《The Wilted Raven [Slow Burn Fantasy Dystopia]》


 The Wilted Raven Prologue PART ONE

    The Wilted Raven Prologue


    Morwenna looked at herself in the mirror. A black veil covered her face and stopped right at the top of her breasts. Her hair was tied into a large bun with a massive ribbon that cascaded down her back. The wedding dress her sisters had picked out for her the previous month fit snugly against her body. She lifted her arms and watched as the sleeves fell down to reveal her bare skin. The woman was the perfect image you would have in your head when describing a blushing bride.


    She was finally going to marry her beloved. A boy she had been in an arranged marriage to since before she was even born. Back when her mother first became pregnant they ensured her future as the wife to the heir of a large conglomerate. Her family had been wealthy in their own right but her fiance''s riches and fame blew any she had out of the water. Her fragile heart filled with butterflies when she thought of the huge mansion that would soon be her¡¯s. She had been spending her entire childhood preparing for this day.


    Truly, Morwenna was the perfect wife and mother to be. Her delicate hands touched her belly and she marveled at whether or not she''d have a child soon. She was embarrassed to admit this but she felt mixed on the subject. Her parents explained that she would have to have children whether she liked it or not. But the meek woman wasn''t exactly sure she was the motherly type deep down inside. When she voiced this to her mother, the older woman shrugged off her worries. She told her the motherly instincts would kick in the moment she saw her baby''s eyes.


    And her mother was a very wise woman so Morwenna believed in her advice. The young flower smiled at herself, feeling her nerves become nonexistent. She could hear people outside her dressing room hurry about the mansion. They wanted to make sure everything was perfect for her, the star of the story. Morwenna had made sure to thank all the housekeepers and cleaners she came across. The dove wanted to make a good impression since she''d be head of the household soon. They would be the ones teaching her what product to use to clean what room and such.


    There was a faint knock and she turned her head. ¡°Come in.¡± Morwenna winced as she spoke. Her throat was sore from practicing her vows the entire night before.


    The door opened to reveal a woman with soft, coral hair that cascaded down her back. Her pink lips puckered as she gasped and ran over to the bride. ¡°You look so beautiful!¡± The woman rushed to hug her best friend and Morwenna smiled.


    It felt good knowing that someone who had been there every step of the way was here now. The orange haired starlet she befriended as a toddler and they stuck together like two peas in a pod. She wasn''t from a wealthy family, being a sculptors only daughter. But Morwenna didn''t care about this as she knew Alice was a good person who cared about her as much as she did. They had even planned this wedding together with her fiance''s childhood best friend. Morwenna melted into her hug like butter and instantly hugged her back with a tight squeeze.


    ¡°I''m going to really miss you.¡± Alice said as she patted her back. Hearing her say this made Morwenna feel her eyes begin to tear up. ¡°I wish I didn''t have to move.¡±


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    Morwenna had forgotten about the news in the blur that was her wedding preparations. Her best friend was going off to some foreign college that limited contact with the outside world for their students. This was under the guise of helping them maintain their focus and become even higher achievers. The dove had been inconsolable when Alice told her initially. She couldn''t imagine not seeing the other woman every other day. But her mother reminded her this was going to happen anyway as she would become busy being a wife. Now it was just sooner.


    To be a good wife for her fiance''s family she was required to give them her full attention. Her mother in law was very stern with this fact, stating that the women in their family held it together like glue. If she failed her duties in any way the entire family would suffer financially and emotionally. This put the fear of God in Morwenna with how serious she sounded and the darkness in the old woman''s eyes. She didn''t want to fail anyone so she knew Alice would have to be pushed to the side for the future. It broke her heart but she knew this was the only choice she had.


    The dove smiled and pulled back from Alice. ¡°I''ll ask my husband to let me visit you in the fall. I''m sure by then we''ll both have enough time to do so.¡±


    Alice''s smile dropped a bit and she had a weird look in her eyes. Morwenna had seen this look countless times and it led to the pair arguing frequently. She sighed and gave the coral haired woman a look. ¡°Alice, you know that I have to ask him.¡±


    Her best friend shrugged her shoulders, her arms crossed over her chest. ¡°You''re a grown woman, Morwenna. You''re twenty for god''s sake. You shouldn''t have to beg and plead to be allowed to see me. You have so much money and experience from working as an intern just like me and now you''re giving that all up.¡± This was something Alice had said multiple times over the years. It made Morwenna upset.


    ¡°I''ve already told you it''s not that simple.¡± The dove rubbed at her forehead as she felt a headache coming on. This subject was a difficult one as she knew Alice could never truly understand the responsibilities she had as a wife. ¡°I''m going to be the face of a dynasty now. I can''t just work or whatever I want anymore, Alice.¡±


    Morwenna did miss being a student and working. She had gone to school all her life and had gotten really great grades. Been an intern for multiple magazines and been given enough references to pad out her portfolio. But she knew the whole time that she would have to give those things up. Her family and her fiance''s family were depending on her to not be self centered. All those wants and desires she had needed to be pushed to the side. Her life was going just too fast paced to have time for those things. Alice couldn''t get that because she wasn''t in a set marriage.


    Plus, her fiance had been hinting to her that his friends whispered about her workload. The man had said that they had confronted him about having his fiance work from morning to noon when she didn''t need to. This made him feel slighted and she felt like a really bad person. She hadn''t thought about it that way; she assumed people would be impressed by her. But apparently everybody thought that it meant he was neglecting her. In this world her fiance''s image mattered and having a wife who worked herself to the bone while you didn''t looked awful.


    ¡°That''s bullshit. You were at the top of our class¨C¡± Alice started to argue but Morwenna held her hand up to correct the other woman. ¡°¨CI was ranked tenth.¡±


    She watched her friend turn red as she became irritated which made Morwenna falter and feel really bad. The woman was nitpicking when all Alice wanted to do was show her support for all she had to lose. ¡°I''m sorry for being rude. But please, I can''t talk to you about this right before I walk down the aisle. I hope you get that.¡± The dove pleaded with her best friend earnestly with her voice giving out midway.


    Because she didn''t want to fight with Alice on a day like this. She loved her dearly and she wanted them both to have a wonderful memory with this. Alice was a good person and didn''t want her view of her to dampen. Her friend was just being too smothering with her worries. Morwenna felt determined in a way to prove that this was the case. She was going to make sure that when Alice came back all she could hear about was how happy the dove was. And then her best friend would push her grievances aside for the first time in years and be happy for her relationship.


    ¡°I was just saying that you shouldn''t sell your achievements short to make others happy. I''m going to stand by you whether you''re a magazine mogul or a housewife. But don''t forsake one side of yourself to make the other a reality. Alright?¡± Alice sounded unhappy with the situation still but thankfully she stopped arguing.


    With this in mind, Morwenna just bit her tongue and smiled. ¡°I promise not to let that side of me be forgotten. I''ll still be the same Morwenna you know and love.¡±

 The Wilted Raven Prologue PART TWO

    Alice wrapped her arm around Morwenna''s as the two women walked down to the wedding hall. They came to a stop once the dove''s father came into view. The man was elderly, with wrinkles on his forehead and eyes that were constantly half open. He broke out into a smile as he saw the pair and her hobbling over to them. Her heart plunged into the depths of her soul, watching her father struggle. While they were wealthy, money couldn''t fight against the consequences of an aging mind. Even with his body failing, the man had been overjoyed about her wedding finally happening and rushed to walk her down the aisle. Alice let her go with a soft look.


    This look went unnoticed by Morwenna as practically ran over to her father. The man grinned at her eagerness with two dimples forming on his cheeks. They met in the middle of the hall and he grabbed her hands. His touch felt warm, with her having to look down as the man''s knees were bad. This left him permanently bent down when he was standing for too long. The dove felt sick seeing her father like this but the man was too prideful to use a cane or a walker. He insisted that he walk her down the aisle the way her grandfather had walked her mother. Their arm in arm with a bright smile on his face and his chest puffed out with blind love.


    ¡°Anna,¡± He called her by her nickname. The man had never been a fan of her name, calling it old for such a new soul. So, Anna was what her father liked to address her as and it made the woman feel so special. ¡°You look like my mother.¡±


    This brought tears to her eyes. ¡°Thank you, Father.¡± Her grandmother had passed away when she was still an infant. But they looked just alike in photographs and family portraits they had of the old woman in her twenties. It was uncanny really.


    Things like that made this moment as important as it was. Her father was going to relive a memory from his childhood as she would with her own daughter. ¡°I''m so happy for you.¡± Her father chuckled as he squeezed her. ¡°You got so old so fast.¡±


    After those words left his mouth he became choked up and moved his hands to her face. He touched her cheeks gently, caressing the woman. She teared up and cleared her throat to keep herself from sobbing. ¡°Father, you''re going to ruin my makeup.¡±


    Her father laughed and moved his hands back down with a smile. ¡°You''re right. Anna, let''s walk together like you''ve always wanted.¡± Her heart felt so vibrant.


    It was like she was in a movie. The wedding hall doors opened to reveal a bright light that blinded her. She put her free hand up to cover her eyes and squinted. When her vision returned to normal she gasped and felt her chest tighten. She hadn''t been allowed to see how everything turned out after planning so long. This was because Alice and her parents wanted it to be a surprise. And a surprise it was with the old church turning into a magical forest. Anna broke down into tears and her father shushed her. It felt so amazing to be loved by so many people in her life.


    A large set of canopies sat above their head, being weighed down by pressed flowers that smelled so good it burned her nose. Her father shuffled along with cameras constantly going on and off, capturing every minuscule step they took. Her flush tear-stained face was frozen in time as she looked around and grinned. She didn''t know what to do besides walk. Her mind was becoming overloaded by everything she was experiencing. It was all so dreamlike. No amount of planning and hoping for a perfect wedding could compare to the real thing. It was so much better, bigger. Everyone had done their best and invested thousands into making her dream real.


    ¡°Presenting to you all,¡± Her uncle was announcing her presence to the world. She hadn''t seen the man since her eighteenth birthday. He looked so jolly with a round belly and permanently pink-stained cheeks. ¡°My lovely niece and the bride-to-be.¡±


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    The words were like magic as her loved ones and closest friends erupted. They all clapped their hands and clapped as she made her way to the podium. Her spirits soured and she confidently marched forward. Morwenna felt like the Belle of the ball as she was let go by her father. The man looked up at her and she saw that he had been sobbing the entire time. Her lovely father had been keeping his mouth firmly shut to keep from making any noise. He was crying so hard she became scared that he was about to pass out. Quickly he noticed her fear and held up a finger to his lips. He shut her up and nodded for her to leave him be and go stand.


    ¡°I love you.¡± She whispered to him before bending down to kiss his forehead. The man felt clammy with sweat but she didn''t care. All that mattered was that her father was here to see her walk down the aisle. Her life was perfect the way it was.


    Morwenna felt dizzy walking up the huge, marble stairs of the podium. It was massive to make room for the dozen bridesmaids and groomsmen. They all nodded at her with smiles on their faces. She only knew three of them that well who weren''t her handful of bridesmaids but they looked kind. Their presence reminded her of the future massive family she would have. A big community that was promising to welcome her with open arms. She wanted so badly to be accepted that she was sobbing at the realization that she had been. Everyone looked at her with pride and she couldn''t contain her emotions.


    The room filled with music as the orchestra her fiance''s family paid for played throughout the room. It was a beautiful aurora of string instruments, jazzy harmonies, and the thumping of drums. She stood there, at the side of a priestess who whispered congratulations to her. A man got up from the front of the pews and handed her a humongous banquet of flowers. Her eyes grew as she took in how the amount of types included, all tied together by a satin ribbon. She leaned down and gave the gift a whiff and nearly passed out from all the fragrances. It was at first sweet but soon took on a smoked almost fiery, olden aroma.


    It washed over her tongue and made her feel protected in a way. ¡°You will be blessed by the Gods.¡± The man says to the dove and she nods at him confidently.


    Looking around at everyone around her, Morwenna fully believed the gods were on her side. As a child, she had been taught to believe in the tale of the sun goddess who created the world by washing it in flames. All the technological advancements and good fortune that had befallen the world were all thanks to her. After the waves of fire and shower of meteors the entire planet benefitted. Followers of the sun goddess were given blessings just like the one Morwenna was currently experiencing. Her fiance and his family event followers but they didn''t mean they weren''t fortunate either. She could tell by the way they lived for centuries someone had been helping.


