After the heated conversation between the mother and daughter;
Serenity came back to her dorm room. She closed the door behind her and slid to the ground; only after confirming that no one followed her and that she is completely alone did she finally let her guard down.
She started breathing heavily; the more she tries to control it and calm down, the more suffocating it gets.
She opened the buttons of her dress to give her upper half extra space so she could breathe more naturally.
"Huff...huff...huff...huff."
While her breathing was in chaos, the wound on her face started expelling blood like crazy.
Her body was sweating like crazy but the drops from her sweat turned into thick ice the moment it separated from her body
In panic, she used one hand to stop the bleeding while she put the other one on her neck, moving it up and down as if something was trapped in her throat and needed to get out.
She was trapped in an uncomfortable cycle between the heat of the wond and the freezing cold of her sweat
That scene kept on folding for over an hour or so; when it was really over, she was half-dressed and exhausted on the ground.
"Finally ...huff...huff...I thought I was going to die~."
She removed her hand from over her neck and reached out to her phone. She looked at the time and found it was just 5 pm, but she was so exhausted and covered in sweat.
"Ugh...I need to take a shower..."
When she tried to get up she accidentally bumped her head slightly against the door ; she removed her glasses and put them aside for they cracked.
"I can't believe she released her killing intent on me when I am only a human." Her facial expression showed clear disappointed twards her mother's actions , She rubbed her eyes and was ready to get up.
using one hand, she leaned on the wall, struggling to stand. She removed her black dress completely and left it on the floor. As she walked to the bath, she also removed her shoes and every other item that was still on her body , making her way to the bath.
-fwish-
She took a hot shower ,dried up and changed her clothes as she walked out radient in a simple white nightgown .
"Much better"
She kicked the shoes to the side after she got out, then headed to the cabin beside her bed.
-crack-
She took out a first aid kit; only then did she remove her hand from her wound. The swelling area around the wond was bright red raging with heat . She cleaned the wound and wraped it .
After bandaging the wound, suddenly the room was filled with drops of glowing bright red liqid; it was her blood that started acting weird the moment she closed her wond
She waved her hand slightly, and all the blood that was previously on the floor vanished into thin air.
"This will do the trick"
She adjusted her clothes, got her phone, and crashed on her bed, falling into deep sleep from exhaustion she didn't realize the temperature in her room started going qdown in a mysterious way until she woke up naturally.
"Mhmm...ugh...what time is it…?"
She was still holding her phone, but the phone was dead, and looking outside, it was deep into the night.
"Why is it cold? Just don't die on me"
She said to her phone then placed it on the charger beside her bed
She reached out for her other phone from under the pillow. Once she opened it, she was stunned.
-ting-
-ting-
-ting-
-ting....~-
"What the hell is going on?"
Her phone was instantly flooded with rings for messages and calls unanswered; she was confused herself, but the phone suddenly called again.
Upon hearing the ring tone she conected the call talking with a friendly tone ,
"Brother,"
The person on the other end of the phone recived her scolding without any delay,
-You finally answered your phone. Why did it take so long for you to answer my call? You worried me sick.....i seriously thought something happened to you out there-
Although he was shouting, the voice of the person on the other side of the phone was full of genuine fear
Hearing his thoughtfulness, she couldn't help but smile genuinely a happy smile.
"Aries, my dear little brother, don't worry about your sister; I am perfectly fine." Seremity said,
Aries asked with concern clear in his voice,
-Then why didn't you pick up earlier?-
"I didn't hear it. My phone was left at home while the other one was on silent mode."
-òh , okay- a sudden realization hit him making him panic as he said, -Wah...wait, wait a sec...-
Serenity confused by his sudden change of tone asked,
"What's wrong?!"
Aries said with a hesitant voice yet full of expectations,
-W...what did you call me just now?-
"So it's about that?!" She smiled feeling relived and playfully said, " my dear little brother... what? You don't want to be my little brother?"
Aries realized what she said and quickly shot at her,
-Who the hell is the little brother? We are obviously twins. -
"Still, I am the older, even if it's just two minutes; just give up, little brother."
-You! ...haah...fine, fine, I won't argue with you. Do whatever you want.-in the end he still backed down and didn't win the argument
Aries's voice turned serious as he finally asked what he initially called for,
-Back to the main topic, how did it go? Did you manage to talk to her? -
"I already told her."
He asked in worry mixed with a bit of hisitation,
- And .....she didn't get angry?! -
Serenity laughed it out making the whole thing seem harmless,
"Are you kidding me? ...It's not like you don't know her impulsive personality. I made her angry to the point where she used her killing intent on me."
