The Oracle

Chapter 22: Dark Beauty

AKARI

Two weeks have passed since Reverence came back. In the time since, Reverence has been hospitalized in the academy and Evory has endlessly been trying to cure him, staying up all night and only managing on cups of coffee that Darius brings her as he offers her any help he can and worries about her.

Carmin was pleased that we got the runestone of Chastity and Lust and he stored it safely in the vault. Gambit grilled him for information on why he was being so shady but he claimed he had no idea what she was talking about. Upon seeing Reverence alive, Carmin nearly fell to pieces and was completely dumbfounded. He refused to leave Reverence's side, along with Merrick, for several days, making Gambit do all of his necessary work for those few days until he finally returned back to his duties.

Sora, Isabella, and Clea have been training endlessly in order to strengthen their abilities. Sometimes I sneak out at night to help Sora with training with his sword, him otherwise training with his staff. Despite Carmin's requests, he can't stop me from helping out my friend. With that said, I've also been keeping up with my task of training Clea. While doing so, Clea has shared parts of her past and some of the stories from her book with me and the two of us have gained more of a common ground with each other than before.

"You're insufferable," Kit huffs and rolls her eyes as she and Sander sit at the breakfast table with me.

"What's that supposed to mean? What the hell did I do now?" Sander sighs.

"You're supposed to chew with your mouth closed, moron," Kit sighs.

"Hah?" Sander glares. "What are you, my mother?"

"No," Kit pouts and blushes slightly in irritation before she sighs in exasperation and goes back to eating her buttered biscuit. "Nevermind."

"Sander, do this. Sander, do that. What is wrong with you lately? Can't I ever do anything right in your world, huh? Sorry I'm not perfect, princess," Sander scowls and goes to stand up with his tray.

"Sander—" Kit starts, her eyes widening as she goes to reach for his wrist but he walks off.

"Don't worry about him," I sigh assuringly and Kit frowns sadly, her eyes going back to her tray. "He's probably just having a bad day. He's also probably really confused."

"Confused?" Kit frowns. "Confused about what?"

"You seriously can't tell?" I sigh and rest my chin in my hands. "You're kidding me, right? You of all people can't see it?"

"See what?" Kit frowns further.

"You're a bit of a tsundere, Kit," I sigh.

"Am not," Kit glowers and crosses her arms.

"Right..." I chuckle breathily before taking a drink of my orange juice.

"Okay, so what if I am?" Kit asks. "Then what?"

"Really?" I roll my eyes. "Sander's obviously—"

"Akari, Kit!" Sora shouts as he runs through the cafeteria and nearly almost knocks someone over on accident, him sending them an apologetic smile before he reaches us and holds up a paper in his hands. "Look! We got requested for anther mission!"

"A mission?" Kit raises her eyebrows. "What mission?"

"Carmin requested for us to go find the runestone of Temperance and Gluttony," Sora says. "They think that finding this runestone before the others may be a way to help Reverence further. Reverence insisted on going but he's being forced to stay here with Merrick, Carmin, and Evory to look after him."