《Cassandra》


 1. Cassandra

    The sun hung high in the sky, I could feel the moisture in the air and sweat trickling down my body, sticking to my black-colored robe.


    A loud thunk entered my ears with each chop, my hands aching from the repeated movements.


    The sound of a falling tree echoed in the forest, dust and debris flew everywhere. I was holding the bronze axe in my right hand and wiping the sweat from my forehead.


    ''Finally, it''s done.'' I muttered, feeling relieved that I finished today''s work.


    Cutting the tree into smaller logs, I put them on a tri-wheel cart and pulled it back to the town to complete my quest.


    The sun was setting in the horizon by the time I arrived; I was drenched in sweat and shaking from fatigue. A small town near the river bank called Muh appeared in front of my eyes. It had 5 meters tall wall surrounding it, It wasn¡¯t overly sturdy, being made of wood. Its main purpose was to drive away the animals and weak monsters that wandered out of the surrounding forest.


    I approached the city guards, one was called Chris and the other Graham. They knew me and had always been kind as far as I could remember. Chris was a man in late-thirties, with brown hair, and green eyes, a typical handsome man. Graham was in early forties, with black hair, black beard and was bulging with muscle, it made him look like a bear. Both were wearing chain mail, brown padded pants, leather boots and had swords hanging from their waist.


    After showing them the Adventurers Guild identification, they allowed me to pass, it was just a routine check to upkeep the rules. Chris was concerned about my health so he decided to help me with pulling the cart, together, we entered the city.


    After passing the gate, a street made of dirt opened up in front of us, it was complete with shops and houses made of wood on either side and the mansion belonging to the town lord in the center. We headed to the Adventurers Guild, it was located in the eastern part of the town.


    The Adventurers Guild was a two-story building, made of wood with windows to let some light in. Above the entrance, there was a carving of an Ice Spear penetrating a Shield, symbol of our kingdom, Glattia.


    Thanking Chris, I said my goodbyes and proceeded to return the axe and exchange the logs with guilds¡¯ employee for a token.


    I entered the building, accompanying me the creaking sound of wood below my feet. When I opened the door, a familiar bell sound rang. There was a board with quest¡¯s information to my left, and to my right, there were tables filled with people eating. There was an adventurer party that has just finished celebrating, they were drinking wine and eating meat, sitting there discussing their future plans. I proceeded forward until reaching a counter with a beautiful woman standing behind, she looked to be in her early twenties.


    She was around 169 centimeters tall, had beautiful black hair tied into a ponytail, brown eyes, fair nose, thin red lips, bountiful chests, and long smooth arms. Wearing the Adventurers Guild uniform, she could captivate men and women alike.


    It was clear at a single glance she was perfect for the job as a receptionist. Her name was Luna, and she had many suitors in the town, even the son of the town lord wanted to court her based on the rumors floating around.


    Luna, Chris, and Graham were the only people kind to me in this town.


    She noticed my approach, smiling, she said, ¡°Cassandra, you have returned just on time, the town lord sent his guards to retrieve the wood,¡± She pointed with her hand at a group of people sitting nearby.


    I glanced at them and then feigned an exhausted smile, ¡°Sis, It was an exhausting job, cutting down all these trees. Luckily, there were no monsters nearby so no accidents happened.¡±


    Luna gave me a side eye, chucked and then extended her hand to take the token.


    I received fifty bronze coins as payment, ten more than the basic reward. Looking at the bonus, my eyes glowed, licking my lips in satisfaction.


    Luna chuckled and I returned a bashful smile.


    I paid fifteen bronze coins for rent and meal while she went to talk to the guards. Sitting down, I looked at my meal; a loaf of bread, vegetables, and water with a piece of meat. Realizing that Luna must have told them to add the piece of meat, a warm feeling spread into my heart.


    Finished eating, I climbed the stairs and entered my room, it was simple with a straw bed placed in the corner and a couple of luminescent insects inside a jar beside it. There was a barrel with water inside so that adventurers who had just finished their quests could wash. I felt sticky so the first thing I have done was to take off my clothes and then jump into the barrel.


    Cold water touched my skin, reflecting my red eyes staring at my oval face, black hair flowing downwards reaching my shoulders, small nose, red lips, pale-white skin glistening with drops of water reflecting the light, medium size chest, long smooth legs, and slender arms.


    I washed and heaved a sigh of relief that the day finally ended, logging took alot of physical strength and drained my stamina. Finished, I thought about everything that happened since as far as I remember


    When I first became aware, I was lying in front of a dilapidated old temple with a note with a name in it. An old hunched priest took me and sent me to an orphanage.


    The orphanage took me in and raised me for eleven years. However, ostracized because of my red eyes. I left when I had a chance and decided to be an adventurer.


    I have been doing labor quests for three years, now I am fourteen years old, and after a month, it¡¯ll mark my fifteenth birthday.


    Dreaming to be a hero; to fight evil, I aspired to be an adventurer. I yet to take a step towards that path. Heroes learn magic and fight against the monsters. Thus, a strong physical body and magic are needed to become an official adventurer, but I have no knowledge of magic and my body was weak since birth.


    Glattia Academy is located at the capital Glat, where people study magic, strengthen their physiques and unlock their soul weapons. It is said they do not care about your background or money as long as you have an aptitude for magic I have been saving so I could go to the capital before my fifteenth birthday. I will try to test my luck, if I fail, I¡¯ll continue being an adventurer doing labor work or try to be a servant for a noble. It may not be exactly what I have been dreaming for, but it''s better than dying in the streets.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    I have been saving for a long time, now so I have ten silver coins and five bronze coins, enough to get me to the capital and eat for one day while staying at a cheap inn to see if I will be accepted in the academy. Inns in the capital are said to be extremely expensive.


    Luna told tales about the academy, where you learn magic, unlock your soul weapon and strengthen your physique so you can become a strong adventurer. I have no hope to strengthen my physique as it has been weak since birth nor expect to unlock a soul weapon as it is rare. However, I hope to learn magic that will make me a strong adventurer, afterward, I can enter an adventurer party and fight against the monsters and the Demon Lords.


    Legendary Sorceresses that can control the fate of the world with a wave of their hands, started their path in their respective kingdom academy.


    Follow my dreams of becoming an adventurer helped me persevere. Even though during these few years I did not gain much, at least my body got a normal child strength, unlike the past where I could not even lift an axe.


    I left the barrel and dried myself up and wore my a black robe that stretched a little above my foot. Sitting on the bed while watching the night sky, I fell asleep.


    ***


    The first rays of sun woke me up, going downstairs and greeting Luna, I asked her, ¡°Sis, do you know any merchant heading to the capital soon?¡±


    Luna pondered for a moment, then replied, ¡°There is a merchant heading to the capital tomorrow, and he is recruiting people to escort him. He is taking people who wish to go to the capital for three silver coins.¡±


    I looked at her, asking with a bashful expression, ¡°Can I be part of the escort team?, I know I cannot do much but I can at least swing a sword.¡±


    Laughing, she shook her head and said, ¡°The merchant is only taking D class adventurers,¡± Looking at me for a while, she continued, ¡°however, I can ask him if he can take you for free to the capital.¡±


    Hearing that, my eyes sparkled.


    Luna burst out laughing upon seeing that, noticing my expression, I puffed my chest and replied in a dignified voice ¡°It is fine if he does not want to take me for free, I am ready to pay the three silver coins. It¡¯s only three silver coins, nothing much!¡±


    Upon hearing that, she laughed even more exaggeratedly.


    Embarrassed, I chatted with her for a while, telling her I¡¯ll go around the town and took my leave.


    I wandered around the town, looking at the old wooden buildings that seems as if they will collapse with the slightest touch, but still standing despite the ravages of time. This town is peaceful, even if people are disgusted by my eyes, they did not bully me. Crimes are rare in this town and the instant anything happens, the whole town goes to the rescue. I have heard stories about the bandits outside and the crimes occurring everywhere in this world, and how people ignore those in need. Thus, I was admiring this peaceful town as it might be the last time I will be able to feel such peace.


    Visiting the orphanage I grew up in, it appears to have been closed down, mixed emotions were running through my eyes. Even though it reminded me of the memories which I hate, It was still the place I grew up in.


    I was starting to feel hungry, so I went to a stall and bought a couple of apples for 5 bronze coins and ate them.


    Leaving the town, i walked through the forests and reached a deserted old temple, towering over 50 meters above the ground, black walls overgrown with vines, a majestic wooden gate with ancient carvings depicting a fetus being born, a child, a teenager, an adult, a middle-aged man, an old man, a dead man and returning to a fetus being born in a perfect cycle drawn intricately on the surface on the door. Though time passed, its majestic air remained, however, not a single life could be seen within, it felt as nobody has ever been here for centuries.


    I stared at the carving and temple for a long time, by the time I finished the sun was setting. Sighing, I decided to return to the town.


    Returning, I headed to the Adventurers Guild and paid fifteen bronze coins for the rent of the room and food. Finished eating, I went back to my room and kept gazing at the night sky for the rest of the day, waiting to sleep, as tomorrow I will be heading to the capital.


    I had a dream that night, the same dream I had several times and yet I could not recall what happens in it exactly except a pair of distant, red-colored eyes staring at me, cold and silent.


    ***


    I woke up when the first rays of light were shining down on me, I was met with Luna greeting me at the door.


    Luna said in an exasperated tone, ¡°That merchant is a stingy old fart, he wants no one boarding without paying so you will have to pay for the trip.¡±


    Disappointed, I forced a laugh and told Luna, ¡°Sis, It is fine, I expected that. The new year is at the end of next month and people want to celebrate in the capital. There are also plenty of people who want to enroll at the academy at the start of the year so it is understandable that he does not want to let people ride for free.¡±


    Luna sighed, looking at me deeply, saying, ¡°Now that you are going to the capital, I ought to give you a small present,¡± She handed me a letter, continuing ¡°My sister Lucia Luxford enrolled at the academy, she¡¯s a second-year student now. When you have a chance, please meet her and give her the letter. She¡¯ll be able to help you at the academy.¡±


    I looked at Luna, all the memories of the years we have been together passed through my mind, red-eyed, In the end, I could only say, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    She embraced me into a hug, I enjoyed very much being suffocated in her chests.


    ¡°You must come back and see me with my sister,¡± Luna said, continuing, ¡°Promise me!¡±


    ¡°I promise you!¡± I replied while being hugged.


    Eventually, Luna had to go continue her work as a receptionist. We separated.


    I started packing, putting my robe, money, and food into a cloth bag. Finished, I left the Adventurers Guild.


    Perhaps I won¡¯t be returning here for a long time.


    I headed toward the town gates where the merchant will leave for the capital. It is 21 days journey. So I went to visit Chris and Graham at the gates before leaving.


    Chris said, ¡°You¡¯ve become a grown-up young lady and now is a time for you to go on your own way, who knows, maybe at the capital you will marry a Young Noble, hahaha.¡±


    I blushed at hearing that, glaring at Chris with puffed cheeks.


    Graham laughed, he looked at me and smiled, but said nothing. His eyes conveyed the love he felt towards me. He always treated me like his daughter.


    Looking at them with teary eyes, I said, ¡°I will be going, when I return, I will come back as a strong adventurer.¡±


    Chris gave me a silver bracelet while Graham a small bear charm. They hugged me after giving their gifts, telling me to take care of myself.


    I finished chatting with them and then met up with the merchant; he was an old man called Larry, looks like in his early sixties, fatty with gray hair wearing an expensive-looking vest, pants, and boots.


    The first thing he said when he saw me, ¡°Lady, three silver coins.¡±


    I felt genuinely annoyed with his behavior, truly an old fart. I paid the three silver coins while enduring his attitude, leaving me with seven silver coins.


    My heart bled while paying them, he must have noticed my feelings as he snickered after taking the money.


    Larry told me after getting his money to get onto a carriage. We waited till a team of five came, four men and one woman. These were the adventurers who will escort us to the capital.


    Thus, our journey to the capital, Glat, began.

 2. Nightmare

    Leaving Mul and heading south, after one day of traveling, we soon reached a paved pathway.


    We followed it for two days and eventually saw a river in the distance. It was called the Lightning River. It is a majestic river flowing from the great Dalnia Kingdom all the way to the Glattia Kingdom, pouring into the Eastern Sea.


    I was told by Luna that the name was said to be coined by an Ancient Sorcerer, who flew all the way to the sky and looked at the continent, and saw that it resembles a lightning strike coming all the way from the sea, threatening to split the continent.


    Lightning River is said to be one of the danger zones in the Northern Continent, nobody dares to dive deep nor sail an ordinary ship in it. Hence, the ancient sorcerers created magical bridges, strong enough to withstand the river water, to facilitate transportation.


    Connecting the two banks, a gigantic pure-white bridge could be found, exuding coldness. The name of the bridge is called Ice Sorcerer Bridge; the Exalted Ice Sorcerer created the bridge, he was also the founder of Glattia Kingdom.


    The carriage slowly approached the bridge, I could feel the air surrounding us grow colder, the vegetation around us had a layer of frost and saw frozen monsters in the surroundings, yet, the river continued flowing unperturbed.


    Stepping onto the bridge, the coldness vanished and replaced by it a warm feeling. On the bridge, there were carvings on the ground depicting various races worshipping on the railings, ancient runes could be found arranged in a specific manner. It is said that these runes are the reason for the strength of the bridge.


    I stared wide-eyed and tongue-tied, astounded by the scenery in front of me.


    Proceeding forward, there was an Inn in the middle of the bridge called Frost Inn, we stopped there for the day. I ate an apple from my bag and slept inside the carriage. I wanted to save money, the merchant and those well-off spent the night at the Inn.


    I made a note to myself that in the future, I should visit this Inn and see what it holds.


    ***


    Ice Sorcerer Bridge shrinking behind us, we headed towards a nearby village. The merchant told us that we will stay in the village today and went on to proceed with his business.


    I decided to buy more food since the ones I had kept in my cloth are running out. I left the carriage and went toward a stall to buy some fruits. Apples were cheap, so I decided to buy a total of thirty-five apples, costing me one silver coin. I was given two extra apples by the seller, leaving me with six silver coins.


    Packing them up, I ate the two apples while returning to the carriage. On my way, I met a group of children around eight to nine years old, looked at me with disgust, mixed with fear, pointed their fingers and shouted together, ¡°Monster!¡±


    I turned my head into their direction and glared at them. The moment our eyes met, they shivered, yelling, ¡°Help! The monster wants to kill us!¡± The surrounding people looked at me with disgust mixed with fear, shook their head, and as if by consensus, they decided to ignore me.


    This was not the first nor the last time they saw such a scene, nor was it my first or last time I encountered such a situation, occurred plenty in the orphanage. After all, only monsters have red-eyes.


    Ignoring it, I went to the carriage and munched on the old food whilst looking at the sky. I wondered how will I be treated at the capital.


    ***


    Nine days later, heading east and passing through several villages. A lush green forest appeared in front of us, the sound of rustling leaves was transmitted, giving a feeling of tranquility. It was famous for being an ideal place for ambushing merchants.


    The Kingdom did not bother to maintain order there, even though it is used to go to the capital by commoners, nobles rarely used it, nor possessed a danger to them who were always escorted by high-class adventurer and used flying mounts.


    We stayed the night at the border of the forest, it takes two days to cross the forest, thus, the adventurers were busy with their preparations; sharpening their weapons; coating the arrows with poison and creating spell-crystals for the fight that may happen in the days to come.


