“Alex,” Alice softly whispered, leaning in close as her fingers gently traced along the side of my face while her other hand rested on my shoulder. “May I?”
Nervously swallowing as she was getting closer, I licked my lips.
“We shouldn’t do this, Alice. . .” I grabbed her wrist, taking a deep breath. “W-what if it doesn’t work out? The consequences–”
“Don’t tell me you’ll deny feeling a spark?” Alice was persistent, tired of waiting. We were alone in my room, and both wanted it badly. “Don’t be afraid. You know you want to do it too.”
“Alice. . .” I mumbled, letting go of her wrist.
She was right, and I couldn’t deny my desires any longer. Giving in to her silvery whispers, I nodded and let her be in control. No matter what happened afterward, we were going to deal with it, and despite knowing her parents would’ve likely been against it, I still chose to go through with it.
“It’ll be fine. . .” She whispered one last time before her fingers dug underneath the bandages, pulling them off slowly.
The spark she talked about was a surge of energy that passed through me when the ritual’s effect supposedly ended. It was a sign Asia told us to look out for while she was away at a nearby village. Unless I was wrong, which I doubted, the time for me to set my sight on the world finally came. The only problem was that it happened sooner than anyone expected.
We could’ve probably waited for her parents to finish their daily duties, but I felt I’d be more comfortable if it was done with Alice alone and not in a room full of people.
Hearing the bandages unwrapping as she pulled them off, my heart started pounding.
“You can look now,” she whispered excitedly.
Grabbing hold of my knees as I sat on the edge of the bed, I took a deep breath and shyly peeked. Seeing the light for the first time in months invited a warm feeling in my heart, encouraging me to look confidently and allow my blurry vision to adjust to the sudden change.
To think that the first sight I would be exposed to was Alice’s irresistible smile as my eyes slowly turned their gaze toward hers. They were like gemstones, her amethyst eyes demanding my attention, making it impossible for me to look away and leaving me speechless.
Caught staring, Alice’s fair skin started turning pink as her fingers fidgeted with her golden hair, but even the flustered feeling wasn’t enough to get her to avert her gaze and break eye contact.
“So. . . How do I look?” She teased, kicking one foot behind the other before spinning on her heel.
Her question snapped me out, and a coy smirk appeared on my face as I leaned forward, resting my elbow on my knee.
“Beautiful,” I whispered, truly believing what I said.
Her pupils dilated as Alice hastily yet gracefully turned her back to me, crossing her arms and staring toward the balcony. Even before I said it, I knew the compliment would make her flustered, but I couldn’t resist seeing that.
“Alex, look!” She darted toward the balcony. “It’s snowing.”
Chuckling, I slowly stood up and looked around the room before making my way to her.
There was so much to take in that I didn’t know where to look at first, but my question got answered as soon as I glanced outside, seeing the beautiful city of Thysa from the Palace.
Alice giggled, extending her hand and attempting to catch snowflakes, but they melted as soon as they touched her skin. Still, the winsome smile on her face was enthralling.
“Want to go for a walk?” Alice asked.
“Later. We still have training to do for today.”
“Boring. . .” Alice gazed into my eyes again and sighed. “Can’t believe you want to focus on strengthening in a situation like this.”
“I’m already overwhelmed, so let me get used to it before we explore the city again.”
“Fine, fine. . .” She looked at the sky, opening her mouth and sticking out her tongue until a snowflake fell on it. Satisfied, she turned back toward the room and hopped back in. “Come on. I have a feeling I’m close to a breakthrough.”
“Is that so?” I smirked as we returned to training.
“You’ll see, I’ll be the youngest ninth. . . No, tenth circle mage in history!”
“Shall we make it a race?” I joked.
“You just want to be second place, don’t you?” She looked back, sticking her tongue at me.
“We’ll see. . .”
When we got back to strengthening, it took less than an hour before a wave of mana passed through the room as Alice finally broke through to the second circle.
