The sun was just beginning to hang on the horizon as lisa made her way to her and Raven's usual training grounds.
[Two days,] lisa thought, her stomach twisting with nerves. [Just two more days until the tournant.]
She had been training harder than ever these past weeks, pushing herself to the limit in preparation for this mont.
But now, with the event looming so close, she couldn't help but feel a flicker of doubt.
[Am I ready? I an, I've learned so many spells, but what if the other students have too?]
Shaking her head, lisa pushed those thoughts aside.
She couldn't afford to second-guess herself, not now. Not when so much was riding on her performance.
[I'm basically carrying the reputation of a whole group of people on my shoulders. That's so crazy.]
As she approached the training area, she spotted a familiar figure waiting for her.
Raven stood at the edge of the grounds, her black hair pulled back into a tight bun, her grey eyes fixed on the ground.
"Good morning," lisa called out.
Raven rely nodded in response.
lisa frowned slightly as she drew closer.
Imdiately, she felt sothing was off about her training partner today.
She was pretty sure others wouldn't notice. To anyone else, this was just Raven as usual. But, to lisa, who had interacted with her almost every day for the past three months, sothing was odd.
Raven was always reserved, but this morning she seed particularly distant, even for her.
[Is sothing bothering her?]
She considered asking about it right now, but there was no ti to dwell on whatever was the case. At least, not at this mont.
They had work to do.
"Ready to get started?" lisa asked with a smile, grabbing one of the wooden practice swords.
Raven responded by drawing her own weapon.
They began their usual routine, trading blows and parries. But even as they moved through the motions, lisa could sense a tension in Raven's form, a tightness in her shoulders that wasn't usually there.
Aaaaand she broke.
She had ant to give Raven her space, but that lasted all of a few minutes until lisa was just too curious not to say:
"Is everything okay?" lisa ventured, ducking under a particularly vicious slash.
Raven didn't respond, her eyes narrowed in concentration as she pressed her attack.
lisa adjusted, focusing back on the practice session.
Later, she tapped out.
"Okay, okay, let's take a mont," lisa said. She couldn't train like this, not with this strange, oppressive atmosphere hanging over them.
Raven just nodded and went silent again.
[... Uh, what do I...?]
"I'm nervous," she admitted, the words tumbling out before she could stop them. "About the tournant, I an."
She just wanted to say sothing, anything that would get Raven talking. Even if it was with those usual kinda, sorta rehearsed answers of hers.
Raven's blade faltered for a mont, a flicker of surprise crossing her face.
But she quickly recovered.
"I know it's just a school competition," lisa continued, taking advantage of the brief lull in their sparring. "But... it feels like so much more than that. Like if I can succeed here, if I can prove myself... maybe I can start to change the way people see nim. Maybe I can show them that we're more than just slaves and servants."
She chuckled awkwardly.
"I dunno. You must think that's pretty stupid, right?" Raven didn't answer. "Thinking I can change the world with a few fancy sword moves. But, eh, I feel like I have to try."
Raven's brow furrowed, a hint of annoyance creeping into her expression.
For a mont, lisa thought she might actually respond.
But instead, the dark-haired girl simply pressed her lips into a thin line.
lisa felt a bit of disappointnt, but she didn't press the issue.
If Raven didn't want to talk, she wouldn't force her. But, she did want to try, and she had.
They continued their training in silence, the only sound the clashing of their blades and the occasional grunt of exertion.
But even as they worked, lisa couldn't shake the feeling that sothing was wrong. Raven's movents were stilted, almost chanical, lacking their usual fluidity.
She wanted to ask what was up. Clearly, sothing was troubling Raven and lisa wanted to know what.
But she guessed that Raven would only retreat further if pushed.
So instead, she remained focused on the training.
After a while, lisa poured all of her doubts and fears into each swing of her sword, channeling her nerves into this mont.
[I will succeed,] she told herself, gritting her teeth as she parried a particularly brutal strike from Raven. [I have to.]
