"She's awake," Luciana heard a voice say from within her dream. she was coming to. Jalon had snuck close to her. She fought to open her eyes and could hear footsteps rushing to the other side of the room as she did so. Someone was up to no good, she realised right away. She straightened her back and lowered her feet from the top of the bed to the ground, resting them over a pair of sandals next to it. She was blasted with an increasingly terrible headache as soon as she did so, and all she could do was clutch her head. On the other side of the room, she could hear Jalon's quiet giggles. "Can you tell me what happened?" "How did I end up here?" Luciana inquired, struggling to regain her balance.“You've been out for quite some time." Norval tried hard not to laugh as he stated, "The medical staff brought you here after your match with th
Because the King's Castle was close to the mountains, the temperature within the castle frequently descendedto uncomfortably low levels. Mr. Ethel enjoyedwarm weather. His own mansionwas located near a saline lake in the east. As a result, he wore thick attire most of the time when he went to see the King. Mr Ethel entered the Castle wearing a big black overcoat and a sweater underneath it. He was escorted to the meeting by his business associates. They were not directed to the throne room as they had expected, but to a ballroom to the right of the Castle. Inside, the monarch himself was waiting for them. King Vonnerhad no intention of inviting anyone into the castle for a feast, much less meeting up with those who were already there. So wasodd that he called Mr Ethel out of the blue to invite him to dinner. He couldn't afford t
The nurses passed out trays of hospital food as they strolled around the ward. Norval and Cecily were grateful for the nurse's thoughtfulness. Jalon, on the other hand, was not one to beeasily satisfied, although he appeared curiously happy and thankful that day."What the heck is going on? What's wrong with him?" Luciana inquired, swallowing a lump of potatoes as she turned to Norval, who traced her gaze and finally found Jalon's face, smiling uncomfortably as if he had never smiled before."I understand." Norval replied, finishing the last of the roasted beans on his platter, "I guess it's because of the nurses or something, maybe he's trying to get theirnumber."As she began to scream at him, Luciana cleared her throat and cuppedher palms over her mouth."Hey Jalon, by the way, your girlfriend called you last night, and I t
Nelanian found it difficult to open his eyes. The sun shone brightly in the morning, and the birds outside the shanty couldn't stop singing. He finally succumbed to their annoying alarms and decided to get up. Over the last three days, his headaches had gotten worse, and his hand had gotten even worse. The twitching became more frequent and intense. Everything appeared to be going wrong for him at that point.When he went outside, he noticed that the weather was calmer than it had been on previous days. The trees had not been ripped out of their roots, and the sunrise was visible on the horizon, unlike the last days that were filled with violent storms. He noticed that the market had already been renovated and that most of the stalls were up and running as he glanced downwards towards the village. Nelanian beat off the dust on his trousers and began his desce
"Okay, I don't see any major issues with you. I think it's safe to say you're ready to be released.If you're ready to depart, you can leave right now " said the nurse.If you're ready to depart, you can leave right now " said the nurse. hank you very much, nurse. You have no idea how long I've been looking forward to hearing it. Luciana remarked, "It's like I've been trapped in this room for all eternity.""Well, I'm delighted to hear you're doing well,” said the nurse.said the nurse. Luciana rose to her feet and made her way to the front entrance. "Mr. Barr, and you as well. The doctors have agreed that you are also fit to be discharged after additional evaluation.They haveperformeda last examination on you lastevening, and they have saidyou can return to the hotel,”
The hotel was deafeningly silent. Nothing except the clanks of ceiling fans rotating could be heard. Luciana, who had been running for warmth, had become tired of it. She was on one of Jalon's couches. Jalon On the other hand, was outstretched on the bed, messaging feverishly on his smartphone. The television was turned on, but none of them bothered to search for a suitable channel to watch. On the screen, there was nothing except static. Luciana was finishing the final slice of the pizza they ordered. The remaining half-eaten crusts were strewn around the coffee table. They were each completely immersed in their own worlds. ]Jalon would occasionally put his phone down and yawn long and loudly before picking it up again. Luciana began flinging pieces of paper she ripped from a dia