“Y–Yes. . . Yes. Yes! YES!” She jumped joyously and started running around the room. “Ha! That’s one down and seven more to go.”
“Giving up on the tenth circle?” I teased with a proud smirk.
“Wait. . . eight! Eight more to go.” She turned to me with her arms crossed and a smug grin. “Let it be known–. . .”
“What?” I asked, confused as she suddenly went quiet.
“Never mind.” She chuckled, sitting back down.
“You were about to give yourself some embarrassing title, weren’t you?”
“No. . .” She averted her gaze, flustered.
“Let me guess. Alice the Great or. . . Alice Kelthyra, the Princess of Thysa and Queen of Magic?”
“Stop. . .” She giggled shyly, covering her mouth.
“Don’t worry. I’ll think of something cool. Eventually.” I chuckled. “But, Alice.”
“Hmm?” She lowered her hand, looking back at me with a joyous smile.
“Be proud.”
“Thank you,” she said, looking out the window. “What a day, huh?”
“Want to ruin it with a duel?” I asked, eager to cross swords again.
She shook her head, taking me by surprise.
“Let’s just enjoy today,” she whispered, looking content. “Besides, my core needs to settle for a few days, so how about dueling in a week? It’ll give me enough time to learn a new trick or two.”
“Sounds like a challenge.” I nodded in agreement, excited to see what we could both do now.
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That night I had a hard time falling asleep as I was lying in bed surrounded by darkness. The clouds covered the moon, and since my eyes hadn’t healed until earlier today, we completely forgot to bring candles or a lantern to my room. Still, using Mana Sense was an easy solution as it allowed me to see in the dark, but I hadn’t used it once since the healing ritual. Maybe I was afraid it wouldn’t work now that I had been healed.
Letting out a drawn-out sigh, I knew I had to do it eventually.
I pushed myself up and leaned against the headboard, closing my eyes. The next time I opened them, I would’ve reactivated Mana Sense, and the whole room would’ve been visible, except when I opened my eyes, an unbearable headache forced me to grab hold of the sheets.
“Fuck.” I grunted, thankful that the pain was only in passing.
Mana Sense didn’t fail. For a second, I was able to sense everything in the room, and even though there was no light, everything became clearly visible, though colorless.
“Maybe if I just tried sensing things, it won’t hurt?” I theorized out loud.
Focusing my attention only on the ability to sense everything around me, I closed my eyes again and took a deep breath.
“It worked!” I raised my voice, opening my eyes to a pitch-black room, but without the pain. “Hmm. . . Maybe it’s just strenuous to have regular sight on top of Mana Sense.”
It was instinctive, but I managed to tame my Mana Sense in a way that wouldn’t cause pain as the room revealed itself again, colorless. However, that all changed again as the clouds stopped obscuring the moon briefly, giving color to everything it illuminated.
I got out of bed and went to the balcony to test the range of Mana Sense, but my eyes were drawn to the snow-covered city of Thysa before I looked up at the moon, seeing how beautiful it was for the first time in months.
Clouds soon obscured the moon again, making the city pitch dark apart from the somewhat lit streets that the lantern posts dimly lit.
Again I could see everything, but my range extended only as far as three, maybe four times greater than my ability to sense things. Considering I was healthy again, it was enough. Besides, I believed that as long as I worked hard, I could use it again limitlessly. Now that I had magic, anything was possible if I worked hard enough.
Realizing how cold it was outside my room, I quickly got back inside and snuck under my sheets.
Though it was brief, my experiment was a success. I learned that as long as there was no light, I could rely on Mana Sense to guide me. It seemed as if my regular sight was dominant, leaving Mana Sense to reveal unlit areas simultaneously.
“A week, huh?” I mumbled to myself, turning to the side.
I was excited to have a duel with Alice again.
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Standing in the snow-covered training grounds with Elwyn overlooking our duel, Alice and I drew our swords and prepared to have our first duel in weeks.
