Waking up in her room, she was met with an artifact that gave a faint ominous obsidian glow. A necklace that failed to sparkle as light hit it, absorbing every gleam with ease. Looking around, she noted the lack of malcore in the air and her senses indicated the lack of intrusion.
'So this is his gift?' She inspected it in her hands, making her way to the mirror as she took a closer look at it. It spoke of something more than just a necklace but wrapping it around her neck, the sensation faded. She subconsciously take a long deep breathe that felt refreshing.
Her malcore flow in her body flowed with ease akin to blood. It coursed with silence beneath her skin as she realized that it masked her rank. Impressed she held the core bead and let it hit the sun's rays. Spams of pain seared through her body but with each new sensation of prick came a greater sense of power.
Akin to unlocking something that was locked beneath her. The malcore that her body absorbed calmed as the air around her grew even calmer. Her senses soared, her knowledge of malcore seemed to flow with greater ease in her mind as with each breathe felt more purposeful and relaxed.
Pleased with it, she couldn't help but let out a smile that lasted for no longer than five seconds. 'A legendary artifact no doubt. I wonder how much it cost him for it and how he placed it in my room.' As Callista Vaewlyn, daughter of James Vaewlyn, counsellor of the royal court she had privileges that rivalled fifth year students.
Her enrollment in Caelbridge Academy and not in the Sable Court a decision from her mother who wished her to experience life as a normal girl however so far it had the opposite effect. She was flocked to because of her status and the friends that she had around her wanted to get closer to her because of this.
Thus she deemed them people to have around as for convenience and please her mother but nothing worth while. With Jarren, she felt that he understood exactly what she wanted with the silence that lurked around him, their words enough with purpose not chirping away like birds and now gifted an artifact that helped her.
Pleased with the necklace, she made her way towards the training hall that she had to herself for her training. Taking a deep breathe, she formed the glyph she recalled from yesterday.
With the malcore that flowed with ease inside her body, the outer circle came with ease however the problem came with the inner circles. She had already formed two separate glyphs and merged them however an explosion came from it as expected. Her wrist that was sore greatly felt refreshed the moment a tinge of pain seared on it.
'So it does more than just regulate malcore.' Realizing that she had more leeway, she became more reckless as she formed multiple glyphs in the hopes of odds with high numbers however the result was more or less the same. Realizing that this approach was pointless she went back onto focusing on a single glyph.
The day was wasted with her forming two inner circles within the outer circle. 'One will have to suffice for now.' Pleased with the progress, she made her way back to her room and rested for the day.
***
A few days came to pass with Jarren remained locked in his room while Callista chose to dedicate her time in mastering the glyph. However she wasn't tunnel visioned with just the glyph as she focused on her elemental that had now greatly increased in terms of potency thank to her necklace.
She had already sent a text to Jarren and appreciated his gift who had yet to make a public appearance since his fight with Lance Cerlin. 'Come on!' She shouted in her head, the glyph had baked as she shot her hand out. It started out as normal before another circle was birthed at the middle, still holding up thanks to the necklace.
Another circle slowly came to be and with a faint flicker birthed another circle. Her eyes usually half eyed shot up fully with anticipation as she couldn't believe that she had managed to form the basic glyph. However there was a problem, the secondary circle didn't rotate but appear stationary.
"Hah..." Rather than let out a scream of rage or anger, a defeated sigh escaped her lips. Forcing herself to rotate it, the toll of malcore that ran across her body was too demanding however the necklace never once let her experience the pleasure of falling unconscious.
Her fingers locked in a battle of growing numb shot back went back and forth, her body flaring with pain that was quickly washed right after and her malcore already absorbing that around her surroundings. It was an inch that one of them moved, the other still immobile however she was pleased with such a result.
Taking a small break, she went on with her training as she recalls that there were more glyphs to be made. 'If I want to master this glyph then I'll have to get over the first hurdle.' Her determination hardened with a steely resolve as the other circle too starts to tick in the opposite direction and in a minute the two circles clashed.
*Boom*
The outer circle formed cracks all over but never cracking, the two circles had now spiraled out of control with each clash that came ended with a huge surge of malcore shooting to the roof. 'I guess it'll take me some time.' Her expectations of mastering the glyph before he match had yet to be but it would seem that she wasn't all that bothered.
