Before the sleep's dark tide receded Anasthasia, she placed 'Seraphine' near the nightstand and drifted to her bed, rustling under the beige, warm quilt. On her bed, she noticed how Freidmirth laid down with his belly against the foam, and his snout shot haughty at her.
"What now, Fried?"
"I sensed two strong figures coming in the house; it made me feel wary. Then Levi came in getting the rod of yours. Who are they?"
"I can tell just as much that one of them is a descendant of a good friend of mine." Anasthasia smiled as she paused. "It's a nostalgic feeling, and at the end of the day, I only brought back 'Seraphine' with me."
"Figured just as much, the peculiar feeling coming from that rod, which resonated well with that certain stone. What happened down there?"
"Well, that question—Nevermind, I also have no idea about that stone, Fried. I had no idea what it was despite the striking resemblance of the stone I have right now." She raked her hair and laid down, pulling the quilt up to her neck.
"Hmm, you returned that gemstone to him then?"
"Pretty much."
Freidmirth huffed out a smoke, frustrated, and then grumbled himself, "You could've got it; it's one more collection for my riches—!" Anasthasia flicked his snout, which stopped him and welled up his tears while crying out, "That hurt!"
"Let's sleep."
Anasthasia rustled one last time and relaxed her body on the bed, feeling the warmth and comfort she sought solace.
The night was young, but she decided to take a rest and let the darkness sing a lullaby to her ears as she fell into a deep slumber.
Her body laid down for who knew how long until she noticed the rays of light continued to graze her face. Squirming in her bed, she took a stretch and rubbed her eyes.
"A brand new day in this kingdom. I don't know how it will turn out—" She gaped at the ticking clock, which got out of her bed that fast.
"Shoot! I'll be late at this point!"
At this point, her preparations come fast and neat.
"Anasthasia, where are you going?" Freidmirth groaned and scratched his neck, ignoring her presence.
Anasthasia ran her hand through her hair and twisted into a hair bun. She fastened the white belt on her velvet red empire waist tulle dress; in a hurry, she inserted her foot into the court shoe's opening and hit the tip onto the ground to adequately snug in.
She went close to the nightstand and obtained 'Seraphine' back, sliding into her pocket and gave Freidmirth a couple of pats.
"Bye, Fried, see you later!" She chirped out and sprinted her way down towards the kitchen. Everyone was present but never batted an eye as she had no time to dwell with them much longer. Thereon, she grabbed a slice of bread and rushed to the nearby closet, grabbing a green cloak.
"Sister Ana, don't be in a hurry—"
"Good morning Ana, from what was written on the papers here—the scheduled time that is, I'm technically late." She nibbled the bread while she donned the cloak in a swift motion.
Michael stood up from his seat and leaned forward. "Tasha, shall I escort you—?"
"I can handle it. Don't forget, I'll meet you this afternoon, okay, at the Institution."
"You can count on me."
"Sounds good! Lucy, don't forget the homework that I assigned to you, okay?" She opened the door, and the warm breeze welcomed her.
"Sister Ana! You mean I need to study those—"
"Trust me, and it'll be useful. Anyhow, I shall take my leave!" Anasthasia's voice sweetly rang, and sprinted her way out of the house.
'Zephyr's Kiss!'
Her shoes went aglow, albeit not too subtle for people at proximity to notice. She gracefully waltzed her way, avoiding the collision amidst the crowded area.
While she tried to outrun her speed the previous minute, she pondered so heavily for something else, 'As always, a bustling day in the early morning. I can't use more spells in broad daylight, not yet—No! No, I think I can make it!'
It didn't take long enough for her to arrive at the grand stairs made of pure marble slabs presented in front of her. With that in mind, she scratched her head. 'This is tiresome, and I can't believe I have to do this."
Anasthasia slowly bent her knees and moved her way up, with every stride thumped a fast tempo. She reached the top in half a minute and heaved a sigh of relief. Fixing her disheveled cloak back to what it was, she strutted her way in the Magician's Headquarters.
Her sultry clacks on the floor garnered their attention. She couldn't be bothered about their intense gaze; none of them moved her that way. Moving close to the reception area, she saw Elise, who danced her fingers amidst the mound of paperwork, not giving her a sideways glance. At the same time, the rest of her co-workers looked at her in awe.
"Elise, hello there." Anasthasia beckoned with her low and sweet tone, but she never budged until the lady next to her, which tugged her and snapped out her work.
"It's Miss Ana! My deepest apologies… I was absorbed with my work." Elise's golden eyes widened with her mouth agape. She frantically touched her glossy orange hair, checking them in place inside her black beret cap and adjusted the hem of her white uniform slowly.
Anasthasia gave a curt nod and handed over the papers as she quipped, "I have finished all that's needed to do here."
"Right, a special appointment for Mr. Mariston. Allow me to lead you the way."
Both of them strutted towards the destination, and Anasthasia observed the hallway the second time around. This time her eyes went over to the golden intricacies on every edge of the hallway and the breath of fresh air from the floras that flourished outside of the window.
Standing before the door, Elise did her thing, and it didn't take long for it to open once more. Her eyes flashed not because of the same setting found in the room but from the people present.
'Seeing Blake here with Brenov did cross my mind, but I never expected to see Daniel and his obsequious followers back then.' She then stepped inside and stood among them with dignity.
Blake and Brenov stood up and gestured their arm to the vacant seat. Meanwhile, Daniel and the rest only looked down, not moving an inch. Soon as she sat comfortably, Elise handed her a teacup and poured some lemon tea.
'Such wonderful aroma.' She crossed her ankles as she shut her eyes, taking a sip, and indulged herself from the tea that assaulted her senses.
"That's wonderful, Miss Ana. You have arrived just in time!" Anasthasia took a glimpse at Blake, who clasped his hand with reverence in his eyes.
'I'm a couple of minutes late, don't go chummy with me.'
She decided to ride with his tone in the conversation, "As what I should always do, Blake." Her words garnered a shock among fellow students.
"You—Why aren't you addressing Mr. Millard with respect?! You don't know how to be courteous enough—"
"Oh?" While sipping, Anasthasia took a cold glance at the lady—her gemstone embellishments and golden accents in her uniform bore no less than Daniel's—with her trembling hands pointing her way. She could see how the freckles seemed to cover up her face the first glance. "Do you have any problem with that?"
She gasped in Anasthasia's response. "You really have no manners!"
Anasthasia shrugged. "Not that I give an ounce of care about it." This time, she scrutinized and saw how the freckles blended well on her honey-blessed skin. Her cobalt eyes, behind the blue-framed eyeglass, widened out of rage.
"This—" She tried to stand, but Daniel restrained her by the arm even if he looked down. She was unable to break free from his clutches.
"Sit your angst down, Charlotte." That said, Charlotte sat down as she harrumphed in her place.
"Can we get these over with?" Daniel spat and clicked his tongue, unable to face Anasthasia the whole time.
Anasthasia gave a light shrug. "Cool, we shall start then." Then she sipped tea again.
Brenov grabbed the parchment and unfurled afterwards. He cleared his throat before he declared the said piece in front of them.
They weren't prepared for the words that came out of his mouth. It caught them off guard.
All of them glanced at him with a cast of doubt and disbelief. Not even their widened eyes and jaw drops can tantamount how Anasthasia almost gagged from sipping her lemon tea. She resisted the urge, swallowing, and coughed so hard amidst their massive protest and outcry.
"—Anasthasia shall be the personal instructor and assigned for the Team of Prince Daniel, the Divine Centurions for the incoming 'The Great Hunt' event—"