Tugging on the fluffy blanket that embraced me and shoving my arm underneath the pillow, I blissfully turned to my side; my body yearned for a good night’s rest after being forced through relentless training day in and day out. Sighing in relief, surrounded by serene silence, I peeked through my half-closed eyes, noticing Alice sleeping beside me with a placid smile.

Still sleepy, I didn’t even question what she was doing in my bed, but knowing that she wasn’t up and running around, it must’ve meant I had woken up in the middle of the night. While contemplating if getting up was worth it, a yawn caused me to relax and fall back soundly asleep.

If only I knew what shock I was in for in the morning.

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Stretching my arms up as I’d rested enough, I opened my eyes to see a room vastly different than my own. Even the smell didn’t match, as there was an enthralling feminine scent that seemed all too familiar.

“Did the sleeping beauty decide to wake up?” Alice’s soft-spoken voice startled me as my heart skipped a beat.

“Alice!” I yelled, surprised to see her sitting beside me with a book in hand, wearing a light-colored cotton dress that reached up to the middle of her thighs, looking more like a nightgown than something she’d wear in public.

“You. . . okay?” She looked at me confused, flipping over to the next page.

“Where am I?” I mumbled, looking desperately around the room for anything that disproved the obvious. “Don’t tell me. . .”

She giggled, closing her book halfway, setting it down on her thighs while she stretched her legs out and curled her toes. “My room?”

“How long was I asleep?” I looked out the window, noticing it was still morning.

“Considering you passed out before lunch yesterday, I’d say long enough to earn the title of a helpless maiden cursed with eternal slumber.”

“This isn’t funny,” I said, baffled by how lightly she was taking our situation.

“Relax. Why are you so worked up about this? I’d expect you to be in a better mood after sleeping for so long.”

“This has nothing to do with how long I slept but where I slept,” I explained, touching my chest to feel for my clothes. Thankfully I was still in the same outfit I wore to Alice’s room, minus the boots. “You can’t tell me that you don’t realize how things could go wrong if anyone found out I slept in the princess’ room?”

“There you go again, making a big deal over something.” Alice shook her head and sighed. “Do you think I’d let you sleep here if I wasn’t okay with it? Besides, we slept together in a tent far smaller than this bed.”

“It’s not the same, and-”

“Stop.” She gazed into my eyes, pulling her knees up to her chest and tilting her head back. “I get what you’re saying, but stop. What happened to the carefree attitude from yesterday?”

“I didn’t think it’d actually happen,” I admitted, taking a deep breath. “Your parents will kill me if they find out.”

“Is that all you’re worried about?” She furrowed her brow.

“We’re talking about me dying. . .” I exaggerated the dying part.

“Don’t worry. Nobody comes up here,” she reassured me, softening her tone with a shy smile. “And even if they do find out, so what? You’re totally the type to survive.”

“I give up. . .” I dramatically exhaled as she kept trying to keep it light.

“Good. . .” she mumbled, averting her gaze briefly before looking back at me again. “By the way, how come you were so slow to react?”

“Huh?” I had no idea what she meant.

“Well, you used to notice me before I even approached you while asleep, and now you don’t while awake. Did something change?”

“Ah, that’s what you meant.”

“Is your Mana Sense affected by comfort?”

“Nah, but you’re close. The truth is, I’d been practicing restricting Mana Sense to just my sight, preventing myself from sensing everything around me.”

“Why would you do that?” She looked confused.

“Well, there are a handful of reasons. It’s difficult to fall asleep when your mind is overwhelmed by information. Imagine trying to sleep with your eyes open while overthinking things.”

“Sounds horrible,” she didn’t hesitate to comment.

“It is, but that’s not the only reason. There’s also the fact that learning how to control my power is important if I ever hope to make it stronger.”

“Sounds ridiculous already. What more could you ask of it?” She chuckled.

“Well, my range is about ten meters, but what if I learn to control it, then maybe I can increase it to twelve or maybe all the way to fifteen?”

“And you’re refraining from using its full power all this time?”

“Nah, only when we’re in the palace chilling. We might be safe, but I still want to feel at ease knowing nobody’s following us.”

“I see. . .” she mumbled, but then a coy smirk appeared on her face.

“What was that?” I asked, raising my eyebrows.

“What was what?” She acted ignorant.

“That smirk. What are you planning?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Alice giggled, placing the book she had on the bedside table.

“Right. . .” I squinted my eyes for a second. “Anyway, what were you reading?”

“Oh, that? It’s just an old novel my mom read me when I was a kid. Talking to you about books made me want to revisit some and possibly give new ones a try. Think you can recommend me something or is that too much to do considering I’m a princess?”

“Listen here, smartass. . .” I said with a mischievous grin as I poked her ribs, a spot she learned not too long ago was vulnerable against tickling.

