The first light of dawn spilled across the land, illuminating the world with its gentle glow.
Mornings were often regarded as the beginning of endless possibilities, their virtues immortalized in countless proverbs.
"The whole year's work depends on a good start in spring; the whole day's success depends on a good start in the morning."
"The early bird catches the worm."
Roy, however, didn't care for such platitudes at the moment. He sat silently in his chair, his expression blank as he watched Eris, who sat slumped over the desk in front of him.
Her fiery red hair cascaded down her back, trailing onto the table as her head bobbed up and down, threatening to collide with the surface.
Roy knew this scene all too well.
It was like a mirror to his own past, back when he'd doze off during math class while the teacher droned on.
Only now, the roles were reversed. Roy was the one lecturing, and Eris was the one nodding off.
Glancing down at the carefully crafted textbook he'd written with painstaking effort, Roy couldn't help but feel like a fool.
Quietly, he stood and crept behind Eris. Without hesitation, his right hand formed a "karate chop" and landed lightly but firmly on her forehead.
The result was instantaneous. Eris's head smacked into the desk with a loud thud, her fiery hair spilling across the surface.
Roy wasn't worried about hurting her; if there was one thing Eris could handle, it was physical punishment.
Eris froze for a moment, processing the sudden assault. Her face pressed against the desk, her cheeks flushed with pain and indignation. Slowly, her temper began to flare.
"You—" She growled through gritted teeth, her voice shaking with anger.
She slammed her hands against the desk, lifting her head abruptly to glare at Roy with eyes that burned with fury. Her fists clenched so tightly her knuckles cracked as she threw a punch toward Roy's stomach.
Roy dodged effortlessly, sidestepping her attack. Her fist struck nothing but air, but her glare remained sharp and defiant.
From the corner, Rudeus snickered, clearly enjoying the spectacle.
Roy's expression remained calm, though a faint, dangerous smile began to creep onto his face.
"Well, Eris." He said casually, his tone laced with quiet amusement. "It's a real shame you don't know magic. Without it, you're at a huge disadvantage. Are you sure you want to keep fighting me like this?"
Eris snapped back, her voice rising in frustration. "Mind your own business!"
Roy let out a sigh and turned toward the door, gathering up his materials. "Fine. If you don't want to learn, I won't force you."
Without another word, he left the room, leaving Eris stunned.
For a moment, her face was a mixture of surprise and disbelief. Then, as realization dawned, her expression shifted to one of pure delight.
Meanwhile, Rudeus shook his head, a sly grin on his face. She has no idea what's coming tonight.
The trap was obvious—blatantly so. But Eris, oblivious to any sort of scheming, didn't see it coming.
For the rest of the day, Eris was in high spirits. Without Roy's overbearing presence, she relished her newfound freedom.
She spent her morning playing to her heart's content, her afternoon practicing swordsmanship with Ghislaine.
Even when she crossed paths with Roy at the training grounds, she felt an instinctive twinge of unease, worrying he might seek retribution. But seeing his indifferent expression as he focused on his own practice, she relaxed, convinced that he wasn't paying her any attention.
If he's ignoring me, that's a good thing, she thought. Why overthink it?
And so, the day passed without incident.
Eris reveled in her return to the carefree life she'd once known. By nightfall, she even had a delightful dream where she delivered a satisfying beating to Roy.
But the dream shattered abruptly as she woke to a harsh, jarring sensation.
Eris blinked groggily, realizing she was no longer lying in her comfortable bed. Instead, she was crammed inside a cold, dark box.
The damp air reeked of mildew, making her stomach churn.
She tried to scream but quickly discovered her mouth was stuffed with a gag. Panicking, she attempted to tear it away, only to find her hands and feet tightly bound.
Eris's mind raced as she struggled against her restraints. For the first time, she realized that tonight wasn't going to end as peacefully as her dream had promised.
Suddenly, Eris's eyes snapped wide open as a chilling realization hit her. She began thrashing wildly, attempting to break free from the ropes that bound her with brute force. However, the bindings were tight, and the more she struggled, the more the ropes bit into her skin, restricting her even further.
Her desperate movements didn't go unnoticed.
From somewhere outside the box came a gruff, irritated voice—a man's voice, low and rough.
"Stop squirming, or I'll kill you." He growled, punctuating his words with a hard kick to the wooden crate.
The box slammed violently into the side of the carriage, rattling loudly. The sudden jolt threw Eris off balance, and her head struck the inside of the crate with a painful thud.
The sharp pain brought Eris back to her senses, momentarily clearing her panic-stricken mind. At the same time, she heard another dull thump, as though another head had collided with wood nearby.
Eris's damp, tear-filled eyes lit up with sudden hope. She wasn't alone in this. Someone else had been kidnapped too.
Could it be... Roy?
The strict and unyielding boy was the first person who came to her mind. With difficulty, Eris twisted her body and began inching toward the sound, her bound hands groping for whoever was sharing her confinement.
Just as her fingers brushed against something, the sensation of motion beneath her ceased. The carriage had stopped moving.
Moments later, the crate jolted again, as though being lifted. The rough, swaying movements resumed, but this time it felt like she was being carried.
Eris's face turned pale. Her fleeting connection with the other captive was broken as the abrupt movement pushed them apart. Even so, she could sense someone nearby, though no sounds came from them.
Why aren't they saying anything? she wondered, anxiety prickling at her.
If it really was Roy, escaping should have been easy for him. Could he have been tied up as tightly as she was?
Her thoughts swirled with unanswered questions until a harsh, metallic creak interrupted her.
The sound of footsteps followed, along with mocking voices laced with dark amusement.
"Well, looks like that guy actually pulled it off. Not bad. We'll get a good price for this one."
"Yeah." Another voice chimed in. "Finally, we're done with this miserable work. After this job, we'll never have to do this again."
The conversation was cut short by the clanging of an iron door. Moments later, Eris felt her crate being dropped unceremoniously to the ground.
The impact sent her sprawling inside the box, her head striking the wood once more with a force that was twice as painful as Roy's earlier hand chop.
The lid of the crate was flung open, and blinding light poured in. For the first time since her abduction, Eris was greeted by open air.
She gasped desperately, greedily sucking in the fresh air. But as she took in the relief of her newfound freedom, the putrid stench of the crate she had been trapped in lingered in her nose, making her stomach churn violently.
***
Bonus Chapter:
100 Power Stones = 1 BC
300 Power Stones = 2 BC
500 Power Stones = 3 BC
700 Power Stones = 4 BC
1000 Power Stones = 5 BC
***
If you want to read up to 70 chapters ahead, don't hesitate to visit our patron: pat reon . com / XElenea (remove space)