“Ready?” Elwyn asked, looking at Alice and then me as we both nodded. “Let the duel. . . begin!”
“Stride.” I was finally able to see the emerald-colored mana that engulfed me each time I cast the spell.
However, while I was admiring the colors, Alice was already lunging at me with her sword empowered with mana.
“Sword Burst.” She didn’t hesitate to start strong.
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
“Shield.” The shimmering yellow barrier formed around me, deflecting her attack as she backstepped immediately.
Alice clicked her tongue, noticing my barrier was sturdier than before. Now that I had an upper core, my spells were no longer hindered when casting, making them more efficient.
“It seems I can’t–”
“Blink.” I interrupted her, appearing on Alice’s flank.
Her insane reaction time allowed her to sidestep my thrust while countering with an upward diagonal slash of her own. However, flourishing my blade inward redirected her blade outward, allowing me to create distance between us.
“I was talking. . .” She was annoyed but smirked nonetheless.
Even though I was far away, I swung my blade horizontally before casting mid-strike, “Blink.”
“Shield!” She cast hastily, barely managing to stop my preemptive attack, a trick I hoped would catch her off guard. Without saying a word, I continued my attack, attempting to tackle her to the ground but was surprised to find her extending her swordless hand toward me. Mana gathered as a devilish grin appeared on her face. “Gust.”
Out of nowhere, strong wind blasted me away, causing me to fall prone. Alice showcased a new spell I had never seen before, and by the looks of it, it was a first-circle spell.
“When–” I foolishly tried to speak, thinking she’d let me get up, but it took her a split second to charge toward me with intent to thrust toward my chest. “Shield!”
“Sword Burst!” She channeled mana into her attack, causing the barrier to crack and forcing me to dive to the right as her sword pierced the ground.
Doing a kip-up was the fastest way for me to get up, which turned out to be a lot harder in the snow that now obscured my vision as I rolled around in it and had some stuck on my face. Luckily, Mana Sense bailed me out, allowing me to defend against her flurry despite being blinded.
“Blink.” I created distance.
“Blink.” She teleported next to me, refusing to give me even a second to find my balance.
The sound of clashing swords echoed throughout the training ground as we danced, constantly threatening to hit each other with repetitive counterattacks.
Alice’s swordplay was still superior, giving her an advantage in our exchanges; however, she struggled to get through my defensive stance.
“Shield!” I blocked her attack unexpectedly using a spell instead of dodging or parrying, hoping I’d take her by surprise.
“Paralysis.” She clenched her fist, causing translucent mana to gather around me, causing my muscles to ache as I felt my momentum come to a sudden stop.
While an invisible barrier restrained my body, essentially paralyzing me on the spot, Alice used her opportunity to counterattack. However, a desperate grunt escaped me as I fought against the spell with all my might, tensing up my body until I resisted the effect, giving me just enough time to block.
“Blink!” I teleported backward, keeping my eye on her. “What the hell was that?!”
“A second-circle spell.” She smirked proudly, flourishing her sword. “You like it?”
“Terrifying.” I wiped the snow and sweat off my face while gasping for air. Victory seemed nearly impossible. “Learned any more tricks?”
“Just one,” she said, raising her sword at an angle. “Wind Slice!”
Mana empowered her sword as she swung downward, unleashing a thin air current.
“Shield!” I was forced to block as it required less effort than choosing a point for teleportation.
The wind clashed with the barrier, failing to penetrate.
“Blink.” Alice never intended to defeat me using such an attack, appearing in front of me with a thrust attack. I went to block only to realize it was a feint. “Gust.”
Blasting me from point blank again, I was helpless against her spell as I braced yet failed to stay on my feet.
I thought about casting Blink, but I’d still be prone, and she’d just easily follow.
“Shield!” I cast, attempting to block her slash while holding my sword defensively.
Seeing her on top of me again was frightening as her pace was relentless.