    It was eerily quiet today.


    ***


    The breeze blew past, carrying the smell of grass. Adventurers were walking in a formation around the carriages; the mage, Leona, at the center, the archer, Lane, hiding inside a carriage holding his bow at ready, the swordsman, Vic, wielding a greatsword taking the vanguard with Parry and Scott taking the rear.


    It was silent, there was no sound of insects or living beings, only the rustling of the trees swaying with the wind. At a glance, one can tell that something was wrong. The adventurers grew more vigilant, kept close watch of their surroundings, proceeding carefully and ready to strike at the sight of an enemy.


    Day turned into night, nothing happened. The adventurers decided to camp, they scouted the area and found a suitable camping ground.


    They went on to set traps for monsters, Leona set a formation that detects movements from unauthorized people. She finished setting up the formation and went to every person and imbued her mana in our bodies to complete the formation.


    I sat there alone, bored, looking at the night sky as I do every day.


    Red flames gathered above her staff as Leona shouted, "Who''s there!?"


    Lane started to chant a spell and aimed his bow, it suddenly started glowing with a pale, blue light.


    Vic, Parry, Scott all drew their weapons, standing ready while holding the physique strengthening spell crystals, ready to crush at a moment notice.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    The atmosphere was deathly silent. Finally, a man walked out, he had average facial features and a weak body. He was wobbling while walking due to his injuries, drenched in his own blood.


    Alarmed, the adventurers searched their surroundings for any movement, seeking the bandits or monsters that attacked the man to strike.


    I looked into the mans¡¯ eyes, it felt hollow. He noticed my gaze and then looked back at me. It seemed as if he was petrified the moment our eyes made contact.


    Without warning, he took a black dagger from his clothes, he ran and stabbed the middle of my chest.


    Astonished, nobody had time to react. I felt piercing pain in the middle of my chest and something sour traveled up from my throat. I coughed a mouthful of blood, gasping for air and clutching my chest. I looked down and saw the dagger rusting at a speed visible to the naked eye, I was overwhelmed with dizziness and fell to the ground.


    I heard an explosion, along with the nauseating smell of charred flesh.


    I felt something warm covering my chest and dripping onto the ground, tainting my hands.


    Shouts were heard, a soft hand held me and someone pulling the knife from my chest, brown water dropped down on the wound easing the pain.


    I started to lose consciousness, everything became darker.


    The last thing I saw that day was the fuzzy figure of a chubby old-man in his early sixties, holding a bottle containing a blood-red liquid.


    Suddenly, everything went dark.


    ***


    I opened my eyes, a familiar sight greeted me.


    Darkness surrounding me in all directions, causing those who see it feel despair, but I was used to it. Above, a pair of distant, red-colored eyes staring at me, cold and silent.


    Suddenly, I felt a piercing pain in the middle of my chest. I screamed. This was the first time I experienced such pain. It came and went just as sudden, replaced by a warm feeling spread into my chest, calming the pain.


    Little did I know that this was the start, the start of the worst pain I¡¯ll experience in my life. A pair of hands extended from the darkness, emitting frigid coldness that can freeze the soul, holding my chest and tearing apart the place where the pain was.


    A third pair of hands extended silently, tearing one of the eyes staring at me. I saw blood flowing down like rivers, falling into the abyss.


    Unease crept from my soul mixed with pain, I screamed, thrashed, yet hands appeared and silently bound me up. The hand brought the eye in front of me, it was gigantic, bigger than anything I have ever seen. Its veins felt like rivers, glowing like the sun, exuding distortions that shredded my body, making me wish that I die. I felt like an insect in front of it.


    It happened in the blink of an eye, it was being forcibly dragged into my body. If another person was watching, they¡¯d see that the body which seemed like minuscule in comparison swallowing the gigantic eye.


    My screams echoed in my mind, yet no sound appeared. My body kept regenerating as if it is unwilling to die, only for it to be shredded again.


    Frigid coldness invaded my body the more it was restored, it all happened extremely slowly as if it was to ensure that the coldness will be part of my body. A drawing depicting raven wings were being slowly engraved into my back.


    I felt something appearing above my head, I looked up and saw it. A black-colored halo, absorbing all the coldness from the abyss.


    It brought pain to every inch of my body, It felt as if the chilling wind will make me disappear. I wished I could pass out, yet, I was unable to.


    Suddenly, a huge hand extended from deep within the abyss, tearing the second eye out. In the same instant, the sky of the abyss began to crack and blood began flowing downwards, flooding the abyss.


    I felt despair, I stopped screaming, looking at the eye as it came closer and closer till it was above my head. It was pushed into the black-colored halo, seemingly piercing my soul. It seemed as if everything froze at this moment.


    I stared blankly, sinking into the deep, blood abyss.


    ***


    Corking the empty bottle, Larry asked with a serious expression on his face, ¡°Tell me her condition, Leona.¡±


    ¡°She will survive, luckily, It was a rusty dagger,¡± Leona said with an ugly expression. They clearly felt and saw the man but they did not expect him to attack so suddenly.


    Smirking, Lane said, ¡°It is not your fault Leona, nobody would¡¯ve expected that. Plus, it is not your fault that she has eyes similar to monsters. It is no wonder that will happen to her.¡±


    Vic glared at Lane, indicating that he should stay silent.


    Lane shrunk his neck seeing Vics'' glare.


    Vic said to Larry, ¡°It is unexpected that you, out of all people, would use a potion to save her life.¡±


    ¡°If she died here while I ignored her, I won¡¯t be able to sleep in peace!¡± Larry said, wearing a pained expression at the empty bottle.


    Vic shook his head, saying, ¡°Whatever you say, old man,¡± Looking at his companions, he continued, We do not know what happened in this forest, this man eyes did not seem normal. Stay vigilant till we lave the forest, kill anyone who comes near regardless of they are human or not, injured or not. Kill without exception!¡±


    Parry, Scott, Lane, and Leona nodded with a solemn look on their faces.


    He then looked at Cassandras¡¯ body, saying, ¡°Put her on the carriage, Leona, cast healing spell on her every day so that she won¡¯t die before waking up.¡±


    Nodding, she carrying Cassandra back to the carriage while the rest of the party got ready to leave the forest.


    ''It seems that I will have to report this to the adventurer guild, something is wrong here. Hopefully, It won¡¯t be that bottle.'' Sighing, Vic left to continue escorting the carriage.


    One day later, they left the forest. Vic took a deep look at the forest and the huge shadow looming in the horizon, he turned back and continued heading for the capital.


    Five days later, they arrived at the capital of Glattia, Glat. Seeing that Cassandra yet to wake up. The party took her to the Adventurer Guild of Glat where she can recover. Leaving the six silver coins beside her.


    ***


    Adventurers Guild, in a room filled with bookshelves, scrolls, and documents. A woman was seated behind a chair, she had pointed ears, blue eyes, small nose, red lips, bountiful chest, fair long arms, and smooth legs. She wore a robe with numerous talismans depicting animals. Sitting there, she exuded youthful innocence, contrasting to her position. She was from the Elven Tribe.


    Seated behind her desk, Kyra sported a gloomy expression while listening to the adventurer Vic report.


    Finished, Kyra said, ¡°I¡¯ll discuss with the elders and shall give you a reward for reporting such a matter. You are dismissed.¡±


    Vic bowed, ¡°Thank you, President!¡±


    The sound of the door closing shut reverberated throughout the room.


    Kyra rose from her seat and locked the door. She returned to her desk and picked up a non-assuming pen, inserting it into a certain spot while circulating mana in a specific manner.


    It felt like the pen was melting into the ground, finally, it transformed into a door. She unlocked it, took a lamp and went underground.


    She eventually reached an underground cavern, illuminated by countless orbs floating in the air with an unknown number of bookshelves with ancient books sitting here.


    If anyone knew of the existence of this underground cavern, the Kingdom of Glattia would cease to exist the next day.


    She continued to walk, as if knowing her destination, finally stopping in front of a specific bookshelf written on it [Grand Sorcereress Yaelarin], picking a book called [Demonic Bottle].


    Holding the book in her hand, she mumbled, ''Let us see what you are up to, stinky bottle.''

 3. Capital

    I do not know how long I¡¯ve been there. The pain subsided at one point in time.


    Silence filled the area, a red light filling the sky as if it was painted with blood.


    Warmth seeped from all around me, giving a relaxing sensation as if returning to a mothers¡¯ embrace.


    I had no desire nor power to lift a finger. I just wanted to enjoy this sensation more, a feeling I have long forgotten.


    Closing my eyes, forgetting the pain, I fell asleep.


    ***


    I felt something soft and heavenly below my head. Opening my eyes, the first thing I saw was a ceiling, an unfamiliar ceiling with a circular orb floating right below it, spewing out an azure-light, the walls were made out of an unknown azure-colored material, glowing and emitting a wave of medical fragrance.


    Struggling a little, I tried to move, only to find that my body was submerged into something resembling a cloud.


    I felt my heart skip a beat at the realization that I am unable to sense my body. Instantly, I tried to move, exerting all the effort I could but it was all for naught.


    Screaming, I tried to roll off the cloud, only to feel myself sinking further. Suddenly, I heard a peal of soft laughter ringing behind me, from the corner of my eyes, I saw a young woman standing at in front of an azure door. She had pointed ears, blue eyes, small nose, red lips, bountiful chest, fair long arms, and smooth legs, her hands were covering her mouth. She wore an expensive looking violet colored robe, and nine concentric circles were glowing faintly with starlight, they were placed right in front of where the heart should be.


    Looking at her, it was apparent at first glance that she was in her early twenties. I was looking at the concentric glowing circles, feeling that they were pretty. I could not understand the meaning of these circles nor the glow at that time.


    She noticed my gaze and smiled, clapping once with her hands.


    I felt myself touching the ground, looking upward, I found that the white cloud enshrouded the azure-colored orb, hiding it from view.


    Regaining the ability to move my body, I propped myself up. Dazed I looked at her in confusion. I only remember being stabbed, then that dream which felt like an eternity.


    ¡°The adventurer party brought you here, and you were in a terrible condition the moment you arrived. Had you not entered the healing room, you would¡¯ve been a goner,¡± She said, curiosity flashing in the depths of her eyes.


    Struggling to comprehend the information ¡®Healing room? Luna never told me anything about that,¡¯ looking at her.¡® Realization suddenly dawned on me; it must be an expensive room used to recover injuries. Sweat suddenly started streaming down my face.


    I cursed the adventurers and own luck. I have yet to enroll at the academy and already in debt, may already be taken in as a slave before anything.


    ¡°May I know your respectable name?¡± Squeezing out a smile, I said.


    ¡°Kyra Peldon, Glattia Adventurer Guild President,¡± Kyra said with a mysterious smile.


    My body shook, and my knees felt weak. Instinctively, I prostrated on the ground. Kyra quickly waved her hand, and a mysterious force pulled me back up before my head could touch the ground.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t do this again,¡± She said seriously, ¡°I can¡¯t have children prostrate before me.¡±


    ¡°Yes, your highness!¡± I replied, standing straight.


    ¡°What should I be calling you, little girl?¡± Asked Kyra.


    ¡°My name is Cassandra. Your Highness!¡± I replied, feeling nervous about the situation.


    Shaking her head while staring at me, Kyra smiled mischievously, ¡°Call me sister, Cassandra. It¡¯d make me happy that way.¡±


    I was suddenly sent into a daze, hearing sister reminded me of my first meeting with Luna, how she helped me pick up quests, spending nights with me and taking care of me. Looking at Kyra, I did not find the warmth I was used to getting from Luna, but something else was flashing in her eyes. I decided to throw caution to the wind and call her ¡°Sister¡±, in hopes that she will take care of me as Luna did.


    ¡°S-sister,¡± I stammered out, fidgeting.


    I felt sudden softness suffocating me; it was an enjoyable sensation. I found Kyra letting me go, mumbling something about being not yet ripe. I was confused, but I decided to ignore that.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, don¡¯t be nervous,¡± Kyra said, continuing, ¡° I heard you came here from the Town of Mul to enroll at the academy from the adventurers, is that correct?¡±.


    I hurriedly nodded, saying, ¡°It is my dream to become an adventurer, so I want to enroll at the academy and learn magic.¡±


    Kyra said, ¡°There are still two days left till the beginning of the new year, let me take you around the capital, and then, we will go to the academy to get you enrolled.¡±


    My mind blanked, hearing only that two days are left.


    I blurted out a question, ¡°I have been sleeping for around two weeks?¡±


    ¡°Unconcious, not asleep¡± Kyra corrected me, flicking my forehead.


    Holding my head, I did not know why she suddenly flicked my forehead, but I was secretly glad that I did not miss the enrollment. I searched for my cloth bag around the room, remembering that I left my money, Chris bracelet, and Gharam charm in it.


    I took a deep breath, hiding my nervousness and asked, ¡°I had a cloth bag with me. Did the adventurers leave it here?¡±


    Smiling, ¡°The six silver coins were taken by the guild as part of the payment for the healing services, you have to pay the remainder of four gold coins and forty-four silver coins,¡± Said Kyra, continuing, ¡°As for the rest of the items, you can take them.¡±


    The world was spinning, unable to make directions, I fell onto the ground and thought, ¡®I¡¯ll spend a lifetime gathering such amount, how am I even supposed to live from now on?¡¯


    Observing me, Kyra said, ¡°I can pay for your fees and help pay for your expenses during the academy, but you must promise me two things,¡± extending two fingers from her hand.


    I looked at her, feeling that she was radiating a holy light, looking more beautiful than ever. I quickly said, ¡°Sister! I¡¯ll go through fire and water, give the command and I¡¯ll obey!¡±


    ¡°I only want two things. First, you have to keep calling me sister forever...¡± pausing, looking up and down at me, she continued with a mischievous expression, ¡°Second, when you are ripe, I want you to sleep with me!¡±


    I did not understand what she meant by ripe, but upon hearing the simple request, I replied hurriedly, ¡°I can sleep with you now Sister! I¡¯ve slept with sister Luna back in my hometown many times!¡±


    ¡°Presumptuous!¡± Kyra shouted, her face distorted into a frown, ¡°How dare she sleep with a kid!¡±


    ¡°It is not her fault! I used to be scared of night, unable to sleep alone. She decided to sleep with me until I got over my fear!¡± I replied, defending Luna.


    Kyra suddenly froze, her face had a tinge of red, averting her gaze from me.


    ¡°Is there something wrong, sister?¡± I asked, tilting my head in confusion.


    She replied awkwardly, ¡°No, It¡¯s nothing sweetie,¡± gesturing with her hand at her stomach, ¡°Let us get you something to eat, on my tab.¡±


    Kyra extended her hands, my stomach growled at the mentioning of food. I hesitated for a moment and decided to take her hands.


    I felt Kyras¡¯ hand stiffen up. I looked at her quizzically, only to find her smiling at me. I decided to pretend that nothing happened.


    ***


    Leaving the room, I was greeted by a hallway created from white stones, reflecting light shining from the floating orbs. Intricate carvings decorated the walls, paintings of heroes fighting evil lined up the walls with writings describing the tales of these heroes. I was unable to read, noticing my curiosity, Kyra described me with vivid details about the heroes achievements.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    We walked for a long time through the winding hallway until we reached a balcony. I could see the capital from up there. There was a gigantic wall extending all the way to the sky in the distance; luxurious buildings were as far as the eye could see painting a majestic sight.


