright, I don¡¯t have much time, so I¡¯ll get to what I need to talk about first.¡± I sat straight and nodded. ¡°There are three topics I want to discuss with you. The first, and probably most important to you, is that a new type of magic has finally been discovered.¡± ¡°Really!? That¡¯s great! What is it!?¡± My voice came out louder than expected. She chuckled. ¡°Calm down. Not that I don¡¯t understand your excitement. The new magic type is something you may know from your games. You ready?¡± ¡°Come on! Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯re in a hurry? Just spill it!¡± Anna laughed openly now. ¡°There¡¯s enough time for some suspense. It¡¯s enchanting! A draell discovered we can enchant gemstones!¡± That was the kind of news I wanted to hear. ¡°That¡¯s amazing! How does it work?¡± ¡°From what the report says, the caster infuses a spell of their knowledge into a gemstone so that others can use it. The only requirement is that whoever uses it needs to produce and manipulate mana since the gemstone still needs a source to operate. ¡°We are currently learning about it so we can try to enchant the illusion spell Jack is working on. If all goes well, you¡¯ll be able to attend college by using an enchanted gemstone. That is, if you can¡¯t learn it yourself, of course. How does that sound?¡± ¡°That¡¯s great! I can¡¯t wait to see that! What about the other two things then? Are they as good as this?¡± The elf shook her head in response. ¡°I¡¯m afraid not. The second topic involves vampire biology and behaviour. Turns out they do need to drink blood with some frequency. It doesn¡¯t need to be of human origin, fortunately. However, the problem seems to be the same as with your wings. They weren¡¯t aware that they needed it because they were still human in their minds. Their subconscious did, though, and it forced them to seek blood in their sleep. That¡¯s what happened to the girl we saw on the news. Apparently, she escaped Kelpont¡¯s facility at night and somehow made it to a home on the outskirts of the city. I don¡¯t mean to worry you, but I thought it would be a good idea to mention it. I know how you feel about the way you acted the other day.¡± That was something I didn¡¯t want to hear. Everyone seemed to think I wouldn¡¯t hurt anyone I cared for, but after what happened with Mom earlier, I wasn¡¯t so sure. It terrified me to think about what I was capable of doing in that state. ¡°I¡­ About that...¡± Anna raised an eyebrow. ¡°Anything you forgot to mention?¡± She seemed more intrigued than surprised. ¡°When I got into an argument with my mom, I...¡± ¡°You growled at her,¡± she said, completing my sentence. I gulped and nodded. ¡°Was there any aggression after that?¡± ¡°No,¡± I replied. ¡°She just pointed it out, and rushed to my room.¡± She sighed. ¡°Yes, that sounds about right. I¡¯m afraid there¡¯s not much you can do about it. Growling seems to be quite the common emotional response among your kind.¡± I was stunned by her words. ¡°Please tell me you¡¯re joking.¡± Anna shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s the truth. Don¡¯t worry too much, though. There¡¯s a big difference between anger and danger. While I¡¯m sure it may be bothersome to act this way with anyone who annoys you, this doesn¡¯t mean you will actually attack them. As far as I know, there has only been one violent case, and it was well justified if you ask me.¡± I knew very well she was referring to me. It caused me to smile briefly. ¡°Yeah, I guess it was. Thanks, Anna.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. I know you will be fine.¡± I hope so. ¡°Anything else?¡± I shook my head. I could mention my recent findings with mana manipulation, but it was nothing urgent. Considering she still had one more topic to address, I chose not to say anything this time. ¡°Well then. The last thing I wanted to talk about involves you directly since it¡¯s about a specific member of your race.¡± Intrigued, I gestured for her to continue. ¡°Well, there has been another special case regarding the mutation process. This soon-to-be demon managed to remain awake during her transformation. Just like you.¡± I perked up at the unexpected topic. ¡°You mean she was bitten after being infected?¡± She shook her head. ¡°Not this time, no. The carrier was the only source. The thing that makes her case special, according to the information we got, is that she is pregnant.¡± A chill ran down my spine. ¡°You don¡¯t mean...¡± Anna choked and coughed, shaking her hands frantically. ¡°No! Gods, no! Seriously, what are you thinking!?¡± I was relieved. I was jumping to some rather weird conclusions right there. ¡°This virus is weird, though¡­¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll give you that, but it¡¯s nothing like that. The reason I¡¯m telling you this is because it was suggested that she transferred to our centre so you can keep her company. You know, since you went through a similar situation and all.¡± ¡°What? Is that really the only reason?¡± ¡°No, of course not,¡± She replied. ¡°The government did take many things into consideration before selecting you to keep her company. First and foremost, you¡¯re a demon, and not only are you a member of her race but also one that went through a very similar process to what she¡¯ll go through, so you¡¯ll understand her better than anyone. ¡°That takes us to reason number two. You witnessed your mutation with your own eyes, which means that you had enough time to come to terms with it. You weren¡¯t the first fully formed demon, but you were the first one to wake up. You may have your own issues and concerns with it, but trust me when I tell you that your reaction to the changes has been one of the best so far. We need to show her that being a demon isn¡¯t as bad as she thinks it is, and you are a good example of that.¡± ¡°The third and final reason involves your appearance. I know you don¡¯t like being treated like a kid, but we think your young appearance may become convenient and appeal to her. She¡¯s about to become a mother, and having a child of the same race around might reduce some of her worries. Who knows, maybe you become a playing partner for her baby. The age gap is somewhat big, but I¡¯ve seen enough from you to think it can work.¡± She smirked, noticing my faint frown. ¡°That¡¯s only if you want to, of course. You¡¯re not forced to do anything.¡± ¡°Does that mean I won¡¯t be able to come back here for another full month?¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about that. While it¡¯s true that you will be required to stay with us full time again, your family will be allowed to visit you this time. That said, we think it¡¯ll take longer for her to finish because of her being awake the whole process.¡± Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. ¡°Wasn¡¯t it the same for me?¡± ¡°Nope. You slept for most of it, remember? There¡¯s also the boost you received from my magic. As much as I hate what I did to you, it did come with positives. Those two factors made it so your own changes ended pretty much on schedule.¡± I looked away and nodded slowly. ¡°Right.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know the details yet, but it¡¯s clear to us that her pregnancy is the reason for the anomaly, and we¡¯ll make sure she doesn¡¯t overwork herself, like a certain someone, for the safety of her baby.¡± ¡°When will she be transferred?¡± ¡°She¡¯ll arrive tomorrow, actually. Oh, but there¡¯s no need for you to come right away. Feel free to spend the week we gave you with your family. Just make sure to send me a message before you do return. Well, that¡¯s if you accept, of course.¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t that a bit rushed?¡± Her sight lowered. ¡°Well, her husband left her. I wasn¡¯t told the details, but it¡¯s clear he couldn¡¯t handle the situation and ran away. They are keeping watch on him, obviously. In any case, she doesn¡¯t have anyone else from what I heard, so there was nothing holding her back. Sylvia¡¯s pregnancy is very important for our investigation, and we fear that her current emotional state, combined with the mutation¡¯s side effects, could bring complications for her and her baby. That¡¯s where you come in, Nora.¡± I let out a heavy sigh as I thought about it. The idea of another family getting destroyed by the virus saddened me. It made me realise how lucky I was that mine accepted the new me right away. ¡°Yes, I want to help. Are you sure I¡¯m the right person to handle it, though? I¡¯m not precisely the best at dealing with people. What if I do or say something wrong?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, just try to keep a positive attitude around her. We¡¯re currently looking for a counsellor that can help us with any patient who needs help, and you have all of us to help you out if you need it. You won''t be alone in this.¡± I nodded. ¡°Okay, then I think I¡¯ll go tomorrow too.¡± ¡°A-are you sure? I mean, I don¡¯t mind, but¡­¡± She raised an eyebrow in suspicion. ¡°Is everything really okay over there?¡± ¡°Yeah, everything¡¯s fine now. Don¡¯t get me wrong; I like being back with my family. The thing is, well, it¡¯s rather boring around here, to be honest. I can¡¯t go out, and I¡¯m not quite in the mood for video games right now. I kinda miss the freedom I had back there. More importantly, I really want to learn magic.¡± Anna hummed, arms crossed. ¡°If that¡¯s what you think, I¡¯ll make the arrangements. Just make sure your parents agree with you. You may be fine with this. but I think it may be too sudden for them. That¡¯s all for now, Nora. I have to go now, but thank you for listening to all that. Have a good-¡± ¡°H-hold on! There¡¯s¡­ there¡¯s one more thing.¡± She sighed and nodded. ¡°Okay, shoot.¡± I started fiddling with my fingers as I continued. ¡°So there¡¯s this friend of mine. A very close friend. She¡¯s like a sister to me, you know, part of my family, in a sense, I guess.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Do what?¡± ¡°Let someone else know about your transformation?¡± I was unable to look back at her as I replied. ¡°She may or may not have seen me already.¡± Anna faced down and rubbed her temples. ¡°And she¡¯s gonna keep the secret safe, is she not?¡± ¡°Probably¡­¡± Sensing her piercing gaze, I corrected, ¡°I mean, yes. Yes, she is.¡± ¡°If anything happens, you¡¯ll be responsible for it. You know that, right?¡± I nodded silently. I wasn¡¯t sure I wanted to learn what would actually happen if something went wrong because of me. ¡°All right. I¡¯ll take your word for it. It¡¯s not like we can revert it, anyway. Just promise me she¡¯ll be the last one for now. I know I mentioned letting people know little by little, but after what happened with that vampire, it¡¯s most definitely not the best moment for that.¡± ¡°I promise!¡± She sighed again. ¡°Anything else I should be aware of?¡± I shook my head. ¡°No. Nothing.¡± ¡°Very well then. I really need to go now, but make sure to tell me what your parents decided as soon as you can. Have a good night, Nora.¡± ¡°Will do. Good night, Anna.¡± Well, that took a scary turn. After disconnecting, I shut down my computer and went downstairs. It was almost time to prepare dinner. Mom and Dad were about to start cooking when I called out to them. I began explaining as we sat at the table. ¡°Anna called me just now. I have both good news and, well, I wouldn¡¯t call it bad news, but you may not like it that much. Which do you prefer first?¡± Dad chuckled and spoke first. ¡°Let¡¯s go with the good news first, honey.¡± ¡°Well, they found a way for me to go to college. I¡¯ll probably hear more about it as it progresses since it¡¯s still quite new, but Anna told me they have discovered how to enchant gemstones. This means that, as long as I have one of those, I¡¯ll be able to use an illusion spell to disguise myself.¡± Both of them smiled from ear to ear. I omitted the fact that we still didn¡¯t have an actual illusion spell, but I trusted they would solve it in time. ¡°That¡¯s wonderful, honey! I¡¯m glad things are starting to get better,¡± Dad said, almost standing up. Mom went silent again, though. She tried to hide it, but I knew she was still nervous from what I said at first. ¡°What¡¯s the other thing you wanted to tell us?¡± I bit my lip while thinking about the best way to say it and decided to go for the direct approach. ¡°Anna asked me to return to the centre and stay for another full month or so to help with a demon who will transfer there.¡± She groaned. ¡°Can¡¯t they deal with it themselves?¡± I knew this was coming. ¡°Anna told me you¡¯re allowed to visit me, though. You just have to let them know beforehand. I want to do this, Mommy. She needs my help!¡± Dad crossed his arms and smiled at Mom. ¡°I think it¡¯s fine. I know you¡¯d rather have her here, but I believe we should let her make her own decisions. She is eighteen, after all.¡± Mom pondered on it. She didn¡¯t look convinced by his words. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not even that different from the original plan. We would also spend less on fuel since it would only be one round trip each weekend,¡± Dad added. Although, knowing Mom, she didn¡¯t mind the expenses if she could have it her way. Her eyes kept going back and forth between my nodding father and me. She exhaled loudly. ¡°I understand, but we will visit every weekend, okay?¡± I jumped excitedly. ¡°Yes! Thank you very much! Um, is it okay for me to go tomorrow?¡± ¡°What!?¡± Mom yelled. ¡°Why so soon!? What about staying the whole week?¡± ¡°Yeah, I know it¡¯s a bit rushed. Anna said there was no problem if I went later, but I¡¯d like to be there for her from the start.¡± There was no way I¡¯d say it was also out of boredom. Seeing my determination, Mom sighed. ¡°Fine. We¡¯ll take you tomorrow. I guess that¡¯s the downside of having such a kind daughter. Go on then, help Dad prepare dinner while I pack your things.¡± She had to spoil the moment somehow. ¡°I can¡¯t convince you to let me do it myself, right?¡± ¡°Not if you want to go tomorrow~¡± She smiled mischievously at me before heading upstairs. I rolled my eyes and laughed as I walked into the kitchen. Fortunately for me, Dad treated me almost the same as always. He wouldn¡¯t let me near the stove, but I couldn¡¯t complain there. I didn¡¯t reach well without a stool and having to use one whilst moving around was an accident waiting to happen. Today¡¯s dinner was something simple. Pasta with mushrooms and steak with steamed greens. I loved making fresh pasta, so it was my main task. The rest was pretty much washing the tools and dishes we weren¡¯t using anymore. We were close to finishing when I heard Allen humming a tune from the other side of the main entrance. I wondered what he had been doing out so late, but I went and opened the door from him. ¡°What are you doing here!?¡± my brother yelled, almost dropping the bag full of groceries he was carrying with him. I couldn¡¯t tell why he was so angry. Dad quickly pulled me away from the entrance. ¡°Nora, are you crazy? What if someone sees you?¡± He was laid back and funny most of the time; however, much like Dr. Blake, he was the kind of person you didn¡¯t want to make angry. I could only keep my head down as he continued to scold me. I had completely forgotten about my appearance. All I could do was apologise and I promise to never do something like that again. Dinner went by silently. Even Allen was unusually quiet. Mom sent me a worried look, though I was not in the mood to say anything after my blunder. Dad was the one who broke the silence. ¡°There¡¯s no need to feel so bad about it, Nora. It was a simple mistake. We¡¯re supposed to be celebrating your return home. Come on, cheer up!¡± I smiled faintly and nodded. My mood immediately improved when Mom stood up and came back with a small bowl full of ice cream for me. It was my favourite; Mint with chocolate chips. Its fresh and calming flavour brought me back to normal in no time. Once dinner was over, I wished them a good night and went to my room. After watching a few funny videos and safely removing the dress, I grabbed a fresh set of pyjamas to wear and went to sleep. ---<>----------<>----------<>--- Dawn came, and I woke up to see Mom holding the set of clothes she chose for me today. ¡°Good morning, sweetie. Did you sleep well?¡± ¡°Yes, Mommy. Good morning.¡± Instead of placing the clothes on my bed, she walked to the door with them. ¡°Come with me. We need to fix that messy hair of yours before heading out.¡± Because of its quick growth during my transformation, my hair was messy and far longer than what I was used to. It really needed a good trimming, so I followed my mother to the bathroom to get it done. Once I had my usual shoulder-length bob back, I took a shower and changed into the white blouse and short, layered, navy blue skirt Mom picked for me. At least they were easier to wear than the dress from the day before. After having breakfast, I went back to my room and grabbed my charger, fessy, tablet, and a few other things I knew Mom would forget to add, and stuffed them into my backpack. Finally, I sent Anna a message to let her know I¡¯d be arriving in a few hours. When I was about to put on my shoes, I noticed that the hook things on my ankles made it hard to wear anything that covered that area. Giving up on those, I went for a pair of sandals and hoped Mom packed other footwear I could use without opening a hole in them. Once I was ready, I hung the pack over my shoulder and ran downstairs. Reaching the bottom, I saw Dad¡¯s silhouette through the curtains. He was placing my excessively large suitcase inside the car¡¯s trunk. Everything seemed ready for us to go when I heard him speaking to someone. The other voice was unmistakably Mary¡¯s. I forgot she would visit again today! Soon, both of them came into the house. I walked over to Mary with the intention of explaining, but she stopped me. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Nora. Adam already told me everything.¡± I sighed in relief. Thanks, Dad. You made things easier. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mary. I promise to make it up to you when I come back.¡± She smirked. ¡°What do you mean? I¡¯m coming with you.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± I turned to look at Dad, who simply shook his head and shrugged. Guess I shouldn¡¯t be surprised. She kneeled down so she was at eye level with me and continued, ¡°I need to see the place where my bestie will stay with my own eyes. More importantly, I want to meet a real elf!¡± Of course. I could almost see the drool coming out of her mouth. To say Mary was a bigger fantasy fan than me was an understatement. She was the one who got me into the genre in the first place, and I knew there was no way to stop her now that she had her mind set on it. It was actually strange that she didn¡¯t react like that yesterday, but I guessed she was too busy trying to fully grasp the situation. My biggest concern was the promise I made to Anna. I knew there was a big difference between letting Mary see me and taking her there. Is there really? I did say she was like family, and Mary already knows about everything, anyway. Regardless of my logic, I still sent a text message explaining the situation, just to be sure. Her reply came in almost immediately. Anna: [Fine¡­] That¡¯s good enough, I guess¡­ Before I went out, Mary and Dad scanned the area to make sure no one would see me. Once they gave us the green light, Allen wrapped me in a blanket and carried me like a sack of potatoes all the way to the car. I remained hidden like that until we reached the forest. When we finally arrived, everyone was already waiting for me at the entrance. We stepped out of the car, and even though I warned her about it, the first thing Mary did was sprinting to them with gleaming eyes and screeching like a fangirl. I could feel Anna¡¯s glare as I chased after the banshee. Dr. Blake, on the other hand, didn¡¯t seem to care as he went to greet my family instead. That, at least, told me it was fine for my friend to be here. I stopped in front of Anna and fidgeted, ¡°I know it¡¯s a bit sudden, but this is my best friend, Mary Vogel.¡± Allison crouched and greeted her first. ¡°Nice to meet you, Mary. I¡¯m Allison.¡± Mary shook her hand enthusiastically with both of hers. She turned to me without letting go of her. ¡°This is amazing!¡± I looked down in embarrassment. Anna stepped forward with her arms crossed. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what to say. When I said letting some friends and family know eventually, I didn¡¯t expect you to do it within your first two days out.¡± ¡°She¡¯s the only one who knows, I swear.¡± She patted my head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ve already taken some precautions. No harm done.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the ghost!?¡± Mary shouted, interrupting our conversation. ¡°Woah!¡± We turned to look at my friend, and our eyes widened when we saw her thrusting her entire arm into Jack¡¯s torso. He was equally surprised and probably frozen from the shock. I didn¡¯t know what was more impressive, her complete lack of respect for personal space or the fact that she managed to change his expression. ¡°Yet...¡± Anna muttered. She looked back at me and asked, ¡°Is your friend okay?¡± ¡°She may have a couple of loose screws, but she¡¯s harmless. I think.¡± Anna shot me a worried look before shaking her head. She walked towards Mary and placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to get her attention. ¡°I trust that you¡¯ll keep whatever you see here a secret.¡± Mary pulled her hand back from Jack¡¯s chest and looked at it, searching for any changes. She raised her head to look at Anna and smiled. ¡°Sure thing! Can I touch your ears now?¡± Anna took a step back, covering them in response. This only made Mary laugh before she targeted Lily. Since it was too early for the new patient to arrive, Anna surprisingly suggested giving my friend a tour of the public areas of the building whilst we took my belongings to my room. Perhaps she wanted to show her why it was so important to keep the secret. She grabbed Mary by the shoulder and led her inside. Lily followed them. Dad and I went back to the car to get my suitcase and backpack and returned to find that Allen was the only one remaining. When I asked my brother about everyone else¡¯s disappearance, all he could tell me was that Mom wanted to speak with Dr. Blake and followed him to his office along with Jack and Allison. Knowing her, she probably wanted to make sure I¡¯d be fine during my stay. I remembered she kept looking at Allison last time she was here, so she was most likely afraid of our size difference. I was sure that Mom would approve of her once she got to know her better. They seemed to think alike. We entered my room to unpack, and as we did, I noticed some things had changed. For starters, all the medical and measuring equipment was gone. The same thing happened with Lily¡¯s belongings, so she was probably relocated. The drawers were emptied, too. Finally, they added a desk and a small mirrored wardrobe. The mirror had a sticker with a pair of yellow eyes and a message that said: [Evil Nora watches while you sleep.] Yeah, that isn¡¯t creepy at all. Thanks, Anna. Once my clothes were in place, we grabbed some posters and photos I brought with me and used them to decorate the walls. I was originally going to wait until Anna gave me permission, but after seeing what they had done to the place, I didn¡¯t think it was necessary. It still needed a lot of work before I could properly call it my room, but it was a great start. As we walked to the staircase, I noticed that the empty room, which once belonged to Dave, had a new nameplate on the door. Its new owner was ¡®Sylvia Warren¡¯. It made sense for her room to be next to mine. We went downstairs and saw everyone except Dr. Blake and Jack waiting for us near the back door, ready to go outside. We exited the building for the forest tour and the first thing to catch Mary¡¯s attention was the picture of the flight training platform on a small map placed at the beginning of the path. After hearing Anna¡¯s explanation, Mary turned to me excitedly. ¡°Can you try it? I want to see you fly, Nora!¡± Mom was reasonably worried because of it. ¡°It sounds dangerous, don¡¯t you think?¡± Anna nodded at my mother¡¯s comment. ¡°It is. We made this to help her practise, but it is too risky to try it out without any experience. If she loses control mid-air and lands away from the net we¡¯ll install, the fall could kill her. Don¡¯t worry, Mrs. Hayes. We won¡¯t let Nora use it unless we know she¡¯s ready for it.¡± Mary was both confused and disappointed. ¡°Why did you build this thing if she¡¯s not going to use it then?¡± ¡°I just said she will, though,¡± The elf replied. ¡°I do think we could¡¯ve prioritised on other things first, but my father insisted. He¡¯s a lost cause when it comes to planning. He even had the playground built before our training grounds, and we don¡¯t have any-¡± She interrupted herself as she looked at me. ¡°Ah, never mind.¡± Yeah, I know where you¡¯re heading. ¡°I just remembered this little girl loves it already.¡± With that, I was the centre of attention. Mary snickered, trying to hide her smile with one hand whilst Allen openly laughed. I glared at them. ¡°Well, what did you expect? I am a kid again... and it was a pity nobody used them¡­¡± I lowered my sight, not daring to look at the playground we just so happened to walk by at that moment. The time we spent beside that area was extremely uncomfortable for me. Mary and Allen kept teasing me about it, and I could see Mom hiding her phone from me. She was ready to attack the moment I lowered my guard. Worst of all was that I did want to play now that I wasn¡¯t in pain. The only reason I could keep my cool was that I had plenty of opportunities to make full use of it during my stay. All I needed to do was to wait until I was alone. For now, we kept walking further into the forest. Chapter 12: Doubts Having reached the lake, we decided to spend some time resting under the shade of the trees and enjoy nature. At least that was the idea. Mary wouldn¡¯t let Allison, Anna, and Lily alone with her incessant questions about their new appearance, and Mom still had her phone ready, waiting for the best moment to take a picture. Dad was the only one relaxed enough to lie down on the soft grass and take a nap. Allen sat next to me at the edge of a small pier, and we admired the view together, far from all the rabble. My brother then leaned back on his hands and broke the silence. ¡°Nice little garden you¡¯ve got here. Pool and all.¡± I smirked and kept looking forward as I answered. ¡°Yeah, I can¡¯t complain.¡± Silence came back after my reply. For a couple of minutes, his eyes kept shifting between the lake and me. Although his head never stopped facing forward. ¡°Is everything okay?¡± I asked, concerned by the unusual silence. Still refusing to move, he asked, ¡°How are you doing? With your changes, I mean.¡± This question again¡­ My answer had actually changed since Lily asked it. I gave him a reassuring smile and replied, ¡°I had some bad moments, but I¡¯m mostly okay with it now. It¡¯s a bit scary how easy it was to get used to it after a while. I won¡¯t lie, I think the virus itself played a huge part in that. Being able to see the changes as they happened probably helped me a lot, too.¡± ¡°Okay with it, you say?¡± He made another pause before finally looking my way. ¡°So you don¡¯t want to go back to how you used to be. Not at all.¡± I didn¡¯t like the way he phrased it, nor his tone. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s possible to go back even if I wanted to. Do you¡­ do you hate my appearance?¡± ¡°What!? No!¡± Allen shouted and shook his head. I looked around, but no one seemed to be listening to us. I couldn¡¯t see Mom, though I could tell by the crunch of the occasional leaf or twig that she was still too far to hear us. ¡°I just don¡¯t think you¡¯re being honest with yourself right now. I¡¯m worried for you,¡± he added. ¡°Honest?¡± I frowned. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure how to say this...¡± He scrubbed his face and looked down. ¡°I¡¯ve always admired you, sis. I know I don¡¯t show it, but it¡¯s the truth. You used to be so cheerful and positive; always trying to help someone.¡± He chuckled. ¡°I still can¡¯t understand why you never turned me down when I asked for something, considering how much I teased you. I guess I took you for granted. This last month without you has been the weirdest. Probably in more ways than one.¡± That took me by surprise. We got along most of the time, but this was the first time he ever said something like that. In fact, I couldn¡¯t remember the last time he used such a serious tone with me. ¡°When I got home that day and found out Mom and Dad left you somewhere in the woods, I panicked. They told me you were sick, and that you wouldn¡¯t be the same when you came back. The strangest part was that they were barely concerned about it. Can you imagine Mom acting so indifferent?¡± Not giving me time to answer, he continued, ¡°Even worse was that whatever they had seemed to spread to me shortly after. Was it magic? The government? Did someone mess with our heads?¡± Should I tell him it was Jack¡¯s doing? How would he react? ¡°No matter. Honestly, I¡¯d rather not know the answer. I¡¯m just glad that, whatever that was, disappeared the moment Jack told us your transformation was almost over. We were truly excited to see you again. Then we came here, and all I saw was...¡± I immediately winced and shrunk to myself, trying to hide my demonic features as best I could. Seeing this, he slammed his hand hard on the wooden floor. His voice rose. ¡°That! That¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about! All I see now is a kid who is too afraid of whether we, her own family, will accept her appearance or not!¡± My eyes opened wide. That wasn¡¯t what I was expecting at all. He sighed and lowered his tone. ¡°How can you say that you¡¯ve already accepted everything when you react like that? You were once kind, cheerful, proud, and responsible. Now you¡¯re too insecure and make a big deal out of everything.¡± ¡°W-what are-¡± ¡°Listen,¡± he said, cutting my stammering. ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to pretend nothing happened. I know you went through a lot in the past few weeks, and I can¡¯t even begin to imagine how hard it must be for you to deal with all of these changes, but could you at least try not to make Mom and Dad upset every chance you get?¡± Angered from his accusation, I yelled at him, ¡°It¡¯s not my fault! You saw how Mom treated me!¡± His face remained calm save for how hard he clenched his jaw. ¡°Yes, I agree. She was wrong to do that, which is why I intervened, but you overreacted too, especially after the accident. I think we both know you only lost your temper because you hate what you are now, and she reminded you of it.¡± ¡°No! You¡¯re wrong!¡± I yelled at him, quickly followed by a growl. His eyes widened, and so did mine. My hands covered my mouth immediately. Not giving me time to explain, my brother shook his head and continued, ¡°If that¡¯s not it, are we the problem then? I don¡¯t know what makes you think that way, but we don¡¯t care about how you look! We love you, and we¡¯ll continue to do so because we¡¯re your family!¡± ¡°Do you¡­ do you mean it?¡± ¡°Of course I do! I mean, sure, it will take a while for me to get used to it, but that¡¯s it. If anything, it¡¯s your behaviour I find annoying. You say you¡¯re fine with the changes, but you keep getting angry over every single thing. Do you really think we can see you as an adult when you don¡¯t behave like one? Don¡¯t try to deny it either, because you went far from it when you threw a tantrum and locked yourself in your room.¡± ¡°I needed time alone! Was that too much to ask for?¡± I glared at him and muttered, ¡°You didn¡¯t set the best example back then either.¡± ¡°Okay, sure. Let¡¯s pretend that Dad and I weren¡¯t joking back then. At least I didn¡¯t growl at Mom or make her cry.¡± I was not comfortable with him mentioning my growl. I raised my volume in exasperation. ¡°Okay! I get it!¡± I just wanted him to stop. I tried stifling another growl, unsuccessfully. Allen noticed this and looked straight into my eyes. To my surprise, he didn¡¯t flinch or look away. My family seemed to be immune to my stare, just like Allison was. ¡°You can¡¯t control it, can you?¡± I could only shake my head at his correct guess as I looked away from him. After a brief pause, I explained it. ¡°They come out when I¡¯m angry or annoyed. Anna says it¡¯s natural for us. I think they¡¯re getting more frequent, as well.¡± ¡°I see¡­ I guess we¡¯ll have to get used to that, too.¡± He took a deep breath and continued. ¡°That aside, I know it sounds weird, but I simply can¡¯t accept that you and my older sister are the same person. Tell me, what happened to the real Nora?¡± His last question brought back memories from days ago. Tears fell at the thought of Allen distancing himself from me. ¡°Please, don¡¯t say that. I¡¯m still your sister! I swear!¡± He rolled his eyes and placed a hand on my shoulder. ¡°Yes, Nora. You are my sister. Nothing will change that. You¡¯re simply not the one I remember. All I can see in you now is this little girl who sometimes resembles her. I¡¯m sorry.¡± I looked down and nodded slowly. I couldn¡¯t disagree with him. I, myself, noticed the gradual changes in my personality. If you added my appearance to the formula, I really was a different person. Maybe he¡¯s right, maybe I haven¡¯t accepted the new me. At least he still sees me as his sister. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll just leave you to think about it.¡± Allen was about to get up when I softly tugged at his sleeve. ¡°I understand.¡± After wiping my tears away, I showed him a sheepish smile and gave him my answer. ¡°I... I can change. I promise I¡¯ll do my best to behave and to accept myself as such. This time for real! Hell, I¡¯ll even be the little sister like you want me to be so much!¡± He blinked at me, his mouth opened wide and his brow furrowed. Mere seconds later, he was laughing loudly. ¡°I think you got your priorities wrong, sis. I mean, it¡¯s great that you¡¯re so open to the idea, but all I wanted right now was for you to stop acting like a brat. The little sister thing had nothing to do with that.¡± I don¡¯t get you anymore! Still confused by his words, I tried to take it back. ¡°Then-¡± Allen raised a finger and pressed it on my lips to silence me. ¡°Listen, I¡¯m not trying to be annoying here. It certainly wasn¡¯t what I was currently aiming for, but you have to admit that it fits better that way. I mean, you do look half my age.¡± He then showed me his usual smug smile. ¡°Besides, I always wanted a younger sibling.¡± I rolled my eyes, although I was glad his mood improved. So much, in fact, that I threw myself at my brother and hugged him tightly without a warning. It took him some time to react, but Allen finally relaxed and returned the hug. We stayed like that for a long time, and not even the snap coming from Mom¡¯s phone was enough to interrupt us. Allen probably didn¡¯t even notice because of how quiet it was. He would eventually find out when she printed and hung it somewhere in the house. Most likely once all the secrecy was over. Time passed, and the time to continue our tour approached, so we went back to the group. I remained close to Allen as we walked to the training area. I wasn¡¯t sure if the others heard, but they seemed to give us some space. ---<>----------<>----------<>--- Mary¡¯s eyes sparkled at the sight of our destination, and she sprinted ahead of us. The place looked a lot better than when I left. They had given it a nice fantasy feel to it in just a couple of days. The shooting range was probably the most interesting part. Since it needed to stay hidden within the forest, there was a lot of greenery instead of the typical open areas you would imagine. Here, trees acted like fences for the lanes, with one of the dummies and a dense foam wall standing at the end of each. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. My friend smiled from ear to ear the moment she saw the bows inside the storage shack. She then grabbed one, along with a couple of arrows and an archery guard. Once she was ready, she ran back to one of the shooting lanes to test them. She had barely gotten in position when she took aim and fired the arrow. The projectile fell a few metres before the target, but it wasn¡¯t a bad attempt compared to how Anna started. Mary shrugged it off and walked towards Anna. She offered her the equipment with an eager smile. ¡°Care to show me how a real elf does it?¡± Anna shot me a nervous look, and I nodded at her. She had nothing to lose. Mary was merely getting carried away by the stereotypes. I¡¯d make sure she understood the difference between fantasy and reality. I kinda did the same when she started, didn¡¯t I? No! Mine was just a suggestion, nothing more. As I continued my internal debate, Anna hesitantly walked to the line. Mary was staring at her with such intensity that I felt sorry for her. She took a deep breath, nocked the arrow, and pulled the string. Same as Mary, she barely aimed before releasing the arrow. I heard the projectile whistling as it flew, and my eyes widened when it landed right in the centre of the target. Was it luck? The next moment, Mary was hugging the astonished elf. She kept shaking Anna and screaming in excitement. Her poor eleven ears were likely to start bleeding if I didn¡¯t do something about it, so I walked over to them and congratulated Anna as I tried pulling the screeching leech from her. Unfortunately, the task was impossible because of my size. My grip was also quite weak as I didn¡¯t want to hurt Mary with my claws. Somewhat recovered from her previous state, Mary asked for a magic demonstration next. Hearing this, Lily happily separated herself from the audience and offered to do it instead. Anna refrained from hurting herself this time and went near the trees to pluck a small plant from the ground instead. She tore a few leaves and presented it to Lily. Lily rubbed her hands eagerly and reached for the plant. The glow came, and with it, the plant slowly regenerated. Not only that, it also started growing a bit. My family and Mary were speechless. Magic was truly amazing. The tour shortly finished after the demonstration, and my father decided that they would go back once we had something to eat. Mary and Mom were disappointed, but agreed to it. ---<>----------<>----------<>--- Having finished our lunch, we went to the front of the building to send them off. Allen was the first to hug me. He ruffled my hair and smiled gently. ¡°Take care, little sis.¡± I smiled back and winked. ¡°You too, big brother.¡± My parents and Mary seemed confused when I didn¡¯t react poorly to his ¡®teasing¡¯. Mary snapped out of it and came to me next. Her hug was a bit too tight, and she even lifted me from the ground as she did. I was glad she avoided my wings. ¡°Sorry, I couldn¡¯t get my items back from you this time,¡± I told her, once she put me back down. ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡¯ she replied. ¡°I can just create another character and have it hold on to them for as long as you need.¡± I chuckled and nodded. ¡°Sounds good!¡± Finally, both of my parents followed suit. Mom also asked me to at least message her once every day as she held back her tears and got in the car. She could no longer resist and cried openly the moment it began to move. It was always tough for her to say goodbye. Dad once told me that, on my very first day of school, she was the one who cried when one of the teachers led me in. Me? I simply wished her a good day at work, probably ignorant of what was actually happening. I kept waving at them until they disappeared into the forest. Anna then placed a hand on my shoulder. ¡°I have to get back to my duties. I¡¯ll send Lily to find you once our new resident arrives.¡± Anna and Lily were already heading back to the building when I ran and grabbed Anna¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Do you need any help?¡± I asked. Anna gently pulled her arm free as she replied, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Now is your chance to use the playground!¡± I froze. Was it that evident? No matter. I took the chance to do as Anna suggested with Allison silently following. If it weren¡¯t for her size, I would¡¯ve forgotten she was even there. She had been unusually quiet the entire time my parents were around. Did Mom offend her somehow? As we got to our destination, I sat on the swing and asked her to push me. I wanted to try all the things I couldn¡¯t before, but I needed to talk with her first. ¡°Hey, Allison.¡± ¡°What is it, little one?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry if my mother was annoying to you earlier. She means well.¡± She chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. She simply had some concerns regarding my size.¡± I knew it was something like that¡­ There was a moment of silence before she continued. ¡°Speaking of families, I finally got in contact with mine yesterday.¡± Oh, right. Allison had been trying to reach them for days, but the storm had made it extremely difficult to do so. ¡°There are no plans for them to come anytime soon, but at least they know I¡¯m alive and well. I haven¡¯t told them about my new appearance, though. I think it will be a fun surprise.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you scared of their reaction?¡± ¡°Not really. I¡¯m sure it will be fine. I was not precisely normal to begin with. They won¡¯t mind a few extra centimetres.¡± I honestly don¡¯t know how you can be so carefree. I kept playing around whilst we waited for Sylvia to arrive, although I couldn¡¯t understand how Allison didn¡¯t grow bored from just watching me. She could at least meditate to improve her control over the flow of mana. As I was the one getting bored with playing alone, Lily arrived to let me know they had already taken Sylvia to her room. It was at that moment that Allison finally went to the training grounds to meditate. The fairy followed her to keep her company. I ran back to the building and up the stairs. As I went through the corridor, I heard Dr. Blake¡¯s voice coming from inside Sylvia¡¯s room, followed by wailing. The door opened before me, and I was met with Anna¡¯s smiling face. ¡°Here she is! Please come in, Nora.¡± When I stepped in, I saw an olive-skinned woman sitting in a wheelchair, one I assumed was meant to prevent her pain from rising and cause stress to her baby. Her wine coloured hair was very short, and her hazel eyes were bloodshot from all the crying, which only intensified the moment she saw me. I looked at Anna and Dr. Blake, expecting them to do something about it, but they only pointed at an empty stool next to her. I doubted it was a good idea. My presence clearly made her uncomfortable. Walking cautiously, I sat next to her. The moment I did, both of them stepped out of the room to leave me alone with her. I could only look at the floor as she continued weeping. What am I supposed to do here? We stayed like that for nearly twenty minutes before her crying turned into sobbing. I was growing desperate, not knowing what to do for her. The first thing that came to my mind was rubbing her back to comfort her, which made her flinch. I expected her to smack my hand or something similar, but she didn¡¯t. As I continued, I felt a familiar small bump close to her shoulder blade. She looked at me. Her sight shifted again when her eyes made contact with mine. ¡°You poor thing¡­ I can¡¯t imagine how hard it must be for you at your age.¡± She seemed unaware of the rejuvenating effects of the virus. It wasn¡¯t that important, though. Her change wouldn¡¯t be as drastic as mine, so I could explain it another time. My priority was to lessen her concerns, not increase them. ¡°It¡¯s not as bad as you might think. It was difficult at first, especially the new limbs, but I got used to it quickly. The support I get from my friends and family also helps me a lot.¡± She smiled bitterly. ¡°I see¡­ I wish I had that.¡± I¡¯m an idiot! ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to-¡± Sylvia waved her hand. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± She¡¯s willing to talk to me, at least. ¡°Would you tell me about you?¡± I knew the risk of asking this, but I thought it would be good if she could vent on it. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I should¡­ How old are you?¡± I would¡¯ve liked to keep that hidden a bit longer. Still, I replied honestly. ¡°Eighteen.¡± She raised an eyebrow and stared at me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t believe that.¡± Well, that confirms it at least. ¡°Well, it¡¯s part of the process, I¡¯m afraid,¡± I explained, scratching the back of my head. Demons apparently age a lot slower than humans, so we¡¯re reverted to half of our age.¡± ¡°So I¡¯m going to be fifteen and pregnant!?¡± I could only nod silently. I knew that could bring some issues healthwise. Sylvia pressed her lips as she held new tears from coming out. She then took a deep breath. ¡°This is going to be tough.¡± She closed her eyes and sighed. ¡°Right, your question. I lost my parents in an accident when I was still young, so I spent most of my childhood alone with my grandfather. He, too, passed away a few years ago. I was very lonely after that, so I considered myself lucky when I met Jude. He was there for me when I needed him the most, he meant everything to me. We had been dating for about two years when he finally proposed to me three weeks ago.¡± Oh, so they weren¡¯t married yet. Sylvia sighed and looked at me. ¡°When I was bitten, he told me he would never leave my side, no matter how terrible my sickness was.¡± Tears began rolling down her cheeks. ¡°Then we saw the pictures. I was quite positive at first, even stupid enough to suggest that he tried to get infected so we went through it together.¡± She snorted. ¡°I could see the disgust in his eyes as he refused. He tried to hide his hesitation and insisted he would stay with me, but he had always been very religious and a terrible liar. When I finally got him to tell me the truth, we both agreed to let go. It wasn¡¯t until the next day, when I woke up, that they told me I was pregnant. What am I going to do now that I¡¯m alone?¡± I couldn¡¯t think of what to say in response. Everything I thought of sounded rude to me for some reason. In the end, I chose something I always appreciated. ¡°Would you like a hug?¡± She nodded, wiping the tears from her face before hugging me tightly. ¡°You¡¯re not alone anymore. Your baby is here, you know?¡± I thought that would cheer her up, and yet, her mood plummeted instead. I gasped. ¡°You don¡¯t want it?¡± ¡°What!?¡± she shouted suddenly, taking me by surprise. Seeing that I almost fell from the stool, she caught my shoulder with one hand and covered her mouth with the other. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry! A-are you okay? I-I didn¡¯t mean to snap like that. It¡¯s¡­ I¡¯m worried for my baby, that¡¯s all. I just can¡¯t imagine what sort of life we will have after this.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I understand. I can¡¯t lie and say that everything will be fine. I have been called a monster too many times to say that. It hurts more than they¡¯ll ever realise.¡± Her tears threatened to show up again. ¡°I mean it sucks, but we¡¯re here for you too! Everyone here is friendly and understanding.¡± Or at least pretend to be... I gave her a reassuring smile. ¡°Who better to understand what you¡¯re going through than your own kind?¡± It was obvious she still had some doubts, but she still smiled and hugged me again. ¡°Thank you, Nora.¡± Once she was composed, I convinced her to head down to the cafeteria for lunch. Luckily, her wheelchair was motorised, so I didn¡¯t have to push it or call for one of the nurses for help. It was quite slow, though. ---<>----------<>----------<>--- Seeing us coming, Anna looked at Sylvia and examined her expression briefly before asking, ¡°Are you feeling better?¡± ¡°Yeah, a little,¡± Sylvia replied. Anna nodded. ¡°That¡¯s good. Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll do our best to keep you safe and happy.¡± She turned to me as I sat down next to her. ¡°I have good news for you, Nora.¡± ¡°Another spell?¡± I asked eagerly. She laughed and shook her head. ¡°No, sorry. It¡¯s just as good, though. The boat and equipment we¡¯ll need for your flight training will arrive in a few days.¡± I frowned in confusion. ¡°Why a boat?¡± ¡°Remember what we spoke about earlier? While it would be great if you could learn how to fly by simply jumping off the platform, it¡¯s too dangerous if you don¡¯t know how to control your wings. To help you with that, we will train you using the methods that proved to be useful for other demons. Parasailing is one of them, and we are lucky to have a lake where you can do it without being discovered. That¡¯s what we need the boat for.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard parasailing isn¡¯t very safe either.¡± Sylvia added. Seeing my discomfort, Anna placed a hand on my shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯ll be fine as long as we take the proper precautions. For now, we already have some things you can practise before they bring it here. You¡¯ll be ready by then, I promise.¡± I nodded slowly in response. ¡°When can I start then?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll begin with something simple that you can do whenever you want. Your first goal will be to get used to your wings. I¡¯ve seen you stretch after meditating or adjusting them when they get in the way, but other than that, you don¡¯t really move them, do you? The virus was, well, kind enough to give you strong wings from the get go, but keep in mind that muscles can lose their strength when you don¡¯t use them regularly. Your wings will eventually become too weak to fly if you don¡¯t do something about it.¡± ¡°So I just need to flap them?¡± Anna reached for her pocket and pulled out her mini tablet. She typed something before presenting it to me. I took the device in my hands and pressed the screen to play the video she selected. I saw a bat flying in slow motion. Anna explained as both Sylvia and I continued watching. ¡°Take a good look at its movements. That is what you need to practise for now, Nora. From the reports I¡¯ve read, it shouldn¡¯t take you too long to get the hang of it. It¡¯s also better if your whole body is horizontal when you train, since that¡¯s the position you¡¯ll have when you fly. You can ask Allison to hold you up while you try that. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll love to help you with it.¡± As if summoned, Allison arrived with Lily sitting on top of her head. Anna quickly filled her in with our discussion, and she agreed to help me without a second thought. Anna also suggested Sylvia to observe my training, as she would be in the same situation soon. I was not an expert, but I was sure that wasn¡¯t something you told someone who was already having such a hard time because of the virus. Still, Sylvia agreed to it, as well. Chapter 13: Dream of Flight After lunch, the three of us headed for the training grounds. It was ideal, considering the large open area allowed me to spread my wings freely. Despite my short stature, I still had an almost three metre wingspan, so it was easy for me to hit something if I was not careful. I noticed Sylvia kept glancing up at Allison as we walked. It was probably her first time seeing a giant. Given their origin, they couldn¡¯t be that common, so her previous location probably didn¡¯t have any. Once we arrived at our destination, I lifted my arms to Allison, who picked me up by the sides and held me up above her head. I was so high up it made me uncomfortable. I had hoped my acrophobia would disappear with my transformation. Looking up at me, Allison asked, ¡°Is everything all right, Nora?¡± I closed my eyes to avoid looking down. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Allison. I¡¯m not good with heights, that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°Do you want to go down?¡± ¡°No, don¡¯t worry about it. It¡¯s not that bad. The position is what¡¯s triggering it, mostly. I think it will be fine as long as you hold me firmly, and I keep my eyes closed.¡± My hopes rested on getting over this fear as I improved. It all depended on the flight itself. If I felt safe enough, I was sure I¡¯d be able to ignore the feeling and gradually get rid of it for good. The difficult part was getting to that point. I took a deep breath and steeled myself. ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s begin.¡± Feeling her grip tighten, my wings linked to my legs and flapped for the first time. I started slowly, trying my best to imitate the bat from the video. It was difficult to know if I was doing it right, so I could only rely on following what felt natural to me. My technique kept changing until I felt myself getting pulled slightly forward. Taking it as a sign, I slowly increased the rhythm. After a few seconds, I could feel Allison struggling to keep me in place. I made sure not to accelerate too quickly to avoid escaping her grasp. Once I reached what I thought was the right speed, all that was left was finding out how much I could last like that. I reached my limit in merely ten minutes, after which I stopped. ¡°Done,¡± I said, breathing heavily. ¡°Can you put me down, Allison?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± My eyes finally opened when my feet touched the ground. ¡°It might be easier than I thought. How did it feel for you?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s a good thing you didn¡¯t go all out at first, because you would¡¯ve needed to learn how to fly a lot earlier. Those wings are strong!¡± We both laughed, and I turned to look at Sylvia, who seemed distracted, looking into the void. ¡°Are you okay, Sylvia?¡± I asked as I walked up to her. ¡°Huh?¡± Snapping out of her trance, she replied, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine, Nora. Thanks.¡± Yup, that¡¯s convincing. I wanted her to be more open with me. I was supposed to help her, after all. Though, I knew it was probably too soon for her to trust me. Having rested enough, Allison lifted me up for another round. We repeated the same thing two more times before I was completely exhausted. I assumed it was normal to tire so quickly since I had only started, but I still felt the need to consult with Anna. She did say my wings were strong enough for flight. Having finished my physical training, it was time to focus on my magic. I looked at Sylvia once more to see how she was doing. This time, she was less distracted, and she even smiled at me, even though I could tell it was forced. ¡°I¡¯m going to do some training with mana now, Sylvia.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± she responded without hesitation. ¡°So uhm¡­ Since all I do is sit on the floor, you don¡¯t need to stay for this if you find that boring. We can take you back if you want to.¡± She shook her head slowly. ¡°I¡¯d like to stay and watch if that¡¯s okay with you.¡± I raised an eyebrow. ¡°Are you sure? I mean, I¡¯m glad to hear that, but you seemed uncomfortable a while ago.¡± ¡°Yes... I was actually thinking about what you said earlier. I really miss Jude, and I¡¯ll probably have a hard time getting over it, but you know what? I am going to try for the sake of my baby. Watching you helps me, I think. It¡¯s hard to explain.¡± Although I had my doubts about the truth in her response, I chose to think those were her genuine feelings. ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that. Just let us know if you need anything, okay?¡± She nodded, and I walked a few metres away before sitting on the ground. Honestly, I was having trouble concentrating with her watching, but I couldn¡¯t let her know that. It didn¡¯t want to make her feel unwanted after she showed interest. At that moment, Allison sat by her side and started talking to her instead of joining me. I was getting the feeling that it was because of things like this that she had yet to feel anything during her training. It wouldn¡¯t surprise me if someone told me she spent most of last week observing us instead of concentrating. Still, I was grateful to her for keeping Sylvia busy. Because of that, I could finally get started. Thanks to my recent improvements, I could listen to fragments of their conversation at the same time I worked on the flow. From what I picked up, Sylvia confirmed that she was thirty years old, which placed her exactly between Anna and Allison. She was from Kelpont, the neighbouring city, and the same place where the vampiress was killed. I wonder if she met her. Better not mention it, though. The topic then drifted to Sylvia¡¯s baby. I didn¡¯t want to eavesdrop on them so much, but I believed she was keeping some things from me. I couldn¡¯t tell if she didn¡¯t want to offend me as a demon, even though it hadn¡¯t been that long since I became one. Maybe I was overthinking it. Whichever it was, I focused on listening. ¡°I¡¯m just worried this virus might do something to either of us. What if there¡¯s a complication? Or maybe I¡¯m the only one who turns? Will people accept us? I don¡¯t want my child to suffer from discrimination because of my fault.¡± ¡°First of all, don¡¯t blame yourself. It¡¯s not your fault this happened. Now, and I say this from my own experience, I doubt there will be any complications. I like to think it¡¯s the work of the gods, you know. Because of that, I believe it can fix any problem either of you may have. No, I¡¯m sure it will! And who cares if a few people don¡¯t like you? It¡¯s something we can¡¯t avoid, human or not. We¡¯ll be fine as long as we help each other out, don¡¯t you think?¡± The gods? In the past, if someone ever told me the gods were responsible for anything that happened, I wouldn¡¯t have taken them seriously. I stopped believing in such things long ago, after all. Now, I wasn¡¯t so sure. Since magic was real, the existence of gods wasn¡¯t that crazy to me anymore. Did that mean I now believed in the Erelian Gods? No, it was simply not possible. Eeyar and Cyana Uldeos did exist at some point, that much was true. I learned about them from a documentary years ago. They were royals, heirs to the Throne of Uldain, which was the most powerful kingdom of its time. They were considered heroes for bringing world peace by uniting all kingdoms into a single government 600 years ago, effectively stopping the first, and thankfully only, world war. We owed them the start of the New Era, as well as the massive technological boom that shaped our present. A happy ending straight out of a fairy tale, right? As if. Apparently, both of them died long before the war came to an end. That union didn¡¯t mean other wars were prevented either. There were many disputes over territory shortly after. Not only that. It was later proven that it was none other than Eeyar himself who started the Great War, and that his actual goal was nothing but revenge on the kingdoms allegedly responsible for poisoning his sister. Legend says that once there was peace throughout the land, their bodies rose from their graves and turned into light as they ascended to the heavens, where they defeated the ancient evil gods and took their place as the overseers of our world. A group of historians eventually found their remains, still in their graves like they were supposed to. Shortly after that, they were put on display in Eredel¡¯s Museum of Anthropology, as this was the capital of our new government, and also where their movement and religion began. Many refused to accept it, and some even claimed that it was nothing but the work of heretics under the influence of demons, creatures at the service of the ancient gods, whose only desire was to lead humanity back into darkness. Yes, and now I was one of those spawns from hell. In name, at least. How was I, a demon, supposed to follow a religion that saw me as evil by default? Even if it turned out to be true, why did I become one? Was it a punishment? For what? Heresy? It was better not to think about it. It would only bring me down again. I didn¡¯t know Allison was religious. Why was she so friendly to me despite learning I was a demon? I must ask her later, though. If I do it now, they¡¯ll know I¡¯ve been listening. On that thought, I focused on their conversation once more. Thankfully, it didn¡¯t seem like I missed too much. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Again, that¡¯s normal. It means you care. I would be more concerned if you didn¡¯t worry at all. Still, those are all things you have no control of. Rather than that, work on what you can do for your baby right now.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try¡­ Thanks, Allison.¡± ¡°That¡¯s better! I envy you, you know. I¡¯ll never get that opportunity after all.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find someone-¡± ¡°No, I physically can¡¯t. I¡¯m infertile.¡± ¡°Oh... I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, I came to terms with it long ago. I had no chance at finding a partner, anyway.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure I can believe that.¡± ¡°Oh, you have no idea. Gigantism can be cruel and people just as judgemental. If the height wasn¡¯t intimidating enough to drive them away, my face finished the job. I may look like this now, but this face of mine is something new. That¡¯s why I think it can only be the work of a higher being.¡± ¡°I see¡­ I don¡¯t get it, though. If that¡¯s the case, why wouldn¡¯t it fix you internally as well?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know for sure, do you?¡± I fought to remain quiet, but that only made me laugh even louder when I finally lost it. Regaining control of myself, I opened my eyes to see both of them staring at me. ¡°How much did you hear, little one?¡± Allison finally asked. Looking away, I replied, ¡°N-not much, really.¡± She smirked at me with her arms crossed. ¡°Uh-huh.¡± I looked at Sylvia in search of any signs of hostility, but she didn¡¯t seem to mind. Her expression only showed amusement. Giving up to Allison¡¯s persistent gaze, I sighed. ¡°Okay, most of it. It¡¯s not my fault my hearing is so good.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind. Well, I guess that makes things easier now. Do you know if this thing can really cure my condition?¡± I shrugged. ¡°We¡¯ll need to ask Anna or Dr. Blake. All I know is that it kills most viruses and bacteria that may endanger the host, and I¡¯m aware of what it did for your appearance. Based on that alone, I think it should.¡± Anna would surely come for her daily shooting practice soon, so we agreed to wait for her. She showed up an hour later, and we immediately went to greet her. Lily was not with her, so she was probably with Dr. Blake. As we walked, I took my chance to ask, ¡°Say, Allison. Why were you so kind to me when you met me?¡± She looked down at me and tilted her head. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t understand. Was there any reason for me not to be?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you religious, though? I mean, look at me. I even told you I was a demon, and you didn¡¯t mind it.¡± She chuckled. ¡°Well, you did explain it wasn¡¯t always like that. Even if you didn¡¯t, I don¡¯t think it would¡¯ve been a problem. It¡¯s true that I believe in the existence of gods, but the divines I believe in are not the ones you¡¯re thinking of. You could say it¡¯s my personal belief. I don¡¯t really have names for them. It¡¯s enough for me to think there are higher beings taking care of us. I don¡¯t think we¡¯re here by chance.¡± I hummed as I processed her words. ¡°I see. People I¡¯ve met tend to side with the siblings or choose not to believe in anything. I should¡¯ve expected other points of view to exist.¡± Our conversation ended upon reaching the shack. Anna was still inside, adjusting the string of a dark recurve bow I hadn¡¯t seen before. ¡°How was your first flight training, Nora?¡±She asked as I walked in. ¡°Any progress?¡± I nodded. ¡°It was good. Easier than I thought.¡± ¡°Glad to hear that. You¡¯re the youngest demon to attempt it, so I was wondering if you would have any trouble at first.¡± She then stood up, and I followed her out of the shack. Allison tapped Anna¡¯s shoulder to get her attention. ¡°There¡¯s something I¡¯d like to ask you. It¡¯s regarding the virus.¡± ¡°Sure. If it¡¯s something I know.¡± ¡°Do you know if it cured my infertility?¡± Anna grimaced, and her ears dropped slightly. ¡°I¡¯ll be honest with you. I have no idea. We can run a few tests if you want, but I¡¯m afraid that, even if they show positive results, we can¡¯t tell for sure. You see, no women other than metahumans and wildlings are ovulating at all.¡± Wildlings? ¡°Sylvia¡¯s pregnancy was great news in that regard since we think she might be the key to solving the problem. Though she was already like that before the infection, so we can¡¯t really celebrate yet.¡± Sylvia looked down at her abdomen and placed a hand over it. ¡°Will my baby be fine then?¡± Anna gave her a reassuring smile. ¡°Given the special treatment the MAV seems to give you both, I¡¯m sure it will be fine. Just take care of yourself.¡± ¡°If you knew all this, why didn¡¯t you tell us before?¡± Allison asked. ¡°Because there was no point in worrying you. There are too many unknowns to give you a solid answer. We still have much research ahead of us.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Allison pressed her lips before speaking again. ¡°Please, let me know if something changes. It¡¯s important to me.¡± ¡°Will do.¡± We returned to our training after that. Hours passed while meditating, and during that time, I evaluated my progress. First thing I noticed was that I already had a decent control of it. There was no need to focus solely on it now, but anything too distracting was still a problem. To me, this was amazing progress. I wanted to be able to cast spells while moving, so I decided to focus on polishing this trait first. With that in mind, I opened my eyes and tried to keep my flow stable. Allison and Sylvia smiled and waved at me. Come and train, you lazy giant! I giggled and waved back before looking around, still in full control. The sky was already turning red, so I didn¡¯t have much time left. Looking at the shooting range, Anna had already locked the shack and was walking our way when Lily came flying into the clearing and said something to her ear. They were too far for me to hear anything, but whatever it was, it seemed urgent because they rushed back to the building without us. Realising the flow of my mana stopped at some point, I called it a day, and we went back too, albeit at a more sedate pace because of Sylvia¡¯s wheelchair. It certainly lacked in the speed department. ---<>----------<>----------<>--- I looked for Anna when we arrived, but I couldn¡¯t find her. In fact, other than the three of us, the place was empty. Leaving Allison and Sylvia at the cafeteria, I ran upstairs hoping to find somebody. No luck. Aside from Connor, who was still unconscious in his room, nobody was here either. I tried sending them a message, unsuccessfully. I was already panicking at the thought of something bad happening to them when I found Lily on my way back. She flew to me the moment she spotted me. ¡°Hey, Lily. Where¡¯s everyone?¡± Landing on my shoulder, she whispered into my ear, ¡°They¡¯re having an emergency meeting downstairs. Anna said she wants you to go to her room after dinner. There¡¯s something important she needs to tell you, but she doesn¡¯t want Sylvia to hear it.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you tell me now? And why are you whispering? We¡¯re still far from the cafeteria.¡± ¡°Sorry,¡± She said, raising her voice to a normal volume. ¡°All I know is that there was an accident in another investigation centre.¡± If she doesn¡¯t want Sylvia to know, does it have something to do with demons? Did someone else go feral like me? Wait, why does that include all members of the staff? Are they warning them not to anger me? ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Oh, sorry about that. Thanks for telling me, Lily. Any idea of when they¡¯ll finish? We can¡¯t have dinner if the kitchen staff is not there.¡± ¡°Nope, I think they forgot about it. Do you think you can cook something, though? You said it was your hobby, right?¡± I frowned at the idea. ¡°I¡¯d rather not. The stove is too high for me, and I don¡¯t want to risk setting the place on fire. If someone could take care of that, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem, but Allison won¡¯t fit comfortably in the kitchen, and Sylvia will have the same problem as me in her wheelchair.¡± That wasn¡¯t the only reason. I wouldn¡¯t say it out loud, but I was still inexperienced when cooking in large quantities. Doing it for myself or my family was fine, but the bigger the amount I needed to cook, the easier it was for me to ruin it, and Allison alone needed the equivalent of eight people. I didn¡¯t want to embarrass myself if something tasted bad or lacked seasoning. Lily placed a hand on her stomach in response. I could swear I heard the grumble. ¡°Can¡¯t you at least try? I¡¯m starving.¡± That¡¯s right, she needs to eat frequently. ¡°Don¡¯t they have bread or anything you can snack on while we wait?¡± She shook her head. ¡°There¡¯s only raw veggies, and I¡¯m tired of those.¡± I sighed heavily. ¡°I suppose I can give it a go. Though I guess a simple vegetable soup.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind!¡± Lily shouted. ¡°Anything, as long as it¡¯s cooked!¡± Once we arrived at the cafeteria, I let both Allison and Sylvia know of our decision. The giantess looked at me in concern. ¡°I don¡¯t know, little one. It¡¯s not that I doubt you can...¡± I nodded. ¡°I know, I know. Accidents can happen. I¡¯m well aware of that, but-¡± ¡°It should be fine if I help, right?¡± Sylvia interjected. We looked at her in surprise, although Allison¡¯s expression was still doubtful. Sylvia smiled at her. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry, Allison. They told me to rest as much as I can, not that I can¡¯t move at all. I¡¯ll remain seated for most of the prep work, anyway.¡± Allison crossed her arms and pondered on it. She relaxed and spoke again. ¡°Okay, I guess it¡¯s fine. I¡¯m actually a bit hungry, too.¡± With Allison¡¯s approval, we walked into the kitchen and prepared the soup. As promised, Sylvia only stood up to handle the pot and stir occasionally. Once ready, we all sat to eat whilst we waited for the meeting to end. At least the soup was good enough. ---<>----------<>----------<>--- It was almost midnight, and there were no signs of anyone coming out yet. Whatever their topic was, it kept them busy way longer than I expected. Feeling sleepy, everyone else retired to their respective rooms. I couldn¡¯t go to sleep yet, though. I wished Sylvia a good night and walked past my room towards Anna¡¯s to wait for her there. The door was locked, so I sat on the floor to work on controlling my mana some more. Same as before, I tried to keep my eyes open while looking around. It was quite boring compared to the forest, though. There was nothing to distract me in the hall. I then tried to stand up without losing control. Success! I could keep the flow steady whilst moving slowly. I was glad my efforts were finally paying off, even if it wasn¡¯t as fast as with the others. Satisfied, I looked through the window to see if I could spot anything interesting. The first thing I noticed was how good my night vision really was. Other than a few trips to the bathroom at night, this was the first time I actually tested it. It wasn¡¯t the same as during the day, but I could still identify colours and shapes with ease. The forest looked more beautiful now for some reason, and it would¡¯ve probably been even better if I turned the hallway¡¯s lights off. A light tapping on my shoulder made me turn. ¡°Sorry to make you wait, Nora.¡± Anna¡¯s face was pale, and her ears were low. It wasn¡¯t a good sign. Finally stopping the flow of mana, I stood up and replied, ¡°No problem, I understand.¡± I followed Anna into her room and took a seat at her table whilst she closed the door and locked it. She sat across from me. Her grim expression hadn¡¯t changed. ¡°I have terrible news. The research centre located in Kelpont City was destroyed.¡± My eyes widened in fear. ¡°What do you mean destroyed?¡± ¡°An explosion. Somehow, an angry group of ¡®monster hunters¡¯ found out about the place and decided to eliminate the ¡®threat¡¯ before it became a problem. They don¡¯t know how they got their hands on them, but they told us the group was fully armed with explosives and two handguns. We think someone leaked the location, and Sylvia¡¯s ex-fianc¨¦ is among the suspects.¡± No wonder Anna doesn¡¯t want Sylvia to know. ¡°Do you think he did it?¡± She shrugged. ¡°Anyone could¡¯ve done it.¡± ¡°Any survivors?¡± Anna shook her head. ¡°Not that we know of. We can only hope.¡± ¡°What about us then?¡± She took a deep breath, giving me a heads up of what was coming. ¡°Well, to begin with, the government will need to reveal the truth soon if they want to prevent another attack from happening. It probably won¡¯t stop everyone, so they need to make sure we¡¯ll be safe before they do. Fortunately, they managed to capture or kill every single one of the attackers. Those who lived were accused of terrorism and imprisoned without the chance for visitors, so the secret is still safe for now. That said, they can¡¯t do much if those people notified others of what they were doing. For now, they¡¯re going to investigate them thoroughly and take care of any potential leak. They requested Jack to help them since psychic magic users make things easier. Let¡¯s hope for the best, but I¡¯ll be honest with you, Nora. It¡¯s not looking good for us, especially your race. The same goes for many other races like vampires and Ikroth.¡± ¡°Yeah, thought so... What¡¯s an eek-ur-¡± ¡°Ikroth. Fancy name for lizard people,¡± she answered. ¡°Oh, so they get that while they named us after the embodiment of evil. That¡¯s great!