Legacy World 2.3 New Friends?

BaoBao knew that Alice could not see so he warned her. [Defend!!]

Alice immediately curled herself into a ball and surrounded herself with a water wall. In the next instant, fire broke through the earth and hit her. She focused her defense on her left side while she kicked the walls around her repeatedly. She did not dare to take a break. She did not know how much he had reinforced the cage and her water wall was already dangerously thin.

Just before her water wall completely evaporated, her foot broke through the earth box. However, she jumped right into another earth wall. One of his lackeys had stayed alert and provided assistance when he saw Alice break out.

Her water wall evaporated. Intense heat seared her sides and a short cry escaped her mouth.

As soon as she felt the burning pain, a strong cooling breeze blew through the entire area. The earth walls around her shattered and she braced herself for impact. Instead, she found herself landing in a pair of strong arms.

"Will you stop interfering with my fights?!" The Talent scrambled back up off the floor. His hair was messed up and his lackeys were rolling around on the floor, whining in pain. All of them had very red burn marks.

"Was that even a fight?" A deep and menacing voice replied from above everyone. They looked up to see Ethan floating in the air with Alice in his arms. Just then, Violet and Stephan rushed to the scene by the stairs.

The three of them had been eating on the second level when Ethan felt intense heat waves coming from the first level. Being a wind user, he was sensitive to such fluctuations in the air.

The Talent scowled. "You guys are pathetic! Listening to a girl and her whimsical ideas!" He then left with the group but was blown back by Ethan. Everyone was shocked. This was not the first time that Violet's group caught them picking on someone, yet this was the first time they were held back like that.

"What are you up to?" The Talent asked in a low menacing voice while sitting on the floor.

"You went overboard." Ethan declared before locking all of them in a water ball. Everyone struggled to use their abilities to break out but the strong water current either negated their ability or prevented it from surfacing at all. Their faces got filled with fear and panic.

Alice watched closely as the Talent struggled to even get his fire started. /We're both water users but I doubt I will ever be as strong./

"He's really going to kill them." Stephan said in an amused tone.

"Ethan?" Violet's worried voice made Ethan regain his senses. He immediately set the bullies free and the boys plopped onto the floor in coughing fits.

He had only intended to stop the attack for Violet but the instant he recognised the falling figure, his heart palpitated in fear and rage. That was when he became lost in it and decided to make the bullies pay with their lives.

Upon realising that he was behaving weirdly, he questioned himself while he placed Alice back on her feet. /Why do I feel so angry?/

"We meet again. How are you? Are you injured anywhere?" Violet rapidly asked with great concern.

"I'm fine. Thank you for chasing the boys away." She bowed to them properly before taking her leave.

However, Violet tried to grab her wrist. "Let me bring you to the doctor!"

Alice dodged her grab and repeated, "I'm fine. Thank you for your concern."

Her wrist was then grabbed by someone behind her. She turned to glare at Ethan who was glaring back at her. She tried to break free from his grip but it was futile. Their fierce gazes locked until Violet broke the ice, "Ethan?"

He broke the stare to look at Violet, then said in a low voice. "She lied to you." He raised her red, burnt, and blistered hand for Violet to see.

Violet gasped.

"I was going to see the doctor by myself." Alice explained.

Her words fell on deaf ears and Ethan pulled her along with him to walk to the clinic. "Violet, let's go, didn't you want to bring her to the clinic?"

Violet nodded and walked beside Alice, placing Alice between them. No one said a thing after that. Alice had given up fighting against Ethan and returned to her calm and cold state. Violet was secretly surprised at how emotional Ethan seemed today. Stephan was only amused by everything that was going on.

When they reached the doctor's office, Doctor Nina exclaimed, "Alice?! You just recovered... When will you stop coming back each time you-"

"Doctor Nina, please begin your treatment. It hurts." Alice interrupted.

Finding it uncharacteristic for Alice to complain about hurting, Dr. Nina understood that Alice did not want to let Violet in on things.

"What do you mean she keeps coming back here? Does she come often?" As Alice thought, Violet caught on the fastest.

Unbeknownst to her, Violet was not the fastest. Ethan had frowned the moment he heard the doctor call out Alice's name. He inferred from that simple interaction that they seemed to share some sort of close relationship with each other and that bothered him. /Why would she be this close to the school's doctor?/

Dr. Nina felt Alice's cold gaze. "She just has a very weak body and keeps falling sick. Combined with an occasional injury or so, we grew close overtime." Violet looked appeased with that explanation. However, Ethan stayed frowning. He was not convinced.

"Thank you." Alice whispered to Doctor Nina. This cheered Dr. Nina up. She made quick work with Alice's wounds and excused her from 3 days worth of classes.

