Aefia stared at the way Nada's face changed with this new expression she had never seen. Her eyes widened, not because of shock that she had known all this and heard the words that were spoken out. A sudden chilly feeling settled onto her airways as she realized a hand was blocking it with ice starting to form around the skin.
Her own hands flew to Nada's and immediately pulled it off herself as her right hand caused the ice to dissapear and evaporate. Then, quickly enough the chill was felt at her back and she moved away from there instantly. "We can stop and have a speech...but there was no point in attacking me." Her hands were formed into a fist as she used it to level herself into a standing position, while the other hand melted the icicles.
"What would have been in their minds if they suddenly noticed too many students leaving at once? Won't they discover and find out it was me? Then what? They won't be chasing behind you, but my life in particular. I had already died once, and I am not wasting it again!" Aefia spoke while stepping backwards many times, dodging the spikes forming. "And what makes you think we are in any means, a friendly term? I am trying to stay away from the rest of you for a particular reason. Isn't that protecting enough?"
Nada glanced up with the same mirroring complexion as her. "Then why were you gone for a week? And then you are back with two obvious scars on your hand? Explain why Helio came back a week ago, worried about your health. Is that all to do with your 'dying'?" This was the first time she had seen her face like this, and her mind went blank with a soring headache that felt like someone threw a hammer from the top to her head.
While using her right hand to grab a few of her hair strands, she politely replied with a hope to end the conversation soon. "I was also aware of your presence outside Mr. Elephant's office and hidden behind a wall at the reception. Can't you find the reason already to why I didn't take you and the others along? In fact, my plan was to have three people know about this, and you are one of the three." She smiled after saying the words. "Growing up, I had noticed your sneaky habits of eavesdropping, so I used that against you."
With that, Nada's face relaxed and then looked down at the grass covered land. She used her sleeves to wipe her face, and it seemed that she had been extremely embarrased because of what was just said and didn't even dare to look up anymore while standing up herself. "I am sorry, I must have been a dumb person to do all that. Maybe you are right about how the participants are all just fools."
"And are you going to keep that in mind and insult yourself, or will you try to improve yourself?" This time, Aefia's face and then speech turned stern. "You know what is happening, so act the way in which you will be able to carve out your own escape route, not have the others do it for you while you sit on your imaginary throne and wonder what else of a high expectation you can bring of the others." That sudden change returned both of them to their senses and the opposing person's face turned expressionless.
"Then what do I do next?" Nada said unconsciously. "Do I need to answer that too? How is the training? The least you can do now is help me along as I try to solve the mysteries. Don't tell you are too lazy to do that, are you? If you had precise ears, and you truly did hear everything, you would have taken action now." Another strict speech following the questions asked.
Aefia's face turned halfway as she walked towards the end of the densely packed forest. "By the way, if you can, I will summon you in front of an empty alley at two in the midnight. Are you willing to come along? You will have to find me in any place where you sense danger. That's the dungeon you will be completing today." And without any more time spent, she continued her return towards the palace.
Nada stood there for a long moment, and then finally ran back to her class while also bumping into Helio mid-way. Seeing her rushed face, he asked a few questions. "Why were you late? And suddenly you are running back to class? Ms. Avry was ready to search the entire building until I had to purposefully volunteer." He angrily spoke which made him look like a mentor. It was an order by Aefia to be strict towards her, otherwise she was going to be a reckless person and unfocused.
"I was following her around just now." She spoke without any hints of lie on her face. "She came?" The next question came in unexpectedly with an excitement hovering over his face. Great! Now Puppet and Cindy will finally be going home! I am done with these two. He heaved a sigh of relief.
"She only came to terminate her contract with this competition, for specific reasons." Her reply broke his happiness as he turned as cold as a stone thinking the stress was yet to be continued. "I can only say this much because the 'mentors' are pretty mad at her. If you need explanations, I guess there is a way for you to meet her, am I right?"
"Yes, there is a way...and how about the battle? She didn't say whether you were ready for it?" Helio asked one last time while walking back towards the meeting room, which will still be one less member like from a week ago and more before. "At what it seems, you did portrait a level of skill, and aren't you half-way to Phase two? Did you tell her?"
"To begin, she didn't even read my system messages. Even if she did, there was no reply. And yes, there was an agreement that I will be participating into a battle with her tonight at two. There was saying that I will be summoned and will have to meet her at a sensibly dangerous place, so I guess it will be a bit frightening and nervous experience for me." Nada spoke while following behind. "But at least, she spoke to me." A smile appeared on her face that highlighted her dimples.
"Sometimes, seeing the both of you, it's almost hard to believe you both are cousins. She is mysterious and cold-hearted while you are a little too excited into things and dramatic. I think, the specific reason she quit her relationship with the competition was solely because she had found out they were supporters of the Torture Cell." Helio spoke while looking blankly at the path he was walking. "I am surprised it didn't take her even a day to find it out." He tapped Puppet inside his pocket who held its head with its closed eyes, sensibly suffering in pain.
"You might want to be silent. The Guardian is here." Nada finsihed off while pushing open the door to their classroom.