We went back and forth for a bit as she wouldn’t stop making fun of me, but once we settled down and chatted for a bit longer, we left to see her mother.

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I’m not sure why, but every time I had to go in with Alice to her mother’s office, I felt slightly nervous, and what happened earlier didn’t help. There was also the fact that they hadn’t seen me since yesterday afternoon, which made me wonder if they had figured out where I was.

Alice didn’t hesitate to take the initiative and knock on the door. Probably for the best, as I tended to idle around while mentally preparing to go in. However, neither of us expected her to open the door for us instead of inviting us in.

“Ah, it’s you.” Sylphena stepped to the side with a book in hand, holding the door for us. “Come in.”

“Were you expecting someone else?” Alice asked as we walked in, knowing we agreed to meet after breakfast.

If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

“It’s been a. . . busy morning. Let’s just say that.” She sighed, walking over to a bookshelf to return the book. “Slept well?”

“Yeah. I pushed myself a bit too much,” Alice admitted.

“What about you, Alex?” Sylphena asked with her back turned to me.

“I. . . umm.” Alice noticed I froze up, so she decided to elbow me while her mother wasn’t looking. “Yeah, slept great. I don’t remember the last time I felt so well rested.”

“Good, because after you’ll be meeting Elwyn in the garden before he sends you off.” Sylphena sighed, turning around with a smile before walking over to Alice. With a hand on her daughter’s shoulder, she said, “Sweetie. I didn’t want to bother you yesterday, but before you go around pushing yourself like that again, think carefully about what it’ll do to you. You’re as ambitious as you are stubborn. I’d expect no less from my daughter, but you need to learn to temper your eagerness, or you’ll hit a wall that’s hard to recover from.”

“I know. . .” Alice mumbled, sounding as if she brushed off her mother’s comment, but the shy smile on her face told a different story. “I’ll work on it.”

“Good,” she whispered, turning her attention toward me. “That goes for you too. Don’t try to make up for lost time just because you were held back for so long. My husband tends not to give out praise, so the two of you don’t get arrogant, but it’s important to be aware of your talents. Sure, you could reach unimaginable heights within a few years, but all that will pale in comparison if you take your time developing the fundamentals. That’s why we told you not to strengthen your core until you’re ready.”

She was right. Truthfully, I needed to hear those words, seeing as I was starting to get frustrated after Alice corrected her faults, widening the gap between us. There were times I thought to myself if only I had more mana or a stronger core, would I be able to win? However, just because I couldn’t beat her didn’t mean that I wasn't significantly stronger than I was when I first arrived.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” I said, thankfully nodding.

“Good, and have you decided what core you wish to hide using my gift?”

Glancing back at Alice, I took a deep breath and said, “The frozen one. We talked about it and came to similar conclusions.”

“Will he still be able to use his core while we’re on our trip?” Alice raised a question I’d been wondering the entire time. “I still don’t get why we’re doing it right now.”

“I’m not sure when his gift will reawaken, and I’d rather preemptively prepare than for everyone to find out. Besides, I wouldn’t have accepted putting a barrier around his frozen core if I believed it would endanger either of you.” It made sense, so we didn’t question it further. “Now, come here and remove your shirt.”

As I was about to take the first step toward the middle of the office, I froze upon processing what she told me to do.

“Huh?” I mumbled, watching as she walked over to the table to pick up what looked to be a crystal bead held in a tiny box.

“Mana must be directly infused if we want to guarantee success. Stop wasting time and get over here.”

I didn’t believe the day could become even more embarrassing than it already was, yet somehow I needed to strip my shirt off in front of Alice and her mother. It quickly turned into one of those unbelievable stories drunkards used to make up at the taverns.

Stripping down to my pants, I took a deep breath, thanking the gods that I worked out daily; however, while her mother prepared for a ritual, I dared look at Alice, who I caught staring at me.

She didn’t even attempt to look away, making me question what she was thinking about, but then the memory of how we first met back at the pond had me turning red. I quickly dropped my gaze as I tried desperately to think about anything else.

Sylphena’s warm hand gently traced along my skin from the neck to my abdomen, where it stopped.

“Zariela’s Trace Erasure.”

The air around us became heavy as mana surged out of her core, causing arcane runes to manifest across the area she traced. Initially, I expected it to hurt, so I gritted my teeth, but it turned out to feel more like being hurled into a pool of warm water, rejuvenating my body. She squeezed down on the pearl, causing it to crack, and when her palm opened up, dust flew out of her hand, vaporizing in thin air.

Once the mana settled and I could again take a deep breath, I shifted my focus to the glowing that faded as if a mere illusion was dispelled. On the outside it looked as if nothing had changed, but where once was brimming with power now felt void of anything.

