As the golden lining rendered through the horizon, the world was now drenched in pure gold, a beautiful interlude between the day and night, the evening, the hour before darkness was the only saturation.
The birds soared through the sky at speed, rushing home like the night was about to devour them.
While the Dragania's campus, house room, and hall were echoed with emptiness, two lingered, Mina and Tiandra.
It seemed that Mina was facing her predicament, staying back for acquiring the worst grade of all Demonkin, the absolute zero.
Her handler was fumbling over the picture she never came across, the first student ever in her teaching voyage to achieve a zero in the score, let alone royalty.
"Young Mina, I cannot comprehend the outcome of how you achieve the impossible, the absolute zero... Even though I tried numerous times, there was literally no space for me to score you even with one."
Regardless the paper was fully written. It was sketched with utter nonsense, gibberishes, which not a soul could decipher the meaning of those words as it frankly meant nothing.
"Mi- Mina tried her best..." Mina mumbled in a downcast tone.
Her handler sighed, but with no sense of anger nor disappointment, instead a soft, content tone,
"No, Mina, this test wasn't forged to judge the students' superiority but assist me in developing better acknowledgment regarding my student capabilities. Now that I have a better grasp of my student ability in literature, it gave me a better visualization of where I shall place my concentration and to whom I shall double my efforts. So, Mina, thanks for being honest with me and not cheating the system."
After heeding her handler's kind words, Mina was elevated once more, asserting with a determined expression,
"Mina promises she will do her best next time! And will fulfill Ms. Tiandra's expectations by scoring a better grade next time!"
Ms Tiandra chuckled but denied it,
"It's unnecessary young Mina. Sometimes, many things aren't fashioned in others' favor, so don't exert yourself over the cause that you can't bloom. Instead, divert it to what you can propitious. Unless... that subject is to your liking. Then maybe you can double up your efforts and achieve the unthinkable. So, is literature young Mina's liking?" Ms Tiandra finished with a grin, eye closed, pondering whether Mina was enjoying the literature as she did, but the answer was instead a cruel one,
"Mina doesn't think she favors literature much. It hurts her brain." was Mina's response.
"Oh... if that's so..." said Tiandra with a titter.
"But Mina will still try her best! And surpasses Ms. Tiandra's expectation!" said Mina with confidence.
"Can't wait!" Tiandra replied with a broad smile.
After that, Mina was finally freed from her captive, rushing home as the birds did.
***
***
***
During this cold, dim, silent night, lanterns were lit across the streets, the air ladened with smoke from chimneys, warming the houses from the bitter cold, and patrols were left to trod the public expanse.
And far from the town square, an enormous castle was built in the center of Vuzgaria.
And behind one of the adorned windows of the castle, there, a princess, sitting before an ornamented wooden desk with an ornate candlestick kindled with a flame, radiating to only the table surface, which was painted with books and papers.
Under this sleepy mood, Mina was harnessing her effort to study, but drowsiness persisted in her vein, paying her with nothing but sheer drowsiness, nodding off throughout the self-study.
Dropped,
"Ouch..." Mina mumbled with a drone while her face flattening on the desk,
Out of nowhere, a knock on her door jolted Mina as she rose from her desk with eyes popped, inciting her with the remaining vitality.
She veered her gaze to her door, hollering with curiosity, "Hello?".
"It's me, sweetheart." it was a familiar sound, especially one from her most cherished Demonkin, her mother.
The gate was unbolted, and Mina immediately launched herself into her mother's embrace, nuzzling.
"Mina misses her mama. Mina feels like it's been ages since she last met her mama." Mina added while mumbling with her face nuzzled to her mother's waist.
A pat on her head from her mother, delicately stroking against her smooth, silky hair, showering her with soft and comforting timbre,
"How was Mina doing in school? Did Mina get bullied by anyone? If so, Mama, be sure she will send authorities to have a conversation with Dragania. Or Mama will assure that Dragania will never be able to witness another daylight again."
Mina subtly raised her head, narrowing her eyes, stating in a concerned tone, "Mina wishes Mama wouldn't commit such horrible things..."