    Her fiance, Colin, was a cold man at times. He was the type to not speak about his feelings and to keep his heart closed off. But he let Morwenna in slowly over the years and now he treated her very sweetly. Yes, he wasn''t the affectionate type. But he did little things that showed her that he did care. One day back in school he had rented out an entire restaurant to take her out to eat. So, he wouldn''t hug her in public or give her a kiss most of the time but he spoiled her. It was those spare moments of gift-giving that made her cry. Those times he''d look at her fondly and make sure to comment positively on her drive to be his wife.


    Colin was the man of her dreams and she constantly craved his approval. ¡°Please. Please hurry.¡± The woman pleaded under her breath for her prince to come fast.


    The Gods must have heard her pleas as the wedding hall doors swung open. A large gust of wind went through the room and hit everyone. The bride''s hair flew around as she gasped and saw her husband-to-be. Her crying continued as she saw just how handsome the man was. He honestly looked older and it shocked her. The man was staring straight ahead deep into her very soul. She felt her throat dry up from just how intense Colin was coming off. He had that same cold, emotionless expression but his eyes said it all. At his side was his mother who was grinning and waving at all the guests cordially. The blonde woman was free of any blemishes with her makeup looking flawless. As did her thin body.


    The mother and son wore matching colors, dark maroon and white. Alice had commented on her mother-in-law wearing the bride''s color but Anna had waved her friend off. The white wasn''t as noticeable as the younger woman''s beautiful gown. Morwenna''s dress was jaw-dropping in how trendy it was while the older woman was traditional. The dove wanted to showcase her love of fashion and her past as a magazine writer. She used to spend hours researching the latest styles and patterns that were growing in popularity. While she knew wearing a dress like this might be selfish, she couldn''t help herself. Her knowledge and experience couldn''t go to waste on her special day.


    Her uncle looked at the pair and held out his arms. ¡°And in comes our fine groom and his gorgeous mother!¡± His voice was boastful as he projected his energy in the room. It was highly infectious. ¡°Colin and Charlotte Heroux!¡±

 The Wilted Raven Prologue PART THREE

    The guests who had never seen anyone from the Heroux were at a loss for words. The Heroux family owned multiple companies that had changed the world. From their makeup empire that they collaborated with her family on to their bakeries. The Heroux was a powerful dynasty that had signed their names into the history books. And she was about to join them. But the name and the power and the fame didn''t matter. Because once all those things turned to dust, all that would be left was the love she and Colin shared. The link was their bond through the legal route of marriage and the inner route that was their bond. She was enamored.


    Colin''s mother let him go and went off to the front of the pews. Right next to the rest of the Heroux family. Her family sat opposite, and they exchanged a spare glance. The families had been tied together for years. There were numerous engagements and romances before. But none had been this well planned out before this. Colin and Morwenna had become husband and wife the moment her mom was confirmed to be having a girl. Alice and some old schoolmates called the whole thing creepy, but she waved them off. They didn''t grow up in the type of family she did, even the wealthy ones. So, they didn''t know how her world worked outside of school. They didn''t know about all the responsibilities she had.


    Colin walked up and stopped as the priestess glided over. In her hand, Morwenna could see she had a bundle of black sage. A symbol of the God of Night, who her fiance and his loved ones followed. Contrary to the Sun Goddess, the God of Night was seen as having created the world from scratch. He spent a single night bringing everything and everyone you''ve ever known into existence. His followers sacrificed a plate of food for him on the last night of the month. This represented the hunger and pain he underwent to create his people. The priestess waved the sage around Colin, who bowed his head and closed his eyes. The man entered a brief state of prayer as Morwenna watched, holding her sign of belief tight to her chest.


    The priestess looked at her fiance from under her veil. ¡°You have been blessed by the God of Night and all his consorts.¡± She did a half bow with one arm folded under her chest while the other was outstretched. ¡°Please. Stand before your bride-to-be.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± The blonde nodded at the woman, who ushered herself behind the couple. His attention soon focused on Morwenna who blushed at the silent man.


    She bowed her head before speaking. ¡°You look so handsome.¡± The woman could see every part of his face being this close to him. Every freckle that popped out beneath his makeup to the way his eyes creased like a half moon. ¡°Your hair''s crooked.¡±


    Colin raised an eyebrow and touched his hair. The platinum blonde tresses were in a wolf cut that framed his face perfectly. He cracked a smirk you would miss if you weren''t her. ¡°Is it now?¡± He tilted his head. ¡°Why don''t you fix it?¡±


    The man was playing with her even at the altar. Morwenna laughed to herself and lifted her hand. It touched his soft hair delicately, her fingers briefly playing with one of his longer strands. She was reminded of back when they were children and would sneak away from their nannies. They would wander into Colin''s great-grandmother''s garden and go sit in the middle of it. The woman had passed away before they were even born but her garden never wilted. It was as if the woman¡¯s spirit presided over the piece of land and took care of it. This was at least what Colin¡¯s great-grandfather believed to that very day. But as children, they weren''t too sure and decided it was a great place to escape their responsibilities for an hour.


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    One specific afternoon, they had escaped from a gathering between their families and four others. Colin had been struggling to resist pummeling a brat who called him girly for his long hair when Morwenna scurried over. The then nine-year-old pulled the angry boy away from the ongoing temper tantrum to their secret place. They sat together in lush plum trees and bushes with bugs biting at their ankles and the hot sun sticking to their skin. She felt hungry but didn''t want to risk being spotted by her cheek-pinching aunties. And he was still mad about the teasing, even when Morwenna complimented him endlessly. In that moment not knowing what else to do, she reached up and touched his head. Placing it on his head and smiling.


    She reached back and looked at Colin in the present. ¡°All fixed. Now hurry up and marry me. I feel like you''ve been edging me for hours.¡± She watched him laugh.


    That laughter was music to her ears. The couple quieted down once the priestess gave them a look. The wedding was going over schedule and they hadn''t even said their vows yet. The vows they shared had two sets, with the first being traditional, having been tailored to their belief system. Morwenna promised to walk in a fire for Colin and to give birth under the watchful eye of the burning sun. Colin swore that no matter how dark and treacherous their life may become, he would stand by her. After this, they joined hands and were showered in the warm water taken from a holy well by the priestess. The well water was meant to wash away any pain and any damage that was currently attached to their souls.


    Morwenna wasn''t too sure if she believed in the ritual, but she felt something when it hit her head. Being drenched with a large pail while Colin held her tightly was leaving her teary-eyed. She didn''t know if she was going to be able to hold herself together once the pouring stopped and she was told to look up. The guests all broke into applause, the couple turning and seeing their smiling faces. Charlotte looked at the dove with her eyes shining with firm approval. The woman had undergone the same soul-cleansing ritual forty years prior. And so did Morwenna''s mother, in a unique form, by bathing naked in a pool of the well water. The confident woman was helped out by her father, who immediately hugged her and sobbed.


    The priestess raised her wet hands behind them and boasted. ¡°The Gods have smiled upon this marriage and accepted it. Now, they will ask you to open your ears and stare straight ahead as they speak. Listen close to this holy bonding experience.¡± The room smelled of thick, burning wood as baskets were lit aflame nearby.


    Morwenna felt her chest move sluggishly as the smells and colors hit her full force. Colin rubbed her fingers and squeezed her hands as he confessed his love for her. He talked about how he had fallen for her the moment they met. Back as toddlers, he knew that the arranged marriage was right. And he promised to love and care for her until they lay together in their grave. She felt so thankful to hear such sweet promises come from him. She could see out of the corner of her eye Alice staring at the two with a tense expression. Morwenna could tell that Colin''s words didn''t sit well with the woman but she didn''t give a damn. Right now, all that mattered was knowing that the blonde loved her so passionately.


    So she made her words just as potent. With her whisper of a voice, she told Colin that she would burn the world down to be with him. That she would walk on water if not go through hell and back to be with him. Alice, by this point, had a sullen look and was staring down at her lap. The dove wanted to go to her best friend and ask why she was acting so bold but she couldn''t. She had to show the entire room just how much she loved this man. This was the boy she had grown up with and gone to school with. The loving man who stole her first kiss, her first ballroom dance, and her first crush. Morwenna cried one too many times about him. She had always wanted to just run away from the world and be with him.


    The priestess smiled at their words. Young love is so sweet. ¡°The Gods have accepted your vows to another,¡± She looked at Morwenna and Colin with a stern stare. ¡°You will honor one another under the laws of the human and spiritual realms. Yes?¡±


    Colin cleared his throat and looked Morwenna in the eye. Her heart skipped a beat at how intense the stare was. ¡°Correct. I promise to never, ever break your heart.¡±


    ¡°I promise the same.¡± Morwenna whispered as she felt herself become choked up.


    The woman motioned for the couple to kiss, and the dove practically jumped into Colin''s arms. The couple''s hand-holding broke, and she was hoisted into the air by Colin, who then hugged her tight. The guests erupted into applause as she was-

 Chapter One: The Lying Raven

    ¡°Anna, you''re daydreaming again.¡±


    The sixteen-year-old blinked a few times before looking down at her desk in embarrassment. She hadn''t meant to drift off like that when talking to her classmates. However, she found that the memories were becoming more frequent these days and were negatively impacting her life. Anna turned even redder than she already was when she heard the snickers of her fellow schoolgirls. She had heard that they had started to call her loony and a narcoleptic after school. This made her want to bargain but the teenager just swallowed her anxiety for now and looked at her desk. It didn''t take long for her to regain her composure and look up.


    As she was used to this charade. ¡°Sorry,¡± She felt her voice become its usual flat tone and her lips contorted into a plastic smile. ¡°I didn''t sleep well.¡± She lied with ease.


    Lying was something she had gotten good at. Ever since she woke up in the body of the formerly comatose ten-year-old Eliana Narine, she had to lie. It was a troublesome experience at first. She didn''t know what to do when a strange woman came running into the hospital room she was in. And when the woman began to call her Anna she physically recoiled and nearly vomited. That was the name her father had called her before he passed away. It was sickening to hear this stranger call her that with so much love and desperation. Her new mother ignored this act of disgust and quickly had a doctor come in. Apparently, she had been screaming in her comatose state as the woman had heard her down the hall. This was after the woman had been told that she may never wake up.


    Once the doctors came in she was asked a series of questions. They wanted to know if she remembered who she was and she struggled to answer. This left the doctors troubled and her new mother sobbed, demanding answers. And what the raven heard destroyed her. Morwenna wasn''t in her original body. She was in the body of a child who had a seizure a week prior and nearly suffocated against her pillow. The doctors claimed after some further examination with her new father present that the oxygen deprivation had affected her memory. Anything from before she was ten was gone and now Anna was a new person. Morwenna found herself a little relieved that she didn''t need to come up with her lie. But she felt immense guilt seeing the original Eliana''s parents beg her to recall childhood memories.


    The couple were pretty nice. She found out that they weren''t very well off compared to her original parents but they still spoiled Eliana. They watched her like a hawk along with the ten-year-old''s sisters for the next six months. The two adult women were distraught when they found out about their sister''s memory loss. They became enraged when they found the family member who left her unattended that night and Eliana was shocked by their brutality. This overprotectiveness subsided when Anna began to adopt parts of the old Eliana. She used accounts from Eliana''s friends, family members, and her diaries to put up her mask. She stumbled at first but by the present day, she had gotten most of Eliana''s personality down.


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    Still, she made new friends along the way who never knew the old Anna. ¡°You need to sleep more.¡± One of these new friends in question, a bubbly teen named Lizbeth commented. ¡°You''re lucky that our teacher likes you so much or else you''d be getting in trouble for constantly drifting off.¡±


    Anna hummed and tapped her nails against her desk. The brunette was correct in that her teachers let her get away with things. She had spun a story to them using her new parents as backup. This story detailed Anna who struggled with night terrors and an illness. They took pity on her as the story wasn''t half bad because it was partially the truth. This body was sickly as the seizure the ten-year-old had was very real and very detrimental. She wasn''t as fit as she wanted and practicing the art of the Goddess zapped her energy. But she was largely exaggerating it to the outside world and her teachers ate it up. As long as she kept her grades up and attended all the priestess training classes, they stayed compliant with her desires. The teenager could tell though that this favoritism bothered everyone else.


    ¡°Don''t worry about me. I''m going to work on my sleep schedule with the head priestess today. She''s been recommending sage healing sessions and I might take her up on it.¡± This was something new from what Anna could tell. She¡¯d never heard of this in her old life and she was interested in trying it.


