My magic lesson had been progressing smoothly. It seemed I had a knack for it, as I was able to master most spells that Fiel showed me quite easily. Even expert level spells, something people in this world would only start to study in major colleges, were beautifully executed from concept to formation and firing - according to her. 

I, of course, didn't understand one bit of what she was talking about, and just kept throwing random stuff at the targets until they exploded.

P.E, on the other hand, was a complete train wreck. My scores (without using the vines as support) were as follow:

• Push-up: One. Barely.
• Grip strength: 9 kg. The average was 15-20 kg…for a 14 year-old girl.
• Long jump: 67cm - exactly half my height.
• 60m dash: Failed (fainted at 50m).
• 800m endurance run: no comment.

*Wormp~* Holding the test result, I slumped down in defeat. What the hell is this??? Even a 12 year-old can perform better than me!!! Is my body made of soggy noodles or what???

Well, I got an A+ on my sit-and-reach test, so there was that I guess…

×

There was one good thing that came out of it. Kind of.

Because of my excellent results in magic practice, Fiel had successfully persuaded the man to let me eat normal food, though it took her a whole week to get him to agree. The tasteless dough and soup seemed to contain all the nutrients I needed - but they were literally worse than eating paper, so I was deeply grateful to Fiel for letting me feel like a human being again.

…At least it gave me something to look forward to, after the painful injections I had to take every day that made my already frail body even weaker.

×

"Haha…” I laughed dryly, looking at the half eaten steak in the dish I held. To think that this is the only thing now that I can be excited about. This dry, tough and cold steak that a few months ago I would never touch, now frustratingly tastes delicious in my mouth. Even when I can't chew it properly due to my weak jaw.

As I finished the meal - which took an antagonisingly long time, the metal door creaked and the grey haired man walked in. 

My mood instantly turned sour. Great. I suppose I’ll get a stomachache in about a minute.

He approached me and put his hand on my head. The empty dish on my hand slipped and shattered on the floor. I bit my lip and pinched my thigh.

“Did you enjoy your meal, my daughter?” He said, ignoring the broken pieces of ceramic. I stayed silent.

“I’ve seen your results. Although your physical capabilities leave a lot to be desired, your talent in magic is quite excellent. Enough to garner praise from me. Aren’t you happy?”

What is this piece of shit saying? Me, happy by receiving praises from you? Are you out of your goddamn mind? The only time I’ll ever be happy is when I personally tear you into pieces and feed you to the rose. Fucking die. I cursed him inside my head. On the outside, I stayed expressionless, afraid that he would hurt me if I tried to do anything.

“So, I have decided that it’s time you experience real combat. Stand up.” He suddenly ordered in a harsh tone, which startled me and made me spring up from the bed in a hurry. 

“Tsk.” I clicked my tongue, disgusted by my own action.

“Good, good. Here, follow me.” He showed me his hand. I immediately looked away.

Seeing so, the man only chuckled, as if having anticipated my action. Then he slowly walked outside. Reluctantly, I followed him.

×

We arrived at a large closed garage, where a black armoured SUV was parked with its back door open - filled with half a dozen people dressed in black tactical suits. Save for one singular chair in the middle, behind the driver’s seat. Fiel was waiting behind the vehicle, standing next to a guard. They were holding a bunch of leather belts and strip bandages. When our eyes met, she looked down in guilt, tightly gripping the objects in her hands.

The man then grabbed my arm and pulled me towards them. “This facility’s location must be kept secret, so we’re covering your eyes and ears for safety reasons. Also, the bindings are needed so you can’t remove the covers on your own. Details of the mission will be disclosed when you arrive at the target location.” He explained, then beckoned Fiel and the other man. “Fielune, Mordris?” 

“Yes.” “Yes!” They bowed and approached me. The guard pulled my arms over my head as Fiel wrapped the bandages around my chest, covering the flower on my back.

Then, the guard put my arms around my back and tied a belt on my wrists as well as under my elbows. He wrapped another belt over my chest and upper arms and tightened it. The leather dug into my skin, which made me let out a small yelp, but he ignored it.

Following him, Fiel pulled out a blindfold and earplugs. As she covered my eyes and ears, she whispered: “Sorry, but please bear with this. I’ll bring you delicious food when it’s over.” Then my vision went dark and the sounds around me were all abruptly cut off. 

I felt a hand grabbing my shoulder, leading me forward. I felt my bare feet touch cold metal as I went up. The hand then put pressure on me, and I sat down on the hard chair. After a few minutes of waiting, my seat rumbled as the SUV started up and left - to who knows where.