The afternoon sun began to decline, painting the sky in shades of orange and purple as Elyandra walked back to the dormitories. The euphoria of approval still resonated in his chest, but it was mixed with the exhaustion of the test and the constant tension of maintaining his persona. She thought about Armand's smile, how he seemed to enjoy the suffering of others, and how somehow she had gone through his tricks.
"My congratulations, Lady Valemortis." The phrase echoed in his mind, a sweet and unexpected sound. That recognition, even though it came from Armand, was an immense relief. It meant that all the effort, all the discipline imposed by Dalia, had been worth it. It was a validation not only of his magic, but also of his ability to maintain his composure under certain situations.
As she approached the dormitory, Elyandra saw Seraphina sitting on the stone bench in front of the entrance, engrossed in a dark-bound book. The twilight light illuminated her black hair and concentrated expression.
Elyandra hesitated for a moment. The previous conversation with Seraphina had been peculiar. She called her "weird," and the exchange of barbs about her actions and knowledge seemed to have been more of a provocation than an actual dialogue. But the idea of hiding from her roommate did not appeal to her. Elyandra straightened her shoulders, her serene smile returning to her face.
"I thought I wouldn't be back anytime soon," Seraphina said, her voice a monotonous, emotionless tone. "It has come to my attention from my teacher that Professor Armand's test usually lasts until nightfall for most candidates.
Elyandra stopped at a respectful distance, watching her colleague.
"I was one of the last to be tested today," Elyandra replied, with her usual serenity. "And I confess that it was not an ordinary test.
Seraphina scanned her from head to toe, her eyes scanning the figure of Elyandra with an almost investigative intensity.
"I don't think you've had enough at all," Seraphina said, her voice keeping its tone neutral and analytical. "What was the purpose of your test?"
Elyandra calmly analyzed Seraphina's question. For a moment, a mischievous thought ran through his mind, a small amused twinkle in his golden eyes. She then walked over to Seraphina and sat next to him on the stone bench, a few inches away.
"What was it?" Elyandra said, without looking directly at Seraphina, copying the neutral tone and somewhat distant from the other. "I don't remember now to tell you the truth.
Seraphina, who stared at her out of the corner of her eye, furrowed her brows slightly as she noticed that strange way Elyandra used to replicate her own way of speaking. She turned her gaze to her book, a slight disappointment in her barely audible voice.
"Is that so?" Understand.
They were both silent for a moment, until Elyandra let out a faint laugh that she covered with her hand, a gleam of amusement in her eyes. Seraphina noticed the reaction out of the corner of her eye, but remained silent, watching. While still laughing lightly, to the point that her eyes watered, Elyandra finally said:
"I'm kidding, I'm kidding!" Well, how can I tell, it was well... "Ghastly," Elyandra said, with a slight pause, but without losing her smile. She wiped away tears of laughter.
Seraphina closed the book in her hands, and turned her gaze forward, her face neutral but with a hint of curiosity.
"Dreadful, what do you mean?"
Elyandra crossed her legs and rested her hands on her knees, her gaze serene and tranquil.
"Armand is a peculiar teacher. Many students who went to his test failed for the slightest possible error. I'm not going to lie that I was very worried and scared. I thought straight about what I was going to do if I failed.
"But you passed, didn't you?" Seraphina interjected, a tone of cold logic in her voice. "It is also not abnormal to be failed by Professor Armand, from what I have heard of him. Didn't you notice that most of the people who were in your group disappeared out of nowhere?
Elyandra brought her hands to her chin, a sudden thought hitting her. "Now that she said that, I didn't see the nobles who were with me at the second test... But calm down, was Eliora then eliminated? No, that wouldn't make sense, she contributed as much as I did to that test."
"I hadn't noticed that," Elyandra admitted, a little embarrassed. "I was kind of too focused, I think.
Seraphina continued, her tone now more informative than inquisitive.
"You don't have to be too apprehensive. It may not seem like it, but the only test you need to be anxious about waiting for results is the last phase, since the result of this test takes time to be delivered to the students.
"The result of the last delay?" Elyandra questioned, confused. "No, wait a moment, do you already know the result of the last tests?"
Seraphina sighed, a subtle gesture of impatience.
"Really?" Didn't you get to study how the tests work?
Elyandra looked to the side, a slight blush coloring her cheeks.
"Well... It's kind of shameful to say this, but my father was responsible for this part. I focused on studying other things.
Seraphina continued, without apparent judgment, but with a hint of resignation.
"The results, like points, is not something we will know. But the results of the tests are basically issued on the same day. Students who have passed the stages continue to the second part; Those who failed at some stage receive letters on the same day saying that their test did not achieve the expected results.
Elyandra thought, "So... The tests will not be added up to see if I will pass or not. Each test is already eliminatory. I should have seen it before. Mental note: never again leave my responsibilities in the hands of others..."
"That's how it works, then," Elyandra said, her voice lower. "Interesting." I didn't really know that.
Seraphina stared at her, a glint of amusement barely contained in her eyes.
