Chapter 2: Stillness
A rare family dinner. Seated at a small table sat the family of four. Ebony sat directly next to her father. She had hair the shade of obsidian and piercing black eyes which portrayed innocence. Her skin seemed soft and supple, but most beautiful was her face, anyone looking at it would feel as if their body had been cleansed. Ebony greatly resembled her father, Morton, who despite being 500 years only looked 30. Linette's mother, Elizabeth, took on a rather different style of beauty. Instead of being sculpted with perfect features, she held a presence which seemingly demanded attention. She was glamorous, powerful, and most importantly wise looking. Her appearance who very benefiting of her status. A tall nose, a dazzling smile, light brown hair, and jewel-like green eyes Elizabeth was also clothed in the finest fabrics which seemingly screamed elegance.
Linette stood in stark contrast to the rest of her family, while she inherited her mother's light brown hair everything else was different. Her face could only be described as slightly above average, she had brown eyes and her aura lacked. She wore a simple blue dress and black shoes. Linette had chosen everything she wore, but it seemed out of place in the family.
Servants rushed into the room quickly placing all the family would need for their dinner on the table. There was plenty of meat, but there were also delicate soups. Most of all they were all highly nutritional. After the servants had left their father started the conversation. It was for the most part banter, and light hearted topics. There had been many moments were Elizabeth placed a well timed joke. For the most part Linette was silent. She sipped her soup, listening to her family.
"I've been told you've been visiting your sister frequently, Ebony. Have you guys been practicing your magic together?" Morton casually asked his daughter.
"Sometimes, we mostly chat. It's nice to have a good conversation with Lin." Ebony paused and smiled at Linette. "That being said, it is a long walk. I wish Lin would come visit me some time." Elizabeth interjected.
"Honestly, I don't understand why Linette likes such a drab corner. We have plenty of other rooms. She claims it because the quiet, but I'm starting to think she doesn't want to see her dear old mother." Elizabeth dabbed at a fake tear.
"That's not it!" Everyone chuckled at seeing Linette so flustered."I just prefer to be in the back, cause it's nice. It's not as if my intentions are bad." Defended Linette silently. In all honesty compared to her confident self from 4-5 years the current Linette just acted pitiful.
"I know, but don't get me started on your outfit! You can be so adorable but you dress yourself up in such boring clothes." Elizabeth exagerated. Naturally Elizabeth was dressed in the latest fashion, accessorized with rare and valuable magic stones, and styled to perfection.
"I'm with mom let's get you some new clothes." Ebony happily chimed in. At this moment she gave Linette a very meaningful look. Linette needed to tell her parents that she was gonna pass on the book.
"On a completely different note. I, um. I think that maybe it's be best, not only Ebony but the sect as to loan er give the golden book artifact, that I claimed, found to Ebony." Linette's words were uncertain and she tripped over them.
"I haven't many any sense of the bookthi- I think she can solve it." Staring at her hands the entire time Linette told her family. To Ebony Linette's hesistancy was her form of resistence. In reality Linette was nervous, she wondered if anyone would be able to tell she'd inherited the legacy. She also was hesistant because she'd finally cracked the code and could read the book. Linette decided she would privately write her father of the true situation. Confrontation was scary, and something she actively shyed away from.
"Why?" Morton's eyes hyper focused on Linette. He held authority.
"Because I can't get it to work. Ebony is clearly a better canadite." Hearing her response Morton frowned.
"Lin, it's your possesion. You rightfully chose the book. It would be wrong of me to recieve it." Ebony righteously defended. Linette swore in her head at her little sister's charades. Of course Linette had to give the book up, while also making Ebony seem humble.
"It's naturally my duty to pass on the book if I can't understand it. I'm sure you'd be able to make something out of it. Besides I can always come look at it and try to understand it, even if it's at your side." Linette wanted to pass the book out as soon as possible.
"Sister why don't we just keep it in your room? I can go study it their."
Shaking her head linette said" That won't work, you need as much time with it as possible to comprehend the book. Don't belittle my generousity and just accept it."