¡± I yelled. Anna quickly stood and covered my mouth. ¡°Hey, quiet! I understand you¡¯re upset, but there¡¯s no reason to react like that! Do you want Sylvia to hear us!?¡± She¡¯s right. I regained my composure before gently pulling her hand away. ¡°Sorry. Was it really necessary to name us demons, though? It only makes things more difficult now that everyone¡¯s on edge.¡± Seeing I was back to normal, she stroked my head briefly and answered. ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t think it would¡¯ve made a difference. I¡¯m sure you know how much you look like the actual thing. You even saw it with Lily¡¯s parents. People would¡¯ve called you a demon, anyway. We thought it was a better idea to lessen the burden by using the name in a positive way before you were exposed to the world again.¡± She sighed. ¡°Unfortunately, I doubt that it will be enough now.¡± Chapter 14: Stay Cool, Bird Boy I barely slept last night. I had too much to think about after my conversation with Anna. She told me not to worry too much. That not only would they considerably increase the security around the place, but our facility was much better hidden than Kelpont¡¯s, given the forest that surrounded us. She also mentioned that the chances of a leak were low since this centre had many fewer staff members and patients. This meant it was easy to keep tabs on everyone, even those who were discharged or turned out to be immune. When I asked her about my family, she said they¡¯d still be able to visit me like we agreed. Though it was necessary that they adhered to basic safety measures. Bringing visible camping equipment seemed to be the easiest of the bunch. That way, no one would think there was another reason for visiting the forest. To make it more convincing, they would need to stay the whole weekend. Although, knowing my mother, she would gladly do so. They also mentioned giving my dad a security card and registering the car¡¯s licence plates into their database. This granted access to the underground tunnel the staff already used to come and go each day. Additionally, while Mary was allowed to tag along as she was already aware of everything, any other friends and relatives were completely out of the question. If they asked, all my family could tell them was that I fell into a coma due to an unknown illness. It had been that way all along, so it wasn¡¯t anything new. It still scared me, though. Having no magic, no weapons, nor flight to protect myself, I was too vulnerable. To make things worse, I could turn feral at any moment, and while it was somewhat helpful against Lily¡¯s father, I knew I wouldn''t be as lucky against a group of people, much less a gun. I don¡¯t have many options. Fake swords won¡¯t do much, and I can¡¯t use the bows we have, so weapons can already be discarded. That leaves magic and flight as my options. Magic could be useful¡­ If we had any damaging spells, that is. And it doesn¡¯t seem like anyone will discover one soon either. Looks like my best chance is to rush my flight training. If I can¡¯t fight, all I have left is to run. Although I hated the idea of escaping by myself, I didn¡¯t know what else I could do. I¡¯d only get in their way if I stayed. I shook my head out of that thought. That should only be my last resort. I need to keep working on my magic while we¡¯re safe. Psychic spells may not be reliable, but they are far from useless. Maybe I should focus on that. Breakfast time arrived so, after getting dressed, I headed down to the cafeteria. I hoped Sylvia didn¡¯t notice my lack of sleep. We couldn¡¯t let her know about the incident. At least not yet. If her ex was really involved, it would be terrible for her. The pain and current situation were stressful enough for her. Speaking of pain, my wings hurt a little. It was the result of yesterday¡¯s training, no doubt. I was also quite hungry, so once I got to the cafeteria, I grabbed a tuna sandwich, two slices of ham, an apple, a glass of milk, and some cookies. It seemed excessive for my size, but I felt like I needed it. I was the last one to arrive at the table, and I saw they already had a stool waiting for me next to Allison, who was sitting on her now usual floor cushion. Allison spoke to me as I sat down. ¡°Slept well, little one?¡± My eyes widened at her question, ¡°Huh?¡± Calm down. She asks the same every day. ¡°Yes! I did, Allison. Did you?¡± I replied before she repeated herself. She let out a short sigh before returning to her usual smile. ¡°It could¡¯ve been better. I went to bed later than I¡¯d prefer. I would¡¯ve liked to sleep more, but I don¡¯t want to mess up my sleeping schedule.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Lily asked. ¡°It¡¯s a good habit to have, Lily. It will make things easier once we return to the outside world. If I wake up later, it will be difficult to readapt when I get a job again. Same for you and school.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t go back to school. I¡¯ll stay here.¡± Dr. Blake chuckled. ¡°School or not, you won¡¯t escape your education that easily, young lady. I recommend you enjoy the rest of your summer break as much as you can, because I¡¯ll personally make sure you continue with your studies starting next month.¡± Lily groaned in response. ¡°Do I really need it? I¡¯m too small to work, anyway.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be so sure, Lily,¡± Anna interjected. ¡°You¡¯re quite talented with magic, after all. I¡¯m sure your abilities will be useful in the future. Healing is one thing that any hospital would appreciate, for example.¡± Lily remained silent with a troubled expression. She didn¡¯t seem convinced. Being a fairy, she probably expected to live the rest of her life leisurely. Knowing her background, it was possible too. Though, only if she did claim her grandfather¡¯s inheritance. Anna patted her head softly with her finger. ¡°It¡¯s only a suggestion. You have plenty of time to think about what you want to do.¡± She then turned to me. ¡°Changing the topic, will you go back to flight training today, Nora? The construction workers won¡¯t be coming anymore, so you can go out earlier if you want.¡± I didn¡¯t bother asking Allison if she wanted to help. I already knew her answer as we looked at each other. ¡°My wings might complain since they¡¯re not used to it, but yes, I was planning to go after this. I¡¯ll probably work on my mana for a while before that, though. I don¡¯t want to exercise right after eating.¡± Once breakfast was over, we went to the training area. Lily came with us this time. She didn¡¯t need such basic training anymore, so it was likely that she simply wanted to stay away from Anna and Dr. Blake because of what they said. The training began, and I concentrated on the mana as it flowed through my body. As I gained full control of it, I opened my eyes to continue where I left the day before. Studying my surroundings, I was surprised to see that Allison was meditating properly for once. Lily was also focused on her own training, mercilessly ripping leaves from a plant, only to make them grow back again. She was relatively far from us, clearly wanting some time for herself. I then looked at Sylvia. She was reading a book Dr. Blake lent her before we went out. Sensing my gaze, she glanced at me and gave me a questioning look. To avoid breaking my concentration by speaking, I merely smiled at her. She seemed to understand and smiled back with a nod before her eyes returned to her reading. At least she seemed more relaxed now. My sight shifted to the forest next. I searched for any signs of animals living there, and I did spot some small creatures at first. The biggest thing around was a pair of jackalope bucks fighting each other behind the shrubbery. I was surprised to see them. The large rodents were known to be shy around people, but they still had antlers. They were perfectly capable of hurting someone if they felt threatened. I wondered if the rangers were aware of their presence. Ignoring them for the time being, I looked to the sky and focused on the clouds. I named their shapes in my mind. As I kept staring, I noticed a small brown dot moving below them. After a few seconds, the mysterious dot got closer, and I identified its shape to be that of a hawk. I wondered if it had found something to eat near us. That seemed to be the case, as it began descending rapidly after circling around us a few times. I tried searching for any rodent or small animal it could be aiming for, but most critters had already gone into hiding, leaving only the pair of horned rabbits, which were too big to become its prey. The predator, however, kept coming closer. It was only then that I saw what its target was. ¡°Lily!¡± I screamed. I stood and ran as fast as I could, reaching out with one hand in an attempt to intercept the bird. There was no way I could save her in time. Please, stop! Lily screamed, and everything turned white instantly. A thick cloud had suddenly appeared in front of me, completely blocking my vision. At the same time, I felt a sharp pain in my chest that forced me to kneel. A loud noise behind the cloud caught my attention. It sounded like a big rock crashing against the ground. The wind took no time in clearing the weird fog, and what I saw left me speechless. There was no rock. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Lily was there, curled into a ball. She was crying, but looked otherwise unscathed. The hawk was next to her; part of it, at least. Fragments of the bird¡¯s wings and legs were scattered on the floor as if it were a broken statue instead of a living being. I felt pity for it, but I was glad it wasn¡¯t able to harm her. ¡°Are you okay, Lily?¡± I asked, getting closer to check on her. No answer. She merely nodded as she wept. I sighed in relief. No longer feeling hurt, I got closer and picked up the half wing that had fallen closer to me. Despite it being clearly frozen, it didn¡¯t burn my fingers like I expected. ¡°How did you even do this?¡± The fairy stopped crying and stared at me in confusion. ¡°It wasn¡¯t her, Nora.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± I turned around to see Sylvia and Allison were right behind me. ¡°It was you. The mist came from your hand,¡± the giantess added. Lily flew to me and hugged my face tightly. ¡°Thank you, Nora! Thank you so much!¡± ¡°I-I wh-what?¡± Did I just discover a new kind of magic!? Anna told me that she discovered hers in an emergency. To think the same would happen to me¡­ More importantly, what type of magic was it? Ice magic? After processing what they told me and making sure Lily was safe with Sylvia and Allison, I walked to the shack. There, I grabbed an empty duffle bag I saw previously and returned to the crash site. Allison then helped me place all the frozen pieces we could find in it. It was disgusting, but we needed them as proof of my magic. It also wasn¡¯t a good idea to let them defrost in the middle of our training area. Oddly enough, Allison had trouble picking them up because of how cold they were. I looked at the leg in my hand in confusion. I could tell it was cold, yet it didn¡¯t burn me like I knew it should. Maybe my own magic can¡¯t harm me? Why did it hurt me when I used it then? At least the pain left almost as soon as it came. When we got back to the main building and failed to find Anna, I took out my phone and sent her a message to let her know we needed to see Dr. Blake urgently. Thankfully, she replied this time, and she told me they were so busy they couldn¡¯t leave the lab for too long, so they granted me permission to enter alone and meet them there. After I told the others, Allison led Lily and Sylvia to her room whilst they waited. I entered the basement and walked through the empty main corridor until I reached the actual lab¡¯s door. There was an intercom next to it, so I pressed the button and called for them. ¡°They are on their way,¡± Gary quickly replied. Soon enough, the door opened, and both Dr. Blake and Anna came out. They immediately focused on the bag before looking back at me. I hoped the bird was still frozen. ¡°Let¡¯s find a better place for you to show us, shall we?¡± Dr. Blake said as he led us to one of the rooms in the corridor. Once inside, he took the bag from me and placed it on top of the table. His eyes widened as he opened it. He then carefully emptied its contents onto the table between us. ¡°Now, could you explain what happened to this guy?¡± I shrugged. ¡°Turns out I can use ice magic. That¡¯s what the others told me, at least. I couldn¡¯t see anything when it happened.¡± Anna took out a pair of tongs from a drawer below the table to grab one of the fragments. She examined it carefully before dropping it on the table. ¡°Well, I have mixed feelings about this. First of all, I¡¯m impressed, Nora. You actually discovered a new type of magic. A very dangerous one at that. How did you even hit a hawk with it? More importantly, why would you do such a thing?¡± I could sense a hint of worry in her voice. It was clear she wasn¡¯t happy about me using this new magic on a living being. ¡°It was aiming for Lily.¡± I replied. ¡°I tried to-¡± ¡°How¡¯s Lily!?¡± both of them asked instantly. ¡°She¡¯s fine. A little scared, that¡¯s all. She¡¯s in Allison¡¯s room with her and Sylvia.¡± Both relaxed, knowing she wasn¡¯t harmed. ¡°I keep telling her to be careful,¡± Anna said. ¡°The world can be very dangerous for someone her size. I hate that it had to be this way, but at least this will make her understand. I just hope it wasn¡¯t overly effective.¡± ¡°Do you think you can do it again for us?¡± Dr. Blake asked. ¡°I can try, but I honestly don¡¯t know how I did it. It just happened.¡± He ruffled my hair. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s all right. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll get it if you keep working on it. There¡¯s no need to rush.¡± ¡°And we don¡¯t have time for that right now, anyway. We have to go back, Dad.¡± Anna placed the fragments inside the bag and closed it. ¡°We¡¯ll talk more about this later, Nora. Thanks for bringing this to us. We¡¯ll analyse it and see if we can find anything noteworthy regarding this new magic of yours. Will you go back to training?¡± ¡°Yes, I want to see if I can do it again.¡± After I said that, Dr. Blake walked to another cabinet and took out a small video camera. ¡°I¡¯d really love to see your training in person, but like Anna said, we¡¯re busy right now. Would you mind using this camera to record any progress you make?¡± ¡°Sure, I can ask Sylvia to film it. I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll refuse if I give her something to do.¡± ¡°Have fun then,¡± he said, handing me the device. He took the bag from Anna¡¯s hands and went back to his work. ¡°How is Sylvia doing, by the way?¡± Anna asked once the doors closed. ¡°With all the chaos around here, I haven¡¯t had the chance to ask.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s a bit early to tell,¡± I replied. ¡°She looks better than when I met her, but she spaces out a lot. Did no one tell her demons become younger?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Anna responded. ¡°We assumed they told her back at Kelpont, why?¡± ¡°She thought I was a child. A real one, I mean.¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re a real demon child,¡± she responded with a smirk. I sighed, ¡°You know what I mean.¡± ¡°Yeah, sorry. Did you tell her the truth?¡± I nodded. ¡°Yeah. I did consider not doing it, but I think it¡¯s best she knows.¡± ¡°I would¡¯ve liked to wait until the counsellor arrived in a few days, but I guess things went well enough.¡± ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s worried about many things, but I think most of them will clear with time.¡± She nodded and turned around. They were already walking into the lab when Anna stopped and looked at me. ¡°Small advice on your magic. I know it can be uncomfortable, but try to remember what you thought and felt at the moment it happened. That¡¯s how Jack and I did it after we discovered our own.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try. Thanks, Anna.¡± ¡°No problem, Nora. Good luck!¡± After that, I walked back to Allison¡¯s room and knocked. I could hear her steps getting closer before the door opened. ¡°Are you done, little one?¡± ¡°I am. How¡¯s Lily?¡± ¡°Much better now. She went back to her room, though. I doubt she¡¯ll go out for a while. Will you return outside?¡± ¡°Yeah, I want to control my magic as soon as possible. I mean, you never kno-¡± I shut my mouth the moment I realised what I was saying. Allison tilted her head in response. ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Ah, sorry, I just don¡¯t want to freeze someone by mistake, you know. I need to get the hang of it soon.¡± She raised an eyebrow, somehow knowing there was more to it than that. Still, she let it go. After Sylvia accepted recording my training with the camera, the three of us returned to the forest. ---<>----------<>----------<>--- Arriving at the training grounds, I selected one dummy as my target and tried to recreate the event. As expected, nothing came out when I tried. I kept going for a while with no sign of getting closer. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not missing anything?¡± Sylvia asked, keeping the camera up. I groaned and turned to face her. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I can feel the mana flowing, and I keep thinking about protecting someone like Anna said. I must be doing something wrong, though. Maybe it¡¯s because I know this guy won¡¯t harm anyone,¡± I said, pointing at the dummy behind me with my thumb. Allison, who was ¡®meditating¡¯ next to her, opened her eyes and joined the conversation. ¡°Are you sure you were thinking about protecting her when you did it?¡± I frowned at her. ¡°What else would I think then? I was scared that the bird was going to kill her.¡± She shook her head and explained. ¡°What I mean is that there are many ways to protect someone. For example, if you only wanted to shield Lily, then maybe an ice wall or something like that would¡¯ve come out instead. Perhaps you thought of getting rid of the hawk?¡± I lowered my head as I realised what she meant. ¡°Okay, I get your point.¡± Now that she mentions it, what I hoped back then was for the hawk to stop. Freezing it did just that, didn¡¯t it? It can¡¯t be that simple¡­ Can it? I had to try it, at least. Thinking about stopping an object that was already standing still felt weird, anyway. I supplied mana into my extended hand as I pictured the dummy encased in ice. Freeze! As a result, the same mist from before appeared in front of me. Although the cloud was much thinner this time, it was clear I had found the way to use my ice magic. I stared at the result. The affected area was roughly the size of my fist. In other words, it was tiny. I imagined that I had been empowered by adrenaline or something like that the first time, so it didn¡¯t surprise me too much. Perhaps using that much mana at once was what caused it to hurt. I looked back to my audience in excitement. They smiled at me and gave me the thumbs up. Motivated by my success, I continued freezing random spots of my target until I began to feel tipsy. I immediately recognized this feeling as the sign of mana exhaustion. It had to be. Even though my knowledge came from games, books, and shows, it was clear to me. This first training session taught me that I could use my spell around eight times before I felt that way. Casting a stronger spell most likely meant I got to use it fewer times. I wanted to keep going and see how far I could go in that state, but I didn¡¯t know what could happen if I went dry. That was something people never seemed to agree on. It mostly depended on the media. Games were all the same. If you had no mana, the only consequence was that you couldn¡¯t cast any more spells. While this was bad news if you were in the middle of a fight, all you had to do was to drink a potion to replenish it. The other sources were less consistent with it. There, the result could go from being the same as with video games, to the caster getting sick or weak. In the worst cases, it could lead to the actual death of the individual. It was because of the last one, as well as the pain I felt earlier, that I didn¡¯t dare go further. Even if nothing dangerous were to happen, it was clear that the dizziness would increase. That wasn¡¯t a feeling I wanted to have by the time I switched to my flight training. It was hard enough to deal with my fear of heights alone. Fortunately for me, my mana seemed to be slowly replenishing by itself. I still felt lightheaded, but I could feel it fading while I rested. Because of this, I waited until it completely disappeared. Allison, who ignored her training to watch me until I was stable enough, could finally continue meditating. I was convinced at this point. Her slow progress wasn¡¯t a lack of talent for it. It was her own negligence. Satisfied with her finally focusing on it, I sat on the floor next to Sylvia and relaxed. Sylvia¡¯s voice came from above as I closed my eyes. ¡°Are you okay, Nora? You look pale.¡± I gave her a reassuring smile. ¡°My mana is low. I think. I feel a bit dizzy, that¡¯s all.¡± Allison¡¯s eyes opened the moment she heard me. I couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°I said I¡¯m fine! Go back to your training!¡± She groaned in response before getting back to it. ¡°Seriously, she¡¯s worse than my mother sometimes...¡± I muttered, causing Sylvia to chuckle as well. ---<>----------<>----------<>--- I was more or less back to normal after an hour, so we worked on my flight training next. Like the day before, I closed my eyes when Allison raised me high above her head, and I began flapping my wings up and down. Unfortunately, the session wasn¡¯t as good as the last time. My muscles complained too much to continue after the first few minutes. Having reached my limit, we went back to the building to let the others know of my progress with my new magic. Chapter 15: OoM ¡°Working hard, Anna?¡± I asked. We were almost done eating by the time she arrived. She sat down and sprawled herself on the table. ¡°I¡¯d say it was more lengthy than difficult. We had tons of new data to process.¡± ¡°Anything you can share with us?¡± Allison asked. ¡°Sure,¡± the elf replied, getting up. ¡°Though I suppose you¡¯ll need some context first. A few days ago, we were able to confirm that it¡¯s possible to determine what each individual will become based on their genes alone. For example, if we look at Nora¡¯s earliest sample, we can say with certainty that she was meant to be an elf, like me.¡± I frowned at her. ¡°And you didn¡¯t tell me?¡± ¡°Hey, you never asked.¡± She laughed at my pouty expression. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that! I told you about all the important stuff, didn¡¯t I? If I shared everything we learned, I would bore you all to death. Plus, I¡¯ve said this before, but many of our findings do become obsolete almost as fast as they come up.¡± I glared at her, but accepted her argument. ¡°Fair enough. You said that was days ago, though. What was it that kept you so occupied today, then?¡± ¡°Well, while it¡¯s now easy to tell who will become a metahuman, elf or draell, we still had certain races whose triggers were a bit trickier to identify. Do you remember what I said about vampires being considered elfkin?¡± I nodded. ¡°That they share enough traits with elves to be considered close relatives.¡± ¡°Right! And that became a fact today. Vampires do have the same genetic triggers as us, elves. It wasn¡¯t until today, however, that we noticed their transformation is altered by an additional element which completely overrides the elven genes, and yet, it¡¯s still dependent on them. ¡°As you all know, vampires need to consume blood regularly to stay healthy. The question here is ¡®why?¡¯. Well, from our experiments, we concluded that this is the result from the MAV trying to fix a blood-related disease or condition.¡± Allison hummed, ¡°If that is the cause, why did it take so long to be discovered¡± ¡°Because, no matter how strong or insignificant the problem is, they are all triggers for the vampire mutation,¡± Anna responded. ¡°So, to give you an example, let¡¯s assume Nora was never bitten and had a mild iron deficiency instead. Since she had the genes needed to become an elf, this health issue would''ve been enough to change the virus¡¯s behaviour and make her a vampire. The problem is that it¡¯s not always that evident. Additionally, it wasn¡¯t the only race with a similar issue, which is why I say it was more time consuming than anything. In fact, as of today, only ghosts¡¯ triggers remain a mystery.¡± ¡°Is that why Dr. Blake is still in there?¡± I asked. Anna shook her head. ¡°No. Unfortunately, the only way we can confirm it is by finding a suitable candidate, and that is quite difficult. We believe ghosts are also the result of a disease. In this case, a terminal one.¡± She made a brief pause and bit her lip before she continued. ¡°Anyway, unlike any of the elfkin, the tests we tried didn¡¯t affect the blood samples we have. No matter if it¡¯s a normal human or a potential elf, the virus can¡¯t turn a few drops of blood into a ghost, so we need to find someone who meets all the requirements.¡± ¡°It needs the person¡¯s soul, right?¡± asked Allison. Anna snorted at her question. ¡°We don¡¯t know. It¡¯s not like we can prove the existence of souls either. I seriously doubt it, but your guess is as good as any, I suppose. Back to your question, Nora, the reason my dad is still in the lab is your little accident with that hawk.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just frozen, though,¡± I commented, confused. She laughed. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s nothing more than a frozen bird to the naked eye. However, when placed under a microscope, we detected traces of residual mana. Even if it didn¡¯t have anything out of the ordinary, the way it was frozen is still amazing enough. Tell me, Nora, what is cold?¡± ¡°That one¡¯s easy. It¡¯s the lack of heat,¡± I answered. ¡°And heat is the transfer of energy from one thing to the other.¡± Anna nodded. ¡°Good enough. Now, without using your magic, how can you freeze something quickly?¡± After thinking for a moment, I replied, ¡°The only thing that I can think of is using liquid nitrogen or something like that.¡± ¡°Not a bad answer, although not what I was looking for. To make something cold, the energy that system contains must be transferred to something else. For nitrogen to be liquid, it needs to be below 196 degrees, which is way below anything you will find on our planet naturally. Because liquid nitrogen is so cold, most things it interacts with will lose heat rapidly, which is why they freeze when submerged in it. You, however, instantly removed heat from a living being in a non-controlled environment! That¡¯s amazing!¡± ¡°That sounds messed up, Anna.¡± She rolled her eyes and chuckled. ¡°You know what I meant, silly. Anyway, did you get any results while practising out there?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± I replied enthusiastically. ¡°It was not nearly as powerful as the first time, but I could freeze small portions of one dummy. Oh! And I started feeling tipsy after I repeated the spell a few times. I assumed it was my mana running low, but was it really that?¡± She tapped her chin with a finger as she thought. ¡°It¡¯s the first time I hear something like that. As far as I know, no one has reached a similar state. Perhaps, being so young means your capacity is lower. Another possibility is that the magic you used is more taxing than the others we know. There aren¡¯t that many magic users to begin with, so we still lack plenty of knowledge on the subject. Counting us, there are eighteen magic users in total. Six ghosts, three elves, two draell, four vampires, two fairies, and now you.¡± ¡°None of the other races?¡± She shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ve said it before. It¡¯s still too early for them to use magic. If you pay attention to the list, you¡¯ll see that, save for metahumans who remain ignorant of the true nature of the virus most of the time, and fairies, who seem to be as talented as ghosts with learning, all the races that can currently use magic are those that have been around the longest. You are a special case since you began training daily, even before your transformation was over.¡± So Lily¡¯s talent is actually a racial trait? ---<>----------<>----------<>--- Once we finished eating, Anna got the camera back from Sylvia and asked me to follow her to the lab to show Dr. Blake my magic directly. To my surprise, we went through the big door at the end of the corridor this time. The place looked like something straight out of a science fiction movie. It all was really advanced and spacious. Computers and machines adorned the walls from top to bottom, and you could see many groups of people working on different projects. One of those groups stood next to a number of cages and terrariums of different sizes. Among the animals they contained, I spotted the bat that bit me, a black dog with mismatched eyes, and a bunch of dragonflies of considerable size. Dr. Blake¡¯s team of four was busy discussing something they saw on a huge screen. It looked like an image taken by a digital microscope. Anna announced our presence as we reached their table, and all of them stopped talking to look at us. They didn¡¯t seem annoyed by the sudden interruption. Rather, they looked eager to see why Anna brought me with her. Well, everyone but Dr. Blake, who greeted me before she had the chance to speak. ¡°Nora! We were just talking about you. These are my colleagues, doctors Jones and Rogers, and I¡¯m sure you¡¯re already acquainted with my assistant, Gary.¡± Dr. Jones was a bald old man with a long beard and a rather thin frame. He looked weak and fragile. His face, however, seemed to be locked in a perpetual state of anger. The woman next to him, Dr. Rogers, was much younger, probably mid-forties, with dark skin and brown eyes. She seemed friendlier than Dr. Jones, as well. I had seen both join Dr. Blake at the cafeteria on previous occasions, but this was the first time I interacted with them. Even so, neither went beyond a casual greeting and shaking hands with me. ¡°Now then, would you please show us your magic?¡± Dr. Blake asked, getting everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°How did you know?¡± He smiled confidently. ¡°Why else would you be here?¡± ¡°Oh. That makes sense¡­¡± I looked around, searching for something I could freeze with my magic. ¡°So what¡¯s my target?¡± The old man nodded and walked to the large table full of lab equipment. He then grabbed a beaker, which he filled with distilled water and placed it on a smaller empty table next to it. Finally, he placed a small thermometer in the container. He pointed towards the glass with his open hand. ¡°There you have it. You called it ice magic, so it makes sense to start by making ice, don¡¯t you think?¡± I nodded and walked closer to the table before extending my arm towards the beaker. Anna began recording the scene with the camera. Stopping one metre away from it, I concentrated on the flow of mana and thought about my goal. This time, I took it one step further and tried to only freeze the water in the container. To do this, I resorted to fantasy shows again. In them, it was common for the protagonists who got transported to another world to be great at magic because of their better understanding of science. In other words, it would be easier if I had a clear picture of how a phenomenon worked. I was not an expert like all the people surrounding me, but I did consider myself a good student and understood what I had to do. I pictured the water as the only thing losing enough energy to freeze, just like I told Anna when I answered her question. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. It didn¡¯t work as well as I thought. While I was successful in freezing the water, mist was still generated between the glass and my hand. It wasn¡¯t nearly as dense as before, though. The sound of everyone clapping brought me back to my senses. ¡°Well done, Nora!¡± exclaimed Dr. Blake as he walked past me and crouched to look at the thermometer. ¡°Interesting¡­ Gary, take note.¡± ¡°Yessir,¡± the young assistant quickly readied his tablet and a digital pen. ¡°The water¡¯s temperature after freezing is minus 20 degrees centigrade for her first attempt. This will be our control sample. Make sure to add the room conditions to the notes for reference.¡± Next, Dr. Blake put a pair of gloves on and took two bottles out of a cabinet. After grabbing a new pair of beakers, he walked to a fume chamber and turned it on before placing both containers inside. ¡°I want you to try to freeze these two liquids as well.¡± He poured the first bottle in one of the containers. ¡°Do this one first, please.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The result after using my magic was the same as before. Once more, Dr. Blake got closer to look at the thermometer and told Gary the temperature marked. ¡°Minus 20 degrees for acetic acid.¡± He then emptied the second bottle and stepped back. I focused on freezing it as well. There was mist, but nothing else happened. I frowned and tried once more, only to get the same result. I felt slightly light-headed after that. Dr. Blake stopped me before I did it again. ¡°That¡¯s enough, Nora. I¡¯m sure your magic works properly.¡± I looked at him expecting answers, although I already had an idea of what happened. ¡°I¡¯ll explain in a moment.¡± He checked the temperature of the liquid and read it out loud, ¡°Third sample, minus 20 degrees for acetone.¡± ¡°How low is its freezing point?¡± He smiled at me. ¡°I¡¯m glad you noticed. Acetone freezes at around minus 95 degrees, which is why you weren¡¯t able to do it. The other substance, acetic acid, freezes at 16 degrees. This first experiment suggests that your magic has a fixed freezing temperature of minus 20 degrees, so anything with a lower freezing point is unaffected. Let¡¯s take a different approach now, shall we?¡± ¡°Hold on, Dad!¡± interrupted Anna. ¡°Nora, how are you feeling?¡± ¡°I can continue,¡± I answered despite knowing I was starting to get low on mana. It felt like I could do a couple more attempts safely. Dr. Blake frowned in confusion. ¡°Did I miss something?¡± ¡°You did, actually. Nora discovered we may have a limit on how much magic we can use before we need to rest. She said she felt dizzy after a while.¡± Dr. Blake gave a short hum in response. ¡°That¡¯s a pity, I was hoping to run several more tests after this. Oh well, we can always continue later. Do let us know if you need to rest, Nora.¡± ¡°I can do a couple more, I think.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± He grabbed a fourth beaker and poured water in it. He then took the thermometer from the first test and put it in the new container. ¡°The next thing I want you to do is to try to cool down the water without freezing it.¡± I nodded and tried. I wasn¡¯t sure how the magic would respond if I thought of an actual temperature, so I thought of lowering it to 10 degrees. There was no visible change, and I didn¡¯t feel anything at work either, so I walked to the table and looked at the thermometer. It showed 23 degrees instead. Probably room temperature. It didn¡¯t work¡­ ¡°Anything wrong?¡± Dr. Blake asked. ¡°It''s fine. I tried something different, but it failed. I¡¯ll do it properly now.¡± I walked back and performed my magic once more, this time, by thinking about making the water cold enough for droplets to condensate around the glass. At this point, the world started shifting slightly. I had gone past my previous limit. Since the samples I froze weren¡¯t too big, I assumed I had enough mana for more, but it seemed like I hadn¡¯t recharged completely. Dr. Blake read the thermometer once more. ¡°Six degrees for the second water sample.¡± He smiled at the result. ¡°Now we know that your magic isn¡¯t limited to freezing. The question now is, can you heat things up? Before we proceed, how are you feeling?¡± I wanted to continue with the experiment, so I looked at Anna. From her expression, I could tell she knew I was running on a low tank already, so I decided to tell the truth. ¡°I¡¯m feeling a bit tipsy, but I think it should be fine if we do one more.¡± ¡°Nora... Please don¡¯t do this again,¡± Anna said with concern. ¡°One more time. That¡¯s all.¡± I looked at Dr. Blake, begging for his help in our argument. ¡°If you believe you can do it, I think it¡¯s fine. All we need is to see if you warm up some water. You must rest after that, though.¡± Anna became furious with his response. ¡°Look at how pale she is! You saw what happened the last time we trusted her judgement!¡± Dr. Blake snorted, ¡°Do I hear the pot calling the kettle black, my daughter? Don¡¯t be so harsh on her.¡± ¡°Well, someone needs to be the voice of reason!¡± Anna glared at him and left the camera on top of the table. She then looked at me and spoke in a calmer tone. ¡°Enough experiments for today. Go to your room and rest.¡± ¡°Okay...¡± I said that, and I meant it. The moment she looked away, however, I felt the urge to prove my point. I extended my hand to the beaker I had just cooled down and thought of warming it up. I supplied the mana to cast the spell, and it froze instead. The moment it happened, I felt sleepy and my chest hurt briefly. The dizziness made it difficult to stay up. I was forced to take a step back to avoid falling. The stomp I made was enough to alert Anna, who caught me as I was losing my balance once more. ¡°Why do you have to be so reckless?¡± A faint giggle was all that came from me. I was suddenly too tired to say anything. ¡°Minus 28 degrees...¡± Dr. Blake mumbled. ¡°Well, you didn¡¯t heat it up, but at least you got a lower temperature. We may need to experiment more on it later.¡± ¡°Could you show some concern!?¡± She looked at the others. ¡°Any of you?¡± Dr. Blake sighed in response. ¡°Sorry, dear. I doubt it¡¯s anything dangerous, though. She¡¯s only tired.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know that yet! Her transformation may be over, but we¡¯re still responsible for her safety. We can¡¯t let her do stuff like that.¡± ¡°Okay, okay. I get what you mean. For now, we should take her to her room.¡± ¡°I got this.¡± Anna lifted me from the ground and carried me out of the lab, this while making sure my wings and tail didn¡¯t fall and drag on the floor. Once we got to my room, she removed my sandals and tucked me in my bed. It didn¡¯t take me long to fall asleep. ---<>----------<>----------<>--- I woke up to a familiar scene. Anna was sitting on a chair right next to my bed. She was reading something on her mini tablet. Hearing the blankets shuffle, she looked up to me. ¡°Slept well?¡± The tone of her voice was flat. ¡°Y-yes¡­ How long was it?¡± ¡°Almost three hours,¡± she replied as she returned to her reading. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± She looked up again and stared in silence. ¡°I don¡¯t know why I acted like that. I wasn¡¯t thinking clearly. You even had to carry me all the way here. I¡¯m sorry I made you worry. I really am.¡± Anna sighed. ¡°Do you promise you¡¯ll listen to me from now on? I don¡¯t mean to rub it on your face. I know it¡¯s hard enough with the way your transformation is affecting you.¡± ¡°Yeah, I understand. I promise I¡¯ll listen to you.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± she said with a smile. ¡°You can sleep more if you want, I¡¯ll be here until dinner.¡± I shook my head in response. ¡°No, I¡¯m not tired anymore. Can I go play outside?¡± ¡°I really think you should take it easy for the rest of the day.¡± I groaned in response. After taking a deep breath, I accepted. ¡°Okay¡­ Do you mind if I play the fessy then?¡± ¡°No, not at all. Do you want me to get it for you?¡± I nodded. ¡°It¡¯s in my backpack. The second biggest compartment.¡± Locating the bag resting against the dresser, Anna stood up and walked to it. She grabbed the bag and returned to her seat to search for the instrument. Once she had it, she placed the backpack next to my bed. ¡°It¡¯s pretty,¡± she commented as she pulled the item out of its case. It was a small fesselian flute. It had thin green vines and leaves engraved along its mahogany-tinted body. The case was nothing more than a thick black sleeve with the same pattern embroidered in gold and a black nylon strap. Despite its simplicity, it was quite durable. ¡°Mary made it for me,¡± I replied with a smile. Her eyes widened in surprise, making me giggle. ¡°She doesn¡¯t look like the kind of person who would sit still and work on something like this, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m impressed,¡± Anna said as she examined it. She handed it to me before asking, ¡°Did she also make the sleeve?¡± ¡°That was Mo- my mother. They worked together in secret and made these as a birthday present for me a few years ago. They get along quite well. Both can be really annoying sometimes, so they have common ground.¡± ¡°Do you mind if I listen?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t. Most of what I can play are movie or video game themes, though.¡± She nodded once. Having given my warning, I started playing, or tried doing so, at least. The muscle memory I had worked so hard to develop had become an unexpected enemy. My now smaller fingers kept missing the holes of the flute since they were already used to land on a specific spot. Anna tried to hide her laughter, and I turned red from embarrassment. ¡°I should probably practise later...¡± I said as I lowered the instrument to my lap. Regaining her composure, she tried to cheer me up. ¡°Don¡¯t let it bother you. I know it must be frustrating, but you mustn¡¯t stop because of it. I don¡¯t mind the mistakes.¡± I shook my head. ¡°No, it¡¯s not that. I just don¡¯t like to practise when I¡¯m being watched. I promise I¡¯ll show you when I get the hang of it!¡± ¡°Fine,¡± she pouted. ¡°Do you want to play some chess then? My dad has a set in his room.¡± ¡°Sure, I¡¯d like that,¡± I replied. After turning her tablet off, she stood up and walked out of the room. I took the chance to practise playing the flute whilst I waited. I didn¡¯t blow on it, though. I simply tried to get used to the new positions my fingers needed to adopt so I could play normally later on. I put the fessy back in its case when I heard Anna¡¯s hurried steps as she came closer to my room. Having done that, I jumped out of my bed and sat at the table. Soon enough, Anna came in with the chess set in hand and placed the board on it. While it wasn¡¯t my favourite game, I liked playing it. Unfortunately, I had no one to enjoy it most of the time. Allen didn¡¯t care about it, Mom and Mary always lost to me, and Dad avoided playing with me ever since I finally defeated him once two years ago. He mentioned something along the lines of having nothing else to teach me. He was just a sore loser. ¡°I watched the video of your training session earlier,¡± she said, setting the pieces in their respective places. ¡°Wasn¡¯t it repetitive? You saw the spell directly before that.¡± Anna began by moving a pawn. ¡°I learned something from it.¡± I perked up at her comment as I mirrored her play. ¡°Mana is restored rather slowly. After freezing an entire hawk, you managed to cast the same spell eight times during your training, while you could barely do it six times back at the lab. I guess I can¡¯t blame you for thinking you could keep going.¡± She was wrong. I knew my limit well, but it was like something took over me and made me disobey her. It was probably best if I didn¡¯t tell her, though. Anna continued after making another pawn move. ¡°At least we know our bodies have a few barriers to prevent us from depleting our mana. The response seems to be somewhat similar to that of alcohol intoxication. Vertigo, drowsiness, impaired judgement and quite possibly passing out. Other than your stumbling, I didn¡¯t notice an issue with speech or motor skills, though. Not directly, at least. Makes me think it was more caused by exhaustion. Would you say it felt the same?¡± I smirked at her. ¡°Aren¡¯t you embarrassed to ask a child that?¡± She struggled hard, trying to contain her laughter ¡°Don¡¯t you play the child card on me!¡± I giggled in response. ¡°In all seriousness, though, I¡¯ve never been drunk before, so I can¡¯t tell.¡± She raised an eyebrow at me. ¡°I find that hard to believe.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a saint, okay? I just don¡¯t like the taste. The same goes for coffee. I can drink a glass of beer to go with my food, maybe some cider, but no more, and only on special occasions. Anything else is out of the question for me. Even more now that I¡¯m back to being a minor.¡± ¡°Hmm, I suppose it makes sense.¡± She placed her finger along her lip and thought silently before moving another pawn. The game picked up pace after that. Anna decided it needed to be the best out of three after I won, and there was one more victory for each before we went down to have dinner. Once I was done eating, I returned to my room alone. The night was still young, so I took my tablet out of my backpack and checked my social media. There was an unusual amount of new messages. It was strange since I didn¡¯t have many friends outside of Danath Online, after all, Mary was the only real life friend with whom I could speak about my hobbies. She forced them on me in the first place. What I saw made a chill run down my spine. They were all from Mom. The first ones were friendly enough. She wished me a good night and wanted to know if everything was fine. My lack of answers led to anger and then to worry. Thankfully, Dad and Allen calmed her down since the messages cut off after three hours. That¡¯s what I thought until I pulled out my phone and saw it had one missed call for every hour that passed after that. It was still set as offline to prevent leaks, so I didn¡¯t get any alerts about them. Not in the mood for another scolding, I hurriedly typed a message apologising and explaining the situation. I couldn¡¯t forget to wish her a good night and attach a heart sticker at the end. With that done, I quickly went to sleep. That would be a problem for the future me. Chapter 16: Surprise Visit I didn¡¯t know if it was because of the nap I took during the day, or perhaps the inevitable confrontation with Mom. It could also be the constant fear I had of someone dangerous finding this place. Whichever it was, it made it impossible for me to sleep early like I wanted. It wasn¡¯t until an hour past midnight that I could finally close my eyes and find myself in the dreamworld, where I saw the same two shadows from days ago, still hidden by the same mist. Oddly enough, I slept quite well after that. Of course, that meant I woke up late in the morning, and I was now running downstairs, still in my pyjamas, to see if I could somehow make it in time to find any food at all. As I walked into the almost empty cafeteria, I saw Anna, Allison and Sylvia sitting at one of the tables. Only their backs were visible to me. Thinking that they had been waiting for me drew a smile on my face. It wasn¡¯t until I walked around them that I saw two strangers eagerly eating everything in front of them. The first one was a short and robust man. I said short, but I could tell he was still taller than me. His face was mostly hidden by his medium length brunet hair and unusually large braided beard. Despite all the hair, you could still see his light green eyes, rosy cheeks and rather big nose behind it. The other one was a guy with unblemished, snow white skin. His short, silver hair was almost translucent, and it made it difficult to tell where his forehead actually ended from a distance. One could probably laugh at it if not for the pair of sharp crimson eyes, which gave him the air of a cold and calculating person. His pupils were Cat-like, like mine, which only helped in making his gaze all the more intimidating. His somewhat long and pointy ears were another trait he shared with me. Finally, two big pairs of fangs peeked from his mouth whenever he opened it to gobble up more food. The upper ones were the longest. The clothes both of them wore could hardly be called so. Torn, burnt and dirty. They were nothing more than rags at this point. I didn¡¯t even bother guessing their ages. I¡¯d probably find out later. Although, they both looked to be at least twenty years old. I had no doubts about the races of the two individuals in front of me. A dwarf and a vampire had mysteriously showed up overnight. That said, nobody had ever mentioned the existence of dwarfs. I wonder how many other races I¡¯m not even aware of. Since they were facing my direction, these two newcomers were the first ones to notice my presence when I walked towards them. The dwarf, after swallowing the last bit of food, was also the first one to speak. ¡°Is this girl the one helping you, Sylvia?¡± Finally aware of my presence, she turned to look at me and answered. ¡°Yes, this is Nora.¡± ¡°Hey there! My name¡¯s Rex, and this unfriendly looking fellow here is Alex,¡± he said, wrapping his arm around the vampire¡¯s neck to pull him closer. Alex frowned and pushed him away before he cleaned his face with a napkin and bowed from his seat. ¡°The name¡¯s Alexander Barlow. It''s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.¡± Any elegance he attempted to show was completely dulled by the state of his clothes. I struggled to contain my laughter. ¡°Ha! Serves you right for trying to act all fancy!¡± Rex commented, placing a hand on his friend¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Oh, but vampires must have class, am I right?¡± Alex brushed the dwarf¡¯s hand away and sneered at him. ¡°Says the one aiming to achieve the ultimate dwarf stereotype. His real name is Reginn, by the way.¡± The dwarf grimaced for a split second before he returned to his wide smile. ¡°Just ignore this bloodsucker. I do prefer Rex.¡± I could only smile at their silly exchange. It was nice to see Allison was not the only one to welcome her change so openly. ¡°Where did you guys come from, anyway?¡± I asked as I climbed onto my usual stool. ¡°Nora!¡± shouted Anna, looking at them in concern. ¡°What?¡± Rex laughed. ¡°Oh, come on, let her be. She¡¯s just curious.¡± His sight shifted back to me. ¡°We came from Kelpont¡¯s Research Facility. Have you heard about it?¡± I gasped. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I didn¡¯t-¡± The dwarf raised his hand to interrupt me and shook his head. ¡°We really don¡¯t mind, missy. We are safe now, aren¡¯t we? That¡¯s what matters. We barely knew anyone there, anyway.¡± Alex continued. ¡°They were so paranoid about us telling someone about their little secret that they kept us in complete isolation.¡± ¡°Who would¡¯ve thought that their favouritism would become our salvation,¡± Rex added. ¡°What do you mean? What secret?¡± Dr. Blake asked with interest when he walked in with his tray of food. Lily was flying behind him, making it clear it was his turn to let the fairy pick his breakfast. Most seemed to be leftovers of whatever they could still find, though. I hoped that wasn¡¯t all that was left. Alex smirked. ¡°What would you say if I told you this isn¡¯t the first time the world has seen vampires or giants?¡± ¡°Ha! I knew it!¡± Dr. Blake yelled, pumping a fist into the air. Alex¡¯s eyes widened in response. ¡°Oh, so you are aware?¡± ¡°Calm down, Dad. We don¡¯t know that yet.¡± Anna grabbed her father¡¯s arm, guiding it back down. ¡°Do you have any proof?¡± she asked back. The vampire shrugged. ¡°Not anymore, I¡¯m afraid. They took everything the moment we submitted it.¡± Anna snorted at him. ¡°How convenient.¡± Dr. Blake gave her a hard look before speaking. ¡°Please, don¡¯t mind her. She¡¯s never been a fan of my theory. What was it that you found?¡± ¡°A couple of giant skeletons. One male and one female based on their belongings.¡± ¡°Were they like me?¡± Allison asked, pointing at herself. ¡°Not quite,¡± the vampire responded. ¡°They were smaller, although still too big for a human at nearly three metres high.¡± ¡°Maybe they were young?¡± I suggested. He shook his head. ¡°They were adults. I could tell. Most likely a couple who, judging by the same hole in their heads, were executed with a gun. We can¡¯t exactly confirm it now.¡± Dr. Blake ran his hand through his hair, processing what Alex told us. He then asked, ¡°What about the vampires then? How do you know they existed?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s because they told us,¡± Alex responded nonchalantly. ¡°Why would they tell you, two random civilians, something so important?¡± Anna asked. ¡°My father has been speculating about it for weeks, and no one has even hinted we were right!¡± Alex smirked. ¡°It¡¯s all in how you ask.¡± She frowned and motioned her head for him to continue. ¡°Let¡¯s just say they didn¡¯t react kindly to our refusal when they asked us to hand over any pictures or additional evidence we had. Realising we were in trouble, I tried buying us some time to escape and tricked them into thinking I also had proof that vampires existed. I remembered my niece claiming that one of her classmates was a vampire, so it was the first creature that came to my mind at that moment.¡± ¡°That prank came with a price, though,¡± Rex added laughingly. ¡°Indeed. I didn¡¯t expect them to transform me into one and lock me down to keep me out of the way while they searched my property for it. They got Rex too, of course.¡± ¡°They transformed you?¡± I asked in disbelief. Anna sighed. ¡°That may be true, Nora. Well, part of it at least. Remember when I told you my dad accepted the job because of me? We weren¡¯t entirely sure, but we already suspected that the government had something to do with my transformation. They knew he wouldn¡¯t be able to refuse with me involved. We believe them when they say they want to stop the virus from spreading out of control, but that¡¯s the key word in all this. Control.¡± Alex''s loud and sudden laughter drew our attention back to him. ¡°My apologies. I don¡¯t mean to be rude. I just find it amusing that they can¡¯t even hire their own employees without blackmailing them. That does sound like the nobles I know.¡± He took a moment to calm down and cleared his throat. ¡°At least you don¡¯t have the Spectres to threaten you yet. We made the right choice coming here.¡± ¡°Spectres? You mentioned them when you got here,¡± Dr. Blake commented. ¡°Could you elaborate?¡± ¡°Gladly,¡± Alex replied with a nod. ¡°The Spectres are an order of knights who operate in secret. You could call them the real men in black. The difference being that they hide evidence of mythical beings, rather than aliens.¡± ¡°Let me guess, they also told you that themselves,¡± Anna said mockingly with crossed arms. ¡°As a matter of fact, yes, one of them did. You could say he was our prison guard back in Kelpont. He was a nice guy, actually. All he needed was ¡®a little push¡¯, and we became friends fairly quickly. He didn¡¯t agree with much of the stuff the government was doing back there, but he didn¡¯t dare talk any further than what I¡¯ve told you.¡± ¡°It was him who helped us escape and told us to come here when the place was compromised. He said you guys were our ticket to safety,¡± Rex added. ¡°In any case, there¡¯s what we know. Care to share your side of the story? How did you know of their existence, doctor?¡± Alex inquired. Dr. Blake smiled from ear to ear and began explaining his theory, now backed up by their recent discoveries regarding shared genes among people with elfkin potential. I knew the story already, so I took my chance to finally listen to my grumbling stomach and excused myself before getting up and grabbing whatever food I could still find. Walking back to the table with a plate full of random leftovers, I watched Anna take the newcomers to the living quarters, no doubt to show them to their new rooms. Allison and Sylvia waited at the table to keep the rest of us company whilst we ate. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°You were quite late today, Nora,¡± Dr. Blake commented after a sip of coffee. ¡°Did you still feel weak after your nap?¡± I shook my head as I sat down. ¡°I think it was the opposite. I couldn¡¯t sleep until very late because I wasn¡¯t tired.¡± ¡°I see. Well, try to get plenty of exercise so you can go back to your schedule. I heard from Allison that you didn¡¯t last long with yesterday¡¯s flight training. Are your wings still hurting?¡± ¡°A little. Is that normal?¡± I asked. ¡°Anna said they were supposed to be strong enough with my transformation.¡± ¡°Yes, quite normal. Don¡¯t worry about it. I believe Anna meant to say that they are in good condition, rather than capable of effortless flight. Take Allison, for example. She has strong muscles to support her new body. Thanks to that, she could walk and move normally despite being unconscious for a month. Still, that doesn¡¯t mean she¡¯s in shape for a marathon. In fact, her legs will hurt in the same way your wings did after a few minutes of exercise.¡± I sighed in relief. ¡°I was starting to think it was because of something wrong with my body.¡± ¡°It¡¯s understandable. You¡¯re the youngest demon that has awoken, after all. Though I¡¯ve read reports of younger children who are still in the process of transformation that seem to indicate demons gain this ability somewhere between 7 to 12 years of age. ¡°That is assuming you really develop at half the rate a human does. That¡¯s simply our theory based on the regression all demons and giants had. We¡¯re quite sure that¡¯s the case, but there¡¯s a small chance it¡¯s just a side effect of the mutation, like your horns or your pigmentation. After that, you could age normally again. Time will tell if we¡¯re correct.¡± ---<>----------<>----------<>--- It was slightly past noon when we finished eating, and, as promised, I intended to exercise as much as possible to return to my usual sleeping schedule. Dr. Blake also gave us the camera back, asking us to record my flight training for him to review later. Lily decided to stay with him. She was not ready to go out yet. Realising I was still in my pyjamas, I left Allison and Sylvia, who sat down at the terrace to wait for me whilst I changed into something better suited for exercising. Hopefully, Allison would work her magic and soothe the poor woman. She probably needed it after the news about Kelpont. Once in my room, I took the chance to check my phone and saw Mom¡¯s message asking me to call her before I went to bed. The lack of her usual army of emoji at the end of the text was a bad omen for me. I answered back to confirm it. After taking a minute to calm down, I grabbed my fessy, hung it over my shoulder, and ran back outside. We went to the training grounds for some flight training first. Same as before, Allison picked me up, and I dedicated myself to beat my wings at the rhythm I previously found to be comfortable and effective. Knowing the proper wing movements and frequency, I lasted considerably longer than the first day, even with the pain I still felt. In my initial attempt, I was able to continue ¡®flying¡¯ for 20 minutes without stopping. After that, I repeated the exercise three more times, but I could only keep going for 15 minutes for the second one, and much less for the remaining two. Satisfied with my improvement, I suggested going to the lake for a break. Mostly because I really wanted to practise playing the flute, and the scene inspired me to do so. As we walked, I stole glances at Sylvia to inspect the changes that had already taken place. Her hair had grown slightly, and the hooks on her ankles had reached around half their maximum size. I couldn¡¯t see her wings or tail since she was sitting, but her posture told me they were somewhat present and annoying. Feeling my stare, she gave me a questioning look with her now silver eyes. ¡°Is everything alright?¡± she asked. Snapping out of my trance, I answered, ¡°Yeah. Just checking your progress.¡± She looked down in silence. Crap. I did it again. I did apologise, but she dismissed it saying it was okay. Reaching the lake, I pulled out my fessy from its case and walked to the pier to play. As expected, I still had trouble with my muscle memory messing up the notes. Thankfully, Sylvia and Allison were busy with their own conversation, making it less embarrassing for me. I trusted the giantess to continue helping her. I kept playing the same pieces over and over, hoping that it would help my general technique. After nearly an hour, I was able to play it properly once more. When I finished, I looked behind me and noticed my audience had grown by three. The newcomers had already showered and changed from their rags, but only Alex was wearing normal clothing. Rex, on the other hand, was wearing a hospital gown. It was him who stood closest to me and was clapping as if I had given an outstanding performance. I couldn¡¯t tell if he meant it or he was simply mocking me. His following words pointed towards the former. ¡°That was Danath Online¡¯s main theme, wasn¡¯t it? Do you play it?¡± ¡°Yes, I am a druid,¡± I replied. ¡°Ah, I¡¯ve heard that one is a bit difficult because it¡¯s easy to mess up your build. Never caught my interest, but some of my guildmates are quite familiar with that class. I can introduce you to them once I¡¯m able to log back in.¡± ¡°Thanks, Rex. I would love to meet them. What do you play as?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a paladin. My username is Viperex79 if you want to add me.¡± ¡°Hold on!¡± I shouted. ¡°You¡¯re in my guild! I¡¯m Vylt.¡± ¡°No way! So this is where you were? Ryme told us you were sick, but to think it was something like this. You¡¯re way younger than I expected! Voice changer? Don¡¯t worry, I also lied about my age whenever the games required it.¡± I rubbed my forearm and looked at Sylvia in concern. She merely looked down, seemingly thoughtful. ¡°I¡¯m actually eighteen,¡± I replied. ¡°The virus did this to me.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± The dwarf exclaimed. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say anything earlier?¡± I shrugged. ¡°You didn¡¯t ask.¡± It made him chuckle. ¡°True that.¡± ¡°Anyway, what happened to you?¡± I asked out of curiosity. ¡°Mary- I mean, Ryme told me you went treasure hunting. Was that how you found the giants?¡± ¡°Sort of,¡± the dwarf replied. ¡°We never got to start our journey, actually. Alex wanted to test the devices before the trip, and it turned out his backyard was a giant¡¯s grave.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°Yeah, some luck we¡¯ve got. Anyway, what a small world we live in, huh?¡± ¡°Hold on,¡± Anna said, interrupting us. ¡°Do you hear that?¡± Everyone stayed quiet and paid attention to our surroundings, but other than a few birds and bugs, I heard nothing worth mentioning. ¡°What is it, Anna?¡± Allison finally asked. ¡°Music,¡± she whispered. ¡°The same piece Nora was playing just now, but I don¡¯t recognise the instrument. It comes from the other side of the lake.¡± ¡°Maybe some campers heard Nora¡¯s flute and liked the music?¡± Allison suggested. ¡°Can¡¯t be,¡± Anna replied. ¡°The camping area is too far from here. Even if they were near the shore, they wouldn¡¯t be able to hear it.¡± ¡°And you can?¡± Sylvia asked. ¡°Yeah, surprisingly. I normally can¡¯t hear something that far away. It¡¯s hard to explain, but Nora¡¯s flute is like that, too. It has a longer reach than it appears. It sounds different from afar, though. Maybe it¡¯s like a dog whistle from a certain distance. It carries on in a frequency that the human ear can¡¯t pick up.¡± Alex stared at the lake some time, then asked, ¡°Any ideas on who this mysterious player might be?¡± She shook her head. ¡°No. The only people who should be there are our rangers, but it makes no sense for them to be playing an instrument, much less the same tune. Speaking of which...¡± Anna pulled her phone out. She dialled a three digit number and placed the device next to her ear. ¡°It¡¯s Anna Blake. May I speak with Mr. Galen?¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± We remained silent as we listened. ¡°Hello. Sorry to bother you, Clark, but I heard music coming from the other side of the lake. ¡°Yes. Yes, I¡¯m afraid someone may have slipped past one of your rangers. Would you mind sending some of your men to deal with them? ¡°Thank you. Let me know when it¡¯s over.¡± She ended the call and stared at the lake some more. ¡°Should we leave?¡± I asked. ¡°It¡¯s not necessary,¡± The elf replied. ¡°Whoever that is, they¡¯re still far from here. The rangers should take care of them in no time.¡± Alex cleared his throat to get our attention. ¡°So, Nora. Anna told us earlier that you learned how to use ice magic. Is there a chance you could show us? I can teach you mine in exchange if you want.¡± ¡°You know how to use magic too?¡± I asked. ¡°Psychic magic, same as the other vamps. Not as impressive, but it¡¯s something. What do you say?¡± he asked, extending his hand for a shake. ¡°Well, I guess I could use someone else¡¯s view on it,¡± I said, accepting the deal. ¡°You mean you have a teacher already?¡± I tilted my head and hummed in contemplation. ¡°I guess you could call him that. He just explained how it worked and gave me something to practise on. Can¡¯t say I¡¯ve actually done anything about it, though. My own magic has kept me a bit busy.¡± ¡°In that case, I can simply listen to what you know. Not that I doubt your teacher, of course. I¡¯ll just make sure he didn¡¯t miss anything.¡± ¡°That works,¡± I replied, looking around. Finding a thick brand within the shrubbery, I stuck it on the ground vertically and took a step backward before freezing a good section. ¡°I¡¯m not going to lie, I expected something flashier,¡± Rex said with a frown. ¡°Can¡¯t you, like, throw ice spikes or something? Not even a small piece of hail?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I just learned yesterday,¡± I answered with a shrug. Alex pushed the dwarf aside. ¡°If you want ice cubes to throw, go to the kitchen, Rex.¡± He then looked back at me. ¡°How do you do it?¡± ¡°I simply think about making something cold or freezing it. So far, I¡¯ve discovered that it affects anything between me and my target. Rather than ice, I think it should be called freezing magic.¡± ¡°All right, let me try.¡± He rolled his sleeves up, and extended his hand towards a different spot on the stick. He grunted, tried different poses, and even cursed at the ¡®bloody¡¯ target. There was nothing. ¡°Maybe you can try thinking about taking the heat away? Something more scientific like immobilising the molecules could help too,¡± I suggested. He nodded and tried again. The result, however, was the same. It didn¡¯t surprise me. If it were that easy for everyone, it would¡¯ve been discovered earlier. Although that raised an important question: Why can I? ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s all I need?¡± He asked. I shrugged. ¡°As far as I can tell.¡± He clicked his tongue in response and walked away. ¡°A pity. I¡¯ll give it another go later. For now, let¡¯s review your psychic magic knowledge like we agreed.¡± ¡°Is that fine?¡± I asked. ¡°I couldn¡¯t teach you properly.¡± ¡°I only wanted to see it. Learning how to use it would¡¯ve been better, but it¡¯s not like I can¡¯t keep trying later. With this, at least both of us will have something to work on. Or did you have something else in mind?¡± I shook my head. Despite wanting to focus on my freezing powers, I was also very interested in getting familiar with psychic magic, mostly so I could get the hang of illusion spells when they became a thing. If they ever did. ¡°Okay. Could you give me a brief summary of what you¡¯ve learned?¡± I gave him the same explanation Jack told me when I asked him. At least what I understood from it. Alex chuckled. ¡°Well, my only problem with that is that I really can¡¯t teach you anything else for now. At least not until you¡¯re done with that first spell. Talk about a bad trade. Neither of us got much out of it.¡± ¡°Yeah, I guess so,¡± I replied. Anna, who had been staring at the lake the entire time, then walked to us. ¡°Sorry to interrupt you, Nora. Can you help me with something?¡± I raised an eyebrow. ¡°Sure, I don¡¯t mind. Did they find the trespassers?¡± She shook her head. ¡°I haven¡¯t heard from them yet, which is why I need your help.¡± Just as she said that, her phone rang. ¡°Hold on.¡± She checked the screen and took the call. ¡°Did you find them?¡± She frowned. ¡°Are you sure? ¡°Alright, thanks.¡± She sighed and turned her phone off. ¡°Nothing?¡± I asked. ¡°I¡¯m sure I heard it, though.¡± She looked down and remained silent for a while before looking at me once more. ¡°Back to my previous idea, then. Do you think you can play your flute some more? Try something different this time.¡± I was concerned about the safety of that decision. She seemed to be getting obsessed with it, although, after the recent attack, it made sense for her to be on edge. It didn¡¯t hurt to try to see if we got something from it. I nodded, walked to the pier, and took my fessy out of its sleeve. This time, I played the theme from one of my favourite movies, and I kept repeating for several minutes until Anna told me to stop. After I did, she closed her eyes and listened carefully. ¡°I hear it! They¡¯re copying this one too.¡± This time, instead of using her phone, she walked towards the forest whilst removing her lab coat. I tugged at her shirt. ¡°Wait! What are you doing?¡± She dropped the white clothing in my hands. ¡°I need to go and see for myself.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you leave that to the rangers?¡± Allison asked, getting up. ¡°They had their chance. If someone can find whoever is playing that instrument, that¡¯s me,¡± she said, pointing at her ears. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t let them see me. I¡¯ll just scout for a bit, so I can point the rangers in the right direction.¡± Fortunately, her green shirt and dark mustard pants could offer some camouflage. Though, given her bright hair, the fact that she could hear someone from far away was probably the biggest source for her confidence. I didn¡¯t think it was enough, but I understood it was a risk worth taking if that meant we could keep unwanted eyes away from our hideout. I just wished Lily was with us so she could keep her company, and maybe even alert us if something actually happened to Anna. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you,¡± Alex said, stepping forward. ¡°Just for safety.¡± She paused briefly, then nodded. The moment they disappeared within the foliage, I resumed my task with the fessy, playing a new piece I thought would be catchy enough. If I could manage to keep the trespassers interested, Anna would have a bigger chance of finding them. ---<>----------<>----------<>--- I kept going until I felt dizzy, and my mouth was dry. When I said I could drink from the lake, I never actually expected to do it. We heard rustling coming from the woods, and soon enough, the two of them reemerged from within the forest. I ran to them and offered Anna her coat back, which she took and wore before saying, ¡°We couldn¡¯t find them. I followed the noise all the way to the other side, but just as we were getting closer, it stopped.¡± Feeling defeated, Anna contacted the rangers again and told them to stay on the lookout. After that, all of us walked back to the building to let Dr. Blake know about our intruders, as well as getting something to eat. Side Story, Part 2: Who am I? My eyes opened to the sight of an unfamiliar stone ceiling. Where am I? Sitting up on the soft bed, I looked around the strange room I found myself in. At first glance, it was some sort of cave someone decided to build their home in. There were no windows, and the only source of light came from a few blue glowing mushrooms scattered around the walls. They lit the place rather well for their size. There was a dark wooden door to my left and an empty bed to my right. Its owner didn''t care about making it when they got up. The randomly coloured blankets it had were a complete mismatch with the rustic appearance of the handmade mattress. Looking down at my own bed, I saw it suffered from the same odd style. One of the blankets even had a cartoon character printed on it. Taking a better look around, the entire place was decorated with conflicting tastes. The small ancient-looking kitchen in front of me was full of wooden furniture, and it even had a stone oven carved directly into the wall at the right corner. A few baskets full of vegetables and aromatic plants hung from the ceiling added a nice charm to the place. The modern-looking knives, pots, and plates, however, stood out like a sore thumb. The glass stove placed right next to the oven made things even more confusing. Its presence made it clear that this place had access to electricity, but there was no fridge or microwave. In fact, aside from that stove, there weren¡¯t any other electrical appliances I could see. Next to the kitchen stood a small square table and two wooden chairs. The bookshelf behind those contained a decent amount of books. I stood up to take a closer look at them and opened a few out of curiosity. While I could read most just fine, some of the oldest-looking ones were written by hand in a language I didn¡¯t recognize. ¡°Hm?¡± Was my hand always blue? I didn¡¯t remember. In fact, I couldn¡¯t recall anything about myself, not even my name. Inspecting the rest of my body, I found that it was the same all over. I didn¡¯t feel sick; quite the opposite. Still, my blue skin felt out of place for some reason. Trying to find an answer to my situation, I kept investigating the odd room. Hanging beside the bookshelf was a reddish longbow. I tried grabbing it, but doing so caused my arm to feel tingly. As I pulled my hand from it, a small bump grew from the wooden weapon. I decided to leave it alone before something bad happened. Under the bow, there was a single gold tipped arrow on display. It looked refined and reflected all colours of the rainbow, even under the blue light of the mushrooms. Below it, a narrow basket contained other types of arrows. Stone, wood, metal, bone, even glass tips. It was as if they were made from whatever the crafter found lying around. They also lacked the beauty of the first. Once I was done observing the little armoury, I looked around for anything else that caught my attention. There wasn¡¯t that much left. Other than those glowing mushrooms and a few tiny holes scattered around, the remaining walls had close to no decorations except for three paintings hanging above the beds and the nightstand. The one in the middle was a breathtaking scene of a small forest village that looked straight out of a fairy tale. The remaining two were portraits of blue-skinned people, like me. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. The first one showed a family of three. There was a man, a woman, and a young girl. One thing that caught my attention was that they all had long ears and white hair. The man had red eyes, while both women¡¯s were amethyst. Same as when I saw my hand, I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that it wasn¡¯t normal. Elf That was the word that came to my mind. Is that what I am? An elf? Something felt wrong about my assumption, but whatever it was, I couldn¡¯t place it. ¡°Why can¡¯t I remember?¡± I muttered. The remaining portrait was that of another girl. She looked like the women from the previous painting. Same hair and eyes. Her face was also similar to theirs, so she was probably related to them. Is that me? This portrait was right above the bed I was sleeping in, so it was a possibility at least. I needed a mirror to confirm it, but there was none. My sight focused on the knives once more. I walked to the kitchen and pulled the broadest one out of the wooden holder. Not good. Its blade was painted white and ornamented with blue and green flower patterns. Every knife was the same. I searched through the cupboards, trying to find something else I could use to see my reflection. I wasn¡¯t successful. Everything was either painted, transparent, or opaque. Concluding there were no more clues in the room, I held the large knife I pulled earlier and walked towards the door. Not knowing what awaited me on the other side, I took a deep breath before opening it. A bathroom? A large wooden box with a hole in the middle served as a replacement for the toilet. A bucket full of ash and wood shavings was placed next to it. There was also a cupboard, a closet full of cleaning tools and products, a mirror, a stone sink, and what seemed to be a shower area. Those were the only things I could find in the small room. It made no sense. How do I get out of here!? I was trapped. I ran into the main room and frantically searched every nook and cranny in hopes of finding a way out. Behind the bookshelf, under the beds, the nightstand, even behind the paintings. The cave was completely sealed. Come on! Where¡¯s the exit!? My heart was racing, and breathing became difficult. The thought of running out of air at any moment invaded my mind, and the tears I could no longer contain blurred my vision. I extended my arm and reached for the wall, hoping to lean on it while I wiped my eyes clean. My hand, however, went past it as it fell into a small hole in the wall. It was then that I felt it. A soft breeze went through my fingers and into the room. Placing my ear next to the hole, I closed my eyes and listened. I could hear the sounds of crickets singing, flowing water and leaves rustling with the wind. To my understanding, these holes were some sort of ventilation system. This meant I wasn¡¯t running out of air anytime soon, which helped me calm down a little. Now I only needed to worry about being trapped. I sat on my bed and placed the knife next to me whilst I evaluated my situation. I was locked alone in a room with no way out. Regardless of its odd appearance, it looked well equipped to live in it. There were two beds, and it was clear that the second one had an owner, as well. That said, were their intentions good or bad? The fact that I could roam free within the room and even had access to multiple weapons meant that this person didn¡¯t see me as a threat. Chances that both of us were prisoners were also quite low because of these items. Did they trust me or were they simply confident I couldn¡¯t harm them? Which one is it? There was another thing I had forgotten to do because of my panic attack earlier. Walking into the bathroom once more, I looked at my reflection in the mirror. Doing so confirmed my suspicion. I was the girl in the portrait over my bed. By that logic, the owner of the other bed was probably someone from the painting hanging above it. That bed, while wider than mine, didn¡¯t have space for two people to sleep there comfortably, so I was sure there was only one more person. Since they looked like me, that person was probably my family, too. It was strange that I couldn¡¯t remember anything about them or myself, but I could probably get some answers from them. The singing crickets I heard earlier indicated it was nighttime. That meant this person, if they did exist, would probably arrive to rest soon. The best I could do was wait for them to come. I still kept the knife with me in case I was wrong. Not being able to do anything else, I sat at the table and read a book to kill time. Chapter 17: Parents ¡°You can¡¯t simply rush into the forest like that!¡± Dr. Blake shouted angrily. ¡°What if they saw you!?¡± He had been in the middle of lunch when Anna pulled him away from his table to sit with us and brief him about our discovery at the lake. While he did show concern about having intruders so close to us, he remained calm until she mentioned her trip into the woods. ¡°They had no way of knowing! We would¡¯ve seen them way before they noticed our presence.¡± She yelled at him. By this moment, both of them were on their feet whilst the rest of us remained seated, watching in silence. ¡°Really? Then how come they knew when to hide? What if they had one of those hearing aids wildlife observers use? If they did, they probably had other stuff to help them spot you. They could¡¯ve followed you here without you knowing. Did your flawless plan take that into account?¡± ¡°Yeah? Well, I¡­ uh.¡± She sighed and looked down. ¡°Okay, you¡¯re right, I didn¡¯t consider that. Sorry. I really don¡¯t think they followed me, though.¡± ¡°You¡¯re too impulsive,¡± he grumbled. Alex cleared his throat, getting everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to spoil your father-daughter moment, but there¡¯s a potential threat out there, doing gods know what, whilst we¡¯re getting sidetracked.¡± ¡°Right. Sorry about that,¡± Dr. Blake sighed and returned to his seat. ¡°I think the timing is suspicious. Is there any chance it could be those... spirits, was it?¡± ¡°Spectres,¡± Alex corrected. ¡°And no, I don¡¯t think so. First of all, even if they were aware we survived, they had no way of knowing this was our destination. We made sure to cover our tracks, too. ¡°Now, from what Keith, our keeper, told us, I have no doubt that they would use all sorts of technology to locate their target, but the rest doesn¡¯t make any sense. While I¡¯m unsure of whether they would hide in the presence of your rangers or not, I can guarantee that they wouldn¡¯t give away their position so easily, let alone stop to play an instrument in the middle of a hunt.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s assume they aren¡¯t as clever as you say,¡± Dr. Blake added, ¡°Are there no chances Keith sold you out?¡± ¡°Not at all. Why would he let us run when he had the perfect chance to permanently silence us?¡± ¡°Could it be the monster hunters who followed you then?¡± I asked, hoping to be wrong. It still scared me to think Kelpont¡¯s incident could be repeated here. ¡°That¡¯s also unlikely. Even if they¡¯re not disciplined like the Spectres, those hunters wouldn¡¯t voluntarily announce their presence when their potential prey might be doing so already. If it was either of those groups, they would have done what Anna did and sneak their way towards the source, not initiate a long distance duet.¡± ¡°That also discards the possibility of wildlife observers then,¡± Anna commented. ¡°Since they wouldn¡¯t want to scare the animals away.¡± ¡°Unless they were taking a break and wanted to have some fun.¡± Alex shook his head. ¡°No, trust me, Rex. Those guys wouldn¡¯t risk scaring a rare species.¡± ¡°Then who could it be, Alex?¡± the dwarf asked with a darting gaze. ¡°I can only think of three possibilities. The first is a stray group of campers that ended up there by mistake and coincidentally played the same musical pieces at the same time. Highly improbable, but hey, it could happen. The second is that Anna here is going mad.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Alex smirked, only to get his arm smacked immediately. ¡°It¡¯s still an option.¡± He dusted off his sleeve, not showing any signs of pain. ¡°No matter how good your hearing might be when compared to ours, the fact that no one else heard anything, and that neither us nor your rangers found the culprit could mean it was all in your head. For all we know, your ears picked up some echo and made you jump to those conclusions. In all honesty, I strongly believe that¡¯s what happened.¡± Anna stayed silent. We all did. I didn¡¯t believe that was the case, but she did become rather obsessed with it. It couldn¡¯t be discarded just yet, and a part of me actually wished it was just that. ¡°The third possibility would involve a person or group we know nothing about. Someone who isn¡¯t hunting us nor wants to be found, but at the same time, confident enough to play an instrument and copy Nora¡¯s music after listening to it from a ridiculous distance.¡± ¡°What if they want to be found?¡± I asked. If stares could kill¡­ ¡°I mean, what if they play because they want someone to meet them, but they hide when the wrong person shows up?¡± Alex took some time to think about what I said before he answered, ¡°If we take into account that they¡¯re doing so within a restricted area in the middle of the forest, and that they are probably aware of it, then the question would be, who are they expecting to see?¡± No one had an answer. The more we thought about it, the stranger the situation became. Eventually, we decided to drop the topic and continued eating. There was nothing else we could do but wait and see if the rangers found something. If they didn¡¯t, chances were that the trespassers left, or that Alex was right. Maybe it was all in Anna¡¯s head. Just in case, Dr. Blake forbade us from going outside and told us to cover our windows for the rest of the day. ---<>----------<>----------<>--- After eating, Dr. Blake stood up and walked towards his office, taking both newcomers with him. Sylvia decided it had been too much excitement for the day and went to her room to rest. Finally, Anna went back to the lab to get some work done with Lily following behind her. I was planning to stay at the table and chat with Allison at first. That was until I remembered there was something rather important I needed to do after eating. I felt bad for leaving Allison alone, so I apologised to her before I ran, catching up to Sylvia on her way to the living quarters. After wishing Sylvia a good sleep, I went inside my own room and peeked through the corner of the window to make sure the coast was clear. Seeing nothing, I closed the curtains as Dr. Blake instructed and took out my phone to call Mom. The phone had only rung once when she picked up. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mom.¡± ¡°I said I¡¯m sorry, okay? There was so much going on that it slipped my mind.¡± I froze after her statement. My mouth kept opening and closing as I tried to process what I heard. ¡°I¡­ What?¡± What kind of message did I send her? I couldn¡¯t remember. I was in such a hurry to disconnect myself from everything that I didn¡¯t actually pay attention to what I was writing. ¡°Um, Mom. I don¡¯t know what I said yesterday, but I think you misunderstood something.¡± She remained silent for several seconds. I was about to ask if she was still there when she spoke again. Her tone was calmer than before. ¡°Remember the vampire we saw on the news a few days ago?¡± ¡°Well¡­ Turns out some people weren¡¯t satisfied with her death, and they discovered the investigation centre they had in Kelpont while searching for more. They burned down the place and everyone they found inside.¡± There was silence again. ¡°Mom?¡± ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m safe or not, Mom.¡± I couldn¡¯t lie to her. ¡°But I don¡¯t think it will be any better if I go back home. At least this place is hidden.¡± ¡°Anna told me it wasn¡¯t. Kelpont doesn¡¯t have any forests, so I think she was telling the truth.¡± I decided not to tell her about the events of this morning. It was better not to deepen her concerns even more with something not even we were sure about yet. ¡°You can still visit me. Anna told me they¡¯ll grant you access through an alternate route and give you a security pass the next time you come.¡± ¡°She told me it will be fine if you bring camping equipment as a disguise and stay at least one night. I don¡¯t know what the rest of the staff will do about it, but they seem to have it under control.¡± Mom groaned as she pondered about the solution. My brow furrowed. I wasn¡¯t that surprised to hear she already had a way to contact him. She was that kind of mother, after all. I found it weird that he didn¡¯t answer, though. He seemed to carry his phone everywhere. ¡°Did you try calling yesterday, or just the day before?¡± Yeah, I should¡¯ve seen that one coming. ¡°Again, sorry, Mom. Also, there was a long staff meeting after the attack, so he probably turned off his phone back then. I don¡¯t know why he didn¡¯t pick up after that, though. Maybe he forgot to turn it on. I¡¯ll ask next time I see him.¡± ¡°I will. Well, now that everything is solved-¡± This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. I really messed up with my message, didn¡¯t I? ¡°Right¡­ So we were out in the forest, and a hawk tried to eat Lily, so I kinda froze it by accident.¡± ¡°Not at all. Lily is safe, and I think I¡¯m resistant to my own magic, which I can now use, in case it wasn¡¯t obvious. And since I¡¯m the first one to use this kind of spell, Dr. Blake wanted me to run a few tests. They went well, but I ran out of mana. You remember what that is, right?¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°No! I didn¡¯t drink anything! Seriously, Mom, you need to play games with us more often. Anyway, let¡¯s just say it¡¯s magic fuel my body produces. The feeling I get when I run out of mana is apparently very similar to getting drunk, which is what I meant to say yesterday. Anna told me it was a way for my body to stop me from overdoing it.¡± ¡°Come on, Mom. You know I rarely drank alcohol before. Why would I start now that I look like this? I swear it¡¯s the truth.¡± She sighed. I smiled. ¡°Yeah, I promise.¡± ¡°Love you too, Mommy.¡± ¡°I will.¡± I ended the call before it got annoying. She loved having the last word whenever she used the phone, or any other communication device for that matter. After the exhausting call, all I wanted to do was to slump on my bed for the rest of the day. Unfortunately, my body had a different idea. I was still full of energy, making it impossible for me to sleep. Focused on finding something to do, I grabbed my backpack and walked out of my room. I wanted to find someone to talk to. Allison was my first choice, of course. Maybe it was because of her obsession with me, but she always made me feel welcome. Not that I felt rejected by anyone, but Dr. Blake and Anna were too busy lately. Jack wasn¡¯t even around until the monster hunter issue got solved, and wherever Anna went, Lily followed like her personal guardian fairy. Sylvia was difficult to read. She was cheerful at times and gloomy or distracted at others. She clearly had a lot to think about. Most importantly, I could tell she wasn¡¯t being completely honest with me. It was something I really hoped to improve, but she was probably sleeping already. It would need to wait. Reginn and Alexander were another option. They looked like decent people, and I somewhat knew Rex from spending so much time playing together. They were still new, though, and the child within me felt shy just thinking about staying alone with two adult strangers. The rest of the staff, on the other hand, didn¡¯t really interact with me. They still greeted me when they saw me and were polite enough, so I didn¡¯t mind. I preferred that over their condescending tone some of them kept using. Although, now that we had more active non-humans around, I could confirm they kept their distance from everyone who wasn¡¯t an employee. On that topic, I noticed, as I walked through the building, that the number of assistants and other minor staff members had decreased considerably. Most of those who stayed were people who had a room in the living quarters, so I assumed the security of this investigation centre had something to do with that. Fewer people coming and going every day meant it was easier for us to stay out of sight. Some of them may have even bailed when they learned what happened. Arriving at the modified living quarters, I softly knocked on Allison¡¯s door, but there was no answer. I placed my ear on the wooden surface to hear her faint breathing on the other side. So much for fixing her sleeping schedule. Giving up on my original idea, I shrugged and made my way to the cafeteria, sat down at the usual table, and pulled my tablet out. The first thing I did then was read the message that caused me so much trouble. What I saw was a poorly made summary of what happened. It was rushed and with plenty of typos, so I wasn¡¯t surprised Mom reacted to it the way she did. Aside from my mother¡¯s barrage of messages, Allen had also sent me a reminder of the promise I made to him, and Mary simply asked how I was doing. There was nothing else. Considering my situation, I wasn¡¯t expecting anything, anyway. After sending a proper reply to both, I logged into Mysterium¡¯s forums and other similar sites, hoping to find a clue about the identity of our unexpected visitors. Monster hunter group threads, rumours of our forest, creature sightings, anything that could give me some indication of what we were dealing with, if it was actually real, was welcome. Alas, I found nothing regarding Eredel. It was good to see we were still hidden to the world, but it didn¡¯t help solve the mystery. I did find interesting posts, though. One that immediately caught my attention listed multiple new reports of a mysterious nocturnal thief in the black forest. It only fueled the already existing stories about the cryptids that supposedly inhabited that area. I always thought people imagined things because of the darkness of those woods, but now I wondered if what Anna heard was somehow related to that. The thought of a paranormal being playing the same pieces I did was both flattering and terrifying. Vampire sightings and attacks were still popping up globally, although something told me that most of those were probably fake. It didn¡¯t make sense for them to increase from a handful to hundreds in mere days, especially when the government probably supplied them with blood to stop them from heading out. I also doubted there were that many vampires to begin with. The MAV itself was already making an appearance on the news, too. It wasn¡¯t portrayed as what we all knew it to be, but as the same lethal pandemic I saw in the pamphlets the other day. Because of its selectiveness, they gave it the unofficial name of ¡®The Culling¡¯. A bit of a lazy name, but still better than the actual one. The rest of the articles consisted of the usual conspiracy theories, fake reports of monster sightings, and even one guy suggesting a raid to Varazt Island in search of aliens. There were also a lot of fairy tales, which I read to kill time whilst I waited for dinner. As I read them, I wondered if any of those stories were real, like ¡®Jake the Giant Slayer¡¯. This story told about a young man named Jake, who joined an expedition to slay a group of giants so he could get enough money to cure his sick mother. The giants described in this story were somewhat different to what Alex said earlier since they were as big as houses, but it could¡¯ve been a simple exaggeration. It felt the same as when fishermen tell their tales about catching the ¡®biggest fish they¡¯ve ever seen¡¯. The part I found most suspicious about this story was that the protagonist, as well as all the members of his posse, took the giants down by using firearms. Guns were an uncommon element of a fantasy narrative, but they actually matched with what Alex told us about the skeletons he discovered. ¡°So this is where you were.¡± I looked up to see Anna and Lily next to me. ¡°Done with today¡¯s work?¡± I asked. ¡°Not yet. My father wants to know if you could come and go through another magic test.¡± I turned my tablet off and stood up. ¡°Sure.¡± ---<>----------<>----------<>--- The laboratory was less crowded than last time, although Dr. Blake¡¯s team was the same as before. The giant screen behind them showed thermal images, and the camera that captured them stood a couple of metres away from the table. A second one was placed right in front of it, and the monitor it was linked to displayed pure black. Other machines I couldn¡¯t recognise were present as well. ¡°Welcome, Nora,¡± Dr. Blake said with open arms. ¡°Are you ready for today¡¯s test?¡± I nodded. ¡°What do you need me to do?¡± ¡°As you can see, we brought some equipment to help us understand what happens when you use your freezing magic. Anna told me you¡¯re somewhat familiar with thermodynamics, is that right?¡± I gave him a wry smile. ¡°When you say it like that, it actually makes me nervous.¡± They all laughed at my comment. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, this may be a test, but we won¡¯t actually ask you to solve anything. That¡¯s our job, after all. All we need from you is to do your magic once, and we¡¯ll take care of the rest. Knowing what is happening is simply a good bonus, and apparently you did show some basic knowledge yesterday.¡± ¡°Well, I did go to highschool. I¡¯d be worried if I didn¡¯t learn anything.¡± This earned me another laugh from everyone. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. It¡¯s been a while since I went through that, so I forget sometimes. Anyway, let¡¯s begin. Your task this time is quite simple. All we need you to do is to freeze the beaker with distilled water you see on that table. We¡¯re going to record it, so wait until I say so.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± With my confirmation, everyone assumed their positions and gave Dr. Blake their thumbs up. He nodded at them and turned to me. ¡°Please walk towards the sample until you see yourself on the thermal screen.¡± I did as he asked and stood a couple of metres away from the glass of water before I raised my arm. ¡°Good. You may proceed.¡± I concentrated on my mental image and let the mana flow towards the tips of my fingers. The familiar mist showed up and dissipated seconds later to reveal the frozen water inside the container. Same as the day before, everyone applauded briefly. It made me feel like a golf player. ¡°Thank you, Nora.¡± Dr. Blake brushed his beard with his fingers, never moving his sight from the repeating sequences on the screen. In one of them, I could see myself as a mix of reds and yellows extending a hand towards the glass of water. The surrounding air showed a mostly green colouration. The moment I cast my magic, however, there was a greenish-blue line that emerged from my hand and shot into the water. The surrounding air went back to a darker green shortly, but the water remained blue. The second screen didn¡¯t show much. It remained pitch black except for a small line that appeared suddenly and followed the same path as the magic did in the first one. I assumed that the camera was capable of recording mana as colourful lights. ¡°Play them again in slow motion.¡± Dr. Blake requested. Gary did as he asked, and the image repeated. This time, the slowed down video let us see something we had missed. During the first seconds of my magic, we could see that the heat present in the air and water flowed towards the centre of the path created by my mana, forming a thin red line that gradually disappeared into the deep blue colour. Once again, something similar happened with the mana I projected. Dr. Blake raked his fingers along his hair as he continued observing the sequence. ¡°Very interesting. It appears that both the mana and the water absorb the heat in the same way Jack does when he feeds on the environment, but unlike with him, this energy doesn¡¯t seem to be converted into anything. It just vanishes!¡± ¡°I thought that was impossible.¡± I commented. ¡°It should be. It¡¯s a bit early to jump into conclusions, but my first impressions after this test are that your magic just broke the law of conservation of energy. We¡¯ll review the data we obtained to make sure we didn¡¯t miss anything.¡± Anna¡¯s phone rang at that moment. We waited in silence until she ended the call. ¡°We¡¯ve got new patients.¡± ¡°What is it this time?¡± Dr. Blake asked. All the excitement had faded from his face in an instant. ¡°It seems a cat went crazy and attacked its owners. The parents are unharmed, though it bit both of their kids before they captured it.¡± ¡°When are they coming?¡± asked Dr. Blake. ¡°The patrolling team should bring them here within the hour. They have the cat with them as well. And please, turn on your phone. They tried getting to you twice already.¡± ¡°Oh, silly me,¡± he muttered with a chuckle before turning it on. After checking the time, he looked at me. ¡°It¡¯s almost dinnertime. Would you mind telling the others to go to the cafeteria and stay there until it¡¯s safe, Nora?¡± ¡°Sure, let me know if you need anything else.¡± ---<>----------<>----------<>--- Ninety minutes went by. We were already done eating when Anna barged through the doors of the cafeteria and rushed to our table. She looked anxious. ¡°I need you to come with me, Nora.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I asked, confused. She pulled my hand, forcing me to stand up. ¡°We need you to prove that my father isn¡¯t crazy.¡± I stifled a laugh. ¡°He really needs to work on his speeches.¡± ¡°I agree, but it¡¯ll have to wait. Things will go bad if we don¡¯t hurry.¡± ¡°Right, sorry. What about you, though?¡± Anna kept dragging me all the way into the living quarters. ¡°They said my ears are easy to alter with surgery. That¡¯s why we need you; You¡¯re a lot harder to fake.¡± Once we were close enough, I could hear yelling coming from one of the rooms. We continued running until we reached our destination and opened the door. The scene inside was that of a woman pulling her husband¡¯s arm as he threatened to beat Dr. Blake into a pulp. Two children, a boy and a girl, laid motionless on top of the bed. From the looks of it, they were twins of about eight years old. A cat with cinnamon fur sat in a cage by a corner of the room.¡± The parents froze when they saw me, and Dr. Blake took that as his queue to regain his standing. He cleared his throat and spoke to them. ¡°Here¡¯s your proof, Mr. Malin. This is Nora, another one of our patients.¡± I could only look down as he introduced me to them. I knew it was necessary, but I hated being used this way. ¡°No, no, no, this has to be a joke, this can¡¯t be real! Please tell me it isn¡¯t real!¡± The man dropped to the floor and bawled. His hands gripped his hair tight. The woman cried as well, though she quickly recovered her composure and crouched to rub her husband¡¯s back. She looked up and asked, ¡°Is there really nothing we can do? Surgery perhaps?¡± The doctor shook his head. ¡°Even if we removed the animal parts, many things would remain out of place, and there¡¯s nothing we can do about their eyes. Keep in mind that they¡¯ll change on a genetic level, so anything we try will only make things worse.¡± She bit her lip and looked at her mess of a husband. Realising his mental state wasn¡¯t the best, she left him on the floor and stood up, taking a deep breath before asking, ¡°Can we get infected too?¡± The man¡¯s eyes locked on hers, yet he remained speechless. ¡°Given your age, it¡¯s possible.¡± Dr. Blake answered. ¡°Since your children contracted it, at least one of you will be compatible as well, and I have my reasons to believe it will be you, Mrs. Malin. Whether your husband is compatible or not is up to luck. I must warn you, society may not be ready for your new selves, and with things as they are, we won¡¯t be able to keep you a secret for long either. Is that really what you want?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do it!¡± She looked down at her husband. ¡°What do you say, dear?¡± He snapped at her. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious!¡± ¡°We can¡¯t let our kids go through this alone, Tom! If the doctor says we can do it, then at least I will.¡± He looked at her, and then at his kids. He closed his eyes and let out a heavy sigh. ¡°Sure, let¡¯s do it. For them.¡± ¡°Well, there you have it. What do we need to do, doctor? Do we just stick our arms in the cage?¡± ¡°Yes, one bite is all it takes. I apologise for not being able to offer you a less painful alternative. Voluntary infection is not something we considered so far.¡± She nodded, biting her lip once more. ¡°Then what?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll run a blood sample to determine if it worked or not. Should either of you remain awake, you¡¯ll be free to go home or stay here. Just beware not to reveal this to anyone. Not even those close to you. Any leak could bring danger to everyone here, including your kids. If you leave, you won¡¯t be admitted back until the process is complete in about two weeks. Finally, the government plans to make a formal announcement soon, but we don¡¯t expect it to happen for at least a whole month. For security reasons, those who transform won¡¯t be allowed to leave until further notice. Are you still willing to proceed?¡± They looked at each other and nodded before they walked to the cage and reached inside for their cat to bite them. And so it did. I could only feel admiration towards them. Once the deed was done, and their wounds were taken care of, Dr. Blake ushered Anna and me outside. He closed the door behind him as he walked out and led us down the stairs so we could take the samples to the laboratory and give the family some time alone. Side Story, Part 3: Meet the Owner It had been hours since I picked up the first book, and there were no signs of anyone showing up. Frustrated, I stood up and walked to one of the holes in the wall. Placing my ear next to it, I could hear birds singing. It was already daytime. My predictions were wrong. Since I was hungry, I decided to give up on waiting and prepare something for myself. It was the owner¡¯s fault for abandoning me like this. There wasn¡¯t any meat, but there were plenty of vegetables to work with. I also managed to find an old piece of bread, dry pasta, an almost empty box of crackers, two bags of dried mushrooms and a few berries. I also happened to find a couple of cookbooks to guide me, so I tried to make pasta with mushrooms. While I didn¡¯t have any butter or cheese, I did find some vegetable oil I could use to replace the former. Probably. It somehow felt like cooking wasn¡¯t a talent of mine. That feeling deepened when I tried to turn the stove on, only to discover that I had no idea how to. In my defence, it didn¡¯t have any buttons or knobs that I could find. I thought it was a glass stove when I looked at it from the bed. Now I didn¡¯t even know what it was. All I could see was a black metal surface with a tiny red gem inserted on a holographic disk at one corner. ¡°Guess I¡¯ll make a sandwich then.¡± Just as I said that, I heard rocks grinding to my right. My sight shifted to the origin of the sound, and my eyes widened as the once solid wall cracked open at the centre. A door-sized fragment began sliding outwards and then to one side. I immediately grabbed the knife I kept close to me and prepared to defend myself before the stone gate fully opened. Soon enough, the ¡®door¡¯ was out of the way, and a blue-skinned woman stepped into the cave. She carried a bow in her right hand, while her left held a basket full of plants, canned fruit, some eggs, a bag of marshmallows, and an empty green bottle. A dead rabbit hung from her shoulder, and a narrow quiver full of arrows from her waist. The strange selection of items pretty much confirmed she was the cave¡¯s owner. The lady stopped the moment she laid eyes on me, her fearful gaze focused on the knife I kept pointing at her despite my previous assumptions. We remained the same for what felt like an eternity until she finally spoke. There was only one problem... This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Kessan deh nov, N?n. Yg ten D?n ney last.¡± I can¡¯t understand her. Seemingly confused by my lack of words, she frowned and said something else. ¡°Ven D?n st?p?¡± This time, it sounded like a question. No matter, I still didn¡¯t know what she was saying. ¡°I, uh¡­ w-what?¡± The blue lady frowned momentarily at my stammering before she lowered her head and sighed. She then cleared her throat and asked, ¡°Is this better for you? Do you understand me now?¡± She had a bit of an accent, but she spoke slowly enough that I could understand her. It was good that we could finally communicate, although that didn¡¯t mean I would lower my guard. I nodded in reply to her question. Looking slightly disappointed, she lowered her head again and muttered something in that mysterious language before looking back at me. She lifted her hands and presented what she carried to me. ¡°I am going to place these down. We can talk after that.¡± Not letting go of the knife, I nodded again. She took a step forward, and I backed in response. Chuckling at my reaction, she kept going until she got to the kitchen table, where she put down the basket and then hung the rabbit upside down near a high cupboard. She did the latter whilst exposing her back to me, as if to show she trusted me not to attack her. Predicting her next trajectory, I moved towards the beds. As expected, she then walked to the corner and leaned the bow and quiver against the wall, right next to the basket with arrows. Once she was free from all the load, she sat down at the table and offered me the seat next to her. I approached nervously. ¡°It is fine,¡± she said calmly. ¡°I mean no harm to you.¡± I grabbed the chair and set it across the table from her. Even though she seemed friendly to me, even though she could be my own family, I didn¡¯t trust her enough to sit so close. I placed the knife next to me and faced her. My actions seemed to disappoint her a little. It made me feel guilty. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± she asked, taking the initiative. My stomach answered before I could. She chuckled briefly and stood from her seat to grab the bag with marshmallows. She opened it and took a handful for herself before handing the rest to me along with a cup of water she filled up from the sink. ¡°Do not worry, I will prepare something better for you later,¡± she said as she sat down. ¡°Do you feel any pain?¡± ¡°No,¡± I answered. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°It was a terrible accident. Do you not remember?¡± I shook my head in response. ¡°I don¡¯t even know who I am.¡± She raised an eyebrow and stared at me in silence. ¡°Ah~ You suffer from anm¡­ ame¡­ amnesia!¡± the lady finally said. She began muttering in that odd language again. I stayed silent as I ate the sweets. Looking at her as she rambled, I realised she looked like the girl from the family painting. Her eyes looked tired, and she was a lot older, probably enough to be my mother, but the similarities were there. Wait... ¡°Mum,¡± I muttered. My voice seemed to pull her out of her thoughts, and she looked at me with wide eyes. ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°Are you my mother?¡± Chapter 18: They Follow The night was mostly peaceful after the unexpected visit. In the end, only Megan, the twins¡¯ mother, was infected. The father, Thomas, didn¡¯t want to witness the slow and painful process his family would go through, so he returned home until they woke up. He looked scared, and I couldn¡¯t blame him. The family¡¯s pet, on the other hand, was transferred to the laboratory for further investigation on carrier animals. Dr. Blake guaranteed the cat would be safe, and that they would return it to the family should they be willing to take it back once they got enough data. Concerning the mysterious intruders Anna claimed to have heard, the rangers were unable to find any trace of their presence. Reaching the conclusion that it was a false alarm, they announced that it was safe to return to our normal activities the next day. Anna wasn¡¯t satisfied, but she couldn¡¯t ask them to keep working overtime based on a hunch. Our group decreased in number as the night progressed. I envied them a little. Unlike me, they were able to sleep with ease. I wasn¡¯t tired. It even felt as if the darkness of the night gave me new energy to continue. I entered my room, not bothering to turn the switch on. The lack of light was not a problem. I could see clearly with the small amount that peeked through the curtains. The first thing I did there was wish my family a goodnight. It wasn¡¯t a good idea to break that promise again, even if we talked earlier today. Mary had also replied to my message. Needless to say, she was eager to meet the new faces, particularly Rex, who had been our partner for a long time in Danath Online. Once I was done with my social media, I decided it was time to sleep. I thought about reading some stories before going to bed, but I chose not to do it in fear of getting hooked on them. Instead, I merely tucked myself in my bed and hoped the lack of activity did the trick. I spent hours absentmindedly staring at the covered window. It wasn¡¯t until around two or three in the morning when I finally drifted into sleep. This, in turn, led me into waking up even later than before, and I ended up rushing to the cafeteria again. Anna, Lily, and Dr. Blake were already gone by the time I reached the table. ¡°Good evening,¡± mocked Rex as I slowed down to a more sedate pace towards them. ¡°Sorry, were you waiting for me?¡± My legs were not impressed with the exercise. Demons were clearly not fit for long distance running. It felt like the only reason I was not breathing heavily was my increased lung capacity. ¡°We are done eating if that''s what you''re worried about, little one,¡± Allison replied. ¡°You should hurry and get your food, though.¡± I nodded and went to grab a tray at a more sedate pace. The food warmers were almost completely empty, so I had to make do with scraps of whatever I could find. My plate looked weird, but beggars can¡¯t be choosers. It was that or nothing at all. It wasn¡¯t like the food was bad, anyway. Allison patiently waited for me to take my seat before she spoke to me again. ¡°Is something bothering you, Nora?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked, confused. ¡°You¡¯re showing up to breakfast later each time. Have you been sleeping properly?¡± ¡°Oh, that.¡± I shook my head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I just don¡¯t feel tired until it gets really late.¡± It was true that I had a few concerns regarding our safety, but I didn¡¯t think they had anything to do with my problem. Alex gave an amused hum as he drank from an odd-looking thermos. The redness of his lips when he removed the object from his face made its contents very clear to me. Oddly enough, the scene didn¡¯t make me wince like it clearly did to the others. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t worry too much about it,¡± he finally said after licking the improvised lipstick clean. ¡°I had the same problem before our escape. Your circadian rhythm is changing, that¡¯s all. It can be fixed over time if you put some effort into it, but if you¡¯re like me, it will feel wrong to do so.¡± ¡°Huh, guess that solves the mystery,¡± I commented, hoping his explanation was the truth. Seeing him take another sip of blood, I asked, ¡°Are you fine drinking that?¡± ¡°Does that mask of yours seem out of place to you when you look at your reflection?¡± Alex asked back. It didn¡¯t. Shortly after my transformation was completed, my body didn¡¯t seem foreign like before. It didn¡¯t make my wings any less annoying when looking for a sleeping position, but everything felt completely natural. I chuckled. ¡°Yeah, dumb question.¡± ¡°There you go. I can only see blood as a tasty drink now. If anything, drinking from this thing is what feels wrong. It¡¯s as if I tried eating soup with a knife.¡± ¡°Oh, by the way, Nora.¡± I turned to look at Allison as I had a mouthful of food. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to interrupt, but Anna wanted us to tell you that the boat she mentioned arrived earlier today. She wants you to give it a try in the afternoon, so make sure that you don¡¯t tire yourself before then.¡± It¡¯s a bit late for that... ¡°Got it. Thanks, Allison.¡± After breakfast, I went back to my room to get ready for the day. Taking into account that I would probably fall into the lake a few times while learning, I put on a blue swimdress that Mom thankfully added to my luggage. Given the design, the only thing she needed to alter in it was a hole for my tail to go through. Once I had it on, I grabbed a simple white blouse and a new pair of white sandals. ---<>----------<>----------<>--- When we got to the forest, everyone split to work on their respective goals. Rex was the first to do so, pretty much locking himself in the storage shack to ¡®evaluate¡¯ the armoury. Allison decided to meditate right next to me, as usual, and Sylvia kept a more reasonable distance to read her book. Finally, Alex resumed his attempts at recreating my freezing magic without success. Every time he attempted something, he¡¯d write it down on a notepad. Maybe it¡¯s something only demons can do? It sure was easy enough for me to do it, so the fact that no one else had achieved the same pointed that way. Could it be because of the two variants of the virus? That had to do something, right? Somewhat motivated by the thought of being special, I dedicated my training session to find out the limitations of my newfound power. The magic I discovered had proven to be only capable of cooling things, but how could I make that work during an emergency? Freezing anything the size of a person wasn¡¯t something I felt capable of doing. If I was correct, the hawk had already been big enough that it caused me pain to do so. I needed an alternative. Rex and Allison¡¯s previous suggestions flashed through my mind. Could I really create a wall of ice or shoot ice spikes? It was definitely worth trying. The only problem was that I didn¡¯t know where to start. My first attempt at it was rather direct. I already knew from experience that, except for the first time, thoughts alone were of no help when using my magic. It all depended on my knowledge and ability to visualise the outcome. With that in mind, I extended my arm with my palm facing up and closed my eyes to avoid distractions. To confirm this theory, I sent mana to my arm and imagined a small ball of ice forming over my hand. Nothing felt different. My eyes opened, and I smiled humorously at the expected, yet disappointing, outcome. Creating matter was, indeed, not within my reach. If I wanted ice, I needed water. Another idea came to me then. Gathering water from the surroundings was something authors often used to explain ice and water magic in their work. The concept was fine for fiction, but I couldn¡¯t imagine there being enough moisture in the air to use in such a way. Even if there was, there had to be a negative consequence to drying the air itself. Another key element to consider for such an action was the manipulation of water itself. There was a huge difference between moving water molecules and freezing them. In fact, they were opposites, considering how heat works. I chuckled lightly and shook my head at the sudden thought of actually trying it. As the laughter stopped, I stared at my hand once more. There¡¯s no way it will work, right? ¡°It will.¡± I whipped my head around, trying to spot whoever said that. Only Sylvia and Allison were close enough. ¡°Did you say something?¡± I asked them both. They stopped what they were doing and looked at each other, then back at me, both shaking their heads. ¡°Oh, never mind then.¡± They nodded and went back to their business. I looked around once more before giving up. I could have sworn I heard someone just then. A reply to my own doubts. Perhaps I was going crazy. Maybe Alex was right, and the virus was slowly driving us mad. My mind was definitely altered, so the theory had merit. I pursed my lips at the thought. Not being able to do anything about it, I chose to ignore it unless it happened again. I closed my eyes and went back to my experiment. I visualised hundreds of tiny liquid particles quickly flowing through the air and forming a ball over my open palm. To my surprise, I felt the mana draining from my hand, just like when I froze something. I gasped, feeling goosebumps rise on my arms. I didn¡¯t have to open my eyes to know what happened. I could feel the moisture that fell into my hand the moment I lost focus. Repeating the process with full visibility was so thrilling I couldn¡¯t help yelling with excitement at the result. All eyes were suddenly on me. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Is everything alright, little one?¡± Allison asked with genuine concern. ¡°Couldn¡¯t be better!¡± I answered with a grin. ¡°I can manipulate water!¡± I immediately moved my hand to show her the fruit of my work, only for the small droplet to fall on my palm as I did. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Are you sure that¡¯s not just sweat?¡± Alex asked, walking closer to take a look. ¡°Hold on,¡± I replied, ¡°I¡¯ll show you.¡± This time, instead of pulling more moisture from the air, my efforts went into gathering what already covered my hand to form a new tiny water sphere. Despite its minuscule size, I could feel my mana depleting steadily as it floated. Alex slowly rubbed his chin in disbelief. ¡°Not one, but two new different kinds of magic. Did you also do this just by thinking about it?¡± I didn¡¯t want to look arrogant, so I merely nodded, suppressing the grin that kept forcing its way. ¡°Which means I won¡¯t be able to replicate this one either¡­¡± ¡°You won¡¯t know unless you try it,¡± Allison replied as she patted my head. ¡°True,¡± he said before focusing on me once more, ¡°but I think she¡¯s just gifted. There¡¯s no other explanation.¡± ¡°There is,¡± Rex interjected as he walked to us. ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s a racial affinity, just like how you learn psychic magic so easily when I can¡¯t even use any.¡± Alex snorted. ¡°This isn¡¯t a video game, Rex.¡± ¡°Says mister ¡®vampires are gifted with mind control¡¯.¡± The dwarf shrugged without looking away from me. ¡°Could you try to reshape and freeze it?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± I lifted my hand with the liquid near my face. I focused on regathering and elongating it into a thin needle. When it formed, I froze it. The familiar sensation of mana insufficiency made itself present after that, and it made me drop the frozen object on my open palm. Rex smiled and grabbed the object from my hand, only for it to melt almost instantly. ¡°Well, there you go. Proper ice magic, don¡¯t you think? All you have to do now is test other types of magic and find out whether you are a genius or simply have a racial affinity.¡± ¡°I think both are equally amazing, if you ask me.¡± Anna had somehow arrived and got behind me when I wasn¡¯t paying attention. ¡°I¡¯d certainly love to find out, but I¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll have to wait until tomorrow. Feeling lightheaded, are we, Nora?¡± It¡¯s scary how easily she can read me sometimes. ¡°Just a little. I stopped just in time,¡± I replied. ¡°That won¡¯t ruin my flight training, right?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I believe you¡¯ll recover in time. Your training will still take place as intended.¡± ---<>----------<>----------<>--- Everything was ready by the time we arrived at the lake. The place was unexpectedly crowded for what I thought would be a lot of diving and clumsy gliding, considering it was my very first time. I could even see some members from the cooking and cleaning staff present for the show. Surprisingly, Lily had gathered enough courage to venture outside of the building for the first time since I learned how to use freezing magic. It was a bit embarrassing to be the focus of so many people, but I understood they were simply curious. Seeing someone achieve one of humanity¡¯s greatest dreams was definitely something few would miss. I was no longer human, though. The boat meant for my training was bigger than I imagined, too. With an estimated ten metres in length, the expensive-looking vehicle could definitely carry a decent amount of people. That said, almost half of it consisted of the flat platform positioned at the back. It was painted with a beautiful crimson at the sides, while the roof and platform were a shade of turquoise to make it harder to spot from above. Our crew consisted of five people, myself included. Since he apparently had some experience, Dr. Blake would be the pilot, and Gary sat next to him to help. Anna was in charge of the towing cable and lifeguarding along with Alex, who offered to help. It was odd to see the doctor wearing a red tropical shirt instead of his usual laboratory outfit. Anna, too, had changed into something better suited for a boat trip, although her green swimdress was hard to see under the bright yellow life vest she wore on top. Two additional assistants would follow us using a pair of water scooters. Their main purpose was to film me with the action cameras they had attached to the small boats, but they were also there in case of an accident. After shedding my extra clothing, I walked towards the boat, where Anna received me with a harness and an inflatable life vest in her hands. She helped me put it on after placing my stuff next to her. ¡°I¡¯m glad it fits,¡± she commented. ¡°This is the smallest automatic vest we could get. It¡¯s rigged to activate the moment it¡¯s submerged, so you don¡¯t have to worry about doing anything. However, if by any chance it doesn¡¯t inflate, you can always pull this lever over here or use this straw to inflate it yourself. Don¡¯t worry, your lung capacity is good enough that you won¡¯t have trouble doing it as long as you don¡¯t panic.¡± Finally, she grabbed the tip of the towing cable, hooked it to my harness and handed me a small bracelet with a red button which I put on my left wrist. ¡°We¡¯ll begin by getting you used to the speed of the boat and we¡¯ll gradually increase the length of the cable. Since it¡¯s your first time, we won¡¯t release more than five metres. The motor can be a bit loud so, if at any point you feel there¡¯s something wrong or you want to stop, push the button on that bracelet, and we¡¯ll immediately pull you back, okay?¡± I gave her a thumbs up in reply. ¡°Good.¡± She untied the boat from the docks and looked behind her. ¡°We¡¯re ready to start, Dad!¡± At her signal, Dr. Blake started the vehicle, and we were off. Just like she explained previously, the first thing I did was spread my wings and feel the breeze running along them. After a few minutes, we went fast enough that I could no longer remain on my feet. It was at that moment that the training had officially begun. My first impression about flying was that it came naturally to me, just like how Lily did in the past. Sure, both Anna and Alex were holding my hands, and the boat¡¯s speed meant I didn¡¯t have to focus on beating my wings. Disregarding those factors, it felt as if my body acted on instinct to keep me stable. My transparent eyelids had automatically closed at some point, preventing the air from drying my eyes. ¡°We¡¯re going to let go now, get ready!¡± My heart sank when I heard Anna yell those words. Giving me little time to react, they nodded to each other and freed my hands, leaving me with the cable attached to my harness as my only source of security. Thankfully, my distance to the boat remained the same. If we stopped, I would probably still fall on the platform. This distance lasted for a couple of minutes before they decided I was stable enough to jump to the next stage. In mere minutes, I had nothing below me other than the white foam the vehicle left in its wake. The height had increased as well, although not enough for me to judge whether my acrophobia would affect me mid-flight or not. Once they realised my wings kept me safe regardless of how nervous I was, the cable slowly elongated until I found myself a few metres above the lake¡¯s surface. That was a height I was already familiar with, thanks to Allison, although it was my first time having my eyes open. Surprisingly, I was not afraid. I was thrilled, wanting to go higher. I tried using my hands to tell Anna to extend the cable further, only to have my request shut down with her arms crossed into an ¡®X¡¯. Giving up on that idea, I spent the rest of the time admiring the view. The crystal lake below me was much more beautiful from above, and the forest all around was not far behind. I kept observing the surrounding nature as we circled the entire lake. Something I noticed while soaring was that my sight had somehow improved and allowed me to see certain things slightly closer than they really were. The boat and everyone on board hadn¡¯t changed at all, but I could spot wildlife near the shore with relative ease. I got the feeling my google-like eyelids had something to do with it, even though Anna never mentioned them providing a magnifying ability. My thoughts about it were interrupted when I caught something in the corner of my eye. A silver flash that was gone by the time I turned to get a better look. I had seen plenty of animals by then, and many of those had similar fur, yet there was something about it that felt different and oddly familiar. By the time the aerial show ended, most of the staff had returned to their work, and I was reeled in slowly before the boat reached the docks. Anna and Alex took my hands and pulled me onto the platform at the end. ¡°So?¡± Dr. Blake asked after turning off the motor. ¡°What do you think of your first real flight training session?¡± I smiled at him. ¡°It was amazing! Everything looked so beautiful, and I felt so free! It was much easier than I thought, too! I know this was basically gliding, but I don¡¯t think it will be hard to make the transition.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you enjoyed it,¡± he replied with a chuckle. Anna handed me my blouse and shoes. ¡°Anything else worth mentioning?¡± Having observed me the entire time, she must have noticed I saw something out of place. ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± I answered honestly, putting my blouse back on. ¡°I did see something in the woods that caught my attention. I think it was just an animal, but I can¡¯t shake the feeling that it wasn¡¯t.¡± ¡°We need to call Clark!¡± She grasped both of my shoulders and lowered herself to my eye level. She shook me a little while asking, ¡°Where did you see it?¡± ¡°Stop it!¡± Anna was suddenly yanked away from me, only to be replaced by Sylvia, who stood between us with a firm grip on the elf¡¯s wrist. Her furious expression and what seemed an attempt at growling lasted mere seconds before it changed to regret. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry,¡± she muttered, letting go of Anna. ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened.¡± Anna seemed unaffected by it. She rubbed her wrist and replied, ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I guess I deserved that. Although it¡¯s interesting that you act like a demon when you are still so far from completing your transformation.¡± Sylvia bit her lip. ¡°You mean that¡¯s normal?¡± ¡°Well, more or less,¡± Dr. Blake replied as he got off the boat. ¡°The growling is a common sign of displeasure. Demons are rarely aggressive, but given how you acted right now, my hypothesis is that they might be very protective of their young. This instinct could be enhanced by your current state.¡± Sylvia winced and slowly got back to her wheelchair. She rubbed her legs shortly after sitting. The sudden movement had taken its toll, although it didn¡¯t look too bad. She seemed more concerned about her behaviour. ¡°Anyway, sorry about that, Nora,¡± Anna said after confirming Sylvia was mostly fine. ¡°No problem.¡± I then turned around and pointed to where I remembered seeing that blur. ¡°I saw it over there, by the way.¡± Anna pulled out her phone from her pocket. ¡°Thanks. I¡¯ll call Clark and tell him to send people there.¡± ¡°Just to verify,¡± Dr. Blake added. ¡°We¡¯re doing it because we can¡¯t take any risks. If they find nothing, that¡¯s it. We can¡¯t keep wasting their time on something you keep obsessing over.¡± The rangers found nothing as expected. ---<>----------<>----------<>--- Once we were done with lunch, we went back to the training grounds, where we all resumed our activities. Well, everyone except for Rex, who wanted to discuss something with Dr. Blake regarding the recreational area, and Lily, who decided it had been enough time outside. Anna joined us with her archery training instead. In my case, after nearing mana exhaustion from my experiment, I decided I needed to rest. Instead, I made sure Allison would continue her meditation in hopes that she finally reached the first milestone. When I confronted her about it, she admitted getting distracted with ease at first, but insisted that she had gotten serious by the time we met Sylvia. Anna had confirmed that giants did possess a mana core like any other victim of the MAV, and, while it was smaller in proportion to any other race, that didn¡¯t explain why it took so long for her to even feel the tingling. I kept observing Allison¡¯s meditation, when I heard a heavy sigh from Sylvia, who had been silently reading her book up to that point. I looked up at her. ¡°Is something wrong? Did the pain get worse?¡± Sylvia shook her head and pointed to an empty spot of the training grounds, far from everyone else. We moved there, and once I made sure that Allison was back to meditating, and that Anna couldn¡¯t hear us, hopefully, I sat down and waited for her to speak. ¡°It¡¯s about what happened at the lake,¡± She said after another sigh. ¡°You mean the growling?¡± I asked, cocking my head to one side. Sylvia nodded. ¡°Have you done it?¡± ¡°A few times, yeah. The first time I even bit the one who caused it.¡± She gasped and covered her mouth. I snorted at her reaction. ¡°Hey, the guy deserved it! He was trying to hurt Lily.¡± Then I looked away. ¡°I growled at my mom too, though. It wasn¡¯t pleasant.¡± ¡°I can imagine¡­ Is everything okay between you two?¡± ¡°Yeah, we made up later that day. Neither of us can stay mad at someone for too long. Anyway, don¡¯t worry about it. You heard Anna. We won¡¯t hurt someone unless it¡¯s necessary.¡± ¡°How can you tell for sure?¡± ¡°I trust her. She¡¯s normally right.¡± Sylvia hummed and observed the elf. ¡°Do you think the intruders are real then?¡± It was my turn to sigh. I thought for a moment before giving my answer. ¡°Like I said, I trust her. Anna¡¯s no liar. She may tease me and keep most things to herself, but that¡¯s just her personality. If she says she heard something, then she did, even if it was only in her head. It worries me how obsessed she¡¯s become with it, though.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Anna suddenly shouted. Oh, come on! How did she hear that!? She hadn¡¯t. She was too busy staring into the forest, aiming at something with her bow. ¡°I know you¡¯re there. Show yourself or I¡¯ll shoot!¡± Side Story, Part 4: A Bright Future It¡¯s been five nights since my life took a huge and unexpected turn. In fact, I¡¯ve decided to start writing a diary to keep a record of everything that happens from now on. For the first time in forever, I want to leave a mark in this world, no matter how small. It all began because of a storm. For more than two weeks, the forest I call home had been at the mercy of some of the heaviest rains I¡¯ve seen in decades. I was glad to have such a cosy home to protect myself from the constant downpours, but having a good shelter didn¡¯t mean I¡¯ve had it easy. I still needed to go out and gather food and resources from the forest to survive. I¡¯ve always been comfortable with the night. It¡¯s under the cover of darkness that I have an easy time gathering resources without exposing myself to humans. Truth be told, it has become a habit of mine to invade their campsites in search of those useful tools, books, and delicious snacks they bring into the forest. I also play a few pranks on them from time to time. Done properly, they will always blame the local wildlife. Humans... I don¡¯t like them, but I have to admit their presence has added some flavour to my life. It has been tough living on my own, not because I¡¯m not capable, but because I missed the company. After all, it had been centuries since I last saw another dr?ll. I truly thought I was the last member of my race. I¡¯m getting ahead of myself... Going back to that night, I had been patrolling a new area in search of anything I could use or eat. You could say that gathering is all I do whenever I go out of my hideout, but those few nights were particularly challenging. The heavy rains made the terrain difficult to traverse, which ruined many of my usual sources of food. That included the humans, who refused to show up due to the terrible conditions. Not that I could blame them. No one likes bad weather. The lack of resources forced me to step out of my comfort zone and explore areas I had intentionally avoided. I was walking through one such place when the storm made itself present once more. It didn¡¯t take long for it to reach full strength, making it difficult for me to see. It was thanks to the occasional lightning that I could continue moving. Making my way back home, I heard a loud noise and screams coming from above. As I looked up, I spotted a car tumbling down the hill. It was coming my way, so I stepped away from its path and observed it roll some more before it came to a stop. I stood frozen whilst staring at the scene in front of me. A flash of light revealed the motionless body of a woman a few metres away from the car. No point checking on her. Her skull had been crushed from the impact with a tree. I averted my eyes and took deep breaths to calm myself. I barely took a few steps away from the scene when I heard a faint groan. I looked behind me, and as the sky brightened once more, I saw a child crawling her way out of the wreckage before it all went dark again. I remember a putrid smell reaching my nose at some point, but I never identified the source. When the next bolt of light fell, I could see her reaching out to me, silently begging for help as her consciousness faded. She was badly injured. I felt tempted to leave. She was human, after all. It was her kind that ruined my life. And yet, my own conscience did not let me abandon her. If I did, I would have been the same as them. I tried casting a basic healing spell on her, but she reacted violently to it. That was a first for me. Even though I lacked proper training, my healing hadn¡¯t failed since I was a child. No, it wasn¡¯t a failure. Her wounds had visibly decreased, so I could tell it worked. The reaction was simply unexpected. I was reluctant to try again, yet I feared that if I didn¡¯t, she wasn¡¯t going to make it. I continued to heal her wounds, regardless of her incessant squirming and complaining. Once her breathing was stable, I hid my basket within the hollow of a tree and lifted the girl on my back to take her home with me. I would come back for my things the next night. I just hoped a bear didn¡¯t find them first. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. When I made it inside my den, I placed the child on my bed and noticed something odd about her. For starters, her hair had fallen off at some point, and the pale tone of her once tan skin made me worry. Hoping that she wasn¡¯t gravely sick, I decided to ignore her appearance and resumed my healing until I made sure she was safe. There was no point in trying to cure her illness if she died from her injuries. My fears suddenly turned into hope as I worked on the spell. At the same time she healed, her skin kept changing in colour, her ears elongated, and new strands of white hair grew from the top of her head. I didn¡¯t want to stop, but I had to. It made her suffer too much, and she was no longer in danger. A couple of nights went by. The rains had finally receded, and I was able to recover my belongings, as well as some of the girl¡¯s clothes. I also had time to gather and dry some wood to craft a small bed for her. Thanks to the returning humans, I even managed to steal enough materials to make a mattress. Collecting blankets for her was rather fun, as well. I almost got caught once, though. The girl kept changing during that time. It was slower, and I could tell it still made her uncomfortable, but it made me glad to see the result. I still couldn¡¯t believe my own eyes. What I thought was a young human girl turned out to be a dr?ll! Was it a disguise? My parents never told me about the existence of shape-shifting magic of this magnitude, nor was it mentioned in any of the books they left me. Still, that¡¯s the only explanation I can come up with. Someone must have discovered it and used it to disguise themselves and their family with it. The remaining question is: What broke the spell? I assumed the accident was the cause at first, but when I returned to the crash site, the bodies of both parents remained the same. Was it a safety measure to prevent humans from finding out even after death? If so, it didn¡¯t make sense for the girl to change. If there¡¯s something worse than a human finding a dead dr?ll, it would be a living one. I know that very well. If it wasn¡¯t the accident, the only possibility I can think of is that I was the trigger. Whether it was contact with an undisguised dr?ll, a reaction to my own magic, or perhaps both, it was enough to revert the change. There is one more thing I forgot to mention until now. That is her uncanny resemblance to my older sister. I only got to meet her twice since she lived with her mysterious husband and children close to the human border in Sol?s, the Elven Kingdom. Why they chose to live there was beyond me. Although, no one could¡¯ve expected what was about to happen back then. Fortunately, I have a portrait of her from when she was around the same age as this girl. Even now, it hangs on the wall over the young one¡¯s bed. It¡¯s thanks to it that I remember her appearance after all this time. This girl¡­ is it merely a coincidence? I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s the case, but I want to think that my sister, or at least one of her children, survived and secretly lived among the humans. If this child is her descendant, it would explain why she looks so much like her, even when her parents didn¡¯t. I believe humans call this Atavism? I could be wrong. The only way to find out the truth was by asking her directly. Unfortunately for me, that¡¯s when another problem made itself known. When she finally awoke the night before this one, she couldn¡¯t remember anything about herself nor her past. I¡¯ve read about amnesia before. A condition where the person forgets fragments of information or is unable to learn new things. There can be many causes, although the wounds from the accident and the loss of her parents seem to be the culprits here. Psychic magic may be able to fix it, but it¡¯s too risky to try without proper knowledge. I can only hope that she recovers with time. Despite her condition, the girl is able to identify most objects and speak the human common tongue easily. Oddly enough, when it comes to magic or speaking Geilspr?n, she has no clue at all. She even thinks of them as fantastical, just like a modern human would. Was it also because of amnesia? Or maybe her parents raised her as a human? If so, why? She was bound to find out, given the difference in our lifespans. No matter. There¡¯s nothing that can be done about it now. I can¡¯t help but think this is fate. It¡¯s unfortunate that her parents died before we could meet, but I will do my best to raise her as if she were my own in their honour. That said, I needed a name for her. I went back to the car, hoping to find one of those identification cards humans love so much; however, my search turned unsuccessful. If it existed, there¡¯s a chance I accidentally burned it along with the bodies of her parents. A pity, but they deserved a proper funeral. I did find a picture of her family, though. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll appreciate it when her memories come back. If they do. Not having a clue about the girl¡¯s identity, I decided to name her after my sister, Nyggry. A fitting name, not only because of her looks, but the meaning behind it. My very own daughter. My New Dawn. Chapter 19: The Intruders ¡°I¡¯ll give you till the count of three!¡± Anna yelled at the intruder, still aiming her bow at the forest. ¡°You better step out of those bushes and show yourself before I finish!¡± ¡°One. Two. Thr-¡± ¡°W-wait!¡± A new voice shouted from within the woods. It was male, given how deep and rough it was. ¡°We are walking out!¡± Anna¡¯s eyes widened, and she lowered her bow. I had yet to see them because of the angle. Soon enough, two figures stepped out of the shrubbery with their arms raised. A man and a woman came into view as we got closer to Anna. They looked old, although still younger than Dr. Blake. There were barely any wrinkles on their faces, and both of them had silver-blond hair. The clothes they wore under their leaf patterned cloaks looked like something straight out of a history book. The element that stood out the most about this elderly couple, however, was without a doubt the unusual trait they shared with Anna. Those long ears both of them possessed. ¡°Who are you, and what are you doing here?¡± Anna asked. ¡°We should be asking the same thing from you, child.¡± The man replied. He spoke slowly, as if trying not to make a mistake. His accent was thick, and definitely one I didn¡¯t recognise. ¡°Why would you consider living between humans?¡± He then turned to look at us. ¡°That is meant to all of you. A giant, a vampire, and¡­ whatever you two may be. Do you know not how dangerous they are?¡± Anna frowned at his words. ¡°What do you mean, dangerous? Are you guys from Kelpont? Do you know them, Alex?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never seen them before,¡± the vampire replied with a shrug. The man grumbled. ¡°We have not the time. If you want replies, you need to come with us, away from the humans.¡± Both elves didn¡¯t think twice before turning around and walking towards the forest. ¡°Listen, old man,¡± Anna shouted, raising her bow once more. ¡°I don¡¯t know what your problem might be, but I don¡¯t think you¡¯re in position to demand anything.¡± The man whipped his head back at her. ¡°How can you not know!?¡± His companion, who had been quiet the whole time, placed a hand on his shoulder and whispered to him. ¡°Illy ven siad nyg, Vik.¡± Her voice was melodic, and whatever she said seemed to calm the man down. He sighed deeply. ¡°D?n ven lint.¡± He looked back to Anna and spoke in our language once more. ¡°I apologise. My beloved is correct. You are... excessively young to know. I will explain, only not here. I beg of you. We will wait by your cabin, next to the shore of the lake.¡± At that moment both of them disappeared, not by walking deeper into the forest, no. They literally vanished into thin air. ¡°What the- Wait!¡± Anna shouted. She then lowered her weapon and looked at us. ¡°What should we do?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think we have a choice,¡± Alex replied. ¡°Or do you need me to point out all the things that made no sense from this encounter?¡± Anna sighed. ¡°No, you¡¯re right. We need answers, and I think this will be the only chance we¡¯ll get to ask them. All in favour?¡± ---<>----------<>----------<>--- The lake was the farthest point from the investigation centre that still counted as our own territory. It was likely the reason they chose this location. There was no one when we arrived. Despite that, we all took seats by the cabin, where we found a table with enough seats for the group. Allison sat on the grass behind me, and Sylvia moved her wheelchair next to me. ¡°Thank you for coming,¡± the old man said from somewhere within the trees. Both elves then materialised right next to the table. ¡°I know introductions are in order. The name of this one is Viken Deinast, and this is my beloved, Belaury.¡± Odd names. We all exchanged looks of confusion before Anna took the initiative to introduce us. ¡°Nice to meet you both. My name is Anna Blake.¡± The old man narrowed his eyes. ¡°Blake?¡± Anna nodded. ¡°Yes, and these are Alexander Barlow, Allison Zeul, Nora Hayes, and Sylvia Warren,¡± she said, pointing at each of us with an open palm. ¡°Tel Kyetun trun om sial virion nem,¡± Belaury muttered, covering her mouth to hide a short snicker. Viken didn¡¯t find it funny, and neither did we. Though it was clearly for different reasons. ¡°Pardon?¡± Anna finally asked. ¡°We deeply apologise for my beloved¡¯s rudeness.¡± Viken bowed to us, pushing his wife¡¯s head down as he did. Looking up to see our puzzled faces, he continued, ¡°I suspected this early, but... could it truly be that not one of you speaks Geilspr?n?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Anna answered, shaking her head. ¡°No one has spoken anything other than the Common Tongue in centuries. If you don¡¯t mind me asking, how old are you?¡± Viken nodded slowly. ¡°It is fine, I suppose. We understand it is important to adapt. Alas, it is a shame to forget your uh... urxures?¡± The last word was aimed at his wife, who got closer and whispered in his ear. After hearing, he nodded. ¡°Your roots, yes. To answer your question, this one is nine hundred and two years of age. Bel is eight hundred and seventy years of age.