Her mother chuckled, patting her soft head once more before leveling herself with Mina in height, kneeling and asserting in a soft tone,
"Mama is just kidding around. In fact, as the queen of Vuzgaria, the judicious decisions remained tall and prioritized, and so is your Mama, who must prioritize the policy under no circumstances."
The queen also continued with a funny look, teasing Mina in the meantime, "But if Mina acted mischievous, Mama would also be sure she be disciplined!"
"Mina feels that's no need for Mama to personally punish her for her misdeed," Mina added in a concerned timbre, expressing her fear of her mother's punishment.
Her mother chuckled once more, giggling over Mina's obliviousness with jokes, before turning her gaze to Mina's rear, realizing a bunch of books and papers cluttered her table.
As she latterly mentioned,
"Mama has realized Mina's hard work in studying, even Mina at home! Mama has never felt as proud as ever!"
Mina broadly smiled, as her mother's praise was like a diamond in her heart, a compliment that could never be toppled.
Before her mother exercised the departure, she added a piece of advice,
"Anyway, Mina. I think overexerting yourself is also a big no-no. So, why not call it a day and get tucked in before the midnight breeze? Late-night sleep makes you ugly!"
After paying heed to her mother's advice, Mina rushed to the bed, vaulted, and bounced upon the impact.
She then sprawled on the bed, opened the blanket, and shoved her legs inside, adjusting herself to a pleasing proportion.
Soon she arrived at a comfy position, Mina watched her mother, calling,
"Mina's ready to be tucked in!"
"Yes, yes, my little princess." said her mother, standing up from the lowered position with a groan, pacing toward Mina by the bed and tucking her in.
"Night, night, Mama..." Mina whispered softly, turning to the other side of the bed, submerging herself in the dream.
After seeing Mina falling into her slumber, the queen navigated to the desk, smothered the kindled candle, and walked out of the room.
She leisurely paced through the hallway, contemplating where to go next, probably to her husband.
But her pace lasted as she was distracted by the war room, realizing the door was slightly ajar, emitting a sound within.
She eavesdropped, piquing who was using the war room at this hour.
"Harvar, I believe such a task is macabre, but the cost must be sacrificed for Mina's sake! And I attach the weight to you as you're an excellent candidate for this mission," it was the king debating with Harvar, the champion of Vuzgaria.
"But, your excellency, rattling the traitor out of his coup, one must be assimilated with the dens."
"Then, you will be one of the hounds in the den, sniffing out the remains. As I have my faith in your abilities, Harvar. Especially your shapeshifting endowment,"
"I see, and yes, your excellency. This one shall accomplish its mission and not disappoint your high hopes. But this one wasn't clear with the springboard. The target he shall tail."
The king raised his head, brushing his chin, deliberating the starting point of this daunting mission; who's the most sensical target? Who's likely to be the rat?
However, his contemplation was disturbed as the queen barged in fiercely, asking in a quivering tone, having anxiety over Mina's cause, "Honey... what is this? What is all this about?! Why do I hear the name of our daughter!"
The king was stunned, rooting her gaze with the queen's, fumbling over the queen's sudden infiltrate, who questioned in a stern timbre,
"Dear... the time of your invitation is impeccably worst. But how much have you heard?"
The queen toned down, aligning her face downward, responding in a worrying tone, "Most of it..."
"Then, I guess the plan is no longer a secret in the wall between us..." said the king as he gently placed his hands on the war table, wondering what's the next move.
"Then... Care to elaborate, honey?" the queen leveled her gaze with Elias's, staring at him with unease.
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The explanation may pique her curiosity, but half of her screamed for not wanting to know.
The information that decided her daughter's safety, the one that will put her in perpetual anxiety.
The king let out a subtle sigh, pondering the best way to approach her, which wouldn't take a toll on her mentality.
"I... speculate the possible scheme that may..." the king stuttered, stressing over the words that may provoke the queen, pushing her into tears.
"May? May what?" the queen insisted, wanting to understand more about the poison, though it may pain her.
"...may involve in the safety of our daughter, Mina."
"Why? Why would you think of that?" the queen responded with a shiver in her throat, choking on her own words, denying what she was harked.
"Remember the first time Mina trampled on the Dragania? The time she was lost on the campus."
"That was an accident," said the queen, clarifying what she had in mind.
