Restricted Magic - Arc 2: The Competition

Chapter 1

"I hate school assemblies."

Erin grumbled as she stood in the auditorium with the other students, waiting.

"Aww, don't worry, I'm sure this one will go better than the last one." Gerald reached out and grasped her hand in his own as he spoke. Erin glanced down, raising an eyebrow at the familiar contact before deciding she was okay with it.

Olivia stepped forward with a loud sigh. "The last assembly they accused Erin of being an ability thief."

"Exactly." He grinned. "This one should go much smoother."

Erin shook her head before turning her worried gaze to the stage, yawning. Things had just calmed down over the last few months since the incident with the former headmistress. It had been harder for her to recover than she thought it would be. Not physically... most of her internal wounds had healed up after a few days with Olivia's near constant application of healing magic. There wasn't even a scar left as a reminder of the incident. It was like nothing had ever happened.

On the outside, at least.

Erin didn't regret her actions that day. Belanna was crazy, she would have killed Erin and her friends if given the chance. She had hurt countless people, not to mention standing by watching her mother be murdered with a smile. Erin felt sure she had done the right thing. But that didn't stop the memory of the fight from coming back to her at random moments. The sensation of the other woman's throat in her crushing grip. The hatred in her eyes before the light faded from them. The last breath mixed with blood that slowly blew out, never to be repeated.

Erin had nightmares, most nights. They kept her tossing and turning until even the thought of sleep frustrated her to no end. She felt exhausted, angry, and overwhelmed. Having just gotten through a huge ordeal together, she hadn't wanted to burden the others with her problems, and so she tried to best to act normal. Overall, She thought she had hid it fairly well, but noticed that Olivia and Gerald had been keeping a worried eye on her lately.

Gerald squeezed her hand. "You sleep okay last night?" He was still smiling, but it didn't mask the concern in his eyes.

"...Fine." Erin looked away.

"Well, if you need to talk..."

"I don't need to talk."

He ignored her interruption, continuing. "...We're here for you."

She considered his words, unsure of how to respond. In the end she just gripped his hand tightly, welcoming the warmth from the contact.

His grin widened at her action. "So... I was thinking next year after graduation."

"For what?"

"For our wedding. Speaking of which, I've already met your family..." He coughed uncomfortably. "Well, the ones that matter, anyways, but you haven't met mine yet!"

"When did I agree to marry you?"

"Just in case you do agree, wouldn't it be more convenient if you had already met my parents?" His grin was slightly mischievous. "How about it? We can have a romantic trip to the Ellurine Alliance, meet my family, take a boating tour, and be back before midterm exams!"

She shook her head. "I just can't imagine what goes on in that head of yours."

"I'll mark that down as a 'maybe.' Just let me know a good date for you and I'll work on arranging transportation."

Olivia broke in with a frown. "You can't her on a trip to your country alone, that's improper!"

"Well, I don't want to tarnish her reputation..." Gerald thought it over carefully, "Do you want to come along?"