¡± ¡°I-I see,¡± Anna replied, smiling awkwardly. ¡°Anyway, what brings you here?¡± ¡°You, Miss Blake. Do you have not an idea of how much we have longed to see another of our kin? We had lost all... hope, yes. We could not believe our eyes when you appeared.¡± ¡°It was you, right?¡± Anna accused them with her finger. ¡°The ones who played the same music Nora did.¡± Viken bobbed his head, acknowledging the fact. ¡°Why would you give yourselves away like that if you fear humans so much?¡± ¡°We did no such thing, Miss Blake. We used an Alyud.¡± The man responded with a smile. After a long silence, he snorted at our blank stares and explained. ¡°A wind instrument. Only our kin can hear one from far. We used it in the past to find others. Now, it is only... recreational. We did not recognise the instrument you used, but it contains, no¡­ it has the same effect. When we heard it, we thought an elf or dr?ll was attempting to communicate with us. We played as a reply. We were vonyd, uh, delighted, when we saw you.¡± Anna frowned. ¡°Okay... Then, why did you hide if you were so excited to see me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because of your clothes, child,¡± Belaury answered, finally using the common tongue. Unlike her husband, she had no accent and spoke fluently. ¡°Bel? Vet D?n boren dur orind?¡± Viken asked, placing a hand on her shoulder with an incredulous stare. She smiled wryly at him and shrugged before she looked back at us. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be the first time humans tried to lure us by disguising themselves as elves. An elf-girl wearing such an attire didn¡¯t make sense to us, so we had to make sure you were real. In fact, we were just heading out to investigate when we saw this flying rat circling the lake.¡± What did she call me!? Viken immediately grabbed his wife¡¯s head and repeated the bow from earlier. ¡°Once more, we apologise for the rudeness of my beloved, Miss... Hayes was it?¡± ¡°Uh, yes. It¡¯s fine,¡± I said with a wave, now more confused than irritated. ¡°I think¡­¡± Belaury broke free from his grasp and straightened herself. ¡°Yes, yes, sorry. Anyway, disguising as an elf is one thing, but for a human to grow wings and fly? We knew that this little shit was the real deal, so we came looking for answers.¡± I couldn¡¯t help frowning at her insult. Viken merely craned his head backwards, as if pleading to the sky. I felt bad for him. ¡°Speaking of which.¡± Her gaze focused on me. ¡°What are you to begin with? I¡¯ve never seen anything like you in my entire life.¡± Despite her annoying insults, I remained calm and answered properly, trying to give Viken some peace of mind. ¡°I am a demon, ma¡¯am.¡± He did look relieved with my answer. Belaury raised an eyebrow. ¡°Demon, huh? That¡¯s a new one to me. What about you?¡± She asked Sylvia. ¡°You resemble a human, and yet, I can see there are some differences. Faint, but enough that I don¡¯t feel disgust towards you.¡± ¡°M-me? I, well, I¡¯m-¡± ¡°She¡¯s a demon too, ma¡¯am.¡± I replied instead. ¡°Will be, at least.¡± ¡°Could it be?¡± Viken raised an eyebrow and hummed. ¡°Demons are created from humans, yes?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Anna nodded. ¡°Although it¡¯s not by choice. In fact, we¡¯re all the same. It may be hard to believe, but I was not born an elf. We changed because of a mistake other people made. Something we call a virus.¡± This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°We know what a virus is, child,¡± Belaury scoffed. ¡°We¡¯re old, not idiots. In any case, I can¡¯t say I¡¯m surprised. Your name is proof enough of your human lineage.¡± She then chuckled. ¡°It was about time the gods corrected what those animals did when they tried to take their place.¡± Anna shook her head. ¡°No gods were involved. It was all a human mistake. They were trying to give us the ability to use magic.¡± ¡°Right, and those morons somehow ended up bringing back at least three of the six races they worked so hard to eradicate centuries ago.¡± Belaury laughed. ¡°No, child, that¡¯s no mere coincidence.¡± ¡°Eradicate?¡± Alex asked with a faint smile. It creeped me out a little. ¡°Would you mind telling us what happened?¡± Belaury¡¯s face darkened. Her knuckles turned white from how hard she clenched her fists. ¡°I shall take it from here.¡± Viken said, placing his arm around her shoulders. ¡°Centuries ago, there were seven races that... inhabited Eizt, uh, the world. Elves had the highest magical prowess, close followed by the Dr?ll. Next were the Vampires, Giants, and Dwarfs. Finally, the Gnomes and Humans had none. ¡°Regardless of our differences, most of the races lived peacefully. We respected each other. Humans were not, uh... hostile, and we did have amicable interactions with most of their kingdoms, so, while we knew of their¡­ n?d?¡± ¡°Envy,¡± Belaury corrected. ¡°Gradys,¡± he nodded at her. ¡°While we knew of their envy towards those who could use magic, we never considered them a danger. All changed a little over six hundred years ago. We know not what caused it, but the humans suddenly declared war on the magical races. There was no¡­ diplomacy. They simply attacked. ¡°Our capital was the first to fall. It did so in one night. We thought we were ready for them when their army showed up to our gates. That confidence was our mistake. They found an ally in the gnomes, who lived under the protection of those stronger than them, including us. We expected an attack from outside, and the small traitors stabbed our backs. No, not stabbed... shot us with their firearms. Such wicked creation. One they hid from us until we could not do anything about it. ¡°The travelling giants and lonely vampires were the next ones to fall. They were easy¡­ prey, yes, that is it. Majority of the survivors were forced to move with the dwarfs and dr?ll. We knew it was useless.¡± ¡°Why?¡± I asked. ¡°It was clear that those cities would fall soon enough,¡± Belaury answered, finally calm enough to continue. ¡°We had the strongest military, you see. Humans knew this, which is why they took us out of the picture before we had time to react. From there, it was only a matter of time for them to overwhelm the others with their evil technology and sheer numbers. ¡°Because of that, many of us went into hiding. Vik and I thought our best chance was staying close to our lost capital. It was a risky move considering how humans had taken it as their commanding centre, but we assumed they wouldn¡¯t expect us to hide right under their noses.¡± ¡°Seeing how you¡¯re still here, I can tell it was the wisest choice,¡± Alex commented. ¡°Thank you for your compliment,¡± Belaury gave him an honest smile. One that faded almost as soon as it came. ¡°But you¡¯re only partially right. Although rarely, they did come searching for survivors. In fact, they killed so many others who thought the same as us, we were simply lucky they never found us. ¡°The frequency of those expeditions diminished with time. They never stopped, even centuries after the war, yet they became so scarce and easy going that we had the chance to begin our own search. Though, as you can tell, it wasn¡¯t successful. Not until now.¡± Anna crossed her arms and thought for a moment. ¡°That¡¯s a lot of information to digest. It conflicts with everything we knew from the past¡± ¡°Do you doubt us, Miss Blake?¡± Viken spoke, narrowing his eyes. She shook her head. ¡°No. At least not completely. It¡¯s hard to deny anything when you¡¯re the living proof of it. I just have so many questions.¡± ¡°Ask away, then. We still have time to answer a few of them,¡± Belaury answered with a playful grin. Anna stood up and pulled her phone out. ¡°Hold on. Could you wait a bit? It¡¯ll be better if my father is around to hear this, too. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll love to meet you.¡± Belaury¡¯s smile turned into a grimace, and she grabbed Anna¡¯s shoulder, interrupting her. ¡°Is your father human?¡± Anna bit her lip. ¡°Well, yes. He¡¯s the one in charge of this place, though. He can help.¡± ¡°No,¡± Belaury replied curtly. ¡°We refuse to show ourselves to humans. I already went far enough by breaking one of the vows I made so I could talk with you. I won¡¯t break another.¡± ¡°We were human just a few weeks ago, how is that different?¡± ¡°It¡¯s in their blood, child. That¡¯s something you left behind when you became one of us. It may seem ridiculous, but I¡¯ve seen enough to know.¡± ¡°Then what about them?¡± Anna asked, pointing at Sylvia and me. She gave me an apologetic look as she did. ¡°How can you blindly trust demons aren¡¯t the same if you¡¯ve never met any?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not blind trust, child. We simply believe in giving others a chance until proven wrong. In a sense, that¡¯s why we lost. We accepted the humans and the gnomes, just like we did any other. Now we know we can be betrayed, and we will be cautious; however, it would be unfair to not give this new race a chance because of something others did. We will trust the gods and their decision to create them.¡± Anna rolled her eyes. ¡°Look, I understand why you might be reluctant, but that was centuries ago. People change. You just said it. You can¡¯t hold us responsible for the mistakes our ancestors made.¡± Belaury snorted at her words. ¡°You¡¯re na?ve, child, just like we were.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not making any sense! And can you stop with the child thing? I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re a thousand or a million years old, you¡¯re more of a child for doing this when I¡¯m trying to have a serious conversation here. Or could it be that you¡¯ve gone senile and can¡¯t tell what it means to be an adult?¡± Belaury raised an eyebrow and laughed. ¡°You may think of yourself as an adult by human standards, but you¡¯re an elf now, child. And unless your ¡®human mistake¡¯ changed the rules of our biology, you¡¯ve got quite a few decades before your menarche.¡± We went speechless. If what she said was true, it explained why only two races had been confirmed as fertile. Most of us were simply too young. If that was for elves, what did it mean for demons and giants who aged so slowly? She laughed openly. ¡°You didn¡¯t know? That¡¯s simply how the gods decided to balance our long lifespans. All right, if you have so much confidence in mankind, why are you here, hiding in the forest like us? Isn¡¯t it because you¡¯re scared of what humans might do if they see you? Don¡¯t try to deny it either.¡± She was right. Anna and Allison kept looking down whilst Alex calmly nodded. He seemed to agree with Belaury rather than being hurt about her insulting his former race. Oddly enough, I was in a similar situation. It did annoy me that she kept denigrating humans, mostly because of my friends and family, but that was all. If anything, I felt some sympathy for the old couple. They went through a lot, after all. What surprised me the most, though, was that Sylvia seemed indifferent to those comments as well. Even more than I was. She growled earlier, too. Is her mind changing along with her body instead of later? ¡°I thought so,¡± Belaury continued when she received no objections. ¡°That¡¯s to be expected from the race that betrayed their own allies when they were no longer useful to them.¡± ¡°You mean the gnomes?¡± Alex asked, lacing his fingers before placing his chin on top of them. Forget about not minding, he seemed to be enjoying the rather harsh history lesson. ¡°Yes, the little sycophants. Ingenious creatures, albeit with the common sense of a toddler. They fell for the humans¡¯ honeyed words and suspected nothing until it was too late. Being so close to the action meant we got to see it firsthand. Hundreds, maybe thousands of tiny bodies being dropped into pits and burned. Can¡¯t say I felt pity towards them. They had it coming.¡± Anna closed her eyes and sighed deeply. ¡°Okay, I understand where you¡¯re coming from now. Still, it¡¯s my father we¡¯re talking about. He wouldn¡¯t do anything that could bring harm to me.¡± She only earned another snort from Belaury. ¡°You should¡¯ve told that to my daughter¡¯s husband. Maybe then he wouldn¡¯t have murdered his family in cold blood.¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry,¡± Anna said, looking down once more. ¡°Don¡¯t be.¡± Belaury shrugged and looked away. ¡°It¡¯s been centuries. The pain is long gone.¡± ¡°Hold on, your son-in-law was human?¡± Alex asked, wide eyed. Belaury scowled and yelled, ¡°That monster was not my son!¡± The vampire could only raise his hands in surrender. ¡°My bad.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say the pain was long gone?¡± Anna remarked. This had suddenly become a game of toxicity. ¡°You¡¯ll learn sooner or later, child,¡± Belaury replied calmly. ¡°With our lifespans, not letting go of something that hurts you could mean centuries of suffering, but it is our hatred and distrust of humans that made this meeting possible in the first place. There¡¯s a clear difference.¡± Anna simply stared in silence as the older elf continued her rant. Not interested in all that bickering, Alex returned to his previous position before speaking to the husband. ¡°May I call you Viken?¡± The elder nodded. ¡°You may.¡± ¡°I have a few more questions regarding what your wife said. Monster or not, he was your grandchildren¡¯s father, right? Are half-elves a thing, then?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Viken calmly replied with another nod. ¡°If the father is human, and the mother is an elf, the children will be... mixed. A human mother will have human children, always.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Alex hummed before throwing another question. ¡°What if the mother is ¡®mixed¡¯?¡± ¡°It depends on the father. The children will be the same as him.¡± ¡°Aha¡­¡± Alex nodded slowly. ¡°In other words, genetic rules are completely thrown out of the window.¡± His comment made me smile. Seeing how Viken¡¯s eyebrow raised, he waved his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t mind that. It¡¯s nothing important.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Anna said loudly, getting our attention back. ¡°I won¡¯t tell my father if that makes you feel safe, but why must we go with you, why can¡¯t you stay with us in secret?¡± ¡°And why would we do that? Our goal was to take you to safety, and it¡¯s clear to me that you¡¯d rather stay here,¡± Belaury replied. Alex then raised a hand. ¡°Actually, I-¡± Anna cleared her throat, interrupting him. ¡°Even so, I think we could both benefit from it. You can share your knowledge with us, and you will get the chance to meet more elves. I¡¯m the only one here at the moment, but I can guarantee more of us will come with time.¡± Belaury tapped the corner of her lips as she pondered on the idea. She then let out a heavy sigh. ¡°It¡¯s true that we prefer the company, and it would be a shame if we left this realm without properly guiding a new generation. I suppose we can come to an agreement. Do you swear to the eight gods that you¡¯ll keep our secret from any human to the best of your abilities?¡± Anna gave her a wry smile. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m not religious, Mrs. Deinast. Wouldn¡¯t it be pointless?¡± The elder laughed. ¡°Just call me Bel. And don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll make sure to fix that soon enough. It¡¯s not a problem for now, though. Whether you believe in them or not doesn¡¯t affect the validity of your oath. If you dare break it, the gods will punish you, just like they will punish me for speaking your common tongue again.¡± ¡°What is the punishment for such a thing?¡± Alex asked with interest. ¡°It is the job of Oring, he whose domain is order and justice, to dictate her... sentence.¡± Viken answered. ¡°The punishment is, uh, equivalent to the importance of the oath and the harm it causes if broken.¡± Anna shrugged at the explanation. ¡°If you¡¯re fine with it, then yes, I swear to the eight gods that I will do my best to keep you hidden from any human.¡± She smiled and added, ¡°Unless you choose otherwise.¡± Belaury burst in laughter. ¡°Wise of you to add an escape clause. I¡¯ll allow it this time. You have to be careful, though. The other party can shut down any terms that weren¡¯t agreed upon before the oath.¡± She then turned to look at the rest of us. ¡°Do you all agree to fulfil this oath as well?¡± The four of us nodded. She closed her eyes and faced the sky with open arms. ¡°May the gods reward you for keeping your promise or punish you for breaking it.¡± After the odd, yet short, ritual was over, she said, ¡°Now that we have your word, we¡¯ll return home.¡± ¡°So soon?¡± Alex asked, clearly disappointed. ¡°I¡¯m afraid so,¡± Belaury answered, covering herself with the hood of her cloak. ¡°It¡¯s getting late, and we weren¡¯t expecting to show ourselves yet. We also need some time to think about what we¡¯ve learned from you. We¡¯ll be back tomorrow.¡± Anna sighed in response. ¡°We understand. We¡¯ll see you tomorrow then.¡± The couple then stood up and bowed to us before they walked towards the forest. Just before they disappeared, Viken looked back. ¡°Expect us to be here at noon.¡± After waving them goodbye, we returned to the training grounds and stayed there another hour before it got dark. Chapter 20: A Gift ¡°That will be all, Nora. Just drop the ice in this beaker and you¡¯re free to go.¡± I nodded with a yawn. I did as Dr. Blake asked before following Anna out of the laboratory. He had been eager to see my water magic ever since we came back from our ¡®training¡¯. So much that he wouldn¡¯t let me go out without a proper demonstration. Since I wanted to be in the forest when the elves arrived, that meant my only choice was to wake up early and hope it didn¡¯t take too long. Early for the new me, at least. While none of the experiments were too time consuming, it was already noon when I was done with my breakfast, and that meant the Deinast couple would already be waiting for us at the lake. Everyone else was relaxing at the terrace by the time we came out. ---<>----------<>----------<>--- ¡°Can you give us a hint at least?¡± Rex asked us as we walked to our destination. ¡°Nope. We¡¯re almost there, so be patient,¡± Anna replied and smirked at his grumbling. Lily and Rex weren¡¯t human, so they had the right to know about the elven couple. The reason we hadn¡¯t told them already was because we needed to make sure no one eavesdropped on us. With that in mind, the best choice was to keep everything as a surprise for them. Lily was still somewhat hesitant to stay out for long, but the idea of a special surprise was enough to get her interest. I couldn¡¯t wait to see their faces when they saw what it was. Same as the day before, there was no one in sight when we finally reached our destination. That didn¡¯t mean the place was empty, though. ¡°So?¡± Rex finally asked, looking around as we took a seat. ¡°Where¡¯s the big surprise?¡± ¡°I believe that is us?¡± Viken¡¯s voice came from within the forest. Soon enough, both elders showed themselves and removed their leaf cloaks. Belaury¡¯s grimace was not something I could miss. I hoped it wasn¡¯t because of the new faces. Rex went stiff at the sight of our visitors. ¡°Welcome back.¡± Anna stood up to receive and lead them to the table. ¡°We brought some friends with us. They¡¯re not human, so no promise broken. They¡¯re Reginn Williams and Lily Rossendale. Rex, Lily, these are Viken and Belaury Deinast. They are elves from the Old Era.¡± ¡°So dwarfs are back also,¡± Viken commented as he shook Rex¡¯s hand, which the dwarf managed to offer despite the shock. ¡°Does that mean dr?ll and gnomes are?¡± Seeing Rex¡¯s blank expression, Alex pulled him to the side and explained things to him. ¡°Only the draell, as far as I know,¡± Anna replied. ¡°May the gods keep it that way,¡± Belaury scoffed. ¡°Gnomes. Those little bastards-¡± Viken smiled wryly and placed a hand on her shoulder, effectively silencing her. Both of them took a seat in front of us before Viken spoke again. ¡°Please, mind her not. She is angry because of the punishment. Moving that to the side, I am surprised to see such a small person.¡± ¡°A fairy,¡± Anna clarified. ¡°Would it be rude to ask what the punishment was?¡± ¡°Very,¡± The elder replied curtly before bending over to take a closer look at Lily. ¡°Well, I guess she does resemble the real thing.¡± Her comment made me frown. ¡°Fairies were real? I thought there were only seven races.¡± ¡°It is correct, Miss Hayes,¡± Viken answered. ¡°Fairies did exist. Although they were considered not a race in the past. They were only insects without thinking.¡± ¡°The largest firefly species of that time, although barely half this girl¡¯s size,¡± added Belaury. ¡°The position they adopted when flying resembled a person. I¡¯m guessing that the image stayed after they were gone.¡± ¡°What happened to them?¡± Allison asked. Viken shrugged. ¡°We know not. They became... scarce at one point and disappeared after. Humans led many species to sultalden, uh, extinction. Even if they only thought they were magical. That was possibly the fate of fairies, too.¡± There it was again. It was as if, no matter which topic, humans and their wrongdoings kept coming up. No wonder they seemed like monsters from their point of view. We couldn¡¯t really say anything about it either. To begin with, history was always vague when it came to the Old Era, and even in the present, people had proven to be quite destructive. Be it converting Varazt, once a lushful island, into the world¡¯s second largest desert, or the numerous religious conflicts that worsened as fewer people believed in the Erelian Faith. Still, it felt too repetitive. In an attempt to change the subject, I asked. ¡°Excuse me. Could you tell us what you know about magic?¡± All eyes were on me now. Alex stopped what he was doing and dragged the dwarf back to the table. Belaury grabbed at her chin and stared at me briefly. ¡°Are you interested in learning?¡± I nodded. ¡°I saw what you did yesterday. I¡¯d like to learn that, if it¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°I did consider taking on an apprentice. But don¡¯t get your hopes up, child, I value quality over quantity, which means I will only select one of you to be my student.¡± Her eyes went from person to person. ¡°Let¡¯s start with the basics. How much do you all know about it? Can anyone here use it at all?¡± ¡°May I?¡± Anna asked. The elder nodded and moved her hand as a sign for her to continue. ¡°Well, what we know is that magic is the result from manipulating mana, and that we all produce this substance within our bodies in an organ we call a mana core.¡± She looked at Belaury, as if to check how accurate her response was. ¡°Keep going,¡± the elf lady said. ¡°It¡¯s a good start.¡± ¡°Right. We have currently discovered five types of magic, which are: Healing, Psychic, Enchanting, Freezing, and Water magics. The first one stimulates cells for faster healing. The second affects the mind, although it¡¯s easily dispelled. Enchanting lets us place spells in gemstones, and freezing magic cools down anything. Water magic was just recently discovered by Nora, so we can¡¯t tell much about it yet other than the user being able to move it.¡± Belaury¡¯s eyes fixed on me once more. ¡°We also know that there¡¯s a limit to how much mana we can use each time, and that we get nauseous if we go past a certain limit. We aren¡¯t sure of how far we can go after that since we are afraid of it being lethal. That¡¯s pretty much all.¡± The couple looked at each other before Viken smiled at his wife and motioned for her to speak. She then cleared her throat. ¡°Your concept of mana and its implications is good. I would simply add that you won¡¯t die if you deplete your core, although it¡¯s not healthy to do it often either. It can also cause pain when going overboard. How long has it been since you started learning? ¡°Almost two months for me,¡± Anna answered. ¡°A bit less for the others.¡± Belaury hummed. ¡°Not bad, considering you didn¡¯t have any guidance. Fortunately, you have us now, and we¡¯ll make sure that you learn all you need, starting by correcting some of the mistakes you just made. Let¡¯s start with some theory, shall we?¡± We all nodded silently. ¡°The first thing you need to know is that there are eight different realms or classifications for magic, and they¡¯re much broader than what you listed. Let¡¯s start with Essential Magic, also known as the primordial class. It involves the raw use of mana, and it¡¯s believed to be the precursor to all other realms. Because of its wild nature, any spell without a proper classification falls into this category. ¡°Next is Psychic Magic. Your knowledge about this class is halved. You are aware of its most common branch, the Mind; however, there is another subclass known as the branch of Might. This allows the user to interact with the world directly by using their thoughts. Think of it as an invisible set of hands. ¡°While psychic magic is the domain of the mind, Life Magic is the domain of the body. It has three different branches: Enhancement, Fortification and Alteration. The former is what you call ¡®healing magic¡¯. It¡¯s mostly used to heal wounds by accelerating regeneration, but you have to be careful as this magic is impartial to any cell. Trying to heal a sick person may result in worsening the condition of the patient. Fortification focuses on structural tissue and grants a boost in physical performance. It was frequently used for hard manual labour. Finally, Alteration allows the user to modify parts of the body. It¡¯s very dangerous and demanding, although some elven nobles used it aesthetically.¡± ¡°So magical plastic surgery.¡± Alex commented. Belaury frowned in response. ¡°Excuse me?¡± He dismissed it with his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t mind me.¡± She huffed and continued. ¡°Next is Soul Magic. As the name implies, spells of this nature target the soul of an individual. The branches belonging to this class were very controversial in the past, and because of it, this was known by some as Dark Magic. ¡°Its first branch is called Blood magic. This, itself, is divided into two additional tiers. The lowest is Binding, which, as the name implies, binds a soul to an object. The highest, Contract, binds two souls instead. This subclass was commonly used to handle criminals by turning them into slaves until such practice was banned. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°The other branch is called Necromancy, and it consists of inserting an artificial soul into a corpse. Doing this will reanimate the body, but the already decaying entity is unable to handle an unstable fake soul. Any being created with this magic is destined to disintegrate over time.¡± ¡°Was it taboo to use it?¡± Alex asked with interest. Belaury shook her head. ¡°Each magic class is the domain of a god, and because of that, we¡¯re free to use them. Using blood magic on a person, however, was highly frowned upon after the ban I mentioned. Instead, most used it to tame familiars or as self-defence. Does that make sense?¡± ¡°It does,¡± the vampire responded. ¡°Thank you.¡± She continued. ¡°Now, Purification and Dimensional Magics are two very simple, yet complex, classes. The former has one use only, which is to remove the effects of other magics. The catch, though, is that you need to understand what you¡¯re trying to dispel. The latter is the domain of time and space, and that¡¯s all we know about it.¡± Anna raised an eyebrow. ¡°Why is that one even considered then? Was it so the classes matched the number of gods?¡± Both elves stood and scowled at her. ¡°Watch your mouth, child!¡± Viken shouted. After a short silence, he cleared his throat and sat back down. ¡°I apologise.¡± He then took a deep breath. ¡°We may be ignorant regarding dimensional magic, but that makes it not... irrelevant. To deny it would be an offence to the god in charge of it.¡± Anna sighed. ¡°No, I should be the one to apologise, I shouldn¡¯t have insulted your beliefs. Still, why is it such a mystery?¡± Seemingly satisfied with the apology, Belaury sat down and replied, ¡°Unfortunately, it was so rare and difficult that there have only been two users recorded in all of history. That¡¯s why we know it exists, but the realm remains a mystery. May I continue with my explanation now?¡± Anna nodded silently. ¡°Good. Crafting Magic involves creation. Because of its low cost, it was very popular among dwarves and giants.¡± She paused to look at Rex and Allison. Sure enough, the dwarf seemed focused on what she was saying. Allison, not that much. ¡°Its principle is the infusion of magic in matter. It has four different branches: Refining involves giving or altering magical properties to an object, like mana conductivity. Enchanting, as you said, consists of engraving a spell into any translucent gemstone and even some resins. The jewel will then present a distinctive pattern, called rune, in its core. Different spells create different runes, which makes them easy to identify. Alchemy uses magic to trigger special properties of a mixture. And finally, Transmutation is capable of turning one substance into another, although it has some limitations.¡± Rex¡¯s eyes twinkled as he asked. ¡°Can you teach me crafting?¡± ¡°No.¡± Her answer made him deflate on his chair. ¡°My husband can probably give you some pointers, though. He knows some alchemy, but you¡¯ll have to learn any other branch on your own,¡± she clarified. ¡°What else can you two teach us?¡± I asked. ¡°Vik was a healer, back in the day. He can teach you anything you want regarding life magic, won¡¯t you, dear?¡± The man took his time studying our faces and crossed his arms. ¡°I am strict. If you are fine with it, I mind not.¡± ¡°There you have it. I, on the other hand, am an elementalist. Elemental Magic only has two subclasses, but they¡¯re the most diverse of all. First is Matter. It includes every physical element, like earth, air, and water. Then, we have Energy, which includes intangible elements like heat or light. Simple, right? However, elemental magic has tiers of difficulty which are based on combinations of different basic elements. For example, the mix of air and heat can create fire, a hybrid element of the second tier. ¡°Elemental magic is one of the hardest to learn, and it¡¯s even harder to master. It takes years just to gain full control of a single element. Though, there is an exception to this rule¡­¡± Once more, she looked into my eyes as she continued. ¡°That takes me to one question I¡¯ve been holding for a while. Can this child really use water magic?¡± ¡°Yup,¡± Anna answered before I got the chance. ¡°She just learned it yesterday. In fact, she¡¯s able to gather moisture from her surroundings and even freeze it to create ice.¡± Belaury¡¯s mouth gaped at Anna¡¯s words. ¡°We need to pause this lesson,¡± The old woman suddenly declared as she stood up and walked around the table. She grabbed my arm and pulled at me, trying to get me to stand. I resisted, even though I knew that, should she actually try, there was nothing I could do because of my size. Oddly enough, she didn¡¯t force me up. She merely insisted on pulling. Sylvia didn¡¯t seem to notice this and growled at Belaury. Once again, it wasn¡¯t a real growl, but it was enough to startle the elf. She let go of my arm because of it. Allison placed a hand on Sylvia¡¯s shoulder to prevent her from getting up. ¡°Get a hold of yourself,¡± she whispered, effectively calming her down. ¡°Get up, demon!¡± Belaury scolded despite the scare. This time, from a safe distance. The word made me wince. I had called myself a demon many times, yet it felt odd when someone else did, especially in this manner. I turned to her husband, somehow expecting him to do something about his rude wife. What I got instead was a pleading look from him. He joined his hands and bowed silently as if to say, ¡®please listen to her¡¯. I sighed and complied. She pulled at me once more, hurriedly leading me to the shore of the lake. The rest followed closely behind us. She¡¯s not going to throw me, is she? She didn¡¯t. We stopped right next to the water, and she got down to her knees to be at my eye level. ¡°Go ahead, show me your magic.¡± I nodded and squatted while facing the lake. My arms extended above the surface and the mana flowed into them. I pictured a thin stream of water rising from the lake and concentrated on making it real. It took me some time to get the right feeling, but the result was there. The water slowly rose, and I started accumulating it over my palms. Belaury¡¯s gaze was fixed on it. After gathering enough liquid to form a sphere the size of an egg, I froze it, and it immediately fell on my hands. It was taxing, but I could repeat it a few more times if needed. ¡°You¡¯re holding it. Doesn¡¯t it burn?¡± Belaury asked as the ball lifted from my hand and floated over to hers. I shook my head, somewhat speechless by the lack of effort she showed when doing it. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it,¡± she muttered. She grasped both of my shoulders, dropping the ball in the process. Her eyes bored straight into mine, and a wide genuine smile adorned her face as she shouted, ¡°You were blessed!¡± ¡°Bl-blessed?¡± I asked, looking away. She snorted. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll need to explain that now.¡± She stood up to face everyone once more. ¡°All right, the break''s over! Back to the lesson!¡± Belaury stood up and grabbed my hand, guiding me back to the table. After we took our seats, she explained, ¡°As I said earlier, each magic class is the domain of one of the eight gods. First is Axurna, the goddess of nature. She is in charge of life magic. K?rite, the goddess of love and fertility, is responsible for purification. Vikast, the god of wisdom, governs over essential magic. Bys?ng, the god of change, grants us control of the elements. Mielen, the goddess of trade, is the master of the Mind. Almikem is the god of arts and crafting. His domain is quite clear, I believe. Oring, whom we mentioned yesterday, protects time and space. Last, but not least, Liiv, the goddess of fate, manages soul magic.¡± ¡°Hold on!¡± Alex interrupted, visibly ruining Belaury¡¯s sudden good mood. ¡°Their names are quite similar to the months in our calendar.¡± ¡°You are right!¡± shouted Rex. ¡°Excluding the seasonal months, they are even in the same order she listed them!¡± Viken crossed his arms and nodded at this. ¡°I suppose it was complicated for them to change those. It is not a... coincidence. Those were named after the gods. I once read that the human calendar of old was not the most, uh, accurate. They adopted ours for convenience when our kingdoms were still young. The days of the week may be unchanged also.¡± ¡°We can check all that later,¡± Belaury interrupted. ¡°Would you please let me finish?¡± She looked at each of us, and once she confirmed no one had anything to say, she continued. ¡°As I was saying, magic is directly related to the gods. A blessing is a gift bestowed to any person who earns the favour of a divine being. For a magical race, this gift comes in two different presentations. The first one is a God¡¯s Blessing. As the name suggests, this blessing is given to a person who catches the interest of any god, and it grants them an extraordinary talent for the magic of that deity¡¯s domain. In fact, it¡¯s believed the dimensional mages from the past were both blessed by Oring himself, hence their ability to use such complex magic. ¡°The second one is called a Spirit¡¯s Blessing. Spirits are ascended souls that inhabit the realms of the gods, and each spirit follows only one deity. Unlike their superiors, they are not as powerful and are normally limited to one branch of their magic domain. Because of this, their blessings are not as powerful, but they often come with perks to compensate.¡± ¡°Does that mean Anna and I have a life magic blessing?¡± Lily inquired. ¡°Blessings are rare, Miss Fairy,¡± Viken replied. ¡°To have so many gifted individuals in such a small group is... not probable. I am not sure if that is the case for your race, but elves have a natural affinity with this magic class, and it can be mistaken for a blessing. We will see with time.¡± Lily hummed. ¡°Then how do you know Nora has a blessing and not an affinity?¡± ¡°Simple. There is no such thing as an elemental affinity,¡± Belaury countered. The fairy¡¯s head tilted. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Mind, soul and body.¡± One by one, Belaury raised three fingers. ¡°Those are the three components of all life on the planet. As such, the only possible affinities we can get are those related directly to us as living beings. Contrary to blessings, an affinity is something all members of a race get. It isn¡¯t as impressive as a blessing of the same nature, but it does facilitate the learning of such magic as well as the efficiency of its use. For example, an elf will rarely run out of mana from healing simple wounds. ¡°Similar to us, giants possess an affinity for life magic. Vampires are better suited to psychic magic, and dr?ll are the best at using soul magic. Dwarfs, on the other hand, have no affinity whatsoever. We don¡¯t have any knowledge regarding fairies or demons since they didn¡¯t exist in the past, but it won¡¯t be long before we do, I suppose.¡± Her eyes focused on me once more, and she smiled gently at me. ¡°All that is left is identifying which kind of blessing you have.¡± ¡°How can you tell?¡± I asked, somewhat weirded out by her change of behaviour towards me. Considering her previous attitude, this new treatment felt creepy. ¡°I already have a good idea based on what I saw. We just need to confirm it. Like I said before, a god¡¯s blessing grants you a great talent for any magic within their domain. In short, if you were blessed by Bys?ng himself, you won¡¯t be limited in your use of elemental magics. Tell me, Nora. Can you heat things up in the same way you freeze them?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve tried, but nothing happens.¡± She snapped her fingers. ¡°And that¡¯s how we know it¡¯s an ice elemental¡¯s blessing. Do you know what makes something warm or cold?¡± This again!? I suppressed my laughter and answered her question. ¡°An object¡¯s temperature depends on the energy it contains. The more energy, the hotter it is. Cold is the absence of that energy.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that response from a child, but it¡¯s correct. In other words, there¡¯s no such thing as cold magic. It¡¯s simply another form of heat magic. The fact that you understand this, and that you are able to freeze something when you can¡¯t heat it up, means you have an ice blessing. You should feel proud. Ice elementals are ranked above common spirits. As you may have noticed, it also gives you an abnormal resistance to cold.¡± ¡°Does that mean I can¡¯t learn life magic like Anna?¡± Belaury¡¯s ears dropped, and her smile quivered. ¡°Are you saying you¡¯re not interested in elemental magic?¡± I was taken aback by her reaction. I shook my head and cleared the misunderstanding. ¡°I am interested, but you said the blessing won''t let me heat things up.¡± ¡°Ah, I see. I guess I wasn¡¯t clear.¡± She placed a hand on her chest and let out a heavy sigh. ¡°Then how about this? Imagine you enter a candy shop. Inside, you see many treats that cost ten coppers each. As you are trying to choose the one you want, a friend of yours enters the store and says the apple treat is their favourite. They suggest you buy it because they think you¡¯ll love it as well. In fact, they¡¯re willing to give you six coppers if you do, just so you give it a try. You can still buy anything you want, but the apple treat will cost you less because of the offer. Think of the spirit as your friend, and the blessing would be the money they offer. Is that clear enough?¡± ¡°Oh.¡± It was a bit embarrassing that she chose such a childish topic, but it really was easy to understand that way. ¡°Yeah, that makes sense. Blessings are great then!¡± Belaury¡¯s confident smile came back. ¡°In that case, I only have one more question for you, Nora. Would you grant me the honour of becoming your teacher?¡± Chapter 21: The Apprentice Contrary to what I expected from her, Belaury¡¯s attitude towards me was nothing but friendly since the moment she concluded I was blessed. For example, she had no issues accommodating to my newfound semi-nocturnal tendencies. Instead, she considered it rather convenient. ¡°Fewer humans around,¡± she said. Because of that, my lessons were appointed to start late in the afternoon, with some of them probably ending well into the night. Anna was concerned about this arrangement at first. It was mostly regarding the suspicion this sudden change would generate back at the centre. Explaining my new sleeping habits to them wasn¡¯t the problem, of course. The troubling part was giving an actual reason for me to be outside after dark when I still had plenty of time to practise during the day. Alex ended up being the simplest solution to our problems. With him wanting to go back to his now preferred nocturnal lifestyle and his interest in my magic, we had a good cover. Except for some weekends, because of my family, I could use my time under the sun to focus on my flight training, whilst the sunset meant it was time for our magic sessions. In a sense it would be true. There was one small problem, however. Belaury rejected the idea of having two people around for her class. My teacher reminded us that she would only take one student, and that the fact I had a blessing pretty much eliminated that possibility for everyone else. According to her, not only was it a great honour to do so in the past, but my potential to learn from her was greater. Still, she understood we needed Alex for the plan to work, so she let him spectate her lessons as long as he remained quiet. This also applied to Sylvia, whom I also managed to get into our group. She didn¡¯t have any interest in using magic, nor was she ready to learn. All she wanted was to keep me company, so Belaury had no reason to refuse her like she did with Allison, who was still struggling with the basics. The giantess was assigned to Viken instead, who would teach her and Rex in the mornings. Unfortunately for Anna, this schedule left little to no time for her to improve her own magic, so she had to wait until we no longer needed the boat for my own training. Lily, on the other hand, still feared going outside. She was clearly getting better, but it wasn¡¯t something she wanted to do daily, yet. Additionally, summer break was just a few days away from ending, and Dr. Blake did promise to tutor her himself. Considering how busy he was, I wondered how he would do it, though. Belaury¡¯s first lesson began right after we finished planning our new routine. Since it was still early and we barely knew each other, she took the opportunity to pull me away from the group with the intention of getting acquainted with her new apprentice in private. The rest remained with Viken, most likely talking some more about the past. Once we were far enough from them, my teacher made me gather a tiny ball of water from the lake and hold it until I felt my body¡¯s warning. She sat on the floor next to me and watched silently whilst I did it. It didn¡¯t take more than five minutes for me to reach my limit. ¡°I¡¯m starting to feel a bit dizzy,¡± I told her, dropping the water back into the lake. ¡°What¡¯s the purpose of this? Wouldn¡¯t it be better to save my energy?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a procedure we must follow,¡± she replied. ¡°Knowing your current mana pool is crucial for me to properly instruct you.¡± ¡°Was it good?¡± ¡°No, it was awful, even if we take your previous demonstration into account.¡± Seeing my disappointment, she smiled wryly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. I¡¯m used to elven standards, after all. It¡¯s only logical that not every race will be the same.¡± She paused for a moment, then asked, ¡°Did you use magic at any point before our meeting today?¡± ¡°Oh, now that you mention it, yes I did.¡± Belaury clicked her tongue. ¡°I messed up. I should¡¯ve asked first. We could¡¯ve had a practical lesson instead.¡± She took a deep breath and shrugged. ¡°Well, the good news is that there¡¯s more potential in you. Plus, it¡¯s not a complete loss. You¡¯ll need to do this quite a few times if we want to maximise your capacity.¡± I frowned at her last statement. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say it wasn¡¯t healthy to deplete my reserves all the time?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not going to, though?¡± Seeing my confusion, the elf shook her head. ¡°I think you¡¯re misunderstanding something. I won¡¯t make you literally spend your entire mana pool every single time. That¡¯s painful, and it will mess up your core in the long run. No, we¡¯re simply pushing you to the first warning. That dizziness you just felt.¡± ¡°Does that mean you don¡¯t mind if I come already in that state sometimes?¡± She narrowed her eyes. "Why would you use magic before your training?" ¡°Anna¡¯s dad often asks me to do it so they can learn more. Not that they¡¯ll force me or anything. I just think it would be weird if I suddenly start refusing to help.¡± ¡°Damned humans¡­¡± Belaury grumbled. She then turned to Viken¡¯s group and shouted, ¡°Does your father know that one¡¯s mana capacity increases with training?¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t,¡± Anna answered, just as loud. ¡°I also didn¡¯t know until now.¡± ¡°Good! Let¡¯s keep it that way!¡± She slumped her shoulders and looked back at me. ¡°Very well. As much as I¡¯d prefer that you didn¡¯t show them anything and kept your mana for our sessions, I have to agree with you; it¡¯s better to keep appearances. I¡¯ll allow it on one condition.¡± I gestured for her to continue. ¡°I want you to come fresh tomorrow, no matter what. If he asks you to do anything, think of an excuse that will convince him. We need to measure your full potential to know what I¡¯m dealing with. Once we have that, we can simply keep your progress hidden from him. That way, you will reach a point where his requests won¡¯t affect you at all.¡± I smiled and nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll do it! Thank you, Tea-uh... how do you say teacher in your language?¡± ¡°I don- Why do you want to know?¡± Belaury replied, looking away. Confused by her reaction, I explained myself. ¡°I just thought you¡¯d prefer it if I called you that. Yesterday, you made it clear you don¡¯t like the common tongue.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, I did... Still, you don¡¯t need to worry about it.¡± She dismissed it with her hand. ¡°As you can see, I¡¯m quite fluent in your language, so there¡¯s no need for that. You can just call me Bel. If you¡¯re not comfortable with that, Teacher is enough. Maybe once you learn enough Geilspraen to hold a conversation...¡± I looked down briefly. And here I thought she would be delighted. ¡°Okay. I understand. Can you tell me how to say it, though?¡± ¡°Why? I just told you it¡¯s not necessary.¡± Why is she so against it? ¡°I need to start somewhere, right?¡± Belaury sighed and looked away. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know, okay?¡± she whispered. My eyes widened. ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± ¡°I forgot!¡± she shouted, earning everyone¡¯s attention back to her. ¡°I can¡¯t speak Geilspr?n anymore!¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Anna asked, walking closer. Belaury bit her lip, and a tear ran down her cheek despite her attempts to prevent it. ¡°It is the punishment from Oring,¡± Viken commented as he followed Anna. ¡°Bel made a vow to speak not the common tongue again. She broke the vow. Now, it is the only one she knows.¡± Anna¡¯s eyes widened at the revelation. ¡°The punishment is real!?¡± Belaury glared at her. ¡°Of course it¡¯s real, you twit! Why would we lie about it?¡± Noticing Anna¡¯s expression towards the insult, I tried to defuse the situation by pulling at my teacher¡¯s sleeve, getting her attention back. ¡°Can you learn it again?¡± ¡°Yes, I can,¡± she replied before taking a deep breath. ¡°Though I don¡¯t know how long it will take me. I¡¯m not the fast learner I was centuries ago. ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s enough about my curse,¡± She continued, cleaning her face. ¡°We should focus on your own learning. Vik, darling, could you take that ignorant brat back with you so I can teach my apprentice in peace?¡± Anna frowned and huffed at her before turning around and walking back to the group. Viken bowed to her in response. Once both of them were far enough, Belaury focused on me again. ¡°Sorry about that.¡± I nodded. While I didn¡¯t agree with her behaviour, I understood that the punishment was probably difficult for her. I also appreciated no longer being the target of such insults. ¡°Now then, since any practical stuff is now out of the question, I¡¯d like to know more about yourself. First of all, what is a demon?¡± Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. ¡°Is¡­ is that really necessary?¡± ¡°Rather than necessary, it¡¯s convenient,¡± she replied, calmly. ¡°Elemental magic may be the same for all races, but that doesn¡¯t mean you will use it the same way I do. Knowing about your race might give me an idea on what to expect from you.¡± She paused and raised an eyebrow. ¡°Could it be that you¡¯re still not comfortable in that body of yours?¡± I denied it with my head. ¡°It¡¯s the opposite, I think. It hasn¡¯t been a week since I fully became a demon, yet I feel as if I had always been one.¡± ¡°Then?¡± I looked down as I thought about the best way to answer the uncomfortable question. Her not knowing anything about demons was better for me, but she would find out sooner or later, so I decided to tell her everything. ¡°Well, it has more to do with how I think many people will see me. The word was created by the Erelian Faith. According to their legends, demons were the minions of the old gods. They are supposed to be the harbingers of misfortune for mankind.¡± ¡°The old gods, huh,¡± Belaury huffed. ¡°Do you believe in this religion?¡± I snorted. ¡°Of course not. Even less after I became this.¡± ¡°Good!¡± she declared with a smile, one that vanished just as quickly as it appeared. ¡°Why did the humans choose that name if it¡¯s so negative to them?¡± ¡°Well, we are the spit image of how those beings were depicted. Anna told me that people would¡¯ve called us demons regardless of the name they gave us, so they were trying to get us used to it before we were reintroduced to society. That was until a vampire was caught trespassing someone¡¯s home, and a group of people decided to destroy what they thought to be a monster¡¯s den.¡± ¡°Typical¡­¡± My teacher gave a short hum. ¡°Does that mean humans are already aware of your existence?¡± ¡°No,¡± I replied, shaking my head. ¡°Many are suspicious regarding vampires, though. The government has been covering up those incidents, but Anna said that the secret won¡¯t hold for much longer.¡± ¡°I see. I find it interesting that they are keeping you a secret.¡± I shrugged. ¡°Maybe not all humans are the same.¡± She frowned in response. ¡°Considering what you say may happen if you get discovered, I doubt it. Don¡¯t trust them just because they seem nice. Luckily, the blessing you received is great for self-defence. Do demons have any special abilities or characteristics I should be aware of?¡± I looked up, listing everything I¡¯d learned up to that point with my fingers. Flying, slow ageing, height, night vision, the growling, and my newfound running limitations. Even the tiny details like my hearing or the theories about the markings on my face. She looked at me in silence all that time. ¡°Anything else?¡± Nothing I said seemed to surprise her. Not even my age. I shook my head. ¡°Does any of this really change how you teach me? What else is there other than freezing stuff?¡± Bel chuckled. ¡°There¡¯s more to elemental magic than just being able to use it, my young apprentice.¡± She smiled as she referred to me that way. ¡°There¡¯s a reason not all elves were mages back in the day. A blessing is very helpful, but it¡¯s nothing more than a shortcut in the end. All it really does is save you months or even years of studies that a normal person has to go through before they can even think of using it. Other than that, you¡¯re still bound by the same limitations we are.¡± ¡°Years?¡± I asked with a frown. I couldn¡¯t understand how it could take so much to do it. She nodded. ¡°It depends on the individual, of course. Our ability with magic is partly dependent on our understanding of nature, and some have trouble grasping the concepts. It¡¯s clear that you, at the very least, have some education on it. Even if you weren¡¯t blessed, it wouldn¡¯t take you as long to get there as someone who starts from nothing.¡± ¡°Are you saying that such knowledge already existed back then?¡± She blinked rapidly in reaction to my question. ¡°First you guys doubted our knowledge of viruses and now this? How else do you think we could¡¯ve used magic if it didn¡¯t know the laws that bind our world?¡± she asked back. According to history, the study of thermodynamics was much more recent than what Belaury was implying. In a sense, it didn¡¯t surprise me. Were humans that far behind other cultures? If that was the case, it didn¡¯t make sense to me that humans had the technological advantage. Things aren¡¯t adding up. She seems to be telling the truth, though. Not knowing what to think, I simply let it go for the time being. I was in no position to draw out any conclusions. It didn¡¯t hurt to keep my guard up, though. ¡°Well?¡± I gasped. ¡°Sorry, I spaced out. I¡­ I didn¡¯t think about it, I guess.¡± ¡°Knowledge is power, remember that. It¡¯s particularly important for us, elementarists. Anyone can learn how to throw a rock or light up a torch, but it¡¯s our ingenuity that gives us the real edge, not only to defend ourselves, but making our daily lives easier. The best way to get that is through studies and experience. My duty is to grant you the first one. The latter is something you¡¯ll mostly get on your own.¡± ¡°Okay, but what does my race have to do with that?¡± I asked once more. She smiled at my question. ¡°Patience is also important when studying magic, Nora. I understand, though. Let me give you a practical example.¡± Her hand extended towards the lake, and a fair amount of water rose to it, quickly taking the shape of a short sword before freezing. The weapon then floated towards me. ¡°Go ahead, take it.¡± I hesitated at first. Based on experience, and from what she told me, I knew the cold wouldn¡¯t hurt me. My mind, however, insisted that it was a bad idea. I took a deep breath and grabbed it. As expected, I was fine. I could tell it was very cold; it just didn¡¯t harm me. It didn¡¯t seem to melt either. Inspecting the rather heavy weapon, the first thing I noticed was that it was quite thick. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can cut anything with this.¡± My teacher hummed in amusement. ¡°Are you sure?¡± I frowned at her question and looked at it again. ¡°Even if it doesn¡¯t break, it has no edge at all.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you give it a try? Practise with that tree over there.¡± I looked at what she was pointing at. It was an old tree. Its trunk was thicker than my whole body, which only added to my confusion. Next to it was a much younger tree. That one was thin enough that I could probably break it with my own strength, rather than slice through it. Pointing at the smaller target with a questioning look earned me a simple head shake from her. I pointed towards the bigger one, and she nodded, smiling and biting her lip in anticipation. Anticipation of what? I was, most likely, about to find out. I walked to the tree and took a stance, eyeing the odd weapon one more time before swinging at the trunk with all of my strength. The sword chipped on impact, and the force sent to my hands made me drop it out of pain, but nothing else happened. My body couldn¡¯t muster enough strength to do any damage. Belaury then stood beside me and wrapped her cloak around her hand to lift the weapon from the floor. She adopted a similar striking pose and swung at the trunk, causing the sword to shatter completely. ¡°What was the purpose of that!?¡± I shouted, pointing with my open hand at the scattered pieces of ice melting on the floor. The strike was enough to leave a mark on the bark, and I was sure it could cause some serious blunt damage to a person, but there was no point in using such a thing unless there was no other choice. Seeing my confusion, Belaury broke into laughter. ¡°I¡¯m merely showing you how different we are. You asked what your race has to do with anything, and this is the answer.¡± I shook my head and pouted. ¡°I don¡¯t get it.¡± She sat down with her legs crossed and patted the ground in front of her, waiting for me to do the same. Once I did, she explained, ¡°Both of us can make weapons out of ice, and your blessing even lets you hold them without protection, but look at what happened when you tried to hit the tree. Had we been fighting, you would¡¯ve lost to me, an elderly elf. If that¡¯s the case, then what would you do against a human, who is way superior in terms of strength? ¡°Now, I know you are still a child, but you mentioned that demons are rather short, and that the ability to fly probably took away power in other areas, so this example still applies. To clarify, this doesn¡¯t mean that demons are inferior to others. I mean, flight alone is a massive advantage. Still, do keep in mind that each race has different characteristics, and that trying to fight on equal terms with another is unwise.¡± ¡°What if I don¡¯t want to fight?¡± She snorted. ¡°Then you better get good at hiding and fleeing. From what you told me, it¡¯s clear to me that peace won¡¯t be an option forever. Regardless of what you choose, magic will be your ally, and it¡¯s important that you learn how to use it in a way that suits your capabilities.¡± ---<>----------<>----------<>--- Since I didn¡¯t have enough mana for a practical lesson, Belaury spent the rest of the afternoon teaching me the history of magic and the races. She began by telling me that mana wasn¡¯t originally something living beings were able to produce. Rather, it was something that suddenly appeared thousands of years ago on a mystical island far from the main continent. The name she used to refer to this place was one I never heard of; however, based on the location my teacher described, it could have only been Varazt Island. According to her, the constant exposure to the raw mana concentrations of that place was what led most life forms there into gaining the ability to absorb it and, eventually, even produce it on their own. The common ancestor of elves and draell was among those same creatures. These sentient beings were curious of their surroundings and didn¡¯t take long to notice the changes this new phenomenon brought with it. Their lifespans slowly increased with every generation, although they grew less and less fertile as a result. Occasionally, some of them were born with supernatural abilities. Such individuals often claimed to hear strange voices and see visions of strange entities. It reminded me of the weird dreams I started having after getting infected, as well as the voice I heard the day before. These entities presented themselves as gods or spirits, and those who received their favour were said to be blessed. At first, only the blessed could harness the powers of magic, or rather, common folk didn¡¯t know how to. However, thanks to their increasing knowledge of nature and with the guidance of those who were chosen, everyone was eventually able to use it to some degree. They were not alone in this journey, though. Similar to them, many wild creatures that inhabited the island experienced drastic changes over the course of mere centuries. The magical prowess of these beings occasionally surpassed those of the elven ancestors. They became dangerous, able to use all sorts of magic on instinct, rather than knowledge. It was almost as if every animal was blessed. Fearing for their safety, a large portion of their population sought shelter in the large cave systems the island provided. There, the natural mana deposits were not as abundant, so the fauna hadn¡¯t developed as much. They were relatively safe, but the price for that safety was a life of darkness. This new environment and the ever present raw mana caused them to evolve rapidly into what would later be known as dark elves, or Draell. Both races continued growing in their respective environments. They kept getting stronger and wiser, too. Some of them even had magic infused weapons to aid them in battle. Unfortunately for them, the creatures didn¡¯t stagnate either, and what¡¯s worse, they improved faster. Soon, not even the draell were safe in their caves, and so, the elfkin decided to leave the island. Some elves stayed, refusing to abandon the land they called their home, but everyone knew they wouldn¡¯t make it. Considering the current state of the island, this much was true. Those who escaped, eventually made it to the main continent. A place without traces of mana. There, they made their first contact with mankind. Their relationship was good at first. Crossbreeding was even common among them. Millenia passed, and as a result of such actions, more races came to be. This meant that dwarfs, giants, gnomes and vampires were all descendants of both humans and elfkin. Belaury didn¡¯t go into detail about how each of those came to be, though. Apparently, the gods also had a hand in it. The rest of the story was pretty much what I knew already. Kingdoms rose and remained in relative harmony for many centuries. That was until humans and gnomes decided they had enough of sharing the world with those who could use magic and started the war that led to the extermination for six out of seven races. The lesson ended on such a bad note again. Although, I still learned a lot from it. Sunset came, and the elven couple decided it was time for them to go. Viken bowed to us and wished us a good night. Belaury ignored the others as she patted my shoulder twice and reminded me of our deal for the next day. She then joined Viken as he walked into the woods. We waved at them until we couldn¡¯t see them anymore. After that, we went back to the centre. Spending all of my mana made me very hungry. Chapter 22: A Glimpse of the Past ¡°Did you bring what I requested?¡± my teacher asked as Alex, Sylvia and I arrived at the dimly lit table she was standing by. ¡°Excuse me.¡± The vampire said, reaching under Sylvia¡¯s wheelchair to retrieve the cylinder we hid in there. ¡°Hope it¡¯s sufficient. It wasn¡¯t easy to smuggle that one out.¡± ¡°Yes, this should be plenty,¡± Belaury eagerly received and examined the hard plastic container. She then twisted the lid open, staring at the contents briefly before pulling one of the tiny crystals out and popping it in her mouth. A smile drew on her face as she put the lid back in place. ¡°Yes, this is the good stuff. I can¡¯t remember the last time I used sea salt to season our meals. Or any type of salt, for that matter. I like the jar¡¯s material. Durable.¡± It was already my fourth day as her apprentice. We had brought some snacks to enjoy while she gave her lesson the previous night, and when she tasted them, she made it very clear how much she missed the condiment. When Alex offered to get her some, she was delighted. ¡°Does that mean I get to be more than a listener now?¡± he asked, hopeful. Belaury placed the container on the table and lit up an oil lamp. She then turned to look at him with a toothy grin. ¡°No, but I appreciate the effort, Ruby Eyes.¡± Alex frowned and crossed his arms in response. I gave my teacher a pleading look, to which she rolled her eyes. ¡°Fine. You¡¯ll get some attention for one class, but not tonight. And only once Nora doesn¡¯t require it. Deal?¡± ¡°Fair enough,¡± he replied, shrugging. ¡°Why the mud buckets?¡± ¡°I said not tonight, leech! Tonight you¡¯re still a listener.¡± He snorted, but otherwise stayed quiet. I smirked at him and parroted the question. She chuckled and took a seat. ¡°Well, it has to do with what we discussed at the end of yesterday¡¯s class. You asked me why water magic can¡¯t manipulate liquids in general. Do you remember the answer?¡± That was, in fact, another question Alex made. He was interested in the possibility of using water magic to ¡®manipulate the blood of his enemies¡¯. Just like today, however, she refused to respond to him; only giving us an answer when I asked for him. She seemed to enjoy teasing the poor guy. I nodded. ¡°You said it was the same reason we can¡¯t drink oil and expect it to quench our thirst. It has to do with its composition.¡± ¡°Good,¡± she said, smiling. ¡°Now, here¡¯s where it gets interesting. Water normally has other stuff in it. Minerals, for example. What do you think happens to those when we manipulate it?¡± I thought for a moment. ¡°If we can only move water, does that mean those are left behind?¡± ¡°To answer that, I had Vik bring these.¡± She stood up and dragged the three wooden buckets from under the table for us to see. Taking a closer look at them, they all had muddy water, but its concentration was different from each other. ¡°Here¡¯s your practical task for today,¡± Belaury said, standing next to the buckets. ¡°You¡¯re going to close your eyes and draw the same amount of water from each bucket. You¡¯ll go from left to right. Each time you do, you¡¯re going to open your eyes, look at what you gathered and drop it before you go to the next one. Understood?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± She took a seat and crossed her arms. ¡°You may start.¡± I walked to the first bucket and looked at it. It was mostly brown water. Kneeling, I closed my eyes and stretched my arm so my hand hovered over the liquid. I let the mana flow and began pulling the water out until I felt a sphere the size of an egg floating over my open palm. I opened my eyes and stared at it. To my surprise, the ball wasn¡¯t crystalline. The dirt had been dragged along with it. The mud in the second bucket was thick, like a creamy soup. I repeated the same steps with this one, but lifting this water felt different. It was heavy; draining more mana. I could pull it, but it wasn¡¯t as easy as the first one. I opened my eyes and moved next to the third bucket. This final container was more dirt than water. I almost felt tempted to grab the mud with my hand and shape the ball manually. Of course, I didn¡¯t dare touch it. Ever since I was little, I hated getting dirty. There was one time in elementary when they took us to the school¡¯s ranch for our agricultural classes. It had rained heavily the day before, and all of my classmates decided to play tug of war over a large mud puddle when recess came. I, of course, made myself scarce. Mary hadn¡¯t transferred to our school yet, so there was no one to convince me to play and get dirty with them. I loved watching my mother¡¯s face as she saw the first kids come out to greet their parents in their full mud attires at the end of class. It reflected pure horror. Her relieved expression and the double take some of the other parents did when I stepped out were just as amusing. That was probably the only time she was thankful about me being the outcast of my class. ¡°Nora, focus!¡± Belaury¡¯s voice snapped me out of the memory. I shook my head before focusing on the task in front of me. I closed my eyes and repeated the process one last time. As expected, the mana drain was even stronger. I couldn¡¯t even lift the sphere before I reached my limit. Opening my eyes revealed a large bump in the middle of the bucket. There was some dirty water on the surface, showing I managed to pull some of it out of the mix. That was all I could accomplish after all the effort. My teacher approached and patted my shoulder, kneeling next to me. ¡°Well? What is your conclusion?¡± I looked up and replied, ¡°We can only manipulate water, but anything mixed with it gets carried as well. Hard or muddy water needs more effort and mana.¡± She smirked and placed her hand above the bump I made. After a few seconds, a small sphere of pure crystalline water floated over her open palm. The ball kept floating all the way to her mouth, and she drank it. She took another one from the same mud and offered it to me. The sphere was positioned right in front of my mouth, but I kept my lips tight. ¡°It¡¯s safe, I promise.¡± With a sigh, I gave in and took it. It was tasteless. Tap or bottled water had some kind of flavour. You could even tell between the two. This, however, had nothing. I stared at her, seeking an answer. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± she said in reply. ¡°You did well. Your theory is correct, actually. In its simplest form, water magic will carry over any impurities present in it.¡± ¡°Then how?¡± ¡°That, my apprentice, is what I¡¯m here to teach.¡± With that, the practical lesson ended, and the theory began. Most of what she explained after that was how magic interacted with each element. Water magic works exclusively with that substance. It can carry anything present in it, so, in theory, one could use lemonade as a weapon. Of course, it would be more taxing to do such a thing, just like it was when I tried lifting the muddy water. Mixes with too many components are near impossible to control in that state, which is why I had so much trouble lifting the mud from the last bucket. Blood manipulation, much to Alex¡¯s disappointment, was quickly shut down. When I insisted on asking how she got the water from the third bucket with such ease, Belaury simply claimed to have distilled the water to get it out. She had evaporated the water and cooled it down in mere seconds. According to her, it took her years of practice, but she was positive that I could master it faster because of my blessing. All I needed was to learn how to heat things up. Air magic is similar to water. Although, rather than a substance, it manipulates two chemical elements at once, Nitrogen and Oxygen. Like water, every other gas or particle present will be dragged along with them, increasing the mana required to manipulate them. This led me to question the use of the word ¡°element¡± for things like air or water when they knew about chemistry, but she said that they were two different words in Geilspraen. She couldn¡¯t remember what they were, but she was sure it was only an issue with translation that ended with both things being called ¡°element¡±. Apparently, the word ¡°race¡± had the same problem. Earth magic is slightly different to the other two. To begin with, it has a wider range. From soil to metal, they can all be manipulated to an extent. Oddly enough, the more components it has, the easier it is to manipulate, even if some of it is organic matter. It¡¯s when dealing with pure substances that this magic becomes difficult to control. Lastly, all energy related elements share a similar methodology between them. All that is needed is to understand how they work and apply their principles when manipulating mana. With each element, came a demonstration, and she even shot a fireball into the lake as a sneak peek of what I could do in the future, once I got the hang of the basics. Although, my ice magic already belonged to the second tier, just like fire did. ---<>----------<>----------<>--- The way back home was just like usual. Alex would give me his review of what he saw in a strange combination of excitement and disappointment. This time, it was more of the former, considering the promise Belaury made. Sylvia, on the other hand, would remain silent the whole time. Always deep in thought. She didn¡¯t seem troubled, so I didn¡¯t bother her. Despite not wanting to use it herself, she showed a clear interest in Belaury¡¯s magic lessons. Perhaps it was the new information that kept her in that state. Walking closer to the building, we spotted Anna, Allison and Rex sitting on their usual seats on the terrace. They would usually wait for us there; chatting over dinner and a cup of tea or coffee after that. This time, however, there was someone else sitting with them. She was human, with curly brown hair, almond skin and slender frame. I couldn¡¯t discern the colour of her blazer because of the warm lighting, but it was either a very dark blue or black. She wore that over a cream blouse and wine coloured pants. She appeared to be in her mid-thirties. I was quite sure that this woman was the counsellor that was supposed to arrive earlier in the morning. I couldn¡¯t think of another possibility. Noticing our arrival, Anna waved at us, informing the rest of our presence. The woman scanned each of us; her gaze lasting slightly longer on me. Once we were close, she stood up and walked down the short staircase to greet us with a big smile. ¡°Hello there! You must be Alex, Nora and Sylvia. My name is Lucina Turiz, but you can call me Lucy. I was hired to be this facility¡¯s counsellor. It¡¯s nice to finally meet you, and I look forward to working with all of you!¡± This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to make your acquaintance,¡± said Alex with a slight bow, ¡°but I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have to count me out of that. I¡¯m quite satisfied with my current level of madness.¡± He walked past her and sat next to Rex. ¡°No worries!¡± Lucy replied, following him with her head as he moved. Her smile was unwavering. ¡°The offer still stands if you ever change your mind.¡± She then looked back at us. ¡°Though, I hope you two are not against it. I prefer it when it¡¯s voluntary, but the doctor says the sessions are compulsory for you, Lily and Connor. When he wakes up, of course.¡± Sylvia nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll be in your care.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great to hear! What about you, Nora?¡± ¡°I mean, I don¡¯t mind it, but why me?¡± ¡°Right,¡± she said, taking out a small tablet from the inner pocket of her blazer. ¡°In your case, it¡¯s mostly to study the effects of your age regression. Your file also includes a few notes that I would like to address in private.¡± I frowned briefly, wondering what those were. ¡°When will it be?