"That's what they wished us to swallow, an accident with no sign of evidence, no sign of occurrence. But I conceive her missing wasn't an accident but a ploy. A ploy that was strung and orchestrated by professionals, clean and streamlined."
"What are you blabbering about, honey!" the queen interrupted, opposing what she heard.
"Please... Heed this, dear. The chance of our daughter missing in broad daylight, also within the limited space, doesn't come coherent!"
"But Dragania's campus is vast!" the queen retorted with disbelief.
"But that doesn't summarise the excuse of our patrol being lapped the ground twice without a speck of their presence!"
"I believe you overdo it, Elias... I know our daughter is perfectly fine and secure... Why would someone wish or dare to hurt our little angel? She's so young and innocuous in everything!"
The king composed himself, holding his tongue from further elaborating as he signaled Harvar to exit before continuing.
Harvar respectfully bowed and departed as the king demanded.
Elias summoned a barrier between himself and the queen thereafter, blocking all sound and entities from transmitting in and out.
He soon uttered with a palm to his face, "The prophecy, dear... the prophecy... Mina was targeted because of the prophecy... The one we cannot disclose to the public."
The queen's breath was immediately taken away, trembling on the spot, gasping with her palms planting before her mouth and uttered in a baffled tone,
"But isn't that information limited to the only highest authority? The council and us!"
"There's why I believe we have a traitor among us... Among the council." said the king with his head lowered, toiling with his own thought.
"But rest assured, dear. I promise! Mina will be sound and safe, with no soul ever, EVER laying their blemished hand upon her under my aegis!" the king continued with his head raised abruptly, approaching the emotionally overwhelmed queen and entwining himself with her, solacing her shell-shocked heart with his assurance.
Once this grievous conversation ended, the queen was escorted by one of the maids to her chamber.
The king lingered, tilting his head to Harvar, who posted at the outside of the war room's door.
The king casually slipped past him but whispered in his ears during the glide,
"A member of the council will be your target, Morgar "Petrorak" Zaran, in precise. According to my record, Morgar's monetary account was deviant, hinting at a sense of irregular transaction. His recent movement and activity are also unusual, making him a perfect candidate. Find and track him down. Bring me the insights I need."
"Yes, your excellency," said Harvar and traveled to the opposite route of the king, strategizing in his thought.
*Morgar "Petrorak" Zaran, the representative of the Zaran clan, is notoriously known for his peerless feat and remarkable wit.
Some said he was a Demonkin that was as sly as a fox, as nimble as a rat, as charismatic as a magnet; some said he was as efficient as a well-oiled machine, as smart as an owl. A perfect politician.
His spouse was told to be killed during the Great Clan war between Xorros and Zaran, inciting his rickety emotions at the time, but numbness normally reigned in his demeanor.
Now he bore nothing but sheer abhorrence to the Xorros but remained truce as value still injected in the Xorros to his eyes.
Many also denoted him as 'the mechanic,' mainly for his perception of reality, where everyone was a mere tool to exploit. It may as well be applied to the King.
No one is his enemy or friend. He's neutral to his stand as nothing was ever considered sentient in his eyes no more but merely an instrument. His current behavior was told to be the impact of her wife's demise, a living shell with a broken soul.
Approaching him, especially gaining his trust, will likely be a mythlike extent, impossible. But sometimes, with enough stress, even stone can turn gold, and coal can turn diamond. Impossible becomes possible.
I, Harvar Urkon, will succeed in the impossible.
***
***
***
The next day, the house of Lamella assembled in a vast space, white limestone paved, surrounded by pillars, and directly underneath the blazing hot sun.
The students were changed into t-shirts and shorts, an informal dress code, namely the reason was the fitness class, as a hefty and classy school uniform only to hinder their momentum.
Besides, this locale was familiar, namely to the eyes of Mina and Keena, exactly the same spot they once got lost, the place with pillars as walls.
Mina's eyes sparkled as her vision aligned with the space, reminiscing about the time she spent with Keena, the first interaction they ever had.
On the contrary, Keena wasn't thrilled when she arrived, as traumas and regrets were the sole sensations stimulated inside her mind, loathing the visit.