    It seemed as if there was a consensus as everything was created from white bricks other colors complimenting it, but the difference in quality could be seen with the naked eye.


    The street was wide, paved with white stones and filled to the brim with people of numerous races; some had pointed ears like Kyra while others had fluffy tails and ears. A particular thing that took my notice was rocks shaped like humans, moving. I was baffled at seeing this scene.


    There were carriages drawn by tamed-monsters, riding them were people wearing expensive looking clothes with guards following behind them; indicating their status as nobles, while the others were, on the first glance, were the working class of this city.


    In the distance, two structures loomed above all others, Kyra told me about them. One is the castle of the current reigning dynasty of Glattia Kingdom, and the other was Glatta Academy with impressive walls surrounding it.


    I couldn¡¯t help but ask while pointing in the distance, ¡°Is that wall touching the skies?¡±


    Kyra shooked her head, ¡°Technically, the wall itself is not reaching the skies, but the grand formation protecting the city is. An array is carved onto the wall preventing anyone from getting into the city by flying.¡±


    I nodded my head, feigning that I understood, convincing myself that I¡¯ll learn all these things at the academy.


    Kyra told a servant some things, but I didn¡¯t take note of them, I was engrossed digesting the view of the capital.


    The servant returned and placed a large dish in the middle with two plates in front of us, aligning spoons and forks with them. He poured wine for Kyra and a dark-colored liquid for me, Kyra told him to take his leave afterward.


    Hand on her chin, She said, ¡°Let us eat, after this, I¡¯ll get you some clothes to wear.¡±


    I felt uncomfortable looking at the plates, spoons, forks, and food, realizing that they were expensive, but I knew it was useless to reject. I silently nodded my head, committing her kindness to memory.


    Kyra then uncovered the dish, and a fragrant scent wafted out to in the air. There were pieces something, which I assumed, meat despite being green-colored, mixed with blue-colored rice and a few other things I could not recognize nor describe except saying that they had weird shapes and unnatural colors. I felt my stomach rumbling as the scent entered my nose.


    I took a piece of meat and some rice, the moment they entered my mouth, I felt a refreshing feeling spreading throughout my body. Taking a sip of my juice, sweetness spread to my mouth. I do not remember much of what happened after, except eating and drinking until my stomach became a balloon.


    I finished eating, looking at the bright sun in the sky, mumbling about how good the food tasted.


    During this tranquil moment, Kyra looked at me and spoke solemnly, ¡°In the future, never lower your head before anybody, including me. Do you understand?¡±


    I looked at her, confused by her sudden, serious expression. I pushed back the useless thoughts and nodded my head; It¡¯s not like I love lowering my head.


    Seeing me nodding, Kyra continued with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s decided then! Let us take a stroll through the capital.¡±


    She took my hand and started walking always, and I held her hand as we walked downstairs.


    The moment we reached the first floor, I found numerous gazes directed Kyra filled with reverence, ignoring my existence. People came to greet Kyra, waving her hand dismissing them.


    I met with the receptionist and retrieved my bag. It had Luna¡¯s letter, Chris` Silver Bracelet, and Gharam Bear Charm.


    We soon left the Adventurer Guild, as walked through the streets, I noticed that commoners and nobles alike were looking at Kyra with reverence in their eyes. At that moment, I understood the behemoth called Adventurer Guild in the Glattia kingdom and realized that Kyra must be extremely powerful to be able to garner this much respect in the capital.


    ***


    Kyra took me around the capital, visiting numerous places and eating delicacies. I was nervous at the start of all the stares directed at us, but I got used to it later on.


    She brought me to a shop called [Sherwood for Fashion] selling clothes, buying me plain white-colored shirts, black skirts reaching my knees, thigh-highs stockings and underwear. I took them in a bag then we walked to a shop called [Dimension In Your Pocket] selling spatial items. Kyra bought me a dimensional ring the size of a room, binding it to myself with a drop of blood. I put my old Cloth Bad. Silver Bracelet, Bear Charm, Letter from Luna, and the clothes Kyra bought inside. The ring silently disappeared into my body.


    I felt uncomfortable by her generosity, but seeing her happy expression, I decided to stay silent.


    ***


    Walking further away from the heart of the capital and moving through old, dilapidated winding streets, we arrived in front of a shop in an abandoned alley. At a glance, one could see the cruelty of time. I felt that by a slight touch, the whole building might collapse.


    Kyra told me that it¡¯s called [Old Man Shop] and in the future, I¡¯ll be visiting this place alot as an adventurer. I shot her a quizzical look, wanting to ask why she seems confident that I¡¯ll be admitted to the academy, deciding to bury the question in my heart, we entered the building.


    Stepping into the shop, I saw an old man sitting behind a counter, reading a book, not bothering to look at us.


    ¡°Still trying to read that book? Old man, you¡¯ll probably die before understanding anything,¡± Kyra joked.


    I noticed that I could read what was written; the book title was called [Dead Zone Notes]. I was confused because I never learned to read.


    He glared at us, replying, ¡°State your business. If you do not want anything, then leave.¡±


    I shivered under his glare and looking downward, deciding that I should not talk today and buried the question in my heart. I suddenly felt a soft hand touching my head; It felt pleasant.


    Kyra glared and rebuked the Old Man, ¡°You should restrain yourself in front of children.¡±


    Ignoring Kyra, the Old Man continued reading.


    Sighing, Kyra said, ¡°I want a Hollow Artifact.¡±


    The Old Man glanced at Kyra, saying, ¡°It¡¯s rare to see you value someone.¡±


    ¡°None of your business,¡± waving her hand, Kyra said with an exasperated look on her face.


    ¡°Little Girl,¡± staring at me, the Old Man said, ¡°Give me your hand.¡±


    I extended my hand, not meeting his eyes. The Old Man grabbed my hands gently and imbued a wave of warm energy which coursed through my veins.


    A couple of minutes passed, he then let go of my hand, looking at Kyra, he said, ¡°You can¡¯t. Her body will not allow for it.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Inquiring, Kyra had a thoughtful look of her face.


    Rolling his eyes, the Old Man looked at Kyra, ¡°How are you the Adventurer Guild President? Not even knowing such simple knowledge.¡±


    Seeing her expression, he explained, ¡°Hollow Artifacts are primarily made to complete the Soul Artifacts. If a Soul Artifact is complete, then there is no need for such a process.


    ¡°There is no difference between a complete Soul Artifact and one completed by the fusion of Hollow Artifact; the only benefit is that they can skip the process of assimilating the Hollow Artifact and are directly able to use their Soul Artifact.¡±


    ¡°Soul Artifacts will benefit even if they are complete,¡± Kyra countered, ¡°That¡¯s the consensus agreed upon by the Ancient Sages.¡±


    The old man shrugged, ¡°Happens, It is not the first time,¡± he continued, ¡°It is rare, and a pretty trivial issue, the Ancient Sages won¡¯t mention it.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Is this something bad?¡±


    ¡°Not necessarily,¡± She said, ¡°It is unexpected, that¡¯s all.¡±


    Kyra looked at the old man and pondered, then she said, ¡°Give me a Growth Mana Artifact then.¡±


    The Old Man nodded, taking out a jar with different colored marbles, he took out a piece of black marble and threw it at me.


    It landed in my hand and felt cold to touch and had dense runic patterns. I saw Kyra throwing a small sack, falling into the Old Man hand as It made a clinking sound.


    I felt that it contained alot of money, but I did not dare to ask how much. Letting a drop of blood fall onto the black marble as per the Old Man instructions, I felt a connection formed between us. It then entered my body. A smile blossomed on my face.


    The Old Man picked up his book and continued reading, ignoring us. I felt a bit annoyed about his behavior but seeing how Kyra didn¡¯t take it to heart, I kept it at the back of my head.


    We stepped out of the shop, Kyra suddenly told me that she needs to do something important and will go to the academy tomorrow. I was worried about missing the enrollment period, but noticing her expression, I went with her back to the guild with her where she reserved a room for me to stay the night.


    It was a luxurious room with a fluffy bed, a couple of cushioned chairs, a sofa and a smooth red carpet covered the floor. Standing on it sent shivers of pleasure throughout my body. There was a bathroom, so I decided that I¡¯ll take a bath later on.


    Kyra asked me why I want to become an adventurer. I told her that I want to become a hero, saving lives and never worry about money. I thought that my answer was pretty generic, everybody wants to be a hero. She nodded upon hearing my desire for money, telling me that¡¯s a better answer as being a hero is more complicated than I think, and is not necessarily something people would want. I was told to rest for tomorrow as it might be an exhausting day.


    I asked her how to use the bathroom as I¡¯ve never used such a one, she laughed, tousled my hair and explained to me how to use it.


    Entering the bathroom, I went under a mushroom-shaped device, following Kyras¡¯ instructions, water suddenly began to fall from it, the floor shone and started absorbing the water.


    I stood under the mushroom and let it soak my body, feeling comfortable. It was the first time I used such a device, taking a fragrant soap and a sponge from a shelf, I proceed to wash my body.


    I looked down my pale body and saw a black-colored scar between my peaks, I was astounded. Kyra mentioned to me while we were walking through the streets that the healing room was used to regrow lost limbs and revive near-death adventurers. A scar remaining was impossible.


    I traced the wound suddenly remembering the eye placed in my body, shuddering at the thought. I shook my head in disbelief, reminding myself that that was a nightmare. It is just impossible for a nightmare to affect the physical body. I decided to ask Kyra about it later and threw it at the back of my head.


    Stopping the water, I left the bathroom and wore a black robe Kyra bought me. I sat on the bed, looking at the now night-sky and the glowing city, feeling my blood boil as this might be my home for a long time to come, for tomorrow, I¡¯ll try my luck to enroll at the academy, optimistic due to Kyras¡¯ faith in me.


    I did not remember when, but I fell asleep. It was a peaceful night.


    ***


    Kyra was reading a book in an illuminated underground cavern called [Physique Types], some books fluttering around her while another stood on her head.


    ¡®I really can¡¯t find anything similar to that sensation. Is it a new physique or is it something else?¡¯ Kyra pondered.


    ¡®Dalnia Empire, Demonic Bottle and now Cassandra¡­¡¯ Kyra thought, ¡®Not to mention events happening at the Eastern and Southern continents¡­¡¯


    Closing the book, Kyra sighed, ¡®I hope nothing major happens, If it alerts these gods and they decide to withdraw their heroes from the Frozen Wasteland and the Land of Spiders, nothing good will happen.¡¯


    ¡®Tomorrow I should be taking Cassandra to the academy. I¡¯ll be able to see what she holds,¡¯ With a profound glimmer in her eyes, Kyra left the underground cavern.

 4. Hand

    The first rays of sunlight passed through the curtains, illuminating the room. I opened my eyes, looking around, confirming that yesterday was not a dream.


    I yet to understand why is Kyra being nice to me, nobody would do anything for free, especially paying a huge sum of money as she did. Sighing, knowing that I wouldn¡¯t be getting an answer at this moment, I threw everything to the back of my head, focusing on the present.


    Today, I¡¯ll be heading with Kyra to the academy, I am not sure of how the selection process will go nor I am confident of being able to pass them, but I will do my best for the sake of my dream.


    Kyra words resounded in my mind, ¡®being a hero isn¡¯t something people would necessarily want,¡¯ puzzled me. I recalled all the tales of heroes; chosen by the gods; saving countries from natural calamities; subduing evil existences; subjugating danger zones, all these feats seemed common when talking about them, nobody wouldn¡¯t want to not have such adventures and leave their name in the annals of history. The tales also said that heroes are granted eternal life by the gods in the Divine Realm, being worshipped in the Land of Gods for all eternity.


    I stared at the dim orb rotating below the ceiling, pondering the meaning of her words and why she seemed serious about that. It felt as if there was more than to see about heroes than tales could tell.


    Shaking my head and smiling wryly due to the fact that I ended up thinking about Kyra again, I went off the bed and washed, It felt really good taking a bath with the mushroom head.


    Drying myself, I took out black-colored underwear, white-colored half-sleeved shirt, black-colored skirt, knee-high black stockings and a pair of black colored shoes reaching a little above the ankle. Dressing up, I looked at the mirror.


    I was 166 centimeters, not growing since the last year. My red eyes and black hair blended with the outfit, in contrast to my pale white skin. Looking at my reflection in the mirror, I had the impression that I can break by the slightest force, which was probably true.


    The sound of the bathroom door closing echoed behind me, I found Kyra waiting for me, wearing the same outfit as she did yesterday sitting on the bed, gazing in my direction, smiling, she said, ¡°You look beautiful, I told you wearing a white shirt will suit you more.¡±


    I replied while lowering my voice, ¡°I love the black color more.¡±


    She laughed and patted the area beside her, indicating for me to sit.


    I walked and sat beside her, looking into her blue eyes. I could sense an extra emotion within her gaze, but I was unable to understand it. We sat there in silence, staring, the sound of air blowing at the curtain accompanying us.


    Kyra suddenly broke the silence, opening her mouth to speak, ¡±You will be entering Glat Academy today, I have already talked with Principle Azahl and he approved of your admission. We will be going there so that you can take the test to identify your elements and if you possess a soul weapon, even though we know that you possess a soul weapon based on the words of that old fart, we must follow the procedures set by the academy.¡±


    I looked at her, shocked. I was not surprised about the fact that I have a soul weapon, nor about that it is possible to use a backdoor, but at the fact that the principal allowed it within such a short period of time. I started wondering more about the status Kyra posses in Glattia Kingdom.


    Seemingly reading my mind, Kyra continued, ¡°I know you have many questions, but all I can tell you right now that I am simply doing this out of expectations, I expect that you¡¯ll be someone great in the future,¡± pausing, she suddenly lifted my chin, saying playfully, ¡°Being a beauty is a reason too, but you are still too young for me.¡±


    I felt my face heat up, feeling her let go of my chin, a weird sensation sprouted from my heart, but I could not understand what it meant. Remembering the sensation of her hand lifting my chin with her eyes staring deep at me, I felt my cheeks heat up again.


    Patting my head, ¡°I have one last gift to give you,¡± She said, putting a stone tablet in my hand, continuing, ¡±This stone tablet is called [Language Tablet] will help you learn how to read within a short period of time, It simply imparts mana into your body, facilitating memorizing the strokes of a language, making it easier to memorize words.


    ¡°The limit to the number of words you can learn daily is based on your capacity to withstand mana, at your level, you should be able to learn the Northern Language within a month. You should start learning the Southern, Eastern and Western languages afterward.¡±


    I stared at the tablet in front of me, startled by how easy it is to learn languages. Suddenly, the image of an Old Man reading a book flashed through my mind, I tilted my head and asked, ¡°Since it is that easy to learn a language, why is that Old Man still finding it difficult to read a book?¡±


    ¡°Smart question,¡± Kyra replied, continuing with an enigmatic smile, ¡°These four languages are easy to learn because they are allowed to be learned easily, others¡­¡± her words trailed off as she looked through the window and into the distance.


    The phrase ¡®allowed to be learned easily¡¯ reverberated in my mind, I wanted to ask more, but noticing her look, I realized that it will be useless.


    Casting my eyes downwards, I stared at her bountiful chest, subconsciously touching my own in comparison. I felt inadequate.