¡± I asked, hoping it didn¡¯t affect my flight training or my lessons with Belaury. ¡°We can schedule your weekly sessions however you see fit. Other than that, you can visit my office whenever you want. I¡¯ll be happy to receive you as long as I¡¯m not sleeping or in session with someone else. I will post a schedule next to my door for anyone who¡¯s interested.¡± I sighed in relief. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine with that.¡± ¡°Excellent! All that¡¯s left is choosing the date for your weekly sessions. Lily already chose every Antal at ten. Would you two prefer to have them around this hour? From what I understand you prefer the night.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Sylvia replied. ¡°As long as it¡¯s not today.¡± Lucy chuckled a bit. ¡°I understand. What about tomorrow, like Lily? That would be Antals at twenty-one.¡± Sylvia nodded. ¡°That¡¯s fine for me.¡± ¡°Very well. Nora?¡± I hummed as I thought about it. Having them after training or a lesson sounds exhausting. There¡¯s no way I¡¯m waking up earlier in the morning, though. Weekends then? My family didn¡¯t come this time because of Mom¡¯s work, but that won¡¯t happen often. They¡¯ll need to go back home on the second day, though. Considering the distance, they¡¯ll probably leave as soon as it gets dark. I made my decision. ¡°Alvtals at twenty-two, I guess.¡± ¡°Cool,¡± she replied as she set the date on her tablet. ¡°Does that mean you want to start now?¡± ¡°Oh, uh.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to.¡± Ugh, that smile. It made me feel guilty just thinking about refusing. ¡°Um. Maybe after dinner?¡± They had it earlier, but we didn¡¯t eat anything during Belaury¡¯s lesson. ¡°I¡¯m a bit hungry.¡± She nodded. ¡°No problem! I¡¯ll be in my office. It¡¯s on the second floor, right next to the stairs.¡± ---<>----------<>----------<>--- After dinner, I went up and looked at the plate outside the room. Confirming this was the place, I knocked on the door. ¡°Come on in~!¡± With her permission, I opened the door and entered Lucy¡¯s office. The room was the same as the rest, although the layout was quite different. A deep blue curtain divided the place in two sections. The first, which was not visible to me, was probably her actual bedroom. The bigger section was her office. Unlike my own room, the walls here were painted with the same blue as the curtain. One of the walls had a desk with a tiny bookshelf. A few books were already in place. The opposite side had a small potted plant. There were two small green cushioned chairs forming a right angle between each other, and a round coffee table next to them. It had two glasses and a pitcher with water placed on top of it. Each wall had a picture with different natural scenes. A forest, a beach, and a lake with mountains behind it. A generic black clock also hung from one of the walls. Lucy had already taken a seat and had her tablet in hand. ¡°Hello, Nora. Would you like to take a seat?¡± I nodded and climbed on the chair. It was probably very comfortable for humans, but they were clearly not designed for winged people. It took me a while to find the proper position to sit. ¡°I, uh¡­ I guess I didn¡¯t take that into consideration,¡± she commented, noticing the slight inconvenience. She was already standing when she asked, ¡°Would you like to use the bed instead?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± I replied. ¡°I¡¯m just not used to this kind of chair.¡± She nodded and got back to her seat. ¡°Let me know if you change your mind. It¡¯s important that you feel comfortable.¡± ¡°It¡¯s good, I swear.¡± ¡°If you say so. Before we begin, do you have any concerns? Something that keeps you up at night?¡± ¡°You mean, besides me being somewhat crepuscular?¡± I smirked. That was the term Dr. Blake used when referring to my new sleeping pattern. He said ¡®somewhat¡¯ because I became active in the afternoon instead of the twilight. She giggled. ¡°Yes, besides that.¡± Huh. I didn¡¯t expect her to know the term. I never heard it before Dr. Blake called me that. I thought for a moment about her question. There was, indeed, something. I cleared my throat before answering, ¡°Well, I¡¯m kinda scared of what people might do to me when the secrecy is over.¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re a demon,¡± she added. I flinched slightly when she did. ¡°Do you hate being one, or is it just the name that bothers you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the name, but only when others use it.¡± ¡°Do you think of it as some kind of label? That they¡¯re defining you for what you are instead of who you are?¡± I nodded in silence. ¡°I see. If you could go back to being human, would you do it?¡± That was a tough one. What would I choose if that was possible? The immediate answer was no, but the more I thought about it, the more conflicted I felt. I was used to my body, frighteningly so. I was aware that the virus was somewhat responsible for it, so the question was: How much influence did it have over me? If someone asked me two months ago if I wanted to become this, what would my answer be? Probably not. And yet, could I really throw away the excitement of flight? What about magic? ¡°Lily wouldn¡¯t be alive without it.¡± I gasped and looked at Lucy. ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°I asked you if you would like to be human again.¡± I shook my head. ¡°N-not that. What you said after. That about Lily.¡± She blinked rapidly. ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything about Lily.¡± My heart raced. I looked around the room, searching for the origin of the voice. Lucy was the only one. We were alone. She placed a hand on my shoulder. ¡°Nora? Are you okay?¡± I snapped out of it. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m-I mean, I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Did something happen? You were fine just a moment ago.¡± ¡°I uh, a-a week ago, I saved Lily from a hawk. I-I froze the thing with magic. It-it was the first time I¡¯ve ever used it. I was thinking about what you said. I asked myself if I could give up on magic and go back to normal, a-a-and I heard someone say that Lily wouldn¡¯t be alive without it. I thought it was you, but¡­¡± ¡°Has this happened before?¡± I took a deep breath to calm myself. I didn¡¯t work, so I kept trying. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Take your time.¡± ¡°Once, a few days ago,¡± I finally replied, getting a hold of myself. ¡°It was similar. I was wondering if manipulating water was possible, and the voice said that I could. Am I going crazy?¡± Does it have something to do with being blessed? ¡°Verbal hallucinations can be a sign of stress or anxiety,¡± she replied. ¡°The anticipation of your own thoughts can often make them feel foreign in your mind. In other words, it doesn''t necessarily mean that you are sick, although it¡¯s something we shouldn¡¯t ignore either way.¡± She hummed, staring at her notes. ¡°It¡¯s happened twice since your mutation, but never before that, correct?¡± ¡°Yeah. Does it give you an idea?¡± ¡°Well, this takes me to the notes I had on your file. It says that there were brief moments throughout your stay here where you weren¡¯t acting like yourself. The most relevant was an act of aggression towards Lily¡¯s father. Those moments seem to be linked to either lack of judgement caused by your regression or instinctive behaviour from being a demon, depending on the situation. Do you have a full recollection of those events? Or rather, have you experienced any sort of memory loss after you became a demon?¡± ¡°No, I remember everything. Why?¡± ¡°There are some cases of dissociative identity disorder where the patient is able to interact with their alters. Adults can¡¯t develop DID, not normally, but you went back into being a child. Your biological age happens to be within the upper limit of the acknowledged range, too. If we consider what you just told me, it¡¯s a possibility. That said, this disorder is generated through severe trauma, and I don¡¯t see that in you. Do you disagree?¡± ¡°No,¡± I replied. ¡°The process was painful, I am scared of the future, and I¡¯m worried about my current state, but I wouldn¡¯t say that my experience is or has been traumatic.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me about your family? How were things before the change?¡± ¡°Uhm, my mom is a seamstress. She does freelancing most of the time, but big brands occasionally hire her as a designer. Many of my clothes were also made by her.¡± ¡°Sounds like a busy job. Did she have time to interact with you and your brother?¡± ¡°Did she?¡± I asked, laughing. ¡°We have always been her priority. Perhaps to a point where it¡¯s no longer positive. If you look for the word ¡®overprotective¡¯ in a dictionary, you might find her picture. She goes out frequently to deal with her clients, but works at home most of the time, so she gets to spend a lot of time with Allen and me. Oh, Allen is my brother. He¡¯s younger than me by three years, although the roles were kinda reversed after my transformation. He rarely takes things seriously and often finds a way to annoy me.¡± ¡°What do you mean when you say the roles were reversed?¡± ¡°Well, calling myself the older sibling doesn¡¯t seem that fitting anymore, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°Hmm. Are you okay with that arrangement?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t welcome it with open arms, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re asking. In fact, I was opposed to it at first. Having said that, after some reflection, it¡¯s not important to me anymore. I don¡¯t really mind.¡± ¡°I see,¡± she said, taking notes. ¡°I¡¯d like to revisit this topic in the future, but if you are happy with that decision, that¡¯s all that matters. What about your father?¡± ¡°My dad is a 3D artist. His specialty is horror games, but my best friend Mary somehow convinced him to model a bunch of fairies and other cute fantasy creatures once. One of his co-workers saw them, and now he gets requests for many fantasy games, too. He has a talent for really creepy or super cute stuff. Anything else is a bit meh. Don¡¯t take me wrong; they still look good and all, but you can tell it¡¯s not his thing.¡± ¡°That sounds like a fun job, although I have to admit that I¡¯m not very good with horror themes. Did he show you some of his work when you were little?¡± ¡°He did. He didn¡¯t see any harm in it. Not gonna lie, I did have a few nightmares. That often earned him a smack from mom, but he always made sure that I could differentiate between what was real and what wasn¡¯t. I was more afraid of my classmates than of a monster hiding under my bed back then.¡± ¡°Were you bullied as a child?¡± I chuckled, thinking I was technically still a child. I dismissed those thoughts, knowing what she meant. ¡°No. I was just super shy. They would often invite me to play with them, but I never accepted. Eventually, they learned to ignore me. My mom tried to fix my attitude many times, but she wasn¡¯t very successful. It all changed when Mary showed up, though.¡± ¡°How did she change things?¡± ¡°We met in third grade. She lived in Fesselk City before her family was transferred to Eredel because of her father¡¯s job. She was quite an energetic child. Still is. I don¡¯t know what got her so obsessed with me from the beginning, but she simply wouldn¡¯t leave me alone, no matter how much I tried. Not even the teachers were able to do anything about it. She would often drag me from my corner and force me to play with the other kids. By the end of the school year, I was completely out of my shell.¡± ¡°She sounds like a pushy girl.¡± ¡°I prefer the term ¡®Natural Disaster¡¯.¡± This got me another giggle from her. ¡° I¡¯m grateful for what she did, though. I needed it.¡± Lucy nodded. ¡°Well, I guess you¡¯re right. There¡¯s no reason to believe that you may have developed DID. There is something similar that we can¡¯t discard yet, though. Have you ever heard of a Tulpa before?¡± ¡°Yeah. They¡¯re like imaginary friends with individual thoughts, right? I¡¯ve read a couple of articles about people trying to create their own, though I never thought of them as real. Are you suggesting I have one of those?¡± ¡°Sort of. Their existence has been a topic of debate for many decades. Alters are one thing, but is it really possible for someone to create a completely separate entity in their minds? To be honest, I didn¡¯t think so. That was until a month ago. I had just woken up from my own process whe-¡± ¡°Huh?¡± My eyes widened at the revelation. ¡°You¡¯re a metahuman?¡± ¡°Oh, yeah. I guess I forgot to mention it. Silly me.¡± She lightly bumped her head with a fist. ¡°As I was saying, I was still back at Sizoa¡¯s MAV Research Centre when I saw actual proof of it. There was one guy, Cody, who got infected a couple of days after I did. He also became a metahuman, but there was something else, or rather someone. Just as he woke up, a ghost suddenly came out of his body. Cody acted like nothing was out of place at first. It was as if this ghost, a woman named Alice, was a normal presence for him. Both of them were quite surprised when they realised that everyone could hear and see Alice. ¡°They later explained that Cody was a tulpamancer, and that she was the tulpa he created. Alice¡¯s own transformation not only confirmed that tulpa were real, but it also suggested that souls may be real as well. ¡°That¡¯s a topic for another day, though. It¡¯s too early to say, but I think there¡¯s a tiny chance that you subconsciously created your own Tulpa, and that¡¯s the voice you hear. While this is not something I usually suggest, I¡¯d recommend that you try to speak with it when you go to bed. Who knows, maybe you¡¯ll get an answer. If you do, I doubt yours will get its own body now, but we¡¯ll have an explanation to that phenomenon you¡¯re experiencing.¡± ¡°I¡­ I guess I can try. It would be kinda cool if it is. As long as the horror stories involving them aren¡¯t real.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of such cases, so I wouldn¡¯t worry about it.¡± Lucy looked at the clock as she said this. ¡°We still have a few minutes left, but why don¡¯t we stop the session here for today? While I still have plenty of questions for you, I¡¯d like to give you time to work on this matter and see how it goes. Sorry if I rambled for a while there. I usually have better control over myself.¡± I smiled at her. ¡°It¡¯s fine, you did help me out. I¡¯m gonna try what you said and see if I get this voice to respond.¡± She nodded. ¡°Like I said earlier, feel free to visit me at any point. You don¡¯t need to wait the whole week.¡± I nodded. ¡°Have a good night, Nora.¡± ¡°Good night.¡± Side Story, Part 5: Search Party Night 10. My resource gathering has become difficult once more. I should¡¯ve seen it coming. Of course humans would come in search of Nyggry and her parents. Considering the path of destruction the car left as it fell down the hill, it didn¡¯t surprise me that they found wreckage with ease. My efforts to clean the scene backfired. The lack of blood, and the fact that the family was missing led them to believe that they were alive somewhere, which ended up in an extensive search through the forest. Night and day, I saw them patrolling the surroundings. It took them nearly two days to locate the burial site, and with it, the remains of Nyggry¡¯s parents. That was another blunder. However, not giving them a proper burial would¡¯ve been disrespectful. It couldn¡¯t be avoided. Unfortunately, they know someone found the family before they did. The worst part is that they are now focused on finding Nyx herself. They may as well give up. My shelter has remained hidden from human eyes for centuries, and I plan to keep it that way. I do find one thing odd, though. There are two different teams participating in the search now. The second group arrived the day after the burial was desecrated, and their looks stand out quite. To begin with, every single one of them carries at least two weapons. The firearm varies between individuals, but they all have identical swords hanging from their waists. It¡¯s been a while since I last saw a sword, and now, I get to see a dozen. I fail to see the need for such things when looking for a girl. Surely their firearms would be more than enough to handle any wildlife here. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. A show of status perhaps? Their outfits are interesting, as well. They aren¡¯t casually dressed like the humans from the first group. Instead, they all wear some sort of black uniform. They like to carry odd devices, and sometimes, I could swear they turn to look in my direction. I know they can¡¯t see me, but it makes me hide every time out of reflex. I hope they¡¯ll give up soon. I¡¯m not comfortable with their presence. The constant searching also makes it difficult for my daughter to go out. Her inexperience would make her an easy target when there are so many eyes on the lookout. Speaking of her, she¡¯s an interesting child. Always curious, always wanting to help. At first, I was unsure of how to handle the matter of her past, but it doesn¡¯t seem to interest her in the least. Nyx is too busy asking questions about magic, the gods, and our culture. The girl even knows a handful of common phrases in Geilspr?n, now. It amazes me how fast she learns everything. No, not everything. Cooking is one thing she doesn¡¯t seem to get the hang of. No matter how many times we¡¯ve gone through the same recipes, unless she has written instructions, she will start adding or changing ingredients regardless of how little sense it makes. Even with the writing, if she can¡¯t find an ingredient, she will try to replace it with whatever she thinks is the closest. For my own peace of mind, she¡¯s no longer allowed to touch the kitchen or any ingredient without my supervision. I can only hope that she isn¡¯t the same once the practical magic lessons begin. Chapter 23: Whos There? Lucy¡¯s question was still present in my head as I laid on my bed, staring at the window. I was never partial to sleeping on my back. I could swear that resting in such a position made me thirsty, even though it made no sense. Now that there were wings attached to my back, this event went from rare to never happening. It didn¡¯t hurt to do so. It just wasn¡¯t comfortable at all. It felt like trying to sleep on top of a bunch of logs. Sitting was the real issue. Backrests were now my worst enemy. That said, was the discomfort my new limbs brought enough to make me wish I didn¡¯t have them? It wasn¡¯t. I could fly, thanks to them. After four days of training, I hadn¡¯t graduated from parasailing, but even that was thrilling enough. This morning, the cable reached fifteen metres in length, and yet, my acrophobia never triggered. I was free from it! For the most part, at least. Despite having a limit, I could choose the height or manoeuvre a bit. The scene below was amazing. Now that I knew what to look for, I could even spot Viken and Belaury watching me from the forest a couple of times. My eyes shifted to my waist, or rather, the new appendage draped over it. Thankfully, my tail didn¡¯t bring much inconvenience. It made putting clothes on feel like threading a needle sometimes, but it rarely got in the way. Most of the time, I didn¡¯t even notice it was there. At that thought, I moved it over to my left hand and examined it. It wasn¡¯t hairless, although the tiny hairs were pretty much neglectable, almost invisible to the naked eye. I played with it for a few minutes before finally setting it free. What about being a child? It was probably the one thing I truly hated about my transformation. My sudden impulses and the change in my behaviour, the way others treated me, the limitations my size brought; they all could get very annoying. However, unlike the other changes, this was temporary. It would take many years, but, eventually, I¡¯d be back to being an adult. As much as I disliked it, there was no point taking it into consideration. Then came the magic. There were no negatives. I couldn¡¯t think of a single thing for which I wouldn¡¯t want to have the ability. It had been nothing but exciting and even useful. Lily had, indeed, been saved by it. Damn. And here I was trying to forget about the voice for a bit. I sighed. I already knew the answer to Lucy¡¯s question. I did, even before it left her lips. I strongly believed that the virus itself was responsible in some way, yet it wasn¡¯t the only factor. I liked being a demon. That was the new me. Society was far from ready for it, but I wasn¡¯t. I was ready to fully accept what, and more importantly, who I was. ¡°Good.¡± I jerked in my bed, taken by surprise. I wasn¡¯t expecting you yet. There was no reply. Are you a part of me? Are you what Lucy thinks? A Tulpa? An Alter? Nothing. Belaury¡¯s words echoed in my head. ¡®Occasionally, the blessed could hear voices or visions.¡¯ ¡®Those entities called themselves gods or spirits.¡¯ ¡®You were blessed!¡¯ I gulped, steeling myself for my next question. Are you a spirit? ¡°I am.¡± How can I tell for sure? I waited, but there was no reply. Are you there? ¡°Yes.¡± Why the short answers? I know you can speak more than that. ¡°Can¡¯t¡± What do you mean you can¡¯t? You did it earlier. Weren¡¯t you the one who said Lily is alive because of my magic? ¡°Mus go.¡± Mus? What¡¯s mus? Must go? Where? Hello? The spirit remained silent for the rest of the night. Thinking about the odd conversation I had with it kept me awake until the sun rose. I could only sleep five hours after that. I was so sleepy I almost forgot to put on a swimdress for my flight training. I felt like a zombie walking into the cafeteria. Without thinking, the first thing I did was head straight to the warming tables and lifted a cloche labelled with my name. Under the cover awaited the plate with my breakfast. This had been the norm for the last few days after they realised I never made it in time for either meal anymore. I no longer had a choice in what I ate every day, but I didn¡¯t mind it much. All the food was good, and it did save me time I would otherwise waste thinking of my choices. Alex was in a similar situation, although he woke up much later than I did. As I took my plate to the table, I noticed Alex wasn¡¯t the only one missing. Considering it was the first full week of Hostid, Lily and Dr. Blake''s absence was expected. After all, this marked the first day of school everywhere, and the doctor did promise to make sure that the young fairy continued with her studies. As for Anna and Sylvia, I didn¡¯t have a clue. By this time, it was already routine that they would be waiting for me so we could go for my flight training afterwards. After greeting Rex, Allison and Lucy, who had decided to join our table of freaks, the giantess informed me that Sylvia was experiencing morning sickness after eating. Anna had taken her back to her room so she could recover, but would return after assigning one of the nurses to her for the rest of the day. Apparently, it was that bad. Anna showed up after a few minutes. She confirmed Sylvia¡¯s state, making it clear that she wouldn¡¯t be leaving her room anytime soon. I made a mental note of visiting her before heading out of my magic lesson. Waiting for digestion to do its thing, we chatted over some tea and coffee regarding the news about the virus. From what Anna told us, the higher ups had already confirmed the coming announcement of the MAV and its effects to the world, but the date was still undecided. Supposedly, we still had plenty of time to prepare for it, although both she and Dr. Blake estimated it to be in two months at the most. While Eredel¡¯s infection rate was still low, somehow, the rest of the world was not as lucky. A few of the eastern cities, like Ferdoa and Sizoa, were close to reaching a hundred patients each. ---<>----------<>----------<>--- Gary was busy readying up the boat for today¡¯s session when we arrived. Once again, he was the pilot. Dr. Blake was too busy, after all. Rex sat next to him whilst the rest of us prepared my own equipment at the back of the boat. With Alex¡¯s new schedule, Rex had been the one helping Anna at the back, but Lucy was here now. She told us there were no fully formed demons back in Sizoa, so this would be her first time seeing one of us fly. The water scooters were back with the same assistants as drivers for this session. They stopped using them when they realised I had no problem keeping myself steady, so it was odd seeing them again. ¡°We¡¯re going to do something a bit different this time,¡± Anna began explaining. ¡°You¡¯ve proven to us that you are quite good at parasailing, so it¡¯s about time we take the next step.¡± I gulped audibly at her suggestion. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± She said, smiling. ¡°This time, you¡¯re going to release the harness and stay up on your own. We¡¯re only giving you the kickstart. Before we begin, do you remember the security measures? It¡¯s been a while since we went over them.¡± ¡°Y-yeah. The vest inflates on contact with water. If it doesn¡¯t, I must pull the cord or blow through this tube,¡± I replied, pointing at each item. She nodded. ¡°Good. As you can see, Theo and Miria volunteered to help us with the scooters once more. They¡¯ll act as lifeguards, just like the first time. I hope they are not needed, but I do expect a few falls today. Try to stay close enough to the water to avoid injuries and remember, do not panic if anything goes wrong. We¡¯ll do a warm up lap first, and I¡¯ll give you the signal to detach after that. Are you ready?¡± I took a deep breath to calm myself before responding. ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s do this.¡± ¡°We¡¯re ready to go guys!¡± she shouted, causing everyone to get in position. The boats roared as we started moving. ---<>----------<>----------<>--- Just like we planned, the first lap around the lake was as it had been so far. By now, it was completely natural for me, although I didn¡¯t play around like usual. I was nervous. This would be my first time flying alone. There were two ways to deal with it. The safest was to keep on gliding after setting myself free. That was what I had been doing so far, so I knew what to expect. In the worst case, I would keep on losing speed and height until I fell into the lake. The other option was to attempt powered flight. My wings were ready for at least twenty minutes of it, if I could control it. This decision could lead me to a quick fall or to an extended period in the air. I hoped for the latter. Less chance of hurting myself, even if my landing wasn¡¯t as smooth as I would like. I was still trying to make up my mind when I noticed Anna¡¯s movement from below. She was already waving her arms, indicating it was time for me to let go. And so I did. Instant regret flooded my mind as I pulled back. My hands fumbled, trying to catch the cable once more, only for me to watch it fall and sink into the lake before they reeled it in. My wings acted on instinct to stabilise my body after the change. I was immediately going slower, but I remained up. I kept on gliding. It was time I made my decision. Or so I thought. As if they had a mind of their own, my wings flapped once, and then again. Without my permission, they had chosen flight over gliding. I kept going straight, so I still had control of my direction. Turning to my left on command proved this once more. Now it made sense that other demons learned so quickly. Our bodies acted on instinct most of the time. Attempting to flap manually got me a positive response, although I could feel my wings correcting the movement to be more efficient. My heart was beating faster. I smiled with excitement as I saw the three boats below me. Everyone was waving, and I waved back. I didn¡¯t spot Belaury this time, but I knew my teacher was there, watching me. After nearly half an hour of continuous flight, my wings started protesting. They wanted to rest, and I needed to choose my final destination. As tempting as it was to try my first landing, I didn¡¯t want to push my luck any further. And so, I chose the lake. Noticing my descent, the boats slowed down, giving me space to manoeuvre. Once I was a couple of metres above the surface, my wings forced me into an almost upright stance, beating rapidly before stopping and letting me drop. A yelp escaped my mouth, barely giving me time to hold my breath as my body dove into the water. The vest inflated, bringing me back to the surface in an instant. It limited my movements, so I went limp, staring at the clouds as the motors got louder. I looked to my right to see the red boat coming to a stop before Anna set the ladder for me to climb. It went deep enough into the water, making it easy for me to get a hold of it. Getting to it with the vest on and my wings creating unnecessary drag was a pain, but I made it eventually. ¡°That went a lot better than I expected,¡± Anna commented as both she and Lucy took my hands and pulled me the rest of the way up. ¡°I¡¯ve heard it¡¯s quite normal to mess up at least once on the first day,¡± She added, handing me my towel. ¡°I wonder if being younger makes it easier for you. Could be the lesser weight or maybe a higher adaptability.¡± ¡°Children do tend to be more adaptable,¡± Lucy added, ¡°but that has to do more with their lack of experience. Considering Nora¡¯s actual age, though, I have my doubts on that.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just glad I didn¡¯t crash,¡± I replied, panting. They laughed. Allison was already waiting for us at the docks when we came back. She helped me out of the boat and said, ¡°Congratulations, little one!¡± ¡°Thanks, Allison. I wish you could join us.¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry. There¡¯s nothing we can do about my size. And it¡¯s not like my seat has a terrible view. Is your fear of heights still in check?¡± ¡°Do you have acrophobia?¡± Lucy asked as the five of us started walking home. Gary and the other assistants stayed behind to secure and cover the boats. They would catch up soon enough. I shrugged. ¡°Yeah, a little. High places make me dizzy, but it¡¯s a bit inconsistent.¡± Lucy took out her tablet and took notes eagerly. ¡°Could you give me some examples?¡± I looked up as I tried picturing them. ¡°Well, I guess one good example would be the staircase of a tall building. Climbing up isn¡¯t bad, especially if there are walls all around, but if I dare take a peek past the bannister, and the lower floors are visible, that¡¯s when it hits me. Oh, and never ask me to step into one of those elevators with a glass pane for a wall.¡± ¡°And flying doesn¡¯t trigger it?¡± she inquired. ¡°It did for a second back there. When I let go of the hook that kept me linked to the harness. If it weren¡¯t for my wings reacting to the change, I would¡¯ve probably panicked.¡± ¡°Your wings reacted? You mean they moved on their own?¡± ¡°Yeah. It was almost like breathing. The difference is that the process remains automatic even if I become aware of it. It only changes when I add some manual input.¡± Lucy wrote everything down. ¡°I see. What¡¯s your take on this, Anna?¡± ¡°Most patients did describe it as automatic,¡± she replied. ¡°Like I said earlier, though, even with their wings acting on instinct, they lost control and fell at least once. We¡¯ll have to wait and see if it¡¯s the same with other demons around Nora¡¯s age.¡± Lucy let out a brief hum. ¡°Do let me know what you hear about that.¡± ---<>----------<>----------<>--- We arrived just in time for lunch. Alex was already sitting at the table when I joined them, eating what he called his breakfast. It didn¡¯t matter to him that it was late in the afternoon. I also located Dr. Blake and Lily by the desserts table, but Sylvia was still nowhere to be seen. As usual, the rest were discussing some of the latest news. My flight session was the first topic for today, and everyone congratulated me for the progress I made. Lily was next. Dr. Blake told us she was doing fine as his student, although many of the hard sciences proved to be quite the challenge for her. I didn¡¯t want to say anything, but I sensed worry in the doctor¡¯s tone as he talked about it. Anna, Lucy and Alex had clearly noticed something too. There was no news regarding the Day of Revelation, as many were already calling it, although Dr. Blake insisted that it would be soon enough. He also informed us that Jack¡¯s mission was finally over, and that he would be back in a few days. Finally, a new carrier species had been discovered. The fesselian goose, also known as the saw-billed goose, was the very first avian MAV carrier, and since the discovery last week, there had been a dozen cases of these already aggressive birds attacking anyone on sight. Fortunately, as the name implied, this non-migratory species was endemic to the Fesselian Taiga, far to the north of the continent. This meant that the amount of people they could infect was quite limited. Though their presence in zoos and some farms did mean there were some cases further south. Once I was done eating, I excused myself and went back to the living quarters to check on Sylvia. I knocked on the door when I arrived. ¡°Coming!¡± A familiar high-pitched voice chimed from inside the room. The door opened, revealing the nurse¡¯s face. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you, Nora. Came to check on her?¡± ¡°Hey, Jackie. Yeah, that¡¯s why I¡¯m here.¡± In case it wasn¡¯t obvious. ¡°My, how sweet of you. Miss Warren, you¡¯ve got a little visitor~¡± I simply rolled my eyes and walked into the room. I had tried to fix the way she spoke to me in the past, and I achieved nothing with her. ¡°Could you step outside for a few minutes?¡± I asked, looking up at the nurse. There was no way I could stand being in the same room with her for so long. ¡°Sure thing,¡± she said before going back in, grabbing a tray full of empty dishes and walking out. I sighed heavily when the door closed, and I heard Jackie walk away. Sylvia smirked at me. ¡°You really don¡¯t like her, do you?¡± She was sitting in her wheelchair, right next to her bed. There wasn¡¯t a book in her hands, which told me that the nurse kept talking to her. She never stopped talking. ¡°What gave it away?¡± I asked back, smiling. ¡°Tough morning?¡± ¡°Yes. I expected it to come. Just not this soon, or this strong. I''m mostly back to normal now, but they asked me to remain here, just in case.¡± ¡°I see.¡± I inspected her changes as I took a seat on her bed. Her transformation had been going at an almost similar pace mine did. The key word was almost. It wasn¡¯t until I made this same observation a couple days ago that they realised that she wasn¡¯t getting any younger. ¡°Will you stay here for today¡¯s magic lesson then?¡± ¡°Yes, and probably the next ones.¡± ¡°Oh. I guess that makes sense. I¡¯ll let Bel know.¡± ¡°Does she even care?¡± ¡°Maybe not, but she¡¯ll at least ask. If it was Alex, though, she¡¯d probably celebrate.¡± She chuckled. ¡°Yes. I can see that happening. Although, I don¡¯t understand what he did to anger her.¡± I shrugged. ¡°Asking too many questions, most likely. I mean, he speaks, like, twice per class, but she did make it very clear that she didn¡¯t want to teach anyone else.¡± ¡°Right. Poor Alex.¡± The sound of approaching steps interrupted our conversation. There was a knock on the door. ¡°Can I come in now?¡± Jackie asked from the other side. I clicked my tongue. I wasn¡¯t expecting her to return so quickly. At least she¡¯s not opening it. ¡°Just a moment!¡± I yelled, then turned back to address Sylvia. ¡°I suppose that¡¯s my queue to leave.¡± She glanced at the door before responding. ¡°You still have a bit over an hour before you head out. Are you sure you don¡¯t want to stay a bit longer?¡± ¡°Not with her here.¡± I whispered. I faked a cough and raised my voice back to normal. ¡°No, I think I¡¯ll take a shower and change. That lake may be crystal clear, but I still feel the need.¡± Sylvia nodded. ¡°I understand. See you later, then.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± I replied, opening the door. Jackie was leaning on the wall next to it, doing something with her tablet. I gave the nurse a quick, silent nod before walking towards my room to get ready for my magic lesson. Chapter 24: Hidden ¡°Do you hate me that much?¡± I heard Lucy ask from the other side of the glass door that led to the terrace. She was standing in front of Alex, who had an indifferent expression towards her. Allison, Anna and Rex were sitting at the usual spot, watching them in silence. Whatever those two were arguing about, they didn¡¯t seem concerned. The vampire shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t remember ever saying I hated you. How can I? I don¡¯t even know you. And that is the same reason for which I refused.¡± ¡°Is something wrong?¡± I asked, pushing the door open. ¡°Nora!¡± Lucy smiled when she saw me. ¡°Please, help me convince him to let me go with you. I want to see your training.¡± Alex smirked, knowing what my reply would be. ¡°Yes, by all means, do tell her what you think.¡± I glared at him and sighed. As much as I didn¡¯t mind, I couldn¡¯t break the promise I made to Belaury. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I can¡¯t do that. I can show you tomorrow if you want, though.¡± That way, we could tell my teacher not to show up then. ¡°You too?¡± Lucy¡¯s shoulders slumped. ¡°I don¡¯t get it. What¡¯s the difference between now and tomorrow?¡± My mouth opened and closed a couple of times without producing a sound. I wasn¡¯t ready for such a question. There was no way I could tell her it was because we were seeing someone she couldn¡¯t meet. I needed an excuse, but nothing came. Nothing that I found believable, at least. Everything I had were things to justify our outing at night, not to prevent someone from keeping us company. There was no need for that, after all. Common staff members were clearly not interested in going out so late. While some of them had asked for a small demonstration, the scientists were the only ones among them that would¡¯ve asked to see the training. Even then, they would have scheduled a date, not decided to go in the heat of the moment. Any other person had been transformed by the virus. Metahumans, however, hadn¡¯t been considered. That was the fault in our plan. Someone who didn¡¯t fit in either side completely. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to sound rude but, why do you care?¡± Alex replied, drawing her attention back to him. ¡°Like Nora said, if you want to join us, you¡¯re more than welcome to do so tomorrow. Today, we simply want some privacy.¡± Lucy crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. ¡°Do you realise how suspicious that sounds?¡± ¡°What are you implying, that I¡¯ll do something to her?¡± The vampire asked, giving her a toothy grin. ¡°That I want to suck her blood?¡± He covered his mouth with one hand in fake indignation. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re not implying I¡¯ll molest her, are you?¡± Rex faked a cough to hide his chuckling. Scratch that, he was actually coughing because of it. ¡°You know very well what I meant.¡± Lucy blushed slightly, though she kept her stance and smiled. ¡°Though, now that you mention it, you have to admit that a grown man taking a girl to the forest at night alone does give way for some weird conclusions.¡± Alex laughed in response. ¡°Yeah, the girl you speak of could freeze my hands off if I even thought of attempting something.¡± ¡°Oh, I would freeze something worse if you did,¡± I added with a toothy grin. Alex blocked the area and yelled, ¡°Woah, that¡¯s overkill!¡± He laughed again and continued. ¡°But there you have it, Lucy. She¡¯s safe. And that is considering we were truly alone. Sylvia always comes with us, so it¡¯s not like we¡¯re left unsupervised. By the way, I don¡¯t see her here. I take it she¡¯s staying in her room?¡± He asked, turning to look at me. I nodded. ¡°I see. Guess it really is just the two of us then. Oh well. Shall we leave?¡± ¡°Wait! You haven¡¯t given me the reason I can¡¯t go with you.¡± Lucy finally said as we started walking into the forest. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m just really curious about it.¡± ¡°We are nocturnal,¡± Alex said, casually looking at her once more. ¡°The darkness of the forest lets us relax and concentrate. It¡¯s helpful whenever we want to try new things. Because of that, we aren¡¯t bringing any lights with us. If you came, you wouldn¡¯t be able to see anything, anyway. Tomorrow we¡¯ll do a practice session, so it doesn¡¯t need full concentration.¡± Lucy didn¡¯t look convinced. She looked to the floor briefly, most likely trying to make sense of the explanation. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say that from the start?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t give me time to do so. You accused me of denying you out of a hate that doesn¡¯t exist.¡± Lucy lowered her head once more. ¡°Sorry¡­ I guess my curiosity brought out the worst in me.¡± ¡°All good,¡± Alex replied. ¡°Tomorrow then?¡± ¡°Thanks, I really appreciate it.¡± Alex shrugged, and we moved on. Once we were far enough, the vampire whispered, ¡°Keep an eye out just in case.¡± ¡°What?¡± I asked, looking back at the little light that shone through the leaves. ¡°I don¡¯t think she bought it. We really had no good reason to refuse her. I believe her curiosity will be quenched tomorrow, but it wouldn¡¯t hurt to be more alert in case she decides to follow us in secret one night.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Belaury was waiting for us at the same spot as always. Once we were close enough, she greeted me and asked about Sylvia¡¯s absence. Surprisingly though, she did show concern for her. Most of it seemed to come from the fact that elves rarely experienced morning sickness, and one that was capable of incapacitating the mother was even rarer. Despite this fact, apparently Viken could brew something for her. It was still important that she rested, but the potion would greatly lessen the symptoms. That said, they needed us to get the ingredients, so she would let us know what we needed the next day. The class began shortly after. The first half of it was a summary of what I had learned so far. During that, my teacher made sure to drain me out of mana until I started to feel the exhaustion. I could already tell my capacity was improving. It was hard to put any numbers to it without a clear reference, but it was obvious. ¡°I¡¯m amazed by your growth, Nora,¡± Belaury said, taking a seat at the usual table. ¡°For a child, the progress you¡¯re making in mere days is way above average, even for elves. You should be proud.¡± And I was. However, I couldn¡¯t help thinking it was more because of the spirit¡¯s blessing than myself. That reminded me of the previous night, and the conversation I had with whatever entity that was. My concern must have been painted on my face, considering her next words. ¡°Is something troubling you?¡± ¡°Remember when you told me that, sometimes, the blessed could hear voices?¡± ¡°I do,¡± Belaury replied, raising an eyebrow. ¡°Have you heard the voice of your benefactor?¡± I bit my lip. ¡°I¡­ I think I did.¡± She smiled and patted my head. ¡°That¡¯s great news for you. It¡¯s said that those who can hear them can bring out the true potential of their blessing.¡± ¡°How can we be sure?¡± I asked, worried that, perhaps, the voice in my head was not a spirit, but something else or nothing at all. ¡°It¡¯s a good question. The short answer is that we can¡¯t. Historically, their word is the only way we got to know of their existence, and I have faith that it¡¯s the truth. What reason would these beings have to lie? And what would they gain by doing it? Spirits or not, they never brought harm to the person they chose. Some spoke, and some didn¡¯t. You got the former, and the only reason I can think of is that it formed a strong link with you.¡± ¡°Not that much, I guess,¡± I said, looking down. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem to be able to speak more than a few words.¡± ¡°A bit is better than nothing, don¡¯t you think?¡± If it really is a spirit¡­ The conversation soon led to a deeper explanation regarding my teacher¡¯s religion, Geilrilk, named after the realm the gods and spirits claimed to inhabit. I saw it as an equivalent to Heaven, from the Erelian Faith. Belaury explained that there are three different entities you can find in there. The first, and most important, are the gods. They act as overseers of our world, each one in charge of one aspect of life. This isn¡¯t limited to sentient species, but all life on our planet. I found it hard to see how animals were involved with trade, art or justice. Her response to my doubt was that some of said aspects were created with the arrival of sentience, which ended up with some gods having more than one domain. She used the god, Oring, as an example. Originally in charge of order or balance, he adopted justice with the arrival of the races. My teacher also explained that, while trading may seem like something only people do, it¡¯s actually present all over nature. Symbiosis being the clearest example of it. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Spirits are, to put it simply, the gods¡¯ subordinates. Using the Erelian Faith as reference once more, they would be the equivalent to angels. It is them that do most of the work, leaving only the most important tasks to their superiors. They observe, more than anything, and that is what occasionally leads them to take a liking to someone and bless them. The lowest rank present in Geilrilk belongs to the mortal souls. Unlike the gods or spirits, souls are not active in this realm. They reside in what Belaury described as a filter space until they are properly judged based on how they lived before dying. After this, they are separated in three different ways: Souls that led exemplary lives get the chance to become spirits. Those that were the opposite cease to exist completely. Hearing this sent a chill down my spine, although I doubted I¡¯d ever end up like that. Finally, souls that had what could be considered an average lifestyle are immediately sent back to the cycle of reincarnation. Animal souls, not being aligned to good or evil, are also sent to the cycle automatically. Alex was curious to know if people could reincarnate into animals. After I asked the question, Belaury explained that souls of sentient beings differ from the rest. An animal soul can reincarnate into a person, but not the other way around. At the end of the lesson, Alex and I informed Belaury of what happened with Lucy. Not even she had considered the possibility of a human capable of using magic when we told her about the virus, so it came up as a huge surprise for her. It actually took some time for her to accept the fact, to the point where she even considered metahumans another race with human appearance. We tried using that as a way to convince her to let Lucy meet her. The assumption was technically correct, after all. But she told us she would meditate on it. Before leaving, Alex proposed that I could make a habit of bringing my fessy to every class. If something similar happened again, I could play it on the way to tell my teacher not to show up. This time, she actually praised him for his idea. I wondered if she just hated him during class, or maybe it was because his suggestion helped her stay hidden. Either way, she didn¡¯t call him names, so it was a huge event. Worthy of being written down in history. Not much happened after that. I wanted to visit Sylvia to tell her about the good news regarding the potion, but she was still in session with Lucy by the time dinner was over. It gave me time to think things through, and I ended up choosing to wait until we knew the ingredients were in our reach. No point in giving her hopes otherwise. I simply wished them both a good night when they were done and headed to my room. There I spent most of the time on my tablet, giving my daily reports to Mom and Mary and playing a couple games at first. Once I grew bored, I started searching for new stories and articles of interest. Vampire sightings had finally started to decrease. The same went with most monster hunting and other similar threads. The reason behind it was that people¡¯s focus was now overlapped by something more tangible. The virus. It felt odd being on the other side, seeing the amount of misinformation that was spreading. The daily number of ¡®deaths¡¯ was on the rise, and some people were already locking themselves at home. The government had stated that such measures weren¡¯t needed. People who were exposed to the spores were quickly taken care of, so the only source was restricted to the multiple animal carriers. If anything, officials recommended not going into the wild, where most of these species lived. This brought benefits to us, too. The fewer humans heading out, the safer we were. Cat and dog owners were still nervous that their pets could turn on them at any point, though. There were strict instructions to keep them at home as much as possible, but there were cases where the poor animals became carriers despite all the precautions. Fortunately, it was really uncommon. In a sense, I was glad that the secret would be uncovered soon. Most citizens didn¡¯t deserve to live in fear of a lethal threat that didn¡¯t actually exist. While I was still scared for our safety, I was no longer the defenceless girl from a few weeks ago. The night was still young when I ran out of things to do. Young for me, at least. I pushed the curtains and looked through the glass. The vast dark forest was inviting to me. It didn¡¯t matter to me how late it was, or the fact that I had just returned from there. Before I realised, my hands had already opened the window, and one of my feet rested on top of the frame. Jump! I shook my head to snap myself out of the thought. As much as I trusted my wings to keep me safe, it was one thing to fly above the lake, and another to do so over land. I refused to listen to that command. I needed more practice. For a moment, I assumed it had been the spirit¡¯s suggestion again, but this voice was different. It didn¡¯t feel foreign. That said, it didn¡¯t hurt to confirm it. Lying down on my bed, I relaxed and stared at the roof. Spirit? Are you there? ¡°Yes.¡± I gulped in response. There was a clear difference between the two. A part of me wanted to end it there. I had what I wanted already. There was no need to continue. In the end, my curious nature won the fight. Belaury mentioned no harm came to those who heard those voices, but that didn¡¯t mean it was a good thing either. The ¡°spirit¡± patiently waited. No words spoken. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. It helped me concentrate. How can I know you¡¯re really a spirit? ¡°Time.¡± How long? Months? Years? Silence. The spirit said nothing. It was still present, though. I could tell. It felt similar to being watched. Was there something that prevented it from answering properly? It seemed willing to speak, so that must have been it. Asking it directly was the best choice. Is there a reason you can¡¯t give me full answers? ¡°There is,¡± It replied, almost instantly. Was it saying what I wanted to hear, or was it telling the truth? I wished I knew which. Can I help? ¡°Yes. Train more... Need more mana.¡± There it was. An actual sentence again. Well, almost. Regardless of the length, it had given me an actual reason. It needed mana. It probably fed on it, just like ghosts needed energy. Though Belaury did mention they never asked for anything in return for a blessing, so why did they suddenly need mana? ¡°Must go,¡± It said, interrupting my thought process. The next moment, I could no longer feel its presence. It was really gone. Another detail almost escaped my mind. Unlike other times, the voice felt more real. It could have been my imagination, but I could swear it sounded female. With a sudden yawn, I checked the time on my tablet. It was already late. Or early, depending on the point of view. It didn¡¯t take me long to fall asleep. ---<>----------<>----------<>--- I woke up with a faint growl coming out of my throat. There was shouting going on somewhere in the building. Looking out the window, I noticed it was still early for me to rise. The sun was barely up. I felt tempted to get up and deal with whoever was making all that noise, but I was too sleepy to keep my eyes open. The sound of shattering glass was enough to do so for me. I sat up in fear. It sounded like a fight. Did they find us!? I needed a way to find out. Opening the door wasn¡¯t appealing for me. Too risky. I looked at my nightstand and grabbed my phone. I called Anna, hoping it wasn¡¯t too late. If I didn¡¯t get an answer, I would actually jump from that window and find Bel and Viken. Anna asked after picking up the call. ¡°What do you mean!? I can hear fighting somewhere down the hall!¡± Her tone was not what I expected. I blinked rapidly. ¡°Do you think I can? I just heard glass breaking. What¡¯s going on?¡± she said with a sigh. ¡°Hold on.¡± Making a small pause, I pulled the phone away and focused on hearing. It was as I thought. Everything was silent once more. Those two were most likely successful. Placing the phone back to my ear I said, ¡°Thanks, but I think it¡¯s good now.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Unfortunately for me, I made the wrong choice. I was woken up another two more times after that. Both ended just as suddenly as they started, but I was already in a foul mood when I went downstairs to eat. As always, everyone else was already there, eating. I grabbed my plate with food and took it to the table, sitting down with a small growl. Allison was the first one to notice and asked if I was all right. I explained myself and told her not to worry, knowing I¡¯d be back to normal in a few minutes. Anna and Lucy then explained that Connor was having real trouble accepting his new self. I hadn¡¯t seen him since we got the news of the attack on Kelpont, so I didn¡¯t have a clear picture of him, but they had told me that he looked just like the werewolves from horror movies and video games. A bipedal wolf with long arms, claws, and an intimidating visage. They also told me it was a rather uncommon, yet normal behaviour for some of those who woke up. Demons, fairies, lizard people, werewolves and even wildlings suffered such extreme changes while unconscious that their minds sometimes failed to register that they were no longer human by the time they woke up. It caused a lot of conflict for them during the first weeks of their awakening. In the case of demons, wildlings and fairies, we at least kept our face and mostly human appearance, but the other two races weren¡¯t as lucky. They were more like sentient bipedal animals. Even the bipedal part was in question as both races could also run on all fours due to their longer upper limbs. ¡°Perhaps Nora could help us,¡± Lucy suggested, snapping me out of my thoughts. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°It¡¯s worth a shot. He rejected me because he believes I could never understand him, given how little I¡¯ve changed. As a demon, you have a chance.¡± I smiled at her and replied, ¡°No way. I had enough of that already.¡± ¡°I agree with her,¡± Anna and Alex said in unison, which caused them to look at each other. ¡°I can¡¯t say I¡¯m innocent. I¡¯ve used her in a similar way,¡± Anna continued. ¡°But this time, it¡¯s too dangerous.¡± ¡°He¡¯s way too violent,¡± Alex added. ¡°Did you forget I had to take a hit twice for you? The back of my head is still throbbing from the last one.¡± ¡°I know, I know. Trust me, I thought of that. They don¡¯t have to meet in person for it to work, though. We can set up a video call for them to talk while keeping her safe. The worst that could happen is him throwing something at the telly. It¡¯s either that or we keep him sedated until his mind can catch up. We can¡¯t risk him killing himself before it happens.¡± Everyone went silent with those last words. ¡°W-what?¡± I asked. ¡°The cases like this need therapy right away is because of how common suicide is for them during the catch up process,¡± Lucy answered. ¡°The shock from waking up in a foreign body is often too strong.¡± ¡°And you think I could help him with that?¡± ¡°Like I said, it¡¯s worth a shot. His mind won¡¯t change just from talking with you, but you may help him open up to us.¡± I hated being used this way. It was as if my own mental health didn¡¯t matter. There was a limit to how many times I could endure rejection of my appearance. More importantly, I had no idea what to say to him. I wasn¡¯t the best with words. It was proven last time, when Sylvia had just arrived. That said, the person was in a similar situation this time. I wanted to help; it was my nature. I took a deep breath before giving my answer. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll do it.¡± Side Story, Part 6: What Lies Beneath I didn¡¯t want to show it, but I was scared. Mum had gotten increasingly worried over the last few days. She said humans got dangerously close to our hideout, and their presence prevented her from going outside to gather more food. Our supplies were far from exhausted, but they would run out, eventually. At least we still had access to running water. We were in the middle of eating dinner when we heard footsteps coming from the roof above the beds. They were standing right next to the small river that ran over our home. I looked at Mum, waiting for her instructions. She brought a finger in front of her mouth, and we listened in silence. She kept telling me there was no way they could find us. The entrance was sealed, and a small waterfall fully covered that wall. Minutes passed, and we heard them walk closer to the entrance, then past it. They were leaving. We sighed in relief, knowing the worst was over. With some luck, they would never come close to this area again. Our hopes were shattered when we heard a voice coming from outside. ¡°We know you are there,¡± it said in fluent Geilspr?n. ¡°Come out peacefully, and we swear by the eight gods not to harm you. If you fail to comply, we¡¯ll drill our way in.¡± The man was using a loudspeaker, and he was aiming it right at us. ¡°Hide under the bed,¡± Mum whispered, grabbing out her hunting knife and bow. I nodded and did as she asked. Peeking from my ¡°safe¡± location, I watched as she cast her magic on the wall, parting the stone to reveal a bearded man in a black uniform already standing behind the waterfall. A sword sheathed into an overly ornamented scabbard hung from his waist. His left hand was empty, while the right held the megaphone he used to call us. Mum stayed right at the entrance of the cave, where the walls still protected her back. The man smiled and bowed to her. He was weird. Mum told me humans didn¡¯t believe in the gods. They weren¡¯t supposed to know our language or greet others this way either. ¡°Good evening, Madam. My name is Stefan Fuchs, Knight Representative of the Spectres of Schwald. And you are?¡± She reluctantly returned the courtesy. ¡°Lystida Br?ndyll. May I ask the reason a human knight came to my door?¡± she replied, using the common tongue. I knew she did it so I wouldn¡¯t have trouble understanding. I was still learning, after all. ¡°Have you finally decided to search and kill the last remaining Dr?ll?¡± ¡°Oh, not at all. Quite the opposite, in fact.¡± The black knight shook his head and bowed once more. ¡°On behalf of my ancestors, I deeply regret the events that took place so many centuries ago. We know a simple apology won¡¯t be enough to fix the damage they caused, but we hope for you to find it in your heart to accept our heartfelt request and cooperate with us now and in the future.¡± Mum sighed. ¡°You have not answered my question. What can an old lady like myself do for you, Sir?¡± The man hung the megaphone to his waist and reached for one of his pockets. Mum took a step back and raised her knife, only to lower it when all that came out was a picture. ¡°This is Kara Druren, a fellow citizen of Schwald. She, along with her parents, went missing a few days ago. We have our reasons to believe she¡¯s here with you.¡± ¡°What makes you think I would keep a human girl with me?¡± Mum asked him. ¡°Nothing at first,¡± he replied. ¡°You see, we¡¯ve known about your existence for a while now, Madam. Your actions over the last few decades have quite the reputation, to put it mildly. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a single citizen in Schwald that hasn¡¯t heard of the shadow people that supposedly inhabit the Black Forest.¡± Hearing this, Mum¡¯s grip on her knife increased. The man noticed it and raised his now empty hands. ¡°Ignoring your nightly visits to our citizens¡¯ campsites, you tend to completely avoid humans. That combined with our previously unsuccessful efforts to locate your hideout, led to the decision to leave you alone.¡± ¡°Well, it certainly does not look like that.¡± He nodded. ¡°Our orders changed when the search party, tasked with finding this girl and her family, located an unusual grave. It¡¯s not every day that you come across a dr?llyn burial, much less one with human remains in it. Upon examination, however, the girl¡¯s remains were nowhere to be found. ¡°We believe you managed to save her and that she¡¯s currently in your custody. All clues point that way. I assure you that no harm will come to you. We just wish to return her to the human world.¡± Mum never told me anything about burying any humans recently. She didn¡¯t like them in the first place. I couldn¡¯t understand what made them think a human girl lived with us. ¡°I am afraid your clues were wrong,¡± she replied. ¡°I am the one responsible for the grave, that much is true, but I brought no human girl with me, nor did I see one when I found the wreckage.¡± The knight raised an eyebrow. ¡°Well then, could you explain why I can see two beds and two sets of dishes with food on your table?¡± She looked back at the things the man pointed to. I saw the worry in her eyes as they made contact with mine. She took a deep breath. ¡°Nyx, come out, dear. The knight wishes to meet you.¡± They had sworn an oath to the gods; I knew it was technically safe for me to go, but I was still scared. I crawled out from under the bed and scurried my way behind her, taking her hand when she offered it. The man¡¯s eyes widened when he saw me. I could see other knights keeping their distance behind him. ¡°Sir Fuchs, I would like for you to meet my daughter, Nyggry Br?ndyll. As you can see, there are no humans here. Just the two of us.¡± He brought the picture out again and stared at me in silence. The back and forth went for so long that it made me feel uncomfortable. ¡°And the father?¡± He asked. ¡°Unfortunately, he died in an accident not too long ago.¡± she answered, looking down. ¡°We are still in mourning, so I would appreciate it if you do not take much longer.¡± It was the first time I heard about it. I had thought his death was the reason Mum didn¡¯t like humans. It never occurred to me that they weren¡¯t involved at all. For some reason, it didn¡¯t feel right to ask, so I waited until she told me. Was that the same accident that made me lose my memories? Why don¡¯t we have any portraits of him? ¡°I¡¯m sorry for your loss,¡± Sir Fuchs said, taking off his hat and placing it over his chest. ¡°Do not be. He is in Geilrilk now.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure he is, Madam.¡± I heard a short cough coming from a woman behind him. She stood the closest to Sir Fuchs. He turned to her and nodded. ¡°Right. If you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d like to continue with our investigation.¡± ¡°I am afraid I do not know what else is there to say,¡± Mum replied curtly. He lifted the photo once more. ¡°Are you sure you didn¡¯t see this girl around when you found her parents? We determined that she would be too injured to move, and there are no traces of anyone but you in the area. We were hoping that you felt pity on her and took her in.¡± Mum crossed her arms and stepped aside. I moved after her. ¡°Feel free to search my home if you do not believe me.¡± The knight smiled gently and shook his head. ¡°No, that won¡¯t be necessary,¡± he said, waving his free hand. ¡°We¡¯ll continue searching for her then. Setting that matter aside, there is one more thing I¡¯d like your help with.¡± ¡°And that is?¡± The woman from before walked closer and pulled out a tablet and some papers from a case she carried. She stood next to Sir Fuchs and bowed. ¡°Greetings, Madam and young miss Br?ndyll. My name is Sabine Schreiber. I am a Record Keeper of the Spectres of Schwald.¡± Mum and I silently returned the gesture. ¡°According to the Law of Global Life Preservation, established in the year 492 of the New Era, we are required to keep a registry of any survivors from the Race Wars that we find. This is necessary to guarantee your freedom and wellbeing as well as to name you official citizens of Schwald. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°By having that title, you are placed under our protection by law, and we can provide you with the minimum necessities for a comfortable life. We also promise not to misuse your information in any way.¡± Hearing what she said, Mum and I glanced at each other. ¡°You mean there are more of us?¡± She asked once the lady was done talking. She nodded. ¡°Correct. Although scarce, there are a few confirmed survivors living in seclusion, just like you two were.¡± ¡°Dr?ll?¡± ¡°Only two others, I¡¯m afraid. A couple living southeast of here, in a cave at the border of Rosivar. Both of them are over 800 years old with no children.¡± That meant it was too late for that as well. They were too old. Mum taught me that the best age for a dr?ll to have children is somewhere between 100 and 600 years of age. Before and after that, it becomes too difficult. Past 700 years, it¡¯s no longer possible. ¡°Can we meet them?¡± Mum asked. ¡°We can arrange something, but you¡¯ll need to go through a short probation period before we can do that,¡± the lady said, smiling. ¡°What do we need to do?¡± ¡°First, you must abide by our law system. You are responsible for multiple cases of robbery in this area, some of those of considerable value. So far, we have turned a blind eye and exempted you from any charges since we understand your needs. However, you must refrain from continuing those activities in the future, now that you¡¯ve been made aware. ¡°Second, we will assign a few members of our order to supervise your family. They will make sure to come visit you once a week, both to confirm your wellbeing and to bring you any items you request, within reason, of course. Last, but not least, you must remain hidden as you have been so far. This third requirement is due for some changes in the near future, but it¡¯s important that you stick to it for now, for your safety.¡± It sounded easy enough. We already did one of those on our own. And stealing would be no longer necessary if they offered to bring us food and other goodies. The only inconvenience was having humans watch over us, though I was sure Mum wouldn¡¯t mind it too much. Despite her opinion of them, we knew it was a small price to pay for all the good things they promised. There was still a possibility they would be scheming something, but I couldn¡¯t see any reason for it. If they wanted us dead, it wouldn¡¯t have taken them long. Human weapons are scary, and, from the sound of it, there were enough of them present. ¡°Very well. We agree to those terms,¡± Mum finally said. ¡°Though I would like for you to swear an oath to the gods, just to be safe.¡± The knight nodded and was about to speak when another man came running, getting our attention. ¡°Sir, there¡¯s something you must see.¡± Sir Fuchs excused himself and followed the newcomer away. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we will make the oath,¡± Sabine said as the men walked away. ¡°We¡¯ve got most of your information already, so all we need now is your age, a picture, and for you to read and sign a document that we¡¯ll use to get your ID cards. It¡¯s written in Geilspraen for convenience. If you don¡¯t have a signature, we can get you an ink pad for you to sign with your fingerprints. The cards will be delivered with your wellbeing supervisors in a week.¡± ¡°Very well,¡± Mum responded, bobbing her head once. ¡°I am 611 years of age. Nyx is 15.¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± The woman took note of the numbers, and then we walked in and sat by the table while Mum read the documents. Once she was done, Sabine gave her a pen, and she signed the paper. They offered me the ink pad when my turn came, but I had my signature. I grabbed the pen and swiftly signed it. Right then, Sir Fuchs walked in with a frown on his face. ¡°You have some explaining to do, Madam.¡± She turned to look at him wide eyed. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°We just received the results from the analysis made to the blood samples we recovered at the crash site. These tests confirmed the presence of a virus capable of turning humans into other races. And it just so happens that Kara had the right genetics to become a dr?ll.¡± As he said that, Sabine grabbed the paper I signed and showed it to him. He eyed it and turned it so Mum could see it. ¡°Her signature confirms it.¡± It was my turn to be confused. Somehow, I had used that name when signing the paper. Something clicked in my mind then. ¡°Did you mess with this girl¡¯s memories to make her think she was your daughter?¡± ¡°No!¡± Mum? shouted. ¡°I would never do such a thing!¡± ¡°Then you better explain what happened, because this girl is clearly not who you claimed.¡± She fiddled in silence, looking at the floor. Everyone stared at her. I wanted to support her, but I also wanted to know the truth. I needed to know. ¡°Fine¡­¡± She sighed and opened a hidden compartment in the wall, taking a small box from it. She then got her diary from the bookshelf and took a seat at the table. ¡°Nyx, dear, come. We need to talk.¡± ¡°Is that even my name?¡± I asked, sitting down. I felt guilty from the way she looked at me when I did. ¡°No. Sir Fuchs is right. Your real name is Kara. I just did not know until now.¡± She opened the box and grabbed a picture from within. ¡°I kept this safe for you. Thought you would like to have it if you ever recovered your memories.¡± I took it and examined it. The people in it looked familiar, but I could not remember them. Between both parents stood a girl holding a notebook. It was the same girl from the picture the knights had. Mum¡­ Lystida grabbed that same notebook from the box and placed it on the table. I opened it, revealing hundreds of sketches. Animals, buildings, scenery, there was a bit of everything. I traced my fingers over them. I recognised them; they were mine. Lystida opened her diary and began reading it out loud. I watched the scene she narrated. Not from her point of view, but within the car as it fell. It was all a blurry memory, but it matched her words. I remembered a pair of glowing amethyst eyes staring back at me in the darkness of the night. I looked at the portrait that hung over my bed. I did look like her sister, but how? She then read the theory about me being a descendant of her sister. It made sense at first, but I was human until recently. Even though most of it was still obscure to me, I was certain of that much. Lystida took my hand and gently squeezed it in hers. ¡°I¡­ I was no older than you when I lost both my parents. When I lost everyone.¡± She sniffled, and I looked at her face. She was crying for the first time since I met her. ¡°All those years of solitude. Of sadness. I could not let you go through the same pain I did. I knew I could never replace your family, but I hoped to give you the love they were no longer able to. Even before your transformation, I was ready to go against my prejudices and give you a place you could call home.¡± She chuckled and cleaned her face with her sleeves. ¡°I admit I was a bit selfish. I have always wanted a daughter, you know. I never had that chance. That is why, to me, you were a gift from the gods. A chance to have something I could only dream of. I am sorry for lying to you. I really am. Just know that I never did it with the intention of hurting you. I love you!¡± It was a lot to take in. Nobody else said anything, giving me time to think about it. Once I had made up my mind, I turned to Sir Fuchs and asked, ¡°Can you take me to my parents¡¯ grave? I need to see it.¡± He nodded. ¡°We¡¯ll be waiting outside. Come out when you¡¯re ready.¡± Lystida didn¡¯t move, she remained seated, holding her head low and almost touching the table. I couldn¡¯t see her face. I took her hand and pulled so she stood up. ¡°I want you to come with me.¡± She lifted her head to look at me, the jewels that were her eyes stared right into mine. ¡°Yes.¡± She inhaled deeply and stood up. ¡°Let us go.¡± ---<>----------<>----------<>--- The spectres had us get on one of their trucks to get there. Apparently, Lystida made sure to bury my parents far enough from her home. She didn¡¯t speak at all during the trip. While her behaviour worried me, I appreciated the silence. There was a lot to think about, after all. Some of my memories had come back, though most of them were blurry and confusing. Almost none about my parents, and I still couldn¡¯t remember who I was. Lystida¡¯s eyes widened as we got out of the vehicle. Looking at the same spot revealed nothing to me. There was only a large tree and some shrubbery around it. ¡°Surprised?¡± Sir Fuchs asked her. ¡°The desecration of the grave was necessary for our investigation, but we did our best to return it to its original state after that. They deserve respect, and so do you. You may have done it thinking they were like you, but we still thank you for the service you did.¡± Walking closer to the grave, I could finally see it, hidden between all the plants. A long oval mound of dirt with a tiny wooden boat resting on top. It was surrounded by eight river rocks. Each of them had a symbol carved on it. Although Lystida hadn¡¯t taught me about it, I assumed they represented the gods. A tablet-like stone stood at the far end. On it, there was a golden plate with the names of my parents. Karl and Madison. Our last name was written below. Lystida crouched and ran her fingers over the letters. Seeing this, Sir Fuchs explained, ¡°The tombstone was blank, so we took the liberty of adding that finishing touch. We believe that the names of our dead should be honoured when possible.