TF Chapter 15 Interlude; Celeste

Tap! Tap! Tap!

Multiple sounds of shoes clinking against the stone floor entered my ears as I was wondering why I had been summoned? I spent very little time with my students, but I loved every minute of it, so, being summoned so abruptly brought a sour taste in my mouth. I would have never expected teaching to be this fascinating!

I skipped along humming to myself. The others were staring at me weirdly, but that didn't matter as I had already gotten used to it. Some were even mocking my childish behaviour...something that I had also gotten used to ever since I had been a teen. What I had wasn't a disease or a condition, just that I hated the serious and boring world. I wanted to have freedom and fun.

Though, so far, my students hadn't seen this side of me as I had to act in a very serious manner, which was fun by the way. Though, I will never become a very serious and boring version of an adult. I had sworn against that ages ago.

"So, why are we being summoned?" I hopped up to the nearest person, a man with a serious expression on his face. He was dressed casually, but with a single look I could see that he was uncomfortable in the clothes...he probably had a preference for suits.

His widened eyes and startled expression told me that he had been in deep thought, since there is no way he would have missed my antics.

"Why are you within my domain?" He asked with a frown on his face. If this had been outside, he would have probably already activated his own version of metallic or whatever armor and attacked instantly. It was a big no no to step into someone else's spiritual domain without their permission, but what was the use of such idiotic rules? How were these people supposed to enjoy their lives with such attitudes? Could it be that they planned to spend the rest of their lives interacting with just normal people?

Even now, in this corridor, people were walking with wide spaces between them. How sad! During the first year of the academy, they had probably been happy and friendly, but now, they were wary of each other...

"Don't worry, I have absolutely no intention of attacking you. I was only curious." I patted his back with familiarity. This was how people ought to interact!

At the first tap though, I caught a silvery metal coated fist heading right for me, causing me to leap away from the man.

"There was no need for such an attack, right?" He's lucky that he didn't have any intent at killing me or else...

After leaping away, I trotted away, passing him and a few others to continue my journey. With that one action of mine, I had figured out that there was no one at all who knew the answer.

Those who had been planning to move in the shadows against one of my students had surely been caught off guard...they will probably be safe, right? I was worried, but this summons had been issued as an order, something that couldn't be ignored.

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Exiting the rock tunnel, I was deposited into a spacious hall, as large as a football field. I had been here multiple times, but I was still astonished by its size nontheless. Many had already arrived and were standing in lines, each, having people who had graduated from their year for up to 30 years of graduates.

If even those who were that further up on the forger path had been summoned, it looked like the matter was serious. I was even sure that most of those here hadn't even been on the continent, having arrived from outside, since I could spot one such person among those who had graduated in my year.

I took a step, activating the metal atoms coating my feet to reduce the friction, causing me to slide over to where I wanted. The people I passed gazed at me weirdly once again, but it didn't matter. What was the point of having abilities, if not to make life easier? That's why I hated most forgers. They treated the profession as if it was sacred, using their powers only when they deemed it as a need...

I puffed out a breath as my feet slid along the stone floor.

On arriving at my destination, I came to a stop, with the people of my year too, looking at me with same gazes as the others.

"If it isn't Celeste. You are still the same, acting as childishly as ever."

The voice was grating to the ears. It was someone I would have really not wanted to bump into, but here she was.

"Annette, you lack the courage to be like me, isn't that why you always mouth off when I appear?" I plastered a grin onto my face and asked, my arms deliberately crossing below my breasts to increase their prominence. This was another thing that this woman hated, that mine were bigger than hers by a large margin. You could even say that she was literally a flat board.

As she fumed silently, I moved my gaze onto the ceiling, where the luminous stones were scattering their meager light into this hall. These stones were something that many forgers had researched, yet failed to find a way to replicate. I loved how mysterious this continent was, but I also knew that it had also created a kind of shackle. Due to a lack of detailed information, a forger's path ultimately came to a halt at the third level, where further advancement became dangerous and uncertain.

What did we need to advance further? Nathaniel had the key. I had had to make him think that there might be others like him to prevent him from getting a big head, but it was bound to become exposed the moment the assassins started their assaults...I had been careless when I had revealed that information to the entire council. It would have been better if I had only confided my father...probably.

But, I was going to make sure that I protected him. Those who thought that they could just kill my student were going to be mistaken the moment they moved!

As I made such an inner declaration, my spirit flared for a moment, attracting the attention of others, particularly Annette, who also flared her own.

"You think too highly of yourself my dear Annette. I don't have any thought of attacking you." I spoke with disinterest. It also served as a way to calm the others down, who had been worried that they might have to intervene in our cat fight.

"Head outside this city to board the crafts which have been prepared. There is no moment to waste! The situation at hand has been deemed Stage Crimson! Further information will be provided once you are aboard! Hurry up!"

I was shocked at such serious sounding words, not just me, but all the others, yet, we didn't waste any time, activating all our means to get out of this hall, out of this city and into the crafts. That had been the voice of my father...the gravitas within was something I had never heard before. This meant that whatever situation had arisen was perilous!