That evening, after the horrible couple left, Mary came into my room. Without making a sound, she quietly lifted me out of my small, rough cradle and covered me with blanket. After making sure I was fully covered in that blanket, she carried me out of my cramped little room, taking me out of an old building and moving very quickly towards a mansion.
After walking for about fifteen minutes down a narrow, dark path, I finally caught sight of the back of the mansion. It was massive, grand, and exuded wealth in a way I had never seen before. When we reached the back door, Mary carefully slipped inside. Her all steps were slow and cautious, as if she was trying to make sure no one knew I was with her.
The interior of the mansion was even more incredible and luxurious. Everything, from the golden ceiling to the furniture, was dripping from the richness. The beautiful paintings and sculptures are adorning the hallways, and the entire place felt like a palace, so different from the rundown building I had lived in for the past two years.
As we walked through the mansion, I tried to memorize every turn and every detail of the mansion. After climbing a staircase to the third floor, Mary passes through a massive library before stopping in front of a door. She quickly glanced around, making sure no one was nearby before stepping inside the room. Without wasting a second, she placed me on the soft bed and quietly left the room, closing the door.
Once her footsteps faded, I immediately sat up, unable to resist the soft bed under me. I pressed my hands into the fabric, feeling the softness, and I couldn’t help but smile. After two long years of cold, hard floors, this felt like sinking into a cloud.
“Wow... this is so soft.”
I took a deep breath, trying to calm the excitement bubbling up inside me. Then, I looked around the room. Everything was so different from the cramped, neglected space I had known. The room was spacious, and the entire room was luxurious, but in a modest way—not the loud kind of wealth that screamed for attention, but the kind that quietly stood out.
I stood up, feeling the softness of the bed against my hands, and wandered around the room, taking it all in. My eyes landed on a large, full-length mirror in the room.
I quickly stepped towards the mirror, and my eyes wide with surprise as I took in the reflection staring back at me. I hadn’t seen myself once in this life, and now, after seeing my face, I couldn’t help but feel a rush of excitement.
My face, though smudged with dirt from lack of bathing, had a certain sharpness to it. My skin, which is pale and fair, seemed almost radiant in the soft light. My nose was sharp, defining the angles of my face, and my ash-purple hair framed it perfectly, shimmering in the dim light. It was a strange shade, like a shadow cast by twilight. But it was my eyes that really caught me off guard. They were striking, an almost unnatural shade of purple that seemed to glow with an intensity I couldn’t ignore. They were bright, like precious gems, and when I stared into them, I couldn’t look away.
I didn’t resemble my sister at all. She had a softer, gentler appearance like some fairy, while I... I looked different. Stronger, sharper. I recalled what she had once said about me resembling our father. If I looked like him, then he must have been a very handsome man, too. I could picture it—his face, just like mine, with those piercing eyes and commanding features. He must have had women fawning over him, all because of that same striking look. I couldn’t help but wonder how many hearts he’d captured just by walking into a room.
A grin spread across my face as I looked at myself.
“I am really handsome!”
Just as I was caught up in the wonder of it all, a familiar voice cut through my thoughts. It was laced with a mischievous tone, like it always was.
Enjoying your new freedom?
“Freedom? It’s pure luxury!” I shot back, running a hand over my face again, unable to contain my excitement.
Are you done? This self-discovery session is wasting valuable time.
I rolled my eyes and shot back.
“Let me have my moment, Aster!”
Fine, fine, bask in your newfound vanity.
Aster conceded with an exaggerated mock resignation and added.
But you do realize you’ve got to continue your training soon, right?
“So, you’re going to turn my new room into a torture chamber, too?”
Torture chamber?
Asher responded me back with a feigning innocence.
I’d call it the gateway to your transformation. Trust me, I am going to make a masterpiece out of you.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
My heart skipped a beat. Aster had that gleam in his voice—the kind that meant intense training, maybe even the grueling ‘break-you-into-a-million-pieces’ kind of training.
But for now, I decided to ignore it, pushing the dread aside.
“Let me at least enjoy this bed for a few hours,” I mumbled, sinking back into the softness, savoring the luxury beneath me, before sleep inevitably pulled me under.
Just as I was finally sinking into peaceful slumber, a sharp jolt ripped through my body, jolting me awake.
I shot up, heart pounding, and looked around in confusion. "W-what was that?"
Wake up, genius. It’s the perfect time to sneak out.
Aster’s voice snapped through my thoughts, a mix of impatience and excitement. I blinked twice trying to clear the fog of sleep. It was the middle of the night.
“You’ve lost it, haven’t you? It’s pitch dark out!” I hissed.
Exactly.
He replied back, with a tone dripping with mischief.
Night’s our best time to gather intel. We’re going to the library—I need to update my data on this world.
“The library?” I nearly shouted, catching myself just in time.
“You want us to sneak out... to read?”