    But mainly she wasn''t going there for curiosity but to gain information. Anna purposely applied to a school for priestesses due to her prior life. She had died as a woman who never connected properly to her inner magic. Morwenna hadn''t ever dwelled into the art of the Goddess and that really bit her in the ass. In this life she wasn''t going to risk making the same mistake. So, she applied to the priestess school her new family could afford and once accepted she worked her ass off. The class work was a pain in the ass but she learned a lot. And she made sure to network with some of the richer students. It was an all girls school that catered to wealthy families who wanted their daughters to be devout and traditional. While they saw her as lesser due to her lack of wealth, they respected her work ethic.


    Lizbeth scrunched up her nose. ¡°I heard those sessions can get pretty intense, why not go to a private priestess to get it done? Someone who doesn''t know you.¡± Her large brown ringlets bounced as she leaned in closer and whispered. It was very amusing.


    ¡°I feel like the head priestess and I have a trustworthy relationship.¡± The woman understood the argument her friend was making. Having someone responsible for her grades knowing her innermost insecurities was risky.


    But that was the whole point of accepting the offer. ¡°My parents have already talked to her about topics she can''t mention so I''m cool with it.¡± This was something her new parents jumped at joy for her to do. She could see that they hoped the act would help ¡®Eliana¡¯ regain that decade of lost memories. They were still desperate.


    Anna struggled with the fact she didn''t feel bad for deceiving them. At first, she felt like an awful person and wanted to tell them. But as time went on she started to see the couple as her parents. It wasn''t like she purposely had replaced their daughter six years ago. She would have preferred to have never died in the first place. They both had been dealt a shitty hand by what she assumed were the Gods themselves. So, after three years she stopped feeling guilty and instead started to care for Eliana''s family in her way. She could never love them as deeply as Anna knew she should but she didn''t make that obvious to them. The mask she wore was going to be permanent until she didn''t need the family anymore.

 Chapter Two: The Seeing Raven

    The rest of that afternoon, Anna dutifully answered questions asked of her and did her class work with little comment. She stayed in the same classroom most of the day, with there being a rotation of teachers who were cycled through. By the end of the week, she would have five different lessons to remember and multiple homework assignments. The teenager didn''t mind the workload too much. As it showed that her decision to attend the academy was a good one; the information here was no joke. Society had advanced a lot in the thirty-five years since her death. New laws had been made, a whole country had been colonized, and magic was stronger than ever. It would be foolish to not actively participate in the changing status quo, even with her plans to live a fulfilling, non-socialite lifestyle.


    She walked through the courtyard of the academy with an emotionless expression, her mind heavy. It was hard not to miss her old life despite the advancements made while she was gone. Being wealthy helped her a lot and gave her an upper hand in almost every way. Sure, the Narine family wasn''t struggling at all compared to some of the other scholarship students she had interacted with. But there was a noticeable difference between her and Lizbeth, who she would have considered lower class if this was her old life. Living on the other side of the tracks really put things in perspective for her. It was awfully sick that her current less privileged life was more freeing and satisfying than her years of luxury. Anna kept the feeling of bitterness to herself as she passed a pair of boys who averted their eyes.


    Anna shook her head briefly and quickened her pace. It was rare to see male students walking around so casually. The academy had a sister school that shared the same land that was all men. The curriculum she believed, was mostly the same besides being tailored to teenage boys who wanted to be priests. For some reason, the teachers and other staff members would act aggressive if they even interacted. They would punish them and dock their grades if they were even spotted near the opposite gender. Anna found this incredibly annoying, but she would never vote that out loud, even to her close friends. It was better to play the role of a teenager completely awkward around boys her age. Her teachers often used her as an example to more rebellious girls of what they should aspire to be as a priestess in training.


    The student hummed to herself as she finished crossing the courtyard and entered the next part of the academy. There was a large stairway that led up to the head priestesses'' office. The building was very plain, the marble walls and floors being a soft red color that reminded her of peonies. Anna was met with a cool breeze as she hit the last stair and entered a long hallway. From what she knew, this entire floor was just a handful of offices that staff used. All priestesses with the largest being the one she was going to now. As she walked, she peaked into the rooms and saw that there were other students in them. They were chatting with their teachers in hushed tones, so she looked away to avoid overhearing anything too private. Anna finally stopped at the doors of the head priestesses office, which was at the end of the hallway. The door was closed, but the woman''s back was visible in the window.


    With a deep breath, she pulled on the door''s metal doorknob and opened it. Instantly she coughed, smelling what had to be boiling oil. Despite this, she composed herself and lifted her skirt, curtsying. ¡°Hello, Head Priestess Adsila.¡±


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    Hearing her voice, the older woman perked up and turned to face her. The Head priestess was a mighty woman with a stature reminding the girl of a bodybuilder. She had an eyepatch over one of her eyes, a medical grade one no doubt from a spell mishap. Seeing the polite behavior of the teenager made her grin, with her dark red lips widening to reveal her gleaming teeth. She waded over with her long-sleeved dress dragging on the ground and trailing behind her. Seeing this reminded the girl of when she first met the woman.


    It was two years ago, with her being part of the freshman class. The woman had entered the room wearing a partial veil and a darker, more somber version of her current outfit. Her mere presence had left Anna overwhelmed as she spoke with a soft, honey voice about the darkest of things. She made it clear that she expected every girl to be devout and loyal to the Goddess. Every word that left her mouth, every smile she gave them, was a blatant threat.


    This left Anna with a genuine respect for the woman, which was somewhat reciprocated. The woman stopped in front of her and bent down, as she was decently six foot four. ¡°You came a day early, little Anna.¡±


    The teenager nodded and crossed her arms over her chest. ¡°I figured it would be best to talk about the sage session beforehand,¡± She had wanted to scope out the situation as she really had no idea about saging. It wasn''t something Anna had ever done or witnessed in her past life. ¡°You never really explained it in depth.¡±


    The head priestess tilted her head back and laughed. ¡°You look so serious with your chest puffed out like that.¡± The teenager stared blankly as the woman ignored her words instead poking fun at her. ¡°Come on. Come, take a seat and close the door.¡±


    Anna opened her mouth to protest against the comment about her appearance, but quickly sighed and swallowed her words. There was no point in arguing. It was good that she had come across the woman while she was in a good mood. When she was friendly, she tended to be easier to crack. The teen instead followed the woman''s instructions by closing the door with a small slam because of the door''s size. There were two places to sit in the room, with the first option being a seat opposite the woman''s desk. But Head Priestess Adsila had already sat down in option two, which was a set of deeply red couches. They were across from the other, being separated by a tiny coffee table that was oval. She looked at the teenager and motioned for her to hurry up and sit next to her. Anna did just that, though she scooted to the end.


    ¡°Before we drone on and on about what will happen tomorrow, let''s just talk. You haven''t been sleeping in your dorms as much.¡± The muscular woman commented casually about something Anna swore was private. She reached down and handed the teenager a cup. It was a green calming tea. ¡°One of my crows saw you this week.¡±


    Inside, Anna groaned. She had forgotten that the crows had been watching from afar. Crows weren''t actually crows, but spirits that you could befriend and use in everyday life. They became loyal only when you earned their trust, which was typically done by feeding and housing them. You couldn''t sense or see unless you were also a powerful priest or priestess, so the teenager had been unaware of their presence. But not of their existence, as she had witnessed the crows years prior. This was part of the reason High Priestess Adsila was so friendly with her. She had been incredibly interested that the teenager could see the crows in their true form as coal colored shadows. Anna had no idea why she could, but the priestess told her that it just meant her bond to the Goddess must be extremely strong.


    One crow in question blinked into existence on High Priestess¡¯ Adsila''s arms, the woman stretching it out so the spirit could perch on it. It rubbed what had to be its head against her skin and chirped like a chick. ¡°Have you been out practicing?¡±


    There was no point in lying as the crows probably followed her around. ¡°Yes,¡± She took a small sip of her tea and felt her body relax. It was familiar, but she didn''t know if it was from this life or the last. ¡°I''ve started to feel my awakening begin.

 Chapter Three: The Burning Raven

    A few days prior


    Alone in the middle of an abandoned park stood a midnight-haired teenager. She was dressed in the uniform of a priestess student and carried a staff. The object was an activator, something you used to help cast spells and control your magic. Not all priests and priestesses used it these days, but typically more traditional ones did. Her hands shook as she held up the huge stick of metal, with the end being arrow-shaped. Connected to it was a collection of silver bangles that had beads and cloth tied to it like you would a ribbon in a child''s hair. It was so mighty that the teenager could only manage to lift it straight by sinking the bottom half into the earth. She sighed and bent her head down against her sleeve to wipe away some of her sweat. After this, she closed her eyes and took in a gulp of some of the sweet, fertilizer-heavy air.


    Anna received her activator in her second year after ranking at the top of her class. It wasn''t like only the best students got them, everyone did. But those they felt that were incredibly gifted or valuable got theirs early. Lizbeth had gotten her activator, a pendant, a year prior and now then it was her turn. She was sad to admit she hadn''t been able to practice more than a handful of times a month. The school was too hectic, as all second to third-year students had to take apprenticeships to get their official licenses. The sixteen-year-old would only have free time when she left her dorms to visit her new parents, and they wanted family time. She didn''t have the heart to deny them that, even if it irritated her half the time. So, she had to go early in the morning to this decaying piece of land to practice uninterrupted.


    And practice she would. Her hands felt slippery as her nerves bounced around in the pit of her stomach and she gripped the staff''s pole. ¡°Goddess, please heed my call and offer me a single drop of your endless power.¡± The exhausted teenager''s legs shook as she planted her feet firmly into the ground and curled up her toes.


    There was nothing that came to her at first and if she had been inexperienced, she would have gotten frustrated. But she had years of lessons and reading textbooks in the back of her mind. She waited patiently with her eyes firmly closed. After what had to be a minute or two of her standing, the staff began to feel hot. The Goddess was answering her plea for help and was rewarding her.


    Since she resided in the sub, and the pits of the earth, that help came as heat. A type that only priests and priestesses could withstand without getting severe burns. Anna opened her eyes to see that her previously bronze brown staff was now a furious red. The girl tried to lift the staff and found that it had become nearly weightless. Her eyes widened at the sigh of scotch marks on the ground where she previously had it. The grass was now a crisp black, and the soil looked like it was made of charcoal.


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    Despite the change in its weight, the staff''s pole was still too long to be positioned straight forward, directly in front of her chest. It wasn''t smoking, but she could smell it. Her nose was burning from the heaviness of it that the increase in temperature generated upward. This was something she was going to have to get used to. When she started to use the staff and magic daily, there wouldn''t be time to hesitate. She would need to learn to balance her physical limitations versus the deep pot of magic at her disposal.


    All humans had that vast amount of magic within them. But you had to almost always be trained to use it. Sure, there were people who were born with an exceptional power that allowed them to work untrained. But they were often scouted very early in their childhood, usually before they were even six. Then they were taken in as wards of the state to be trained in the country''s capital.


    To be as skilled as a government-trained magic user, she needed to practice. Anna steeled her resolve as the staff linked itself to her mind and soul. ¡°Lock on,¡± She didn''t have to say this, but she found it helped. Her attention was on a tree. ¡°Fire.¡±


    Like a gun, the staff shot out with what looked to be a golden-tinted bullet. But it quickly expanded, ballooning into a shiny orb. The orb hit the tree and looked like it melted into the bark itself. The teenager waited patiently, sweating from the wave of hot steam that hit her face from the action. Like clockwork, the bark suddenly began to darken just like the soil had. It cracked down on the tree in an unruly manner, without any form of pattern, as the tree cooked itself.


    Anna could smell whiffs of what had to be the plant dying from the inside out as she stood. Last week, she had done the same thing to an abandoned headstone that sat without a name. She left a food offering of bread to calm any offended undead before unloading into the stone. It crumbled like a burnt piece of toast in ten minutes. From what she could see with the tree, any type of plant melted much faster.


    She tested out this discovery once more. The mighty staff glinted gold under the orange sky as she lifted as much as she could. This left the staff directly pointed at a large collection of tree branches and dying fruit. The fruit was long gone by now as the person responsible for taking care of this land gave up years ago. This left the apples promptly pruned and sunken in like a rotten tomato, almost in texture. Anna figured this would be a good test subject. With her eyes solely focused on the decaying plant life, she uttered the same words as before. But this time, she made sure to imagine the bullet instead as an arrow. She wanted it to fly free and sink itself directly into her target. With a grunt, she felt her body move backward as an arrow that had to be as large as a hammer shoot out. Her eyes widened. This was new but proved she was strong enough to not just shoot tiny bullets.


    ¡°Oh, goodness.¡± The dark-haired teenager muttered as the arrow hit a handful of the rotting apples and instantly exploded them. The remnants of the carcasses fell and showered her body in stinky fruit. ¡°Ugh. Disgusting.¡± Her face was sour.