    Remembering my black scar, I decided that it was wise to change the topic, I pulled her sleeves to pull her out of her reverie.


    Tousling my hair, she turned her head and said, ¡°Go ahead and tell, I am all ears.¡±


    Enjoying the sensation, I opened my mouth to speak but no words came out, at loss on how I should explain this to her. Without realizing it, I started rubbing my chin while tilting my head. there were many things I wanted to talk to her about; the nightmare; the dagger; the scar, but I was unsure where to start nor how to convey it.


    I did not notice Kyra staring at me while tilting my head left and right, making quite an amusing sight.


    Sorting my thoughts, I raised my head to see Kyra, resting on the bed while resting her head on her palm, gazing at me. The way she laid there accentuated her figure, giving quite a sight. My cheeks burned, I took a deep breath and shook my head, regaining clarity and organizing my thoughts once again.


    I hesitated for a moment, then said, ¡°I want to talk about what happened during the way to the capital, there is something wrong with my body.¡±


    Eyes narrowing, Kyra said, ¡°Something wrong with your body? You entered the healing room for several days, it should not be possible for something to be wrong.¡±


    Looking at her expression, I did not speak, sat up and silently unbuttoned my shirt, letting it drop on the floor.


    What entered Kyras¡¯ sight was pale white skin; as pure as snow, and a pair of fair developing melons. If it was any other situation, she would¡¯ve probably admired the sight as she always did while looking at me. What attracted her attention, however, was a black scar, resembling a line as It ran between my chests, perfectly splitting it in two.


    She inspected the scar, the longer she looked the narrower her eyes became, and without a word, she extended a finger, touching my scar.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    I felt the soft touch of her finger and gasped, a warm feeling spreading through the wound from her finger.


    It continued on for several minutes, whereupon, she suddenly pulled her hand back in panic, a trace of black energy seeping into her finger, slowly dying it black, a cold edge of a blade reflected the rays of the sun; drops of blood flowing down from it, sparkling with blood-colored starlight, crimson blood sprouting from her stump, staining her robe red.


    A hand lay on the floor, slowly losing its color. A layer of dark frost slowly covered it. I directed my gaze from the hand to the stump, my red-colored eyes reflecting the sight, engraving it to memory.


    I suddenly heard the sound of something slowly breaking, directing my gaze to the source of the sound. I saw the hand laying on the floor, covered in a block of dark ice, breaking into countless pieces on itself, the red of flesh and white of bone barely visible. Collapsing on itself, the hand slowly turned into nothingness, disappearing from view.


    My breathing became ragged, I looked at Kyras` pained expression. I opened my mouth, trying to scream, but no voice came out. Putting my hands on my head, I shook, dizziness overcame me, a buzzing sound rang into my ears, getting louder with each second, I felt the world slowly become dark.


    The last thing I saw was Kyra, holding me with her left hand, a worried expression on her face. She seemed to be saying something, turning her head and shouted in a direction, but I couldn¡¯t hear anything.


    ***


    I opened my eyes, darkness all around me. I saw a hand, flying without a care in the world, If it had a mouth, It¡¯d be humming contently. Looking at it carefully, I felt that it was familiar. The hand seemed to sense my gaze and stopped moving, It¡¯s palm turning to face me.


    There, I saw it, a black colored scar ran through the middle of the palm. Suddenly, a nauseating sound of flesh being torn traveled to my ears and a red-eye appeared, gazing into me, seemingly seeing through my everything.


    I saw flesh distorting right below the eye, a sound of it being torn echoed again. I looked at the distortion and saw the flesh trying to reconnect, unlike the eye which was eternally open. I tried to avert my eyes, only to hear the sound of infants wailing and screams that came from the abyss traveling into my ears, sending shivers down my spine, turning my gaze slowly, I saw the wound glowing a blood-red glow, seemingly connected to hell.


    I shook, feeling my mind going blank, opening my mouth to scream, but no sound came out. I remembered the hand origin, the scene of Kyra cutting her own hand. My eyes shook with increasing intensity, I formed my hand into a blade and aimed to cut my neck, trying to end myself; to end this painful feeling, but I was unable to. I formed a claw with my hands, aiming to tear off my heart, but it was futile. It all served to increase the pain and despair that I felt.


    The hand slowly approached me at a leisure pace, I tried to run, but the distance remained ever-the-same. It slowly approached me at the same speed, only it was able to shorten the distance. Soon, It was mere inches away from my face.


    It slowly formed a claw and clutched my head, two fingers pressed into my ears, tearing and forming mouths, whispering, only to be drowned by the sounds from hell. I shuddered, feeling the eye staring at me with increasing intensity, blood-red tendrils with bony outgrowths extending from the hell, aiming to crush my neck. The sound of flesh ripping echoed in the darkness, bits and pieces of flesh and blood decorated the tendril. I lost the ability to breathe, feeling cold. Sensing my weakness, the pressure increased, aiming to crush me. I ceased to resist, feeling that all hope is lost, only the image of Kyra cutting her own hand remaining.


    The world suddenly shook, accompanied by a deafening explosion reverberating throughout. I saw a blinding white light driving away the darkness, coming from above. The light touched the hand and tendrils as they began to slowly melt. They increased their strength, aiming to end my life, but the light intensified, vaporizing them from existence.


    Looking at the world of light, I felt a warm feeling spreading throughout me, healing my wounds, but the black scar remained cold.


    ***


    I opened my eyes slowly, and an old man entered my fuzzy vision. He had white hair, white beard, a face full of wrinkles, and his entire body looked shriveled, seemingly as if he just climbed out of a grave. The only exception is his golden eyes which exuded boundless vigor, a contrast to his appearance.


    The old man was heaving heavily, drops of sweat filling his forehead. It seemed as if he had just finished a life-or-death fight, barely surviving. He was clutching my head, white light shining from his hands.


    Seemingly aware of my awakening, the old man released his grip, sighing, he plopped down a nearby chair, wiping the sweat and heaving heavily. Sitting beside him was another old man with similar features, at a glance one would realize they are twins.


    I suddenly felt a piercing pain in my head, clutching it and panting, the world grew fuzzier by each passing second.


    A pair of hands extended, pulling me into an embrace. I felt that sensation and remember this smell, It belonged to Kyra. My mind grew clearer smelling this scent.


    Shuddering, I tried to escape her grip, hitting and clawing at her, but she stood like an immovable mountain, taking all my hits without flinching. Gradually, I became to calm down, and eventually, cried.


    I clutched the hem of her robe, tears flowing down my face like a waterfall. I felt her hands tighten, pulling me deeper, her soft lips kissing my hair.


    Lifting my head, my red eyes stared at Kyra, I could feel her breath from this distance, we were mere inches away. Averting my gaze, I felt both her hands touching my face. Instinctively, I rested my head on her right hand and closed my eyes, feeling its warmth and confirming that it¡¯s real, afraid that the hand will disappear the next moment.


    After what seemed like an eternity for me, I opened my eyes and gazed at Kyra, I silently hugged her tighter, feeling her warmth. She patted my head and embracing me tighter.


    The room was silent for these couple of minutes.


    Leaving her embrace, I began to take in the room. I was sitting in a bed, a white curtain surrounding us, exuding a calming light. The floor was black, sigils carved on it, spewing out starlight.


    Two old men sat in wooden chairs, facing us while looking deeply into my eyes, seemingly wanting to read through me, their eyes flashing with light. I could not read what they were thinking.


    I whispered to Kyra, ¡°I am sorry, It is all my fault. Had I not asked you, this wouldn¡¯t have happened¡±


    Tears started to formed the moment I finished speaking, patting my head, she shook her head, saying, ¡°This level of injury for adventurers is nothing. It was only but a minor injury, do not take it into your heart.¡±


    I closed my eyes and felt her hand, enjoying the feeling. At one point in time, unbeknownst to me, Kyra occupied a place within my heart.


    Suddenly, I heard the old man saying, ¡°Kyra, won¡¯t you introduce us to the young lady?¡±


    A chuckle sounded in my ears, forcing me to open my eyes to look at Kyra.


    ¡°This is Cassandra. Cassandra, this old man over there is Principle Azahl, while the other one is his brother, Elder Agrus of Glat Academy,¡± Kyra said, gesturing with her hand while tousling my hair with the other.


    Shocked, I turned over my head towards the two old men, noticing their smiling expressions, I greeted them, ¡°It is my honor to meet you, President, Elder!¡±


    Remembering Kyras¡¯ lesson, I made sure to not be overly submissive in my actions. It still leaked out, but was better compared to before.


    Elder Agrus and President Azhal nodded their heads in approval, ignoring the servile tone seeping out.


    President Azhal jokingly said whilst laughing, ¡°Little girl, If you did not wake up early, I¡¯d have died from being drained by you.¡±


    My expression paled, remembering his face, but before I could respond, Elder Agrus shot Azhal a glance, saying, ¡°Little brother, please do not scare the child to death. Aren¡¯t you old enough to be pranking kids?¡±


    ¡°Big brother, how can you say that!¡± Azhal said, sounding wronged, ¡°I was really going to die from mana exhaustion, you do not know how much that mana that little girl ate!¡±


    Agrus countered, ¡°A Grand Tier Five Sorcerer, complaining about the loss of a little bit of mana on a child?¡± snickering, he continued, ¡°Will surely be fun to spread such news outside.¡±


    Azhal expression paled, Looking at them bickering, I was dumbfounded, I tilted my head in confusion and stared and Kyra. She leaned in and whispered into my ears, ¡°The sweat is created using mana and he started heaving right before you woke up. President Azhal is known for loving to prank people.¡±


    I shot the President a weird look, noticing my gaze, he suddenly coughed, straightening his back. Kyra shot him a meaningful look, seeing it, he slightly nodded.


    ¡°Little girl, I heard you want to enroll in the academy from Kyra, Is that correct?¡± Azhal said with a friendly expression. It really didn¡¯t feel like that this kind old man is the president of a behemoth that is the Glat Academy.


    Hearing him, I nodded my head in apprehension, this was the moment I¡¯ve been waiting for most of my life.


    Azhal exchanged looks with Agrus, seeing his brother nodding, Azhal clapped his hands, saying with an amiable smile, ¡°Congratulations, you are now a student of the academy!¡±


    I froze upon hearing these words, even though I heard such a thing from Kyra beforehand, I was still dumbfounded.


    I dreamt since childhood to be enrolled in the academy, and in the end, it was accomplished with a nod of a head and a clap of a hand.

 5. Glat Academy

    Jolted by Principal Azahl clapping his hands, I started shaking from excitement, grinning foolishly. I started laughing, only to feel a piercing pain. Clutching my head and clenching my teeth, I steadied my breathing and the pain slowly subsided.


    Kyra looked at me with a worried expression, while Elder Agrus sighed softly.


    Principal Azahl looked at me with a sorrowful expression; his next words marked an everlasting scar, ¡°Your dream changed into a nightmare and damaged your soul. Normally, It is something impossible to happen, damaging the soul due to a nightmare, that is. In fact, It can be said that your soul is corrupted, rather than damaged.¡±


    Looking at Kyra, he continued with a solemn expression, ¡°Even a Soul Restoration Flower will not do, this corruption cannot be removed. Whenever you laugh, a piercing pain will follow up. That is not absolute, but most of the time, you will feel pain, and forcing a laugh will result only in greater pain.


    ¡° It was simply a last-ditch effort by that creature, you were lucky surviving this ordeal. It can be said that you got off lightly,¡± finished, Principal Azahl sighed and slowly closed his eyes, seemingly deciding not to get involved in the matters to come, leaving one issue unknown to others. Elder Agrus mirrored his movements, isolating himself from the surroundings.


    My body shook, and heart fell, I felt my brain freeze, I remembered the whispers from the hand and felt that something was amiss, it was telling me something, wanting me to do something. If it only wished to end me, I doubt I¡¯d manage to survive to this point, especially considering the words Principal Azahl said.


    I felt something drop on my hand, sliding down. With a deadpan expression, I raised my hand and found a tear. It did not belong to me, for I did not shed a tear.


    Raising my head, I found Kyra staring at me, her right-hand nails digging into the flesh, drawing blood. I held her hand, stopping her, and looked deep into her eyes, smiling warmly at her, I said, ¡°It is not your fault, I was the one who asked you, and you were hurt because of me. I should be the one feeling guilty, not you.¡±


    Kyra closed her eyes for a moment, opened them and stared at me, softly sighing. It wasn¡¯t the first time she saw lasting injuries, but she lamented the fact that I was too young for such an injury, and that she was partially responsible for it. I did not know about her thoughts, only coming to an understanding in the future.


    ¡°We should get Cassandra to the test area, it will bring no good not following the rules established by the Exalted Ice Sorcerer.¡± She said to the principal, without turning her head.


    Azahl nodded his head, saying, ¡°I do agree, we should not delay this any further, else, the elders and instructors will make a fuss if she doesn''t go.¡±


    I threw the matter to the back of my head, knowing that it was of no use to think of further. I did not laugh much in my life, but suddenly seeing such a situation proves to be uncomfortable for the time being.


    Elder Agrus voice echoed in my head, saying, ¡°There are no absolutes in this world, and things might not seem as they look on the surface.¡±


    I turned my head in the direction of Elder Agrus, noticing that he acted as if nothing happened. I did the same, remembering these words clearly for they might prove useful later on.


    President Azahl and Elder Agrus took the lead, while Kyra and I followed right behind them. They passed through the curtain of light, the moment I tried to go through it, I felt like hitting a solid wall and bounced back, holding my nose and grimacing in pain.


    The sound of metal hitting metal traveled to my ears, and a buzzing resounded from the curtain as it dissipated, turning into glowing motes of light floating upwards. I saw President Azahl holding his head in pain, grimacing, while his brother looked at him with a side eye.


    Kyra was standing beside them with a palm on her face, shaking her head continuously. I realized that President Azahl did this as a ¡®prank¡¯, making me wonder what other things he¡¯ll do in the future.


    I felt unease thinking about that, but looking that none of them said anything about this matter, I shook my head and took the view in front of me.


    Deicing to take a look around, the sight of a grand hall appeared in front of me, the floor, walls and ceilings were azure-colored, in stark contrast to the black-colored stones behind the curtains. I felt as if I was standing in the sky, energy spread throughout my body, calming my emotions.


    Numerous differently-colored light curtains could be found everywhere. Threads of light rising from them, connected to a multi-colored ball, floating and slowly rotating in the middle of the hall.


    I noticed carvings on the ceiling, white in color, appearing like floating clouds, there were images of commoners recovering from illness; soldiers healing their wounds; adventurers recovering lost limbs; and heroes being resurrected from near death, threads connecting them to a gigantic ball, covering the sky. Looking carefully, one would realize that the two balls shared some similarities, but were vastly different.


    ¡°There is a legend of a Divine Artifact called [Orb of Life], It is said to be able to cure all diseases, heal all injuries, restore lost limbs, bring someone back from near death and resurrect dead people. Glattias` Kingdom founder, Exalted Ice Sorcerer, found ancient records describing it, which enabled him to create this imitation. It might not be as wondrous as the original, but it is surely a one-of-a-kind creation.¡± President Azahl said with a mysterious tone, noticing my dazed expression.


    Gulping, I looked at the Principle, then the imitation and the carving. My heart started to beat faster, I thought to myself, ¡®If I have the [Orb of Life], won¡¯t I be able an immortal? Never dying.¡¯


    Reaching this point in my train of thought, I shook my head and smiled wryly, if it was that easy finding such a Divine Artifact, it would¡¯ve been taken long ago.


    Walking through the hall, we eventually reached a film of black energy, noticing that we were walking straight through it, I raised my vigilance and suddenly stopped in front of it, letting my hand pass through it before heaving a sigh of relief and continuing.


    Passing through, bright light assaulted my eyes, squinting and slowly adjusting my vision, a majestic scene entered my eyes.


    Exotic plants as far as the eye could see, some trees were violet giving birth to blue fruits and others azure color spewing a white-colored mist; multi-colored glasses swaying with the wind, spewing out the same mist; buildings towering hundreds of meter high with bright colored jewels floating around them; students walking through the pathways, some were hurrying to catch their lessons while others were picking up medicinal herbs.


    The moment we walked out, numerous gazes were directed at us, students bowing in greetings to the Principle and Elder, looking at Kyra with gazes filled with adoration and reverence, and me with curiosity.


    We walked to a circular platform protruding from the ground, standing on it, one could see numerous runic symbols arranged in a circular pattern, giving off a mysterious feeling. Suddenly, lit up, and the world distorted. I panicked and flailed, only to fall on my butt, struggling to regain my sense of orientation., looking around, a different scenery entered my eyes.


    I was in front of a square plaza, with people lining up to several stone platforms inscribed with runes. I thought to myself, ¡®It seems that runes are foundational for everything, better to learn how to use them.¡¯ I couldn''t see Azahl, Agrus nor Kyra nearby, thus I decided to search for them.


    A man around nineteen years old, wearing a violet robe with two concentric circles, stopped right in front of me. He said, ¡°My name is Joxar, pleased to meet you, Miss Cassandra.¡±Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    I glanced and realized that I do not recognize him, ignoring him, my eyes darted around, searching for Kyra.


    ¡°Miss Cassandra, I was assigned to guide you through the admission process by the president. Please do not make it difficult for me.¡± He said, following me while smiling wryly.


    Upon hearing that President Azahl sent him, I realized that they won¡¯t accompany me throughout the day. It was to be expected, the president and elder cannot escort a no-name student while Kyra was the President of the Adventurer Guild, she must have went to continue with her work. Realizing that I will probably not be seeing Kyra for a long time, I felt disappointed.


    I took in a deep breath, shaking off these thoughts, looking at the mage Joxar, I lowered my head a little before speaking, ¡°I apologize for my behavior, I did not know you that the president sent you.¡±


    ¡°It is fine, the president told me to take care of you¡± Joxar nodded, smiling, he waved his hand and said, ¡°Follow me, let us get you tested.¡±


    Following behind Joxar, I noticed that almost every single person standing in the lines had someone accompanying them from the academy, it seemed as some kind of security measure. There was a crowd outside of the plaza, lining up, waiting to test their luck and be admitted to the academy.


    Joxar pointed at a platform ahead and told me, ¡°We will be going there, you will be tested to determine your elements and see your Soul Artifact, mainly to follow the procedures as you are already admitted by the president.¡±


    I glanced at him and nodded, following him towards the platform, Joxar kept chattering about random things and bombarding me with questions, giving me a headache, he also asked me about my relationship with the president, but seeing that he was not told much, I refrained from answering these questions and only smiled back at him.


    Deciding I should change the topic, I asked, ¡°Can you tell me more about how the test proceeds?¡±


    Joxar eyes lit up, as if a beast awakened, he said, ¡°There is a stone dais on top of the platform, you sit on it and energy will be enter your body which will flow naturally, determining your elemental affinity and a corresponding natural phenomena will occur, revealing it to everyone,


    ¡°Afterwards, It¡¯ll pull you into your dream, where you¡¯ll manage to have the first contact with your Soul Artifact, that is, if you have one. If you do not have one, the test will end, with the dais stopping imbuing energy into you,


    ¡°If you do not have any elemental affinity, you¡¯ll directly be pulled into the dream, If you also do not have a Soul Artifact, you¡¯ll directly be sent flying away from the dais.¡±


    I pondered and asked, ¡°What if someone got a Soul Artifact but no Elemental Affinity, or got Elemental Affinity but no Soul Artifact?¡± Ignoring the fact that people get thrown out.


    Joxar eyes lit up, saying, ¡°If you got two or more elements and no Soul Artifact; you¡¯ll be endowed with a [Hollow Artifact] and a [Growth Mana Artifact], If you no elements but a Soul Artifact; you¡¯ll be endowed with a [Hollow Artifact] and a [Body Strengthening Gem], perfecting your Soul Artifact. If you got one elemental affinity and no Soul Artifact, you''d still be enrolled, but, will not be able to attend classes on Soul Artifacts, being only bestowed [Growth Mana Artifact],


    ¡°In fact, having more elements are not advantageous, but the academy got this policy to minimize spendings. Else, they won¡¯t be able to afford to train the rest of the students,


    ¡°There is only one exception, If one has a rare elemental affinity, they can endow the student with a [Hollow Artifact] to compliment his or her talents, but it is a rare case overall,


    ¡°Only the Nobles have the privilege to enroll with a single element and attending soul artifact lessons, they receive their [Hollow Artifact] since birth, giving them an advantage to us, commoners.


    ¡°Of course, you can complete jobs at the academy or for the Adventurer Guild, buying your own [Hollow Artifact], but the wasted time makes it harder to catch up.¡±


    ¡°You sure talk alot,¡± I couldn¡¯t help but blurt out.


    ¡°You asked, I replied,¡± Joxar said, shrugging his arms, seemingly not caring.


    I smiled but did not say anything. A few minutes later, we arrived and stood in a line, there were around dozens of people ahead of us, so I decided to observe the ongoing tests.


    A young man around seventeen years old was sitting cross-legged on an ice-white stone dais, a bright red-colored glow was slowly forming around him, condensing into flames, a lantern slowly forming above his head, looking plain and simple, lt suddenly light up, a flame dancing with the wind.


    ¡°He got a good alchemical fire and will surely grow to be a good alchemist. It is best to befriend him before he grows crazy like the others. Once they go nuts, you will never be able to have a peaceful conversation with them,¡± Joxar said, nodding his head in approval.


    ¡°It depends, I just befriend whoever I feel comfortable with,¡± I replied, disinterested.


    The time passed, some people failed and were sent flying, only to be caught by an instructor, and leaving with a dejected expression, looking with envy at those who passed, and those who passed partially, looked with envy at those who passed flawlessly, and those who passed flawlessly, a few were humble, while others were competing on who can crane his neck higher. Juan Peyton, the owner of the alchemical flame, was one of those cranes.


    I felt the sight to be ridiculous, even Kyra acted humble for someone in her position, making me wonder if they have a rotten brain. I noticed that anger and disgust welling up within me, startled, I hurriedly calmed my emotions. This was the first time I got irritated for something unrelated to me.


    Joxar noticed my change in expression, he smiled but did not say anything, giving me a feeling that there was more than what meets the eye to him.


    It finally became my turn; I walked onto the steps, reaching the top of the platform. An instructor was sitting there, cross-legged with his eyes closed, a student wearing a blue-colored robe and four concentric circles coming to my direction.


    He asked me several questions, my name, birthdate, height, if I was a commoner or a noble and other trivial questions, filling a form in his hand. My eyes narrowed instantaneously hearing him ask if I was a commoner or a noble, noticing that, he smiled awkwardly, explaining that it was the form and he had no power to change it. I buried the emerging emotion, startled by the changes in my temper.


    Finished answering, I walked up the stone dais, the instructor eyes slowly opened, gazing at me. I felt the stone dais warming up under me, strands of energy coursed through my body, circulating in a unique pattern.


    Dark Ice shard slowly formed in the air above my head; giving off a gloomy and eerie feeling, blood appeared out of thin air, circulating around the shard, forming a halo and radiating a bloody stench, spatial folds appeared; surrounding the blood halo. Seeing the spatial folds, the instructor nodded approvingly.


    I felt the energy was drawing me into the depths of my mind, remembering Joxar words, I allowed it to guide me into my dream, slowly, my eyelids dropped, and I fell asleep.


    ***


    I found myself sitting on a wooden chair, table was in front of me, sitting opposite to me was an old man on a rocking chair, holding a cup with blood-red liquid, stirring it quietly with circular motions with his hands.


    The old man slowly lifted his heads, his whole body was wrinkled, but there was not the slightest blemish on his skin, his red eyes exuded ancient air, seemingly tired of the mundane world. I noticed that the house was simple, everything inside was made of ancient bamboo, astounding me because it was extremely expensive in Glattia Kingdom. Dust covered everything except the old man.


    He slowly opened his mouth to speak, his old voice resounding, ¡°External power will never help you survive, come back here when you leave the abyss with your own power,¡± then, he waved his hand, the air distorted around me, I felt the shadow of death and was expelled from the world.


    ***


    My body shuddered as I opened my eyes, sweat drenched my body. I felt that my life was in the clutches of the old man, the moment he waved his hand, If he so desired, I would die without a corpse remaining.


    A hand was placed on my shoulder, calming me. I slowly turned my head and found the instructor smiling encouragingly. He gestured for a student to finish with the procedures and then returned, sitting cross-legged as if nothing happened.


    I received a blue-colored robe; no circles were visible on it, and a badge with a single circle glowing, engraved on it was, unimpressively, Glattia Kingdom symbol, Ice Spear penetrating a Shield. He gave me a book detailing the rules of the academy. I smiled wryly, noticing my expression, he quickly explained the most important rules.


    Summing it up, fighting is forbidden outside the arena, and one must respect their Instructors, Elders, and President no matter what status they had before entering the academy, violators will be dealt depending on the severity of the situation.


    He was polite and respectful. I thanked him and asked for his name, finding that he was worth being acquainted with. Claus Colby was his name, exchanging pleasantries, I turned and left the stone platform and the next person to be tested stepped forward.


    I felt weird that nobody told me about my Soul Artifact, thus, the moment I saw Joxar, I asked him, ¡°What is my Soul Artifact?¡±


    He said, smiling, ¡°It was not clear, but the only thing recognizable was there was a pair of claws covering your hands,¡± continuing with an encouraging tone, ¡°It is not the first time this happened, the cause is probably your weak body foundation, and the academy training regime will resolve that. If you can withstand it, that is,¡± Finished, he smiled mysteriously.


    I stiffened upon hearing the cause, thankfully, a chatterbox like Joxar throws everything at the same time, hearing that the academy training regime will resolve it set my heart at ease. I was sure that I¡¯ll be able to withstand the pain, all for the sake of my dream.

 6. Mana

    Joxar and I left the plaza, heading towards the Student Affairs Buildings. On the way there, I found an increasing number of students, most of them were wearing a blue-colored robe, while very few wore a violet robe. I was told that the robe color indicates mage realm, while circles indicated the corresponding tier; mages robe is blue, and wizards robe is violet.


    I nodded, already expecting that this would be the case, realizing that Kyra being a tier nine wizard at her age must be a great accomplishment. No wonder that she is respected wherever she goes.


    Eventually, the Student Affairs Building appeared in the horizon, approaching, we saw four square buildings connected with a bridge, a building for each of the Disciplinary Hall, Treasury Hall, Guild Hall, and Quest Hall. Joxar found it as a suitable opportunity to open his mouth.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be visiting the Guild Hall as a freshman and junior the most. Individual quests are hard for you, thus, doing guild quests will be the way to go.¡± Joxar said, pointing at a building, ¡°There are many guilds in the academy, one of them will be your home.¡±


    I nodded, finding it reasonable for the academy to do that to show the value of teamwork. During my stay at the Mul Adventurer Guild branch, I interacted with a couple of adventurer parties, noticing that it is one of the most important aspects an adventurer needs to have.


    Smiling, he pointed at a different building, ¡°As for that building, it is the Quest Hall, there are some interesting quests there, but they are not easy. You can also post your quests there and assign rewards, pretty convenient to avoid wasting your time.¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t be able to complete them anytime soon,¡± I said, looking at him from the corner of my eyes.


    ¡°You¡¯ll do them with your guild; that¡¯s what it is made for.¡± He said dismissively, pointing towards another building, ¡°That over there is the Disciplinary Hall, let us say that you should not enter it if possible. The building ahead of us is the Treasury Hall, our destination.¡±


    I looked at the four buildings in front of me, feeling empty. I always wanted to enter the academy, but for some reason, I was unable to feel excited about it. Sighing, I continued following him as he led the way.


    Entering the treasury hall, I was shocked to find that it was extremely simple, devoid of decorations, only a couple of illumination orbs and counter in the front with the symbol of Glattia Kingdom carved on the wall, giving me the feeling that whoever created this kingdom was a lazy person, not bothering to do anything.


    Standing behind the counters were workers and students lining up to receive their admission rewards. A glance would tell that these workers were ordinary citizens of the empire.


    Jaxor took me to the second floor, where a couple of people were standing in front of the counter to receive their rewards, Juan Peyton was one of them. Jaxor saw a girl, he told me to join a line and then took his leave, proceeding to flirt with the girl. Noticing that, I decided to leave him be and went to stand a girl.


    The girl I stood behind was the same age as me, standing straight. She had red hair and perky bottoms attracting my gaze. Sensing my gaze, she turned her head, I saw her green eyes, thin eyebrows, straight nose, and oval face. She was beautiful and her rosy skin gave her an irresistible charm. I glanced downwards, noticing her flat land and couldn¡¯t help but smirk, gods do give something but take another.


    Her lips twitched noticing my smirk, noticing her gaze, I stood straight and crossed my hands, emphasizing my chest. I saw veins popping on her forehead, she then turned back with a harrumph and ignored me.


    Looking at her rewards, I noticed that she did not receive [Hollow Artifact] or [Growth Mana Artifact], but two bottles exuding medical fragrance, it¡¯s smell was nauseating, forcing me to cover my nose. She turned her head and looked at me with a weird expression, putting the bottles in her spatial ring, she turned and left.


    Realizing that she had a spatial ring, I knew that she was a noble, or at least well off, thus, It was expected that she did not want the artifacts.


    Standing in front of the counter was a middle-aged man with average facial features, he wore a shirt embroidered on it the symbol of the kingdom and black pants. It was the outfit for the workers in the academy.


    ¡°How can I help you today?¡± he said with a polite tone.


    ¡°I want to take my admission rewards.¡±


    ¡°Can I have your badge, please?¡±


    I extended my hand and gave him the badge, he placed it on a socket in the counter, and it suddenly lit up, words appearing on a rectangular stone slab in front of him.


    ¡°So it is Miss Cassandra,¡± he said, continuing, ¡°Your rewards were adjusted by one of the elders, please wait a moment while they arrive.¡±


    I was confused by his words ¡®wait a moment while they arrive¡¯, but suddenly, intense light sprang from the stone slab, subsiding, it revealed a snow-white orb and a bottle exuding a medical fragrance. Smelling the medicinal scent up-close made me feel dizzy, unable to hold it, I threw up all the contents I ate today.


    Joxar looked at me, smiled and bade farewell to the girl. He took the bottle from the counter, placing it into his dimensional pouch, It was inferior to spatial rings, but was plenty enough for students. Holding the snow-white orb in his hands, he walked towards me.


    ¡°Come, let us get you to the healing room,¡± Joxar said, smiling mysteriously, ¡°You have yet to recover from the demonic energy.¡±


    I did not understand what he meant by those words, but it seemed that realization dawned on everyone, some looked at me pitifully while others ignored me, but they went on and proceeded with their own business.


    We left the treasure hall, stepping outside, Joxar gave me the orb and said, ¡°The principal expected that might be your reaction. He wanted to meet you if it happens, I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    I shook my head, saying, ¡°I want to meet the President to ask him something,¡± finished speaking, I bound the orb, absorbing it into my body. I then took out food to eat from my spatial ring while following him.


    Walking through winding streets and half an hour later, we arrived at an archway. It was plain white and without any decorations, Joxar retrieved his badge and imbued what I assumed to be mana. It shone with a blinding light, condensing into a key that entered the archway, disappearing. Dense runic lines lit up, and a portal slowly formed.


    Stepping inside the portal, we arrived at an office seemingly carved into a mountain, illuminated by flying butterflies. Shelves holding books with chains, seemingly caging them while scrolls littered the ground. A desk with an old man sitting behind it, two small bottles were placed on it, covered by a transparent membrane.


    ¡°Master, I have brought Miss Cassandra with me,¡± Joxar said, bowing.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    ¡°Good work Little Joxar,¡± Principal Azahl said, ¡°You can take your leave, I want to speak with the little girl alone¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Joxar said, handing him the mana bottle before leaving. President Azahl placed the bottle on a stone slab beside him, sinking and disappearing from view.


    ¡°I apologize for leaving you on your own without notice.¡± President Azahl said with an apologetic tone.


    ¡°I understand, it is not normal for a president to accompany someone during the test,¡± I replied, continuing, ¡±I wanted to ask if Kyra say anything before leaving.¡±


    ¡°No, she was waiting for you to finish your test, but upon receiving a message, she left in a hurry.¡± President Azahl said, his eyes narrowing.


    Noticing his expression, I did not press the topic. As far as I remember, Kyra was a laidback person, something that will make her leave without even leaving a message must be serious.


    ¡°Miss Cassandra, we want to do a little test, hope you don¡¯t mind,¡± a voice jolted me out of my reverie, ¡°I already told Kyra about it and she agreed.¡±


    I looked at President Azahl and noticed his smiling expression, a chill ran down my spine, giving me a foreboding sensation. Since Kyra agreed, I could not object. Forcing a smile, I said, ¡°What kind of test does Principal Azahl want me to take part in?¡±


    ¡°It is very a simple one. You see, the bottle you were given is highly-concentrated pure mana, it is used by new students for rejuvenating the veins used to circulate mana due to its docile nature. It saves you quite a bit of time and helps you start taking mana pills earlier,¡± President Azahl explained, twirling his fingers, both bottles covered by the membranes floated in the air.


    ¡°There are two known types of mana, Pure and Demonic,¡± he said, ¡°Pure mana is used by enlightened races, while Demonic are used by the Monsters and Demons, it also gives birth to them. Cases of enlightened races absorbing Demonic Mana are recorded, but I never saw one personally.


    ¡°Now, the reason for this is to determine the type of mana you are able to absorb. In case that you are able to absorb demonic mana, the academy will need to tailor a system to be able to develop you.¡±


    ¡°Tailor a system to me?¡± I asked, unsure of his meaning.


    ¡°You see, demonic energy gets purified during the usual alchemical concoctions as people cannot absorb them. So there only exists pure mana elixirs and pills in our inventory. If you are unable to absorb pure mana, then most of our current resources are going to be meaningless to you. Even if we disregard the elixirs since it¡¯s only used at the beginning, we will need to concoct pills specifically for you.


    ¡°Thus, we need to confirm whether you can absorb pure mana or demonic mana and act accordingly,¡± Azahl said.


    ¡°I see,¡± I said, ¡°Then what am I supposed to do?¡±


    He said, ¡°The blue bottle over here is pure mana, while the black bottle is the demonic mana. You will try absorbing pure and demonic mana. Whichever assimilates in your body will show what energy you can absorb.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What if I can¡¯t absorb both?¡±


    ¡°You will suffer to practice magic in this world. Let us not waste more time, try absorbing pure mana first.¡± Waving his hand, the membrane covering the blue bottle dissipated, landing on my hand.


    My mouth twitched upon smelling the fragrance, clenching my teeth, I opened the bottle. A single drop of clear blue liquid exuding a fragrant scent appeared. I felt losing consciousness, biting my lips, I forced myself to stay awake.


    I propped the bottle on my mouth and drank the drop of pure mana. The moment it traveled down my throat, I felt the world freeze. When I regained clarity, I saw President Azahl finger placed on my forehead, a drop of pure mana was surrounded by a membrane in his hand. It seemed as if it did not diminish in the least, I couldn¡¯t help but look at it in horror.


    ¡°Drink this, it will calm you down,¡± Azahl sighed in relief seeing me awake, giving me a bottle with green-colored liquid. Taking a sip, it tasted like strawberries. I felt my whole body relax soon after.


    I looked at the bottle and asked, ¡°What is this liquid?¡±


    ¡°A special kind of juice,¡± he said, smiling.


    I drank the whole bottle, letting out a contented sigh. Principal Azahl mouth was twitching seeing me gobble the entire bottle, but I did not care, it felt good seeing him like this.


    Coughing, he said, ¡°Now that you relaxed, it is time for you to test the demonic mana.¡±


    ¡°May I know what happened to me?¡± I asked, curious.


    ¡°Mana is similar to medicine; cure to some and poison to others. If you absorb mana that is not for you, you may die.¡± He said dismissively, ¡°Let us begin,¡±


    I felt uneasy because of his words, but seeing him waving his hand, I could only swallow my emotions. The bottle flew towards me and membrane disappeared, I held my breath expecting a pungent smell, only to find my blood boiling and my pores opening, seemingly meeting a long lost friend. Taking a whiff, I felt happy, it was a pleasant smell similar to flowers at full bloom.


    I looked at Principal Azahl, only to find his expression ugly, as if somebody farted on his face. Pondering, I thought that maybe it was because we smelled the mana differently. I took the bottle and found a drop of dark liquid inside. Swallowing my saliva, I drank the contents in one go


    A warm feeling spread through my veins, it did not last long. The moment it ended, a moan escaped through my lips, white colored gas seeping out from the corner of my mouth. Principal Azahl looked startled, but he soon nodded his head.


    President Azahl said, ¡°It is good that you are able to absorb demonic energy, else, it¡¯d have been troublesome. There will, however, be periodic checkups on you to ensure that it is not bringing you harmful effects. I hope that you do not mind that.¡±


    ¡°Is it due to injury or something else?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Judging from how your body rejected the mana when you drank it, I would say no.¡± President Azahl continued, his eyes narrowing, ¡°You have alot of similarities to monsters, you should be careful of those who follow the gods.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but ask, frowning, ¡°Is there a reason for that?


    ¡°We can say, they do not welcome those with similarities to monsters.¡± He said, seemingly not wanting to discuss it further.


    It was the second time I heard someone telling me to be careful of the followers of gods. I decided that I should read more about history during my stay at the academy.


    I looked at President Azahl, asking, ¡°I wanted to ask, why do you bother to care about me that much? I believe it is simply because of my potential, as I did not display anything yet.¡±


    Scratching his head and smiling awkwardly, he said, ¡°Kyra told us to take care of you, she¡¯s extremely talented so nobody wants to get on her bad side.¡± Pausing here, he continued, ¡°That does not mean that I do not believe in you. In fact, I am interested in seeing what you will become, someone who got Kyras¡¯ attention.¡±


    Since I came to the capital, Kyra has always been helping me and I yet to know why, feeling that I am in the dark about something important.


    ¡°Since Kyra valued you highly, we can not let you disappoint her, hence¡­¡±


    ¡°Hence?¡± I repeated.


    ¡°We created a schedule for you, it is a little bit tight compared to other students. Starting next week, you¡¯ll have to follow it, lest you want to visit the disciplinary hall.¡± Saying the last part, a smile blossomed on his old face.


    The corners of my mouth twitched, I felt that this old geezer was doing it on purpose. It wasn¡¯t necessary at all to say the last part, but he did so intentionally.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be receiving the schedule within the next few days, it will be sent directly to your room alongside a bottle of mana for your use.¡± he said, his smile growing wider, ¡°Alright now, you can take your leave, Little Joxar is waiting for you outside.¡±


    I looked at the president waving his hand, dismissing me. I felt frustrated, but in the end, I had to put up with his act. Took a deep breath and bowing, I left the room, meeting up with Joxar.


    He was leaning on the archway, seeing me frustrated, he smiled, saying, ¡°It is getting late so I¡¯ll show the way to the dormitory. By now, you should be familiar with the academy so I won¡¯t be accompanying you in the days to come.¡±


    He then handed me a paper talisman, ¡°If you want to contact me, use this talisman and I¡¯ll sense your location. It takes about a week to recharge though, so use it only for serious business that you can¡¯t handle.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try to use it as little as possible,¡± I said, storing it in my spatial ring.


    ¡°Come, let us get you to the girls'' dormitory.¡± He said, taking the lead.


    Following him, walked through the academy, arriving in front of a mansion situated beside a lake. He said that he should not go any further. Bidding farewells, he took his leave.


    I looked at the mansion in front of me, knowing that it will be my home for the next couple of years, I walked and stepped into the mansion.

 7. Roxanne Sherwood

    Stepping through the mansion gates, I realized how big it was. When I first saw it, I thought it was close, but girl, I was very wrong. The distance seems to be greater than what eyes can see. I can guess that a spell was used for such effect, which makes me wonder about what can such spell accomplish when pushed to the limit.


    I admired the scenery while walking; flowers were blooming, exuding an indescribable aroma; bees were buzzing, collecting pollen; trees were swaying, the rustling of leaves singing a song; and birds nesting, their chirps mixing into a melody with the nature song, calming the heart. The last rays of sun shining, painting a picture resembling a paradise.


    I couldn¡¯t help but inhale a breath of air, cleansing my soul. It felt much better than drinking the president brew, albeit missing the taste.


    A five-story building with a facade of red bricks, dark vines clinging on it. Students were growing exotic plants on their balconies, adding a mysterious atmosphere.


    Stepping inside, what appeared before me was a large hall, red carpet covering the floor with orbs floating; emitting light. I saw that many girls were sitting on sofas and talking to each other. They glanced at me and started whispering, probably talking about my eyes.


    Ignoring them, I went towards the counter, an old lady sitting behind it, her white hair cascading downwards, and her skin wrinkled. She was sleeping on a chair, the moment I approached, she opened her obsidian eyes, staring at me, eyes seemingly devoid of emotions. She was the dorm administrator.


    ¡°You are the little girl called Cassandra?¡± She said.


    ¡°How did you know?¡± I replied with a question, startled.


    ¡°Nobody else in this academy got such eyes other than you.¡±


    An illuminating orb lit up in my mind, I understood that by now, probably most of the workers, instructors, and even elders know about me. It was weird being known without knowing anybody else.


    She extended her hand and gave me a key, saying, ¡°You are quite unlucky to attract the president attention, he changed your room a while ago. I have no idea what is he thinking by doing such action. Your room is number thirteen, the other girl is already there.¡±


    I took the key, and she slowly shut her eyes. Throughout our conversation, she never exhibited any emotions. I thought about what she said about the principal changing my room, wondering about what is he up to.


    I looked at the key, or more appropriate to say that it is a card. It had a symbol which I assumed to be number thirteen as per the lady words. Even though I did not like her attitude, I thanked her and left.


    The first year students rooms were on the fifth floor. I walked up the stairs and reached the fifth floor, searching for the room with a matching symbol. I stood in front of a plain wooden door with the same symbol. Unable to find a keyhole, I took out my card, it shone with a golden light, transforming into a key and unlocking the door by itself then returning to my hands.


    I wondered if this was to prevent unwanted individuals from entering. Pushing the door, I entered the room. It did not have anything impressive, just two beds, wardrobes, and illuminating orb embedded into the ceiling. I felt something soft touch my feet, looking downward, nothing was visible except a wooden board. I crouched and placed my hand on the floor, feeling something fluffy in my hands. It was probably some kind of a transparent carpet.


    Walking toward the window, a lake was visible through it; orbs of azure light flying on its surface. Students were sitting around it while reading books, painting a picture of serenity. I had the feeling that the whole dormitory was created to calm the mind.


    The sound of water running came from behind a door, I assumed it was my roommate using the bathroom, taking a shower. I sat on a bed, taking off my shoes and stockings, feeling the carpet with my feet gave me quote a pleasurable feeling. The comfiness of the bed only served to increase my pleasure.


    I sighed softly, enjoying the feeling while waiting for my roommate to finish ¡®mushrooming,¡¯ as I called it. Eventually, the door unlocked and my lips twitched.


    A girl slowly walked out, red hair, perky bottoms, and flat chest. I instinctively facepalmed myself. The sound of footsteps halted, she must have noticed me, and the sound of a door slamming shut echoed in the room. I already saw plenty enough, adding that to the previous meeting, not a good start.


    The bathroom door opened once again; the girl came out glaring daggers at me. Looking at her adorable figure, I couldn¡¯t help but smile. She was the first person I met with a smaller build than me. I looked at her green eyes and opened my mouth to speak. Without giving an explanation, I darted into the bathroom and shut the door behind me.


    I heard a ¡°Wait!¡± before shutting the door, some noises passed through the walls but were indecipherable. I could guess that she was cursing me, and for some reason, I really didn¡¯t want to deal with her currently, I just wanted to take a bath.


    Taking off my clothes, I lied in the tub as it started filling with water. Lamenting my luck at meeting that old man, if it is as the old woman say, he¡¯s the mastermind behind this arrangement.


    I put soap in the water and then took out the stone tablet Kyra gave me, deciding I shouldn¡¯t waste my time as I wanted to learn how to read before the schedule arrived. It won¡¯t be pleasant having a schedule but unable to read.


    Following the instructions Kyra gave me, I chose the Northern language and the tablet started to glow with white light as symbols appeared on it. Tracing them with my fingers, mana flowed into my body, coursing through my veins and reaching my brain, only to dissipate right before entering.


    Startled, I tried to several times, only to end up in failure. The mana kept dissipating, and I was unable to remember the strokes by repetition as if something was blocking my ability to learn this language. I chose a different language, only to yield the same result.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    I felt disappointed, unable to comprehend why I was unable to learn. A voice suddenly echoed in my head, distant and old, calling to me. Sleepiness overcame me, and the warm water did not help. I tried to get out of the tub, only to find myself falling on the floor. Slowly, the world turned dark.


    ***


    It was a familiar scene, the same nightmare that I had as far as I remember. I felt an extra presence, a white-haired figure in the distance, seemingly asleep. Only her back was visible, but it was enough to make me shudder.


    Fear that came from the depths of my soul emerged, I could not recognize this figure, but I was sure that if ever comes the day that we meet, one of us will cease to exist.


    An old voice resounded behind me, expelling the fear from my heart. ¡°You will face eventually, but not now.¡±


    I turned to look, seeing the familiar old man from the bamboo house. ¡°Who is she?¡± I asked


    ¡°You will know when the time comes.¡± He replied.


