A few hours later, as nightfall descended, Evangeline made her way towards her room, ready to retire for the night. However, just as she reached the door, a voice called out to her from behind. Startled, she turned around to find Azumi standing there.
"Wait a minute, Evangeline. Tonight, you're going to sleep with us, okay?" Azumi said, her voice carrying a sense of urgency.
Surprised by the sudden change of plans, Evangeline questioned, "What? Why the sudden change?"
"It's for your safety, considering what happened at the dance. You'll sleep with us tonight," Azumi explained, concern evident in her voice.
"Alright, if you think it's best, Mum," Evangeline replied, acquiescing to Azumi's request.
Azumi took Evangeline's hand and led her to her own room, where Misaki was already fast asleep.
"Looks like you're all set to sleep with us," Azumi said with a smile, gesturing towards the bed.
As Evangeline prepared to lie down beside Misaki, a nagging feeling of unease crept into her mind. Though she couldn't quite pinpoint the source of her uneasiness, a sense of foreboding weighed upon her.
"Yes, Mum, I'm ready," she responded, though her reassurance was tempered by lingering doubts.
"Don't worry, everything will be fine. Nothing can happen to you as long as we're here," Azumi assured her, attempting to ease her concerns.
"Okay," Evangeline replied, although a flicker of uncertainty remained as she settled in beside Misaki.
While Azumi took a shower, Evangeline drifted off to sleep, her mind still preoccupied by a sense of impending unease.
Azumi's POV
After finishing her shower, Azumi returned to the room and beheld a heartwarming sight. Misaki was sound asleep, cradling Evangeline in her arms.
"They're both so adorable. It's rare to see them sleeping like that," Azumi murmured, her heart swelling with affection.
She proceeded to get dressed and then reached for a camera, capturing a photograph of the precious moment—Evangeline nestled in Misaki's embrace. With a smile on her face, Azumi climbed into bed beside Evangeline and drifted off to sleep, cherishing the warmth of their bond.
Back to Evangeline's POV
A week later, the day arrived that Evangeline had been eagerly anticipating. She was about to embark on her magical training with Azumi. After her usual routine of showering and a quick breakfast, Julie guided her to the training room, where Azumi awaited her arrival.
"Are you ready to embark on your magical journey, Evangeline?" Azumi asked, her smile brimming with excitement.
"Yes, I am!" Evangeline responded eagerly, her anticipation palpable.
"You can go now, Julie. I will take care of her," Azumi instructed, prompting Julie to bow respectfully before departing, leaving Evangeline alone with Azumi.
"Now, where shall we begin, Mum?" Evangeline inquired, her eyes gleaming with enthusiasm.
"We'll start by discovering what your magical affinity is," Azumi explained. "Shall we?"
"How do we do that?" Evangeline asked, curiosity lacing her voice.
"It's quite simple," Azumi replied, positioning herself behind Evangeline. "Don't be afraid. I will infuse a bit of my own magic into your body. Let me know when you're ready."
Evangeline nodded, her excitement mingled with a touch of nervousness. "Alright, Mum, I'm ready."
Azumi gently placed her hand on Evangeline's back, gradually transferring her magic into her daughter's body. At first, Evangeline felt nothing, but after a few minutes, a subtle energy coursed through her veins. Suddenly, she attempted to channel this newfound power into her right hand, and a vibrant red flame burst forth. Sensing the successful transfer, Azumi ceased the flow of magic.
"Excellent, Evangeline! Your magic is akin to Misaki's, except hers manifests as black flames," Azumi informed her, a proud smile adorning her face.
"Mum, what about your magic?" Evangeline inquired, captivated by her mother's abilities.
"For me, it's lightning magic," Azumi answered, conjuring a small red lightning bolt in her hand.
Impressed by the display, Evangeline exclaimed, "Wow, Mum! I want to learn how to do that too."
Azumi chuckled warmly. "Patience, Evangeline. I'll teach you in due time. But for now, let's focus on mastering your magic. We don't want any accidental destruction, do we?"
Evangeline nodded, her attention fully captured by her mother's instructions.
"Alright, let's begin," Azumi declared, conjuring a training dummy. "I want you to direct your magic towards this dummy, so we can gauge its strength."
Evangeline concentrated, channeling her magic into her left arm. Once again, a red flame materialized. Determined, she aimed her power at the dummy, but to her surprise, the fireball veered off course, hurtling towards Azumi instead. Azumi, caught off guard, couldn't evade the attack, and the fireball struck her directly. A small explosion followed, accompanied by a swirl of smoke. When the haze dissipated, Evangeline beheld her mother's face, now smudged with soot, and her hair in disarray.
"I'm sorry, Mum! I didn't mean to! It was an accident," Evangeline exclaimed, remorse coloring her voice.
Unbeknownst to Evangeline, a part of her inner wolf couldn't help but laugh at the sight of her mother's misfortune.
"It's alright, Evangeline. It wasn't your fault. Let's try again, but this time, I'll step aside," Azumi reassured her, her expression forgiving.
Azumi retreated from the vicinity of the dummy, allowing Evangeline another chance. Summoning her focus, Evangeline conjured a fireball once more and directed it towards the training dummy. As before, the fireball initially appeared to target Azumi, but this time, she managed to dodge it. However, to her surprise, the fireball abruptly changed direction, returning towards Azumi and striking her in the same spot as before.
(How is it possible? I thought she dodged it! Why did it come back to hit Mum again?) Evangeline wondered, perplexed by the peculiar turn of events.
"Evangeline, you must concentrate," Azumi advised, her face now even blacker than before.
Alright, mum, I'll try," Evangeline said, her voice filled with determination.