She had more skills underneath her skill than just the glyph. Walking out of the hall, she admired the beauty of the hall as she understood that she wouldn't come back to the hall.
"Are you okay?" A question of worry came to her, the source one of the academy faculty staff however with a wave of tee hand she ignored her and made her way back to the Archives. With no friends to pas time and act as background noise, she liked the serenity of the peace.
'Maybe I should have lost them long ago.' A playful muse that lasted for no more than a second as she shuffled through the pages of her tome.
***
"Alright this will be the last fight of the mock tournaments. To our right we have Callista Vaewlyn, the aloof queen of the academy and her opponent Ryin Drackstar who was a prodigy in the Knighthood path among the fourth year students while she was considered a gem in the path of Maga among the fourth year student.
Truly a clash that was worth the attention which had managed to bring Jarren out of his room and watch the fight. Orissa who noted this couldn't help but feel a faint tinge of irritation given that he was absent when she faced her opponent.
"Is that Jarren?" One of the students couldn't help but note. "I thought that he had left the academy." Another snorted however for Jarren, it was nothing more than background noise as his eyes landed on Callista who had her eyes locked with Ryin.
The bell rang and without hesitation a fight ensued between the two. One of robust and well built physique while the other spoke of elegance and a devilishly beautiful body. Glyphs and blows filled the arena,the two figures darting all over the place as screams and cheers went on.
"So who do you think will win?" Orissa who had now made her way to Jarren asked. "That depends on Callista if she learnt it or not." And with that no other commentary came from Jarren. 'Why do you have to be so cryptic with your words?!' She loathed how he would douse his words with sayings and quotes.
She felt it to be pretentious and superficial at times however that didn't mean that he was wrong. It felt way too much for him to be doing all that. Thirty minutes passed, both sides still refusing to go down without a fight. "You're extremely well prepped, as expected of the daughter of James Vaewlyn. However I can tell that you're running out of malcore."
Ryin smirked, his breathes growing softer as his eyes surveyed Callista's body. She remained unscathed but on the inside, he could tell that her malcore reserves were slowly depleting. "But I have to give you credit for lasting this long with me."
Still his opponent hadn't talked as she formed another glyph. 'She still has the energy to keep on making them? She'll be out before she forms it.' Without letting her finish the glyph, he closed the distance with a punch ready to be handed to her only to be blocked with a barrier that pushed her back.
Still she went on with her glyph. "It's amazing that she has such a huge amount of malcore in her body." Such praises would echo through the air however those with keen eyes felt that something was off. "For Callista to hold her own for this long is a miracle on her end or something else entirely."
The question from Vhorren was understandable as even Lirale felt that something else was at play. "Her glyph, it's way different than her earlier casts." Realizing this, her eyes couldn't help but shift back to Jarren who watched the fight with minimal interest.
She was aware of the 'favor' Jarren had offered to her and was pleased about it as it meant that her faction would grow in terms of power without violating the conditions they had set earlier. "Maybe this is what she has been focusing on for the last couple of days."
Saevin mused, her expression bitter as she knew what this meant. An unfair advantage within the Aurex Sanctum however she couldn't argue with it. Not to mention she held a passive aggressive grudge against Jarren who had not only embarrassed a member of the Gravemire Fold but also his record.
It bothered how everything was turning in everyone's favor except hers. "It would seem so. I just hope that it was worth the effort that she put in." Lirale spoke, her eyes going back to the glyph Callista was half way done. Sensing the danger that lurked with the glyph, Ryin hardened his body with the earth elemental petrifying his entire body.
*Whoosh-Whoosh-Whoosh*
Mid cast of the glyph, Callista shot crystalline projectiles towards Ryin who would tank some and avoid others. It was clear to create distance between the two and it worked like a charm. 'She's being going for thirty minutes, how is she still not tired or exhausted?!'
This question lingered with not only Ryin but those who watched from the side. At this point her reserves felt way too inhumane for a human to possess. Ready to end the fight, Ryin let out a smirk as he came to a stop turning heads towards his direction. Rather than blindly pursuing her, he would have her dance to his game.