    ¡°Really helpful, thank you!¡± I said, rolling my eyes. ¡°You were the one who brought me here, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°And?¡± The corners of my mouth twitched the moment I heard his reply. ¡°What is the reason for you bringing me here?¡±


    ¡°It is a simple reason, to help you become literate in this era languages.¡± He said, expression indifferent. ¡°You could already feel it, the mana is not assimilating to your body, and you keep forgetting the strokes. It is impossible to learn the language with your current strength.¡±


    ¡°Why is that?¡±


    ¡°I do not have time to explain, this time is an exception,¡± he said, turning his head to the distant silhouette. ¡°You do not have time to waste learning a mundane language, become strong and defeat her. I¡¯ll be waiting for you at the bamboo house.¡±


    A tablet appeared inside the dream, the same one that Kyra gave me. He placed his hand on the tablet and pulled an orb from it, made of a cluster of characters, emitting a blinding golden light. The tablet slowly turned into powder, dissipating, as if it never existed.


    I felt a sharp pain in my head, at an indeterminable period of time, the old man appeared in front of me, placing the orb in my head ¡ª his finger on my temples as a surge of power filled every fiber of my being.


    The orb melted, flowing through my veins. Every rotation, I could feel words being implanted in my memories. Every rotation, the pain increased.


    I held my head, feeling that it was going to explode. The pain continued as time passed, I stared blankly at the silhouette, seemingly sitting alone in the darkness, never able to see the light of day.


    Light descended from above, expelling the darkness. A pair of eyes stared at me with unwillingness, despair, and boundless killing intent.


    ***


    I opened my eyes, what greeted me was the sight of a floor soaked with blood, reflecting my face. I looked at the sight, enamored by the beauty of blood. A buzzing resounded in my ears, growing louder as time went on. I struggled to lift my hands, only to feel my entire body was numb. Looking towards the door, It was open, but no one was there.


    Time passed, the sound of footsteps eventually entered my ears. A soft hand lifted my head, pouring a blood-red liquid into my mouth. I coughed, it tasted terrible. Strength slowly returned to me as numbness faded away.


    I focused my eyes and saw my roommate, gazing at me with worry. I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, the first day in the academy and I was already injured and saved twice. So much for a hero who wants to save other people lives.


    ¡°Care to explain what happened?¡± Turning my head towards the source of the sound, I saw the dorm administrator standing there, looking at me with an indifferent expression.


    I opened my mouth, wanting to speak about the nightmare, but no words came out. In the end, I could only squeeze out ¡°I slipped.¡±


    The old woman snorted, looking at me with disgust, turning and walking away. The sound of door closing echoed, leaving me with the girl I ignored twice. I couldn¡¯t help but turn my head away in shame.


    I felt something soft slap my chests, startled, I rolled on the floor and covered my chest with both hands, looking at my roommate in horror.


    ¡°That felt good.¡± She said with a satisfied expression.


    ¡°You pervert!¡± I shouted, my cheeks burning.


    ¡°You are the one who is staying in her birthday suit for all to see, not me.¡± She said, shrugging her shoulders. ¡°That makes us equal now.¡±


    Only then did I remember that I was completely naked. I took out a towel from my spatial ring and wrapped myself in it, dying it red with my blood. Looking at her sizing me up, I felt my body heat up.


    ¡°Can you please leave for a couple of minutes?¡± I asked


    ¡°Sure.¡± She replied nonchalantly, took one more glance before leaving.


    I looked at the blood staining the floor, and my bloodied face in the mirror, sighing softly. I took out the key from my spatial ring and looked at the symbol, sure enough, I could read the number thirteen written on it. ¡®At least I managed to learn the language¡¯ I thought.


    Cleaning the mess and mushrooming, I wore my black pajamas and buttoned it. Before leaving, I remembered her flat chest and decided to reveal a little bit of cleavage. Even though I owe her, doesn¡¯t mean I shouldn¡¯t flaunt my assets.


    Leaving the bathroom, I saw my roommate lying on her bed, resting her chin on her palm. She was sizing me up, or to be exact, gazing intensely at my chests. Her mouth twitched upon seeing my cleavage. I felt uncomfortable under her gaze, it was a little too intense.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so happy; we¡¯ll see who¡¯ll grow more in the years to come.¡± She said, her tone betraying her annoyance.


    I froze, knowing that I will not grow anymore. I suddenly became irritated. Stomping, I sat on my bed, looking at her and mumbled thanks, not caring if she heard or not.


    Laughing, she said, ¡°Where is the confidence you had gone to? If you had a brain the size of your chest, you wouldn¡¯t have slipped!¡±


    ¡°It is definitely better than if the same applied to you, you wouldn¡¯t even have a brain!¡± Smirking, I said and sat on the bed, feeling tired. ¡°I am tired, let us talk tomorrow. It¡¯s not like we have anything to do in this week.¡±


    ¡°We do have to join a guild tomorrow, but let us do as you say.¡± She said, extending her hand, ¡°I am Roxanne Sherwood. Nice to meet you, Cassandra.¡±


    I rolled my eyes, another person knows my name, and I do not know theirs.


    Giggling, she said, ¡°My father told me about you. Miss Kyra and you visited our shop; it is not that surprising for me to know.¡±


    It ticked in my brain, Roxanne Sherwood and [Sherwood for Fashion], I¡¯ll be surprised if she didn¡¯t know about me after Kyras¡¯ grand gesture at the shop.


    I shook her hand, saying, ¡°The pleasure is mine, Roxanne.¡±


    ¡°Okay, let us sleep and talk tomorrow. You almost died a while ago.¡±


    Sighing, I replied, ¡°Tomorrow, then.¡±


    Lying on the bed and pulling the cover, I stared at the ceiling. Today, I almost died twice and entered my nightmare both times. It feels surreal, and I feel that I lost something in the middle of this all. As if something was awakening with me.


    Roxanne was staring at me intensely as if I am her prey. I felt uncomfortable, her stare making me shuffle several times. I decided to close my eyes and sleep.


    The night went on peacefully, without a nightmare.

 8. Frozen Heart

    Sunlight shone down; illuminating the room, waking me up from my sleep. I was sure that the curtains were closed right before I slept.


    I opened my eyes and saw Roxanne engrossed in her morning exercises. Threads of light fell from the ceiling, condensing into an ethereal figure. She was mirroring its movements.


    Remembering what she did yesterday, a dangerous glint flashed through my eyes. Sneaking, I went behind her, gathering as much strength as I can.


    A resounding smack swept the room, accompanied by a loud cry.


    Roxanne jumped, holding her behind, turning her head and glaring at me. ¡°What the fuck are you doing?¡±


    Smiling smugly, I rubbed my hands together; feeling the residual heat. ¡°Just a little payback, now we are truly even.¡±


    Roxanne suddenly smiled sweetly, leaned closer and whispered seductively, ¡°I always had the hunch you were one too, we¡¯ll really enjoy our time together.¡±


    I froze, not knowing the meaning of what she was saying. Alarms were ringing in my head. I must read about life in the capital as soon as possible.¡±


    She turned around and continued with her exercises. Seeing that, I went to the bathroom and mushroomed, dressing up the same outfit as every day; white shirt, black skirt, knee-high stocking, and black shoes.


    Leaving, Roxanne took her turn and entered the bathroom. I leaned on the window, gazing at the scenery in front of me.


    Three days passed in the capital, I met Kyra, the Old Man, Roxanne, President Azahl, Elder Agrus, ate tasty food, almost died twice due to nightmare, another Old Man, a stinky Old Woman, and learned how to read. Not what I would expect for just wanting to attend the academy. Also, too many old people!


    I sighed, lamenting my luck and focusing on today''s¡¯ events. Roxanne and I should be entering a guild, afterward, I will go to the library to educate myself a little bit. It is not a pleasant feeling that I am in the dark about so many things. Maybe I can find out a little about myself.


    Roxanne left the bathroom, wearing matching clothes to me. I wondered if it was intentional or not. She took my hand, linked our arms together and pulled me outside. I felt helpless but followed her bidding.


    We left, heading towards the Student Affairs Buildings. I noticed that alot of weird stares were directed at us, making me feel that something is amiss. Roxanne took a detour, showing me natural sceneries, only couples were present there. What made me surprised even more that there were couples similar to us. A foreboding feeling arose from my heart.


    I never heard of two women becoming a couple back in my town, nor men. It shouldn¡¯t even be possible as they can¡¯t have babies. Unless¡­


    Turning my head toward Roxanne, I noticed that she was staring at me with burning eyes. We were mere inches apart and could feel each other breaths. I could no longer hold it any longer and left her grasp.


    She looked at me, shocked; her gaze betraying her sadness. Shaking her head, a bitter smile surfaced on her face. ¡°It is fine, we can take this slowly.¡±


    ¡°Roxanne, we are both girls, this just feels wrong¡­¡±


    ¡°As long as I can make you love me, it won¡¯t matter.¡±


    I was stunned hearing her reply, and also guilty seeing her look. If I knew this from the start, I wouldn¡¯t have entertained her. ¡°It is not possible, we can not have babies or build a family.¡±


    The moment I finished speaking, Roxanne body shook, a wide smile blossoming on her face, her gaze intensified even further. ¡®Something is wrong¡¯ is what I thought.


    ¡°That is not a problem at all; there are the pills called [Genetalia Growing Pills], they enable men and women alike to grow organs which helps them birth children!¡± Emotions were visible in her voice as she spoke.


    I felt the world grow dark and fell on the ground. [Genetalia Growing Pills], she said; men and women alike, she said; birth children, she said! Why didn¡¯t I hear about such a thing in my town? Why does this even exist?!


    Roxanne held me up, a concerned look on her face. My face distorted thinking about what she just said. I can imagine pregnant women, but men? She did say she has a father though...


    I took deep breaths to calm myself down. I opened my mouth to speak, wanting to say anything, but no words came out from my mouth. She really did have a valid point, we can really have a family¡­


    ¡°Cassandra, is there anything wrong?¡± She said with a worried tone, concern visible in her eyes.


    My mouth twitched, I took one last breath and said, ¡°I am sorry, it is the first time I heard about such creation.¡±


    Roxanne tilted her head. ¡°It is very popular in the capital, but it is understandable considering President Kyra protective nature, she wouldn¡¯t let you know about them.¡±


    My body shuddered at the mention of Kyra. I now realize the real meaning of my promise to her, but I was still confused as to why she wants me, and who will be doing the deed.


    ¡®Library, Library, Library¡­¡¯ I kept muttering to myself, reminding me that I need to go there as soon as possible.


    ¡°Cassandra?¡±


    Roxanne¡¯s voice brought me back to the present, I looked at her with a weird look, missing my life at the town for a second.


    ¡°It is fine, let us go and enter a guild first. I need to visit the library afterward.¡± I said, resigning myself to reality. As long as I can mother a child, it is fine regardless of gender.


    *We did not even start the academy and you are going to the library?¡± Roxanne shouted, ¡°Bookworm!¡±


    I laughed awkwardly, I really couldn¡¯t tell her that I just learned how to read yesterday.


    She extended her hand, waiting for me to lock mine with hers. Sighing, I did as she wanted and we continued on our way.


    ***


    We arrived at the Student Affairs Building, what greeted us was a chaotic sight. Students wearing tabards embroidered with different symbols everywhere, rushing to anyone in sight to bombard them with information about their guild.


    A man which I assumed to be in the second year wore a tabard with a flaming bird symbol, the moment he saw us, he ran at full speed; coming to a stop in front of us.


    ¡°Did you hear about the Phoenix guild?¡± he said


    I was frightened by his actions, as did Roxanne. I could feel her hand tighten, veins popping on her forehead.


    ¡°FUCK OFF!¡± She shouted, trying to kick him away but failing to do so. He was much more agile than he looks.


    ¡°I apologize for my actions, it was rude,¡± He replied, trying to defuse the situation.


    ¡°We are not joining the Pheonix Guild, please leave,¡± I said, noticing the anger boiling within Roxanne.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    His mouth twitched upon hearing this, and said with a threatening tone, ¡°We are ranked third in the academy, you¡¯ll re-¡±


    A fair hand appeared, clutching the man¡¯s head and throwing him before he could finish his words. She was a young girl, around nineteen to twenty years old, sharing similarities with Roxanne.


    I couldn¡¯t help but compare them; Roxanne was similar to me in height, but the other person was a head taller; Roxanne lost in the chest department and won in the bottoms department, the inverse was true for the other woman; and finally, Roxanne had fiery red hair, similar to her temperament, while the other woman had snow-white hair, similar to her cold and aloof demeanor.


    I realized that they were sisters, polar opposite in everything. Roxanne suddenly beamed and jumped into her sister embrace, snuggling happily while her sister recuperated the feeling. It made me envious, I wanted to have a sister like her.


    The crowd suddenly murmured, I heard a person saying, ¡°It is the Coldnut Witch.¡± Men especially reacted violently, keeping quite a distance from her.


    Roxanne whispered something in her ears, light flickering in her eyes as she gazed at me.


    ¡°I am Ezra Sherwood, nice to meet you, Cassandra,¡± Ezra said, extending her hand.


    I shook her hand, meeting her gaze. ¡°The pleasure is mind, Ezra.¡±


    Roxanne locked hands and looked at me into the eyes. ¡°My sister is the Frozen Heart Guild President, we¡¯ll join it. I assume you do not mind, right?¡±


    I was helpless against this girl, in the end, I nodded, saying to Ezra. ¡°I¡¯ll join your Frozen Heart Guild, I hope that you can take care of me in the future.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good, even though we are not strong overall, we are the strongest guild in terms of average strength of members. It¡¯ll change by both of you joining our ranks though.¡± Ezra said, waving her hands, indicating for us to follow her, ¡°I¡¯ll introduce you to the rest of our teammates, they are an interesting bunch.¡±


    ¡°Interesting bunch?¡± I repeated.


    ¡°You¡¯ll see soon enough.¡±


    Ezra, Roxanne and I headed to the Guild Hall, I just now noticed that she did not wear any tabard showing the symbol of her guild. It felt as if she really did not care at all about whether she recruits anyone or not.


    Stepping into the building, I noticed that only students were here, nobody wore the official academy outfits, giving this place a casual atmosphere. The floor tiles were black and white, walls were decorated with symbols, representing various guilds. Seniors were sitting everywhere, groups of freshmen around them, chatting and giving them advice.


    Ezra led us to the third floor, we arrived in front of a door carved on it an Ice Mountain. I knew that this was the symbol of our guild, where I shall be staying for quite some time during my academy life.


    A loud bang resounded as Ezra kicked the door. A couple of seconds passed till we heard a voice shouting loudly. ¡°You animal! Can¡¯t you be more civilized?¡±


    ¡°I am an animal, got a problem with that?.¡±


    The door slowly opened, and a man around eighteen years old came into view. He was a tall man around 177 centimeters, with golden eyes, arched eyebrows, chiseled face, and well-toned muscles. What attracted my attention however were his fox ears, grey hair, and tail.


    He looked at Ezra and rolled his eyes, shrugging. ¡°Maybe become an enlightened animal and stop with your bullish ways?¡±


    ¡°You should go down and recruit some freshmen instead of slacking off, only then will I consider changing my ways.¡±


    ¡°If everyone goes, then I shall go.¡±


    ¡°Everybody says that and nobody goes!¡± Ezra screamed,


    ¡°Your problem, not mine.¡± He shrugged and entered the room, leaving an angry Ezra behind.


    Ezra stomped down angrily on the floor, pure-white ice crystals surrounding her foot. I gasped, a restrained stomp was able to form ice crystals, making me wonder the extent of her strength.