With that, Mina tucked Keena's sleeve, whispering in a funny tone, "Keena, Mina believes Mina and Keena were the first here before everyone else! Finally, a place she and Keena were more acquainted!"
"Yeah... from a bad memory as it seemed..." said Keena with a quip.
Their chatter wasn't prolonged as a blaring holler interjected out of nowhere, jolting them with their mouth glued, swiveling their gaze to it,
"Welcome to a fitness class, as I, Racrern "Solarr" Zaran, will be the instructor of your semester!"
It was their instructor in a fitness class, who hollered with a toothy smile.
Racrern Zaran, the fitness instructor of the House Lamella, who posed with an imposing body structure, and precisely built with an exceeding stature and a muscular physique.
A well-combed brown hair, two brownish bright pupils and two curved, spiral black horns.
It was a fitness class, a period when everyone gets sticky, sweaty, and heaty, no matter the status of the students, is an inescapable fate to drench in those conditions.
But an exception was allowed to make, skipping the class, as Laura and Keanton did.
Nevertheless, the space they stationed was empty, except for the white blank space, unlikely to hold any equipment for their test.
Maybe some kid-friendly games? Maybe some apparatusless activity?
No, the instructor mentioned none. Warm-up was the instruction he assigned.
A minute of Jumping-jacks, 10 arm circles, 8 squats, 16 wrist stretches, 8 to each side, 16 elbow stretches, 8 to each side, as the warm-up framework was repeated on different sectors of the body, legs, and neck.
After the static warm-up was exercised, 2 laps were assigned to jog by the students around the pillars, approximately 40,000 square feet, three to four meters per lap.
The students were orderly lined up before the jog was started, two-line in exact.
The lines were formed parallel, with two students at a single pace, but it was no competition.
As all things considered, Mina was thought of aligning with Keena, but fate intervened, putting her right next to the boy he loathed to her guts, her arch-nemesis, Dalius.
Moment Dalius foot stepped in, Mina sensed the wave of the step and turned for the check.
She expected it to be Keena but shattered as Dalius was beside her.
The sensation around Mina and Dalius dramatically altered with the ferocity and fire sparked within them, a sense of thrills to compete with one another.
"What do we have here? A princess as it seemed. The sole student who failed the test yesterday." said Dalius with a sneer.
"Even if Mina doesn't score a satisfactory grade on the test, for now, she's still beaten Dalius in people's favor." Mina responded with contempt.
"Oh, getting haughty now, I see. Your true color is finally shown, princess."
"The color only potty-mouth boy can get a taste of!"
While they were grunting at each other, the instructor gave another instruction before releasing them for the run, asserting in a strict voice,
"Take heed, students! This is no competition but a mere warm-up. So, please restrain yourself from competing with others, increasing the chance of injury. Also, do not perform needless sprints or attempt to pass your housemate at the front. Follow the line accordingly and return the current spot you posted without any ruckus."
Meanwhile, Dalius and Mina were still in the rumble, neglecting the whole warning from their instructor.
The whistle was then blown, and students tidily embarked on their lap, jogging to the finish line without hectic, complying with the instruction.
On the flip side, two driven critters were preparing their race in their racing stance: one elbow to the front while another lingered at the back, a leg stretched out with knees to the front and another anchored in the back, and a leaned forward body.
Once the students posted their front and made their move, those two immediately dashed off, overtaking everyone at the front, causing some of them to slip and fall by the powerful current they stirred, creating a chain reaction.
Racrern realized their turbulence movement and ferociously shouted, "You two! Stop!"
The whistle was blown, and the shout was repeated, but their minds were simply clouded with the hunger for triumph, slighting over everything.
"I'm going to beat you impeccably!" said Dalius while sprinting beside Mina,
"Mina will see about that!" Mina replied.
Their speed was on par, without one surpassing another, though the speed was blistering.
In the meantime, Keena positioned further back the line, witnessing everything while cringing on the spot with a subtle shake of her head.
The instructor postponed the jog for those who had yet started.
Namely to wait till those two settled down and from getting injured by their impulsive behavior as the front who already did.
The run lasted for minutes, as they both returned with two laps finished, gasping from the aftereffect of racing, provoking one another.
"Mi- Mi- Mina thinks she beat potty-mouth boy..."