“Sword Burst!” She channeled mana into her blade again, cutting through the barrier and hitting my sword instead. Disarming me by sending my sword flying to the side, she turned her edge toward my neck. “Admitting defeat?”
Alice’s profuse pace left her gaze feeling underwhelming as she playfully smiled while looking down at me. She didn’t care which one of us was truly stronger, nor did winning matter as much as she sometimes made it seem. Instead, all she cared about was the thrill of training with me. The thing I loved most about fighting her was that at no point did she underestimate me, which in itself showed how much she cared to show respect.
Staring into her eyes as her golden hair fell over her shoulder, I thought about what to do.
“Not yet,” I said, grinning as I still sensed my sword without looking. “Blink.”
Appearing next to my sword prone was still better than giving up.
Reaching for my sword, I noticed mana swirl around my sword as Alice mumbled, “Gust.”
The sword I hoped to pick up flew across the snowy ground, landing at Alice’s feet. She stepped on it, making sure I knew getting it was impossible.
“What about now?” she asked, still looking sharp and battle-ready.
Pushing myself to one knee, I looked at her and sighed in defeat.
“The win is yours,” I said, deciding it was pointless to continue.
Alice could bombard me with Wind Slice, and I’d still need to get the sword while avoiding her swordplay. At best, we’d run out of mana at the same time, assuming that her capacity was around the same as mine because I had two cores, but hers was stronger.
She sighed in relief, stepping away from the sword and dropping back on her butt.
“That was tiring.” Alice yawned deeply, which was surprising considering how energetic she usually was.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, standing back up and walking over to her. “Didn’t sleep well?”
“Casting second-circle spells is exhausting since I’m not used to it yet, and I’ve been upcasting with more mana than I’d normally use for Sword Burst and Gust to make them more effective.”
“I see. . .”
That explained why she pierced my barrier with ease the second time despite the poor angle. It made up for the lack of physical power needed to penetrate at the expense of more mana. After all, Shield was a far cry from a perfect defensive spell. The sturdiness varied depending on the amount of mana used, level of control, and timing. Even a non-magical sword attack or an arrow could pierce it if done or timed poorly.
“Which is why you’ll be focusing on training your second-circle core instead of strengthening,” Elwyn said, having caught up with us leisurely.
“But you said I’d reach third circle by the end of the year. There’re only a few weeks left.” She looked confused.
“As long as I’m your teacher, you’ll do as I say.” He grinned, knowing she couldn’t say no. “Besides, it’s not me being heartless. I’m just looking out for you.”
“Is rapid strengthening bad?” I asked, curious as to why he’d insist on a different training method than what he had told her before.
“It wouldn’t be a problem for most since breakthroughs are rare, but considering how fast she progressed, it’d be detrimental to her. She needs time to adjust to her new core before making another breakthrough, or she won’t be able to control her power without tediously fighting through the exhaustion.”
“Then why did you tell me I’d be third circle by the end of the year?”
“Because, dear, you wouldn’t shut up about it until you heard what you wanted to hear.” He burst into a belly laugh. “Ah, if you only knew how hard it was all these years to keep you from strengthening your core. . .”
Alice huffed, annoyed that she was lied to, saying, “How am I supposed to be the youngest ninth-circle mage in history if I constantly have to stop strengthening?”
“Do you even know how old the youngest mage was that reached the ninth circle?” Elwyn asked.
“N–No?” She mumbled awkwardly.
“Thirty-six, a professor at the academy.”
That was older than I expected.
“That’s. . . older than I thought,” Alice admitted.
“The point is, you have time. Don’t rush it in the beginning as did I. It’ll cause you problems in the future.”
“Does that mean I’ll have to wait after every breakthrough before strengthening again?” Alice asked, letting out a sigh.
“No, since breaking into other circles will take significantly longer. In other words, you’ll have enough time to get used to it while preparing for your next breakthrough.”
“Fine,” she lowered her tone, still sounding annoyed. “But do you think I could do it? Do you think I could achieve ninth circle before the age of thirty-six?”