When they left the clinic, Violet insisted for Alice to eat with them.

"No, thank you, I'd like to return to my room."

"But you haven't eaten..."

"I'll eat something simple back in my room."

"How are you going to eat with both hands and one side of you all bandaged up?" Violet persisted.

"I'll manage." At the corner of her eye, she caught Ethan taking a step forward. Her lips twitched. "Changed my mind, I'll go." Alice said to Violet before Ethan could grab her again. She would prefer to avoid being manhandled. /He really is the female lead's loyal dog in this world./

Violet looked at Ethan questioningly. He had never been this forceful and high-handed with anyone before.

Violet sent the boys to get food for them while she and Alice looked for a place to sit. While walking around the field beside the canteen, Alice saw a plum blossom tree in the corner of the field. It was a nice quiet corner. Violet caught Alice's stare and suggested that they sit there. She let Alice make her way there herself while she went to tell the boys of their location.

With nothing to do while waiting for the trio to return, she formed a small fish with her water ability and made it swim around in front of her. She slowly made more and made them swim in a certain area without colliding into each other. She added a turtle then a jellyfish.

The trio returned and was welcomed with such a graceful and serene scene.

Ethan looked at the image of her below the plum blossom tree and felt a strange pull towards it.

"Wow... It's beautiful." Violet sighed. Her sudden comment surprised Alice which caused everything to collide into one another and dissipate.

/BaoBao? Why didn't you warn me of their arrival?/

[What? You weren't waiting for them?]

Alice sighed inwardly. She had been spacing out. She wanted to practice her precise control over her ability while waiting and used a fish as a model because she happened to think of Erica. Erica had always loved the sea and talked about visiting it with her or having a family vacation by the sea. However, they had not fulfilled that simple wish because of their busy schedules.

Being close to such a friendly female probably triggered such memories.

Ethan looked at Alice's downcast eyes and sullen expression. "She doesn't look very well." Ethan whispered to Violet.

"Alice? Are you okay? Are you not feeling well?" Violet asked with concern.

Alice recovered her usual look and looked up. "I'm fine, Violet."

"Oh! You know my name! I don't remember introducing ourselves properly yet?"

"You're famous in school." Alice and Stephan said at the same time in different tones.

Stephan then teased Violet again. "Didn't you know that?" He grinned.

Violet humphed and sat by Alice's side to feed her a chowder that she bought for Alice.

[Alice? What's wrong? Do you want to return to your original life after all?]

/...No. The answer's still no./

[Why?]

Alice found herself unable to answer him. She did not know how to clearly explain what she was feeling.

/It's not about wanting to return or not. I simply never thought about it./

[Then is there anything you want?]

/...To work on what I have to accomplish. Fulfill the original soul's wish./

BaoBao felt an inexplicable sadness. [You do so much but hope for nothing for yourself. How did you become this way?] He wondered to himself secretly.

The trio walked Alice back to her room after their meal. Ethan then headed towards the opposite direction of where the Talents dormitory was located at.

"Where are you going?" Stephan asked.

"Violet wants to know the truth, isn't it?"

Violet firmly nodded her head in agreement.

"So you knew that the doctor was lying? You seemed pretty convinced." Stephan teased Violet again.

Violet ignored him and followed Ethan to the doctor's clinic.

When the trio entered the clinic, Nina immediately recognised them. "All of you... Didn't you come with Alice earlier?"

"Yes, can we know the truth of her situation?" Violet asked in concern.

Doctor Nina sighed. "She wants to keep her matters private..."

"Please, we really want to help her." Violet pleaded.

"Are you her friends?"

"I'm trying to be one." Violet decided on the spot.

Doctor Nina thought for awhile before relenting. "I hope that you can really help her then. She's suffered a lot already." Everyone frowned, including Stephan.

Alice's entire bullying situation got revealed. The high frequency and increasing severity of her injuries were made known to the trio.

"I don't even know which part of her was not injured before." Dr. Nina said softly in a sad voice. She looked at her hands and continued, "Every time I heal her, I can't help but imagine how she'd look like if I didn't have healing abilities... I'm so glad to have been the one to meet her."

Stephan raised his eyebrows in astonishment. He was impressed that Alice had not broken down yet and still seemed so headstrong.

Ethan felt an intense displeasure and anger in his heart. There was also sadness and worry. He frowned. It was always a turmoil inside him whenever it was regarding Alice. It was greatly frustrating.

"I won't let her suffer again." Violet declared with her heart aching for Alice.

Ethan nodded to show his agreement. Stephan pretended to ponder for awhile and only agreed after Violet nudged him hard.