Chapter 8 - "Sisterly Tensions I"
After leaving Eira's room, Lindy decided to head to Matriarch Seraphina's office to report every detail of Eira's awakening.
Thud… thud… thud… Her footsteps echoed softly as she walked. On the way, she noticed the light on in Elara's room and saw that the door was slightly open. Curious, she decided to take a peek, only to hear a familiar voice mumbling in frustration.
"You, you, you… EIRA! I will not forgive you!" Elara's words were mixed with anger and embarrassment, her face strangely flushed as she muttered her little sister's name. Lindy paused and listened quietly to Elara's grumbling.
"How… how could you do that to me… sniff," Elara continued, her face red but eyes clouded with frustration. Lindy shook her head, silently remarking on how Eira had made things even worse than expected.
"Tsk, tsk… this is worse than I thought," Lindy murmured under her breath, sighing softly. "I can only hope the best for you, Lady Eira." She continued on her way, leaving Elara to her grumbling.
Inside her room, Elara hugged her pillow, face buried in frustration and confusion. "What should I do tomorrow? Can I face my younger sister again? Of course, all those things she did to me were just childish licks, hmph!"
Elara crossed her arms, trying to convince herself that it was nothing. But in truth, she was terrified of Eira after that night; just thinking about it weakened all the nerves in her body.
She recalled the elders' reminders about their bloodline awakening."Ahhh, I didn't expect Eira's personality to change like that," Elara said with a flushed face, unable to stop her mind from dwelling on it.
Meanwhile, Lindy finally arrived at Seraphina's office. Bowing respectfully, she recounted every detail of her observations.
"So, the child has truly awakened," Seraphina remarked, a faint smile crossing her lips. Lindy, still bowing, couldn't see Seraphina's expression but responded with respect.
"Yes, Madam Seraphina," Lindy replied. "I initially thought Lady Eira's behavior change was unrelated to her awakening, so I apologize for my misjudgment."
"Don't worry about it," Seraphina reassured, gesturing for Lindy to stand. "Just continue observing her closely."
"Yes, Madam Seraphina." With a nod, Lindy respectfully took her leave.
After Lindy left, Seraphina leaned back in thought, her gaze distant. "So… you're beginning to bloom, Eira. I look forward to watching your growth." Her voice was soft, almost affectionate. Her thoughts turned serious as she pondered Eira's awakening and the subtle changes in the world's energy. "I wonder… has Eira's awakening affected the rules of the world?" she mused.
A faint, glowing orb floated beside her, its light pulsing softly. "Yes, your majesty. There's been a shift in the world's balance," it replied in a gentle hum. "The new rules seem to be evolving, surpassing even the higher principles that govern this world."
In the realm of magic, ancient powers called Rules lie dormant. These aren't ordinary spells but transcendent forces that surpass all natural laws. Each Rule has a unique name and origin, born naturally when certain conditions are met. They are complex and beyond the reach of common understanding.
Awakening a Rule allows one to surpass mortal limits, becoming untouchable by regular magic or weapons. Once awakened, a person is nearly invincible, as only a Rule of equal or greater power can challenge them. Traditional magic and weapons hold no effect, leaving these wielders untouchable except by another with the same transcendent gift.
"What is the name of this new rule?" Seraphina asked, curiosity piqued.
"It may sound unbelievable, but… it's called Time and Space."
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The Following Morning
The sun rose, but Eira remained asleep, feeling exhausted after the previous night's events. It was already past 7 a.m. when Lindy quietly entered her room, approaching the bed.
"My lady, Lady Eira, it's time for breakfast," she said gently, smiling at the sight of Eira's peaceful, sleeping face.
Eira stirred, rubbing her eyes sleepily before the scent of breakfast reached her nose, making her sit up quickly. "Mmm, it smells delicious," she murmured, still a bit drowsy.
Lindy chuckled softly. "Thank you, my lady. If you want more, just let me know anytime."
Eira smiled, already focused on eating. "Thank you, Lindy." She didn't notice the hint of surprise in Lindy's eyes as she watched Eira's polite demeanor. Lindy, though, didn't mention it, recognizing that Eira's awakening had caused these subtle shifts in her behavior.
After a hearty breakfast, Eira and Lindy began walking to her magic lesson. As they strolled through the hallways, Eira's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Lindy, we have no lessons tomorrow! Do you think we could go somewhere fun?"
Lindy nodded, her voice warm. "Of course, my lady. Perhaps we could visit the nearby town?"
Eira's eyes lit up with anticipation. "The town sounds perfect! Please remind me later, Lindy!"
As they arrived at the lesson room, they found two familiar figures already there. One was Elara, whose presence surprised them both, especially after the previous night.
Eira sat beside her sister, only to notice Elara's flushed face as she avoided meeting her gaze. Concerned, Eira leaned closer. "Sister Elara, are you not feeling well?" she asked gently, her face close enough that Elara's cheeks flushed even deeper.
"I-I'm fine!" Elara stammered, looking away, flustered. "Just… don't get so close!"
Eira smirked slightly, sensing that her sister's mood had shifted, though there was something different in her reactions. Meanwhile, Therana, their teacher, watched them with a raised eyebrow.
"All right, enough with the flirting," Therana interrupted dryly. "Let's continue with today's lesson."
"Flirting?!" Elara's face turned an even brighter shade of red. "W-we're not flirting! We're just… talking!"
"Sure, sure," Therana replied, clearly amused, while Elara continued to avoid Eira's gaze, cheeks still crimson.
Then their classes continued without any demonstrations of magic this time, as they focused solely on copying the fundamentals of magic circulation and basic formulas. However, all of this felt somewhat pointless since Eira possessed a system.
After two and a half hours, the lesson finally ended. As the teacher bid them farewell, Elara gathered her things hastily, trying to avoid Eira's gaze.
"I… I'm leaving too. Goodbye!" she mumbled in a shaky voice before hurrying off, her heart racing.
Lindy watched her retreating figure, puzzled. "It's strange. I'm sure I saw Elara's anger last night… yet now she seems… different around you," she remarked thoughtfully, glancing at Eira, who was silently smirking.