Sonia leisurely flipped open Fundamentals of Water Magic while removing her makeup.
Makeup removal was a lengthy process, and she always used this time to multitask. First, she carefully cleaned each eyelash with a cotton swab, followed by rinsing her eyes with cleansing drops. Since she had applied sunscreen on her arms that regular soap couldn't remove, she had also bought an inexpensive makeup remover just for this purpose.
After her shower, she'd need to follow up with her skincare routine: toner, serum, and even lash essence to prevent breakage from curling. She didn't have the money to get lash extensions at "Perfect Starlight," so she had to be meticulous with maintenance.
All in all, her evening routine took nearly an hour. If she didn't use this time to study, there was no way she could've won last semester's scholarship.
Her goals were clear. Sonia planned to summon her first water spirit before the end of next year and fully unfold her Silver Wings before graduation, becoming a One-Winged Mage.
While Swordflower Academy wasn't the most prestigious magic university in Galas, it was renowned for its training programs in Sword, Water, and Wind magic. Graduating in one of these fields almost guaranteed a bright future.
Sonia had chosen Water Magic, partly because its healing spells made water mages highly sought after. She had seen the complexity of Galas' society and knew she needed decades to secure her place without help. The fastest shortcut? Marrying well.
Why else would she pour so much effort, time, and money into maintaining her appearance? It certainly wasn't to end up with someone poor.
From her research, more than 50% of noblewomen were water mages. If their husbands were mages as well, this proportion exceeded 70%.
Water mages were a significant plus for anyone selecting a noble spouse.
In contrast, wind mages often worked as meteorologists under harsh outdoor conditions, and sword mages? Their muscular build was often seen as a detriment for women.
Sonia's life plan was meticulously crafted:
Become a water mage.Gain access to the social events of Truth University, Galas' premier institution for mages and the top academy in the Starry Kingdom.Secure a noble boyfriend from Truth University, a place where the elite congregated. (The Swordflower boys didn't interest her.)Marry into nobility, leverage her husband's resources to establish her own financial security, and, if it came to it, have enough to thrive post-divorce while bringing her mother to Galas for a life of luxury.
Her future was clear—until a familiar, eerie voice interrupted her thoughts.
"No, you will train with the sword."
The moment Sonia heard the voice, her right hand instinctively reached for a weapon. If her seated position hadn't restricted her movement, she might've launched into a Sight Break evasion maneuver.
Then, she froze, staring in disbelief at the shadowy figure in a black coat who had appeared out of thin air.
"If I were you," the Watcher said, standing casually by the wardrobe and raising a finger to his lips, "I'd first check how others are reacting."
Sonia glanced at Lois and Adelle. Adelle was fully engrossed in her holographic interface, likely watching a show, while Lois, just exiting the bathroom, walked right past the Watcher without so much as a glance.
Sonia looked down at the floor. There was no shadow beneath the figure.
Fighting the urge to speak aloud, she thought:
"Who… or what are you?"
"I am the Endwatcher, as you already know," he replied smoothly. "If you're so young and already this forgetful, perhaps you should consider giving up certain indulgences…"
"You know that's not what I meant."
"But it's all I can tell you."
The Watcher's tone turned amused. "You know, I used to despise cryptic types—those who dangle secrets over your head, smugly declaring 'you're not ready to know yet.' I always wanted to beat the smugness out of them."
Sonia glared silently at him.
"And yet here I am," he continued with a chuckle, "becoming exactly what I once hated. Turns out, it's rather fun. Watching you seethe in frustration while powerless to do anything? Totally worth it."
Sonia's skin crawled as a new realization dawned on her.
"You can hear my thoughts!"
"Of course. Otherwise, how would this be any different from me miming at you?"
"You… You're violating my mind! You've stripped away even my most basic freedom!"
"Relax, Swordmaiden. I'm not your enemy," the Watcher said calmly. "I'm not even a complete person. If you insist, I can disappear entirely."
"Then what are you?"
"I'm merely a distant fragment of longing." He shook his head. "But enough of that. Let's get to business. Soon, you won't care about me hearing your thoughts."
"What business?" Sonia's mind flashed back to the brutal trial she had endured in her dreams.
"First," the Watcher said, producing a small vial of blue liquid from nowhere, "you'll drink this."
"No, I won't!"
Before she could blink, the liquid in the vial vanished, and Sonia felt the cool sensation of it sliding down her throat.
"Next," he said, handing her a wooden sword, "you'll go practice swordsmanship."
"No, I won't!"
The Watcher wasn't wrong—at this point, his ability to hear her thoughts seemed trivial compared to his control over her actions. No matter how hard she tried, Sonia couldn't stop herself from taking the sword.
Scrreeech!
The sharp sound of a chair scraping across the floor drew Lois and Adelle's attention. They turned just in time to see Sonia grab the wooden sword and storm out, slamming the door behind her with a loud bang.
"What's her problem?" Lois muttered, then, realizing her tone sounded weak, raised her voice in a sneer. "She hasn't touched a sword all year, and now she suddenly wants to train? Bet she's trying to impress some sword mage."
Adelle tilted her head, puzzled. "But I don't remember her ever buying a wooden sword… and Ingrid doesn't own one like that either. Where did she get it?"
Outside, Sonia marched stiffly toward the training grounds, her mind racing with panic.
"What the hell is happening to me?"