On the other end of the call a loud noice suddenly came crashing in her eardrums,
-Bang...Thud...Aah...Damn...Are you okay? She didn't hurt you, right?-
Curious and a little shocked she asked,
"I am all right, but the question here is, are you? What was that noise just now?"
He brushed it off by saying,
- Don't worry about it...keep going...-
Althought still confused she a swered him ,
"Nothing much happend; I just said I wanted to dissolve the engagement and that I will go with Dad from now on."
- I admire you for real.....you dare to say it to her face....respect - his voice was full of pride and admiration making you think he just did something great.
Serenity shoke her head feeling utterly helpless,
"Stop mocking me already... this engagement is a big no-no; that man is an idiot, an asshole, and a good-for-nothing at best."
-...-
Aries on the other end stayed silent for a while but when he finally spoke he asked,
-Let me ask you this: if Mother agreed to dissolve the engagement, would you still leave and come with us?-
"Arise...it's no longer a possible between us, I already told you back when we separated as kids that I will be coming back. I never intended for a lifetime since the beginning you know that. It has nothing to do with anyone; it's just that my time here is over, that's all." Serenity said
Her words seemed to have reassured him of something but in the end je felt relieved,
-That's good. I was afraid that you might regret it at some point, but now there is no coming back.-
Serenity felt something was off with her brother's tone of voice so she pressed him further in order to know what he is hiding,
"Why is it that when you say it like that, I feel like I am getting myself into some big trouble? Say, what in the world are you hiding?"
Aries hesitated for a while but in the end he gave up and confessed,
-Actually ...you may ...have an engagement here ...as ...well-
Serenity was speechless upon hearing his words that for the first time she didn't know what to say,
"..."
Hearing no reply aries seemed noticeably worried,
- Hey, are you okay? ...Why aren't you saying anything? ...Hey! ...Are you alive there?!! ...-
Serenity suddenly asked a quistion out of nowhere
"Am I a scumbag!?"
Aries got confused upon hearing that he couldn't even process,
- What?...What are you saying? -
"I am engaged to two men at the same time; if not a scumbag, then what?"she said
Serenity's reasoning made Aries burst out laughing,
-Hahahahahahahah...haah, that was hilarious, but no need to worry about that.-
"Why?!!"
Aries finally decided to explain,
-There exists an engagement for the eldest lady of the Alkana family. Back when you were with Mother, you were a Voldemort, but now that you are back, you will take the Alkana name, so this engagement will automatically transform to you, just like how the engagement you got when you were a Voldemort will become invalid once you change your name, got it? -
Serenity was stunned by the situation she was in that her head started banging ,
"Ugh...So basically I got rid of one engagement to find myself stuck with another!"
Aries tried to lighten up the situation a bit,
-Isn't it great to throw one and get another for free? That's a great offer, right?-
Serenity started rubbing her temples feeling stressed ,
"Whatever, I will just accept this as bad luck for now; I'll deal with this later."
Aries wondered,
-You accept it just like that? -
Serenity explained her thoughts,
"No, it's just that I can't refuse someone I've never even met. Since this engagement seems unavoidable, then I'll just go with the flow, and if I am not satisfied at the end of the day, I can just dissolve the engagement again."
Aries was stunned she made it seem like a child's play,
- How?...No, wait, stop playing around. Don't worry, I guarantee he is a good match. -
"Enough.....this marriage is never happening that's the end of it, don't discuss this matter anymore, okay."
Serenity's voice as she spoke her words wasn't like a discussion but more like a comand and strangely enough Aries found himself unable to refuse so he had to change the topic,
- Oh...right. When will you come home? -
"Why are you asking?"
- Maybe I can arrange a meeting for the two of you to get to know each other, so tell me when. -
"Haah...you just had to do it; your impression on him seems way too good."
His tone when speaking felt so proud as if he was talking a out his own son,
-Of course, he is my best friend, and just thinking about him calling me brother-in-law is enough for me to look forward to this meeting.-
"I didn't agree yet, and are you sure he is your friend? ...I feel enemies or rivals might be more suited for you two." Serenity asked her voice clearly disguised
-Don't worry about it; we still need to change your name and personal information first, so tell me already.- Aries was so exited for her visit more than herself
She thought about kt for a while then gave an answer,
"Hmm...Let's see…this semester began only a few days ago, not to mention that tomorrow is the first day of 'cup of glory,' so about three weeks till the next opportunity to get some days off."
- Okay, we'll be waiting for your arrival. -
"Okay...goodnight."
-night-
After the call ended, Serenity browsed through the internet.
"It's all about a cup of glory...huh..." she said.
Bored she got out of bed, opened the curtains, letting the moonlight shine on the floor, and sat in a meditation pose on the floor in front of the window directly under the moonlight rays.
