The doll-like girl remained suspended in the air for a couple more seconds before she approached the barrier of the Forbidden Forest. She lifted her arms, pulling the cloak sleeve of her dress out of the way, and touched the barrier with her bare hands. As soon as the tips of her finger touched it, black fire came out of nowhere and burned her hands.

The girl didn’t even flinch as the fire burned her. Instead, she calmly conjured water out of her palm to subdue the fire and healed it afterwards. As if accustomed to pain, her poker face remained still.

​​

Ducis was alarmed when he detected someone touched the barrier. He immediately searched for its direction and there, high above the ground, he saw the girl. And just like him, the girl noticed him too, staring at her.

They looked fixedly at each other for a moment. Not even a blink stopped them. Until the girl finally closed her eyes and slowly vanished into thin air as she whispered.

With Ducis being a dragon with great hearing, he managed to make out what she said.

“So near, yet so far”.

Rania and Elliot didn’t notice anything of it happened since Elliot was still glued to Rania and Rania was still trying to appease him.

Later on, they moved back inside the chamber to let Rania rest. Upon entering, they were welcomed by the sprites who were all busy cleaning the whole place and maintaining the plants. Luna noticed Rania was worned out but she figured it must have been because she practiced magic so she didn’t ask anymore. She followed them as they led Rania to her bed.

“Rania,” Elliot called her in a soft voice. His face was still flushed red especially near his nose bridge. With a sullen look, he told her, “I’m sorry”.

“Huh? Why are you apologizing?”

Elliot frowned at himself, “I should have known that this could happen and teached you how to control your energy first before trying to conjure magic. I should have – “

” – You saved me. That’s all that matters,” Rania assured him. “And besides, no one expected for it to happen. We’re not God, we can’t predict the future. We can only decide and live at the moment. So there’s no point trying to worry about the ‘what could have’ and the ‘what should have’, okay?”

Elliot averted his gaze towards Rania.

“Hey, that’s not very nice. This is the first time you’re not listening to me. I’m hurt,” Rania teased him.

“Ughmm … ,” Elliot thought for a moment then responded, “Fine. I won’t anymore. But you ‘have’ to learn how to control your holy power”.

“Of course!”

And so they all agreed to teach her everything about magic for the next coming days before continuing their journey in Anguis Solum.

While Rania was busy travelling the path that was laid before her, Azalea carved her own. After their house leaders announced the upcoming tests that they would need to undergo, each House became immersed in improving themselves all the more – in knowledge, skills, beauty, and character.

Weeks passed until finally, all the candidates were gathered to take their first test, in a banquet hall, at the Grand Palace. No one, not even the house leaders, were given any information on what the test would be about. They were only told to come to the Grand Palace for the test. Upon arriving, they were guided by the palace maids to the Banquet Hall where different men from noble families awaited them.

Like the party before, the halls were also decorated beautifully, though this time, less lavishly. There were no Generals, nor Judges that could be seen anywhere. Not even high ranking Magi – the Mythics, Legends, Epics and the rest. Everyone there was from the noble families and they were all male! Wherever you look, you wouldn’t find a single trace of a woman except for them.

As the candidates observed the whole place, some of them became worried and anxious. ‘What in the world was happening?’, they asked themselves. The men kept staring at them as if looking at sheeps waiting for slaughter.

Until a moment later, someone spoke from the crowd.

“Not bad, not bad,” an old, chubby man suddenly came out from the crowd. He wore a classy suit which seemed too small for his size and kept snickering while he looked at the candidates from head to foot.

The candidates noticed right away that he kept staring either at their busts, hips or legs while his tongue kept on making disgusting slurping sounds.

The women from Tétartos and Próta grew scared and held on each other’s hands. Were they all gonna be violated by these men that’s why they were brought here? Was the test about proving their skills in bed? How good they were at pleasing men since that was mostly what they were taught of?

Fear overcame them as their thoughts ran wild of the possibilities. Judging from the men’s reactions and behaviour, there was a very high probability of that same horror happening. And if so, they were merely humans with no power. How will they protect themselves?

Défteros and Trítos candidates tried to remain calm but one could faintly tell their nervousness, especially the highly logical group as they measured their survival was less than 1% should all their speculations be correct.

Only the women from Pémptos remained dangerously courageous in that situation. They were all annoyed by the disgustingness they were witnessing – gawking at all of them like they were some goods from a mall or some prostitutes at a bar. Just a few more eyes and they would definitely lose their patience.

As if he had finally finished picking, the chubby old man approached the most alluring and sexy girl he saw. And it was none other than … Selena.

The man walked towards her and grabbed her by the arm. Selena was startled. She tried shaking his hands off her but he was too strong compared to her tiny wrists. Panicked, she tried hard to think what would Rania do in a situation like this. But her troubled mind couldn’t think clearly at the moment. She was only left trying to break free from the man’s grasps while her body trembled.

Then, a familiar silhouette stood in front of them. And in a thunderous voice, she yelled.

“How dare you try to touch the king’s chosen candidate?!”

Her blue eyes were blazing like fire in her anger. With knitted brows, she glared at the man holding Selena. Her pink hair stood out from the mix of earthly colors around her. It was Azalea.

The man flinched as soon as she heard her speak. He was shocked that a mere human would dare shout at him like that. He went furious.

“Why you b****! How DARE you shout -” he replied but before he finished his words, Azalea interrupted him once more.

“Is your king such a generous king that he SHARES whatever belongs to him?!”

The old man couldn’t utter a word of reply to her for she was right – very right no matter how he thought of twisting her story.

Just a few words and Azalea managed to shut him up. Then, she grabbed Selena back to her group and turned to the other candidates who were all scared.

“Everyone, remember this: ‘Each and everyone of you belongs to the king and NO ONE, not one, must serve another master apart from him’ – that is the rule that was given for us to follow,” she passionately talked to them.

“But at the same time, that same rule that was forced unto us, can also be used to PROTECT us.

The fact that we are not allowed to serve another, only means that NO ONE else is also allowed to have us”.

All the candidates were carried away by Azalea’s passionate speech, even the logical Défteros. They all nodded to her in agreement and regained their confidence and courage. Azalea’s bravery channeled through them. Even Selena was amazed by her. She was reminded of Rania. In her awe, she decided to follow this woman, and protect her with all her life. Little did she know that she wasn’t the only one thinking of the same thing.

Hope. That was how everyone perceived Azalea.

First was the freeing of the ten thousand candidates on the night of their capture, and now this. Her bravery shined brighter than anyone and lit up the dying fire in their hearts.

A leader … they finally found a leader among them!

Silently grinning from afar, unseened, was the king, sitting on his throne, observing everything that was happening.