An Eternity of Nihility

Chapter 21: Jewelery

She pulled out her floating cards, and looked at them in disbelief.

— Encounter, solitude and... naught...

The diviner stared at them again and again, until her eyes burned. She sighed and tucked them away in her parcel before walking over to her wardrobe and opening it.

Tonight was the elves' ball, and this year Hucral had thought it wouldn't be such a bad idea to attend. But she couldn't help dreading the evening, because after all; she wasn't very good with human and societal interactions. What's more, she was unfamiliar with the dress code and traditional attire. A ball of stress formed in her stomach when her anger addressed her.

— What's the matter? Are you afraid we'll discover your true nature?

As she searched for something to wear, Hucral couldn't help rolling her eyes.

— I see you're getting comfortable, she said loudly. You come and talk to me even when I'm not holding my sword.

— Speaking of which... If you're that scared, why don't you draw it to protect yourself? If you killed them all, you'd be safe...

She didn't even wait for her to finish her sentence before burning the garment in her hand.

— I forbid you to continue your sentence, she ordered her coldly. Leave me alone.

— You're no fun. But that's okay. I'll come back and bother you when you're at the ball.

She left without further ado, leaving the witch to return to reality. Each time she spoke to her, her consciousness was transported into that of her sword, disconnecting her from the real world for a few moments. She shook her head desperately and conjured up her crystal ball.

— Arc of time, restoration.

The garment she had burned in anger returned to its original state. She picked it up and returned it to her closet. Exhausted by this short conversation, she collapsed on her bed and closed her eyes.

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— I'm so proud of you! You've managed to finish your costume before the deadline!

The students howled with excitement, while Lycair laughed out loud. This was going to be her first time at the elf ball, as she was always apprehensive about others judging her on the fact that she didn't have a date for the evening. But this year, she was determined to go, whether with someone or on her own.

— And to reward you for all your efforts, classes are cancelled for the rest of the day! Go home and get ready and look your best, she told them with a wink. I'll see you tonight anyway.

A few of them jumped up to give her a huge hug.

— Thank you, Lycair!

— You're welcome. Now run along, she told them tenderly.

They rushed out the door, strolling like mad. As for Lycair, she took her things from her desk and left the classroom. On the way, she bumped into the teacher with whom she'd had an argument 5 months ago. So when she got down to his level, she decided to trip him. And when he fell like a turd, she couldn't help but run as fast as she could while laughing out loud, as if the child in her had always wanted to do that.

When she got home, she rushed over to Athena and gave her a big hug.

— Who's Mommy's good girl," she said, giving her lots of kisses. Yes, it's you, my baby.

Her dog rolled onto her back, overjoyed that her mother had given her so many cuddles. Lycair was about to continue when her clock struck. She stopped and looked at the time.