“Alice, if I tell you what I think, promise me you won’t let it get to your head.”
“Dad, I know you’re harsh on us for our own good, and Mom already told me we were peerless talents as soon as Alex became your student. That didn’t stop me from training hard, and what you tell me now won’t change that either. If anything, it’ll only motivate me to try harder so that I don’t disappoint you as your student.”
“Alice. . .” Elwyn sighed. “You could never disappoint me, dear.”
“Maybe, but I certainly want to make you both proud.” She smiled, pushing her hair behind her ear somewhat shyly.
“Hmph. Like mother like daughter.” He returned the smile, crossing his arms. “Very well. . . Alice, I suspect you could reach the ninth circle within five to six years. That would make you the youngest mage to reach such a goal by a landslide, but only if you train tenaciously.”
“Really?” Her eyes went wide, a shocking revelation to me too. Alice’s gaze shifted onto me. “What about Alex?”
“Three years,” he didn’t hesitate to answer.
“Woah!” Alice looked baffled. “Wait. . . That means I’ll never be the youngest to do so!”
She smirked, gazing at me passionately.
“Oh no. . . I know that look,” I mumbled, terrified of Alice’s determination to catch up to me if what Elwyn said was true.
“But. . .” Elwyn cut in. “That was my initial impression.”
“What changed?” I asked.
“I underestimated the difficulty of having two cores. If anything, I now doubt you’ll achieve ninth circle within less than ten.”
“Ten?” Alice sounded disappointed, probably hoping we’d be closer to each other. “That’s drastically longer. Why?”
“If he only had his solid core, my answer would remain unchanged, but with the amount of mana and instability the two cores force upon Alex, I can’t be certain.” He kept looking at me. “If I’m being honest, those are just rough estimates. For both.”
“So maybe you’re wrong?” Alice asked. “Knowing Alex, I’m sure he’ll find a faster way.”
“Both of you listen up,” Elwyn’s tone shifted. We could tell he was serious. “Life is unpredictable at best. Even with all the foresight in the world, you still can’t predict everything that’ll happen in the future. You could hit an immovable wall that’ll prevent you from making any progress for years. You could stumble upon an ancient secret or a veil of mana that’ll help speed up your strengthening. Your core might crack countless times; war can break out; you might never even reach past third circle. I’ve often been more right than wrong with my predictions, but that doesn’t turn my word into facts.”
His warning was heavy, but Alice and I exchanged a glance, nodding to each other with smiles on.
“Then all we can do is forget what you’ve said and focus on training to the best of our abilities!” Alice proudly said, crossing her arms like her father, keeping her chin up.
“Exactly.” Elwyn chuckled. “But. . . You two won’t be sparing anymore.”
“What? Why?” Alice asked before I could even react. “That’s the best part.”
“You’re too used to each other by now and must fight different opponents. From now on, you’ll be fighting against some of our knights and trainees,” Elwyn explained but noticed Alice wasn’t pleased by his reasoning at all. “It’s only for one or two hours a day. You can still do other types of training together and compete. Besides, wouldn’t you want to see what he could learn in the upcoming months? Maybe he’ll finally snatch a win.”
“I hope so. . .” I awkwardly chuckled, scratching my head.
“Okay,” Alice mumbled, dropping her gaze. “So, will we duel before he leaves?”
“Of course! How else will we tell how far you two got?” Elwyn tried lifting her spirits, but Alice wasn’t getting as cheerful as he’d hoped. “We’ll hold the duel the day before his departure.”
“Fine by me,” I voiced my opinion.
“Sure,” Alice lifted her chin up, giving her father an approving nod.
After the conversation, we decided to take a break for the rest of the day and enjoy having fun around the city; a welcome break after having my ass beat while giving me a chance to cheer Alice up.
Chapter End.
Thank you for reading.
Alice Kelthyra Official Artwork
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[https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/944658630832193547/1038857808923340880/Nicola_commission.png]