LACUNA [ THE DARKLING ]

02. - i'm prettier

Ravenna was not looking forward to her punishment.

She groaned as she woke up to the sun shining down on her face through the gap in the tent, uncomfortably warming her face.  All she wanted to do is just to go back to sleep and die if she could. But her plans were interrupted by Alina and Mal who jumped into her bed and screamed in her ears. 

"Wake up, Ravenna. It's morning already!" The two-morning people always woke her up. They didn't understand that Ravenna is married to her bed and just want to be left alone.

"I'm up! I'm up!" Ravenna stated after Mal squeezed the life out of her. 

She sighed and finally got out of her bed, feeling the frozen floor of the tent under her feet. Ravenna walked to the folding screen to change into her black kefta that Aleksander gifted her himself. Black does look good on her but it was still bloody annoying that she couldn't wear a normal blue kefta like everybody else. 

The commotion outside made her even more awake than before. He's here. Guess it is time to face the handsome shadow summoner. 

Alina and Mal stared at her, looking seemingly somber as they realized that the three of them would be separated again soon. Ravenna smiled sweetly at both of them before taking both of their hands and walked out of the tent. Alina's unit was somehow standing in front of her tent, waiting for her to come out. Did Alina bring all of them to her tent? 

As they all stared at the black carriage that drove up to the middle of the base, Ravenna wrapped her kefta tighter around herself. The weight of reality makes her heart heavy. 

"Is it him?" Alina breathed out, giving the black carriage a suspicious look over Ravenna's shoulder. 

"General Kirigan" Mal stated as he looked at the scene in disbelief. Reality finally hit him. He is going to the dangerous fold and might die in the process. 

"The leader of the Second Army here to grace us with his presence? He must believe the new skiff will be a shining success." one of the girls from Alina's unit said with an attitude. Ravenna didn't like that. 

He's not here for the skiff, he's here just to find her and bring her back to the little palace where no one can bother them.

"Or a spectacular failure" Alexei retorted. Mal is going on that expedition and now this stupid man just said that her bestfriend might die. Ravenna's fingers clenched around her kefta till it turned white as she held herself back from punching the man.

"Alexei" Alina can't help but snapped at the man, giving him a look that said if anyone heard you, you would be in big trouble. 

But Alexei seemed to not understand as he responded with a "What."

"Do you think he's coming with us?" Mal couldn't help but ask. It'll be good to have a reliable man on the expedition to help them. 

"If he does, then you know what he believes," Alexei replied. Ravenna scrunched up her eyebrows and made sure to avoid eye contact with the man. She couldn't afford to snap and slap him into the next universe, she's in big trouble already.