¡± The knight then walked to me and placed a hand on my shoulder. ¡°Would you like some time alone with them?¡± I nodded. ¡°We¡¯ll be waiting by the trucks,¡± he said, smiling at me. Lystida stood up to follow him. I grabbed her hand as she walked next to me. ¡°Stay,¡± I mumbled. Knowing she heard me, I didn¡¯t repeat myself. She stared at me, silently nodding before she stood behind me. I looked back at the grave as I held the picture she gave me. My parents were smiling. I wanted to believe it was at me. After taking a deep breath, I talked to them. ¡°Mum, Dad, it¡¯s me, Kara. I look a bit different, I guess.¡± I stared at myself in the photograph. ¡°Maybe too different¡­¡± I sniffled. ¡°I¡¯m sorry it took me so long to come visit you.¡± I stayed silent, somehow expecting a reply from them. Giving up on the wishful thought, I continued, ¡°I just wanted to let you know that I¡¯m fine. You don¡¯t need to worry about me. I lost my memories, and I¡¯m a little confused right now, but I¡¯m alright. I¡­ I don¡¯t really know what else to say. I wish I could remember more.¡± Looking behind me, I took Lystida¡¯s hand again and brought her next to me. ¡°This is Lystida. I guess you met her already when she uh¡­ Anyway, she has been taking good care of me all this time. She also hid many things from me, but I forgive her. I hope you don¡¯t mind that I call her Mum, too. She¡¯s very kind and teaches me many things. I love her.¡± I chuckled. ¡°She doesn¡¯t let me near the kitchen, though.¡± I lifted my head to see Mum crying and smiled at her. I turned back to the plate and placed my hand on top of it. ¡°I promise to come visit you again. Goodbye.¡± With that, we went back to the trucks. There, we let Sir Fuchs know that I would be staying with Mum from now on. He agreed, saying it would be for the best. It was better if I stayed hidden. When they headed back to their city, they would declare that Kara Druren died the same night my parents did. Lystida became my official mother after Sabine made us sign a few more documents. My name was registered as Kara Nyggry Br?ndryll. Chapter 25: A Hairy Situation We started after lunch. I was led to Dr. Blake¡¯s office, where they had everything set up for the video call. None of us expected a miracle, but if I could somehow calm, or at least distract, Connor enough for him to listen, it would greatly help Lucy with her task. I was nervous, yet not afraid. He was like me, someone who had changed enough to be considered a monster. In a sense, I was somewhat eager to talk with him. The call initiated, but Connor wasn¡¯t on. The screen announced that there was only one participant in it. It didn¡¯t take long for us to receive the news that Lucy¡¯s words had become reality. The werewolf was so furious after being sedated for the third time, that he had thrown his nightstand at the equipment the moment he woke up, ruining our plan completely. Ironically, this behaviour ended up with them knocking him out and restraining him again. That couldn¡¯t be healthy. We were back to square one. Alex had taken the chance to take a nap while they thought of something else. He hadn¡¯t been able to sleep properly due to waking up so early. I hoped he would make it to our night session. Fortunately, Lucy was so busy with this matter that she had completely forgotten about the magic demonstration we were supposed to hold. Sylvia¡¯s morning sickness wasn¡¯t as bad as yesterday, but it was still enough that she stayed in her room. Although she tried hiding it when I visited her, it was clearly ruining her mood. It made me wonder if demons simply had it worse with pregnancies. Hopefully not. With some luck, it was simply a side effect from the virus being at work. It didn¡¯t solve Sylvia¡¯s situation, though. After my visit ended, I spent some time reading in my room. There were no new threads of importance. The Culling had taken over the minds of many. Narration of old legends and conspiracy theories regarding fantastic beings were completely replaced by homemade armour tutorials to survive infected animal attacks, quarantine life hacks and, funny enough, conspiracy theories about the virus being created by the government or a tactic to control the population. I would¡¯ve considered it nonsense if it weren¡¯t for the fact that the virus was really man made. If Alex and Anna were right, it was also being used for their benefits. Night fell, and I was done getting ready for my magic lesson. I still had a few minutes before I needed to go down. Sitting at my table, my eyes drifted to the window. I didn¡¯t get to practise today. The urge to jump and fly out of my room made its presence again. This time, it was harder to resist, probably due to the lack of exercise. Whatever the reason was, I suddenly found myself opening the window and staring into the forest. I looked down and backed away. It was high enough for my acrophobia to trigger. Despite it being just slightly higher than what Allison normally lifted me, the lack of her grip on my body or a lake below me made it scarier. It didn¡¯t feel safe. I walked back to the window with the intention of closing it. The next moment, I was outside, flying. Despite the immediate panic, my wings kept me stable. The fear soon became excitement. I loved the feeling of soaring above the trees, watching the stars above me and the wildlife below. The night made it so much better than the last time. It was a completely different experience. The euphoria lasted for a few minutes, fading as my wings began to tire. I could think clearly then. As much as I enjoyed the flight session, it was concerning that I lost control of myself with such ease. It was something I needed to consult with Lucy. Hopefully, she would know how to help. Flying back to the building, I saw that everyone was already waiting for me at the terrace. Though Lucy was absent, as expected. Anna was the first one to notice me. She heard the flapping of my wings as I got closer, so she turned to look my way. I could tell that she hadn¡¯t located me yet. Her lack of nocturnal vision and the lighting of the terrace were responsible for that. Alex, on the other hand, reacted to her movement and took no time in spotting me, waving at me after he did. By the time I reached them, everyone was aware of my presence. ¡°Hi, guys,¡± I said as I clumsily landed. Allison managed to stop me from toppling to the floor at the last moment. Anna shook her head slowly as she asked, ¡°Had fun out there, Nora?¡± I struggled to hide a smile, ¡°A bit.¡± ¡°How long have you been out here, anyway? None of us saw you go out.¡± ¡°I may have jumped out of my window a few minutes ago,¡± I replied, looking that way. She gave me a concerned look. ¡°Please tell me that¡¯s not going to become an everyday thing. Don¡¯t take me wrong. It¡¯s amazing that you keep on practising, but it would give me some peace of mind if you avoided unnecessary risks.¡± I nodded. ¡°No more jumping from windows. Got it!¡± I think. ¡°For now. Feel free to do it once you have it under control. You can go now. I¡¯ll close that window for you.¡± ¡°Thanks!¡± ---<>----------<>----------<>--- Belaury was waiting for us at the usual spot. Viken stood next to her this time. They also had a wooden bucket with water placed between them. After greeting us, Viken handed us a short list of ingredients we needed to gather for him to work on Sylvia¡¯s medicine. Most were stuff anyone could get at the local supermarket, like ginger and fennel seeds. With some luck, everything would already be waiting for us somewhere in the kitchen storage. All we needed to do was sneak our way in once everyone else went to bed. We had done the same with the salt my teacher asked for a few days prior. ¡°Today we¡¯ll work on your control,¡± Belaury said as Viken walked to a tree and sat down on the grass to watch the lesson. Alex took the chance to go and chat with him. Due to the difference in our schedules, we never got to interact with the old man. ¡°What do I need to do?¡± I asked, eager to see what kind of activity she had for me. My teacher looked down, searching for something. She smiled and kneeled to grab a pebble on the ground. It floated over her hand, spinning and quickly reshaping into a sphere. Satisfied, she took the marble between her fingers and extended her arm to me. ¡°Here, take it.¡± I did as she requested and inspected the small object in confusion. ¡°That will be your reference,¡± she explained. ¡°What I want you to do is to replicate what I did by using your ice magic on this water. You need to make sure each ball is the exact same size as your reference or I¡¯ll reject it. Keep doing it until you reach exhaustion. Your goal is to get me to accept every single sphere you make.¡± ¡°What happens if I fail?¡± She crossed her arms and smirked. ¡°You¡¯ll have to repeat the same task every day until you get it. Keep in mind that your capacity is still increasing, so it¡¯s in your best interest to get the hang of it before it grows too much. The more of those you can make, the higher is the chance to make a mistake.¡± I frowned in response. Her threat didn¡¯t make much sense to me. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t that probability diminish the better I get at it? The way I see it, I¡¯ll reach a point where I won¡¯t make a mistake, regardless of the number.¡± The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. My teacher chuckled. ¡°Ideally, yes. That¡¯s the objective of this practice, after all.¡± ¡°Then?¡± ¡°This is merely the first step, my apprentice. Think of it as an introduction; something to get you accustomed to the task. After you succeed with this one, I¡¯ll increase the difficulty. I¡¯m talking about time restrictions, using dirty water, and performing whilst blindfolded. It gets interesting once those pile up.¡± ¡°Oh. I see...¡± ¡°But that is a concern for the future. You may start now.¡± Despite the scare, I discovered that the task wasn¡¯t too difficult. Sure, I failed, but it was my first time trying. There was no way for me to accomplish it in one go, not with the small detail Belaury decided to omit. Although, it was also my fault for not thinking carefully before I began. Getting the water spheres to the size I wanted was a piece of cake. If that had been my challenge, I had no doubts I would¡¯ve cleared it in one go. The problem was something I didn¡¯t take into account before I started. Water expands when frozen. When I made the first ball, I did so to perfectly match the pebble¡¯s diameter, and this ended up ruining my whole run from the very beginning. In order to complete my task successfully, I needed to experiment a lot on the size of the spheres so that they would match the reference once they expanded upon freezing. Unfortunately, just as I was starting to get the hang of it, I reached my limit. I sighed in disappointment, hoping that I could remember the feeling tomorrow. If I did, I knew I could clear the first challenge with ease. ---<>----------<>----------<>--- Back at the centre, I entered my room, not caring about turning the lights on, as usual. The curtains moved, getting my attention. The slight breeze made it clear that Anna had forgotten to close the window. I pushed them away to reveal that she actually did as she said. There was no breeze. Letting go of the fabric caused the real culprit to crawl out of it. I fell backwards as I released the shrillest scream I¡¯d ever produced. Hurried steps could be heard from the hallway, and the door opened to reveal... ¡°Connor!?¡± I shouted, trying to recover from my fall. Wasn¡¯t he restrained? The black furred werewolf was standing outside of my room. He was panting. His mismatched brown and blue eyes scanned the whole place in search of something before they fixed on me. The panting stopped, and everything went silent. His staring quickly became uncomfortable. I shook my head and ran to him, somehow expecting that he could deal with that thing for me. ¡°Please help me! There¡¯s a-¡± I couldn¡¯t even finish the sentence when he suddenly disappeared from my view, tackled by Alex. I rushed out of the room to see both of them rolling on the ground. ¡°What are you waiting for!? Get away from here!¡± Alex yelled as Connor pinned him to the floor. He was too strong for him. Seeing how the werewolf readied his hand for a strike, I shouted, ¡°No! Stop! Stop it!¡± Connor obeyed, although he didn¡¯t move from his position. He simply turned around to look at me. Alex took the chance to sucker punch him. Connor growled in response, and so did I when I saw him go back at it. ¡°Both of you, stop now!¡± Once they finally let go of each other and got up, I began my scolding, ¡°Why did you do that, Alex?¡± The vampire frowned. ¡°Isn¡¯t that obvious? He was trying to hurt you.¡± ¡°Hurt me how? All he did was stand there. He wouldn¡¯t even be here if I didn¡¯t... Oh.¡± I brought my hands to my face in embarrassment. I heard a large group running upstairs. The others had probably heard me as well. The door next to me creaked open. ¡°What happened?¡± Sylvia asked. She was on her feet, trying to push Jackie away. The nurse was adamant in not letting her out. ¡°Connor rushed to my room when I screamed,¡± I replied. ¡°Then Alex came and thought he was attacking me.¡± ¡°Yeah, well done, idiot.¡± Connor commented. ¡°Shut up, Mutt,¡± Alex replied. Connor growled in response, but dropped the hostility almost instantly. He then looked at his hands. My guess was that he had forgotten about his appearance until Alex reminded him of it. ¡°I¡¯m going to have to ask you to refrain from using such nicknames, Alex,¡± Lucy said as she walked past me. Anna, Dr. Blake, Gary and a few other assistants were already present too. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine,¡± Connor grumbled. ¡°It¡¯s what I am, anyway.¡± He began walking back to his room. ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting for the next sedative in bed. Sorry about the restraints, by the way.¡± He spoke unexpectedly well given the shape of his mouth. ¡°Connor, wait!¡± Lucy went after him, followed by all the assistants except for Gary. The werewolf didn¡¯t stop and started running instead. Anna placed a hand on my shoulder, getting my attention. ¡°Are you all right?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± I replied. ¡°Like I said, Connor was only trying to help.¡± ¡°He was? Help with what?¡± ¡°Right, I forgot about it. Their fight distracted me.¡± I glanced at the interior of the dark room. ¡°A huge spider hid inside the curtains and took me by surprise.¡± ¡°Is it still there?¡± she asked. I nodded. ¡°I can¡¯t see it from here, so it must have moved.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s my queue to go back inside,¡± Sylvia commented, rubbing one of her legs with her hand. I didn¡¯t particularly love spiders either, but I didn¡¯t mind having them around as long as they weren¡¯t dangerous or decided to use me as a climbing post. This one was way too big, though. Jackie gave out a relieved sigh before following her. I waved at Sylvia. ¡°Rest well.¡± As I did, Dr. Blake walked into my room and turned the lights on. Shortly after, he came out and talked to Gary. ¡°Would you mind fetching a bug carrier from the lab? The biggest one you can find, please.¡± Gary nodded. ¡°Yessir.¡± ¡°Anything special about it?¡± Anna asked, raising an eyebrow at him. Dr. Blake pointed to the room. ¡°See for yourself if you want. It¡¯s on the wall above the bed.¡± Anna peeked at it from the safety of the doorframe. ¡°Nope!¡± She immediately backed away from it. It wasn¡¯t long before Gary returned with a plastic cage. It was like the ones they sell at pet stores. Dr. Blake took it from his hands and walked back into my room to catch the creepy crawly. Moments later he came out with one of the biggest spiders I¡¯d ever seen. Its pale brown body was long and thin. The same went for its legs. A pair of huge black eyes at the front of the head made it look like an alien. According to the doctor, it was an ogre-faced spider. A species that rarely grew more than one¡¯s thumb, legs fully stretched. The monster I was staring at, however, could cover my entire face with its limbs. I shuddered at the thought. Anna observed the critter in its cramped container, keeping her distance. She looked up at her father and asked, ¡°Are you thinking what I¡¯m thinking?¡± He nodded. ¡°It is a virus, after all. It¡¯s only natural to think that it could mutate and spillover at some point.¡± My biology teacher once mentioned something regarding that. They explained it by comparing viruses to keys and our DNA to locks. Only the right keys have access to a specific lock. Without the proper genetic code, a virus has no effect on us. While all viruses mutate, some do faster than others. That is the reason certain vaccines don¡¯t work for long. Occasionally, the ¡®key¡¯ changes its shape enough to be able to infect another species. I was certain that was what they were talking about. ¡°Let¡¯s take our new friend to the lab,¡± Dr. Blake continued. ¡°I want to see what kind of secrets it¡¯s hiding.¡± I didn¡¯t follow them, obviously. Not that I could be of any help down there. Instead, I turned the opposite way to see Lucy and two assistants standing outside of Connor¡¯s room. Walking closer to them, I asked, ¡°Is everything okay?¡± ¡°He won¡¯t let us in. We already told him that we won¡¯t sedate him, but it seems that¡¯s no longer his concern.¡± She stopped to look at me and placed her thumb against her lips. ¡°Do you want to try?¡± she whispered. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Just knock on the door and talk to him,¡± she replied, still in low volume. ¡°He¡¯s seen you already. He even tried to help you earlier. I know I keep repeating myself, but it¡¯s worth the shot. You¡¯re the only one he hasn¡¯t shown hostility to so far.¡± I took a deep breath and thought about it. Him hurting me was not a possibility in my mind. Like Lucy said, he meant to help me when I screamed, and I had done nothing to anger him so far. This was different than before, though. He had a reason to interact with me then. Now, there was none. I guess the worst I¡¯ll get is him refusing to let me in. ¡°I¡¯ll try,¡± I finally muttered. ¡°Great. We¡¯ll give you two some space,¡± she said, walking a few steps back whilst dragging the assistants with her. I stared at the door and took a moment to gather the courage. While it was understandable, I didn¡¯t like to get ¡®no¡¯ for an answer. It didn¡¯t feel right. Knocking on the door, I spoke to him. ¡°Connor? It¡¯s Nora. The uh¡­ the demon.¡± I clicked my tongue in frustration. Moments like this made it uncomfortable to refer to myself as such. ¡°I know who you are,¡± he shouted from inside. ¡°What do you want?¡± I cleared my throat. ¡°I¡¯d like to thank you for what you did earlier.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything. You don¡¯t have to thank me.¡± ¡°That was Alex¡¯s fault. It¡¯s the intention that counts.¡± ¡°Whatever. If that¡¯s all you wanted to say, just leave.¡± I rolled my eyes. It was clear my attempt at breaking the ice wasn¡¯t working. ¡°Mind if I come in?¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I just want to talk with you.¡± There was silence. Well, I tried. I turned to my left to see my audience watching from afar and shrugged at them. ¡°You know what? Fuck it. Come on in,¡± He finally said. Chapter 26: Letting Go ¡°What are you waiting for?¡± Connor shouted when I hesitated for too long. The door creaked faintly as I pushed it open, revealing the werewolf sitting on his bed. He covered himself with the bedsheets, leaving only his head visible. Both ears were down, just like a dog¡¯s. It was my only indication of Connor¡¯s mood. I couldn¡¯t discern his facial expressions with clarity. Stepping inside, I closed the door and walked to the table. My eyes never left his. Finally reaching my destination, I pulled one chair out and turned it around, resting my arms on the backrest, as I was already used to doing. Silence prevailed even after I took a seat. ¡°I thought you wanted to talk,¡± Connor finally said. I looked down, trying to come up with the right words as I fiddled with my fingers. Anything that wouldn¡¯t be considered rude, condescending, or outright stupid. His silent stare just added more pressure. I didn¡¯t actually expect him to let me in, so I hadn¡¯t thought of anything to say. Why did he do it, anyway? Is it because of my appearance? Was Lucy right? That was the one thing I wanted to know. It wasn¡¯t how I would¡¯ve liked to start the conversation, but it was important to me. ¡°Why did you let me in?¡± ¡°Curiosity, mostly,¡± he replied, doing what seemed to be a frown. ¡°Everyone is too scared of me. You aren¡¯t.¡± ¡°I find that hard to believe,¡± I said, raising an eyebrow. ¡°Maybe the nurses or some of the assistants, but not everyone.¡± He shook his head. ¡°I can smell it.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Their fear.¡± I frowned, not expecting him to say something so weird. ¡°Is it really that hard to believe?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t doubt you¡¯re able to, but how can you tell?¡± ¡°I just can!¡± He shouted. ¡°And everyone reeks of it! They saw me as a monster from the moment I woke up. And who can blame them? I mean, just look at me!¡± That was the reaction I wanted to avoid. I thought about what he said. There¡¯s no way he¡¯s right. He¡¯s probably confused. Or is he? What if he can really tell the difference? Perhaps it¡¯s like my growling. Something that comes on instinct. ¡°You had that scent earlier,¡± he continued. ¡°Though it was gone by the time you stopped us. That¡¯s when I realised your fear wasn¡¯t aimed at me, but at something else¡­ What was it that scared you?¡± ¡°Ah, right. I saw a very big spider in my room.¡± ¡°You screamed like that because of a spider?¡± ¡°Hey, it was huge!¡± He snorted. ¡°Sure, whatever you say.¡± I simply rolled my eyes, not bothering to insist. He would most likely take anything I said as an exaggeration. It was easier to show it to him later on. Assuming they didn¡¯t dispose of it after they were done with their experiments. Would they even let him see it? ¡°The point is that your attitude towards me made me curious about you,¡± he continued. ¡°Is it because of your own situation? Do they fear you too?¡± So that was it. I guess it makes sense. ¡°I don¡¯t think anyone here is scared of me.¡± I replied, shaking my head. ¡°No, I simply realised that you were only there to help me, and I find it hard to be scared when I know you aren¡¯t a bad person.¡± ¡°Well, I appreciate it.¡± He sighed. ¡°I¡¯m somewhat disappointed, though. I thought you would understand me.¡± ¡°I never said I didn¡¯t know what being feared feels like. Nobody here is scared of me, but that¡¯s because they got to know me before I looked like this. When it comes to new people, however, I know what you mean. Like you said, we can¡¯t really blame them. It took me a while to get used to seeing my own reflection.¡± ¡°How can you stand it?¡± He asked. ¡°How can you endure having a body that you know isn¡¯t yours? All I can think of right now is ripping everything off. These fucking ears, the tail, the fur, the claws. None of those should be here. This is not me. I am human!¡± I bit my lip in response. To me, the answer was already clear, and it pained me to see some of my previous self in his anxiety. I wanted to make it easier for him. To point out the good things that the transformation brought. Magic was never a bad thing in my book. In his case, strength and heightened senses were also there for sure. Is it the right answer, though? Am I the one who is wrong for accepting it so easily? What about the others? Is it normal for them because they didn¡¯t change that much? I shook my head out of that train of thought. It was not the time to think of the past, no matter how recent it was. In the end, I very much preferred to be someone who adapted freakishly fast to a radical change, rather than agonising about it like him. Because we were so different, I feared that my next words would cause the opposite effect on Connor, but it was him who asked the question. He wanted to know how I came to terms with my own situation, and there really was no other answer. ¡°I guess I just learned to accept it and see the good in it,¡± I replied. His ears perked up and focused on me. ¡°I think it¡¯s important to point out that my transformation went very differently to yours. And I don¡¯t mean how we are a different race. No. To begin with, I was awake during most of the process.¡± ¡°Honestly, that sounds more terrifying.¡± ¡°Does it?¡± I asked, knitting my brow. ¡°To watch as your body slowly transforms while you can do nothing about it? I can¡¯t believe you actually made me feel fortunate to just wake up like this.¡± His statement caught me off guard, making me fake a cough to suppress the chuckle that almost came out. Laughing could¡¯ve been dangerous, although I doubted that he would attack me because of it. I simply didn¡¯t want to hurt his feelings. ¡°I guess you¡¯re right. I didn¡¯t see it that way. To me, though, it made the changes easier to accept.¡± ¡°You¡¯re weird.¡± I smirked at him. ¡°Maybe. To be honest, I was thinking something similar just now. I guess I had my mind mostly focused on the pros that the change brought. I can fly now. I can also see in the dark and use magic.¡± His expression didn¡¯t change when I mentioned magic. That meant he was already aware. It probably wasn¡¯t enough for him to accept the change. ¡°Like those, there are many other things that, to me, make the good greater than the bad. There were a couple of situations that made me doubt myself, of course. How my family would receive me or the way society may treat me once they learn of my existence. Stuff like that. I¡¯ve been proven right a couple of times, unfortunately.¡± This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. He nodded. ¡°But now I can only believe that¡¯s just how people are. Some like us, and others don¡¯t. And you know what? I¡¯ve decided to stop caring so much about it. My body changed, and yes, the virus made it so I no longer feel strange in it, but I¡¯m still the same person, and I like being myself. It¡¯s all that matters to me, and I have my family and my friends there to support me. ¡°I know that our views and appearances are probably quite different from each other, Connor, but I think that you should at least give this transformation a chance. Who knows? Maybe it will eventually feel normal, like it did with me.¡± ¡°Do you really think it¡¯s that easy?¡± I shrugged. ¡°That is my own experience. Honestly, I can¡¯t promise you anything. You know yourself better than I do. The thing is¡­ I don¡¯t really think there¡¯s much of a choice right now. They can¡¯t seem to create a vaccine for this virus, so I doubt they¡¯ll have better luck finding a way to reverse its effects. Maybe I¡¯m wrong. Maybe they¡¯ll come up with a cure, but would you bet everything on that? What if they never do? Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s better to say that at least you tried?¡± He was silent. Only the sound of his deep breathing was present. His eyes wandered to the floor and then to my face. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know. I need some time to think about it. Alone, if possible.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± I nodded and stood up, fixing the chair¡¯s position to face the table once more. ¡°Thank you for letting me talk with you.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± he replied with a weak wave. ¡°Thanks to you.¡± Walking towards the door, I noticed a shadow under it. ¡°See you later, Connor,¡± I said loudly enough to let them know I was coming out. I didn¡¯t want him to know they were eavesdropping, even though I doubted they heard much. Neither of us was loud enough. The last I saw before closing the door was him staring at the same hand he had lifted. I hoped everything went well for him. ¡°So?¡± Lucy whispered without delay. The assistants were no longer around, meaning they probably left once they knew he wasn¡¯t going to hurt me. ¡°He needs some time alone. Was it necessary to stand right outside of his door?¡± I whispered back, glaring at her. We started walking to our rooms after that. She sighed. ¡°Sorry. I can¡¯t help being worried.¡± ¡°Something tells me he will be fine. Like I said, he just needs some time to think about it.¡± ¡°I see...¡± We kept walking, and she agreed that no one should bother him until he was ready. He still needed to eat, so she would suggest leaving a tray with food by his door. Then it was up to him to accept it or not. Lucy also asked about me, or rather about that second voice in my head. I decided to keep it vague. I simply told her about it answering with short or incomplete sentences, and only doing so from time to time. It didn¡¯t seem wise to tell her I knew what it was or why it came to me. To begin with, I wasn¡¯t so sure myself. I also didn¡¯t want her to think I was truly going mad. It was one thing to hear voices, and another to believe them when they claimed they were a spirit that descended from the heavens to grant me a cheat for my magic. The description I gave seemed to confirm to her that it was a Tulpa. Apparently, it was common for them to not speak properly during their early stages. She asked me to keep her informed about it, and I agreed. It was the best option until I could confirm it really was what it said it was. I also brought up my sudden behaviours, like me jumping out of the window after a big urge to fly or even that time when I used magic despite Anna¡¯s warnings. She pondered on it for a bit, though she told me it simply sounded like normal behaviour. Sure, jumping out of the window was certainly not normal for a human child, but I was no human. She said we could talk more about it in our next session if it kept on bothering me, and then wished me a good night. Unfortunately, the spirit didn¡¯t speak to me this night, making me wait to confirm what Lucy told me. I was somewhat disappointed about it, although this probably meant it wasn¡¯t by my side all the time. I certainly appreciated having some privacy, if that was the case. ---<>----------<>----------<>--- The next day arrived, and I woke up as late as always. I had gone to bed early, planning on going back to my usual schedule, but Alex¡¯s words became true. It didn¡¯t feel good. It was a similar sensation to having an entire day of rain. It affected my mood. Because of that, I ended up going back to bed after just an hour of waking up. Lunch went by uneventfully. Anna and Dr. Blake were nowhere to be seen, and like them, most lab personnel were locked downstairs. That spider was definitely important for their investigation. Without anyone there to give us our daily news on the virus, the conversation was mostly casual. Allison and Rex were finally able to tap into their mana core, thanks to Viken¡¯s guidance. Officially, though, they simply worked together to figure it out. Lily, on the other hand, was still busy with her school studies. Apparently, Dr. Blake was a very good teacher, and while she still didn¡¯t like to spend so much of the day on those activities, she didn¡¯t hate it because of his way of explaining things. Sylvia¡¯s morning sickness was tame enough to let her eat with us, and she spent most of the time chatting with Allison. I listened to their conversation from time to time. It was unavoidable, considering my hearing. Although, they didn¡¯t say anything of interest to me. Occasionally, some green uniformed strangers would walk into the building carrying a covered cage. Nobody paid much attention to them, so I assumed they were the rangers I¡¯d heard so much about. The content of the cages made me curious, though. Given the timing, they were likely spiders. Their presence of these people in the forest during my free flight training was a confirmation of my assumptions. I never got to see any other giant spiders. Not when walking through the woods, and even less when flying so high. Though, I did see another two of the rangers take cages back to the building. In total, I counted six spiders, and there were probably a few more I hadn¡¯t seen. Their origin was a mystery to me. I had visited these woods on a daily basis for weeks, and I never saw even the tiniest hint of the overgrown arachnids. Then, out of nowhere, a large number of them appeared. I wanted to think that they simply hid well enough. It explained why I hadn¡¯t seen one in the wild yet. The rangers probably knew where to look for them, although that still didn¡¯t explain why they hadn¡¯t before I found the first. Either they blended well with their environment and were only visible once you were aware of them, or they grew really fast. My guessing finally came to an end as I went back for my evening break. Anna had gone out to stretch her legs for a bit, and I took the chance to ask her directly. ¡°We confirmed the presence of the MAV in all of those spiders,¡± she commented. ¡°Oddly enough, the virus is still active in their bodies, which makes their mutation similar to how yours went. The one strange thing about it, however, is that neither has changed at all since they were caught. It would make sense for the ones we found recently, but not for the first.¡± ¡°Do you have any hypothesis on that?¡± ¡°Well, we did. We thought this could be a new type of carrier. One that does transform with the virus. As you may have guessed already, it wasn¡¯t. We did some experimenting with human blood samples, and none of them were infected. Now we don¡¯t know what¡¯s happening. All we can do is wait to see if they change after a while. We¡¯ll keep them in a terrarium downstairs for observation.¡± She went back to the laboratory shortly after that, although I managed to get permission from her to take things from the pantry at night, once the coast was clear. I spent the rest of my break visiting Sylvia. She was in great condition, meaning I could convince Clarice to leave us alone for a couple of hours. She wasn¡¯t allowed to accompany us to the forest yet, though. Because of that, I used that time to summarise how things had been lately with Belaury at her request. When the time came, Alex and I left for the forest to meet with my teacher. She was there, waiting like usual, playing with a small red object in her hands. Getting closer, I noticed the object was a gem, probably a ruby or something like that. ¡°Hello, my apprentice.¡± She said once we were close enough, ignoring Alex as always. He simply chuckled and took a seat at the table. ¡°Are you going to keep this game forever?¡± I asked her, looking at him. ¡°Who knows,¡± she replied with a smirk, crossing her arms. ¡°Maybe if he actually stays quiet and doesn¡¯t interrupt at least once every single class.¡± I rolled my eyes and shrugged at him. He simply returned the gesture. ¡°What is that gem, anyway?¡± I said, pointing at her hand. She smiled and lifted her hand in front of me, presenting the stone on her open palm. ¡°This, Nora, is an enchanted gemstone. Do you remember what I said about them?¡± I nodded, picking up the jewel to examine the symbol visible within its core. There were four lines arranged into a cross around a big dot. It was similar to a crosshair from Allen¡¯s shooting games. Taking a close look at it, I noticed each line was an arrow pointing outwards. The arrowheads were small and with a slight curve. ¡°You said that every enchanted gemstone has a rune. Something about it forming as a side effect?¡± ¡°Correct. Each rune is unique to the spell they represent. This is useful to identify the magic contained in an unknown gem. I happened to find this one hiding in a drawer of our storage room. It¡¯s been centuries since I last needed it, so I had forgotten I had it.¡± ¡°What spell does it contain?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a basic fire spell. Something one used to find with ease at any elven market. Its primary use is to light up things like a stove or a campfire, but it can also be used for self-defence. When I became an elementarist, this stone lost its purpose, but I always kept it in case Viken and I ever thought of having another child.¡± She looked up and blinked rapidly before continuing. ¡°We eventually decided that it was too cruel to bring another elf into this world. In constant danger, with little to no chance to find love, and the possibility of them being left alone when we died. That¡¯s what we often said to each other, but, to be honest, there¡¯s also a part of me that never got over the loss of my daughter.¡± She sniffed and put her hands around mine, closing them around the red gem. ¡°But I think it¡¯s time I finally let go of the past and look at the present. Because now, there¡¯s someone else in my life. I know we haven¡¯t known each other for too long, Nora, but you are my apprentice, and that makes you the closest thing I¡¯ll ever get to a granddaughter. That¡¯s why I would like you to have this.¡± I looked up at her, mouth agape. My eyes stung a bit. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say.¡± Belaury patted my head, her smile still present. ¡°You don¡¯t need to say anything, my dear. To me, it¡¯s more than enough that you continue learning and training. As your teacher, that is the best gift you can ever give me.¡± ¡°I will!¡± I said, holding the jewel against my chest. ¡°Thank you very much!¡± ¡°Thanks to you,¡± She replied, surprising me with a brief hug before taking a step back to hand me a more familiar object. The small marble we had been using for my control training. ¡°Now, let¡¯s start today¡¯s class.¡± Chapter 27: A Certain Point of View ¡°Do you have any news regarding the ingredients we discussed yesterday?¡± Belaury asked as I continued filling the bucket with ice. Keeping my eyes on the task, I nodded. I didn¡¯t want to lose focus. Realising she was waiting for an actual reply, I elaborated. ¡°Anna, gave us permission to access the pantry tonight. She says everything should be there.¡± ¡°How is Sylvia doing? Is it really that bad?¡± Her attempts at conversation weren¡¯t welcome. They were too distracting. I was doing very well so far, so messing up when I was close to being done was not an option for me. I couldn¡¯t help frowning because of it. I paused to answer. ¡°I didn¡¯t tell you to stop, Nora.¡± Although brief, I saw the corners of her mouth rise. ¡°You are doing this on purpose, aren¡¯t you?¡± She openly laughed in response. ¡°I am. I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d get the hang of it so quickly, so I¡¯m trying to increase the difficulty. Consider it an additional part of your training. You won¡¯t always have the luxury of using your magic in peace, so it¡¯s good that you get used to it this early.¡± My shoulders slumped. I sighed, knowing it was true, regardless of how annoying it was. ¡°That makes sense, I guess.¡± ¡°Of course it does. Now, get back to work and answer my questions.¡± My eyes went back to the spheres, and I gave her the reply she wanted as I continued. ¡°She seems to be better now. I never got to see the worst of it, but everyone else says it was really bad.¡± ¡°I see. It¡¯s good that she¡¯s feeling better. Let¡¯s hope it stays that way, but it will be best if she has Vik¡¯s potion at hand, just in case. What about your benefactor? Any news on that?¡± I shook my head subtly. ¡°Didn¡¯t answer at all yesterday. The last thing it told me was that it needed more mana. It also asked me to keep training like this.¡± Belaury brought a hand to her chin and hummed. ¡°It¡¯s the first time I hear about a spirit requiring mana at all.¡± ¡°Is this an impostor, then? Oh, no¡­ What if it¡¯s listening to this?¡± She laughed. ¡°Not necessarily. And don¡¯t worry, I doubt the spirit would be offended by you being cautious. It probably expected as much when it chose you. Now that I think about it, there could be a reason behind this revelation. If you remember what I told you days ago, back when my ancestors first learned of the existence of the gods and spirits, they lived surrounded by naturally occurring mana. ¡°It was also around that time when spirits were most active in communication. They never stopped talking, but after migrating to the main continent, cases of blessed individuals that never heard the voice of their benefactor became common. There is a possibility that the blessed individuals who could still hear them knew about it and chose not to reveal it. Maybe it was the spirits who thought it wasn¡¯t worth mentioning at all. While mana was no longer present in the air, there were still plenty of magic users they could obtain it from. I wouldn¡¯t worry about it, if I were you. Even if it turns out to be your imagination, it can¡¯t harm you.¡± Contrary to my teacher¡¯s expectations, I managed to clear the first challenge on my second day of training. I could tell she was pleased behind that curtain of disappointment she showed after her unsuccessful attempts at making me fail. The class ended with Belaury taking back the pebble and throwing the ice balls back to the lake, just like she did the day before. Surprisingly, Alex never spoke during the class. I didn¡¯t know if it was because he truly had no questions or he actually listened to what Belaury said, but it was the first time she didn¡¯t even glare at him as we got ready to head back. I finally saw Dr. Blake during dinner. I didn¡¯t get the chance to talk to him since he was sitting with the other scientists, but it was good to know he wasn¡¯t forgetting to eat. Anna did sit with us, though, and she had no problem in getting us up to date with the investigation they were holding. The spiders remained unchanged, which meant the reason for the virus¡¯s activity was still a mystery. Trying to get any clues to solve the puzzle, she asked us to donate blood, saliva and other biological samples. The last time they had taken anything from me was when my mutation had just finished, and I did remember receiving a confirmation that, while the virus was still present in my body, it wasn¡¯t active at all. When I asked for the reason, she explained that they feared the virus could be active in us again. We had a reason to be concerned. I certainly didn¡¯t like the idea of going through such a terrible process again, and the possibility of changing to something even farther from my former human self was actually a bit terrifying. Then again, if the spiders weren¡¯t changing, why would we? Perhaps the virus being active again was what caused me to finally see my body as normal, despite me knowing it wasn¡¯t. Anna got the samples after eating, and then she locked herself back in the laboratory with the rest of the crew. Everyone else parted ways, as always. It was quite late, so Alex and I were the only ones who didn¡¯t feel sleepy. What he did when everyone else went to bed wasn¡¯t clear to me. I tried asking once, but he said he simply patrolled around the place. Sometimes the forest and others the inside of the building. It was hard to believe that was all he did. There had to be something else. Tonight, however, we infiltrated the pantry to get the ingredients from the list. Thankfully, we found most of what we needed. Viken had been kind enough to add some alternatives in case we didn¡¯t find the ones from the original recipe. The note at the bottom of the secondary list said that using those decreased the potency of the potion a bit, so getting the main ones was still the best option. Other than the fennel seeds, we found everything Viken asked for. We proceeded to take the loot outside and looked for a place to hide it. Unlike the last time, hiding it under Sylvia¡¯s chair wouldn¡¯t work. We ended up selecting the hollow of a tree we found in the playground as the place to hide our stuff. No one other than me ever went there, so it was the safest location. Having covered the box containing everything with a few leaves, we went back to the building. The cooling box would be marked as missing, considering it belonged to the kitchen, but we would make sure to return it the same way we took it. Back inside, the last task was taking the list, highlighting the ingredients we took and slipping it under Anna¡¯s door so she could access the system and change the inventory first thing in the morning. Alex took care of that since his room was closer to hers. Following my routine, I turned on my tablet and checked my messages. Mom¡¯s last project was completed, meaning they would finally come to visit the next weekend. Mary, on the other hand, sent me a link to a new article showing the progress of the culling around the world. Looking at the map, it was interesting to see that Eredel was the place with the least amount of infections. I¡¯d heard from Anna that we got a couple of potential cases per day, normally in the morning, but they always turned out to be false alarms or immune victims. We weren¡¯t the only ones either. It was as if the inhabitants of the biggest cities were less compatible with the virus. To say it was suspicious was an understatement. Sure enough, it encouraged the conspiracy theories to continue, since many of those cities were also the ones with higher ranked nobility. Considering that Eredel was the capital city and the home to high royalty, it certainly made me raise an eyebrow. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. After saving the link for future reference, I turned off my tablet and went to bed with the gemstone Belaury gifted me in hand. I tried contacting the spirit as I fiddled with the red jewel, but just like the previous night, it didn¡¯t answer. Why does it need mana, anyway? Shouldn¡¯t spirits have their own? I would need to ask eventually, assuming it did come back. Finally feeling sleepy, I placed the ruby on my nightstand and went to sleep. The next day, I entered the cafeteria to see Jack, who had finally returned home. Next to him sat two new individuals having lunch. One of them looked oddly familiar, though I was sure I had never met him before. A white guy with black hair and blue eyes. He wasn¡¯t much older than me and wore the same hospital gown I used during my first weeks here. Dr. Blake, Lucy, Sylvia and Allison were talking to him, but he seemed uncomfortable. The other man was tan skinned, with green eyes and red hair, not like Anna¡¯s, which was actually orange, but dyed crimson. He was somewhere in his thirties and wore a uniform that looked similar to that of the royal guards, though it was different in colour, being black instead of the usual blue. The logo on the chest was different as well. Replacing the golden crown over a red background, there was a white ghost-looking figure with a black background surrounded by a golden ring. Next to his chair rested an ornamented sword. Carrying that kind of sword was proof of his status as a knight, but everything else was too odd. Either he was a real member of a knight group I didn¡¯t know, or he was doing a very poor job at impersonating one. Considering how everyone else was acting around him, I assumed it was the former. No one was stupid enough to associate with someone who was impersonating a knight, regardless of how secluded the place was. The man was currently chatting with Rex, who seemed quite comfortable around him. My presence didn¡¯t go unnoticed. With my appearance, it wasn¡¯t something easy to do, even with those who already knew me. So I understood it when Crimson Head was having a particularly hard time looking away from me as I went to get my food. It made me somewhat uncomfortable, but it was harmless. ¡°Hi guys,¡± I said, finally approaching the table. ¡°And welcome back, Jack.¡± He bobbed his head once in response. I then took a seat and looked at the newcomers. ¡°I¡¯m Nora. Who are you, guys?¡± ¡°Sir Keith Edwards,¡± Crimson Head replied. ¡°I¡¯m a knight of the Spectres of Kelpont. There¡¯s no need for titles, though. Just call me Keith.¡± My eyes widened at the revelation. While that explained the logo and uniform, Alex and Reginn hadn¡¯t mentioned the Spectres were actually knights. ¡°You¡¯re the one who helped them escape!¡± I shouted. It was clear given how Rex interacted with him when I arrived. ¡°I am. I¡¯m glad to see I made the right choice by sending them here. Is Alex still asleep?¡± I nodded. ¡°Yes. Unlike me, he¡¯s fully nocturnal. You won¡¯t see him for a few more hours.¡± ¡°Oh, right. I forgot.¡± ¡°And who are you?¡± I asked, focusing on the other guy. He, however, looked away. Is he shy? ¡°Connor,¡± he suddenly mumbled. I snorted. ¡°Connor? Do you have any nicknames or another way you¡¯d like me to call you? There¡¯s another Connor here, so it could lead to some confusion.¡± ¡°He¡¯s that Connor, Nora,¡± Anna commented. My eyebrows knitted as I stared at the guy once more. It then dawned on me that the reason he looked so familiar was that I had seen him before, back when his transformation was still in progress. He had already changed a little then, so I couldn¡¯t connect the dots. ¡°H-how is this possible? A cure? So fast?¡± Connor looked down after hearing that. Anna shook her head and explained. ¡°An illusion, actually. You see that ring on his finger?¡± I did. It was a silver ring set with what looked to be an amethyst. ¡°It¡¯s enchanted with an illusion spell that lets the wearer disguise themselves as human.¡± I turned to look at Jack. ¡°Did you make it?¡± ¡°No,¡± he replied. ¡°I enchanted it, though.¡± ¡°He told me about you and Connor and what you were trying to achieve here, so I took him to an acquaintance of mine who could teach him what he needed for this,¡± Keith added. ¡°A real ancient vampire!¡± Dr. Blake shouted with a huge smile on his face. Keith proceeded to explain that this vampire was a survivor of the Race Wars that Belaury and Viken had already told us about. Of course, he told us about that too. His version of the story portrayed magical races as selfish beings who discriminated against humans and gnomes for their lack of magic. According to the knight, it was the elves who started the conflict by poisoning Cyana Uldeos during a diplomatic visit to their kingdom. Comparing both stories, each side claimed to be the victim, although the war was described in a similar fashion by both. A surprise attack orchestrated by the humans and gnomes was how it officially started. He also mentioned the gnomes betrayed humans by destroying the libraries and other sources of knowledge they could have obtained through the conflict. Knowledge that the magical races kept to themselves out of greed. That was the reason they were executed. His story followed up with the founding of the Eclipse, a knight''s order created with the sole purpose of eradicating the magical beings and to erase their legacy from the world. Their actions led mankind to eventually forget about the existence of these beings, now considered stuff of myth and legend, and this continued to be their mission for centuries, only coming to an end as they became more aware of their own cruelty. He didn¡¯t go into much detail about this, but it seemed to have something to do with how Varazt Island became a barren land. It did confirm to me that this place was the same Belaury described as the land that elfkin held sacred as the birthplace of their kind. From being ruthless hunters, the members of Eclipse eventually became protectors, adopting the name of Spectre. Their new goal was to locate, protect and hide the remaining members of the races in an attempt to redeem themselves. Thanks to the arrival of the MAV, however, their plans took a drastic turn. Now we were also under their protection, and their new goal was to ease our transition into our new lives in a legal sense. Among the survivors, there was a family of vampires who blended with humans so well that they acquired their own cattle and eventually were able to buy an abandoned castle in Kelpont. Having the perfect shelter and access to everything they needed, they rarely interacted with the outside but did so with enough frequency that they avoided rumours from their neighbours. The father, Veller Zawn, was a master of illusion, so he also made use of his magic to change their appearance in order to hide their long lifespans. After the Spectres found them, their cover only improved as it was now backed with official documents. ¡°Mr. Zawn was more than willing to pass on his knowledge,¡± Keith continued. ¡°Unfortunately, while you are already able to use magic, Connor is not familiar with it, so we still needed a flyttium ring to set the gem on. Because of that, while he taught Jack what he needed to enchant rings with the illusion spell, I made a small trip to our vault to get the ring he needed.¡± ¡°I thought it was silver,¡± Dr. Blake interrupted. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m not familiar with this flyttium you mention.¡± ¡°Right. I must have forgotten to explain it earlier. There¡¯s a reason you¡¯ve never heard of it. Flyttium is what we call a magic alloy,¡± Keith explained. ¡°It¡¯s a magic infused metal, in other words. There are many kinds of magic alloys, and all of them have different properties, but no one knows how to craft them anymore. Nowadays, the only place you¡¯ll find them is with the remaining survivors or in our vaults. Flyttium is a special material that can transfer mana from one vessel to another. In this case, Connor¡¯s mana is sent to the gemstone through that ring. This allows him to use the enchantment in it, even if he doesn¡¯t have control of his core. From what I recall, the only downside this kind of tool has is that there is no way to control the flow of mana. It will drain it constantly, so it can only be used with low-cost spells like this. Removing the ring is also the only way to stop it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just glad I don¡¯t look like a monster anymore,¡± Connor said. Keith sighed. ¡°I hate to be the one to say this, but you shouldn¡¯t get used to it. I agree with Lucy when she said that it can be used to calm your dysmorphia, but it¡¯s not a permanent solution. As the name states, it¡¯s merely an illusion. It can¡¯t actually change what you are. All you need is a glimpse of the mirror or to have a picture taken, and your real self will be in full display. Mr. Zawn mentioned a superior variant of this spell, though the nature of such magic is elemental, and we have yet to meet a single elementalist. Either they¡¯re all dead or they made use of this spell to avoid us all this time.¡± Belaury¡¯s image came to my mind at that moment. Did she know such a spell? She had claimed to have mastered elemental magic, and the fact that she and Viken made it so far without being detected strongly supported that idea. They did disappear when we first met them. There was only one way to find out. I needed to ask her directly. Chapter 28: Caught Connor hadn¡¯t finished his meal when he got up and left. He mentioned having lost his appetite as he picked up his pace and rushed out of the cafeteria. Keith¡¯s comment hit him harder than I expected. Lucy hesitated briefly before choosing to follow him. Jack stood up too, though he simply grabbed a small box from the table and walked to me. ¡°This one is yours,¡± he said, presenting it to me. He then looked around and added, ¡°And, please, no marriage jokes.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± I received the gift with both hands and opened it. As expected, another ring rested in the middle. ¡°It¡¯s pretty,¡± Allison commented. I couldn¡¯t agree with her. This one was a dull dark green, as if it were covered with a cooked spinach leaf. Just like Connor¡¯s, however, it was decorated with a single amethyst. It would be hard to match it with anything, but it looked unique. ¡°Does it have the same enchantment as the other one?¡± I asked, placing the box on the table and taking a mouthful of mushroom stew. ¡°It does,¡± Keith replied. He stared in silence for a moment and asked, ¡°Are you not going to try it on?¡± I shook my head, covering my mouth as I tried to down the food quickly to speak. ¡°There¡¯s no reason to,¡± I finally answered. ¡°Everyone here knows me, and I like how I look.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t mean you can¡¯t test it,¡± Dr. Blake countered. ¡°As things stand, you will have to use it in the future. You should make sure it fits and works properly, at least.¡± He had a point. I could remove it right after, anyway. Following that logic, I put the spoon down and opened the box again. Despite its stone appearance, the ring was actually metallic. I had suspected it was something closer to jade or marble. I fiddled with it briefly before I slipped it through my left ring finger. Surprisingly, it was a perfect fit. I then remembered that they had measured my entire body weeks ago, so it wasn¡¯t as impressive. With the trinket in place, I looked at my hands and tail. Nothing had changed. I poked at the gem with my finger. ¡°It¡¯s not broken,¡± Jack commented. ¡°We just told you. Unlike Connor, you know how to manipulate mana, so a flyttium ring was not necessary.¡± ¡°What material is that, then?¡± Dr. Blake asked, bringing out his tablet to take notes. ¡°Does it also have special properties?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Keith answered. ¡°It¡¯s called Aernyth, and it has similar properties to those of Flyttium. The only real difference between them is that Flyttium transfers mana on its own, while Aernyth only does it when the mana is supplied into it. It allows for better control of the spell. It also has an additional property that we¡¯ll witness when Nora uses it.¡± ¡°How do I use it then?¡± I asked, tilting my head. ¡°Do I just send mana to it?¡± ¡°Yes. Try visualising your human form as you do.¡± I nodded and closed my eyes, letting the mana flow through my arm and into the ring. I heard gasps all around me. The first thing I saw after that was a pair of clawless hands. My nails looked¡­ normal? They were a bit long, sure, but that¡¯s how I usually kept them as a human. Even the ring was gone, probably hidden by the spell. After weeks of having dark blue nails, these pink ones didn¡¯t sit well with me. I couldn¡¯t help thinking that they looked naked. The feeling intensified when I examined the rest of my body. No tail, no wings or anything of the sort. I knew they were there. I could still feel them attached to me, and yet, it made me uncomfortable. ¡°So this is what you looked like¡­¡± I heard from behind me. Sylvia was staring at me, wide eyed. No, it wasn¡¯t at me, but something above my head. ¡°How does it feel?¡± Keith asked. ¡°Weird,¡± I replied. ¡°This isn¡¯t me. Not anymore.¡± Sylvia kept staring at that point in space. I knew Allison was sitting there, but she was much taller than whatever had Sylvia¡¯s attention. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± She asked, searching for something behind her. ¡°I should be the one asking that.¡± I replied, mirroring her previous action. Just as expected, Allison was there. Her eyes were focused on something above me, as well. ¡°That¡¯s a common issue with illusion magic,¡± Jack said, drawing our attention to him. ¡°You can¡¯t visualise yourself as you were before the transformation. The difference in height between your real self and the fake is causing discrepancies.¡± He was right. I failed to see it before. Despite picturing myself as an adult, my actual size hadn¡¯t changed. I still had to crane my neck to talk to Sylvia, and my illusion was probably imitating my movements by aiming its sight higher than where her eyes were at. The spell vanished as I stopped supplying mana, and the ring appeared once more. Seeing my real body brought a wave of relief to me. Regardless of how uncomfortable it made me, I needed to test it again with the new information. Because of that, I texted Mom, asking her to get me some pictures of me as a child. I wanted to have a clear image of my human self so my illusion could be as accurate as possible. ¡°There¡¯s something that keeps bugging me, Keith,¡± Anna said, turning away from me. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°If these materials are as rare as you say, how did you get two rings that fit them so well? More importantly, why give them so freely?¡± Kieth snorted and smiled at her. ¡°The knowledge for crafting magic alloys may have been lost in time, but we¡¯ve been gathering these items for centuries. Our vaults won¡¯t be emptied by taking two small pieces of jewellery. Plus, magic alloys can be fully recycled and reshaped. Unlike normal metals, you don¡¯t lose material by processing them again. Also, excluding Adamantine, we have no actual use for magic alloys. All we can do is give them to survivors as a bribe so they cooperate with us.¡± Now that¡¯s a metal I¡¯m familiar with. ¡°It sounds like you guys are a lot friendlier than what Alex told us,¡± Anna commented. Keith shook his head. ¡°We¡¯ve done terrible things in the past, and things aren¡¯t much different now. They¡¯re just better disguised. Take Alex and Reginn, for example. We kidnapped them and robbed them of their humanity. All that just to keep the truth hidden a bit longer. This is nothing more than my personal attempt at redemption.¡± ¡°Won¡¯t you get in trouble for telling us this?¡± Dr. Blake asked. He shrugged. ¡°Maybe, maybe not. Truth is that our superiors have too much in their hands to worry about me revealing something that people have been speculating about for years.¡± ¡°I believe we¡¯re omitting something very important¡± Rex interrupted. ¡°Did you actually think you could mention Adamantine so casually in front of me? You¡¯re telling me that such a metal does exist?¡± I was equally interested. It was, after all, the strongest material you could get in plenty of fantasy games and stories. Keith chuckled. ¡°I knew you would say something like that. Would it surprise you to hear mythril, orichalcum and even cold iron are real too?¡± ¡°Oooh, you¡¯ll need to tell me more than that, man,¡± Rex said, firmly grabbing both of the knight¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Sure,¡± Keith replied, freeing himself. ¡°I¡¯ll start with Mythril, which is a silvery blue metal that happens to be as tough as steel while having a third of its density. Additionally, it conducts magic instead of raw mana, so it can act as an extension of one¡¯s body, effectively increasing the maximum range of the user¡¯s magic. Mages who could afford it were known to use staves and wands made of this material. ¡°Similar to Mythril, Orichalcum also absorbs magic. The difference is that it can retain the spell it absorbed. The magic is slowly released when the material makes contact with a new surface, but it can be instantly triggered by a strong impact. This metal is gold in colour and reflects light in a rainbow pattern. It was commonly used for crafting arrows.¡± This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Dr. Blake added a few more notes to his file. ¡°Interesting. Do all magic alloys interact with mana in some way?¡± The knight nodded. ¡°From conduction to insulation. There¡¯s even a magic equivalent for diodes. We have no actual evidence to back this up, but we believe that the magical races weren¡¯t too far from making a huge technological jump thanks to these materials. Unfortunately, the gnomes burnt away any proof of this.¡± ¡°We can talk about that later. Can you describe this diode?¡± Rex asked. ¡°I see you haven''t gotten bored of that role playing of yours,¡± Keith mocked. ¡°Are you still trying to become a blacksmith?¡± Rex flashed a toothy grin and shrugged. ¡°Bored? No way. If anything, it¡¯s gotten better. Now tell me about them metals!¡± ¡°If only everyone took their transformation the same way you do,¡± Anna commented. ¡°I agree.¡± Keith said, smiling. ¡°To answer your question, Rex, Sardite, as they call it, is a brick-red metal that can transfer mana, similar to Aernyth. For unknown reasons, however, it can only happen in one direction. It¡¯s truly a magic diode. ¡°The only other insulator we know of is Adamantine itself. It completely nullifies mana and magic and is pretty much indestructible when it comes to physical stress, although it compensates by being quite dense, as well. It looks like black steel.¡± Whilst they talked, I received a message from Mom. She probably had some pictures in her phone already, given how fast she was at sending them. With my new reference in mind, I looked at the ring and supplied more mana. I also thought about keeping the ring visible, and I immediately noticed something new. The trinket glowed. It was a bright green, like one of those generic glow-in-the-dark toys. It distracted me enough not to notice the changes taking place. Once more, I looked human. The uncomfortable feeling returned, too. Reminding myself that it was only an illusion helped me stay calm. ¡°Does it feel better now?¡± Allison asked, this time properly looking at me. I shook my head. ¡°It¡¯s pretty much the same. I guess this goes to show how much the MAV has changed me. It¡¯s not as bad if I think of it as a very good disguise or virtual reality game.¡± ¡°The ring!¡± Lily shouted suddenly, pointing at it. ¡°Look! It¡¯s shining!¡± ¡°Right, I forgot to point out the other property Aernyth had. It glows when mana courses through it,¡± Keith explained. ¡°It¡¯s not potent enough to use as a light source, but draell were fond of items made out of this alloy because they can be easy to find in the dark.¡± ¡°Are there any other metals that do this?¡± Sylvia asked, poking at it. ¡°There is one called Kriionix,¡± Keith replied. ¡°It¡¯s also known as cold iron because of its bluish colouration and unusually low temperature when idle. This metal glows red when mana is supplied to it. You wouldn¡¯t want to put it around your finger, though. Kriionix dissipates mana as heat, and it can leave some nasty burns on whoever touches it at that time. The only object we¡¯ve found with this material are shackles, so it was probably meant to stop criminals from using magic. ¡°That leaves only one more magic alloy to mention. Vorsel is pretty much a battery. It stores any mana supplied to it, and it will only release it when connected to any conductor. It¡¯s cream coloured.¡± ---<>----------<>----------<>--- After the metallurgy class was over, I went outside for my daily flight training. I did it almost effortlessly now. The only tough parts were both the takeoff and landing. The second only needed more practice, but I still needed to figure out how to start flying on my own. From what Anna told me, demons were capable of jumping high enough to lift off from the ground. She also reminded me I did just that the day Lily woke up from her transformation. The only problem was that I didn¡¯t remember how I did it. Anna told me not to worry too much about it yet. First, I needed to go through the one test that had been waiting for me all this time. The flight training platform that stood alone and forgotten next to our training area. I never saw anyone climb that thing, so I imagined it was quite dusty up there. Curious about it, I left my usual track around the lake and soared above the trees towards the training grounds. I could hear everyone shouting, although it was impossible to tell what they were saying. I was too high, and the motors were too loud for me to tell. I imagined it had to do with me leaving the lake like that. I would apologise later. Having arrived at my destination, I landed on the platform at the top of the tower. While it was obvious that no one had done anything for the place after its construction, it wasn¡¯t nearly as dirty as I imagined on the outside. The cabin placed at the centre wasn¡¯t as small as it looked from below either. It was actually big enough to act as a secondary room for me. Considering how no one used it, I was going to claim it as such. I opened the door and walked inside, coughing from the stale air that lingered inside. There was no light switch, though I didn¡¯t really need one. The room only had a small couch, a dresser, and a rectangular table. Everything was covered by a thin layer of dust. It could use some cleaning and some added features, but it wasn¡¯t too bad. It was certainly a place I could use to relax and be alone. At least until Sylvia learned to fly and Lily got over her fear of the outside. My thoughts were interrupted when I heard Anna shouting below the structure. I didn¡¯t expect her to find me this quickly. It wasn¡¯t like I didn¡¯t want to be found. I no longer had any business inside, so I was about to leave, anyway. I was simply surprised. Maybe one of the rangers saw me and told her. I walked out of the room and closed the door before looking down to the source of the noise. I regretted my decision immediately. Somehow, I had been able to ignore my acrophobia up until this point. Flying always seemed to turn it off. Now that I was standing, there was no escape. I sat down with my back against the cabin¡¯s wall and refused to open my eyes again. ¡°What are you doing, Nora!?¡± Anna yelled from below. ¡°You¡¯re not in trouble. I just want to talk to you for a bit.¡± Her voice was calm this time. ¡°I-I can¡¯t!¡± I shouted back, not daring to peek. ¡°Is everything okay?¡± Allison shouted. I shook my head, even though they couldn¡¯t see me. My arms wrapped around my knees as I got into a fetal position. ¡°It¡¯s too high! I can¡¯t move!¡± There was silence for a couple of minutes. I couldn¡¯t tell if they were still around. Uncertain of what to do I cried. Suddenly, I heard someone climbing up the ladder. ¡°Seriously, does no one ever clean this thing?¡± I heard Anna complain. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Nora. I¡¯ll be there in a moment!¡± Soon enough, she reached the top. ¡°Oh wow, it really gets scary here. Give it to Dad to forget that guard railings are important, even if someone knows how to fly. I guess I should be more surprised by how the workers said nothing about this!¡± ¡°Hey it¡¯s alright,¡± she cooed, sitting next to me and taking me into her arms. ¡°I¡¯m here now.¡± I needed that. It helped me calm down somewhat. I still couldn¡¯t open my eyes, though. She let go and got up again. I heard her move in front of me. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll carry you back down. Here, get on my ba-AH!¡± My eyes shot open in time to watch Anna lose her balance near the edge of the platform and fall. I didn¡¯t waste any time and threw myself after her, wrapping my arms around Anna¡¯s chest, and opening my wings. I flapped as fast as I could to keep us in the air, but she was too heavy to lift, so I put all of my efforts into slowing down our fall. I could see Allison rushing at an incredible speed to catch us, but I knew she still wasn''t going to make it. A loud crack told me it had failed. Anna¡¯s screams of pain pierced my ears, forcing me away from her. Both of her arms were broken. The right one was in an unnatural position, while the left had its bone exposed. The sight of it made me throw up. The rest of her body was in bad shape too, although it was clear she had used her arms in an attempt to protect herself. I was paralyzed. It was my fault she fell. A rustling noise made me turn my head to the forest, and I saw Allison rush into the woods. She was thinking fast. Viken was a healer, so his magic was the best choice we had. I looked at Anna, who was lying on her back and breathing rapidly. That wasn''t a good sign. Her left arm was bleeding too much, and I knew I needed to stop it. "Sorry," I said as I crawled to her and applied pressure around the wound. She winced and screamed again. I wanted to cool her arm to diminish the pain, but I didn''t know if that was the right choice. "I''m really sorry." It didn¡¯t take long before Allison returned, carrying Viken on her back. She knelt, panting heavily as the old man stepped down and got closer to us. ¡°Stay that way, child,¡± he ordered, placing his right hand on her forehead and closing his eyes. ¡°D?n mar ven bein, N?ry.¡± He then hummed in that position for a full minute before he hovered his left hand over Anna¡¯s chest and around each of her arms. I could feel the warmth as it went over my own hands, but nothing else. Whatever he did, it caused her breathing to go back to normal, and her face to become relaxed. ¡°You can walk back now, child,¡± he informed me when the glow stopped. I nodded and gave them space. Just then, Belaury stepped into the clearing with a small basket and ran to me, kneeling down and placing her hand on my back. ¡°Are you okay, Nora?¡± Those words were all I needed for my eyes to start watering again. I buried my face in her shoulder and cried, dirtying her clothes with blood in the process. ¡°It¡¯s my fault! She got hurt because of me!¡± ¡°There, there,¡± She said, rubbing my back. ¡°Accidents happen, dear. It¡¯s not your fault.¡± ¡°She climbed up to get me!¡± I shouted. ¡°All because I was too scared to-!¡± ¡°Anna is alive because of you, Nora,¡± Allison interrupted with a frown on her face. ¡°If you hadn¡¯t jumped after her, she could¡¯ve died. Don¡¯t blame yourself for something like this!¡± I remained silent. I knew better than to contradict her when she was like that. Instead, I turned to Viken and asked, ¡°Will Anna be fine, Mr. Deinast?¡± Just then, he grabbed her left arm and snapped it back in place. There was no response from Anna. ¡°She will be,¡± he replied, making his hand glow again as he ran it along the injury. ¡°Bel, give me the nutritious potion.¡± My teacher brought out a small bottle out of her basket. It contained a broth-like brown liquid. She took the cork out of the vial and passed it to Viken, who quickly poured a small amount of the contents into Anna¡¯s mouth as he sat her up. He then ran a finger all the way from her lips to the base of her neck as if guiding the liquid to its destination. He repeated the process until the container was empty. After that, he laid her down on the floor again and switched to her right arm. ¡°What was that?¡± I asked Belaury. ¡°That was a nutrient rich medicine. Enhancement life magic needs resources to work properly. Lengthy treatments like this require that the patient doesn¡¯t run out of fuel to withstand the procedure. If we don¡¯t do this, her body could eat itself in order to survive. Don¡¯t worry, I brought enough for her.¡± ¡°What are you doing to my daughter!?