"Lin if it's what you think is best I'll keep it. But you must promise me if you ever need it or just want it back that you'll come tell me. I can't keep something that is unjustly kept."
"I promise. I'll give it to you as soon as I have the chance."
"Lin thank you so much." Deep gratitude flashed on Ebony's face. Linette simply accepted her thanks.
"Linette, come to my office tomorrow. At say 1." Morton didnt say much after that but it was clear he wanted to understand her decision.
"You're such a good sister." Elizabeth gently rubbed her older daughter's sholder.
The dinner continued on in the room, when they were done they said goodnight and headed seperate ways. At that time all the servants came in and cleared the plates away.
Linette headed back to her room, she had a little over 5 hours till she met Ebony to give her the book. Pulling the book from it's drawer Linette carefully studied the first page and tried to copy down the other pages. No matter how hard she tried when she looked at the book with intent to copy she couldn't clearly see the pages. It merely became blurred scribbles.
Ebony on the other hand was preparing her alibi. Alder, her cousin, had gathered a large group of youths to a gathering. Like the name implies basically mages gather together and talk about magic while enjoying food and wine. Occasionally it will sprout some competitions. Honestly every sort of competition has occurred at these types of events, since they were generally pretty casual.
The gathering was pretty much an assortment of all the geniuses in the sect. Most of them were arrogant to their fellow peers on an average day, but today was different. Today these geniuses were willing to set aside their pride in order to make friends with the future sect head Ebony. Many of the boy came with the intent of attracting Ebony's attention.
The gathering was held in the nicest restaurant in the Blaze Sect headquarter city. Naturally the restaurant was far from the core of the Blaze Sect where Ebony's parents, and sister resided.
The top floor was a room made for such gatherings. I held tables on one side and a large casual seating area on the other. Cushions laid on the floor and low chairs scattered the area. Surrounded by a warm orange veil made of the finest quality the area seemed cozy and intimate yet at the same time spacious.
Many youths filtered into the space Alder greeted them warmly. Offically he was the one who invited them. Finally Ebony showed up. She was a show stopper. Dressed in a white dress that was simple in silohette but complex in embroidery Ebony looked like an angel which had stepped out of heaven. Many of the youths thanked god for this opportunity.
"Well, let's get this started. We have snacks on the table, questions about magic on the board over, submitted by our juniors, and nearly 4 hours of time!" Alder encouraged. He himself took a bit of some food. However the air was still stiff. Everyone's eyes seemingly fixed on Ebony.
"Let's start with questions then." Ebony said to the friend who had accompanied her.
"Lets!" Friend A happily paved the way and started looking at the questions. Friend A used her comedic timing to restore some of the atmosphere. Most importantly Ebony generously shared her wisdom, which got the topics relating to the questions in conversation. Towards the end of the night a serious looking teenager came up to Ebony.
"Please help me decipher this! It was my small claim from the ruins but I haven't gotten anything out of it. My father is sure it is a spell, but I can't understand how it works. As someone who is blessed by fire I thought you could help." She held her hands in a begging position. Ebony just smiled graciously before she grabbed the paper. Her expression gradually turned more and more serious.
"I understand vague parts of it, but I unable to fully comprehend it. If I could spend 30 minutes with it I could decipher it, but I'd need absolute quiet." Ebony analyzed.
"Please, if you could spare the time!" The girl one again begged
"Of course I can, I'll do it right now." Ebony said seemingly in the spur of the moment.
"Can you really? Aren't I wasting your time?" Anxieously and humbly the girl added
"Yeah, if it's for a fellow Sect member my time is put to good use. I'll just steal the side room, and ask you guys not to make too much noise. I'll have to perform some spells. This paper one can clearly tell is not just the vessel for the spell, it has the very heart of the spell woven into it. Otherwise in such an obscure language the meaning would be difficult to detect."
"Thank you! Really your help is a lifesaver."