    She spent the next ten minutes picking the remnants off of her face and her hair. This was going to be hard to explain to her new parents when she came back later that night. Even harder if she decided to just go to her dorm. Plus, her nose turned up, and she grimaced, she smelled heavily like a trashcan now. But she was satisfied with the development that she had made.


    The arrow took more energy than a simple bullet, but it was worth it. It pretty much disintegrated what was in its path due to how wife and powerful its new form was. If she kept developing the arrows, she could make them as long as her arm and as wide as the tree trunk. Anna looked over at the tree, or where it used to be. Its entire body, from the bark to its roots, had been turned into a blackened blob of goo. The teenager couldn''t help but think of what would happen if her bullet had met a human arm or head.

 Chapter Four: The Scheming Raven

    Head Priestess Adsila clapped her hands, the woman''s long nails clicking together loudly. She had a supportive smile on her face as she spoke. ¡°I''m so happy to hear that your calls to the Goddess were heard. Your activator will come in handy when you''re finally put on the field for your last semester.¡± She gave her a smug look.


    Anna had to look down to keep the woman from seeing her lack of enthusiasm. The teenager had been nervous about her field work since her first year. It was known that in recent years that students had been given more and more assignments. She wasn''t going to be helping the elderly clean their house or help feed the poor. No, the academy made it clear she would be actually helping fight enemies of the country. Priestesses in combat were incredibly deadly, and there was tension on the borders these days.


    Anna wasn''t interested in killing anyone. Sure, it was rare for students to be thrown into actually horrible parts of combat. They usually stayed back to deal with the injured and to help assist in taking down meager threats. But there was always a chance she might seriously hurt someone with the power gifted to her. It wasn''t like she was ungrateful for what the Goddess had awarded her.


    No, she was incredibly thankful for the change compared to her old life. But she also wasn''t willing to squander her second chance. She wasn''t interested in getting revenge or hurting anyone badly. All she wanted to do was to live a good life this time, where she faded into the background. The teenager felt like she was one of the few priestesses in training who felt so hesitant. Her cup of tea looked dull as she stared down into it and listened to Head Priestess Adsila talk.


    The woman was saying that staff users weren''t very common these days. Girls typically jumped at the new trend of having activators be jewelry. She knew firsthand that Adsila was right, as Lizbeth had a pendant like her activator that was worth an arm and a leg. Anna didn''t have the funds to do such a thing, but if this was her old self, she would have spent thousands on bangles or jewels. Activators were accessories and weapons.


    ¡°You should work on your upper arm strength, however,¡± Head Priestess Adsila noted, which Anna found herself inquiring more about. ¡°While the Goddess gives us her strength, it isn''t permanent. You will feel your energy drain away once your activator deactivates and you''re back to your normal self. Exercise will matter.¡±


    ¡°I haven''t really had the time. The course load is just getting more intense with the academy growing to include more advanced lessons.¡± Anna confessed with a frown.


    Her body could only strengthen so much as Anna was a normal sixteen-year-old. Sure, she had been miraculously reborn, but that was only internally. She didn''t have the strength or priestess knowledge of a fifty plus year old. No. She had everything that any teenager would have at their disposal. The academy did train her and threw her in a gym four times a week, but she wasn''t a muscle clad giant. She was just a girl.


    There was a reason Anna was still competing tooth and nail against normal teenagers who attended her classes. They had advantages through their families'' pockets and connections that gave them more power. The dilemma she faced showed her how foolish she had been in her past life. Morwenna had a good deal of money and power, but she was too na?ve to actually use it. Now, she was the daughter of a family that had no wealth and had no friends who ran the school. She was just a background character who was cunning enough to get a scholarship.


    Focusing on her magic and cultivating it was her best chance. ¡°But I''m not that worried about it, Head Priestess Adsila. My connection to the Goddess is strong.¡± The student watched Adsila hum, giving her a doubtful but impressed glance.


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    ¡°The Goddess may call out to you, and I understand. But I don''t want to see you fall in battle because you''re putting all your faith in her.¡± The Head Priestess''s words scolded her from just how intense and heartfelt they were. She was serious.


    Anna didn''t want to risk offending the shaky ally ship the two had. It was better to play it safe while still defending her opinion. ¡°I understand. But I will put all of my energy into mastering the goddess''s craft, so I''m worthy of my future title.¡±


    She placed a hand on Anna''s shoulder. Her nails felt heavy with the weight of each decoration, hitting the smaller girl full force. ¡°If that''s what your heart is telling you is best, then you should go through with it. But don''t ignore my advice.¡±


    The teenager was going to quickly retort and say she wasn''t trying to, but the room door opened. Both of the room''s occupants froze with the Head Priestess slowly developing a neat little smile. In came a teenage boy with ash blonde hair and eyes that told Anna he was also shocked. He was wearing the uniform of the male part of their large, almost mountainous academy that they lived in. Their gazes met and instantly both instinctively looked away.


    Anna''s eyes went to the wall with a sigh, leaving her lips as she set her cup down. She stood up and swallowed the lump growing in her throat. It was clear by the lack of scolding from Head Priestess Adsila she had been expecting the student to come. This put both teenagers in an awkward spot, as they were strictly forbidden from interacting the way they were now. Being alone in a room when classes were over and they should be studying was a disaster in the making. Even with the Head Priestess there, it was a sticky situation to be in.


    The priestess in question stood up and clapped her hands. ¡°I''ve been wanting to introduce you two, but haven''t found the time. What a coincidence that you both wanted to speak to me today,¡± Adsila gave the boy, who had frozen with wide eyes, a look and waved him over. ¡°Gladwin, come over here and meet Eliana.¡±


    Anna watched the blonde walk over to the pair hesitantly. He looked incredibly frail up close, making the teenager doubt his health status. His cheekbones were very sharp, along with his jaw being shaped like a box. Despite these abnormalities, Gladwin looked like a teenager around her age. His uniform was crisp and clean, with his hands worn from most likely training moments earlier. She could tell from the way he was trying to avoid her gaze that he was also observing her body.


    The midnight-haired teenager was sure that she had never seen him before. His confused expression said the same thing, with his eyes squinting. The entire meeting was awkward, as it was clear the academy''s teachings had stuck. They didn''t know if it was safe to talk to each other. Male students just didn''t hang out with the female students in their world. It was too dangerous, and they avoided each other like the plague to keep their asses off of the chopping block.


    Anna decided to take the plunge after what had to be five whole minutes of just staring and flinching. She bowed her head briefly before looking the teenager in the eyes and offered up her right hand to shake. ¡°Hello, it''s nice to meet you. My name is Anna and I''m a student in the female division studying combat based magic.¡±


    He rushed to hold her hand. ¡°Sorry.¡± His palm was sweaty, but his skin felt ice cold. ¡°My name is Gladwin, but everyone calls me Edwin. I''m studying healing based magic, but I initially was in the combat course.¡± Hearing this piqued her interest.


    ¡°The healing course is an entirely unique structure compared to combat,¡± Anna said before her curiosity caused her to ask a question. ¡°Have you been assigned a Koinonos, then? I know that healers typically have one these days.¡±


    A Koinonos was the second person in a priestess or priest duo who wasn''t a healer. In recent years, they found that giving healers an assigned partner was more effective than sending them out alone. It wasn''t like healers were weak. In fact, healers had historically been some of the most powerful magic users out there. It was because of this reputation that they needed someone to protect and aid the in field work.


    You would typically target an army''s healer first. Without a healer, more men and women on your side will succumb to their wounds. And the injured will become a liability not only in battle, but in life. It also didn''t help that the course for healers had always been notoriously difficult. There were a lot more lectures and textbook reading than one might think to graduate. This was why you would rarely see anyone transferring to be one.


    Edwin rubbed the back of his head and blushed. ¡°I haven''t. Since I switched over my second year, I had a lot to catch up on. By the time I finished, they told me I''d have to wait till a Head Priest approved of me even trying to get one.¡±


    The teenager frowned and nodded her head in a show of sympathy. She knew that with the competitive nature of their environment made the pressure to catch up even greater. ¡°I''m sorry to hear about that. I''m sure the Head Priests will give you permission before field work begins for all of us.¡±


    ¡°Which is why I''m glad you two are here!¡± The Head Priestess clapped her hands, interrupting the conversation between the two. A smirk was on her face as she said what Anna believed to be a misunderstanding. ¡°Edwin, Anna here has been chosen as your Koinonos after hours of heavy discussion between us.¡±

 Chapter Five: The Judged Raven

    The teenage girl walked into the empty park she had been in days before to practice. She saw an ash-haired boy wearing a heavy coat with a tired look in his eyes ahead of her. It was Edwin he had agreed to meet her after class. They couldn''t talk in the school courtyard, as female and male students couldn''t interact. Even when the school day was over, she reasoned, someone could still see. Nobody knew yet that they had been chosen to work together. They would jump to conclusions and ruin both of their reputations.


    Anna knew that as his Koinonos, her job was to protect the teen and to make sure he completed his training successfully. While she wasn''t ready to enter combat the teenager knew she had to accept her position. As a highly regarded student, there was always the chance she would become a Koinonos. She had just stupidly believed deep down that it would never happen. Anna had been a mess since being told by Head Priestess Adsila that there was no way to challenge the decision.


    Edwin had the same struggle in the way he approached her. The teenager rushed over and was flushed in the face as he talked. ¡°Anna,¡± He stopped and bowed in a show of respect which she appreciated. ¡°I''m so happy you wanted to meet and talk.¡±


    ¡°Head Priestess Adsila was clear that we are going to work together till graduation. Since that''s the case, I wanted to speak to you without any interference.¡± Anna said, offering Edwin a smile. She felt bad seeing her new partner so nervous.


    In a show of sympathy, she grabbed his coat sleeve and spoke more softly. ¡°You don''t have to bow your head and look at the ground when we talk. We are going to be equals in the field and at school so I''d appreciate it if you treated me like any other classmate. I''d like it if we could just throw away the formalities and be friends.¡±


    Edwin looked at her with disbelief. ¡°Are you serious?¡± The blonde shook off her hold suddenly and crossed his arms over his chest. ¡°I remember you reported a classmate of yours for sneaking out and got her scholarship revoked.¡± He sounded disgusted.


    ¡°I heard that you did that to multiple people. How do I know you won''t rat me out if I accidentally break a rule or two?¡± Edwin continued to push at the teenager.


    Anna cursed herself in her head. She had honestly forgotten she had done such a thing. It was true that she had thrown other girls under the bus a few times. But she had to keep up the appearance of a model student to everyone. Which meant that she had to act like an ultra-devout bitch often. But she was being genuine with the boy, she didn''t want to be enemies. She wanted the two of them to have a good relationship. If they walked on eggshells they''d never trust each other.


    Without trust, they would risk their lives in the field. In combat, Anna would have his life and reputation in her hands. It was better for them to like each other when the time came. She didn''t think she could protect him well if that wasn''t the case. Thinking about all her options left Anna with only one choice. She pulled back from Edwin and let out a loud exhale as her body became much tenser. Her eyes watered as she pushed herself to start the waterworks and to sell her words.


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    ¡°I did throw her under the bus and I''m sorry about that. I felt like it wasn''t fair she got away with breaking the rules while I couldn''t. But I genuinely want to be friends with you, Edwin. I have no intentions of using you. I take the Goddess''s teachings very seriously and I will work my ass off as your Koinonos.¡± The girl tearfully pleaded with the blonde who looked at her with disdain.


    Edwin interrupted her with a scoff and shook his head. ¡°I''m not sure if I can believe you. Even if you did it because you felt it wasn''t fair they got away with breaking the rules, you did it multiple times. I asked people about you and they said that you''re known for reporting to the teachers out of competitiveness.¡±


    Anna took a step back and shook her head and mouth agape. Edwin contained despite her jaw dropping at his words. ¡°They talked about how your rank rose and you got more attention despite not having that great of an academic record. With you admitting that you reported those girls out of jealousy, I believe the rumors.¡±


    This made her gawk at him. Sure, she was a top student grade wise but if she were to be honest she wasn''t even ranked in the top five. ¡°That''s not true at all. I do get good grades and I got those grades fair and square. I didn''t sabotage others to pass my classes or to get my scholarship.¡± She was insulted to hear that people thought so poorly of her. Anna had studied day and night to keep her image intact for years.


    He rolled his eyes which made her growl and spit out the following. "What? Do you seriously believe me that just reporting some students somehow made me rank high? That all the staff are in on it?"


    ¡°Isn''t it a little suspicious that you, a scholarship student, became Koinonos instead of say a rank one student?¡± Hearing these words made the dark-haired teenager want to leave and never speak to the blonde again. He was looking at her like some charity case the teachers pitied and made a Koinonos for pity points. It made her sick to the bottom of her stomach and she struggled not to scream at him.


    In an act of pure shock, she blurted out. ¡°If you think I was using bribery as some sort of teacher''s pet to get ahead, then check my grades.¡± She got out her phone and scrolled through her recent exam scores. She shoved it in his face which made him look at her like she was a lunatic. ¡°We take the same written exams bi-weekly and in person. No notes are allowed with each student''s questions randomized. If I was such a slacker like you described, check my scores. Then you can talk to me.¡±


    With that practically she threw the phone at him and walked off. Anna had never felt so insulted in her life. To claim that she had been given special attention and privileges made her want to throw up. It all made sense now. Edwin must have heard rumors about her before and talked to his friends about them. They all saw her as some scholarship pet that the teachers doted upon. Anna hadn''t thought this could happen but now she saw it and felt so stupid.


    She had been working so hard to be seen as capable in this life. To be seen as someone hardworking and incredibly intelligent. When in reality the cards were always going to be stacked against her. Getting into the academy through a scholarship would always be a double-edged sword. She would have people questioning her place as a student in multiple ways. If she faked her test answers, if she used connections to take someone''s place, and worse if she was just being admitted to meet quota.


    With her hands balled into fists she gritted her teeth and flung herself around. Edwin was looking at her phone with a guilty expression but she didn''t care. All she cared about was proving this asshole wrong. ¡°What? Do you feel bad for calling me a charity case to my face now? Do you feel guilty for judging me based on lies?¡±


    He moved his gaze away from her phone and held it out to her. ¡°I was wrong about you having good grades. You get better scores than most of my class,¡± She snatched her phone back while he tried to defend himself. ¡°But you can''t be surprised that someone is finally stating the obvious. You look like a suck-up to everyone else and it''s clear you''re doing it to make up for your background.¡±


    She glared. ¡°First off, my family isn''t dirt poor and even if they were I wouldn''t be ashamed. And second off, I''m working my ass off to get in our teachers'' good graces because they have been in control of my life for FOUR years.¡± Anna growled and held her head in her hands. How was this guy such a goddamn blockhead?


    Eventually, she just threw her hands up and sighed. ¡°You know what? I don''t care if you think I don''t deserve to be your Koinonos for some bullshit reason. I don''t care. I will be working with you and I will be doing a damn good job. Deal with it.¡±

 Chapter Six: The Panicking Raven

    The following day, Anna stood in the school gym with twelve other girls and their activators. Her hair was up in a bum, as was every other girl if they didn''t have it cut or put in a ponytail. They couldn''t risk being burned when they worked with the fire burning in their chests. Each girl stood in front of the target, across the room giving enough space between themselves to move freely. The first student to go was a brunette who wasn''t taller than a middle schooler.


    Her activator was a large ring that sat on her finger, with a block that resembled a diamond on it. She put her arm outward and wrapped her hand around her wrist. Anna watched with interest as a ball of fire came out of that diamond block and formed a large ball. The ball floated in the air before rerouting itself and shot right at the target, narrowly missing the red mark in the middle. The girl looked with anxious eyes and had sweat dripping down her face as everyone broke out into applause.


    Their teacher, a wrinkly faced priestess with snake-like eyes, clapped her hands and cupped them around her mouth. ¡°Good job, Clarissa!¡± She sat across the room on a foldout chair with her legs crossed and a small smile. ¡°Go sit. Next is Lizbeth!¡±


    Anna watched the girl happily grab hold of her pendant and stare straight ahead at the target. Her freckled face was scrunched up as she focused her attention on her task at hand. The pendant glowed, and she moved her hand back. Like Anna''s staff, a large barrage of arrow-shaped fireballs flew forward. The air began to sizzle as this happened; the heat becoming almost unbearable to everyone else in the room. But Anna could see that her friend was in the zone, not even flinching when an arrow nearly burned her chest as it flopped about.


    The two had talked one day about how hard it was to control the fire. Anna pitied her, as her pendant didn''t mesh well with her intentions. Almost every arrow missed, and those that didn''t barely made it without dissolving into thin air. Her face crumbled, and she looked down at the pendant with a look of betrayal as the room became tense. Since they were standing side by side, Anna could grab and squeeze her hand.


    ¡°You did good.¡± The dark-haired teenager whispered just as their teacher loudly cleared her throat and got up from her seat. The footsteps echoed in her head.


    The woman walked over with her nose turned up at the pair. ¡°Lizbeth, this is the fifteenth time your flames have fallen apart without hitting your target. I thought you and Eliana told me that you would practice.¡± The priestess looked at them both with disappointment, which made Anna''s chest tighten up.


    What the priestess was saying was true, but Anna still felt like shit. Honestly, she''d been feeling in the dumps since her encounter with Edwin. She couldn''t believe that someone would think of her so lowly. Even before she joined the academy, the girl worked herself to the bone in school and with the public. Anna didn''t want this life to be another that she would regret. She wanted it to be one where she could live a life in peace while being academically fulfilled. So, to have someone that she would be working with because of these accomplishments talk down to her burned.


    It hurt her deeply that people were also spreading rumors about her. She started to ask Lizbeth about it but the girl quickly shut her mouth. Lizbeth didn''t know that she had been chosen as a Koinonos and would immediately blabber about it. The teenager was a sweetheart, but she also loved to talk her head to anyone willing to listen. This was something she didn''t want to get out of yet. Especially if people saw her negatively.


    It was better for everyone that she kept her questions to herself. ¡°I apologize for our carelessness, Priestess Simone. Lizbeth and I will work harder on our technique.¡± She looked at her friend, whose lip was wobbling, her chest heaving as she got scared.


    ¡°Eliana, you are an excellent student. You use your staff like a natural, your balance is just off. It''s Lizbeth that I am directly this criticism to solely.¡± Her eyes were like daggers, making even Anna gulp. ¡°Young lady, grades from tests aren''t the only thing that matters here. You need to take this seriously.¡±


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Anna swore by how sweaty her friend''s palm was that she was about to faint. The girl opened her mouth before closing it and breaking down into tears. The other students reacted by quietly whispering under their breath. This wasn''t the first time Lizbeth had started crying because of the criticism given to her by their teachers. The girl was soft-hearted. She wore her heart on her sleeve and was open about all of her emotions. She wasn''t the type to lie or gossip about others. Anna found herself being shocked more than once about her clear naivete.


    This was seen as a weakness by the majority of their classmates, and Anna hated it. They spoke as if Lizbeth was going to drop out when the teenager never would. She was dedicated to the Goddess and was an ace at their textbook based testing. If physical examinations weren''t a thing, along with teacher recommendations, Lizbeth would be ranked number one. Anna was sure of it. She saw firsthand that the sensitive girl wanted this badly.


    Hearing their whispers made her scowl, and she hurried to shield her friend. She hugged her close, allowing her to hide her face in her neck away from the others. While this happened, she pleaded with their teacher. ¡°Can I take Lizbeth to the dormitory, Priestess Simone? She had an upset stomach before coming to class.¡±


    This was a lie but nobody else knew that. Lizbeth played along, making a few retching noises that sounded gross. Priestess Simone hummed and rubbed the bottom of her chin as she thought the request over. ¡°Well, I''d rather she lay down in the infirmary in case she throws up.¡± Her voice dripped with obvious disdain.


    The retching noises became more guttural, making the woman sigh and throw up her hands. ¡°But if you two feel its best, you can go to your dorm and rest until your cleaning period.¡± She looked like she wanted to swat at them like they were bugs.


    Seeing that the woman was on the cusp of really going in on them, Anna hurried. She helped Lizbeth out of the classroom with the other girl genuinely looking ill of a sudden. The dark-haired girl couldn''t blame her friend. This wasn''t the first time a teacher had yelled at the girls so publicly. But this time it was clear that Lizbeth wasn''t in the right mental space for this today. She closed the door quickly with her heel as her hands were full at the moment, chatter beginning as soon as they left.


    The hallways were empty, thankfully, as everyone else was in the cafeteria or in their dormitory. It was getting closer to the winter semester, meaning that everyone was on their last leg. Nerves were showing as their exams came to an end and talks for the future began. Some of the older students had already gotten their field work assignments. While others were going to more advanced academies to get further education. There was a lot going on, which led to cracks showing.


    Anna could only hope her own didn''t. The situation with Edwin knew thrown her off her game. She was sure that if she had stayed in class it would become noticeable. The priestess in training knew it was childish to be so riled up but she couldn''t help it. She had extended a hand to the boy by taking him to her secret training spot. Her tears had been fake, but every word she said that night had been what she was really feeling. Anna saw no need for their relationship to be full of such animosity.


    But Edwin felt like her past actions were too grave to look past. He acted like she was spiteful and focused on only herself. When in actuality she planned to do her hardest to make sure he was safe. Becoming a Koinonos was no joke, and she was honestly scared about everything it entailed. Her life could be at risk if they ever entered combat, as she had to put it second. Edwin knew this, as he also used to train in the combat course. Which made her anger even greater.


    He had in her shoes years prior and now he acted obtuse. Even though they went to different parts of the academy, they had the same circumstances. The same texts, expectations and grading styles were used in both their cases. They both had the same chances when being admitted into the school their freshman years. So, for the pompous healer to act like he had no idea about how she was feeling, made her want to scream. Anna¡¯s cheeks heated up as she continued to help her friend while mulling over the conversation in her head.


    She had acted so unlike herself that night she had walked home feeling incredibly embarrassed. But who could blame her when Edwin was pushing at her buttons purposely? The girl felt a migraine start to form, and she groaned. She had been thinking about the boy and his disrespect for far too long. The only way she''d get over him is if they spoke again on her terms. But that would be risky, as he could easily just refuse to listen like before.


    Her self pity session was ended by her friend looking at her. Her face was pale and Anna could see that her shirt top was drenched in sweat. ¡°Are we almost there yet?¡±


    ¡°We''re about to reach the courtyard.¡± She muttered as both their feet hit the paved path that led to the academy¡¯s other side. ¡°Lizzie, do you want me to stop by the cafeteria and get you something to eat? Or maybe some water to drink?¡±


    She got no answer and looked at her friend. Her eyes widened when she saw Lizbeth looked genuinely ill with sweat covering her shaking body. This wasn''t a ruse anymore. The freckled redhead was heaving, but nothing was coming up. Part of Anna wanted to push her away, so when she did eventually puke, it didn''t splash all over her. But the rational part of her won the debate, and she began to pat her friend¡¯s back like you would a baby. Like a bag of potatoes, Lizzie started to fall and Anna yelped.


    She caught the girl almost immediately with the two of them hitting the ground as Lizbeth was decently four sizes bigger than her. Anna¡¯s knees hit the grass, and she cursed. She couldn''t take Lizzie to the infirmary all alone. But Lizzie couldn''t just stay here. Her body was shaking, and she was unresponsive. She slapped her face and yelled at her to talk, but the redhead just heaved and tried to speak. But all that came out was a croak. Was she having a panic attack?


    The teenager looked around and saw someone a suitable distance away. They were just about to enter the courtyard, but were distracted by their phone. A hood from their large jacket covered their face, but Anna screamed at them, anyway. ¡°Help!¡±

 Chapter Seven: The Strawberry Raven

    ¡°Help!¡± Anna screamed at the top of her lungs and the other student looked up. It was a girl with a face that reminded her of strawberries. Covered in acne, her cheeks were rosy red. She continued frantically. ¡°Come here! Now!¡±


    The other girl ran over, and Anna thanked the Goddess once she saw her uniform. It was a long-sleeved red dress with a small white cape that covered her breasts at the top. Pinned to the side of her neck was a rose-shaped white button. The telltale sign of a student who is studying to become a healer. The girl looked panicked at first as she came closer. But her training kicked in and her face was methodically turned into a porcelain mask of emotionlessness.


    She rolled her sleeves and got down on her knees, giving Anna a firm look that indicated she needed to step aside. The strange girl outstretched her hands and positioned them right above Lizbeth''s body. Her olive palms turned steamy as the magic within her cooked up. On both of her fingers, painted right atop her fake nails, was polish. Every single one of her nails was an activator that she used to direct her body¡¯s natural magic at Lizbeth. The poor sickly girl stopped shaking and Anna watched her face relax as she fell unconscious.


    After this, the healing student looked at her with confusion. ¡°I could feel the heat coming off of her body when my magic seeped in.¡± The other girl¡¯s voice was kind of scraggly in a way that made Anna wonder if she was sick. ¡°I can help you carry her to the infirmary. I think her body''s going to be hot though.¡±


    ¡°Her body was hot from the inside?¡± Anna asked, to which the girl nodded with a solemn expression. They both knew what that meant, but didn''t want to voice it.