And as the sun climbed higher in the sky, as the sweat poured down her face and her muscles burned with exertion, Raven nodded.
"We're done," Raven said, unceremoniously, and walked away.
"Uh, okay," lisa muttered, watching her go. "See you later, I guess."
---
lisa woke up the next day.
[Raven's out again,] lisa thought as she looked over at her bed. [Just like yesterday.]
It wasn't unusual for her roommate to rise early for her morning training. But after the tense, almost hostile energy that had hung between them during their last session, lisa couldn't shake the feeling that sothing was amiss.
She went through her morning routine in a daze, her thoughts constantly drifting to Raven.
As she dressed, she found herself straining to hear the familiar sound of the door opening, of Raven returning from her run. But the only sound was the soft rustle of fabric and the pounding of her own heart.
[Stop worrying,] she shook her head. [She's just preparing for the tournant, just like you. Everything's fine.]
---
The classroom buzzed with its usual morning energy. But as lisa walked in, she couldn't help but scan the room, her eyes instinctively seeking out the one face that had been conspicuously absent this morning.
[No Raven,] she noted. [Again.]
lisa made her way over to her seat. Which ant that Isabella now had her own seat. But, as Isabella fell on lisa's lap, as usual, she noticed the look on lisa's face.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
lisa sighed. She debated brushing off the question. But the need to confide won out.
"It's Raven," she murmured, her voice low. "Our last training session... sothing was off. She seed... I dunno, angry, almost hostile. And, now, I haven't seen her all day."
Isabella frowned, her tail swishing thoughtfully behind her.
"It's probably just nerves," she said. "The tournant is tomorrow, after all."
"Right," lisa replied with a nod.
But the doubt still lingered.
"You're right," she said, forcing a smile. "I'm sure that's all it is."
---
The library was quiet, the soft rustling of pages and the occasional whisper the only sounds breaking the studious silence.
lisa and Armia sat side by side, books and scrolls spread out before them, their heads bent in concentration.
They were reviewing spells, going over so intricate incantations and gestures that could an the difference between victory and defeat tomorrow. But even as lisa mouthed the words, even as her fingers traced the patterns in the air, her mind was elsewhere.
[Where is she?] she thought. [It's not like Raven to miss an entire day of classes.]
She glanced at Armia, wondering if she should voice her concerns.
She decided not to.
[After the tournant,] she told herself, trying to focus on the spells before her. [After the tournant, I'll find Raven and talk to her. I'll figure out what's going on.]
---
Night had fallen, the academy halls silent and still.
lisa lay in her bed, staring at the ceiling. The clock on the wall ticked relentlessly, each second a reminder of Raven's continued absence.
[Midnight,] lisa thought, her heart heavy. [She's never been out this late before.]
She couldn't stand it anymore. The waiting, the worrying, the not knowing. She had to do sothing, had to take action.
In a burst of resolve, lisa threw off her covers and quickly dressed, not bothering with her usual attire. A simple shirt and shorts would suffice. She wasn't going far, after all.
She just wanted to walk around the academy, a bit.
lisa crept out of the room, her footsteps soft on the stone floor.
The hallway was deserted, the other students long since retired to their beds. She made her way down the stairs and out into the night.
And there, standing in the middle of the courtyard, was Raven.
For a mont, lisa felt a rush of relief.
[Oh, thank goodness. There you are.]
But then Raven turned, and lisa's blood ran cold.
Those grey eyes now held a chilling emptiness.
It was as if all the life, all the warmth, had been drained from them. Continue reading on My Virtual Library Empire
"Uh, Raven? Are you...?"
Raven took a step forward.
She pulled out a knife.
lisa's eyes widened.
[... What?] lisa pulled back. [What the...?]
"This would have been easier if you'd been asleep."
And before lisa could even begin to process those words, before she could ask what Raven ant, the dark-haired girl ran forward.
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