"Li- li- like damnation you did..."
While they were recouping their breath, an unsettling sensation emanated behind them, a draught of sheer danger and dread.
When they turned for the check, an infuriated instructor was what they grasped, a demeanor of a man who was about to eradicate them for their misbehaving.
"YOU TWO! WHAT'S ALL THIS ABOUT?! ON WHICH PART OF MY SENTENCES YOU CANNOT COMPREHEND?!"
They gawked at the instructor, speechless, oblivious about what they may have committed, mainly because they slighted the overall warning Racrern forwarded.
Instead of mending the issue, Dalius replied with conceit, questioning his fault, "On what behalf I had misbehaved? I merely follow the instructions of yours, completing the course at my steady speed."
"Steady?! Look what you have done!" said Racrern while pointing at the student who fell and scratched their knees because of them.
"It's not my fault for their incompetency in equaling my level. Their affliction is simply their own error by not matching mine."
Dalius toppled his stand by disparaging others, baffling Racrern.
"Wha- what?!"
Before Dalius let loose another baneful word of his, Mina interjected, uttering with a subtle quiver in her tone,
"Mi- Mi- Mina believes she was at fault here... Sh- she apologizes..."
Dalius was surprised, as he never discerned Mina to lower her head to anyone, including affirming her misdeed. Her action was like the discovery of a puddle in a barren wasteland.
Racrern was fairly satisfied with Mina's confession but not wholly, as Dalius simply contested his error.
But after witnessing Mina's admission, Dalius also declared his mistake implicatively, "I may overly exert my skill during the warm-up, but it's still not my fault for them to be wounded."
Upon harking their admission, Racrern shook his head and sighed out of disappointment, demanding them in a stern timbre,
"You two, give me a hundred squats while pulling your earlobes! Consider this a punishment for your misdeed and a warning for no next time!"
"Ain't no way, I'm complying your punishment for-!" Dalius fiercely retorted against the idea of receiving punishment as he still denied he was wrong.
But his argument was stopped halfway with a smack on the head by Patria, silencing him with a reply,
"Mind your words, Dalius! Respect your instructor! Accept the fate of your cause!"
She also veered her gaze to Mina, stating in a livid sound,
"And you too, Mina! As the house representative, you are surely failing your duty as the representation of others! Misbehaved twice in a row within two days!"
"Mi- Mi- Mina..." Mina stuttered, trembling in agitation, struggling to ground her statement as Patria's declaration was pinpointing.
Now, Mina just accepted her wrongdoing, uttering in a disheartening tone,
"Mina understands her mistake and promises not to do it again..."
After correcting them, Patria bowed to the instructor and casually returned to her station, the warm-up track.
Racrern was amazed by the power Patria held, controlling those rebellious students that were.
Racrern also began to deliberate soon as he was exposed to Mina's name many times, contemplating why Mina's name carried such memorable favor within, a name he was supposed to familiarize.
Until he scanned Mina's face again, eventually realizing her royalty presence, asserting in a staggered voice, "Yo- you're Mi- Mina "Xuredar" Vuzgal?! The princess of Vuzgaria?!"
Mina turned to him confusedly, answering with a straight face, "Yes... Mina is Mina. Princess or not..."
Soon Racrern realized Mina's royalty presence, he dropped to his knee, rumbling in worry,
"This one has fully surpassed his view against your royal presence, disregarding your prestigious presence! And this one-"
Mina quickly interrupted, halting Racrern for his further formalities, stating with an unimpressed look, "Mina is Mina. Princess or not... She doesn't wish to be treated differently because of her title. So, please, stop with the formality..."
"I see... if that is what your royal highness wished, then... Go to the corner and give me a hundred squats! NOW!"
Mina was startled by Racrern's sudden shift in energy, trembling and mumbling in a wistful timbre, "May- maybe Mina really should accept her title next time... Poor Mina..."
There, Mina and Dalius squatted in the corner, enduring their punishment while watching other students swiftly resume their warm-up track, passing them one after another, including Keena, casting Mina a deflated glance as she skimmed through Mina.
This dejected yet deserved scene of Mina and Dalius persisted. Until the actual exercise commenced in the forthcoming event.