    She cleared her throat and nervously asked the girl. ¡°Are you sure that she was burning? Are you positive?¡± Her whispering voice petered off as the stranger nodded her head and made the raven''s stomach drop.


    That meant only one thing; Lizbeth¡¯s body was rejecting her magic. This could only happen two ways, and both made Anna feel stressed. One was that Lizbeth had been improperly using her activator. Anna could see that with the constant pressure being put on their shoulders. She must have been using it without taking breaks to eat or sleep. Constantly casting spells in an effort to finally form a proper fire arrow to present to their teachers and classmates. Another way was that Lizbeth was just not right for the combat course.


    To use combat-based magic, you had to burn a lot of your energy and magic. You had to eat more calories, drink a ton of water and get as much sleep as possible to keep going. This was because their magic abilities from the Goddess were based on fire. And fire burned quickly and uncontrollably within their poor, prepubescent bodies. If they didn''t take care of themselves, they risked several things from spontaneous combustion to burning your organs into sludge.


    She didn''t want Lizbeth to die in such a horrible way. But she knew that once the healing apprentices and priestesses that worked in the infirmary found out, they would contact her family. Who would immediately remove her from the combat course, or worse, the academy entirely? While Lizbeth wasn''t someone she saw that amounted to the love she had for Alice, she still did care for her. Anna knew how important being in the academy was to the redhead. If she was taken out because of her disease, she would fall apart.


    And more importantly, she would be without a close ally for the rest of her school years. Anna was shaken as this possibility hit her full force. The healer looked at her expectantly, and she hurried to help her lift Lizbeth up. The dark-haired girl had paled as she realized that Lizbeth could be gone permanently if the worst happened. If that happened, she would really be an outcast and would be seen as the weirdest girl by all her other classmates.


    ¡°How long was she sick?¡± She blinked slowly, hearing the stranger ask her a number of questions. Only a few she actually heard clearly as she mentally fell apart and erupted into blind panic. ¡°Was she vomiting before class today?¡±You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    Anna bit her lip and decided it was best to continue with her earlier lie turned to truth. ¡°She got sick after being scolded by our teacher and collapsed soon after.¡± Lizzie¡¯s deterioration had happened so quickly she really couldn''t say when exactly the ruse had turned into reality. She had blinked and Lizbeth had started seizing.


    The girl readjusted her hold on Lizbeth¡¯s underarm area and bit her lip. ¡°The way she sucked in my magic means she must have been sick for hours.¡± She looked at the redhead sympathetically and added. ¡°I don''t know how she managed to withstand the pain for so long. She must have felt like her entire body was bubbling inside.¡±


    The healer''s words echoed in Anna''s head as the girls carried her to the infirmary. Since the academy was part of such a vast campus, the infirmary was packed with many medications and concoctions. Students had to complete a form before each year that was about five pages long. This form had to detail any allergies they had, what medication they were prescribed even if it was vitamins and if they required any days off for medical reasons. They also allowed healing course students to work as apprentices to help pay tuition and get more experience during their third and fourth years.


    The girls were met by a handful of these students, who immediately told them to lay Lizbeth down on a nearby loveseat. They asked them a number of questions such as what the redhead ate that morning and if this was a normal occurrence. Each was eventually directed at Anna, who could see their faces becoming more serious with each answer she gave. After what had to be ten minutes of questioning, they told both girls to return to their classes and not to worry.


    That was easier said than done. Anna jumped as the infirmary door slid shut and was locked from the inside. The girl beside her looked over and gave an awkward smile, putting a hand on her shoulder. ¡°I''m sure your roommate will be fine.¡±


    Seeing that the combat student looked glum still she changed tactics. She began to introduce herself, moving her hand out for a handshake. ¡°My name is Genevieve.¡± Her cheeks puffed out as her dimples bounced with her voice. ¡°From the way you and your friend are dressed, I''m assuming you were in field training?¡±


    ¡°Target practice,¡± Anna and Lizbeth had been in dark-colored tank tops with leggings that were made to be fire resistant. She took Genevieve¡¯s hand and gave it a nice, hard shake. ¡°Thanks for helping me. I had no idea she was sick like that.¡±


    Genevieve gave her a look. ¡°Hey, don''t beat yourself up about that. I wouldn''t have noticed either if it wasn''t for me having these on today.¡± She slipped her hand out of Anna''s hold to show off her nails. ¡°Your friend hid her sickness really well.¡±


    The midnight-haired raven looked at each hand with wonder. Anna had heard of activators like this before, but she had never seen one in person. It was a rather invention created by a healer by the name of Ava Evanson. The woman had been a healer who had worked in a village stricken by a terrible plague. She noticed that her magic was being used often, to the point of being sucked away in minutes. This frustrated her as her activator, a wand, wasn''t helping.


    After her work with the village, she went onto research with and contact companies that worked on creating activators. They made a few prototypes and after six years of presenting the nails to multiple investors; they went on the market. Unlike regular activators, these nails made it so you could only use up to fifty to sixty percent of your magic. The other fifty to forty percent would be kept locked away to help you stay energized and healthy on the job. Because of this restriction, combat students never used them.


    It was fascinating to see, and Genevieve noticed. She flexed them for the priestess in training, their golden hue shining under the ceiling light. ¡°I can take them off by just popping them. But they''re extremely durable and easy to use.¡± They looked like they were crafted from solid gold to Anna by how thick they were.


    But despite her curiosity, the nails did little to fix her somber mood. ¡°They''re beautiful. If I didn''t love my staff so much, I''d get those.¡± Thinking about her beloved activator reminded her of how she and Lizbeth got here. Nothing could help distract her from the redhead¡¯s current predicament.


    Anna sighed and watched the rosy-cheeked teen frown. She felt the atmosphere shift with her tone as she thanked Genevieve once more. ¡°I''m sorry. I''m just really afraid for Lizzie. She''s my best friend.¡± She swallowed thickly and looked away at the ground. ¡°I don''t know if she''d even be breathing if it wasn''t for your help.¡±


    ¡°I did my best, but I''m only a first-year student. If I had been stronger, I could have kept her more stable. I''m not even sure if I did the correct thing, adding to the flame.¡± The girl confessed with an embarrassed shrug, to which Anna did a double take.


    She could have sworn by her height and way of talking, she was way older. This made her appreciate the healing course more. A first year combat student would have puked all over their shoes at the sight of Lizzie. ¡°Please. You helped her a lot.¡±


    The two teenagers probably would''ve talked for another hour, but the bell rang. Their classes were over and if they didn''t hurry, they''d be late to another. Anna blushed and thanked the girl again before walking away. Her chest was heavy as she thought about Lizbeth and how sick she must be. Her mood sunk even deeper as she looked around the corridor to see the students boarding a bus. It was their lunch period, and they were all probably going to eat together as a group of friends.


    Anna felt a cold gust of wind go through the air as her eyes met a familiar face. It was Edwin, standing on the sidewalk looking straight at her. He opened his mouth, but she was too far away to hear anything he was shouting at her. She turned her head and her back to him. There was nothing about that bastard that could sate her rage and disgust at his behavior.

 Chapter Eight: The Bruised Raven

    The staff''s pole felt molten as Anna swiveled the activator across her back and swung it at her opponent. It missed the other girl, who had bent backward and nearly fallen off the podium. In return, she went low with her activator, a long chain of sorts, shooting towards the dark-haired girl''s legs. Anna tried to move out of the way, but by then the chain wrapped itself against her knee. With her staff gripped firmly in her hands, the teenager let out a scream as a current of flames erupted throughout her body.


    This pain didn''t stop her from taking her staff and lifting it in the air. Her would-be torturer couldn''t react fast enough as it came, and Anna used it to swipe a large fireball into her shirt collar. It burnt and before either girl could go any further, a lard whistle screeched in their ears. They looked to the side to see their teacher, Priestess Aurora, red in the face as she marched over.


    ¡°Calla!¡± The classmate she had been fighting face dropped as she screamed at her. Anna felt every word reverberate spit into their faces. ¡°What have we told you about cheap shots? This is a training exercise about disarming your opponent!¡±


    Calla quickly released Anna''s leg and mumbled an apology. The teenager winced as even with the burn-resistant clothing and her pain tolerance; it hurt. The bigger girl tended to use her flames as electric shocks, which were more potent. They were hard to do more than a handful of times, as each current required about a quarter of your energy to produce. But when successfully created, they were very painful and could cause some nasty swelling to the affected limb.


    This was why a good chunk of the class didn''t want to be the brat¡¯s training partner. She claimed everyone was just jealous that she was the only one who could use electricity instead of plain old fire. Anna saw some truth in the jealousy Calla spoke of. But she still was reckless with it and Anna had groaned when told she''d have to partner with her. It would be this way, every day until Lizbeth was ready to rejoin active combat classes.


    Rubbing her leg, the teenager slipped her mask over her enraged face. ¡°It''s alright Priestess Aurora. I overreached and aimed my staff at Calla''s side when I meant her legs. She most likely attacked me through instinct instead of being careless.¡± Anna spoke with a tremble in her voice as she hobbled over to the older woman.


    Her leg would be fine the next day, but for now, it was a solid melon. Everyone in the class could see this, with murmurs filling the room. Priestess Aurora saw the swollen girl and her face crumbled into a snotty mess. ¡°Oh, by the Goddess!¡±


    ¡°It''s alright,¡± Anna lied through her teeth as the woman began to examine her. Priestess Aurora was new to the combat course, so she became woozy at their wounds and injuries. The woman was even averse to blood, turning green when a student had cut herself on her weapon once. ¡°I just would like to sit down if that''s alright.¡±


    ¡°Go on! Go sit on one of the gym mats over there!¡± The woman nodded her head and covered her mouth with her arm. She used her free hand to point at the other side of the room, which Anna found annoying. ¡°Calla! Go help her walk NOW!¡±


    While she was irritated that the girl hadn''t followed the instructions and injured her, Anna couldn''t help but feel bad for her. It was obvious that she was the outlier in the combat course. Calla was frumpy and came from a family that had pumped out a dozen kids each generation for the academy. Her older sisters were priestesses who studied in their final year for the traditional course and were revered. Her younger brothers all had aced the entrance exams for the educational course.


    Calla was known as the failure and everyone made that fact clear. She shuffled over to help her classmate up with an angry snarl. When someone was inside, that isolated wave of bitterness tended to set in. That stink of self-pity and haughtiness made all the other girls avoid her like the plague. Having that uncontrollable electric whip with her at all times made the isolation and lack of respect worsen over the years.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    So now Anna was faced with the girl having her nostrils flared as she looked her up and down like a pile of trash. She reaches out a hand, her black gloves glistening from the leftover residue of her weapon. ¡°I''m sorry for hurting you, Eliana.¡±


    ¡°It''s alright,¡± Anna started to smile only to freeze as she saw the hate in Calla¡¯s gaze. A chill went down her spine and she twitched. ¡°Thanks for helping me up.¡±


    ¡°I hope your legs are okay. Sometimes I don''t know my strength.¡± There was a thick layer of¡­something over those words.


    Calla sounded like she wanted to spit on her. It amazes the midnight-haired girl that a girl bullied so brutally could be a bully herself. The girl would throw her weight around when they''d do some basic sparring as a first-year helper. Anna had heard that had hurt numerous smaller, more timid students in this position. She didn''t know if these rumors were factual because they just seemed too extreme. It made zero sense that she would get away with such behavior for so long. But now she felt like there was some truth in what was being said.


    She accepted the open hand and winced at how roughly Calla pulled her up. Anna managed to disguise her pain from the bigger girl as she helped her sit on a mat. The whole walk was a struggle with her boy practically being dragged the entire way. It was a wonder that Ana didn''t ¡°accidentally¡± smack her in the head with her staff. By the time she sat down and Calla gave another fake apology, she was seething inwardly.


    The entire class let out a collective groan, and Anna couldn''t blame them. The last time they did hurdles was years ago, and they''d all been bruised by the end. Anna had been forced to jump higher and higher for hours until she was sore. Lizbeth had even split her eyebrow by the end of it as she had to face-planted at three feet. Doing physical examinations was rarer now that they were closer to finishing their schooling. But it did still happen, and you were expected to remember your mistakes from before.


    She had to thank the bratty Calla for injuring her now that this was happening. Her head wasn''t in the game for her to have passed the hurdles test. Anna kept thinking about Lizbeth and how she hadn''t been allowed to visit her. The redhead¡¯s parents had been made aware of what happened leading to them icing her out. They didn''t hate her presence per se but found her to be too attached to their daughter as a friend. She believed they blamed her for what happened.