"You're peculiar, Lady Valemortis. It surprises me that you have come so far, even though you are so misinformed.
That line fell like a stab in Elyandra's back. She turned her face to Seraphina, a beak forming on her lips.
"Lady Vancroft, you don't have to be that sharp!" Elyandra grumbled, a tone of annoyance in her voice.
Seraphina, for a moment, allowed herself a faint smile, something rare in her usually serious countenance. Elyandra noticed, and was a little confused by the reaction.
"Somehow, I like how you behave," Seraphina said, her smile fading as fast as it came. "I'm going to join the gym for sure. I hope to see you there.
His voice was filled with an astonishing ego, an unshakable conviction.
"You speak with incredible certainty, Lady Vancroft," Elyandra remarked, surprised.
"But of course. Do you know why? Seraphina asked, her eyes staring at Elyandra's gold, an intensity that defiant.
The two stared at each other, their eyes fixing on the other.
"Because that's my current life goal. It's something I want. That's why I'm sure I'll be successful. Seraphina raised her hand, holding the book as if pointing it at Elyandra, a gesture that felt like an accusation. "What about you, Valemortis?" What is its goal?
Elyandra heard that, her face with a surprised look, and she practically lost her voice.
"My... goal?
The night resounded in silence in the dorm room. Seraphina slept peacefully in her impeccably made bed, while Elyandra stared at the ceiling, her mind a whirlwind of thoughts. She berate herself for not having had an answer to Seraphina, that simple question that had disarmed her: "What is your goal?"
"What is my real goal?" Thought. "Dominating the world? I haven't thought about it since Siris was gone. Join the gym? Well, it's something that I found interesting while studying the empire. For a while I thought this would be the best way, but... Is that really what I want?"
Several memories of his old life, the life of man, began to come back to his mind. Days when he woke up and stared at the ceiling, wondering what he really wanted to do, what path he would take, what he wanted to do and if something he did was really by his choice. But he never had an answer.
A dry slap on his own face. A burning sensation that made her face tremble, and a cute sound of "Oh". Elyandra forced herself to focus. "My head is a mess. It's been so long since I've been in that damn life anymore, why is it disturbing me here?"
The girl turned on the bed, supporting the pillow to be more comfortable. She kept thinking. "Life goals and future... it seems that this path does not exist... I mean, it seems like I have nowhere to go? What the fuck is this mental limitation?!"
Elyandra sank her face against the pillow, thrashing around in bed like a bored cat. To the side, with a confused look, Seraphina, who had previously woken up with the movement, stared at her in silence. "Elyandra Valemortis, indeed, you are very strange." Seraphina thought, a faint trace of amusement at the corner of her lips.
Seraphina then turned to the other side, going back to sleep with the same tranquility. Meanwhile, Elyandra stopped, sulking and thinking "Ignorance is a blessing. Never has a sentence made so much sense. Aaaah! I don't want to have to do anything, damn it! That thought isn't the right one either, but what the hell do I want to do?"
Elyandra pulled the blanket and hid like a caterpillar, sinking under the fabric. "Focus, focus! I'm clearly in an Isekai world. I was born into a rich family, full of influential people, I'm a rare little girl in this place. What I have most are goals, right? Yes, it's not because I haven't found something I like to do that it doesn't exist... No, calm down! That's some kind of thought I'd have in my past life, but damn it!"
The night passed as turbulent as it began for Elyandra. In the morning, Seraphina woke up and stretched, her hand reaching for a comb millimetrically positioned at her side. She combed her black hair, leaving it with the same noble silhouette as always. His eyes then looked at the bed next to his and noticed that, again, Elyandra was not there. A thought crossed her mind: "Potential and discipline, two things she has in abundance, but it seems she still doesn't know what to do with it. What a fun person you are, Elyandra."
Far away, Elyandra was again running over the campus. She had already run so much that her legs hurt. She stopped, sweaty and panting, staring at a flat path in front of her. "Objectives... What do I want? To take over the world? It even seems like a joke this kind of thinking, I mean... It's not like I have the power and influence to take over the whole world." The girl stood up, looking up. "I'm suffering from the spotlight syndrome, the world doesn't revolve around me, it's not like I can change people's minds just by saying something."
Elyandra jumped a few times, stretching, and continued thinking. "I already have a promising future at the Valemortis house. If this is not my future, I can follow the path of the Church. I have responsibilities that I can't run away from, I have to keep that in mind." Elyandra's face was startled. She remembered the promise she had made to Callen. For a moment, she stopped and thought, "Callen... Can I still keep my promise to you? It seems that I was immature, the hole is much lower in reality. Do I have the power to help you? No, I don't. We are children, we don't have enough influence or contacts to do anything." The images began to bubble in his mind. She crouched, the weight of doubt falling on her. "I said I was going to help you, right? Will you be angry with me if I can't keep my promises?" The image of Callen kneeling, pledging allegiance to her, hammered her mind. "When I meet you next time, we'll talk about it better." Elyandra stood up, sighing, and began to return to the dormitory.