She focused her energy and unleashed fireball after fireball, intending to hit the training dummy. However, each time, the fireballs veered off course and headed towards her mother instead.
"You're doing it on purpose, Evangeline," Azumi accused, her eyes reflecting anger.
"No, Mom, I swear I'm not doing it on purpose," Evangeline pleaded, panic creeping into her voice.
"I'll give you one last chance because then we have to go eat," Azumi stated firmly.
Evangeline concentrated, channeling her magic into her right hand, and a fiery ball materialized. With all her might, she directed it towards the training dummy, but to her dismay, the fireball changed course at the last moment, striking her mother with full force.
"Evangeline!" Azumi exclaimed, her voice a mix of pain and frustration. She began running towards her daughter with alarming speed.
"No, I didn't mean to!" Evangeline cried, fear gripping her as she started running away, desperately trying to escape.
Unbeknownst to both of them, Misaki had been hiding nearby, observing the training session. A sly smile graced her lips as she witnessed the chaos unfold.
"Now you know what it feels like to run for your life. I did well to deflect all the fireballs so that they hit Azumi every time," Misaki whispered, her laughter echoing through the room.
Evangeline continued to flee, tears streaming down her face, feeling trapped and terrified. After five minutes of running, Misaki caught up with her, effectively cutting off any possible escape route.
"I didn't do it on purpose!" Evangeline pleaded, her voice filled with desperation, unable to shake off the overwhelming sense of terror towards her own mother.
"I don't think you're sorry, or else not so many fireballs would have come my way," Misaki retorted, her tone unsympathetic.
"No, please, Mum! I won't do it again!" Evangeline shouted, her pleas falling on deaf ears.
It was futile. Misaki didn't listen, and Evangeline knew her fate was sealed. Twenty minutes later, they all gathered in the dining room. Evangeline sported a massive bump on her head, a visible reminder of the earlier events. Azumi had returned to her composed self, while Misaki had yet to arrive.
"So, your magic training went well, Evangeline," Misaki taunted, her laughter laced with amusement as she noticed the bump on her daughter's head.
Evangeline remained silent, her lips pressed into a pout.
"Don't want to answer me, Evangeline?" Misaki continued, teasingly.
"Leave me alone," Evangeline mumbled, her pout deepening.
Azumi intervened, responding to Misaki's question. "She has the same magic as you, flame magic, except her flames are red," she explained, a hint of pride in her voice.
"That's good, then. Now, let's eat," Misaki declared.
"No thanks, I'm not very hungry," Evangeline replied, attempting to make her exit.
"Eat," Azumi commanded, her voice laced with a threatening undertone, locking eyes with her daughter.
Fearful of the consequences, Evangeline reluctantly agreed and began eating without complaint.
(I must never make Mommy angry, or she'll kill me. She's even scarier than the demons that killed me in my other life), Evangeline thought, her inner turmoil escalating.
As they finished their meal, Misaki took Evangeline's hand.
"You're ready for your fencing lesson with me," Misaki declared, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
"Yeah," Evangeline responded half-heartedly, lacking enthusiasm.
They walked towards the garden, the weight of the previous events still lingering in the air.
"Are you ready to start training?" Misaki asked, her excitement palpable as she conjured two wooden swords.
"Yes, but only if you promise not to hit me if I touch you with the wooden sword," Evangeline requested cautiously, her previous experiences fueling her fear.
"Why would I do that? I won't," Misaki assured her, handing over the wooden sword.
"I want you to attack me with all your strength. Do you think you can do it?" Misaki challenged.
"Of course I can do it. Don't underestimate me," Evangeline responded, her determination overcoming her initial doubts.
(Even if the sword wasn't my thing before), she thought, trying to regain her confidence.
Evangeline launched her assault, pouring all her strength into each strike. However, Misaki effortlessly parried her blows, defending herself without breaking a sweat. This continued for twenty minutes until Misaki decided to halt the training.
"You're doing pretty well for a beginner, but it's going to take more to get me. Let's start again now. If you can't hit me in the next two hours, you'll have to run around the garden thirty times, okay?" Misaki proposed, a mocking tone underlying her words.
"What? But why are you so mean to me? I hate you," Evangeline protested, feeling a surge of anger and resentment.
(She sure wants to kill me. I'm just a kid), she thought, overwhelmed by a sense of injustice.
"No, and if you keep doing that, I'll add five more rounds, okay?" Misaki threatened, not backing down.
Taking her position once more, Evangeline attacked with renewed vigor, desperately trying to land a hit. Despite her exhaustion and aching muscles, she refused to give up.
"Are you sure you don't want to give up, Evangeline?" Misaki taunted, her voice laced with amusement.
"No, I won't," Evangeline declared, wiping the sweat off her face, refusing to let her determination waver.
Suddenly, a surge of energy coursed through her, and a vibrant blue aura enveloped her form. However, unlike her previous experience, there were no visible physical changes. With newfound strength, she swung her sword towards Misaki, who attempted to counter the attack. To everyone's surprise, Misaki's sword shattered upon impact, signaling Evangeline's victory.
"I knew I was going to win," Evangeline triumphantly exclaimed, collapsing onto the ground due to exhaustion.
"It's very good. You did it. I didn't expect you to do it," Misaki admitted, concealing the fact that Evangeline had tapped into the magical energy of the beast sealed within her.
"Misaki, I can't move. Can you take me to my bed, please?" Evangeline requested, her fatigue consuming her.
"No problem," Misaki replied, lifting Evangeline into her arms and carrying her to her bed. With a sense of relief, Evangeline drifted into a peaceful slumber.
Thus, the first day of training came to a close.