Aqualina stormed into Aria’s room, her face had a tempest of emotions… sense of loss, annoyance, anger, and outright hatred.
She couldn’t believe it…. Aria had tricked the innocent Aether into sleeping with her! The very thought was almost too much for Aqualina to bear.
Upon hearing the details from Aether, Aqualina had nearly lost her sanity. The way he described it, his confusion, his vulnerability…. it had all been too much.
The realization that Aria had found a loophole in her carefully crafted orders and exploited it so cunningly left Aqualina seething with rage. She felt an intense wave of anger and disgust, not just at Aria, but at herself for not anticipating such a move.
“Are you going to stand there and stare at me all day?” Aria asked, her voice dripping with mockery and amusement. She leaned casually against the edge of her bed, her posture relaxed and unbothered. Her gaze was fixed on the fuming Aqualina, who stood at the doorway, her body rigid with barely contained fury.
Aria’s nonchalant demeanour only added fuel to the fire burning within Aqualina.
Aqualina, struggling to contain her emotions, clenched her fists so tightly that her knuckles turned white. Her voice trembled as she spoke, “D-Did you…?” She paused, taking a deep breath, clenched her teeth, forced herself to calm down, and then asked again, more clearly and forcefully, “Did you… trick him into sleeping with you?”
Aria’s response was a small, knowing smile.
That single, infuriating gesture was enough for Aqualina to understand the truth.
BOOM!!
Aqualina’s killing intent exploded around her, causing the ground beneath her to ripple as if caught in a seismic wave. A blue blade of energy materialized around her feet, humming with the force of her unleashed anger.
Aria, still wearing that infuriating smile, casually summoned her bow. She notched an arrow and aimed it directly at Aqualina, her eyes glinting with a mixture of amusement and challenge.
The tension in the room was palpable, a heavy weight that pressed down on both of them. Neither woman looked away, their eyes locked in a fierce, unyielding stare.
Suddenly,
TING
In a flash, Aqualina’s blue blade shot towards Aria’s heart, and Aria released her arrow. The two forces collided with a brilliant flash of light, the arrow deflecting the blade.
Aqualina continued to glare at Aria, her chest heaving with suppressed fury….. Her weapons dissipated into thin air. She turned sharply, her movements stiff with anger, and started to leave, her footsteps echoing in the heavy silence. Your journey continues at m v|l-e’m,p| y- r
Aria smirked though she couldn’t see Aqualina’s defeated face but she was sure a villainess like her would be fuming inside.
As she reached the door, Aria’s voice rang out, filled with a confident, almost smug tone. “I will win the trial and become the sovereign,” she declared, her words dripping with determination and arrogance.
Aqualina halted in her tracks.
“And then…” Aria continued, her voice dropping to a darker, more possessive tone, “He will be mine and MINE alone. No one else will have him…”
If others want to take everything from her…. then it would be over her dead body!!
Aqualina turned slowly, and stared at Aria for a few seconds before her lips curled up into a mocking smile,
“Yours? Hahaha… Oh, please, bitch!” She laughed, a harsh, bitter sound that echoed through the room. “You think just because you’ve bedded him, you own him? Aether isn’t some prize to be won by the likes of you…. hahah” Her voice was filled with disdain.
“Laugh all you want… but the winner will be the one who laughs last, and of course, that will be me!” Aria retorted, her face serious.
Yet,
“Pity~” Aqualina said, her amusement giving way to a cunning expression. “I will show you who I am, bitch!… Aether belongs to me… Me only!”
Aria’s eyes darkened with a possessive gleam. She licked her lips seductively, her voice a sultry whisper, “He… tastes so good…” She ran her tongue along her gloved finger as if savouring the memory.
“Very tasty~”
Aqualina’s eyes widened in shock and fury, her hands shaking with barely contained rage. “You…!” She choked out, her voice a mix of disbelief and anger. Veins bulged on her forehead as she clenched her teeth, struggling to keep her composure. Without another word, she spun around and stormed out of the room, slamming the door so hard it nearly splintered.
SLAM!!
Aria watched the door crack under the force, a satisfied smirk playing on her lips. She shrugged nonchalantly, “I’ll have to inform the door manager about that,” she mused aloud, her tone almost casual.
But beneath her calm exterior, a flicker of fear surfaced in her eyes.
Yes, even though she was determined and confident, a part of her knew that Aqualina held a significant place in Aether’s heart.
Could Aqualina’s importance to Aether become a problem? The thought unsettled her, making her question the certainty of her plans.
‘Let’s hope it doesn’t…’ Aria thought, pushing the unsettling notion aside.
Meanwhile, in her own room, Aqualina was a whirlwind of destruction.
She threw objects across the room, smashing furniture and decorations with a ferocity that mirrored her inner turmoil, “That fucking bitch, she touched My Aether!!” she shouted, her voice echoing in the chaos. She grabbed a table and hurled it across the room, the sound of splintering wood punctuating her anger.
THUD
She was exactly like her mother….
Aqualina slumped onto her broken bed, her breath coming in ragged gasps. Her mind raced with thoughts of Aria’s sudden surge in power.
What could have caused such a drastic change? It was unsettling, to say the least.
After what felt like an eternity, Aqualina’s rage subsided, leaving behind a cold, hard resolve. She sat up, her eyes dark with determination.
Yes, she was sure she could win Aether back. Even if he wasn’t as innocent as before (she tried to think of it as just a dog bite), she was confident she could reclaim what she wanted.
However, the thought of Aether’s love for that bitch gnawed at her. It complicated things in a way she hadn’t anticipated.
If she acted rashly and killed Aria, she risked losing Aether entirely. That was a risk she couldn’t afford.
‘I certainly don’t want that…’ Aqualina thought, her face heavy with contemplation. As she considered the upcoming sovereign trial, and Mother’s words came back to her:
“A frail heart can’t withstand a strong heart, and a cowardly heart can’t grasp the essence of a true heart… Be yourself.”
“Discover a shattered heart atop the highest peak, forged by the depths of the deepest valley.”
Aqualina sighed deeply. Those words were the clues for the second trial. She understood the first part….. it meant this trial was a test of their hearts’ true nature.
In simple terms, those who wished to become sovereign needed to have strong, honest hearts. This trial would reveal the true nature of each participant, whether good or evil. There would be no hiding behind false pretences. Without revealing their true selves, they couldn’t hope to win this trial.
Even the Principal had warned that the Test of the Heart’s Nature was the hardest trial. In her era, it had exposed some truly appalling truths about people that were rather disgusting that she didn’t want to share.
According to historical records, the Heart’s Nature trial was supposed to be the final test. But now,
Her face grew grim as she thought, “So, the earthquake really did signify ‘The Beginning’… This changes everything.”
As for the second clue… Everyone already knew what it referred to… The Pyra Fulgur Empire was the only place known for its towering mountains and deep valleys.
They had informed the Principal of their plan to head to that Empire, but she had asked them to wait for a month.
They weren’t sure why, but as she was the Sovereign, they trusted her judgment implicitly.
“Looks like she’s trying to prepare us…” Aqualina mumbled to herself.
From today onward, their schedule had been entirely different. Training would intensify, and everyone would work on increasing their levels and skills.
Aqualina sighed again, trying to focus on the tasks at hand. Yet, her thoughts kept drifting back to Aether. “Aether…” she whispered, her voice tinged with sadness. The thought of Aether’s virginity being taken by someone else, by that “random bitch,” as she thought of Aria, gnawed at her, filling her with a sense of loss and helplessness.