He didn't sleep for the entire day. He didn't even bother to look for a place to sleep. All he could think about was his family's safety. He'd just escaped a confrontation with the Kingdom's most viciousman. It was a gift that was camouflaged as a danger. The only reason his life was spared was so that he might act as a threat. He was a Messenger, and he had a critical message to deliver to his family. He must bring his daughter to the King's Audience or suffer dreadful consequences. Any father in his position would be just as concerned as he was. Her own daughter's life was in danger. Despite this, he remained sceptical that the king would keep his word. What if Cecily accompanied you to the meeting? Was her life on the line? What was the meeting's purpose? Mr Ethel was perplexed.He was on a jet back to his home in no time, making the 5-hour ride seem like an eternity. He was on h
Another migraine seized him as he concluded his descent and got closer to the entrance, and he stumbled to the ground, landing on scorching Ashes. As he strained to climb back up, the scorching heat burned the hair on his hands. Even though no one will be on-site, The Screams will be heard loud and clear. The burning of wooden building poles to red hot coal indicated that the fire had been raging for some time. Unafraid of the blazing flames, Nelanian stumbled across the settlement. As he traveled through the Narrow Road heading to the old man's house, the rooftops collapsed behind him.As he approached the house, his rough top was soaked in sweat, and he walked barefoot over the scorching Ashes.His vision was hampered by the dense smoke, and he couldn't see what he was treading on. All he could hear were intermittent screams, his heart pumping loudly, and the crackling noises created by burning houses."He yelled, “Old man!” in th
Fathers in the Kingdom seemed to have a societal standard of being brutal and heartless. Any youngster will tell you how his father raised him unless he was never raised in the first place. That was not the case for Ithea's candidates. The most well-known victim of this craze was none other than Luciana, the kingdom's princess. Her father was vicious, despotic in his heart, and only cared about himself. Regardless, it appeared as if he found joy in hurting his victims and his own children.Norval's father was no different. He was ruthless to the same degree as Luciana's father. He wanted nothing more than to see his ideas succeed, and if they didn't, he'd be on the verge of losing his mind. He was enamored with his accomplishments and wished for his sons to follow in his footsteps. He ran a chemical corporation that mass-produced potions and elixirs for schoo
The interment was quick and uninteresting. Rhaizen Gale was laid to rest by drunkards who didn't give a damn about his body or his funeral. All they could think about was how quickly the ceremony would end so they could return to their normal lives and forget about that miserable excuse for a man. They wanted the trials to begin so that a new champion could be chosen, one who was descended from royalty and had noble blood coursing through her veins.Luciana was the one who was going to be chosen, as were the majority of IAA students and faculty thought. She had the numbers and the support to back it up. She had always been at the top of her class since her enrollment, and her grades had never slipped. She also showed remarkable promise on the battlefield, winning every tournament she participated in. She was occasionally beatenby Jalon Barr in combat tests and Cecily in alchemy tests, although overall she ranked higher than both when compared. Cecily's absence from
The students carried their luggage through the airport lobby. Jalon had to bear the weight of all four suitcases because the boys who had assisted him in loading them into the bus did not accompany him. Some of the flight attendants felt sorry for him and offered to assist him with his luggage.They walked through the congested airport, and some of the passengers in the lobby who were waiting for their flights recognised them. Others ran up to them and offered to carry their luggage, while others requested photographs and pictures.“All right, that's enough guys, we're here for the trials, not for show,” one of the professors stated, calmly asking airport security to keep the others from approaching the applicants any closer. They finally made it outside the airport, where a luxurious travelling coach was waiting for them. They were about to start packing their belongings when Norval noticed something.“Hey, Jalon, take a look. 