'The cup of glory will start tomorrow morning; I need to prepare before the one month's opportunity slips away....i need to take actions while my body still can take it.'
She started meditating and instantly the room was filled with ice folks roaming around her.
"CUP OF GLORY"
It's a championship where talented people from across the nine worlds gather on this land to fight.
This championship is like a death game where the chance of survival is slim, but even though people still participate, it's because those who participate are looking for the thrill and excitement, some are looking for experience, others for recognition, but most, if not all, are here for the grand prize.
The rules are simple: one must be at least a third-circle magician or have blood purity of at least 40%.
The contestants will fight against each other till only 16 are left.
The next step will be on the second day, where they'll be fighting one on one till only one person is left.
That person will be crowned the champion.
Another important thing about this is that some strong people from those who attend the matches end up selecting some talented people to sponsor their progress or train them;
some lucky people may end up being chosen as successors for some great warriors. That's what most people are really after in the middle of this fierce competition since the first prize can belong to one person only.
And there is a rumor spreading right now that the prize for third place is a chance to use the black tower, the spiritual artifact of the 'AVALOR' royal family.
The torment starts today at the stadium when a beautiful charming lady wearing a beautiful cute red dress with bunny ears and golden hair suddenly takes the stage;
she held the mic in her left hand and started shouting at the top of her lungs,
"Ladi~es aaand gentlemen, welcome to the grand event. I'll be hosting today's events.... I am Lana, your beautiful hostess. Now, without any further delay, let's welcome our great fighters."
-crack-
-open-
The doors of the arena snapped open for a glood of people to rush into the arena , but some people couldn't move past the doors like beeing stopped by some invisible force.
The hostess saw this and smiled while teasing them,
"my~ oh my~... let's see what we have here ...someone is stuck over there"
She playfully walked around the arena in her high heals explaining,
" this arena is over three thousand kilometers with a very special barrier with the sole purpose of isolating the contestants away from their audience "
One of thepeople behind the barrier kept banging on it impatiently,
"So why the hell are we stuck over here?"
Lana gave him a mocking look she covered her mouth saying,
"Oh sorry about that but i forgot to tell you but there is a tiny bit of a bonus function that was recently added to that barrier which is~ ....."
"What functions?!" The man asked
She gave him a provocative look then turned around and walked away ignoring him,
"preventing those who don't meet the standards from entery. So for those of you who couldn't get in..... I am sorry to inform you, but you, my friends, don't meet the standards."
After saying that those stuck on the doors sunk into deep silence till the end of the day they didn't dare make a sownd
She looked at the watch in her hand and smiled,
"Time is up"
the hostess threw a glowing disc in the air that turned into a pair of wings that later got attached to her body.
The wings are a flying magical artifact that took her straight into the sky. She blow on the whistle around her neck, and the barrier turned visible marking the stop for any more aplicant.
"No more people are allowed in thank you very much "
She raised her mic again standing right before the edgesof the highestpoint of the barrier,
" this years requirements are very simple unlike previous years; In the first round, you are allowed to fight however you want and with whoever you desire as long as in the end only sixteen people are still standing."
She landed in the middle of the arena to state the rules,
" No killing allowed, but if you look carefully at your wrist, you will find a black bracelet that was automatically placed over there. Collect them by any means necessary; we're going to need them later on. Good luck, everyone."
she flapped her wings shooting herself high into the sky then snapped her fingers releasing a shocking wave of wind that shut the arena in silence instantly.
Lana full of excitement held the mike with both hands shouting at the top of her lungs,
"Raise the barrier and let the fight begin!"
The crowd exploded in cheers and encouragement as her excitement meamt the beginning of the grand fight
the moment she gave them the signal, the arena turned into a battlefield. The contestants moved right the second her words ended doing as she said ,'fight with any means to win
The hostess started talking about what was happening in the arena, doing her job for the audience to have their unforgettable experience,
"Would you look at that? The participants of this year look so promising. That one over there have a serpent tatto on her neck she seems to be from the giant tribe but the opponent is......a human boy wearing a taekwondo suit.?!!!...where is the logic in this?!"
She snapped out of her thoughts upon seeing them exchange punches and kicks,The boy was so ruthless in every hit using all his strength with every move as if there was no tomorrow,
" Owtch, that kick was hard. The giant tribe lady hit the ground hard."
The lady couldn't get up she seemed to be dizzy so the boy took the chance and wanted tosneak attack her
the moment he got closer she hit his face hard with her elbow, grabbed his hand and using all her body weight she lifted him from the groums then slammed him hard
-bang-
"Keugh..."
"You dare ambush me? Did you ever ask if iam wiling? "
Furious he got up with a back flip spitting blood on the ground then charged at her feet causing her to loose balance then he locked onto her neck,
"So...are you willing now?"