¡± Chapter 29: Unexpected Outcome Dr. Blake rushed to us, followed by Jack, Keith, and one of the rangers. I knew the doctor was in good shape for his age, but I never expected him to be so fast. Two security guards showed up into the clearing soon after and chased behind the first group with clear concern for the safety of their employer. It was odd to see those since they normally stayed near the access gates. In mere seconds, the whole group was almost on top of us. The only reason Viken hadn¡¯t been tackled already was that Allison, who anticipated the group¡¯s move, got in the way in time to block them. Unlike the rest, Keith and Dr. Blake ignored the giantess and made their way around her, only to be stopped by a small fireball aimed at their feet. ¡°Stand down, humans, or I won¡¯t miss the next one,¡± Belaury announced, glaring at them. A much bigger fireball was already hovering over her palm. They were briefly stunned. ¡°Elves?¡± Dr. Blake muttered. Their eyes travelled from her to Viken, and then to Anna. Spotting the glow coming from the old man¡¯s hands, Keith sighed and sheathed his sword. ¡°What happened here?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡± My teacher replied, not letting go of the magic on her hand. ¡°The girl is injured. Greatly so. She¡¯s lucky we were around.¡± ¡°But how?¡± The knight asked. ¡°And why were you here?¡± Belaury simply pointed up with her free hand. ¡°She fell from up there, and I think it¡¯s pretty damn obvious what we¡¯re doing here.¡± Dr. Blake turned pale as he looked up. ¡°It¡¯s my fault,¡± he muttered. ¡°Would you look at that? Turns out the whole world is responsible for this now,¡± Belaury scoffed, finally putting out the flame. ¡°It was an accident, you dolt. No one¡¯s at fault.¡± It surprised me to see her dropping her guard like that. The humans she hated so much were right in front of her, and all she did was frown and scold them. Not only that, she wasn¡¯t blaming Dr. Blake like I thought she would. Perhaps she simply didn¡¯t want to agree with him? Regardless of her intentions, I couldn¡¯t help feeling scolded, too. Noticing this, she patted my head. I saw many confused faces because of this. ¡°I had it built,¡± Dr. Blake retorted, seemingly oblivious to the not so small detail. ¡°So?¡± She asked. ¡°Did you do it expecting her to climb it and fall?¡± ¡°Of course not!¡± ¡°There you go then. That¡¯s why we call it an accident. Instead of blaming yourself, learn from the mistake and fix it. Now, shut up and let my husband concentrate!¡± she yelled, earning a grunt from Viken. ¡°I¡¯m just educating the new generations, Vik.¡± He rolled his eyes and extended his arm to her. She gave him another brown potion in response. Dr. Blake looked like he wanted to say something else, but did as she said. It was the right choice. Belaury could get quite childish at times, and this was such a moment. Our healer looked quite annoyed with the loud exchange, too. Seeing that no one was openly hostile anymore, the doctor kneeled next to his daughter¡¯s head, biting his fist as he watched the process. Anna looked a lot better now, so I couldn¡¯t imagine how her father would have reacted if he had arrived a bit earlier. Oddly enough, neither elf reacted to his action. To Viken, it was as if he didn¡¯t exist. My teacher was clearly in a bad mood, but she limited herself to glaring at them. Not them. She would look at Keith and then briefly to empty space, only for her frown to grow and stare at him once more. The knight was too focused on Anna¡¯s recovery to notice. Allison also relaxed and sat down, letting the rest of the group fully see what was happening behind her. ¡°Can you fully heal her?¡± Keith asked the old elf, kneeling closer than I thought was wise. Viken nodded, sitting Anna back up to administer the new dose of nutrients. ¡°She¡¯ll choke like that!¡± Dr. Blake shouted, extending his arm at them. This time, Keith got in the way. ¡°He¡¯s using magic to prevent it from going to the wrong pipe. Let him do it.¡± The knight placed his arm behind Anna¡¯s back to keep her up. ¡°Here, let me help with this.¡± Viken flinched, not expecting the movement. He said nothing about it, though. ¡°How bad is it?¡± Keith asked. ¡°Many bones of her were broken,¡± Viken commented as he returned to his task. ¡°It will be slow, but she will recover. The worst is, uh... finished.¡± ¡°What was she doing up there, anyway?¡± Jack asked, looking at me. Whether he was angry or not, I couldn¡¯t tell. His face was just as emotionless as always. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I replied, causing Belaury to slap me behind the head. It didn¡¯t hurt, though. Regardless of her input, I couldn¡¯t stop thinking I was responsible. ¡°I wanted to check the cabin on top, so I flew there and then panicked because of the height. Anna climbed up to get me and lost her balance,¡± I answered. ¡°Nora jumped after her and used her wings to slow down their fall,¡± Allison quickly added. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for her, it could¡¯ve been worse. It¡¯s not her fault.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Dr. Blake responded, still looking at his unconscious daughter. ¡°She fell because of my lack of planning.¡± ¡°Excuse me, Ma¡¯am.¡± Belaury¡¯s ears twitched, and she turned to look at Keith. ¡°What do you want, murderer?¡± Keith¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°W-what?¡± ¡°That uniform,¡± she said, pointing at it. ¡°I was sure I had seen it before, and now I know why. It used to be white. Am I wrong?¡± The wide-eyed knight didn¡¯t reply. His mouth was agape. ¡°Oh yes. I do remember numerous parties of human knights dressed in pure white, searching for survivors in the forest; making sure they got all of us.¡± ¡°Yes, it was our order who did that. I can¡¯t deny that it happened¡­¡± He took a deep breath. ¡°Listen. I know there¡¯s no way we can redeem ourselves for what we did, but we are trying all we can to help the remaining survivors out. We¡¯ve changed!¡± ¡°Changed?¡± Belaury asked, mockingly. ¡°Am I to believe that you suddenly decided we weren¡¯t a threat to your race anymore?¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t instant, as much as I would like to say it was,¡± Keith replied. ¡°But I can guarantee we really have.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t born yesterday, you know.¡± ¡°Considering you haven¡¯t thrown another fireball at me, I believe you¡¯re open to the idea, at least. I swear to the eight gods that I¡¯m telling the truth. Does that help?¡± Belaury was taken aback by the sudden oath. It didn¡¯t last long, though. ¡°No,¡± she finally said. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be the first time someone lies, knowing they can take the punishment. And I¡¯m certainly not staying long enough to find out if you are. Is Anna ready, Vik?¡± ¡°She is stable,¡± he replied. ¡°Rest is necessary, but the bones are healed. If we-¡± ¡°Good,¡± Belaury interrupted, grabbing my hand and standing up. ¡°It¡¯s time for us to leave then.¡± ¡°Wait, what?¡± I shouted as she started pulling me to the forest. ¡°Bel¡­¡± Viken didn¡¯t move from his place as he spoke her name. ¡°Leave? Where?¡± Keith asked the old man. ¡°Far,¡± Belaury replied, still facing forward. ¡°Wherever no human can find us again.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t go with you,¡± I said, trying to stop her by refusing to move my legs. She halted, then looked down to give me a sympathetic smile. ¡°You are my apprentice, Nora.¡± This time, not even Dr. Blake missed it. His eyes were as wide as the other humans¡¯. ¡°You must come with us in order to continue your training. There is no other way. Please, do this for me. You can come back later, if that¡¯s what you wish.¡± Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. I struggled and freed myself from her grip, taking two steps back away from her. ¡°I can¡¯t do that! I really can¡¯t.¡± Belaury stared at me in silence, biting her lip. I reached for her sleeve. ¡°Please stay?¡± ¡°And wait for that man to call his friends?,¡± she replied. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Nora. I know it¡¯s hard, but that¡¯s the only way we can continue with your training.¡± ¡°But I can¡¯t leave my family and friends¡­¡± My teacher freed herself and turned around. ¡°Fine. Stay, if that¡¯s what you want. I hope you don¡¯t come to regret your decision.¡± She was already walking away when Viken caught up to her and grabbed her by the shoulder. He leaned closer and whispered something in her ear. She was motionless as she listened. When her husband finished, Belaury returned. She went past me and only stopped once she was in front of Keith. She planted a finger into his chest and spoke. ¡°If you try anything, I swear, divine justice will be the least of your worries.¡± Retaking her previous route to the forest, she crouched and whispered in my ear. ¡°You¡¯re all free from your oath. There¡¯s no point in keeping it now that the secret is out. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll need it. I¡¯ll be waiting at the same place for your training. Don¡¯t be late, Nora.¡± Those were her last words before they walked away and entered the forest. Keith and Dr. Blake tried to stop them, but they didn¡¯t listen. They continued walking until they were out of sight. ¡°Her apprentice?¡± Jack asked right after they were gone. ¡°It¡¯s a long story,¡± I replied. ¡°We have plenty of time to hear it,¡± Dr. Blake countered. ¡°Jack, would you mind taking Anna to the laboratory? I need to make sure that she¡¯s really out of danger. Please be gentle.¡± Jack nodded, and Anna¡¯s body rose from the ground, floating next to him. It was clear that he had learned quite a few tricks on his trip. Satisfied, the doctor turned around. ¡°Allison, Nora, explain how you know those elves.¡± ---<>----------<>----------<>--- Having my teacher¡¯s permission, we told them everything on our way back, and the talk continued once we got home, where everyone else joined the conversation. That included Rex, who had been left behind at the lake by himself until Dr. Blake called the assistants that stayed with him. Keith was surprised to learn Belaury was an elementalist. I assumed he realised thiswhen she threw the fireball, but apparently, it took more than that to become one. It was common for the mages to use different types of magic, so even if someone was very good at using fire magic, it didn¡¯t make them a master. According to him, the title of Elementalist was something given only to those who had a mastery of most, if not all, of the elements. He also mentioned that such individuals were thought to be extinct, considering their already low numbers centuries ago. It was something Belaury never bothered mentioning. And it wasn¡¯t the only thing she omitted. Apparently, it wasn¡¯t enough to have the scientific knowledge to use elemental magic; it was also necessary to know how to manipulate mana in order to have it fulfil those mechanics. My blessing probably helped me with that, but I wondered why she decided to hide such an important piece of information from us. We also had to explain my blessing to Dr. Blake, though he had a hard time believing the talk about the eight gods. Keith confirmed their existence, even though he wasn¡¯t sure those entities were what they claimed to be. Still, I honestly couldn¡¯t blame the doctor for being so sceptical. If it weren¡¯t for the one spirit occasionally talking to me, I would probably share that thinking. In that regard, Lucy, who arrived after having another session with Connor, was the most interested. What she believed was a second personality had suddenly become something much more intriguing. Well, that was if this entity was real and not an actual figment of my imagination. Regarding my magic lesson, Dr. Blake insisted on going with us to properly meet my Belaury. I tried telling him about her hate of humans, and that there was a chance she wouldn¡¯t even show up in his presence, but he said it was fine. All he wanted was to have a word with my teacher concerning my training. In short, his aim was to come to an agreement and have her train me closer to the centre. With what I told him, he suspected there was no way she would accept going inside, so his main goal was to have her teach me by the terrace. Keith was immediately shut down when he suggested going with us, too. Considering Belaury¡¯s view on the Spectres, it was for the best that we waited until she considered he was really telling the truth. I assumed it would be clear by the next day, since her own punishment reflected that way. Reminded of it, I wondered what she would get from breaking her second oath. She certainly didn¡¯t look too worried about it when she left. She was just angry. ---<>----------<>----------<>--- When the time came, I found Dr. Blake talking to Alex, who had finally become active with the sunset. The doctor had a small bag hanging from his shoulder. It looked like my Fessy¡¯s sleeve, although slightly bigger and with a rectangular box inside it, instead of a tiny flute. I tried asking them what was in it, but all they said was that it was an item that Keith gave them to help him persuade my teacher into listening to what they had to say. I remembered how the knight mentioned using magic tools to bribe the survivors, so it probably was one of them. I did wonder how he got it so fast. Did Keith just carry those things around? Our first stop was the playground. We couldn¡¯t forget about our hidden loot, after all. It was important for Sylvia¡¯s health. Seeing everything we had inside that tree made the doctor laugh most of the way after that. It was good in a sense. That way Belaury knew it wasn¡¯t just Alex and me this time. It gave her time to prepare. Maybe even hide, if that¡¯s what she decided to do. The former became true when we stepped into the clearing. She was there, glaring daggers at us, but still in sight. ¡°Stay where you are!¡± my teacher yelled before we got close enough. We did as she said without question. ¡°What are you doing here, human?¡± Dr. Blake raised his hands to the air and answered. ¡°I simply wish to talk. It won¡¯t take long, I promise. I will leave after that, if you want me to. I believe it¡¯s in your best interest.¡± ¡°And why would that be?¡± she asked, crossing her arms. ¡°What¡¯s that thing you carry?¡± Dr. Blake cleared his throat. ¡°I am well aware of your fear of humans, and I-¡± ¡°Do not confuse my hatred for fear, human,¡± Belaury interrupted. ¡°The fact that I¡¯ve survived this far is proof of my abilities.¡± ¡°Regardless,¡± Dr. Blake continued. ¡°The point is that you are keeping your distance from us. That is, as much as it pains me to say it, the right choice in my opinion. I¡¯m sure Nora has commented on it in the past, but this place is kept secret from most of the population for a reason. And it¡¯s precisely for that reason that I believe it¡¯s not quite safe to train so deep in the forest at night.¡± ¡°The woods are safe around these parts,¡± she countered. ¡°Even more since it became a restricted area.¡± Dr. Blake raised an eyebrow. ¡°You knew about that?¡± She chuckled and shook her head slowly. ¡°The whole place is covered in signs. There¡¯s even one on top of my home. I would need to be blind not to notice.¡± ¡°Right. that makes sense.¡± He nodded. ¡°Unfortunately, that may not last for long. Other places like this have been found and attacked despite those signs. All of them at night. People are scared, and they can be reckless because of it.¡± Places? Not just one? ¡°So?¡± She asked, crossing her arms. ¡°Isn¡¯t that a bigger reason for me to stay away from your deathtrap?¡± ¡°Not if the location you are currently using is in the way,¡± he retorted. ¡°This forest is, as you said, quite safe for now. That may change very soon, however. While the resurrection of the magical races is still being held secret, the situation is reaching a point where that will no longer be possible. We don¡¯t expect anything radical, but who knows how most of the population will react once the truth is revealed. I believe it¡¯s better to be prepared. And for that reason, we will no longer allow Nora to go this far out at night.¡± ¡°And so, you want us to go with you. Do you really think we¡¯d stay near that knight of yours? I¡¯d be safer dancing blindfolded on top of that tower you built.¡± Dr. Blake took a deep breath and continued, ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to be inside the building. We can reach a middle ground.¡± She raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. ¡°What are you suggesting?¡± He smiled. It wasn¡¯t clever of him, but she thankfully didn¡¯t notice. Despite their superior eyesight. Elves were just as blind as humans in the dark. ¡°We have a nice spacious terrace right outside of the building. You wouldn¡¯t need to enter, and we can make sure that everyone stays safe at night. Worst case scenario, you can still head inside for shelter.¡± There was no response. She simply stared at him in silence. ¡°There is another alternative,¡± he continued. ¡°While doing so at night is out of the question, you¡¯re still free to use any place you want if you change your lessons to take place during the day.¡± Belaury thought about it. After some time, she sighed and shook her head once more. ¡°My husband might agree to that. I cannot. I¡¯m not comfortable with either option.¡± ¡°Is there any way we can prove ourselves to you? Keith swore to your gods earlier, and I couldn¡¯t help noticing your reaction. Perhaps I could do the same?¡± ¡°If you noticed that, then surely you heard what I said right after.¡± He nodded. ¡°Yes. That¡¯s why I¡¯m asking. Nora has already told me that breaking such an oath brings punishment by the gods themselves. As someone with no religion, I find this stuff hard to believe, but I consider myself open-minded. If there really is a punishment, wouldn¡¯t you be able to confirm the truth of my words soon?¡± Belaury didn¡¯t respond. She looked down, thinking about it. I was genuinely impressed that she was actually considering any of his suggestions. I expected her to refuse anything he said, just like how she tended to ignore or insult Alex during my lessons. He continued. ¡°You stayed, and you did so knowing we have one of those knights around. To me, it means that, not only does your goal here outweigh your hatred towards us, but you can also confirm whether his word is truthful or not. If that¡¯s the case for him, why wouldn¡¯t that apply to us?¡± Dr. Blake took a step forward, and then another. We followed him. In my case, it was out of concern. I tried pulling his sleeve to get his attention. He was pushing it. He ignored me and kept walking until he was a couple of metres away from her. She was still unresponsive. ¡°Perhaps this can help convince you,¡± the old man said, pulling out the box from the bag he carried. ¡°The knight gave it to me, but I¡¯ve confirmed the contents are harmless.¡± Belaury hesitated, unsurprisingly. Her curiosity, however, got the best of her, and she accepted the gift before taking a few steps back. Once at a safe distance, she examined the box. After some shaking and prodding, she opened the box and froze. She looked like a statue. I couldn¡¯t even see a sign of breathing. I ran to her in concern, causing her eyes to shift to me. Realising she was fine, I stopped and sighed, holding a hand to my chest. My teacher looked back up, facing the doctor, and spoke once more. ¡°I have additional conditions.¡± Chapter 30: Belaury鈥檚 Decision ¡°What made you change your mind?¡± I asked, glancing at the small hourglass on the table. Another ice pebble fell from my hands into a green plastic bucket. I had done a great job training in silence up to that point, yet the curiosity had soon become unbearable. Realising the last grain of sand had finally gone down, Belaury reached for the eight-shaped object and turned it upside down. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be concentrating, child?¡± she asked, returning to her original sitting position. We were alone on the terrace. One of her conditions for accepting Dr. Blake¡¯s request was that it would be only the two of us from now on. She would frown and look at the windows from time to time, making sure nobody watched, but I could tell her mood had improved because of the absence of a certain vampire. Her new toy was probably playing a big part, as well. A magic wand. One that looked quite different from anything I¡¯d seen on any media. To begin with, it was metallic. Mythril, apparently. While metal wands weren¡¯t that rare in video games, this one¡¯s length definitely was. At sixty centimetres, the plain-looking rod was way longer than the box it came in. How did it fit then? Well, it happened to be telescopic. It was divided into three segments, reminding me of an old radio antenna, although much ticker. The handle, which was the widest section, was around three centimetres in diameter, and it had two small buttons near where the user¡¯s thumb rested. Last, but not least, the wand had a small pommel made with a pale material. Keith mentioned a magic alloy with that cream colour, but I couldn¡¯t remember its name or what it did. I wondered if this was that metal. This pommel wasn¡¯t fully connected to the rest of the handle, leaving a rather thin, yet annoying for my taste, gap between the two materials. I lifted another bit of water from the blue bucket and separated a bit to form the first sphere. ¡°Weren¡¯t you the one who said I needed a bigger challenge?¡± I countered with a smirk. My current task certainly proved this. It involved creating at least four ice marbles per minute. That, to my teacher¡¯s misfortune, turned out to be too generous to me. With nothing to distract me, the help of my previous training, and maybe even my blessing, I was sure I could do at least six spheres within that time. Although talking to her did drop my efficiency, I was confident in my ability to keep up with the minimum requirement. Belaury chuckled and put the wand on the table. ¡°You got me.¡± She sighed, planting her elbows on the table to support her head as she adopted a slumped posture. ¡°Honestly, there were many factors that influenced our decision. In order of occurrence, the first was a not-at-all heated discussion I had with Vik a few days ago. Funny enough, it was about what we would do if humans ever found us. I never imagined that the hypothetical moment would become a reality so soon. When Allison told us about the accident, Vik and I were already mentally prepared to make contact.¡± My eyes widened. ¡°You knew it would be like that?¡± ¡°We saw it coming. As much as I hated the thought of it, we were well aware that such a fall could end up with a bigger audience than what we would¡¯ve liked, especially when the one to fall was Anna. Her being the daughter of the one person in charge never escaped our minds.¡± I frowned. ¡°If those were your thoughts from the start, why did you threaten to leave?¡± ¡°Oh, come on, child. It hasn¡¯t been long since we met, but you know very well how stubborn I can be. I won¡¯t deny the fact that anger clouded my judgement and made me try to escape the situation. In the end, I needed Vik to remind me that, after all these years, we had a new purpose in life. Something we shouldn¡¯t abandon, even if it means putting our own lives on the line.¡± Hearing this from her, I smiled. It was true that we hadn''t known each other for long, but Belaury was kind to me, and she accepted everything about me without questioning. That said, there was still something that worried me from what I saw earlier. ¡°What about Keith?¡± ¡°Who?¡± she asked, raising an eyebrow. ¡°The knight.¡± ¡°Right. That man.¡± She snorted. ¡°He¡¯s most likely telling the truth. Despite being human, he doesn¡¯t strike me as someone dishonest.¡± She looked at the table and placed a hand on her new possession. ¡°He was also the one who suggested giving me this, wasn¡¯t he?¡± I glanced at the metal rod again. It didn¡¯t look special at all. ¡°Is it that good?¡± I asked in disbelief. ¡°You should never judge a book by its cover. When it comes to wands, functionality beats appearance. This thing can amplify both my reach and power. No one with a brain would give something like this to an elementalist if they planned to attack them after. That¡¯s why I chose to trust him.¡± I kept staring at the object under her hand. Why did Keith have it on him to begin with? It¡¯s not like he knew there were two survivors here, right? ¡°Even if he turns out to be a liar,¡± she continued, ¡°both Vik and I are old. We¡¯ve already lived our lives, as dull as they were. We¡¯ll be lucky if we get to live past another century.¡± I lost my concentration. The piece of ice I was working on fell to the floor and shattered. ¡°A century!?" ¡°Ah, yes.¡± Belaury rolled her eyes. ¡°I keep forgetting you were human before we met. I suppose that sounds like a long time for you. Considering your own ageing situation, though, I¡¯d suggest you abandon that perception of time you have. From what you¡¯ve told me, your development is quite similar to that of a giant from my time. If that¡¯s the case, be prepared to live at least twice as long as you were supposed to before your transformation. Given how much your mana capacity has grown, however, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if you get to live much longer.¡± She glanced below the table and stared at the melting ice. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will count that one as a pass. It¡¯s not like you''ve made a mistake so far.¡± ¡°Thanks, I guess,¡± I responded, trying to recover from the revelation. She flipped the hourglass once more. ¡°What about Dr. Blake¡¯s deal?¡± I asked. ¡°When we met you, you absolutely refused to let him know of your existence. Now, you even agreed to sit just outside of the building.¡± I looked at the dark windows above us. ¡°You may not notice, but they¡¯ve been watching us.¡± She instantly followed my line of sight. By then, the silhouette was gone. It wasn¡¯t like she could see anything, anyway. Belaury sighed. ¡°Yes, I knew that would be the case.¡± She shrugged and returned to her original position. ¡°Concerning the deal, I suppose it came out as a surprise for you. To tell you the truth, Anna¡¯s situation back when we met reminded me too much of my own family. An elf marrying a human... Many of my people frowned at such an event. Still, Vik and I were fine with it. We supported our daughter, Lurein, and her husband¡¯s decision. We thought he was a fine man. A bit too young for her, and the difference in their lifespans meant Lurein and her child would be left alone too soon, but we had nothing against their union. We never imagined things would end up like they did.¡± She sniffed and cleaned the tear that peeked from the corner of her eye. ¡°Alas, that is a story for another time. The point is that I compared both men, and I feared that Anna¡¯s father would be similar. You may think I was being paranoid, but his daughter is no longer human, and as crazy as it may sound, that difference can be problematic for some individuals.¡± Belaury¡¯s words brought back memories from weeks ago. From when I witnessed the behaviour Lily¡¯s parents displayed, and how scared I was of my parents¡¯ reaction when they saw the new me. Even Sylvia was affected by that reality. ¡°My perception changed when I saw him back then," she continued. "The man showed clear concern for Anna. More importantly, he dropped his hostility when he realised we were elves. The same can be said of the knight... Keith, was it?¡± I nodded. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. ¡°Right. He sheathed his sword, too. And let¡¯s not forget about the wand. Those gestures left a good impression on me. I still don¡¯t fully trust them, but they certainly aren¡¯t the bloodthirsty beings I remembered. This, in addition to Anna¡¯s own words, made me reconsider my previous stance on humans. At least for the ones living here. The doctor did mention most people are still a problem, and I¡¯ll take his word for it.¡± "I see," I said, nodding. "Then what about breaking your oath?" She gave me a confident smile. "I''m not worried about it." I tilted my head. "Why?" "We''re talking about Oring, the god of justice himself. He will be merciful given the circumstances." I looked down, observing the water freeze above my hand as I thought about it. "Intent is an important factor in one''s actions," she explained, turning the hourglass once more. "Think about the situation we faced. We risked exposure, our own safety, to save someone else¡¯s life. Oring likes that kind of thing, so, while it won''t free me from being judged, it should help reduce the severity of my punishment. That''s the reason oaths cannot be fully trusted. The consequences for breaking one are too diverse to be taken for granted, and some individuals can even hide them. You should only bind someone to an oath if you''re sure it will truly benefit you." ¡°I see¡­¡± Satisfied with those answers, I returned to working on my task in silence. It didn¡¯t last long, though. ¡°Stop.¡± I looked up to see her staring at my hands. ¡°Did I do something wrong?¡± I asked. ¡°That ring,¡± Belaury suddenly said, narrowing her eyes. ¡°You didn¡¯t have that before.¡± My eyes fixed on the piece of jewellery. I had forgotten about it. ¡°I¡¯ve had it on all day, though.¡± Did she not see it until now? I could understand it during the day. She was probably too busy dealing with everyone else to notice. Now that we were alone, though, there was no way she could¡¯ve missed it. After all, she was supposed to watch my training. That meant observing my hands and the ice they formed. My sight then shifted to the metallic wand. ¡°It¡¯s enchanted, isn¡¯t it?¡± she asked, pulling me back from my thoughts. ¡°Yes,¡± I answered, rubbing the gem with one finger. ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°Do I seem that ignorant to you, child? It¡¯s been centuries, but there¡¯s no way I would mistake ?rnyth¡¯s appearance. It¡¯s too unique. The only reason someone would use such an ugly thing as a ring is because the gemstone is enchanted.¡± Belaury thrusted her open palm towards me. ¡°Can I see it?¡± I nodded, letting go of the piece of ice that still hovered over my hand. I removed the ring before dropping it on her hand. ¡°Who made this?¡± She asked, inspecting the tiny object. ¡°Keith said they made it with the help of a survivor from the war. A vampire.¡± ¡°Vampires don¡¯t live this long. This must be his descendant.¡± She got up and placed it close to one of the lamps. ¡°An amethyst, I see. And this runic pattern¡­ A psychic spell, am I right?¡± ¡°An illusion,¡± I replied wide eyed. It surprised me how she could tell so easily. ¡°Does the type of gem matter for this?¡± ¡°Yes and no,¡± she responded, shaking her head. ¡°It was common practice to use colours to represent different types of magic, just like how the ruby I gave you contains a fire spell. It makes sense that they followed this convention. That said, the only real way to tell what enchantment it contains is the rune in its core.¡± ¡°I thought you said you didn¡¯t know about enchanting.¡± I commented, remembering what she said when Rex asked about it. ¡°Don¡¯t put words in my mouth, child,¡± she replied, frowning. ¡°What I meant to say back then was that I¡¯m not an enchanter. There¡¯s a clear difference between that and being clueless. I can tell it is a psychic spell because those always generate waving patterns like this, but I can¡¯t identify what spell it is just by looking.¡± She frowned and walked back to the table, putting the ring next to me. ¡°Use it,¡± she ordered in a calm tone. I grabbed the ring and did as my teacher asked, remembering to picture myself as a human kid before supplying mana into it. The strange feeling was back, stronger under her studious gaze. Belaury stood up and scrutinised my disguised body. She circled around me once before returning to her seat. ¡°Is that how you looked as a human?¡± I nodded, fiddling with my fingers in an attempt to distract myself from the discomfort. ¡°Many years ago, yes.¡± ¡°Interesting,¡± she said, placing a hand under her chin. ¡°I do like the real you better.¡± Her eyes shifted behind me, and she smiled. ¡°There it is. The hole in your disguise.¡± I looked behind me, following her line of sight. She was looking at one of the windows. There, I saw my reflection. Keith¡¯s words came back to me when I stared at my real self. ¡°I hope you¡¯re not planning on using that to blend in with the humans. I¡¯ve heard Illusions have low mana costs, but they can be tricky to use, particularly in crowds. Now, I can see why.¡± ¡°Do you have any tips?¡± I asked, hoping to improve its efficacy. ¡°Not for that.¡± Belaury shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not that familiar with illusion magic. I use mirages instead.¡± ¡°Mirages?¡± Keith had mentioned that elementarists had their own way to stay out of sight. It sounded like this was it. She smiled. ¡°Let me show you.¡± Belaury closed her eyes, and her ears suddenly shrank. Her hair also changed to black, instead of silver. Then wings sprouted from her back, followed by a tail at her waist. Out of nowhere, my teacher had become a demon. I looked back to the mirror and noticed her reflection was the same. ¡°Unlike illusions, which focus on altering someone¡¯s perception of something, mirages manipulate the light that reflects from a surface,¡± she explained. ¡°Is it superior?¡± ¡°Neither is superior. Both have their own strengths and weaknesses. Like I said, illusions are based on perception. Supposedly, a master illusionist can fool all five senses. If you can achieve this, your disguise can be very convincing. From what I¡¯ve heard, this can become quite draining in huge crowds, mostly because you need to make sure everyone is affected by your magic. If you miss someone, or if a target is too far, that person can call out on your tricks. Mirages, on the other hand, can be perceived the same way by anyone, no matter their numbers or how far they are. The downside, however...¡± She leaned forward and grabbed my hand, leading it to her ear. I could feel her real long ear where my eyes could only see air. ¡°They still can only change the way you look. Light magic can also drain you quickly.¡± ¡°I think I get it. It¡¯s like installing new software. The complete method is simple and guarantees a proper installation at the cost of possible bloatware, while the custom method can be more useful for people who know what they¡¯re doing.¡± Belaury just stared at me, mouth agape. She blinked twice and broke into laughter, turning back into an elf in the process. ¡°I didn¡¯t get half of what you said, but sure, let¡¯s go with that if it makes it easier for you.¡± I could only look away as my face got warmer. What was I thinking!? She doesn¡¯t even know what a computer is! ¡°A-anyway, is there any other alternative to these two spells?¡± I asked, forcing the conversation to continue. ¡°You mean something you can use to disguise yourself?¡± I nodded. ¡°No. As far as I know, those are the only two options. I suppose combining them is an option, though the cost must be incredibly high.¡± I knitted my eyebrows in response. ¡°I remember you mentioned something like a magical plastic surgery once. Is that different?¡± ¡°There¡¯s that term again,¡± Belaury pointed out with a frown. ¡°Isn¡¯t plastic the material my new salt container and this bucket are made of? How do you use it for surgery?¡± My first reaction was to facepalm myself. I used another odd term right after my blunder. That was followed by confusion. I didn¡¯t actually know why it was named like that. Is it because you shape it into something else? ¡°You¡¯re doing that staring into space thing again, Nora.¡± Hearing that, I shook my head. ¡°Sorry. And I don''t actually know why it¡¯s called that. But that¡¯s not important. I¡¯m talking about the, uh, the life magic that changes someone¡¯s appearance.¡± ¡°Oh, that,¡± she bobbed her head. ¡°Not at all. It¡¯s too lengthy and painful to be convenient. More importantly, there¡¯s a limit to how much you can change. Your face? No problem. Something as ridiculous as hiding your wings or tail would be even worse. You would literally need to remove them.¡± Connor¡¯s image popped into my mind just then. ¡°Let¡¯s assume I know someone desperate enough to go through it. They really hate the way they look. Can Viken use that magic on them?¡± ¡°Do I know that person?¡± Belaury asked, folding her arms. ¡°No,¡± I replied, shaking my head. ¡°I¡¯m talking about a werewolf.¡± ¡°A what?¡± ¡°They didn¡¯t exist back then?¡± She smiled and rested her head on one hand. ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°Right.¡± I sighed. I was making too many mistakes during this conversation. ¡°A werewolf is a person with wolf traits. You know, like fur, a wolf¡¯s head and even a tail. I guess it¡¯s easier to imagine them as big wolves standing upright.¡± Belaury simply nodded. Her right hand covered her mouth while her thumb and index pressed lightly on her cheeks. ¡°Tell me one thing, child. What exactly is this person trying to change about their appearance?¡± My eyes widened at the question. I thought it was already quite obvious. ¡°He wants to go back to being human.¡± She clicked her tongue and slowly shook her head. ¡°Oh, my dear apprentice. You can be quite na?ve sometimes.¡± I disregarded her mocking and asked, ¡°Is that a no?¡± ¡°It¡¯s magic, not a miracle. An elf could probably achieve it, by reshaping their ears. What you are proposing is impossible. It¡¯s even more outlandish than removing your wings. You¡¯d need to completely reshape the skull among other things.¡± I pressed my lips and looked down. ¡°Exactly.¡± ---<>----------<>----------<>--- The class ended soon after our conversation. Belaury declared I cleared my task successfully and told me to rest well for the next day, as she would, once more, increase the difficulty of my challenge. Before leaving, she told me Viken was nearly done with Sylvia¡¯s potion, and that he would bring it with him in the morning. I was mentally exhausted after my lesson. Additionally, thanks to the unexpected change in location, it started much later than usual. Needless to say, all I really wanted was to head to bed early. I did go through my messages and checked in with my family before that, of course. There was nothing worth mentioning, other than a few odd posts about strange animal sightings and a few disappearances. They seemed interesting, but I simply skimmed through them and saved the links so I could read them the next day. It didn¡¯t take long for me to drift into sleep. Chapter 31: The New Normal I woke up to the sound of my phone¡¯s message notification. Groaning and still unable to open my eyes properly, I clawed at the nightstand in an attempt to grab it. My other hand was busy trying to remove a few persistent strands of hair from my mouth. Thankfully, the numbers on the screen were big enough that I could identify them despite my blurred vision. Late morning, though it was still too early for me. A long yawn escaped my mouth as I slid my thumb along the dots on the screen, clumsily trying to complete the pattern and unlock the thing. After a few failed attempts, I was able to get past the security screen and check the message. Mom: [We¡¯ll be arriving earlier than expected!] I blinked slowly, staring at the text. I was, most definitely, not the same morning person I was before. Another yawn made itself present as I typed my own text. Nora: [Arriving wear?] Ugh, stupid phone¡­ Nora: [where*] A couple of minutes passed before she finally saw my question and replied. Mom: [The centre, silly! Where else? Don¡¯t tell me you forgot we are visiting today.] Reading this, my eyes shot wide open. The sudden energy burst the message gave me was better than any coffee I had in the past. In retrospect, that really wasn¡¯t that good of a comparison. I rarely had that stuff to begin with. The only way for me to drink the bitter beverage was by completely masking its taste with as many things as I could. It was probably worse after the age regression. I hadn¡¯t tried it, nor was I that interested in finding out. In any case, I was now fully awake, scrolling all the way up the message history in search of any indication of this surprise visit. I found none. Nora: [Why didn¡¯t you tell me yesterday!?] Nora: [And what do you mean you¡¯ll be here earlier?] Nora: [How much earlier?] Mom: [We¡¯ll be there sooner because classes ended early today. That¡¯s what Allen says, at least. He told us there was an emergency drill in case of culling infection. I tried calling the school to confirm with them, but the lines are all busy. Anyway, he¡¯s already on his way here. He placed his things in the car before leaving the house, so we¡¯ll be ready to leave as soon as he arrives. Dad says we should be there by lunch.] I sighed. That gave me a little over two hours to get prepared, so it wasn¡¯t as bad as I expected. I had the feeling Dad made the decision based purely on the chance to get free food, though. What really worried me was how this sudden change in schedule would be perceived by Dr. Blake, Anna, and the rest of the staff. I didn¡¯t even know if Anna had fully recovered to hear it. The fastest way to confirm that was by asking Viken or Dr. Blake himself, and judging by the muffled voices I heard coming from outside, that wouldn¡¯t be a problem. I could tell both of them were talking by the terrace. There was no mistaking it. Nora: [Okay, Mommy. I¡¯ll let everyone here know.] Mom: [Thanks, sweetie. See you there!] Wait¡­ Nora: [One more thing.] Nora: [Is Mary coming?] Mom: [¡°You bet I am!¡± Is what she said. She¡¯s been here all morning, actually. You should see her. She¡¯s wearing those long ears she bought when you went to that fantasy convention last year. Want me to send you a picture?] Panic came back to me in an instant. I rejected the offer and proceeded to type a new message aimed at my crazy friend. Nora: [Take those things off right now!] Mary: [Aw, but I want to fit in!] Mary: [I don¡¯t think Anna will mind it. She was pretty chill.] Oh, it¡¯s not Anna that worries me. Nora: [Just don¡¯t. Please. She¡¯s not the only elf we have now.] Mary: [0.0] Nora: [Yeah, I¡¯m afraid you may offend the others if you wear them.] I honestly doubted they would even agree to meet another group of people so soon, but it was always good to be prepared in case they did. Belaury had mentioned being angered by humans disguising as elves to catch survivors in the past, and I certainly didn¡¯t want Mary to trigger those memories. Mary: [Booo!] Mary: [Okay, but you have to show me that crazy new magic of yours as payment!] Nora: [Sure. Let¡¯s do that.] It was a small price to pay, though it was likely to affect one of my training sessions with Belaury. I assumed it would be fine as long as I did spend the mana like we agreed. Mary: [Great! See you in a bit!] I rolled my eyes. It didn¡¯t surprise me to learn that Mary was already with my family. My parents treated her like another member of our household, and she certainly spent a lot of time with us each week. Additionally, there really wasn¡¯t much she could do before college started. By law, students were given a six-month cooldown period between highschool and their professional studies. Supposedly, it was to clear our minds before the sudden increase in difficulty. We, however, could use that period however we saw fit, and many students took this chance to seek part-time jobs and gain a little extra during that time. I, myself, planned on doing just that. My goal was to earn enough money to buy one of the next generation virtual reality headsets, but fate had decided I would shrink and sprout wings instead. Had I remained human, I was sure Mary would¡¯ve applied to any job I did just to keep me company. She had no reason to work otherwise. Her family was quite wealthy, after all. The Knights of the Silver Guard were very well paid, and her father was requested by one of our city¡¯s Verzels, the highest ranking position among nobles. Only the royal families were above them. Despite their economic standing, Mary¡¯s parents were incredibly humble. Clear proof of that was the fact that they enrolled their daughter in the same school I went to. That was how I met my best friend, and it was something for which I was forever grateful. Smiling at the nice memory, I took a deep breath and locked my phone. I placed it back on top of the nightstand, noticing the fresh claw marks I left on its surface when I took the device. My claws weren¡¯t razor sharp, but with enough pressure, they could really do some damage. It wasn¡¯t the first time this happened, either. In fact, all of the furniture in the room, my phone and tablet, and even my bedsheets had accumulated similar damage over time. I didn¡¯t space out for long, however. There were more important things than a few extra scratches on my nightstand. On that thought, I turned to the window and ran to open it, sticking my head out to look at the terrace right after. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare jump, Nora!¡± Anna yelled from below. My face brightened when I saw her. She was sitting in her own wheelchair next to Sylvia. She was covered in casts, but at least she seemed to be in her usual mood. I also spotted Viken, who was preparing to give his lesson. His audience was quite big from what I could tell. Allison and Rex were there as expected, but I could also spot Dr. Blake, Lily and Lucy sitting at another table. All of them looked up when Anna spoke. ¡°I won¡¯t!¡± I replied. ¡°I¡¯ll be there in a moment! Wait for me, okay?¡± ¡°Uh, sure?¡± I¡¯ll take that. With her confirmation, sort of, I dashed to the bathroom and took the quickest shower of my life. Having cold resistance meant I didn¡¯t need to wait for the water to heat up, so it helped speed up the process. After that, I shook my head to get rid of any excess water and let my hair dry naturally whilst I dressed up with some jeans and a peach coloured blouse. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. My footwear of choice was a pair of white slip-on sneakers. I was thankful I had enough shoes I could wear despite having those annoying hooks protruding from my ankles. Finally, I grabbed my phone, the ring, and the fire stone. Once I made sure the phone was safely attached to my jeans, I left my room in a hurry. I got quite a few stares on my way down, though no one, other than Jackie, tried to stop me or say anything about it. They all seemed too busy to care. Even the nurse simply limited herself to yell at me not to run with that annoying, overly high-pitched voice of hers. I didn¡¯t listen, of course; only stopping once I was looking at the terrace through the glass of the back door. Everyone I saw previously was there, chatting with whoever was next to them. Connor and Clarice were also there. The nurse was leaning on a wall behind Anna and Sylvia, probably waiting in case her assistance was required. Connor sat next to Lucy, still making use of the ring Keith gave him. It was a pity Viken¡¯s life magic couldn¡¯t help him, but the illusion spell seemed to be working well enough. Jack and Keith were nowhere to be seen. ¡°Good morning, everyone,¡± I said, sliding the door open. ¡°Sorry if I interrupted anything.¡± ¡°Worry not, Nora,¡± Viken replied. ¡°The lesson was only starting.¡± I nodded before turning to Anna and walking her way. ¡°How are you doing?¡± ¡°Everything hurts, but I¡¯m doing fine,¡± she replied. ¡°Especially after Viken brought a potion to lessen the pain.¡± The old man bowed faintly in response. ¡°It was quite the shocker waking up to see him sitting in my room, casually chatting with my father.¡± It surprised me to hear that. Viken had always been more open-minded than his wife, but I didn¡¯t expect him to go that far right after being discovered. It made sense, though. I assumed elven healers had similar oaths to the ones our own doctors made. Perhaps even stronger if they made them with their gods as witnesses. ¡°I should thank you as well, Nora.¡± she continued, drawing back my attention to her. ¡°Me?¡± ¡°You did help slow down my fall. Speaking of which, are you okay?¡± ¡°Oh. Yes, I am. You, uh, you kinda cushioned my own fall,¡± I replied, looking away. ¡°Sorry.¡± She smiled gently at me. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m actually relieved to hear that. Apparently, they were so focused on me that they forgot about checking on you, too.¡± I shrugged. ¡°To be fair, I also forgot about it.¡± She chuckled in response. ¡°I suppose that¡¯s a good sign then. So, what was it that you wanted to tell us? Seeing how early it is for you, I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s important.¡± ¡°Right. It¡¯s uh¡­ it¡¯s about my family.¡± ¡°Are they not coming anymore?¡± She gasped. ¡°Was your brother exposed to the virus?¡± ¡°W-wait, what?¡± I stepped back, tripping on the corner of a wood plank that was sticking out. I caught my footing, though Clarice was ready to catch me if I didn¡¯t. ¡°I suppose that¡¯s a no for both,¡± Dr. Blake commented. ¡°For context, there was a confirmed MAV outbreak in Rosefield High School today. Jack and Keith should have things under control by now, but we didn¡¯t know if it was your brother¡¯s class or not.¡± ¡°Allen said it was just a drill, though.¡± Anna slowly shook her head. ¡°That¡¯s because we told them to say that. They were quick and contacted us as soon as the symptoms showed. Thanks to that, they simply needed to isolate the affected room and send everyone else back home. It was the right thing to do, in my opinion. Remember, the MAV doesn¡¯t exist out there; the Culling does, and that one is lethal. It¡¯s better not to escalate things if we can avoid having an entire school in chaos.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Allen had dodged a bullet there. After all, being my brother made him compatible with the MAV. Pain and transformation aside, it wasn¡¯t good for him to miss his studies because of it. I had been quite lucky to get it just before my grace period started. ¡°Back on topic, though,¡± Anna continued. ¡°What was it about your family that you wanted to tell us?¡± ¡°Well, Mom sent me a message just now. She said they¡¯re coming early.¡± I explained, fidgeting on my not so comfortable chair. ¡°Oh, so that was it. There¡¯s no real problem as long as they take proper precautions. Do they have their camping disguise?¡± ¡°They do.¡± ¡°Well, there you go. All people will see is a family heading out to the forest for a camping weekend. How early will they be coming then?¡± ¡°They expect to be here by lunch.¡± Dr. Blake nodded, pulling out his phone. ¡°That¡¯s fine with us. I¡¯ll inform the guys at the gates. They have clearance, but it will be better if security knows to expect them at that time.¡± Viken started his lesson shortly after. He began by giving Rex and Allison some exercises to build up mana. Apparently, the main reason they had so much trouble getting started was that they had a very small pool and slower growth compared to the rest of us. Viken also pointed out that this had been the case for the dwarfs and giants of old, while vampires were known to be between these two races and the elfkin. When Dr. Blake asked about the rest of us, Viken said that our attributes confused him greatly. First, there was Jack. They hadn¡¯t interacted much, but he was interested in him and his mana based body. He couldn¡¯t understand how the ghost stayed together and was capable of generating mana without a core. Something similar could be said of Lily. Given the fairy¡¯s size, the core in her chest was too small to function normally. His theory was that she created mana instantly when using magic. Dr. Blake confirmed this theory, stating that he had proof of this. Finally, there was me, who started with a really small pool, yet managed to cultivate it faster than any elf my age could, according to my teacher. With his actual students busy, Viken continued by explaining the basics of magic to everyone else. It was, as expected, the same things Belaury had taught me. Having no interest in the repeated knowledge, I moved my chair to a corner. When I was far enough not to interrupt the class, I took out my phone and returned to reading the articles I had saved previously. Unsurprisingly, most of those turned out to be fake, though a few in particular caught my attention. Perhaps I was biassed by my own encounter with that huge spider in my room, but the multiple sightings of strange animals around the world looked legit to me. From acid spitting lizards to oversized armoured fish. Some of them included pictures attached as proof. Unlike the typical cryptid or UFO photographs I was used to, these weren¡¯t blurry at all. I kept going through them until I reached a video that an exotic reptile breeder posted on Mysterium''s forums. I played the video, making sure to mute it and turning the captions on so it wouldn¡¯t interrupt the lesson. The man began with a small introduction. There was a particular clutch of eggs he was taking care of. They were scheduled to hatch days ago, but had been delayed. It worried him, and he used a flashlight to verify their condition. By doing this, he discovered they were very much alive. This morning, when he woke up and checked the clutch, he noticed they were finally cracking. He proceeded to show a nest full of eggs from which three-headed baby snakes kept hatching. The breeder isolated and picked one with his gloved hand. He commented the species was venomous, so he needed to be really careful when handling it. Getting it closer to the camera revealed that two of the heads weren¡¯t actually that. They had mouths with fangs, but no throats. The eyes were fake, too. At one point, he compared them to a species of lizard whose tail was shaped just like the head to confuse predators. A natural evolutionary trait, though clearly impossible overnight. ¡°Can I see that?¡± Anna whispered from behind my shoulder, making me jump a little. I nodded and turned my phone¡¯s screen slightly so she could watch. Her frown increased with each second she watched. ¡°I need to make a few calls,¡± she finally said. ¡°Clarice, could you take me back inside?¡± The nurse nodded and took Anna into the building. I continued browsing. The three-headed snakes were, by far, the strangest discovery, although many other animals repeatedly appeared in both picture and video formats. Even the giant spiders starred in a couple of posts. It was clear why the creatures mutated, though I found it weird that so many different species were changing at the same time. The strangest part was how some of those animals had been infected despite being isolated from the outside world. The snakes from the video, for example, took that to the extreme by being born that way. The sound of steps approaching made me look up. ¡°Do you know where Anna went, Nora?¡± Dr. Blake asked, bending closer to my face. I looked around, noticing Viken¡¯s lesson had come to an end. ¡°She went back inside to call someone.¡± ¡°Did she mention who?¡± I shook my head in response. ¡°No, but it''s probably because of the video I showed her. One moment.¡± I went back to my phone and searched for the video with the snakes. Once I had it, I showed it to him. ¡°This one.¡± He took it and watched the video. ¡°Interesting,¡± he commented as the nest came into view. ¡°That explains it then.¡± ¡°I found a few other mutants, too.¡± ¡°Show me.¡± I did as he told me. By the time we finished, everyone was surrounding us out of curiosity. ¡°They keep showing up everywhere... At least the snakes are the only new ones this time. All of the others are already documented in the database. That reminds me.¡± He turned around to face Viken, who had taken a seat on a nearby bench. ¡°Have you spotted anything out of the ordinary in the woods lately, Viken?¡± The elf raised an eyebrow. ¡°Concerning these mutants you talk about?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Dr. Blake responded. ¡°Any plants or animals that look different? enormous spiders, for example.¡± The old man went silent as he thought about it. ¡°No,¡± he replied shortly after. ¡°I saw not such things.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Dr. Blake ran a hand through his hair and sighed. ¡°That¡¯s good, I suppose.¡± He nodded and straightened up. ¡°I better head back in, too. It seems like today is going to be quite the busy day. Thank you for your time, Viken.¡± Viken bowed from his seat. Dr. Blake copied the gesture and walked inside, although not without calling Lily, who followed him in. ¡°I should probably go too,¡± Lucy said, standing up. ¡°Why?¡± I asked, confused. As far as I knew, she didn¡¯t have anything on her schedule. Since her office was next to the staircase, I had the habit of looking at it wherever I passed by. I hadn¡¯t done it this morning, but I was sure nothing was there the last time I did check. She nodded. ¡°I must be ready for when the infected students arrive. I¡¯m sure some of them will need my assistance. The doctor also told me that two wildlings should be waking up later today.¡± I had completely forgotten about the family with the cat. They were never mentioned, at least not in front of me. I found it weird that only two of them were waking up considering all three were infected on the same day, though. Perhaps the mother was taking longer. It made sense considering the size difference. ¡°I hope it¡¯s alright with you, Mr. Deinast,¡± she continued, looking at Connor, who was also getting up. ¡°It is fine,¡± he replied. ¡°We can begin your training tomorrow.¡± My eyes widened when I realised they would also learn from him. Before I could say anything about it, both the metahuman and the werewolf went inside. That meant the only ones left were Rex and Allison, who were still training, and Sylvia, who now sat by the same table as Viken. The old man beckoned to me. ¡°Your family is coming, yes?¡± he asked as I got closer. ¡°Will Bel postpone the class until they leave?¡± ¡°I know not,¡± he answered, briefly glancing at the forest. If Belaury was there, I couldn¡¯t spot her. The lack of humans made me think she wasn¡¯t. There was no other reason for her to hide. ¡°I will speak with her. If she is in agreement with it, she will come like all days.¡± I nodded. ¡°Okay. Thanks.¡± Viken returned the gesture and got up. ¡°Well done. You can stop today,¡± he said as he walked past Rex and Allison. They opened their eyes and bowed to him despite him not looking back. Once he was out of sight, I checked the time to discover that the time was almost up. My family would arrive soon. Chapter 32: Visiting Hours Sylvia and Allison kept me company as I waited for my family. Since it was only the three of us, we sat at a different, smaller table today. This one was close to the entrance and stood next to a window that granted me vision of the main hall. I kept leaning on its deep sill, staring at the door that led to the underground parking lot from my seat. They were going to enter through there. At least they were meant to. Allison placed a hand on my head and smiled. ¡°Anyone would think you haven¡¯t seen them in years, little one. Don¡¯t worry, it shouldn¡¯t be long now.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Mom had sent me a message just before they entered the forest, after all. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I added after a pause. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Sylvia asked from the other side of the table. ¡°Your tail seems to disagree with you.¡± I turned around to see the blue whip slowly swinging from side to side. My face heated up, and my hand flew to stop its movement. Sylvia covered her mouth, trying to hide her snickering. ¡°Just you wait,¡± I replied, glaring at her. ¡°A couple more weeks, and you¡¯ll be too busy keeping yours in check.¡± Sylvia¡¯s own tail rested limply on her lap. Despite not being fully formed, the lifeless appendage was long enough to get trapped between the wheelchair¡¯s rims when it moved, so she needed to be careful with it. Her transformation was quite obvious already, though there were still no signs of her getting any younger. Theory so far was that her pregnancy also had a hand in this. The light squeaking of hinges echoed throughout the hall, making me look back at the previously closed door. Theo, one of the assistants, had come out and was holding it for someone on the other side. The next moment, I was sprinting towards the lobby. A startled yelp made me stop in my tracks. The frightened man that came out of the door was definitely a visiting parent; just not mine. The sudden scare made him take a step back, crashing against the green suitcase he brought with him. The large object had four wheels, so it simply slid away, rather than fall. He was Thomas, the man that voluntarily got bitten in an attempt to get infected along with his wife. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry,¡± the man said, bringing his right hand to his chest. His eyes wandered away from mine. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to yell like that.¡± I sighed in disappointment and shook my head. ¡°No, it¡¯s my fault for running like that. I¡¯m really sorry, mister.¡± ¡°R-right. I don¡¯t mind.¡± The man was trembling from head to toe. I was aware he wasn¡¯t a fan of my appearance from the moment we met, but I didn¡¯t remember his reaction being so bad before. Though, given the situation, I was probably the least of his concerns back then. ¡°Sorry, kid,¡± Theo said, earning a frown from me. He didn¡¯t see it as he was busy dragging the runaway luggage back to its owner. ¡°They¡¯ll be here soon, though. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Once close, his hand reached out for my head. This didn¡¯t sit well with me. Triggered by the sudden action, I took a step back and let out an unintentional warning growl. All of us flinched in response. Conflicting thoughts came to me. There was guilt from scaring them and fear of my own reaction, but also a sense of pride from making my opinion known. ¡°Nora!¡± Mom¡¯s angry voice took me by surprise. I turned around to see her and Mary walking through the open door. ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. It was my mistake. Sorry about that, Nora,¡± Theo said before he turned his back on us and spoke to the nervous visitor. ¡°This way, Mr. Malin.¡± The man nodded, and both walked away. ¡°It really wasn¡¯t my fault,¡± I continued once they were far enough. ¡°Allen did tell me you can¡¯t control it, but you didn¡¯t even apologise. I don¡¯t think many people enjoy being growled at.¡± ¡°Well, he didn¡¯t really stop to think if it was alright to pat my head, either.¡± Nobody actually did, to be fair. What bothered me was more the reason behind it, than the action itself. I really didn¡¯t like being looked down on. ¡°She¡¯s right, Emma. If anything, I would¡¯ve clawed at him,¡± Mary commented, striking an attack pose with her hands up. ¡°Sup, Beastie- I mean, Bestie,¡± she added, patting my head with a mischievous smile. I chuckled. ¡°Maybe I should claw at you instead.¡± I stepped forward to give Mom a big hug. ¡°Hi Mom.¡± ¡°Hello, sweety,¡± she replied, returning the hug. I looked behind her as we embraced each other, searching for the two missing members of my family. ¡°Where are Dad and Allen?¡± ¡°They¡¯re dealing with the massive cargo we brought,¡± Mary replied. ¡°And why are you not helping them?¡± I asked Mary, letting go of my mother. All she had on her was her own backpack. She wasn¡¯t super strong, but I was sure she could at least help out by dragging one of the cases. She crossed her arms and shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not kidding this time. They¡¯re huge!¡± ¡°It¡¯s only a weekend, you know,¡± I told Mom, confidently guessing she was the culprit. Mom grinned and replied, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s not for us.¡± Not giving me time to process her words, she spoke again. ¡°Hello, Allison.¡± I turned around to see the giantess walking at us, followed closely by Sylvia. ¡°Good afternoon, Emma.¡± Allison replied, kneeling next to me. ¡°And you must be Sylvia,¡± Mom continued. She walked up to her to shake her hand. ¡°It¡¯s nice to finally meet you.¡± ¡°Likewise,¡± Sylvia replied. ¡°I¡¯ve heard a lot about you and what you¡¯re doing for us. I was really starting to hate these robes, so thank you.¡± Huh? ¡°Oh, don¡¯t thank me yet. You haven¡¯t even seen them.¡± Noticing my puzzled expression, Mom chuckled. ¡°Speaking of which, they should be here any second now.¡± As if on cue, Dad and Allen stepped into the lobby with red faces, dragging two gigantic suitcases. Each of them was almost as tall as I was. It then dawned on me. She was the friend that Dr. Blake had told us about. No wonder she hadn¡¯t been able to come the previous week. Once she got inspired, there was no stopping her. After we were done greeting each other, Allison took no time in grabbing both containers, lifting them as if they weighed nothing, and leading us to her room. There, we inspected my mother¡¯s work. Following Allison¡¯s request, most of her own clothes were long summer dresses with diverse floral patterns. Something I noticed was that, save for a few shawls and a couple of sweaters, there was nothing she could wear during the colder seasons. I did ask her, and she explained that there was no need for that. One of the perks of being a giant is that their bodies have less trouble keeping the heat because of their higher volume. Next came my and Sylvia¡¯s turn. While Allison¡¯s had been just bigger versions of normal clothing, ours included some rather interesting designs to accommodate our non-human traits, flight being the most important of them. Many of my outfits were pretty much skin-tight, though they seemed to offer enough protection against strong winds and cold. Not that I had to worry about those. These were very plain looking, clearly aiming to be as aerodynamic as they could, having embroidered and stamped patterns as their only decorations. The rest of the clothes were more visually pleasing and creative, my favourites being the skirts with hidden stud buttons that allowed them to turn into stylish shorts. There was something about transforming clothes that I really loved. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. Sylvia¡¯s were similar, but the focus for most was her pregnancy. Pleased with what she was looking at, Sylvia took no time in choosing one of the outfits and heading to the bathroom to change. She came out wearing her new pants and blouse, smiling from ear to ear, and threw the robe as hard as she could to the floor. Since I had my own clothes already, I wasn¡¯t in such a hurry, and, despite my mother¡¯s insistence, I chose to try them on later at night. Mom also made some outfits for Rex, but he was still out in the forest planning the construction of his very own blacksmithing workshop, so we left them by the reception desk on the way to the cafeteria, where we would eat and wait for everyone else to show up. ---<>----------<>----------<>--- ¡°Well? How do I look?¡± Weird¡­ This wasn¡¯t true. The clothes suited Rex well, but his image didn¡¯t agree with my perception of how a dwarf should look like. It was too modern. With his flannel shirt and trousers, all my mind could see was a compressed lumberjack. He was just missing a beanie and an axe. The others did praise him, so I remained quiet as I took another mouthful of food and enjoyed that I was no longer the centre of attention. My family had me talk non-stop about everything that transpired in their absence. Every single detail. I thought about not mentioning the elven couple at first, but, considering there was a chance they would meet them soon, I chose to do it. Even if Belaury refused, Viken would probably enter the building to check on Anna. Speaking of which, I did make sure to omit my recent fall. Anna agreed they didn¡¯t need to know, and she assured me she would come up with an excuse for her casts. She had yet to appear, though. In fact, other than Mary and my family, only Allison and Sylvia were present at the table. Unfortunately for me, being the centre of attention and storyteller, I wasn¡¯t able to touch my food until Rex arrived with his new outfit and changed the topic. I silently thanked him for it. Mary leaned closer to me and whispered, ¡°So when can you show me your newfound powers, Miss Freeze?¡± I put the food back on the plate and slowly turned to her. ¡°Miss Freeze?¡± She nodded rapidly. ¡°You have a super power now. You need a hero name to match! You know, a public identity to protect the secrecy of a real one! I also need to meet your teacher! Oh! And a flight demonstration!¡± ¡°I¡¯m no hero, so no, I don¡¯t need one. Plus, that sounds more like a villain¡¯s name.¡± ¡°I mean, yeah, but it¡¯s not my fault most ice users tend to be villains. Like, what¡¯s up with that?¡± ¡°Do you also want me to speak using cold related puns?¡± ¡°Yes, please do,¡± she replied with more nodding. ¡°No!¡± I laughed and picked up my food again. ¡°No hero names; no puns.¡± With that, I went back to eating. Though her pensive pose told me she hadn¡¯t given up on the idea. I had barely taken another bite when she tried again. ¡°How about Vylt? I know you like that one.¡± ¡°Maybe because it¡¯s my username for everything?¡± She smiled proudly. ¡°Exactly!¡± I could only shake my head in response. ¡°So? Demonstrations? Elves? When?¡± It was true that I owed her a demonstration. In fact, my whole family was quite interested in it, as well. I would need to apologise to my teacher for spending mana before the class, but I was sure Belaury would understand. After all, it still fit with our efforts to increase my capacity. It made me wonder just how much it would actually grow. ---<>----------<>----------<>--- We headed straight to the lake after eating. It was still the ideal place to showcase my magic. While buckets were enough for my training, they just weren¡¯t as flashy. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to get there! Do you have anything planned for your demonstration?¡± Mary asked as she bounced next to me. The rest of the group was farther ahead. Adults and their long strides¡­ Her question had me thinking for a moment. Truth be told, I had nothing prepared for it. Last time I showcased my abilities, all I did was gather a few water droplets to form an ice needle. My capacity certainly allowed for much more than that, especially after Belaury¡¯s training, and I did want to give them a bit of a show. ¡°How about an ice sculpture?¡± Mary¡¯s already wide smile only grew in response to my suggestion. ¡°Oh! That sounds great! Will you take requests?¡± I shrugged. ¡°Sure, why not. Though, I would appreciate it if they are not too difficult. Keep in mind that all I¡¯ve done recently is a bunch of marbles.¡± Mary hummed, bringing a finger to the corner of her mouth. ¡°Would a tree be too difficult? I think it will look amazing.¡± I pondered it for a moment. It really wasn¡¯t that hard. A tree was only as complex as one chose to make it. It would certainly require some concentration, but I liked the challenge of seeing how far I could take it. ¡°I can probably do that,¡± I replied. We reached our destination shortly after. Mary followed me all the way to the lake¡¯s shore, while the rest remained a few metres behind us. Only she knew what I was going to do, so it made sense they gave me enough distance to work. ¡°I¡¯ll need to concentrate for this, don¡¯t make too much noise,¡± I told Mary. She merely nodded, taking out her phone to record the event. I crouched to get closer to the water and visualised the tree I wanted to make as the liquid rose to my open hand. I then redirected it to the ground, where I started building the trunk, including the roots to keep it standing, and worked my way up from there. It reminded me of 3D printing, in a sense. The biggest difference being that if I, the machine, stopped working, all the progress would be gone. I quickly abandoned the thought and continued. When I reached a decent height, I split the tip and started branching all over. Finally, super thin leaves sprouted everywhere. By this point, I was having trouble keeping the shape stable, even with the image still in my head. There were just too many shapes that I needed to hold, and my mana was starting to drain quickly. Not being able to go any further, I took a deep breath and froze the entire figure in an instant. I felt somewhat dizzy right after that, so I dropped to the ground to recover. There was a brief round of applause, though Mary simply frowned as she squatted to examine the tree. ¡°I guess a bonsai does count as a tree, but I was really expecting something bigger.¡± ¡°Yeah? I want to see yours now,¡± I countered. She laughed in response and took a picture of it. ¡°Jokes aside, it looks really good. Well done, Bestie!¡± I looked at my work again. The leaves were already melting, much to my mother¡¯s disappointment. She would need to ask Mary for a copy. Mary then stood up and pointed towards the training area. ¡°Next destination, the flight platform!¡± ¡°No!¡± I growled immediately, also standing up. I cleared my throat immediately, though the damage was done. She blinked twice in silence. ¡°No flight demonstration then?¡± ¡°What?¡± I asked, confused. ¡°No! I mean, yes! But not there. Not yet.¡± ¡°Then?¡± ¡°I can bring some of the guys to start up the boats,¡± Rex intervened. ¡°We can just do what we have done so far.¡± I shook my head at the idea. ¡°I didn¡¯t bring my swimdress today.¡± I didn¡¯t get the chance. Mom¡¯s message had thrown me off, making me forget about that. Without one, the water was off limits. I did not want to get my normal clothes wet by any means. Looking at Allison, however, an idea popped in my mind. A slightly riskier idea that didn¡¯t require wasting so much time. I walked up to her and spoke. ¡°I think I can do it if you throw me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, little one,¡± Allison quickly replied. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s safe.¡± ¡°Wait! Hear me out first.¡± Allison groaned, and her focus shifted to my Mom¡¯s panicked expression. I took the silence as my chance. ¡°If you throw me upwards, I should get enough altitude to take flight. When I¡¯m done, I¡¯ll just come back so you can catch me. If you can¡¯t, I¡¯ll just dive into the lake as usual.¡± My clothes would be quite heavy, but I was confident they would help me out in time. ¡°I don¡¯t know sweety,¡± Mom interjected. ¡°It really doesn¡¯t sound safe.