    They hadn''t said anything to her face to make this the case. But the teenager wasn''t stupid and could see the way they acted around her. In the past, they had praised the dark-haired girl for being so dedicated to her studies. They had asked her to help Lizzie get better and encouraged the two girls to get close. When she voiced to them that she thought Lizbeth was this way from pushing herself, they turned cold. They spoke to her with a stilted tone and made a show of stating she was just a classmate.


    Not a family member who was allowed to see the redhead whenever she wanted. It made Anna feel sick, but she remained respectful. The relationship between the two girls in their eyes had always been transactional. Everyone knew Lizzie pushed to take her on their family vacations and end-of-semester birthday bashes. Her status had been elevated from her just hanging out with the ditzy girl all those years. And in return, she helped their daughter survive the cutthroat world they spent the majority of their teenage years in.


    The tight-wearing older woman directed the girls like a drill sergeant. ¡°Yolanda! Calla!¡± Her voice was booming as she slapped the ruler in her palm. The girls had finished stretching while Anna had drifted off. ¡°You two will be the first to go.¡±


    Anna has to bite her lip to keep from gawking. Out of line walked a slender girl who looked to be in her early twenties because of her height. She was one of the more popular students who always aced her exams. In the combat course, she was ranked number one in everything besides textbook-based assignments. That''s where her reign of terror fell apart, as she wasn''t very book-smart. The thin teenager was more so than the muscle as her small frame didn''t mean anything when you saw her skillset.


    Calla being put against her was an obvious punishment. To make sure the brat knew her place when against any of the other girls. While Anna was irritated that she had injured her out in a petty fit of rage, she didn''t feel this treatment was right. It was incredibly childish and served no other purpose besides bullying the girl. Her stomach was twisting as she watched the two stand in front of the starting markers. The despair in the brat¡¯s eyes was a dark abyss. Calla was crumbling.


    Like the Goddess herself had heard the teenager''s thoughts, the gym door opened. A familiar face appeared. Standing in her usual robes, Priestess Adsila bowed to her colleague, who stared in confusion. Quickly she hurried to follow, as did all the other girls in the room besides Anna. She looked at the clock on the wall and was facepalmed. The teenager had forgotten that she was supposed to meet the woman to talk about her sage session. It had been pretty standard, with no memories of being removed from Morwenna or the original Eliana.


    Anna lied to her new parents about the fact claiming she remitted some things, but they were blurry. It was one of her weaker excuses, but her mind had blanked. She couldn''t believe how off her game she was. The Priestess was looking at her with a frown, her gaze directed straight at her leg. This wouldn''t go over well, but Anna had no desire to talk about it.


    ¡°Oh? Are you here for Eliana?¡± Priestess Aurora asked, to which Adsila nodded. The woman quickly glared at Calla. The words she uttered were blunt, like a knife. ¡°Calla got too excited and injured her during practice, after ignoring my rules.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Priestess Adsila''s frown deepened as she sighed. ¡°Well, Calla, your mother and I will speak about this later. This is a pattern of behavior with you that I feel cannot go unpunished.¡± She rubbed at her forehead. ¡°You''ll be put on probation.¡±

 Chapter Nine: The Explaining Raven

    Student probation was a death sentence. Anna couldn''t help but feel bad for Calla as she walked with Priestess Adsila to her office. Everyone knew that being put on it was one step away from being dropped from the course. She didn''t think the girl deserved that harsh of a punishment. But by the way, both of the women had spoken to her. This was the final straw after a string of misbehavior. Anna wasn''t going to be vocal about her disagreement either, as Adsila was siding with her publicly.


    This showed everybody else that the teen had a powerful Priestess who was supporting her and shutting them up. Anna needed it to stay that way until after graduation. Adsila must have noticed that she was troubled, as she didn''t say any of her usual teasing. Instead, the mature woman had become a gentle giant with how she held Anna''s hand and asked her if she was alright more than a dozen times. Even the unprofessional disdain she showed was extremely out of character for her.


    It was a strange change in her personality, but not an unwelcome one. Her leg didn''t hurt as much as it did before, but her teacher didn''t need to know that. So, she played up her pain by walking slower than before and leaning on the older woman for support. If this play got her out of the rest of her classes for the day, she''d be thrilled. Thinking about her drama with Edwin and her separation from Lizbeth bothered her. The competitive nature of the academy was showing itself these past few weeks, and she felt like she''d been thrown to the wolves.


    Anna''s classmates were always talking about whether they''d be going into the field. Those who wanted to go spoke as if field work would be like movies with romance and honor. Those who didn''t seem scared of what life would be without their rigid routine of school and practice. She felt the same, but she knew what her future held. As a Koinonos, she would be putting her safety on the line for someone else''s.


    With that, someone is an elitist jerk. Priestess Adsila hummed as if she had heard Anna cursing Edwin''s name again and squeezed her hand. ¡°I know that you''ve had a lot on your shoulders recently. But I believe everything will work out for you, Eliana. You''re one of my best students and I see good in you.¡± Her words hit her hard and intensified the twisting of Anna''s stomach, making her gulp.


    ¡°I have heard that you and Edwin haven''t gotten along well,¡± Adsila continued as they hit the staircase that led to her office. ¡°His priests have told me he has confessed to slagging you. They feel that despite this, you''ll be a good friend to him.¡±


    ¡°I''m surprised he confessed to what he said. But if he''s sorry, I won''t disappoint you by backing out.¡± She wasn''t willing to lose her favor just yet, especially now that she knew why he had been blowing up her phone. His teachers most likely had given him an ultimatum, meaning that he had to behave himself and fix his mistake. No more accusations would be said towards her or his ass would be on the line.


    Priestess Adsila smiled and led her to the front doors of her office. ¡°I knew you wouldn''t. You''re not the type of girl to give up such a tremendous opportunity. ¡°She took out a deep red, oval-headed key from her robe pocket and unlocked the doors.


    The office looked more or less the same as the last time she was in it. The unique thing was an immense pile of papers that sat on the woman''s coffee table. The woman motioned for her to go over to it, and she did. Anna could read what they said as she sat down and froze. It was all for her to finally receive her Koinonos tattoo. It was a tattoo that would link her to Edwin until removal. It was a big deal and seen as a sign of mutual respect.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Anna felt sick as she saw that everything was ready to go despite it being known Edwin didn''t like her. There was no kindness or comradery between them. The teenager was unsure of what to do besides remain quiet as Priestess Adsila showed the designs available to her. This was supposed to be a tremendous moment for her. A sign that in this life she had been successful in not being a pushover. But she felt worried knowing she was signing her life over to protect a boy who despised people like her.


    ¡°Edwin has promised to make up for his past behavior, so you shouldn''t worry. As a sign of respect, he''s going to let you choose both of your tattoos.¡± This made Anna stop and frown. Choosing Edwin''s tattoo felt like one step too far, and she didn''t like it.


    They would have those tattoos for years, decades possibly. They would be visible on their bodies for all their loved ones and future friends to see. ¡°Are you sure that it''s wise for me to do that? I don''t know his taste very well.¡± She hoped that Priestess Adsila would see her side and tell Edwin''s teachers to let him choose his tattoo.


    But the Goddess had given her too many favors already. The Priestess shook her head and tapped one of her decorated, long nails against the boom. ¡°No. You must pick both of your tattoo designs as your first assignment as a Koinonos. You need to get used to making decisions for and because of Edwin.¡± Her tone had turned cold.


    That told her that she needed to stop pushing Head Priestess Adsila''s buttons and shut her mouth. The woman was being nice to her but that could change with the snap of a finger. She bowed her head and picked up the book, Adilsa letting out a hum of satisfaction. The teenager had heard about Koinonos tattoos before, but had never seen one in person. Her second-year history teacher had given them an essay on how the tattoos came to be and it was incredibly convoluted.


    Two different parts of the country claimed that they were the ones who originated the act of marking a warrior and tying them to a healer. The part they took as fact was that of the old capital city, Kinder. Kinder was the location of the academy and many of its more well-known students had been born here. With that being said, the residents had been claiming they came up with the idea and it was stolen for generations. They tried to bring this up to the Supreme Court but were laughed at and shamed.


    The other side was a small native community who said they''d been the ones stolen from. This was centuries ago before anyone took the time to secure historical artifacts that would prove their ownership. Anna didn''t care who stole it from who, she wrote the paper based on what the teacher wanted. But she had been fascinated by the sheer amount of designs that had been found and created over the years. To date, there have been over a hundred thousand used, with thousands being shelved.


    With there being so many, it was common for there to be duplicates and plagiarized designs that you''d come across on someone''s body. You tend to skim off of someone else these days with there being a limited amount of creativity. Anna didn''t mind having someone else''s design on her body. What she did not mind was whether Edwin would care about those types of things. She didn''t want the bond they barely had to sour any further. It was obvious he was being forced to apologize, as she was being forced to make such a crucial decision for him. The first of many.


    The full weight of the power being given to her was hitting, and she felt nauseated. Her fingers traced the pages of hand-painted designs and her tired eyes read over their dates. Sixty years before her original birth. Twenty after her initial death. The exact date of her current self''s tenth birthday. So many pages with so many histories that were forgotten or soon to be. She bit her bottom lip and thought about what these tattoos must have meant to the people who wore them. Anna wondered how much time had passed since the markings were removed.


    Had it been so long that the healers and warriors had been put on a funeral whicker rack to be burned? Their ashes mixed with the earth''s natural soil to become one with the Goddess again, as she had been all those years ago. It made the girl emotional, and she was so thankful for mastering her poker face all those years ago. If she had wavered, tears would have fallen on her face and ruined the handwritten pages she held. The oils from her fingers were already doing this and so was the sweat that dripped from her brow.


    She swallowed thickly and pointed to a page. ¡°Is this one alright for us to use?¡±

 Chapter Ten: The Motherly Raven

    It was finally her break day, and she had a lot to talk to her parents about. The couple had heard about Lizbeth and had called her to ask what was going on. Anna didn''t want to panic them so she lied, saying that the redhead had an awful case of the flu. She didn''t want to worry them after they hadn''t seen her for so long.


    The trolley ride to her house was silent, with her falling asleep twice. Both times she had been awakened by the blaring horn and robotic voice of the cart announcing the stop they were at. Her stop was second to last, with her getting off to see her tired mother crying on the platform.


    The woman was still in her work uniform when she ran over and picked her up into a tight hug. Anna could feel the sweat that was on her mother''s face, along with the smell of dinner clinging to her clothing.


    She must have started dinner before rushing to meet her at the station. Normally, she would go home alone, but those times Anna would visit every weekend. This occasion she hadn''t gone to see them for the entire month for longer than a single evening.


    After a good ten minutes, the woman let her go, grabbed hold of her face, and kissed her on the forehead. ¡°Eliana! Have you been eating well? Have you gotten any rest? You look exhausted.¡± Her mother spoke a mile a minute as she fretted over the girl.


    ¡°Mom, I ate before I got on the trolley and slept the entire ride.¡± She smiled and let herself savor the warm feeling gathering in her tummy. It reminded her of old life.


    Anna didn''t love this woman the way she loved her old mother. But the girl was incredibly grateful for the care she showed and the sacrifices she constantly made. This woman had loved her daughter before the seizure and she had no intentions to ruin that love.


    So, she basked in the forehead kisses, tight hugs, and loving jabs the woman gave her when they were together. She didn''t know what she felt for her, but she knew she didn''t want her hurt. Anna was planning to never tell either of the adults the truth about Eliana''s fate. She smiled and blushed as the women told her sleeping on a trolley was dangerous.


    The middle-aged woman''s face became sour as she looked at her daughter closely. Her mother commented on the lack of meat on her bones and joked that the academy wasn''t feeding her enough.


    She pinched her arm skin, gently of course, before telling her dinner would be done soon. From the way the woman was acting, she had been waiting for this moment the entire day. She was practically bouncing in her work loafers as she spoke to the teenager.


    ¡°Your father tried to cut up the vegetables for the stew, but you know how clumsy he is with knives. I had to stop by to get a pre-cut bag from the store to replace what he butchered. But as long as you like it, the trouble was worth it!¡± Her mother held her hand as they walked towards where the family cat sat parked.


    The car was pretty old, but could drive a decent distance before chugging. She saw that her mother had reclined the back seat to make room for her bags. ¡°Mom, you don''t have to do all that for me. I''ll bring dinner next time I''m allowed to visit.¡±


    Anna frowned as she said this and repressed a sigh. She wasn''t exactly sure if she could visit next month. Or even the month after. Since she had picked out her and Edwin¡¯s tattoos, she''d been told things were moving fast.