The girl felt humiliated by his words she bite on his arms till they started bleeding yet non of them wanted to back up
The impact was so strong land basically felt it in her bones as if she was the one beeing hit,
"Oh boy..... Both of them seem to know martial arts. ...my mental health just can't take all of this at once but iam sure iam not the only one . People around them already started keeping their distance, be careful and make sure you're alive; at the end of the day if you died because of the impact of their fight it won't be considered a voilation since you weren'tincluded in the fight."
One of the contestants suddenly shouted with clear impatience,
"Such important information don't you think you should have said it earlier?"
Lana ignored him and flew away,
" Let's see the others, shall we..."
All thosw left beside them shouted in one voice,
"Are you for real !!?"
"Let's get the hell away from those lunatics"
"Couldn't agree more"
Lana flew to another area where a other fight have taken place,
"Over here we have a swordsmanship-masked lady; she is paving her way with swift sword slaches on their wrists as she snatched their bracelets . She seems to have collected over twenty by now. If you see her know she is a theif, run as far as you can before she sets her eyes on you."
"A..A...Acho~!!"
A wave of coldness suddenly took over lana's body making her rub her shoulders searching for heat,
"Achoo! ...why did the temperature suddenly drop?! or is someone cursing me?!!"
She turned around to see what was happening behind her back but got terrified by the scene before her eyes. Over a hundred ice statues were scattered everywhere with no trace of life even the other contestants were so terrified; running as far away as they could.
Lana's eyes were bewildered by the shoke she didn't even have the time to flinch,
"What is this?!"
A girl wearing a black maiden gown while covering her eyes with a white lace eye band was standing in the middle of the chaotic ice
Once she took a step and her feettouched the ground , the snow broke into pieces, and over a hundred bracelets came flying her way.
With a small wave of her hands; all the bracelets are instantly teleported in her hand and the ice lost It's outer layer ; the snow statues turned out to be frozen living people.
'WTF is that?!?' The hostess terrified she hurried towards her, saying,
"Young lady, if you kill, your qualifications will be revoked."
The girl simply waved her hands, and the snow covering them evanorated into thin air.
"We're good" she said as she walked away giving the feeling that she was looking for her next prey.
The hostess felt scared by her attitude she dared not move ; not untill the woman walked furtjer away in a distance she felt 'safe' only then did she land onto the ground to check on the other contestants .
After confirming their safety she declaired her judgment,
"They just fell unconscious to the ground. The little maiden killed no one, so her qualifications still stand,"
she thought to herself as she flew up again, ' not a single death...to be able to achieve such results.....what does one need to do to be able to have such precise control?'
Lana shoke her head to snap out of her thoughts, 'whatever...work comes first '
She continued with her job flying to another destination,
"Let's continue observing everyone. Let's see what we have here.... That one seems to be using daggers to knock his opponents unconscious, but his choise of opponents seems to have gone wrong . "
The boy with daggers was slaching them to the ground and sntch their bracelets one after another ,
"This is way too easy, those weaklings stands no chance and iam perfectly okay as long as i stay away from those red flags what a perfect plan"
So full of himself he spotted a man leaning onto the ground trying to fitch a bracelet but he made use of his speed to snatch it before him,
"Hah,hah,hah,hah this one is mine "
But the man didn't swallow it and with his hand sworming with fire he attacked his legs
The impact of the attack was so strong that the dagger boy barely avoided it
The fire boy didn't wait for a second ; he quickly launched at him forcing him to throw the bracelet to be able to dodge that attack by leaning on his hand jumping away to evade the attack
"mother fucker were you trying to kill me?"
The fire boy wipped the dust of his clothes, "as long as it did the trick does it really matter?"
The man's remarks and the 'don't care' tone of his made the dagger boy furious he went full force against him
Lana stood there watching with amusing eyes,
"That fire magician wearing a mask and a hoodie seems able to avoid his daggers. Seeing no hope, he decided to leave him, but that fire magician seems unwilling to part ways."
Lana turned to another scene were another fight has already taken shape,
"And there are those two over there; they are actually working together to steal the bracelets without a fight?...god heavens there are so many theives today, is stealing really that profitable?!....but it looks like one of them got caught by a plant. It's wrapped around him like a snake.....wow, a typical end for theives"
She rubbed her eyes trying to make sense of what she was seeing,
" Wait, there is something coming out from the planet...it's...it's a boy with green hair?!!.... Why do I feel strange saying that?.....whatever but he actually robed the theif?!..... I wonder if that's even legal, but there are no such rules."
"This year's contestants seem quite strong, but all the fun reached an end." She shot a ball of fireworks that marked the end of the fight.
-bang-