¡± I turned back to Allison, ¡°Trust me. This isn¡¯t the child me speaking. I already thought about it. I¡¯m pretty sure I can even land on my own like before, but I¡¯m choosing to keep it safe.¡± It took some more honeyed words, but I eventually convinced them, even Mom, to let me try. Allison knew I was capable. She was just nervous because of the new method. By then, I was no longer dizzy from mana depletion, so I didn¡¯t even bother mentioning it. I swear, if I get this wrong, I¡¯m going to really hate myself. ¡°You¡­ be¡­ fine.¡± Oh hello spirit. I didn¡¯t expect you to show up at this moment. Didn¡¯t you need mana or something? I kinda ran out, you know. There was nothing after that. Well, thank you for your encouraging words, I guess. I lifted my arms up for Allison to pick me up, which she did with some hesitation. ¡°Are you really sure?¡± She whispered when we were at eye level. ¡°Your fall was still very recent.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± I replied with a nod. ¡°Just send me up. If I feel like I can¡¯t do it, I¡¯ll let you catch me again. Be ready, just in case.¡± Allison pressed her lips, but remained silent after that. I then felt myself going down. She was getting ready to throw me. That or she was having second thoughts and putting me back down. When she stopped, I knew it was time I closed my eyes. I would open them once I spread out my wings. The next moment, I was high up in the air. I could feel the fear creeping its way in just as I reached the maximum height. My wings opened by instinct the moment I felt myself falling, and my eyes quickly followed suit. Success! The worst was over. At least until I needed to go down. I kept gaining altitude as my wings flapped with everything they had. Soon enough, I flew past the tall trees and began to glide. Loud cheering had me look down, where everyone was waving at me. My magnified vision allowed me to see Mary¡¯s phone whilst she recorded. This time, Mom was also ready. My plan was to hover above them the entire time. That was until I spotted a certain someone watching from somewhere else in the forest. I couldn¡¯t see my teacher, but Viken waved at me with both arms. I waved back, to which he shook his head in response. I circled around the old elf, trying to make out what he was trying to say. He kept moving his arms frantically. Even with my improved sight during flight, I couldn¡¯t tell what his expression was, so I didn¡¯t know the nature of his message. Giving up on his attempt at sign language, Viken looked around him and grabbed a long branch from the floor. He then pointed it forward, as if casting a spell. Belaury! I nodded in understanding. Next, he gave a few exaggerated steps without moving from his spot, followed by him pointing at the sun. He kept pointing as he moved his arm down. My teacher is coming tonight! Chapter 33: A Frozen Flower Allison stood by the lake¡¯s shore, watching me as I began my descent. She seemed ready to catch me the moment I got close enough. Unbeknown to her, however, I had altered the plan a little. My new intention was to try and land without any assistance. For the record, this wasn¡¯t the child in my head taking over, but a simple desire to replicate what I had achieved once before. I did stumble that one time, but that was precisely why I needed to practise. My goal was, in theory, quite safe for me. At least as long as my acrophobia wasn¡¯t triggered. Considering recent events, it was something important to keep in mind. Though, while that was always a real threat, my previous experiences indicated that such a thing never happened when my wings were in control. They granted me the sense of security I needed not to fear flying. Should something go wrong, I could simply stick to the original idea. Allison would become my safety net, and I trusted she could do it. Even if she couldn¡¯t, there was always the option to keep going and fall into the water instead. Unfortunately for me, none of my planning mattered. ¡°Nora! Wait!¡± Allison was quick to notice my precocious descent and took off sprinting towards me. I barely had any time to react as a large pair of arms wrapped around me and pulled me into a hug the moment I got close enough to the ground. Still not used to stopping her momentum, Allison ended up being the one to stumble for a few seconds. Once stable, the giantess pulled me away from her and turned me around as she held me. ¡°Are you okay? What happened? Did you get tired?¡± She resembled a customer trying to spot any signs of damage on the doll she intended to buy at a toy store. The doll in question was quite disappointed. Having recovered from the sudden interception, I sighed. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I just wanted to try landing on my own.¡± Allison stopped and frowned. ¡°And you didn¡¯t tell me because¡­¡± ¡°I only thought about it once I was up there. I wasn¡¯t expecting you to run like that and catch me. My bad.¡± She pouted briefly, then slowly shook her head and put me down. ¡°We can try that next time. Just let me know beforehand, okay?¡± ¡°O-okay.¡± I was fully expecting her to scold me for it. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Nora, are you okay!?¡± Mom shouted, still running my way. The time it took them to reach us served as a testament to how fast giants could be when they wanted to. ¡°Oh my gods! That was so cool!¡± Mary yelled right after. ¡°There was the flying, and the running, and then the epic midair catch! And I got it all on camera!¡± Allison jumped!? I hadn¡¯t even noticed she did. I really needed to watch that video. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Mom. Don¡¯t worry, I know what I¡¯m doing.¡± That seemed enough to calm her down. Fortunately, she wasn¡¯t aware this would¡¯ve been my second time landing on my own. ¡°And Mary, I hope you remember that you can¡¯t publish that thing,¡± I commented. ¡°Or anything you record here for that matter.¡± She snickered, ¡°Oh, I know, I know. You don¡¯t have to tell me. Plus, they are my treasures! Only for me!¡± Noticing my mother¡¯s disappointment, she added, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Emma. You know you¡¯re the exception.¡± Mom immediately smiled, ¡°Thank you very much, Mary. You¡¯re an angel.¡± ¡°Heh, I know,¡± Mary replied. ¡°Well, that¡¯s demonstration number two. Next is that illusion ring!¡± I shook my head in response, ¡°That will need to wait.¡± She deflated upon hearing my refusal. ¡°How come?¡± ¡°The ring may be enchanted, but it still uses my mana to work,¡± I explained. ¡°I did use a lot to make that tree earlier, so you¡¯ll need to wait for me to recover. I¡¯m not even sure I¡¯ll be ready for my class tonight.¡± Sylvia¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°You mean Bel is really going to come?¡± I nodded. ¡°I saw Viken from up there. I could be wrong, but I¡¯m quite sure that¡¯s what he was trying to tell me.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Mary shouted with a fist pump. ¡°I get to meet the ancient master!¡± ¡°Calm down, Mary.¡± I pulled at her elbow, lowering it. ¡°We only know she¡¯s coming, not that she¡¯s going to meet you all. Also, you may want to refrain from calling her ancient to her face. Just saying.¡± ---<>----------<>----------<>--- I watched the sun hide behind the canopies as I sat alone at the terrace, occasionally scrolling through my phone. My family remained inside the building. I knew they sat somewhere in the cafeteria where they could see me as I interacted with the elf. The mirror-like windows prevented that from seeing the exact location, though. They needed to be close enough for their silhouettes to even show. Soon enough, darkness took over, and my teacher cautiously emerged from within the woods. She spotted me and looked around as she walked to my table. I stood to greet her. ¡°I thought your family would be with you today,¡± the old elf-lady commented as she took her usual seat across the table, right in front of me. Her wand now laid on the table, next to her resting arm. ¡°Are they inside?¡± I nodded. ¡°I told them to stay there until my class is over.¡± ¡°Thank you for being considerate,¡± she said, smiling. ¡°I¡¯d like to meet them, though.¡± I crossed my arms and raised an eyebrow in response. ¡°Who are you, and what did you do to my teacher?¡± Belaury laughed in response, taking a seat. ¡°Is it that difficult to believe? I thought I told you we were done with all the secrecy.¡± ¡°Yeah, but I also know you hate big crowds when teaching. I mean, you did give Alex a hard time when he tried taking the class along with me. You still owe him that special session, by the way.¡± She shrugged and looked at the windows, trying to spot any shadows behind them. ¡°Perhaps one of these days.¡± ¡°So? Why the sudden interest in my family?¡± I asked, sitting beside her. ¡°I simply wish to talk to them. We won¡¯t be having our usual class tonight, anyway. Not after you already had a sufficient control session earlier today.¡± ¡°You saw that?¡± I asked her, wide eyed. My teacher smirked. ¡°Of course I did. I may be more open to interaction with humans, but that doesn¡¯t mean I won¡¯t be cautious about it. Vik told me your parents would be coming, so I had to judge them for myself before making my decision. Quite the loving family you got there. It reminds me of better times¡­¡± She cleared her throat and continued. ¡°But I digress. As I was saying, I believe that tree of yours was enough training for today. You did drain your mana and put your control to the test. Because of that, there¡¯s no need for you to push it any further today. Instead, I will fulfil an important tradition I had previously omitted.¡± I tilted my head in confusion. ¡°What do they have to do with this tradition?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll see. It¡¯s nothing complicated, but I¡¯d rather explain that once your family joins us. I¡¯ll probably have to repeat myself for them otherwise.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± I replied, taking out my phone. ¡°I¡¯ll just send them a message, then. It¡¯s faster.¡± Belaury¡¯s eyes quickly focused on the device as it lit up. ¡°Is that the same mysterious artefact Viken saw earlier? The one with the strange voices and images?¡± Oh, right. This is the first time she sees it. Still focused on typing the message, I explained, ¡°We call it a smartphone. It¡¯s something we use for communication. It can be verbal, written or with moving images. We can also use it as a way to share or obtain information, among other things. You could say it¡¯s like a pocket library everyone has access to.¡± After I was done, I presented the phone to her. ¡°I just told my family they need to come. Want to take a look at it while they arrive?¡± My teacher nodded and eagerly took it in her hands. She examined it, pressed the buttons and looked at the screen as it opened a random app. My mother¡¯s confirmation soon appeared on it as well. ¡°I¡¯ve seen many human creations over the last six hundred years, but this is the most intriguing by far. It¡¯s hard to believe this wasn¡¯t created with magic. Are these things expensive?¡± She handed it back as I answered, ¡°They can be. The price range is quite big, but most are something commoner families like mine can easily afford. As much as I hate to admit it, they¡¯re such an important tool nowadays, that it¡¯s actually quite rare to find someone who doesn¡¯t own one.¡± ¡°You hate them?¡± I shrugged. ¡°Kinda? Don¡¯t take me wrong, they are quite useful, but that means they can also become very addictive.¡± ¡°Excuse us,¡± Dad said as he opened the door behind me. Mom, Allen and Mary quickly followed him out of the building. My teacher stood up and bowed. The first voluntary bow I had ever seen from her. ¡°It¡¯s an honour to finally meet you. My name is Belaury Deinast. I¡¯ve been acting as Nora¡¯s magic teacher for the past few weeks.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you as well, Mrs. Deinast,¡± Dad replied. ¡°I am Adam Hayes. This is my wife Emma, and our son Allen.¡± Not used to the elven greeting, my family cautiously bowed. ¡°And I¡¯m Mary! Nora¡¯s best friend.¡± ¡°I thought only your family would come,¡± Belaury commented, leering at my friend. ¡°What is she doing here?¡± ¡°Rude much?¡± Mary countered with crossed arms. Her smile showed she didn¡¯t take it personally, as expected. ¡°Mary is like a sister to me,¡± I intervened, drawing my teacher¡¯s attention back to me as I moved to sit next to her. ¡°Please, don¡¯t mind her.¡± My teacher humphed. ¡°Well then.¡± The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Nora mentioned you wanted to see us,¡± Mom continued. Bel nodded in response and sat once more. ¡°To get to know each other, and also to to fulfil a rather short but important formality demanded by elven tradition. Please, take a seat.¡± ¡°What kind of tradition?¡± Dad asked, sitting in front of her. The rest of my family followed suit, while Mary chose to stay next to me. ¡°Before I start, how much have you told them, Nora?¡± ¡°I uh¡­ I may have told them everything. I hope that¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± she replied, patting my head once. ¡°That just makes things easier for me now.¡± Facing my parents once more, she continued, ¡°It¡¯s actually rather simple. You see, back in my days, it was usually the parents¡¯ duty to teach their children magic when these became old enough to learn. This was mostly because each family had their own technique and secrets to pass onto the next generation. ¡°Of course, even among elves, not everyone was proficient in the art, so when a child was interested in learning and their parents weren¡¯t magic users themselves, the family would hire a tutor to take on the task. The tutor would then evaluate the child and decide whether to take the job or not.¡± ¡°I thought you were already teaching Nora, though,¡± Mary mentioned. ¡°Yes,¡± Belaury answered. ¡°There¡¯s a big difference, however. I didn¡¯t become Nora¡¯s tutor; I took her in as my apprentice.¡± Everyone went silent for a moment. I wasn¡¯t sure if my teacher knew we didn¡¯t get what she was saying. To me, and probably everyone else, those two things were synonymous. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t understand what you mean, Mrs. Deinast,¡± Dad finally said. ¡°Please, call me Bel,¡± she interjected. ¡°Bel,¡± he nodded. ¡°Could you explain the difference to us?¡± ¡°I suppose I should. The main difference between taking a student or an apprentice is the bond between both parties,¡± my teacher explained. ¡°A magic tutor¡¯s duty is to teach a child how to use magic. Some techniques may be passed on depending on the level of trust, but the tutor will rarely share their family secrets with a stranger. An apprenticeship, on the other hand, is a lot more personal. Some even considered it to be equal to an adoption, and this was actually the case when it came to nobility.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but won¡¯t let you take our daughter from us!¡± Mom intervened in panic. Dad immediately placed a hand around her shoulders to calm her down. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious!¡± Belaury yelled back. ¡°Do you think I don¡¯t know how it feels to lose a daughter? That I would personally inflict that same pain onto someone else just to satisfy my own needs? I would never, ever, do such a thing!¡± The elf paused and sighed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that. No, my intention is nothing more than to pass all of my knowledge down to her. I see Nora as my granddaughter, that much is true. No matter how brief our time together has been, she is my apprentice, after all. To me, that means she¡¯s family. Or at the very least, I hope she continues to be.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked in confusion. ¡°Why would you stop?¡± ¡°I did mention a formality, earlier,¡± Belaury continued. ¡°As I was explaining, before I got so rudely interrupted by your mother, an apprenticeship is, in a way, the opposite of hiring a tutor. This is because the teacher themselves would request to take the child under their wing and teach them as if the child was theirs. For the nobles, it was a matter of status. For the rest of us, a way to leave a mark on the world.¡± ¡°So all of this was just so we grant you permission to continue teaching her?¡± Dad asked. Bel nodded. ¡°Quite simple, right? In reality, nothing changes. You can keep on visiting her like you are doing right now, and I get to continue teaching her as I have been doing all this time. The only difference is that it will no longer be a secret, and I get to follow my people¡¯s traditions. It may sound absurd to make such a fuss about it, but it¡¯s important to me. It¡¯s one of the few ways I have left to honour my fallen culture.¡± My parents looked at each other for a moment, then they looked at me. I nodded silently, and they turned to face my teacher once more. ¡°We agree, Bel,¡± Dad finally said. ¡°You have our permission to keep teaching our daughter, on the condition that she spends most of her time with us when we visit.¡± Belaury smiled and stood up, extending her hand for a shake. ¡°I can agree to those terms.¡± After the handshake, the conversation took a lighter tone. My teacher gave them a brief summary about magic and my blessing, and then she commented on my overall progress during her lessons. She explained that my rejuvenation had actually been beneficial for me, since it¡¯s better to increase one¡¯s mana capacity at an early age, and that my own capacity surpassed even that of an elven child. Since there was no need to spend my mana, Mary also suggested taking the opportunity to show them how my ring worked. Belaury agreed, and I did just that. The experience didn¡¯t get any better for me. I imagined it was similar to having phantom limbs, but in my case, I knew they were really there. My parents did celebrate the chance for me to have a ¡®normal life¡¯, but Belaury shot the idea down almost instantly by showing them that the spell didn¡¯t work on reflections. I had yet to ask Keith about it, but, considering who was responsible for the enchantment, my teacher theorised the reason both Connor and I got such a simple effect had probably more to do with mental health than an actual disguise. My teacher also explained that something more complex would require more mana, which wouldn¡¯t help the werewolf, since it was important that he had it available at all times. My capacity was a lot higher because of my training, but that was something few people knew before Anna¡¯s accident. Her theory made sense. Connor got upset just from mentioning his condition. It was important that the ring functioned at all times. For me, though, it had the opposite effect. When I told this to Belaury, she recommended that I still kept it in case of an emergency. It wasn¡¯t flawless, but it was still a decent disguise as long as I was careful. The conversation continued until both Belaury and my parents concluded it was getting late. A few yawns here and there were proof enough of that. As usual, I stayed up a lot later than the rest, and I took the chance to continue my now daily research. Reading Mysterium¡¯s forums, I found out strange animals kept making appearances around the globe. Some of them even turned violent. As worrying as that was, I was glad they were taking all the spotlight, meaning there was no sign of any more research centres or patients exposed; only more cases of kidnappings and disappearances. ---<>----------<>----------<>--- My eyes opened wide as I felt cold for the first time in several weeks. The room was still dark, so dark that I was having trouble, even with my new eyes. Still shivering, I sat up and looked at the drawer that contained the extra blankets Mom forced me to bring after my weekend with them. Thanks Mom. I won¡¯t doubt you anymore. I was about to stand up to get them when a familiar whispering made me look at the opposite corner of the room. As I did, a silhouette emerged from the wall and stood there, seemingly staring at me. I quickly pinched my arm, and the lack of pain revealed I was having another nightmare. Or so I thought¡­ ¡°It¡¯s me, Nora,¡± the shadow suddenly said. Its voice was androgynous, making it impossible to tell who this ¡®me¡¯ actually was. I blinked repeatedly, trying to process what was happening. Realisation quickly dawned on me. Spirit? ¡°Yes,¡± it replied, taking a humanoid shape. So back then¡­ were you? ¡°Also yes,¡± the spirit said as it walked closer to me. This time, its eyes glowed an icy blue, and an aura of the same colour surrounded its body. No other features were visible in the darkness. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the scare. I was a bit too eager to communicate with you.¡± I¡­ I don¡¯t know what to say. I have so many questions. It nodded. ¡°And this time, I can answer.¡± How? What changed? ¡°I believe you already know the answer to that,¡± it answered with a smirk. ¡°It¡¯s your mana. I need it to project myself into this world, or in this case, your mind. I¡¯m able to do this thanks to your training, and also the lack of it tonight. I do apologise. This means you won¡¯t be at full capacity when you wake up.¡± How much time do we have then? ¡°Enough for a few minutes. That should suffice, for now.¡± Then, why did you choose me? Now close enough, the spirit sat at the other end of the bed. ¡°For the same reason I¡¯m able to communicate with you tonight. You, Nora Hayes, have potential. Many spirits had an eye on you for this same reason, in fact. I was quite lucky to be able to claim you for myself.¡± I don¡¯t get it. What kind of potential. ¡°I believe you can become a great magic user. With time, that is.¡± I felt proud hearing this. How could I not? A supernatural being was right there with me, telling me I was special. Then again, it could all be in my head. How can I tell you¡¯re real? ¡°What, is the blessing I gave you not proof enough?¡± it asked back, chuckling. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t have anything else. All I can do is ask for you to trust me.¡± I nodded, still somewhat suspicious. Perhaps it was better for me to believe it, even if it really turned out to be fake. This entity really had no clear reason to lie, and it made sense to me. I did have a blessing, after all. So you gave me the blessing, but what are you getting in exchange? Is it my mana? Do you need it? ¡°Only for communication,¡± it replied. ¡°My motivation is simply a combination of boredom and merit. The realm we inhabit does not have much to offer regarding entertainment, you see. Helping mortals is also a nice way to earn favour from the gods. I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t elaborate any further on this. It¡¯s against the rules. All you need to know is that we get rewarded.¡± Then, does that mean you will guide me in some way? ¡°No,¡± it replied, shaking its head. ¡°What you do with my gift is your decision alone, so feel free to use it as you please. That said, I can offer some advice if you need it.¡± It sounds too good to be true. ¡°Things can be like that sometimes. Trust me, it¡¯s a fair trade, even if it doesn¡¯t seem like it to you.¡± Okay¡­ Does that mean other demons are likely to get blessings, too? The spirit frowned. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t follow. What makes you think that?¡± Well, you said you ¡®claimed¡¯ me because of my potential. Doesn¡¯t that mean other demons are in a similar situation? Aren¡¯t we all good with magic? ¡°Ah, I see what you mean now. You¡¯re mistaken, though. To begin with, not every spirit has the same criteria for choosing their beneficiary. And when it comes to my own selection, it is you, out of any other demon, who has the biggest potential. Your teacher has also pointed out how special you are, has she not?¡± Yeah, compared to elves. ¡°Which is good enough already, if you ask me.¡± The spirit interjected. ¡°Elves are the race with the highest magic affinity, after all.¡± Oh, right¡­ Bel also said that. Does that mean not every demon is like me? ¡°Correct.¡± Why? ¡°It¡¯s your core, Nora. It is different from the rest. A mutation caused by the same event that turned you into a demon when you were meant to become an elf. That bat¡¯s timing was impeccable. It showed up just in time to alter the course of your transformation while also allowing for the original elven core to partially form. As a result, your body contains a unique dual core.¡± A dual core? Is it safe? ¡°Truthfully, I can¡¯t tell. So far, it has behaved like any other, albeit with a higher reserve. All we can do is wait and hope there are no negative side effects.¡± And if there are? ¡°Then you¡¯ll have to deal with them somehow. Us, spirits, can¡¯t intervene directly beyond our blessing. It¡¯s best to remain positive, though. Don¡¯t be nervous over something that might never come.¡± I could only nod in understanding. ¡°Your mana is starting to run low,¡± the spirit suddenly said, standing up. ¡°I must leave now.¡± It then walked to the bathroom, just as it did the first time we met. Wait! The spirit stopped and looked at me once more. ¡°Yes?¡± You never told me your name. ¡°Right. I''m Gelurein. Nice to finally meet you, Nora.¡± Side Story, Part 7: A Nice Egg In This Trying Time My ears perked up as the wind carried a familiar sound with it. I blew on my whistle in response and picked up my basket. Food was no longer a problem for us, so my gathering wasn¡¯t quite necessary. Still, Mum insisted that I needed to learn how to take care of myself in case things took a wrong turn. The knights who visited us encouraged her idea, as long as I stuck to their rules. Despite being official citizens, Sir Fuchs said it was important that we remained hidden, since most ¡®civilians¡¯ didn¡¯t know of our existence. To aid us with this, they brought us a pair of special whistles. With them humans would only hear the calls of some of the local birds, however, our hearing allowed us to tell the difference between them and the real thing. Thanks to these, Mum allowed me to explore the outside on my own. There were a few conditions to this, of course. The most important one out of them all was that I couldn¡¯t stray too far from home. This was a given, considering humans were not the only danger in these woods. Mum told me most predators stayed away from her territory, but this didn¡¯t mean it was impossible to find some. If I did encounter something dangerous, I was supposed to climb the nearest tree and blow the whistle as hard as I could until she arrived. Doing so distorted the noise it made, which fit perfectly as an alarm. The only downside was that it hurt my ears to do so. This communication system was only a temporary measure while the knights got us something better. Phones were the first idea, of course. Mum was even eager to try using one of them. Unfortunately, they came with their own set of problems. The biggest challenge was finding a reliable source of energy to recharge them. Being so far deep into the world¡¯s densest forest did make it a bit difficult, plus it caused a lot of signal interference. Still, the knights promised they would find a solution. Mum trusted them. ¡°They could¡¯ve killed us if they wanted,¡± she said back then. They outnumbered us, and I was defenceless. There was no way she would have dealt with all of them, no matter how good her magic was, or even if she used her special arrow. Fortunately for us, that never happened. Instead of hostility, the knights brought commodities. Food, tools, clothes, books; anything we could ask for, they provided. Once they discovered I was the girl they were looking for, they patiently waited for Mum to tell her side of the story. Because of this and my own memories, it felt odd to perceive humans as a threat. And yet, I knew people weren¡¯t all good. A sudden hiss brought me back to the present. I stopped to look ahead of me. There stood a huge lizard. It was sage green, and it looked slightly longer than my arm, though I didn¡¯t plan on getting any closer to verify. I knew better than invading a wild animal¡¯s space. It gave out another hiss and slowly backed away, limping with one leg as it did. Normally, its aggression alone would¡¯ve been enough for me to turn around and take a different path. This time, however, something told me this not-so-little fellow posed no threat unless I carelessly approached it. Feeling pity for the poor reptile, my thoughts shifted from caution into a desire to help. I knew that if I could somehow take it home, Mum could heal its wounds, just like she did with me. ¡°Come here, buddy,¡± I said, squatting to look smaller. No luck. It remained in place, watching my movements and tilting its head occasionally. ¡°Would you like some food?¡± I asked, not really expecting a reply. I looked at my basket and dug through it in search of something to offer. It didn¡¯t strike me as a herbivore, so the plants and mushrooms I gathered previously were, most likely, not going to work. Still, I grabbed some herbs and presented them to it. Its eyes quickly glanced at my stretched hand, then back to my face. It took a step back in silence. ¡°Wait, I know what I can give you,¡± I went back to digging through my basket until I found the item I was looking for. A hard boiled egg. It was my lunch along with a sandwich that no longer existed. I showed it to the lizard, causing it to stick its tongue out a few times, though it still didn¡¯t approach. I pinched the egg and took a bite-sized piece, which I placed in front of me before carefully sliding backwards to give the reptile some space. Noticing this, the lizard took a few tentative steps. I backed some more and sat down, trying to look relaxed and trustworthy. That was enough for it to finally approach the snack. After a brief pause, it took the food and ate it in one bite. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°Tasty, right?¡± I smiled and took another small piece from the egg. This time, I stretched my arm and hoped that it would get it directly from my hand. ¡°Come on, I have more here.¡± It paused, probably contemplating if the tiny morsel was worth the risk. I remained motionless and silent in an attempt to show it I meant no harm, and it eventually decided it liked the egg more than it feared me. I didn¡¯t move a muscle until it was done. After that, it backed again. This time, much closer to me than before. Another whistle from Mum reminded me I was running late. I looked at it once more and sighed. The next step was the toughest. I needed to convince the lizard to hop in my basket so I could carry it. If it didn¡¯t feel safe enough, it would jump out and likely injure itself even further. It needed to come with me, though. Only Mum could heal it back to normal. After some brief contemplation, I decided helping it was worth the risk and put the egg inside the basket. The lizard didn¡¯t hesitate, climbing into it to devour what was left of the snack. I slowly tried to lift it, causing it to hiss again. ¡°Calm down,¡± I cooed, ¡°Everything¡¯s okay. You¡¯re safe now.¡± The lizard remained motionless as it peeked at me from within the opening. I was already thankful for that much. After what felt like an eternity, it finally decided it didn¡¯t care and curled inside the basket. ¡°Thank you,¡± I whispered. ¡°Let¡¯s get you healed.¡± ---<>----------<>----------<>--- ¡°Took you long enough,¡± Mum admonished with both hands on her hips as I walked through the doorway. ¡°Sorry,¡± I replied, looking down. Once the wall was sealed, she continued, ¡°And why did you not reply to my last call? I was about to go there and get you myself.¡± ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry, Mum,¡± I replied, carefully placing the basket on top of the table. ¡°I couldn¡¯t risk scaring your newest patient.¡± She blinked silently, and looked around. ¡°Come again? My newest patient?¡± ¡°Here.¡± I lifted the basket¡¯s lid, revealing the now sleeping lizard. ¡°Wha-¡± ¡°Shh!¡± I dashed to cover her mouth. ¡°Stop, you¡¯ll scare it,¡± I whispered. She removed my hands and frowned. ¡°I will scare it!? I¡¯m the one who should be scared! What even is that thing?¡± ¡°A lizard?¡± Mum quickly chopped at my head with her hand. ¡°Did you even stop to think it might be venomous?¡± ¡°Sorry, Mum.¡± I rubbed the top of my head. ¡°I do not want you to apologise! I want you to think and have some sense of self-preservation!¡± She sighed heavily and looked back at the basket. ¡°We will talk more about this later. What is wrong with it?¡± ¡°Its leg. I think it might be broken.¡± She took another breath and walked closer to the basket to examine the reptile. ¡°Which one?¡± ¡°This one.¡± I said, pointing at its left hind leg. ¡°It does not look broken to me. Do you know if it ate something recently? It will need energy.¡± ¡°I gave it an egg.¡± ¡°You little- No, forget it. I guess it¡¯s a family thing to help injured little critters.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Mum smiled smugly. ¡°I could always go back to scolding you. You certainly need it.¡± I covered my mouth and shook my head in response. She snorted and focused back on the reptile. ¡°Bring me a small rag. We will need it to keep this one calm.¡± I did as she said and got back to them. ¡°Good.¡± She thanked me with a nod. ¡°Now put it on its face. Make sure it covers both eyes.¡± As soon as I did it, she pinned the lizard¡¯s head and body, causing it to hiss once more. ¡°Oh, shut it. I am not that comfortable with this either.¡± Satisfied with her grip, she turned to look at me. ¡°Now help me keep its body under control while I work on its leg.¡± The lizard barely moved as Mum healed it. It even seemed to calm down as the spell worked on its injury. After a few minutes, Mum let go of the reptile¡¯s body and carefully took its blindfold off. ¡°How weird,¡± she commented, closing the basket. ¡°I expected it to move a lot more after the treatment.¡± ¡°I think it knows what you did.¡± ¡°Are lizards even that clever?¡± Mum shrugged and walked to the entrance of the cave, opening it again. ¡°Well, the patient is ready. Time to say goodbye.¡± I bit my lip and stared at the basket, then at her. She raised an eyebrow. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Can I keep it?¡± ¡°Nyx¡­¡± I nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to feed and take it out for walks and, and, well¡­ whatever a lizard needs!¡± ¡°It is a wild animal, Nyx,¡± Mum countered. ¡°It deserves to roam free and be happy out there, living under the sun. Our lifestyle will not be good for a reptile like this.¡± ¡°What if it¡¯s nocturnal?¡± I insisted. ¡°I also do not want to wake up one day and discover it decided to keep me company in bed,¡± she added. I sighed and looked at the basket once more. She was right, wild animals belonged in nature. I reluctantly grabbed the container and brought it outside where I put it on the floor and opened the lid to find the lizard staring directly at me. ¡°Go, you¡¯re free now.¡± I stood up, backed away from the basket and walked inside. However, just as Mum was about to close the door, the lizard got out and ran into the cave. ¡°I think it also wants to stay here, Mum.¡± I said, looking at the lizard, who now rested next to my feet. ¡°Are you sure I can¡¯t keep it?¡± Chapter 34: Prepare for Trouble The sound of children¡¯s laughter out in the hallways made me groan. Doing my best to ignore it, I remained curled up in bed, not even bothering to check the time on my phone. My body told me it was still too early for me. The noise only increased as I heard them run past my door, and then back, and again¡­ After adding a new set of holes to my pillow, I stood up and dragged my feet to the entrance of my room. Opening the door revealed two big cats. No, two kids with very noticeable feline features. The creaking of the door caught their attention, causing them to stop in their tracks when they saw me. ¡°Woah!¡± The twins exclaimed in unison. We stared at each other, silently processing what was in front of us. Their most distinct feature was, of course, their ears. They stood near the top of their heads, trained on me at all times. Both kids had large emerald eyes. Almost all iris and with a thin vertical pupil like my own. Their cinnamon hair, freshly cut short on the boy and twin pigtails for the girl, continued as fur down their napes and into their backs and shoulders. It seemingly reached all the way to their long tails, which poked out of their gowns. The outer side of their arms were also hairy and with short dark stripes along the forearms, though the density decreased the closer it got to their fingers, which had short claw-like nails. Unlike their arms, their legs were bare from what I could see, and while they retained their human shape, they were slightly longer than normal below the knees, increasing the kids¡¯ height. Finally, their small feet were also equipped with claws, though much longer than on their hands. It looked like a single kick from these kids could inflict some serious damage, if they tried. ¡°So cool!¡± The boy yelled, revealing his fangs, which were also similar in length to my own. ¡°I¡¯m Oliver. What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Nora,¡± I replied without thinking. I didn¡¯t know what was stranger, their reaction towards my appearance, or how comfortable they looked in their own new bodies. A real contrast with Connor. ¡°You¡¯re Diana, right?¡± I asked the girl. Her eyes widened, ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°Oh, I was here when they brought you in.¡± A yawn then reminded me of what led to the encounter. ¡°Hey, could you both tone it down a little? I was trying to sleep just now.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s already morning!¡± Oliver countered. It wasn¡¯t comfortable having to look up at children who were so much younger than I was. Diana nodded. ¡°And Mommy says it¡¯s not healthy to sleep too much!¡± Rolling my eyes, I responded, ¡°Yeah, well, that doesn¡¯t apply to me. Just go play somewhere else, please.¡± I stepped back into my room and was about to close the door when Oliver stopped it, stepping halfway inside and gripping the handle. My further attempts were futile. He was not only taller, but stronger too, which added to my humiliation. ¡°Come play with us.¡± He smiled confidently, keeping the door half open. ¡°Sorry, I''m not in the mood.¡± I felt so tired and annoyed, even my inner child agreed with me for once. ¡°You know, there¡¯s a huge playground outside. You should really tell your parents to take you there.¡± I was hopeful that the suggestion would be enough of an incentive for them to leave, or at least for him to lower his guard so I could try pushing him out. ¡°Okay, but you have to come with us,¡± the boy insisted, still keeping the door in place. Gods, he¡¯s one of those kids. ¡°Do you think you can order me around just because you¡¯re stronger than me?¡± ¡°He¡¯s just asking you to come play with us,¡± the girl replied instead, to which he nodded. ¡°Yes, he¡¯s made that very clear!¡± I gave out a long sigh and rubbed my eyes with one hand, no longer caring about the door. ¡°I already gave you my answer, so please, just let me go back to sleep!¡± ¡°But it¡¯s too late to sleep!¡± The boy parroted. It was clear the exchange was heading nowhere. They weren¡¯t willing to listen. I suppressed a growl. At this point, my instincts were begging me to dig my claws into the boy¡¯s arm so he let go. I knew better, though. To begin with, I had no real intention of harming him, and even if I did, he could certainly return the favour. My eyes then wandered back to the door¡¯s handle on my side. I smiled as I reached for it, causing Oliver to tighten his grip. In an instant, he let go of it with a yelp. The kid took a step back, and I slammed my body against the door, successfully shutting it closed before placing the lock. ¡°Mommy!¡± he cried, running away. His sister followed suit. I sighed and walked back to bed. I did feel somewhat guilty, but he asked for it. Sudden banging on the door finally got me growling. However, the strength behind the noise made it clear the boy wasn¡¯t the culprit this time. I reluctantly stood back up and went to open it again, revealing the kids¡¯ mother. ¡°What did you do to my son?¡± Megan asked firmly. She looked just like them, though her hair and fur had hints of brick red. The father was nowhere to be seen, and I didn¡¯t know if it was out of fear or if he was simply busy at the time. ¡°Nothing ma¡¯am,¡± I replied, closing the door again. Same as her son before her, she stopped it with one hand. She held it by the edge, rather than the handle, meaning I couldn¡¯t pull the same trick on her. I wasn¡¯t even sure it would work on her. ¡°What. Did you do. To my son.¡± ¡°All I did was ask them to make less noise.¡± I backed away, causing her to step further in. She was definitely more intimidating than Oliver had been. ¡°I¡¯m nocturnal, and I need to sleep.¡± She glanced at him briefly before focusing back on me. ¡°He told me you hurt him.¡± My instincts took offence to the lie, quickly replacing my fear with anger. ¡°I did not!¡± I yelled in a growly voice, then pointed at the twins. ¡°They were the ones trying to force me into playing with them! I just made the handle a bit colder so he let go of it!¡± Seeing my change in attitude, it was her turn to step back. She then paused, my words finally sinking in. ¡°Colder?¡± She asked with a frown. I nodded. ¡°With magic.¡± Dr. Blake¡¯s bad speech gave her enough of an explanation when they arrived, so that I didn¡¯t need to. That much I knew. ¡°Magic?¡± Megan instantly turned around and grabbed her son¡¯s right hand. ¡°Was it this one?¡± ¡°Uh-huh,¡± the boy sniffled, wiping his tears with his free arm. She examined his hand carefully, though I knew she wouldn¡¯t find anything. ¡°An ice cube would¡¯ve been colder, I swear.¡± It was the truth, and I could tell she believed it after not finding anything. Megan sighed and let go of the boy¡¯s hand. ¡°Is what she said true?¡± She stood back up to address her children, placing both hands on her hips. ¡°Did you keep on bothering her after she said no?¡± ¡°It was Oliver!¡± Diana shouted without delay. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything!¡± The boy¡¯s eyes widened at his sister¡¯s betrayal. ¡°Don¡¯t listen to her! Megan did too!¡± ¡°Did not!¡± The girl countered, crossed armed. ¡°Did too!¡± As the kids¡¯ bickering continued, Megan looked back at me with pleading eyes. Hoping this would be the last of it, I explained. ¡°Both of them refused to listen, but he was the only one who used force to stop me from-¡± Another yawn interrupted me. ¡°Closing the door. Sorry about that.¡± The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°No.¡± She shook her head and smiled gently at me. ¡°Sorry for the trouble these two caused. You can go back to sleep.¡± I nodded and closed the door. Anna¡¯s offer to transfer me to an upper floor room had just become a lot more appealing. ---<>----------<>----------<>--- Despite the interruptions, I felt well rested by lunch time. The cafeteria had become quite crowded as of late. Gone were the days when we, the patients, would all just pull up every table and sit as a single group. Ever since Jack returned with Keith, Rex would now sit at a table with them to talk about his blacksmithing project. Gary often joined the conversation, too. I suspected that Dr. Blake put him in charge of helping the dwarf with his passion project. Meanwhile, the doctor and Anna sat with Lily to review her studies. Since Anna was still injured, Clarice was also there to feed her. Viken, too, was part of that group, surprisingly enough. Though, it made sense since he still had to look after his patient. Belaury, on the other hand, still refused to enter the building. While the recent events succeeded in mellowing her down a fair amount, most humans still rubbed her the wrong way. At least she was fine with my family after she had a talk with them. And yes, that included Mary. For now. I did wonder why my teacher was around so early. Perhaps she felt lonely in the forest and was simply waiting for her husband. She wasn¡¯t the only loner, though. While it was still inside, Connor kept choosing the farthest, darkest table to eat at, and he would only allow Lucy to keep him company. He also refused to take off the ring Keith gave him. At this point, I had my doubts he would get over his appearance even with the virus¡¯s help. In contrast, the wildling family seemed to be doing quite well. Given our previous interactions, I feared that Thomas would abandon his family the same way Sylvia¡¯s Ex did, so it was nice to see he was still around. ¡°Did you do something to that cat-kid, Nora?¡± Mary asked, looking at the said table. ¡°Boy¡¯s been staring daggers at you from the moment you walked in.¡± I smirked without looking his way. ¡°I may have given him a bit of a scare earlier.¡± Allison subtly glanced his way before putting her fork down. She then patted my back, or rather, my wings. ¡°Are you holding up okay?¡± I frowned, not quite catching her meaning. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you hate it when people fear you?¡± Sylvia clarified. ¡°Ah, that.¡± I chuckled. ¡°No, this time it was intentional. The brat was being too annoying, and I needed sleep.¡± ¡°He¡¯s just a kid, though,¡± Dad commented. His tone wasn¡¯t scolding, yet it lacked his usual verve. ¡°Surely, there was a better way to tell him what he did was wrong.¡± I raised an eyebrow at his comment. ¡°I appreciate that you still see me as an adult, Dad. Though, it¡¯s hard to act like one when an eight-year-old can overpower me and refuses to listen.¡± ¡°He what!?¡± Mom yelled, standing up. She didn¡¯t bother to hide the object of her anger. The kid quickly looked away. ¡°Calm down, Mom!¡± I said, pulling at her sleeve. I finally turned around and gave an apologetic bow to Megan and Thomas before facing my parents again. As Mom sat back down, I explained. ¡°We already solved it. No reason to make a ruckus out of it.¡± ¡°So what happened?¡± Allen inquired after finishing his meal. I sighed and began playing with my own food. ¡°They just really wanted me to play with them. When I refused, he grabbed at the door to stop me. I made the handle colder so he let go.¡± I coughed and added, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I was extra careful not to hurt him. Anyway, he got scared and ran away. His mother showed up later, but I explained what happened, and she scolded them.¡± I finally picked up a forkful of pasta. ¡°He probably hates me because of that.¡± The sound of steps coming our way made me look behind me. It was none other than the twins. They reached our table, only facing up to look back at their mother, who remained in her seat. Not getting any support from her, they continued staring at the floor and fidgeted for a bit before voicing a very faint ¡°Sorry¡±. I looked at their parents, then back at them and smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Sorry for scaring you like that, Oliver.¡± After a silent nod from him, they both made haste on their way back to their seats. ---<>----------<>----------<>--- Seeing us exiting the building, Belaury eagerly beckoned me to join her at her table. She wants to start our lesson now? I looked behind me, but my family and friends had already taken a seat nearby and made themselves comfortable. My teacher had agreed to let them watch as long as they didn¡¯t interrupt us. I could only wonder how long it would take Mary to get banned from spectating the class. ¡°Interesting outfit you¡¯re wearing today,¡± she commented as I got closer. ¡°Right?¡± I smiled, flaunting my Mom¡¯s work. ¡°Momm¡­ made this ¡®flysuit¡¯ for me to have an easier time when flying.¡± It was a two-piece skinsuit. The upper half was a black and pink tank top with a big opening at the back for my wings. The bottom consisted of a black mini skirt with built in shorts. Both had a hole for my tail to go through. Together, the two pieces of clothing looked like a combination of a tennis outfit and a cyclist¡¯s triathlon suit. ¡°It certainly looks more aerodynamic than your normal clothes,¡± my teacher said, examining it from top to bottom. She frowned and brought up a hand to her chin. ¡°The skirt will still create some drag, though.¡± ¡°Yes, I took that into consideration for my design,¡± Mom intervened, getting up from her seat and then kneeling next to me for a demonstration of her design. ¡°I added some snap fasteners here, near the bottom, and the fabric can stretch well enough so that she can join the front and back together to convert it into a second pair of shorts, like this¡­¡± Once she was done showcasing it, she returned the skirt to its original form and stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll admit sports clothing is not my specialty, but I see no reason style and efficiency can¡¯t find a middle ground.¡± ¡°Hey, as long as it works. I¡¯ve seen my fair share of bizarre clothing in the last few days, and this outfit certainly beats them all.¡± Belaury winced and laughed nervously. ¡°I meant it in a positive way, of course.¡± Her smile suddenly morphed into a grimace. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m not good at this whole ¡®being nice¡¯ thing.¡± ¡°I understand what you mean.¡± Mom replied, already back on her seat. ¡°No offence taken.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± My teacher relaxed, and looked at me. ¡°Well, I¡¯d say it¡¯s about time we started today¡¯s lesson, don¡¯t you think?¡± I nodded and sat in front of her. ¡°Isn¡¯t this a lot earlier than usual?¡± She shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m bored. Vik is too busy with his morning class, as well as supervising your friend¡¯s healing. I ran out of chores for today. I¡¯ve got nothing to do, and no one to talk to.¡± ¡°How did you endure living like this for so long?¡± I asked, raising an eyebrow. It was something I had been wondering for a while. I wasn¡¯t precisely what one would call a social person. In fact, I did spend a decent amount of time at home, playing games or doing chores. That said, as much as I enjoyed that lifestyle, I still needed a change of pace every now and then. I couldn¡¯t imagine spending literal centuries having only one person to talk to and nowhere to go. Belaury smiled. ¡°That¡¯s easy. I have my husband. He has been my pillar this entire time. Six hundred years is a very long time, even for us, elves. I can¡¯t even fathom how anyone could survive this long on their own. In complete solitude. I know I wouldn¡¯t have made it this far without him. Especially not after what happened to Lurein and her children.¡± She paused and took a deep breath. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s not like we spent our entire lives just talking. We¡¯re scientists at heart. We used that time to learn and experiment all sorts of things. I was already a great elementarist before the war, but I only became the master I am now by increasing my knowledge and understanding of nature. Vik had a harder time with his craft, though. It¡¯s not easy to test new potions and healing techniques when you have no patients nor ingredients, you see. ¡°Instead he focused on tools, furniture, traps, art, even gardening. Pretty much anything he could think of to make our lives even the tiniest bit more comfortable. I did help dig our home, of course. We¡¯re quite proud of what we have accomplished.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± Belaury looked at me and chuckled. ¡°I just realised I¡¯ve never invited you over to our home. The thought never crossed my mind. It wouldn¡¯t be now, but is that something you¡¯d like?¡± ¡°Of course we¡¯d love to!¡± Mary immediately shouted, standing on top of the table. ¡°That is, like, my dream come true!¡± My teacher stared at her, mouth agape. After a couple of blinks, she recovered. ¡°And what makes you think I¡¯m inviting you as well!?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t she?¡± I asked with pleading eyes. She was used to their appearance. Surely, they would work this time. ¡°Is it because she¡¯s human?¡± ¡°As surprising as it may sound, no, it¡¯s not that,¡± she explained, rubbing her temples. ¡°But if I invite her, it¡¯s only fair that I also invite everyone else here. Your giant friend can¡¯t fit through the entrance, and Sylvia won¡¯t even make it there because of the terrain. That¡¯s assuming we get enough food for everyone, which is not exactly easy to accomplish.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t mind it, right?¡± Allison responded, looking at Sylvia, who merely shook her head in response. ¡°And we can bring the food!¡± Mary added walking closer. ¡°Nora¡¯s parents are great cooks. I promise! We can either prepare everything here and take it with us, or cook over there!¡± ¡°Is she always like this?¡± Belaury asked me in clear concern. I laughed and nodded at her. ¡°Oh gods¡­¡± We spent nearly half an hour planning the visit. It was decided that, other than me, only Mary and my family were invited to the elven couple¡¯s home. My parents would bring the ingredients and cooking tools with them, and we would prepare everything once there. Belaury assured us that their stove would work just fine. There was no clear date for it, other than it needing to be a weekend, since my parents needed some time to think about what to make and get all they needed, but once they had everything settled, they would let me know, and I would inform my teacher. Once we reached a decision, the conversation quickly strayed from the main topic and it eventually led to Belaury learning about what happened with the twins. Apparently, she found it quite funny. ¡°Oh, I would¡¯ve loved to see that!¡± She said, wiping the tears from her face. ¡°I¡¯m so proud of you!¡± I smiled wryly at her. ¡°I mean, he definitely deserved it, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s that big of a deal. I agree with my Dad, he¡¯s just a kid. Plus, they did apologise afterwards.¡± ¡°To be fair, you¡¯re all kids to me,¡± my teacher replied. ¡°And yes, I¡¯m glad that you defended yourself, but that¡¯s not my point.¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t?¡± I asked, tilting my head. ¡°Oh? Perhaps I spoke too soon.¡± She brought one hand up to cover her mouth. ¡°Could it be that you¡¯ve already forgotten our first lesson, my dear apprentice?¡± Our first lesson? ¡°Right!¡± I nodded, finally remembering. ¡°Do not fight on equal terms!¡± ¡°Good job,¡± she said, patting my head. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about. One¡¯s mana pool and magic knowledge are certainly important, however, a mage¡¯s biggest strength is their imagination.¡± She brought a hand to her chin and hummed. ¡°I¡¯ve got an idea for today¡¯s lesson. How about a friendly sparring session?¡± Chapter 35: The Duel ¡°You want me to spar with you?¡± I laughed at the absurdity. ¡°Okay, I almost fell for it. Since when are you such a jokester, teacher?¡± Belaury crossed her arms and smiled. ¡°Now, why would I joke about something like that. I¡¯m serious, Nora. I want us to have a small duel for today¡¯s lesson.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Mary shouted, standing up with a fist pump to the air. ¡°A magic duel! I need to see this!¡± ¡°No you don¡¯t, Mary!¡± I gave the elder elf a concerned look. ¡°I don¡¯t get it. You know my abilities better than I do. Surely, you¡¯re aware I wouldn¡¯t last a minute.¡± My teacher nodded. ¡°Isn¡¯t that more of a reason to get some practice?¡± I shrugged. ¡°Why now?¡± ¡°What would you have done if that boy stood his ground instead of running away?¡± ¡°Surely, you¡¯re not suggesting I should actually hurt him,¡± I replied. ¡°No?¡± she asked, raising an eyebrow. ¡°Is it because of his age? Would you rather let him hurt you then?¡± He certainly could have. Oliver¡¯s claws looked just as sharp as mine, and there was no doubt he was physically superior to me in terms of strength and likely speed. If he attacked me, I would¡¯ve been in serious trouble. I looked down, somewhat hoping to come up with the right answer. I would have needed to defend myself, I had no doubts about that. The main problem was how. In gaming terms, the kid was like a bruiser or an assassin. I, on the other hand, was more of a glass cannon. Which one was more dangerous? ¡°I mean, my magic can easily maim or kill on the spot if I¡¯m not careful.¡± I glanced behind me for a moment. I wasn¡¯t fond of talking like that in front of my parents, even though they knew what I was capable of, already. Shifting back to face my teacher, I continued, ¡°Plus, healing spells do exist. I can recover from a few scratches or a bruise here and there.¡± Belaury narrowed her eyes and huffed. ¡°So you¡¯re saying that you¡¯d go as far as to gamble your wellbeing if it means not hurting a child. I do hope you haven¡¯t forgotten you¡¯re one, as well.¡± ¡°I am, physically.¡± I nodded. ¡°I know this might not be much of a difference to you, but I¡¯m still older than him by several years.¡± She gave out an exasperated sigh. ¡°If that¡¯s your moral compass, so be it. I can respect your conviction, at least. However, only the strong get the privilege to choose, and you are not quite there yet. A bit of combat experience every now and then can fix that.¡± ¡°I guess you¡¯re right¡­¡± My teacher rolled her eyes and snorted. ¡°Of course I am! Now, stand up and head for the training grounds,¡± she said, also getting on her feet. ¡°We¡¯ll catch up in a moment. I want to discuss something with everyone at the other table before we start.¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I hear it, too?¡± I asked without moving. ¡°No. Hence, why you¡¯re going there first,¡± she replied curtly. ¡°Go on now. It won¡¯t be long.¡± I sighed and started walking. I couldn¡¯t believe we were actually going to have a magic duel. As exciting as it sounded under any other context, this was reality. It wasn¡¯t like in games or shows, where the characters could simply take a spell directly to the face and keep on fighting. My magic was genuinely dangerous. That was if I could land a hit on her. Would the duel even last? Belaury clearly knew how to counter me, and it was likely one of the things she wanted to teach me. However, something told me there had to be more to it than that. Something to do with my magic, perhaps. My thoughts went back to what inspired her in the first place. I recalled her smile as I explained the way I dealt with my bully. I did use my brain, rather than raw power. Is that it then? Does she want me to get creative? The training grounds didn¡¯t really allow for much. There wasn¡¯t any water I could use to begin with. Sure, I could extract some from the air around me, but the amount was extremely limited. Walking by the edge of the resting area, my eyes shifted towards the lake. It would be a lot easier for me to fight here¡­ I paused at the thought, then gave out a short hum and smiled as I continued observing the water. ---<>----------<>----------<>--- ¡°Let me get this straight,¡± Belaury finally said, wiping tears from her eyes. After pretty much rolling on the floor from laughter, she regained enough control to stand up and speak. ¡°You wanted access to some water for our duel, so you drenched yourself on the way here?¡± I looked away, pressing my lips. I could feel the warmth on my face increasing the longer she cackled. ¡°Better than nothing, I suppose,¡± she replied to herself. ¡°Can we get started?¡± I asked after a faint growl. ¡°This water won¡¯t last forever.¡± ¡°Fair enough.¡± She took a deep breath and recovered her composure. ¡°The rules for this duel are simple. I want you to come at me with everything you got. Oh, and don¡¯t worry about me. I want to see no hesitation on your attacks, understood?¡± I nodded. The fact that she wasn¡¯t holding her wand told me how lightly she was taking this duel. If she was that confident in her victory, I knew holding back would only earn me a scolding later. Belaury smiled and returned the gesture. She then turned around and walked several metres away from me until she reached her desired spot at the other end of the circle we were in. Facing me again, my teacher asked, ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t need more time to review your strategy?¡± ¡°I¡¯m ready,¡± I replied. In truth, I wasn¡¯t. However, the longer I waited, the less water I had at my disposal. I looked down and quickly removed my sandals, holding them with one hand. Hearing my response, Mary got closer, only stopping upon reaching the border of the arena. She lifted her arm high and spoke. ¡°This match will end when either participant gives up or is unable to continue.¡± The glare the elf shot at her was enough to tell me we weren¡¯t supposed to have a referee for this Duel. ¡°Are the two of you ready?¡± My teacher rolled her eyes and shouted, ¡°Just go!¡± I released my magic instantly, and I was quickly surrounded by a thick fog that fully blocked my vision. Mary squealed at the sight of it and ran away from the arena. I couldn¡¯t tell if her reaction was that of fright or delight. The spell I used was the same one that saved Lily in the past. Rather than shooting down a specific target, though, my goal was to spread the cold as much as I could. The area it covered wasn¡¯t as big as I anticipated, but it reached her. That was enough for my plan. This improvised smokescreen had two purposes. The first was obviously to blind her. Yes, my own sight was compromised, yet I hoped that the element of surprise would help level things a little in my favour. Additionally, my blessing protected me from the cold, but this was not the case for my teacher. With some luck, the temperature was low enough to dampen her movements, even if by a smidge. Belaury certainly looked surprised just before her face was obscured by the cloud. The moment she disappeared from my sight, I quickly dashed away, keeping my wings closed tight to prevent them from blowing my already ephemeral cover away. I only had a few seconds before the cloud disappeared; less if a strong breeze blew. I needed to act quickly. Based on sound alone, I could tell Belaury hadn¡¯t moved from her spot. I smiled and threw both sandals opposite of where I was. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Sure enough, a pair of small fireballs glowed from within the mist and shot past my discarded footwear. I smirked and gathered all the water I could from my clothes and hair, quickly shaping it into three egg-sized spheres. As soon as they froze, I shot them in quick succession at the same spot the fire originated from. I listened carefully and frowned when I realised they all missed her. The fog soon thinned out enough for me to see her standing right there. My eyes widened, both from confusion as well as the huge fireball flying my way. I screamed and ducked to dodge it. ¡°Are you crazy!?¡± I yelled out of reflex. I glanced at our audience and saw the clear fear in my mother¡¯s eyes. Dad, much calmer, had a hand on her shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t get distracted!¡± Belaury¡¯s voice came from behind me. I didn¡¯t get time to react before two earth tentacles shot from the ground and wrapped themselves around my arms, hardening in the process. I turned to look at the spot I last saw her. To my surprise, she was still there. An even bigger fireball formed between her hands. My attempts at freeing myself were futile. ¡°I give up!¡± I yelled in tears. At that very moment, the flames vanished, and Belaury herself followed suit. ¡°What¡­¡± ¡°It was a mirage,¡± My teacher said from behind me as my shackles shattered back into dust. ¡°Did you really think I¡¯d harm you like that?¡± She sighed. ¡°Sorry for the scare. I just needed you to take this seriously.¡± I was thankful for the reassurance, but that wasn¡¯t my focus at the moment. ¡°When did you-¡± ¡°From the very moment you created that cloud,¡± she answered, cutting me off again. ¡°Your strategy was not bad. If you were fighting a human, I believe you would¡¯ve won. However, you only made things easier for me. I intended on using mirages from the start, you see.¡± ¡°Yeah, that makes sense,¡± I closed my eyes and relaxed. By doing that, she pretty much guaranteed our safety while keeping me on edge. ¡°The fireballs could¡¯ve been smaller, even if they were fake.¡± ¡°Tell that to your enemy. See how that works out for you.¡± Belaury patted my head. ¡°Not to mention that you still dodged the one, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Oh my gods!¡± Mary suddenly shouted ¡°That was amazing!¡± She took no time running my way. The rest of the group followed her, although at a more sedate pace. She quickly hugged and lifted me from the ground. ¡°There was the fog, and the fire, and the thing!¡± She squealed once more before putting me back on the ground. Wow, I really needed that hug after the big scare. I shrugged and smiled at her in humour. ¡°I lost so quickly, though.¡± ¡°It was still a good attempt,¡± my friend commented immediately. ¡°I agree with her,¡± Belaury continued. ¡°I¡¯ll be honest, you exceeded my expectations for this duel. Especially with your silly water source and the fog. Your choice in going barefoot to reduce the noise was also good. You used your knowledge and took my hearing into consideration.¡± My smile widened upon hearing my teacher¡¯s praise. ¡°Thank you!¡± ¡°You did make a few mistakes, though.¡± Bel gave me a toothy grin. I was somewhat expecting that. I nodded. ¡°Yeah, I got distracted¡­¡± ¡°Yes! Let this be the last time you do that in the middle of a fight!¡± My teacher shouted. She continued in a calmer tone, ¡°That was the biggest issue, for sure, but it wasn¡¯t the only one. Can you tell me what else you did wrong?¡± I thought for a moment, yet nothing came to mind. Sure, I didn¡¯t expect her to use illusions the whole time, but who would, in all honesty. As she said, my strategy would¡¯ve worked on anyone else, so it couldn¡¯t be that. After a few seconds of silence, she spoke again. ¡°I meant it when I said the fog was certainly a good idea, but you made a terrible mistake in letting me see you remove your footwear. I already knew the noise your sandals made couldn¡¯t be yours. Not only that, since I knew that wasn¡¯t you, it also gave me a good idea of your general location. Even the smallest mistake can tip the fight against you. ¡°Lastly, for someone who intentionally reduced our visibility, you still relied too much on your eyes. The moment you saw the first fireballs, you stopped thinking and focused on a target you believed to be real. I could tell. You didn¡¯t even hear me walk past you.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± I brought my hands to my face in frustration. She was right. The whole point of creating the cloud was to reduce the gap between us, and I ended up making it even easier for her. ¡°You really did well, though,¡± Belaury said, placing a hand on my shoulder. ¡°You even found a solution to my lesson before it even started.¡± I dropped both hands and looked up, frowning. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Of course you didn¡¯t even notice.¡± She chuckled. ¡°I brought you here precisely because there is no water in this place. My plan was to make you struggle to cast any magic at all and realise that it¡¯s extremely important for you, an apprentice mage, to carry the only element you can use at all times. Your solution to the problem was comical and very limited, however, I¡¯m glad that you actually stopped to think about it before our duel. Overall, you get a passing grade.¡± My face flushed, reminded of how silly I probably looked when claiming to be ready for the duel while dripping wet. The feeling was soon replaced by pride from her comments. That just left one thing I needed to know. ¡°What did you need to discuss with everyone then?¡± ¡°Your safety,¡± My teacher responded right away. ¡°I told them beforehand that everything they¡¯d see would be fake. I needed to. Otherwise, there¡¯s no way I¡¯d shoot giant fireballs at you in front of your friends and family and hope that they remain calm in their seats.¡± ¡°It was still horrible to watch,¡± My mother said, gently hugging me from behind. ¡°It looked so real, and you were so scared. Warning or not, it was difficult for me to just sit still and do nothing.¡± Mary looked around with wide eyes. ¡°Am I really the only one who enjoyed it!?¡± ¡°It did look a bit too intense,¡± Sylvia responded. ¡°I don¡¯t see how this helps with her lessons.¡± Belaury sighed but didn¡¯t go on the offensive like usual. She clearly saw everyone present in a better light than the rest. Even Mary, surprisingly. Perhaps it was due to how close they were to me. It made sense considering how she had no problem with Sylvia watching my lessons as opposed to Alex. Allison was also never a problem after she got the time to truly meet her. ¡°Everything helps when it comes to learning,¡± she finally said, facing them. ¡°And, while it is important to know the theory, I value practical experience. Our usual exercises are perfect for control, for example.¡± She placed a hand on my shoulder and continued. ¡°Ever since she started, Nora¡¯s efficiency and capacity have improved considerably. Sure, as a child, she¡¯s still far from reaching her true potential, but there¡¯s no way she could¡¯ve created such a big cloud otherwise. More importantly, how are you feeling, my apprentice? Out of mana yet?¡± I shook my head. ¡°No, I feel like I haven¡¯t spent half of it, yet.¡± Freezing the water particles in the air was surprisingly easy, and I was already capable of creating a few decently sized ice spheres, like the ones I shot. The only taxing part was extracting the water from my clothes. It was similar in effort to when I tried extracting water from the mud buckets. Belaury nodded. ¡°And that is the result of your training. Now, we already went over the mistakes, but was there anything you learned from this fight?¡± ¡°Well, there¡¯s the thing you mentioned about the source,¡± I responded. ¡°I should probably carry a bottle of water with me from now on. Oh, and also that I should be less obvious about what I¡¯m thinking.¡° ¡°Good. I would add that you shouldn¡¯t overly commit to a single plan,¡± she said, crossing her arms. ¡°Or focus too much on it at least. Stay aware of what happens around you, but also not to the point of distraction. Additionally, you focused so much on your ice magic that you forgot you have access to two different enchanted artefacts. Lastly, I think it would be good if we added more skills to your repertoire. It¡¯s most important to be flexible.¡± ¡°Oh! Oh! I vote for fire magic!¡± Mary shouted, jumping repeatedly on her spot. ¡°That sounds dangerous,¡± Mom and Allison said in unison. ¡°Not with me around to manage it.¡± Belaury commented with a smirk. She then put her arms on her hips and sighed. ¡°Rather than dangerous, it¡¯s too time consuming. While I don¡¯t doubt that Nora can become an elementarist like me in the future, your rulers will unveil our existence soon. She hasn¡¯t mastered her blessing, so adding another type of magic might be too much. Time is not on our side.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Dad asked. Belaury raised an eyebrow. ¡°You mean to tell me you didn¡¯t know that they plan to end the secrecy?¡± She looked genuinely surprised by his statement. ¡°Even I am aware of it.¡± ¡°We were told about it, yes,¡± he replied. ¡°However, Dr. Blake assured us Nora would be safe when that happens. Do you disagree?¡± My teacher snorted. ¡°No offence, but your kind has not proven to be the most trustworthy throughout the years. Because of your family and Anna¡¯s father, I now know there are exceptions, however, it would be foolish to assume every human will be as understanding as you are.¡± Mom pressed her lips. She looked at me, then back at her. ¡°And if you¡¯re wrong?¡± The elf shrugged. ¡°Quite honestly, I hope that is the case. I simply prefer to err on the side of caution. Wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡± Silence. Nobody present had anything to say against that. She stepped forward and placed a hand on my mother¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll be here to protect her, of course. All of you, too. Of that, you have my word. Having said that, I¡¯m sure we¡¯d all feel better if Nora is capable of defending herself, should she need to. ¡°Her magic is certainly strong, and as we all saw, she¡¯s quite resourceful in a fight. And while being a child is great for training, it¡¯s also not ideal for combat. No matter how much bigger her mana pool is compared to others her age, it¡¯s still limited. Having extra skills can only be beneficial.¡± ¡°What about a sword?¡± I suggested. I certainly had some interest in learning if I could. It was mostly the gamer in me not wanting to choose a single class. Sure, my druid character in Danath Online was a mess because of that mindset, but it worked. Plus, real life had the advantage of not being limited by trait points. ¡°It doesn¡¯t need any mana,¡± I continued. ¡°And I could always carry one along with the water bottle.¡± ¡°How do you expect to lift one with those noodle arms?¡± Allen intervened, finally breaking his silence. ¡°I think a dagger would be more fitting for you.¡± ¡°I agree with your brother,¡± Belaury commented. I crossed my arms and pouted at them. ¡°I could swing that ice sword, and I¡¯m pretty sure that it¡¯s heavier than a normal sword.¡± ¡°An ice sword!?¡± Mary¡¯s eyes shone at the concept. ¡°You have to show me!¡± My teacher cleared her throat, getting my attention back. ¡°You swung that thing once, kid. You couldn¡¯t even dent the tree, might I add. You can¡¯t compare that to actually using one in combat.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you complain about your arms hurting when you asked us to enrol you into that tennis class two years ago?¡± Dad added. ¡°The racket was not even 300 grams. You were bigger, too.¡± I still can¡¯t get used to the fact that the younger me was taller and stronger¡­ Belaury nodded. ¡°An average sword weighs at least three times as much. Even if we found a smaller one for you, your demon traits make you weaker than a human. You would need to find a mythril sword to compensate, and, unless that knight guy happens to have one in that vault of his, I don¡¯t see how that would be possible.¡± ¡°Perhaps I could help with that.¡± I turned around to see Rex walking towards us, followed by Keith and Gary.