    Behind the scenes, the academy had decided to announce the Koinonos earlier than they thought. So, instead of everyone finding out after their break period, they''d be told by the end of the month. She had been upset by this, but voicing her anxiety wasn''t possible.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    Priestess Adsila had expressed how huge of an opportunity this was and how she had fought hard for her to be chosen. Anna needed this to advance her career and to keep a steady flow of income in this life. But dear Goddess, she was terrified of her future as a priestess.


    At any day, Edwin could be called to work as a healer on the field and she would have to follow. This assignment could be in a new country with a language she couldn''t speak and customs she was oblivious to. She was scared of the responsibilities and her parents wouldn''t be happy with the news.


    They had been somewhat okay with her going to the academy but then effectively becoming a soldier? Her poor mother would be inconsolable, and her father would beg her to step down. She swallowed her thoughts and gave her mother a big grin as she got into the car. ¡°Have you and Dad been getting my letters from school?¡±


    ¡°We have honey, and we are so proud of you. Ranking so high in such a prestigious school after everything that''s happened¡­you''re so strong, Eliana. I should''ve known that a baby who had me in labor for 48 hours could do anything she fought for.¡± Her mother gushed as she drove them home, her eyes growing wet with tears.


    Seeing this made Anna look away and try not to throw up. Her mask was pristine, but she couldn''t just turn off her feelings. She hated that the woman was so proud of her and so happy that she was becoming successful. Because soon that immense success would be the reason they''d never see each other as often.


    She felt guilty that she had to sit and smile during the visit while she lied the entire time. If she knew the truth, that she''s about to be branded as a warrior, her mother would faint. The woman made it clear she wanted her to stay in their hometown post graduation.


    That once her schooling was done, she didn''t want her in any form of combat. As there was no active war or interstate conflict going on, that required enlistment. Both of her parents were vocal in the past about how they wished she had pursued research or traditional magic. But those intro lectures were too boring for Anna. Being a part of the combat course gave her the funds and excitement she craved. Her mother had accepted it and eventually came to be proud of her studies.


    But being a Koinonos, a marked soldier was on another level. ¡°Eleonora said she will be sending you a care kit when she has the time. The baby has been tiring her out. Apparently, he can''t stomach anything besides breast milk.¡± She mentioned one of her older sisters cheerfully. ¡°You were the same until solids came into question.¡±


    ¡°Ugh. I''m never having kids.¡± Again, Anna thought to herself suddenly. You are never having kids in this life. She tried not to upset herself and scoffed in fake disgust at the mention of a baby. ¡°They''re smelly and always want to cry loudly.¡±


    Her mother rolled her eyes. ¡°You didn''t cry very much, and neither did your sister. Emma was the only one who cried and boy, was she a screamer. I would be sick with worry as she''d cry until she fell asleep. But none of you were ever smelly.¡±


    Thankfully, the topic of children dropped soon after this. Anna didn''t like to sit on the people she left behind in her previous life. She had died years after giving birth to multiple children who were adults now. At first she had debated looking them up.


    She wanted to see if they followed in her footsteps instead of their father''s. But eventually, as she aged and started to lose more recollection of the exact details her memories held, she gave up on the idea. This wasn''t some very fairy tale where she''d shown up as a child on their mansion''s doorstep.


    She could tell them old stories and what she used to call them as toddlers, but she doubted they remembered. Her kids had been too young when she died, and she feared they''d been raised by another woman. Whether it be a nanny or a stepmother, she knew deep down that someone had taken her place.


    It hurt her, but Anna knew looking into their lives wouldn''t do anything but cause her harm. Still, she thought about it every once in a while. In her dorm, she would lay in bed thinking of a life where she met her grandchildren.


    It was stupid to do as she always came to the same conclusion: that life would have never lived up to her expectations. The childish daydreams of four children who were sophisticated, gorgeous and loved her unconditionally.


    By the time her life was coming to a tragic end, those things hadn''t come true. Morwenna dying wasn''t the answer, but Anna living a good life without a husband or child was. That''s the only way she could think about the situation without going mad with grief. There was no one she could talk to about this pain, as everyone thought she was Eliana.


    They weren''t wrong exactly. She did feel like some part of the child hadn''t died that day. She could remember events and feelings that weren''t from anything Morwenna had been present for. After talking to her sisters and parents, she had come to realize they were remnants of things Eliana had done or witnessed. It would seem that the reincarnation had just melded the two of them together. Whatever was left in the empty husk that was the ten-year-old was consumed by her that day.


    It made her uncomfortable, so she didn''t think about it too long. Anna held her head in her hand as they rounded the sharp turn that led straight into their driveway. She could see that both of her sister''s cars were there along with her brother-in laws. Briefly, she closed her eyes and told herself to keep it together. Everyone had made a huge dinner just for her, and she wasn''t going to ruin it.


    ¡°You''ve been keeping a secret from me, haven''t you?¡± Her mother''s words made her eyes fly open, and she looked at the woman in confusion. The words that came out of her mouth made her stomach sink. ¡°You never told me that you had a boyfriend!¡±

 Chapter Eleven: The Awkward Raven

    Anna didn''t think Edwin would be bold enough to show up at her house. Her mother talked excitedly about how the boy had come over and claimed to be her new boyfriend. That the two had been so busy with school that they couldn''t spend much time together.


    Her sweet mother, of course, invited the bastard to stay for dinner and had asked him a million questions. Edwin had spun quite a tale and Anna was lost for words. He really had weaseled his way into her private property just to talk.


    She walked in with her mother to see the boy sitting at the kitchen table. He was talking to her sister, who was patting her nephew''s back and laughing along with the teenager. She couldn''t deny that her sister was glowing with the woman, having gained six pounds and thick hair post pregnancy.


    Nora had given birth prematurely and had been an overprotective mother since. Edwin must have given her a good impression of the worry wart to let him near her baby. The pair noticed her entrance and her baby nephew coughed up spit all over Nora''s shoulder.


    ¡°Oh, Goddess!¡± Her sister cried out as she got up from the table and carried her nephew into another room. The baby just babbled and cried. He was adorable. Just looking at him pulled at Anna''s heart strings and she tried not to get emotional.


    Edwin looked up and paled once he saw that it wasn''t just her mother. The older woman hurried over to give the boy a hug. She immediately crushed him in her titanium hold as she talked. ¡°Oh! I can already imagine you as my son-in-law!¡±


    ¡°Mom. That won''t be happening anytime soon.¡± The dark-haired teenager said loudly. She wanted to throttle Edwin for such an outrageous lie. The thought of dating him made her sick, and she resisted the urge to drag him out of the house.


    Her mother turned around, the woman''s cheeks puffing out as she pouted. ¡°Why not? You''re becoming an adult soon and I''d like you to settle down.¡± She looked back at an embarrassed Edwin and broke the hug to pat his cheek. ¡°A delicate boy who cares about his education and the country seems like a perfect match for you!¡±


    She groaned and watched her mother practically glow at the thought of her being married. She couldn''t say that the boy had insulted her, and she found his sudden change of heart repulsive. ¡°I think that Edwin would like to work in his field before we get married.¡± Her mother was sad as she took in her harsh words, frowning.


    ¡°Marriage isn''t something we''ve thought of.¡± Edwin looked like he wanted to puke at the thought of being tied to her. The feeling was mutual, and he surely knew it.


    Anna crossed her arms over her chest and stared directly into his eyes. ¡°Can you come up to my bedroom so we can talk?¡± Her tone was playful but by the way he squirmed, her disgust was obvious. ¡°We should discuss our future plans in private.¡±


    ¡°Future plans?¡± Her mother asked, her eyes full of hope that was quickly dashed.


    The dark-haired girl sighed and shook her head. ¡°I''m not interested in getting married till I''ve completed any mandatory field work.¡± Out of the corner of her she would see the bastard sweating bullets. ¡°Edwin, follow me. Let''s go talk this out.¡±The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    The atmosphere was tense as the teenager followed her down a nearby hallway into her bedroom. It was a fairly cozy place with a hammock on one side of the room and her large circular shaped bed on the other.


    She wasn''t comfortable with him being in her safe space like this, but she had no choice. He already had her mother fantasizing about potential grandchildren and didn''t wasn''t even ready. Anna wanted to give him a talking to, but the walls were thin. Her sister would hear them if they argued.


    Besides, there were more pressing matters at hand besides getting a screaming match. She had to tell him about everything that was going on and the stress that awaited them. If the two strayed further away from each other as they already were, their careers would go into the trash.


    She wasn''t interested in letting a petty squabble get in the way of her new life. Even if the guy she was forced to get along with got under her skin and drove her crazy. Anna sat down in her hammock, putting a pillow in her lap, and beckoned him to speak where he stood.


    Edwin stared blankly as if he were remembering a speech and began to talk. ¡°I wanted to say sorry for how things went the last time we met up. I wasn''t planning on coming there to attack you. I just had heard some bad things about you and took them as a fact.¡± The boy looked genuinely sorry with his hands shaking at his sides.


    ¡°Are you only saying this because your priests got on you for your attitude?¡± Anna could believe he was sorry, but not that he came to that realization on his own.


    Edwin looked extremely guilty, unable to meet her eyes. ¡°They did talk to me and I thought of how hurt you looked that night.¡± He took in a deep, harrowing breath. ¡°The look on your face reminded me of someone I know. The person who made them look that way was a piece of shit. And I don''t want to be like that asshole.¡±


    Anna nodded, understanding him in a way. In her past life, she had witnessed actions done to those she loved that angered her a great deal. She tried her hardest in this life to never stoop down to their level. The teenager couldn''t fault him for believing those rumors about her, as a lot of people were spreading them around.


    The comments about her being a charity case hurt the most, and she wanted a heartfelt apology from the boy about it. Edwin''s words had stung, and she had started to see him like a huge elitist piece of garbage. Like the parts of society that saw the lower class as cannon fodder for their pesky schemes and corruption.


    ¡°Do you really think I''m a charity case?¡± She hugged her pillow to her chest and tried not to feel bad. Voicing the insult just made her enraged. ¡°Be honest with me.¡±


    He looked conflicted. ¡°I don''t know, I''m sorry.¡± Her face scrunched and disgust as he stumbled over his explanation. ¡°I''ve met scholarship students who stick out like a sore thumb at the academy. I used to get angry about them taking someone else''s spot, someone who gave a damn. But you get better grades than me, so you obviously care about the school and the cause we are fighting for.¡±


    ¡°I still couldn''t get rid of the thoughts in my head. That you have to have cheated somehow to beat kids who studied their whole lives for this. I thought that even after the talk with the priests. But then I heard about your friend and I saw your family. Your mother asked me if it was scary at the academy and I felt like a jerk. Because your family was so worried and I thought you were getting handed favors.¡± Edwin sounded so conflicted as he tried to plead his case. And she believed his confusion.


    From what she had experienced twice now; being a teenager was a weird and turbulent time. It had to be ten times worse for Edwin, as this was his only chance to live a happy and fulfilling life. He wasn''t someone who had been reborn like she was, so he hadn''t been prepared for the academy¡¯s pressures, environment, and teachings.


    She fully bought into the fact that Edwin couldn''t wrestle with his prejudice idea of scholarship students being lazy not meeting his new reality. She had no time to lie around and slack for her schoolwork. And she doubted that most of the male scholarships he met could do the same.


    They could be taken out of classes and the academy if they didn''t keep up their performance level. As the scholarship was merit based, which she honestly didn''t think the boy was aware of. He just was believing and repeating the bullshit he had been taught by bitter healing students.


    Failures who hadn''t amounted to what their parents thought they would. It was going to be painful to deal with his comments and side-eyeing. But she could live with it if it meant that they succeeded as a healer and Koinonos pair.


    She shrugged her shoulders and held out a hand. ¡°It''s water under the bridge if you keep those thoughts to yourself and treat me as an equal. We''re going to be working together for some time, so we need to be cordial.¡± She nudged him to shake.


    He didn''t have time to shake as her mother banged on her bedroom door. They looked at each other and Anna quickly retracted her hand back into her lap. She cleared her throat and watched as Edwin controlled his emotions. ¡°Come in!¡±


    Her mother didn''t waste a second coming in with a suspicious look on her face. Clearly, the woman thought they were up to no good, which irritated Anna to no end. She wasn''t even that type of person. Seeing that the two were a respectful distance apart with different emotions on their faces, she smiled and looked relieved.


    ¡°Dinner is ready!¡±