    Taking a deep breath, Ezra calmed herself down. ¡°That fellow is called Lorenz Lester, he¡¯s a pure Soul Artifact user, a ranger to be exact. He is an extremely powerful fellow.¡±


    ¡°Strong to what extent?¡± I asked


    ¡°The strongest in the entire academy in his field.¡± She replied nonchalantly, ¡°His [Elemental Bow] can shoot out arrows formed from the basic elements.¡±


    ¡°Come, let us enter, I¡¯ll introduce you to our remaining members.¡±


    Roxanne held me even more tightly that it started to hurt. I couldn¡¯t bear it any longer and looked at her, as if understanding, she relaxed her grasp a little. It seemed as if she was nervous, looking a little cute.


    We entered the room, my jaw dropped upon seeing the scene inside. Lorenz was reading a book called [Best Ways to Catch Men], a stone golem a head taller than Lorenz was striking a pose, showing off his muscle and lastly, there was a person covered by a blanket in the corner of the room; sleeping peacefully.


    ¡°You already know Lorenz,¡± Ezra said, pointing at the stone golem, ¡°That guy is called Stonetinus Stonninton, an expert using earth magic due to his racial advantage, even though he is only a tier eight mage, he can contend with most of tier one wizards in terms of mana capacity.¡±


    "Mana Capacity?" I tilted my head.


    "Mana Capacity is the amount of mana your body can store," Ezra said, "It also determines your circle, as long as you can control it."


    "You can think of it as a glass of water," Roxanne said, "The more you can put, the more you can use. However, if you overflow..."


    "What happens?"


    "You explode." Lorenz continued, "Circles are an indicator of Mana Capacity and endurance. It does not represent your potential like those fools who rush to become higher ranked. They end up dying without a corpse," FInishing, he smiled brilliantly.


    I shuddered at this thought, not wanting to speak further, I asked, ¡°What about his Soul Artifact?¡±


    ¡°Golems are unable to use Soul Artifacts. They are blessed with elemental advantage and mana, only heroes that are chosen by the gods can have ones.¡±


    "What is Elemental Advantage?"


    "Did President Kyra not explain anything to you?" Ezra looked at me suspiciously.


    "President Kyra?" Lorenz shouted, jumping to his feet.


    "She is her sister," Roxanne clarified.


    I noticed a misunderstanding brewing, but didn''t bother to clarify. It felt uncomfortable enough seeing his gaze.


    A loud smack resounded, Ezra shouted, "Behave yourself, you''ll scare her!"


    It felt awkward hearing this. Do I really give the impression of a child?


    "Sorry," Lorenz laughed awkwardly. "Golems who are attuned to certain elements can command more power."


    I looked at the stone golem flexing his muscles and his chiseled face. He really did look like a piece of art; contrary to the power hiding within, making me wonder the origin of his race.


    ¡°That guy is Aurelius Barton, he can see through the dream and attack using ethereal lightning. It is nasty if you do not focus on strengthening your dream. He¡¯s a tier nine mage.¡± Ezra pointed at the roll in the corner. ¡°His Soul Artifact is his eyes which enables him to see through the dreams; a rare one indeed.¡±


    I could not see any features of the man as he was covered from head to toe, making me wonder how he looks like.


    ¡°As for me, I am Ezra Sherwood, a tier two witch. I guess you already saw my element, my Soul Artifact is a greatsword.¡± Ezra said. "Now that you know everyone, it is your turn to introduce yourselves.¡±


    Roxanne stepped forward, saying, ¡°I am Roxanne Sherwood, my element is Fire and my Soul Artifact is a spear. I hope you can take care of me in the future.¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you, Roxanne,¡± Lorenz smiled. ¡°Please excuse the others, they rarely talk.¡±


    ¡°It is fine, my sister told me beforehand.¡± She said.


    ¡°Your turn, Cassandra.¡± Ezra looked at me.


    I took a deep breath, sorting out my thoughts. ¡°I am Cassandra, my elements are Spatial, Blood and Dark Ice. I yet to know the true form of my Soul Artifact, it is assumed to be a pair of claws. I hope you can take care of me in the future.¡±


    ¡°Spatial, huh?¡± Lorenz muttered, ¡°Pretty rare. Welcome to our guild.¡±


    I opened my mouth to speak, but Ezra interrupted me. ¡°Okay, since everyone is introduced, we¡¯ll take our leave now. Later boys!¡± Waving her hands, she pulled me and Roxanne out of the room.


    We left the guild hall, Ezra then asked me, ¡°What will you be doing in the upcoming days?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be visiting the library, there are alot of things I want to read about.¡±


    ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll be meeting in the dorms later. I¡¯ll be stealing Roxanne for a while.¡±


    ¡°Sister! I want to stay with Cassandra!¡± Roxanne protested.


    ¡°Stop being clingy and follow me!¡± Ezra said, ¡°Later Cassy!¡±


    ''Cassy?'' I mumbled, looking at the Roxanne being dragged by her sister, disappearing into the distance. I sighed, finally free from her clutches. After they left, I turned back and headed towards the library.


    ***


    ¡°What do you think about Cassandra?¡± Lorenz asked, looking at Stonetinus.


    ¡°Weak body.¡± He replied, unmoving.


    ¡°What do you think, Aurelius?¡± Lorenz asked.


    ¡°I¡¯d rather not talk about it.¡±


    ¡°That is not like you, is there something wrong with her dream?¡± Stonetinus asked, looking at Aurelius.


    ¡°It is no longer a dream¡­¡± Aurelius said, covering himself even more. ¡°Please do not ask me anymore about this, I would rather not talk about it.¡±


    Lorenz and Stonetinus looked at each other, their mouths curving into a smile.


    ¡°I guess this year will be much more interesting,¡± Lorenz muttered, continuing to read his book in peace.


    The stone golem resumed his original posture, as if he never moved.

 9. A Chat With Ezra

    Heading towards the library, by the time I arrived, the sun hung high in the sky.


    What appeared in front of me was a huge building, made completely from bronze with spires reaching the clouds. Statues were carved into the walls; emitting a scholarly feeling.


    I felt awe rise from the depths of my heart by standing in front of the building,


    The bronze tiles were reflecting the rays of sun; walking on them gave me the feeling of walking on a sea of bronze. After a couple of minutes, I arrived in front of the gates, there were carvings depicting a commoner learning, entering imperial exams, becoming a scholar and then burning a book. Looking at it, confusion sprouted from the depths of my heart; why does the commoner learn, only to end up burning the book?


    Staring dazedly at the carving, I could not comprehend the underlying meaning. Eventually, I decided to ignore these thoughts and walked into the library.


    I was greeted by the sight of bookshelves extending as far as the eyes could see; filled with books, warm light shone down from the dome-like surface, illuminating the library. My eyes went wide seeing such a scene.


    The library was empty at this time, only the sound of my footsteps echoing could be heard. My trip today was to get books covering certain topics; one about the Northern Continent, Glattia Kingdom culture, monster characteristics, dreams and lastly about the [Genitalia Growing Pill]. I do not believe that the pills which breaks the natural order comes without a cost, and I still have my suspicions that I wanted to confirm.


    Staring at the bookshelves, I started to search relying on myself, but due to the sheer size of the library, it was an impossible task to find such books within a short period of time.


    I finally found a bookshelf containing a book called [History of the Northern Continent], it contained a description of the northern continent history, culture, and traditions. It also has a detailed list of the danger-zones in it.


    Continuing forward, I found another book titled [Origin of Monsters]. Its title is a little bit misleading as what is inside are mainly speculations about their origins and divinity. I could not understand what divinity means, but it appears they are related to the dreams as in the book [Divine Dream], written by a hero, described it as the power of soul. I found that book by chance while strolling, and since it piqued my interest, I took it.


    Finally, the main reason of my visit today was fulfilled. I found a book titled [Going Against Natural Order], it talked about potions, elixirs, and pills. It was deemed that they go against the Gods Will due to their magical properties; potions to heal severe wounds; elixirs to prolong life; pills to change the body. A section under the pills was talking about [Genitalia Growing Pill].


    Sighing, I headed towards the exit. On my way there, I found a book called [Soul Artifacts Origin], it talked about the writer point of view regarding the origin of Soul Artifacts, he also had written his notes about possible evil techniques that can be used against them. Without saying, it went into my stack.


    Arriving at the exit, there existed a stone table was right before it which was used to brand books with tracking marks. I took out the books and placed them on it, inserting my badge in the socket; runes flew out, branding the books and marking the completion of the borrowing process.


    I took the books and left the library, by the time I exited it, the sun was setting in the horizon. I decided to return to the dormitory and start reading. I thought about Roxanne illogical behavior on my way back; Kyra, I could attribute it that she desires something from me or believe in my potential or even something else entirely; masking it in love, but Roxanne? I couldn¡¯t find any logical reason for her abrupt love to me.


    When I returned to my room, the moon was slowly rising over the horizon. Roxanne was nowhere to be seen, seemingly that she did not return yet.


    I sat on my bed, opening the book {Going Against Natural Order] and went straight to {Genitalia Growing Pills]. The more I read, the more astonished I became at the genius who created such a pill, and my expression became gloomier by the second.


    It was probably true as Roxanne said that the pill is popular, but not for the reason she implied. It is a defective pill and the children birthed from it can also be considered defective as they are incomplete and cursed.


    The gods do not approve defying the natural order, men and women were created for each other. Children birthed from such pills have unstable dreams and susceptible to corruption by the demonic energy, turning into either demons or monsters. Ignoring corruption, having an unstable dream leads to mental illness or insanity; that is if they are able to control their mana during such circumstances.


    It does not mean that there are no solutions, they can either to use mana to completely suppress their emotions to a certain extent, or to let the corruption transform you; turning the dream into a nightmare and become an evil entity.


    However, there is a peculiar problem that got no solution written down; children of such parents have a high chance to prefer the same gender of their birth. These problems exist in most of the pills, only the pills which are gifted by the heroes do not have such side effects due to the Goddess of Life blessing.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    I now realized the actions of Ezra were to let go of her repressed emotions, and that Roxanne was probably crazy to an extent, looking at how Ezra was dragging her away from me. I feel like she was living in an illusion she created the moment we met for the second time.


    The duo of sisters truly are time-ticking bombs, ready to be unleashed. I also remembered Lorenz, making me wonder if he is similar to them, natural born or just have peculiar reading interests..


    There was something which perplexed me about this; the hypocrisy of the Gods. They do not approve of such children, thus curse them, but at the same time, they bestow such pills to those their heroes favor. The children birthed using such pills are even blessed by having either an element or a soul weapon; never to have none. Gods were said to be equal, but their actions are not, making me wonder if equality truly exists.


    I closed the book and sighed, Roxanne did not return yet even though it is late at night, making me wonder what Ezra is doing with her.


    Looking at the moon reflecting on the surface of the lake; hearing the song of tranquility, I felt as if my knowledge is insufficient, and that the road ahead is long.


    I decided to sleep, the bed was warm, giving me a peaceful sleep.


    ***


    I opened my eyes abruptly, sweat dripping down from my forehead. I heard a voice calling to me, but I could not recognize the voice, only a familiar feeling lingered.


    ¡°Cassandra, are you okay?¡±


    A familiar voice called out to me, looking toward the source of the voice, I saw Ezra standing there, looking at me with a weird expression, ¡°You were just calling out your own name.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I was dreaming.¡± I blurted out.


    I felt confused with my own words; it felt off, but Ezra did not take it into heart. ¡°It is good that you are okay, I apologize for ending everything abruptly yesterday, I had to take Roxanne with me as soon as possible so there was not much time to talk.¡±


    ¡°Where is Roxanne?¡± I asked upon noticing that she was not in the room.


    ¡°Do you know how we were born?¡± Ezra responded with a question.


    ¡°No, but I think it should be by using a [Genitalia Growing Pill], right?¡± I was confused due to her question.


    Ezra shook her head, ¡°You are wrong, we are not born using a single pill. We were born using two [Genitalia Growing Pill].¡± At this point, she paused, hesitating to continue.


    I did not speak and only looked at her. I could guess what she was going to say is not pleasant for her.


    Sighing, Ezra continued, ¡°My mother had a theory, that is, if they use two [Genitalia Growing Pill] as a male and female to birth a child, they¡¯ll be able to replicate the [Divine Genitalia Pill] effect, and she was correct. Unfortunately¡­¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately?¡± I asked, confused. It felt as if there was more to the story. Since they managed to replicate the pill effect, shouldn¡¯t they be straight?


    ¡°My mother managed to evoke the Gods Wrath and died under this tribulation.¡± Ezra took a deep breath, clenching her teeth. ¡°They did not stop there, they cursed both of us to have unstable dreams, we even have no immunity to demonic energy, only persisting due to using external artifacts.¡±


    Hearing this, my heart sank. ¡°Where is Roxanne?¡±


    ¡°In the Grand Recovery Hall,¡± Ezra continued, ¡°Her dream was about to collapse, she was turning insane.¡±


    I felt my stomach drop, muttering, ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because of you, Cassandra,¡± Ezra said, sighing, ¡°Due to what happened between you two, she created her own delusions and lived in them, that you two are fated for each other.¡±


    ¡°Because of me?¡± I was dazed, I really did not do anything. ¡°What do her delusions have to do with me?!¡±


    ¡°You did not reject her, which only served to strengthen her delusions, causing her dream to grow unstable. Dreams are a reflection of yourself, the more chaotic your mental state is, the more unstable it will be.¡±


    I was stunned, this was the first time I heard this, doesn¡¯t this mean you can force someone to become a monster?


    ¡°Anyway, it is not your fault, do not blame yourself. She shouldn¡¯t have been paired with anyone till she became a first circle mage, but the President did just that,¡± Ezra said with an exasperated tone, ¡°Fortunately, we managed to stabilize her dream. The Elders are currently preparing to make her enter the first circle to salvage the situation. As long as she can use her mana to suppress these rampant emotions, she¡¯ll be able to continue living normally.¡±


    ¡°Can I go visit her?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Ezra replied, shooting me a side look, ¡°Your presence will only serve to destabilize her emotions, she¡¯ll come back once she recovers.¡±


    I was relieved, and, at the same time, at loss; because of me, Kyra had to cut her hand; because of me, Roxanne almost had her dream turn into a nightmare. I was ignorant in both cases and was sure I did nothing wrong, I cannot even comprehend what I did wrong, but that nagging feeling kept telling me that I was wrong the whole time, that I should have never interacted with them.


    ¡°I understand your feelings, I came here to give you your first lesson,¡± Ezra said, raising a finger.


    ¡°Lesson?¡± I tilted my head.


    ¡°It is a very simple one, Cassandra,¡± Ezra said, ¡°It is very simple indeed. You need to realize that your actions, whether intentional or not, and whether you are ignorant or not, leads to an effect. Even a seemingly random action can have unimaginable benefits, or consequences. You need to mentally prepare yourself for such occurrences.¡±


    Her words rang a bell, Kyra then Roxanne, both unintentional and due to ignorance from my part.


    ¡°Alright, it is time for my to leave¡± Ezra saluted, ¡°See you later, Cassy!¡± She left the room without any further words.


    I did not reply to her, her words kept ringing in my ears, making me wonder about them.


    Am I a bringer of peace, or a harbinger of doom? If a bringer of peace, whose peace exactly, and if a harbinger of doom, whose doom exactly?