Orison | Celeste Academy Series BK #3

Chapter Fifty ۞ I Believe

Valeriana had insisted on leaving immediately, but the rush of energy she had felt during the time she made that demand was long since gone. Having gotten no sleep at all since they left the academy, Valeriana felt physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted.

Even so, it was a good thing Corvan sent her to a certain room to enable to her freshen up. She was more than glad to take temporary residence in such an exquisite princess bedchamber.

The bed was so comfortable she didn't know how many times it bounced when she jumped on it. No one was watching that time so she did whatever she wanted, having closed the door behind her to be able to relax.

Her back hit the soft cushion, her hair forming a halo around her head.

She pulled off the gloves she was wearing, feeling the air with her palms after such a long while. Still, the mark was there, staring back at her like it always did. She traced the smooth lines running through the flesh, biting her lip when the sensation she should've felt was either numbing or totally gone.

"I can't feel . . . anything." She pressed on it, massaged it, even flicked it so many times with her fingers, and yet, her brain registered nothing. "Damn."

She sat up on the edge of the bed, feeling the fear rising up to her throat at the thought. She never really bothered with it, afraid of being reminded of the truth and consequences of the ability she recently gained. Before realizing what this thing really was, she never really knew the true gravity of her situation. Of course, Cifaro had given her a warning about her life possibly being at risk, but she took it lightly . . .

Now, she realized how truly naive she was.

"Gods, why me?" She muttered problematically, burying her face into her hands. "Why me?"

Why me? The question resounded infinitely.

She thought back on the time she had bravely declared it would be futile to keep this thing of hers hidden and all to herself, believing she was given this in order be able to help somebody. Was it bad to be rethinking all of that now?

She slumped against the pillows, the gloves discarded by her sides. It would be a great understatement to say she was frustrated, tired, confused, irritated, and the list went on. Valeriana wanted the answers immediately. No matter how many times they told her to wait, she could not help but still try to seek them out.

She felt her eyes close, a wet trail marking the path past the bridge of her nose and into the other side of her face.

It was hard being a Direct Controller. Emmillyse, was no doubt, in trouble herself.

-*-

After having the necessary preparations done, Corvan went to fetch Valeriana from the room he made her stay in. It was a little over two hours since they parted and it was already time to depart. He tried to play things politely, knocking on her door and calling out her name to alert her. Yet, despite how many times his knuckles hit the surface, the girl had yet to answer.

His skin was becoming a little bit red at the continuous pounding, until his patience wore thin and he pulled on the knobs, finding them unlocked.

The curtains were drawn open, the sunlight hitting the walls and floors of the bedroom and encasing the girl who laid asleep on top of the bed in a soft glow, her boots on the floor a feet apart from each other.

Valeriana looked beyond worn and exhausted. Her brows were wrinkled and the corners of her lips were turned down. Corvan felt almost guilty for the way she looked and wondered if it was because of him, or the pressure which had been weighing down on her for the past weeks.