“Have the applicants already left for the trials?” “The king inquired. He walked around Mr. Starkridge's office, tipping books and pens down on the dusty carpet and watching them roll.“Yes, sir, they left a few of hours ago. He said, swallowing hard and loosening his tie in agitation, “I assume they have already boarded the plane and are on their way to Sunset City as we speak.” The lady who had accompanied the king took a seat on one of the couches closer to the office door. While the two were speaking, she started fussing with her nails.“Mr. Starkridge, didn’t I tell you that letting the boy live was going to cause some, complications. I suggested that we just kill the boy right then and there and be done with it. But you had to resort to the slow and methodical approach of feeding him blue fire, how did it go? ” The king inquired as he rested his hand on one of the pens and picked it up.&ldq
The commotion and unrest raged on, students running across hallways and slamming on each other. “They are at the entrance! Call the candidates!” one of the students yelled at another. The media had flooded the schools gate, calling to the school teachers and lecturers to release the candidates for the seat of Ithea's champion for an interview with them.“Please step back people. Classes are
At the school's gates, a fleet of escort cars arrived. The arriving fleet was heard from afar by the idle camera crew who was sleeping the night away in the parking lot. They promptly turned on their cameras. One of the cars came to a standstill, and the back door opened a notch. Two young men dressed in casual clothing emerged and rolled out a red carpet across the pavement leading to the gates. The automobile then moved forward, making room for a limousine to enter the scene smoothly.The camera team fought for a good view of the gorgeous vehicle from both sides of the spread carpet. It came to rest exactly on the carpet, and the front doors opened, revealing two bodyguards. They dashed to the back of the vehicle and cautiously opened the back door.A lovely leg, adorned with pricey stilettos and a stunning gown, stepped out of the automobile. As she stepped out of the car and onto the carpet, the bodyguard extended his arm, and a feminine hand reached out and clutch
Luciana, Norval, and Jalon were all seated on the bench in front of the entrance to the sports complex's head office, where the manager normally sat. Their professors had summoned them to the office for an unscheduled meeting. Because the IAA had closed, the candidates needed to know what they should do after the trials. It was going to be a long, arduous month, and they had to be prepared since the school was closed indefinitely, which meant they could have to return home after the trials were through.It was going to be a long, arduous month, and they had to be prepared since the school was closed indefinitely, which meant they could have to return home after the trials were through.From inside the office, the secretary called to them. The door had been wide open, and there were two entries inside the office, one leading to the secretary's desk and the other, which had been locked, leading to the manager's office shortly after someone had been cleared to enter the offic
"She's awake," Luciana heard a voice say from within her dream. she was coming to. Jalon had snuck close to her. She fought to open her eyes and could hear footsteps rushing tothe other side of the room as she did so. Someone was up to no good, she realised right away. She straightened her back and lowered her feet from the top of the bed to the ground, resting them over a pair of sandals next to it. She was blasted with an increasingly terrible headache as soon as she did so, and all she could do was clutch her head. On the other side of the room, she could hear Jalon's quiet giggles. "Can you tell me what happened?" "How did I end up here?" Luciana inquired, struggling to regain her balance.“You've been out for quite some time." Norval tried hard not to laugh as he stated, "The medical staff brought you here after your match with th
“We welcome you all to the first phase of the Trials of Ithea! ” the announcer said, eliciting a chorus of shouts from the audience.“The participants of this first phase will be none other than the candidates themselves. Luciana Vonner, Ithea's very own princess! The cameras zoomed in on Luciana, who stood clueless, and she could see herself on the enormous screen hanging over the arena, as the announcer shouted. She finally decided to wave to the throng, and they greeted her warmly, singing her name and waving banners spelling out her name into the air. Others carried cut-outs of her face, which they waved in the air as well.The atmosphere was electric and it was justified for the students to feel nervous, they had never experienced a crow of that size.“We have the one and only Jalon Barr, the teen sensation!” announcedthe broadcaster. Give a warm welcome to the face of teenage fashion! ”
Nelanian returned to the shanty where he had been resting. His head throbbed with a headache, and he couldn't concentrate on anything for long. It hurt him in waves, inducing light drowsiness before assaulting him with a violent anguish that forced him fall out of his chair. He reached for a drink he'd made himself and drank two hefty tastes of it. He felt strong enough to walk again after a few moments of resting his mass on the chair, so he got to his feet and walked toward the shack's entrance.It was an aging house that could have easily been blown down by a strong enough breeze, termites had eaten through most of the walls, and it didn't even have a door. Nelanian had tied a sack he found near a farm, cut it, patched it together to form a curtain, and hung it over the door frame as his door. When he stepped outdoors, he spotted black clouds moving in from the south. A storm was approaching, and he needed to finish whatever he was working on before the rain caught him out