***
Aefia soon dissappeared from the centre of the densely populated with trees forest and the air seemed to have shifted her right a few blocks away from the palace gates. Her cloak was pulled off and put inside her inventory since she didn't want the duchess to know about it. Especially since then, she would be like 'remove it, and don't use it again'.
The vision of the Guardian of Silence was still vivid in her mind as she walked up towards the tall silver gates which looked like a bunch of jail bars to her. The guards knew her facial features and immediately recognized her while opening the door. "Young master...the duchess had told you to take the carriage this morning, why didn't you? She was a bit maddened at first glance, for your own safety we are saying this." A guard bowing from the left spoke.
She still hesitated entering and decided to take this as a chance to calm down and finally place her feet against the perimeters. "I know you are afraid I might be punished again, honestly I think I am used to it. That day, she did the bare minimum, so I will have to adjust starting now." With a smile and not turning her head, she held her breathe and walked through the cage which shut behind her. The smile still stayed, but wiped off after about a second later, when she found a familiar face standing in front of her, a few meters away.
At this sight, she really wanted to go back and out the palace boundaries while staying hidden out of this woman's sight. Secretly gritted her teeth behind her closed mouth, their eyes caught sight of each other, but the strange thing was the duchess was smiling. She immediately diverted her eyes.
"Isn't my daughter an independent and strong person to leave without a backward glance to the rows of carriages that were lined up?" Her gentle voice flowed around as Aefia tried hard to secretly block her ears too. This woman always gets my last nerves, just what does she think? Cutting me out from every single joyous moments and placing me in sickles which restrict even a single finger movement. I hate her face as much as I hate my bully brother's. The apple didn't fall far from the tree I guess.
"Are you going to stay silent? I came out and in front to greet you which I won't have done even for my own sons. Are you not going to appreciate something like this?" Her smile faded away as Aefia forcibly lifted her face for the final time and a fear flashed on her eyes. This woman! Why does she keep thinking I will ever respect her as a mother! Why doesn't she seem to understand that once someone faces the real face, they will never learn to respect you again!
"I am sorry if I seem to have been a little disrespectful." She managed to force out words at the end, which felt like mostly lying and faking. "But leaving a school where I basically started my life at...doesn't seem to be a very joyous thing to do. I know it was my choice, but it wasn't easy. Managing two lives at once is a burdensome thing, and that was my reason for leaving. And for some reasons, that itself doesn't feel like enough to make out for the terrifying memories that are still stuck in my mind."
The smile from earlier returned on her face as the duchess crossed her arms. "I am glad you have finally said something, said the thing that seemed to be troublesome to you. I believe this should be the regular mother and daughter relationship we keep around the palace, how is that? And also, memories will stay for a while which will dissapear in a month's or week's time, you should be able to recover from it. Hopefully, your new school will be a much more fun and interesting compared to your previous, am I right? Besides, Henry and Lewis studies there, so you should be fine too."
"Thank you for the support. I highly appreciate it." With a fake complexion, she stood there waiting for the next order. "And do you want to see my transfer certificate? I have it if you want prove of my withdrawal. My relative had signed it so I didn't ask you to come along, I didn't know...I am sorry about that." Another lie, more like another another row of lies.
"No it's alright, just burn it. Your documents had been submitted for your new school so you won't need it in any terms. Did you bid farewell to your friends and classmates?" The duchess spoke with a hand held up in front of her face. A little bit too close for her to breathe properly.
"Alright... And no, I didn't meet them in any terms. Except one and she almost killed me for not telling them before hand. And complained about why I was gone for a whole week and why the banquet was postponed, but I just moved away as quickly as I could when a teacher came and took her away. It was a little awkward a moment." With a new lie and a laugh, she turned silent. Her memory was only vivid with the image of the Guardian of Silence. What she was doing there, she couldn't tell, but her presense was already a clue to something she had discovered from earlier.
The duchess laughed a short while after. A maid servants rushed towards her side with one of Aefia's purplish coat. "I guess you had to suffer there too. Now anyway, no more time to waste and hurry back to your room to complete the remaining of the work you had left over. Do remember that their will be an important announcement today at the palace, so you better be prepared." Her face turned stern in seconds and Aefia's smile returned. I see...you too were playing along.
She bowed in front of the duchess and took the coat from the servant. It had buttons, so she wore it over her black shirt-like dress which plainly added status to it with the overcoat. The only thing missing, was her hat and her shoes, which she was going to wear once at her room. The entrance was being decorated for the guests that were coming and the kitchen had steam escaping from the gaps in the doors.
Her eyes turned souless with the realization of feeling lonely. If she were still in the office, or at least had her little pets, she would be laughing while struggling, and that was still worth it at the end of the day. The hallway was still busy, but she felt invisible. No sort of attention passed through her as she continued walking to nowhere. Henry was running around, and accidentally bumped into her while dashing through the spaces.
Aefia glanced down to see him hugging her with a huge smile on his face. She smiled back and carried him up when a hand was felt at her shoulder. While turning to face them, a few words went into her ears that caused her eyes to shrink as it echoed back and forth. Their elder brother George was looking at her with scary, yet serious eyes.
"Do you want to run away? If so, I will manage it for you."