"It's fine, treat it as aid between friends." Ebony gently smiled as she rubbed the paper under her thumb. The girl nodded and after some more pleasentries Ebony headed to the back room.
As soon as she got to the back room she stripped he long, very modest white dress off to reveal a tight black outfit which covered nearly her whole body. Ebony snuck out of the restaurant before racing to the northern bridge.
Linette had been waiting at the bridge for a while it was nearly 11 o' clock, the time of the meeting. She stared at the pond below her. It had barely been maintained over the years. There was no beautiful flower landscaping or intricate craftsmanship on the bridge. The grass was neatly cut and that was about it. Linette had always loved this bridge and it wasn't unusual for her to visit at this time of night. However unlike usual Linette hadn't informed her servants of her nightly trip. They wouldn't notice anyway because Linette forced them to keep a distance from her. Naturally they could still keep basic tabs on her, but Linette was apt as sneaking out.
Right as the clock turned 11 Ebony arrived. She pulled down the black mask that was covering most of her face.
"Here's the book." Linette practically flung the book at her. Ebony caught the book, but then gingerly handed it back.
"As if I could accept this wouldn't it be weird if I obtained this book slightly after you died?" Instant panic lit up in Linette's mind. The cruel smile on Ebony's face told Linette she was serious. She immediately started running mana through her system. Chanting she tried to gather outside mana and convert it in her Magician's heart to fire. However the mana wouldn't form, it seemed like it was slipping out of her reach.
"If father knows about this you'll never be Sect Head!" Linette yelled in anguish as she attempted to run away. However Linette didn't get very far. Her legs started to feel like jelly and they collapsed underneath her. "You've poisoned me!" Hysterically yelled Linette. A cruel smile rose on Ebony's face.
"You're only half right. This little statue here allows me to target one person and prevent them from using mana." The small toad statue Ebony obtained from the ruins sat on her palm.
"You said that was to increase your training speed!" Linette furiously tried to move her body but her muscles grew weaker and weaker.
"Honestly that's all it would be if I hadn't recognized it. Do you know how hard I worked to kill you? I had to work day and night constantly under threat of being discovered to develop a poison that could completely counteract your movement. It was near impossible to find some of the ice element herbs needed to subdue you."
"How long have you been planning to kill me?" Things were not making sense in her brain, her sister was only 12 she was suppose to be arrogant and angry. Not cruel and bloodthirsty. Such a dark personality had been hidden from everyone. There was also the question of her knowledge of poison and artifacts.
"I've long known you would have to die, but in all seriousness for about 6 years." The facts hit Linette hard. Had Ebony's personality been warped from the beginning? Was she evil at the core? What fate would be in store for her Sect if she became head?
"Why!? How can you be an expert in poison! Such tricks shouldn't work on me! What do you mean you recognized the statue?" Linette yelled in a frenzy. Ebony pulled out a piece of paper and set it on the ground.
"Since you are already dead I shall tell you. I've reincarnated, I'm an expert from a star system far away from this desolate no where. I intend to fully dominate the Sapphire Cloud realms, and when I'm strong enough I'll conquer the universe." The expression on her face couldn't be described, a devil had emerged. "Oh don't get your hopes up about reincarnating, heaven has forbidden the process and all souls shall be terminated if they try to reincarnate. However all rules are meant to be bent."
"The hell kind of answer is that!" A cold disinterested expression played across Ebony's face.
"Well, don't be so fucking stupid next in your next life." Ebony then grabbed Linette's pocket knife slit her wrists, placed the book next to the paper on the ground and pushed Linette in the pond.
Desperate, but unable to move trapped in her own body Linette slowly drowned she look up and reflected on her life. An unbearable anger surged up in her chest, revenge. She must kill Ebony, she had to destroy her. Soon her world went fuzzy and an endless regret bubbled. The world was soon enveloped in black.
In all honestly Linette was naive. She never considered such malicious intentions. Sheltered from internal and external conflict Linette simply never adapted. Linette hadn't truly seen the dark side of the world.
Weekly Power Status
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Ranking 
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stone