"I'm so happy you're back! I even got punished by Superior Aragon for wounding Agatha cos of you" she pouted
"Really?" He broke the hug.
"Yeah, she had to pick three bags of stones till daybreak, and she wasn't allowed to use her powers" Peony grinned.
"That must have been hard" Merlin said.
"But it's all good now! Let's go for breakfast before shower! The party is tonight too so we have a lot to do!" Echo giggled, and Merlin smiled as she pulled him away, out of the assembly.
"Those two" Raven shook his head.
"I need some food too" Krishna said and made to leave, but Ruthie grabbed his hand, bringing him back.
"Krishna are you mad at me? I don't remember doing anything bad" she said.
"Seriously? Last night at the library, You still don't remember?" Krishna replied calmly.
"Library? I didn't go to the library last night so I don't know what's going on"
"What!" Krishna frowned.
"Krishna I swear heaven and Earth that I didn't go to the library last night. I fell and got wounded on the knees and after Samara treated the knees, I went straight to my room and Peony even came to spend time with me, trust me Krishna" she said, and Krishna looked her in the eye.
"Believe me" she said gently.
Ceres started smiling again on her spot, but Raven suddenly pulled her out of the assembly, taking her to the back of the giant bell.
"What!" She broke free.
"It's you, right? You're the only one I know in this institute who's capable of stealing people's appearances" he said, and she smirked.
"So? What'd you do? Report me to the chiefs?"
"Ceres I'm not against you using your power, but using it on my best friend is totally out of it, are you insane?" He said angrily.
"I seriously don't have your time, Raven" she said and made to leave, but he grabbed her shoulders and threw her back to the bell concrete,.
"Ahh!" She gasped hurtfully, looking at Raven shockingly. His eyes are glowing.
Did he just... overpower her?
"Careful, sister" he muttered and left her, walking away from the bell.
Ceres held her chest, still resting on the concrete as she tried to calm herself.
"Raven's powers are active, why is he pretending?" She muttered.
INSTITUTE APOTHECARY
Aragon took Samara to the old building a little bit far from the villa, and he walked straight to a shelf when they got in.
"Sit down, I'll get something for your face" he said, and she smiled as she sat, looking around.
It smells like herbs.
"The building is definitely old" she said.
"Yeah, it has been here even before Master Duran was born, one thousand years ago" he replied, and her eyes widened.
"Master Duran is an immortal?"
"What do you think?" He replied, finally getting a brown bottle of ointment.
"Meaning... Superior Orion is an immortal too?" She asked.
"No. He's just a cursed bastard who got what he deserved" he replied, taking his seat beside her.
"He's.... cursed?" She asked as he began opening the bottle.
"Why do you think he behaves like a madman? He caused the death of his brother, and he was cursed with loneliness. No human can make contact with him, the result is death" he replied and turned her face to himself.
He started applying the ointment on her red face with his fingers.
"But...he behaved like a vampire earlier. He almost drained you" she said.
"That's just one of his numerous mad personalities, he'd have drained my blood if he wanted to, but he'd never try that" he replied.
"Why?
"I was Astrid's best friend when he was alive" he replied.
"His brother?" She asked, and he nodded.
"But does that count with him? He doesn't seem like he has a heart" she replied, and he smiled, still rubbing the ointment on her face. The redness is lessening.
"He's Orion, maybe I know him better than anyone" he said, and she smiled too.
She wanted to talk, but she kept it off then gave his face her full attention, staring deeply at him as he rubbed her cheek gently.
Before she knew it, she started leaning in, and Aragon had to stop rubbing to look at her eyes.
She still didn't stop leaning in, so he held her shoulders gently, stopping her from leaning further.
"What are you doing?" He asked, and she blinked thrice before spranging up.
"Thanks for the ointment Superior! I'll see you around!" She bowed slightly and rushed out of the apothecary.
Aragon covered the ointment and began staring at the bottle, smiling as he did.
PRESTIGE HALL
Master Duran came out of meditation when King Depp's presence was reported, and he met him waiting at the open room already.
"Your majesty" he said with a slight bow, and King Depp nodded.
"I came to see my princess, but the condition I met her in is not too appealing. She lost a lot of weight and flesh, and her skin got rough too" he said.
"You knew she was coming here to get power trainings when you sent her here from the palace. If you met her in same shape she was when you sent her here, then it only means she's doing nothing" Master Duran replied.
"We should understand ourselves more than this, Duran. I'm asking you to lessen her trainings. She told me it's compulsory to wake at 7 for trainings. Can't she wake at 10 for hers?" King Depp said.
"She's not here for vacation, your majesty" Chief Water said, coming in.
"And if you're not pleased with the trainings here, why don't you take her to another institute? This is not the only supernatural institute in the world. There's Elms Institute at Mount Wei" Chief Feathers said, coming in too.
"You two!" King Depp stood.
"You either take your princess away, or let her stay and continue getting the equal treatment, it's the rule" Master Duran said and went back in.
King Depp looked at the chiefs before leaving the hall in anger.
"How petty, who made that imbecile a king?" Chief Feathers said with a light inhale.
"He's one of the richest kings existing though" Chief Water said, and Feathers gave him a death glare.
MINUTES LATER
Breakfast has been announced, and the disciples are busy rushing to the cafeteria for their food already, but Samara is nowhere to be found.
Ruthie left the villa and went to the cafeteria, but she's not in, so she rushed out of the cafeteria, bumping into Peony.
"Ruthie! Was looking for you and Sam!" She said.
"I'm here now, but can't find Sam" Ruthie replied.
"She's at the assembly, practicing alone" Raven told them, and they rushed to the assembly.
Truly, Samara is there, practicing the lifting of her sword alone.
Ruthie made to go close, but Peony pulled her back.
"No. She needs this determination, let her have it" she said, and Ruthie nodded as they left together.
Samara placed the sword on the ground this time, then she stood in front of it and closed her eyes, trying to gather her inner energy in her core like Orion said.
She must become one with the sword first if she really wants to tame it, she must be able to communicate with it.
She felt hotness inside her belly, and her brows moved as it got hotter and hotter. She could feel her energy gathering, it was steamy.
Her core almost exploded as she tried to lift the sword with her mind, and surprisingly, it worked!
The sword listened to her and left the ground by itself till it got to mid air and stopped.
"Good, now get into my hand" she ordered, and the sword flew to her right hand.
She grabbed it, and automatically, her feet left the ground too, and her eyes widened as she began flying in the air.
The sword was deep gold in her hand as she flew, and she smiled prettily.
"You finally listened to me, whoa, I'm cool. Wish that Vampire Superior of mine could see this" she said.
By now, she's out of the Institute, still flying higher and higher in the morning sky
She looked down to take a peek at the world below, and it happened.
She started falling from the sky, just like the other time at the cliff.
"No! Not again! No!!!!" She screamed as she sank down, but the familiar arm grabbed her again, and she gasped when she came face to face with Aragon.
She quickly held his shirt in the front so tight.
"You're so silly" he said.
"The sword listened to me earlier, dunno why it suddenly stopped" she muttered.
"It's as stubborn as you" he replied
"Am I?" She said, and he smiled as they continued sinking back to the ground.
"Thanks for saving me again, Superior Aragon" she said, knowing holding his shirt tighter