Chapter 6: Zero to hero?
Eli closed her eyes and leaned to kiss Lara; however, they heard a door knock. Girls tried ignoring and continuing what they had started. However, Lara muttered.
"W-What if this is mistress Eleonora?"
'DAMN IT!' Eli screamed internally. However, she sighed and nodded. "Alright, I will check it." Instead of the worry she felt about how her family treated her, she was now filled with dread at what might come next.
She got up and opened the door, revealing a butler. He wore a black uniform with silver buttons shaped like leaves and a silver emblem on his breast. "Mistress Eleonora wants to see you."
"W-Why? Is something wrong?" Eli asked.
"No, nothing is wrong." The butler bowed and left the room. "Mistress wants to measure your mana capacity with the crystal ball."
"Oh, alright. Thank you." Eli breathed a sigh of relief as she shut the door behind her. The fear that the mother wanted to punish her disappeared. She turned around, and her body shook as she saw Lara standing beside the couch. "Y-You can use mana?" she whispered. "Since when?" her face showed a shocked expression.
"T-Today..." Eli chuckled awkwardly. "I unlocked my mana today."
"Ohhh..." Lara stared at Eli, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion. A million thoughts raced through her head, and she felt surprised. Slowly, the corners of her mouth tugged upward into a smile as reality sunk in, and she leaped into Eli's arms. "Congratulations!" she squealed happily.
Eli wrapped his arms around the girl, feeling her soft curves pressed against her own body. Eli could feel her heart beating in her chest and the warmth of her skin radiating through her clothes. She breathed in the scent of her hair and savored the moment, eyes closed, as they shared their embrace. 'This is so nice!' she thought to herself.
"I am so happy for you, miss Eli," Lara murmured.
Eli smiled and kissed Lara on the lips, enjoying the feel of her soft skin. 'This feels so good,' she thought to herself, letting her hands roam over Lara's back and shoulders.
Lara's breath hitched, and her eyes widened, her tongue peeking out between slightly parted lips. Eli took this as an invitation and pressed his mouth against hers. They moved together in a gentle waltz, their tongues exploring one another as their free hands found each other, fingers twining together in a comforting embrace.
"Mm..." Lara moaned as she pulled Eli even closer. Her eyelids fluttered shut, and her face flushed. "W-Wait, she pushed Eli away. "Y-You should hurry up and go meet your mother!" she said as she shyly whipped off her lips from Eli's.
"Ow..." Eli rubbed her cheek and gazed at Lara, who was grinning sheepishly. "You're right."
"Don't worry, it was my fault too," Lara giggled. "But... Finally, getting your attention felt too good to miss out."
"Maybe we could continue later?" Eli asked with a teasing grin.
Lara felt her cheeks flush as she nervously glanced at Eli. She covered her face with her hands as if to hide the embarrassment while her voice quivered, "I-I'll think about it." She then frantically started pushing him out of the room, her face growing redder as she muttered, "M-Mistress is waiting!"
Eli's infectious laughter echoed off the hallway walls as he strolled away. She meandered in the opposite direction, and the familiar face of the butler, an old man with a weathered face, appeared at the end of the corridor.
"W-Where do I go?" she asked with a stutter.
The butler cleared his throat, and the sound reverberated through the stone-walled hallway. His cold eyes regarded her with a blank look, and in a voice dripping with disdain and contempt, he gestured to the double doors leading to the training room. The hallway was as still as a tomb, and apart from her hasty footsteps on the marble, no sound broke the air. "This way, please."
Eli followed the butler, her thoughts filled with anticipation of having her mana measured. As soon as they reached the training room, the butler turned to Eli and locked the door. Now it was time for her to get her mana analyzed.
Buttler gestured to the large crystal ball in the back of the room. His arm extended in its direction. "We will be testing your mana capacity with this."
Eli stood up straighter. Her hands balled up into fists. "Got it," she said, then she shot a questioning look in the butler's direction, wanting to know if she should start now. "Uh... Now?"
The butler shook his head, "We should wait for mistress Eleonora."
Eli gave a slight nod, and in no time, the doors opened. A young maid with light hair and stunning sapphire eyes stepped aside to reveal Eleonora. She peered at Eli curiously.
"Are you ready?" Eleonora asked.
Eli nodded. "Yes. Let's begin."
Eleonora walked toward the table and sat down. "Go ahead and place your hands on the crystal ball. "
Eli nervously walked up to the crystal ball, taking a quick glance at her mom before she placed her hands on top of it. "Like this?" she asked hesitantly.
Eleonora nodded and gave a gentle smile. "Yes."
Eli closed her eyes, taking deep breaths as she concentrated on the energy coursing through her veins. The warmth of her mana spread like a ripple, emanating from her chest and down into her arms. The gold of the mana began to swirl and morph, turning a deep purple and midnight black as it was absorbed into the crystal ball.
The heat of the mana surged through Eli's body as her fingers touched the crystal ball. With each pulse of energy, Eli felt the aura of the mana reaching deeper inside her. It was like thousands of tiny tingles radiating from her wrists and into the crystal ball.
"Ugh!" Eli grunted as she felt her body growing heavy with mana. "Nooowww!" she growled with effort as she pushed the power out of her palms.
As soon as the ball was full of her mana, it started glowing brighter, and the crystal began to crack.
Eleonora's eyes grew wide in shock as she watched the crystal explode. "A prodigy!"
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone