READERS DISCRETION IS ADVISED - This Chapter contains some uncomfortable topics even though they have been toned down from the original/uncensored version.
Habondia's world had crumbled around her, leaving her isolated and adrift. The once tight bond with her friends shattered beyond repair, leaving a gaping void in her heart. The absence of Joanne who had been expelled, and the silence from Jonna who couldn’t muster the strength to talk, weighed heavily on her young shoulders.
Seeking solace in the arms of Lady Du Bellay, the kind nurse who offered a comforting presence, and Flavia Sains, the psychology professor, who saw potential in her that she couldn't see in herself, Habondia clung to the fragments of support she had left. Professor Emrys and Völundr, with their enigmatic ways, became her pillars in the storm of her life.
Professor Sains, with her gentle encouragement, tried to draw Habondia out of her shell, to no avail. The walls she had built around herself seemed impenetrable, shielding her fragile heart from further pain. It wasn't until Völundr, with his mysterious aura, made his move.
At the tender age of fifteen, Völundr took it upon himself to mentor Habondia in the arts of alchemy and goldsmithing. Under the guise of teaching her new skills, he delved deeper, probing her physical and mental limits. Their sessions became intense, a mix of physical training and psychological evaluation disguised as necessary preparation.
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Swordplay, archery, shield defense; Völundr pushed her to excel in ways she never thought possible. Karate sessions with Völundr’s Japanese acquaintance tested her limits, pushing her body to its breaking point. Despite the grueling training, Habondia rose to the challenge.
By the time she turned seventeen, a shadow loomed over her, earning her the title of the school ghost. Whispers followed her, and fear danced in the eyes of her peers, yet few truly knew the depths of her struggles. Habondia became a mystery, a puzzle waiting to be solved, but with each passing day, the mystery only deepened.
When Jonna extended an olive branch, inviting her to her graduation celebration at her grand mansion in France, Habondia's initial reaction was one of hesitation. The invitation, the airship ticket, and the promise of an all-expenses-paid trip beckoned to her, but the wounds of the past still festered. Sorrowfully, Habondia never left the school’s premises.
As Jonna returned to the school months later, preparing to assist Professor Emrys in his work, the distance between them felt insurmountable.
Habondia's days blurred together. The weight of expectations bore down on her fragile shoulders, threatening to crush her spirit. Amid the chaos, she sought solace in the quiet moments, the stolen glances out of classroom windows, the whispered conversations in empty corridors.
The scent of ink and parchment filled her nostrils as she buried herself in her studies, the soft rustle of pages turning a comforting. The distant sound of laughter echoed through the halls, whereas she spent her days in the library studying.
Habondia's heart yearned for the warmth of friendship, for the easy laughter and shared secrets of days long gone. But as she stood on the precipice of adulthood, breaking her protecting shell seemed even more impossible.