Taking a step back, I placed my hand on my stomach and began panting as if fear had devoured me.

“Alex?” Alice called out to me, looking visibly worried. “What’s wrong?”

“Control your breathing,” Sylphena said, gesturing for me to relax. “You’re in a state of panic.”

I was helpless, breathing heavily, and feeling as if my heart was about to explode, finding myself unable to utter a single word as I begged for help with my gaze alone.

Alice took the initiative, calmly approaching me and gently grabbing my arms. She led my right hand up to her face, making my palm cup her cheek as we stared into each other’s eyes.

“Hey,” Alice’s soft-spoken voice and warm smile tried to reassure me that everything was going to be fine, but the irrational anxiety that swept through me was hard to dissipate. “I know it’s scary, but I’m right here, and I won’t let anything happen to you. Trust me. . .”

Noticing that I was still desperately gasping for air, Alice took my other hand and placed it on her chest as she began to breathe deeply, showing me what to do instead of telling. My body trembled, but her tranquil gaze slowly started to sink in as my breathing slowly synced up with hers.

Feeling dizzy, I finally broke eye contact as my heart rate dropped, but so did my head; however, Alice swiftly let go of my hand that rested on her chest, catching my chin before I collapsed. Her quick reaction saved me from losing consciousness as she made me gaze into her eyes again.

“You’re safe now,” she whispered, remaining calm the entire time. “Nod if you want to go outside. Maybe move around a bit?”

“I’m fine,” I mumbled, regaining the ability to speak.

“Want to sit down?” She asked, not letting go of me once, which felt honestly reassuring.

Sylphena brought a chair over, allowing Alice to guide me to it. She crouched, resting her elbows on my knees while firmly holding my hands. Her top priority was letting me know she wasn’t going anywhere.

“Thanks. . .” My voice was weak, but at least my breathing calmed.

“Can you tell us what happened?” Alice asked.

Sylphena kept her distance, allowing Alice to care for me, seeing as it was working.

“It all disappeared. . .” Biting my lower lip, I struggled to speak.

“You don’t have to force yourself,” she reassured me.

“Alex,” her mother called out to me. “Want me to dispel my gift? However, if I do, we won’t be able to use it again for months.”

I shook my head, understanding that what happened to me was irrational. “I’ll be fine. The powerlessness just devoured me.”

“Just remember that my gift doesn’t erase but simply hides.” Sylphena walked over to the table, took an empty cup, and snapped her fingers. “Conjure Water.”

She walked back to us, handing me the magically filled cup. Alice slowly let go of my right arm, allowing me to reach for it as I took a few large gulps. Sighing in relief, I glanced at Alice, thankful she had tagged along.

“I’m aware, and I know that what just happened might seem irrational, but the emptiness reminded me how helpless I felt when I was caught by Fane.”

“It’s not irrational. You were just startled,” Alice said, squeezing my hand while looking at me compassionately. “I’m surprised you held it in for so long, considering you told me only once what happened with as few details as possible.”

“But he’s gone,” I whispered, taking a deep breath. “I made sure of that.”

“I know, but that doesn’t mean that the feeling of losing control wouldn’t scare you the first time around. I didn’t say this to anyone, but when I first experienced my core cracking I cried in my room, scared that I was going to die. It’s hard losing control over something so familiar.”

“Thank you,” I said as my strength slowly returned. “I’m alright now, and I think I’ve gotten used to it.”

“Of course you are. You’re a survivor, after all.” She chuckled, standing back up and messing with my hair that needed a fresh cut. “However, maybe we should send someone else to recover the flower.”

“No. It has to be us,” I said, sticking firmly with my decision.

“Alright, but only if you promise me that you’ll speak up if you’re feeling overwhelmed again, okay?”

“Oh, don’t worry. I’ll make sure of that if it does happen again. But it won’t. . .”

“Good.”

Alice helped me get back on my feet as I stretched my arms out, regaining full control over myself. It was a unique experience that I hoped I’d never experience again.

“What a day. . .” I mumbled, looking over at Alice’s mother. “Thank you for your help, and sorry for causing such a scene.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. It’s my fault for not being prepared. Had I known in advance, I would’ve asked Asia to come by to help out, but it seems my daughter managed.” She turned to Alice, smiling at her proudly. “Good job, Alice.”

“We should get going. Father must be waiting,” Alice tried changing the subject, feeling embarrassed about receiving praise.

“Oh, Alex. Before you go-” Sylphena spoke up, but she stopped mid-sentence. “Never mind. We’ll talk about it later.”

“Are you sure?” I asked, looking confused.

“A few days won’t make a difference,” she said, but it didn’t sound too convincing. “Stay safe. Both of you.”

“We will,” Alice answered, grabbing my hand. “Let’s go.”

Chapter End.

Thank you for reading.