Oh, please. Stop acting like I’m dragging you to your doom. This floor’s deserted, remember? Just us, the library, and some oblivious servants who couldn’t care less about a doll who sucks his thumb forever.
Despite myself, I felt a spark of intrigue. Sleep was tempting, but the thought of discovering more about this world and magic was far more alluring. I needed answers, and if Aster knew where to find them...
“Alright, let’s go,” I whispered, slipping out of bed and quietly opening the door. The corridor was pitch black, but thanks to the night vision I gained from my first transformation, I could see clearly.
I slipped through the shadowy halls and arrived at the library. But, of course, nothing was ever that simple.
“The door’s locked,” I muttered, rattling the handle in frustration.
Of course it’s locked, genius. Who’d leave it open?
Aster buzzed in my mind, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
I let out a sigh. “So, what’s the plan now?”
Well...
He trailed off, as if savoring the suspense.
----------------------------------------
My eyes widened.
“No. Absolutely not.”
Apparently, Aster’s “brilliant” idea was for me to climb over my balcony railing, leap across a 20-inch gap to the adjacent balcony, and somehow reach the library that way. I stared at the narrow ledge and the dizzying drop below.
You can’t even handle a little gap? And you’re dreaming about revenge?
Aster taunted.
“That’s... different,” I grumbled, glancing down and feeling my stomach flip.
Who knows how much your sister is suffering right now, and here you are, making excuses?
I groaned. Whenever he sensed me hesitate, Aster would pull the 'sister card’ to rile me up. And, like clockwork, it worked every time.
Fired up, I gritted my teeth and climbed over the railing. After taking a deep breath, I launched myself toward the next balcony. But gravity had other plans. Halfway across, I felt my momentum falter, and I began to fall—my heart lurched as I scrambled for anything to hold onto. Miraculously, my fingers latched onto the iron balcony railing, leaving me dangling mid-air like some amateur acrobat.
“I told you this was a terrible idea!” I hissed at Aster, clinging to the rail for dear life.
Oh, please. You actually made it.
He responded, clearly entertained.
I thought we’d have to crawl back to ground zero.
“Shut it,” I muttered, gritting my teeth as I tried to pull myself up.
Two more jumps.
Aster chimed in cheerily.
I rolled my eyes. “You better hope I survive this, or you’re going down with me.”
Trust me—you’ll survive. And by the end of this, you’ll thanks me for training you.
I swear, if I could just punch you, you’d be lying half-dead right now," I shot in frustration, shaking off the nerves.
Too bad for you, partner.
Aster replied smugly.
Now, let’s pick up the pace. We’ve got five hours to keep this little outing under wraps.
I sighed, steadying myself. “Fine. Let’s get it over with.”
My first attempt failed miserably, but on the second try, I managed to hoist myself onto the balcony and landed safely on the balcony. Well, I don't want to admit it, but this was all the result of Asher training that allow me to safely land on ground instead of falling. After my second jump, I started to feel a little more confident.
“Piece of cake."
I mutter, jumping my final leap which went smoothly, and I landed perfectly on the library’s balcony. My hands shot up in victory as I opened the door. Whether by luck or sheer coincidence, it was unlocked. I slipped inside, feeling Aster’s excitement radiating through my mind.
There must have been over 2,000 books lining the shelves. I could practically see Aster drooling, his imaginary eyes wide with the thrill of knowledge. Before I could even take a step, he shouted, practically vibrating with excitement.
The history section! Get me to the history section, quick!
“Alright, alright! Calm down,” I chuckled. “We’re already here; no need to pop a circuit.”
I quickly made my way to the section Aster had practically drooled over. There were around fifty books lining the shelves, and I grabbed one at random. The cover read "History of the Eldoria Empire." Without wasting any time, I opened to the first page, but before I could even start reading, Aster’s voice buzzed impatiently in my mind.
Next.
“Next?” I muttered, barely having processed the first two words on the page.
“I’ve only read a single line!”
Ah, did I forget to mention?
Aster said, his tone unbothered.
I have a scanning ability. One second, and I’ve stored all the data. I’ll sort and transfer the important parts to you later.
“What?” I internally shouted. “Why didn’t you tell me that sooner?”
Aster sighed dramatically.
You didn’t ask, and it’s not like I had many chances to flaunt my skills these past two years. Now, shall we keep going?
Shaking my head, I flipped to the next page, then the next, turning the pages rapidly for my self-proclaimed “genius partner” to gather as much data as possible. His skill of instant data transfer made things far easier than expected. Page after page, book after book, Aster collected information faster than I’d ever thought possible.
By the time dawn crept over the horizon, we’d scanned through nearly the entire history section, gathering volumes on the Eldoria Empire, our domain, and some introductory texts on magic. Exhausted but exhilarated, I slipped back to my room, feeling like we’d stolen the knowledge of a lifetime.