"Again!"
Cecilia raised her palm. A faint golden aura lit up across her body— her origin energy spilling out in waves.
For a moment, the aura flared wildly, glowing brighter as if it would scatter into the air. But she clenched her will and pulled it back, forcing the power to compress tighter and tighter.
The golden light dimmed, folding neatly into her frame until not a trace leaked out.
"Fiery Sympathy."
Her voice was steady as she released the technique. A blazing surge of fire burst forth, sharp and controlled, striking the metal training dummy. The steel hissed, warped, and melted under the heat.
The air smelled of scorched iron. Cecilia lowered her hand, a calm smile tugging her lips.
"No waste this time." Her voice bubbled with excitement as she turned to the woman standing behind her— a tall, black-haired woman in the same uniform as Levi.
Her personal guard smiled warmly, bowing slightly. "Incredible, young mistress. To compress the spell so cleanly… your talent truly exceeds the standard."
Cecilia smirked, clearly enjoying the praise. Then she turned to Levi, her golden eyes sparkling.
"See? See? This is the difference between commoners and nobility." Her tone dripped with smugness. "Our gifts are born into us. We don't beg the elements— we command them."
Levi adjusted his glasses with two fingers, not bothering to respond.
'I can't believe I once rooted for somebody like her,' he thought, nearly choking on his disbelief.
In the story she wasn't like this. Well— except for her rivalry with Amelia, the only commoner in their group.
Amelia had gone toe-to-toe with Cecilia, even after Cecilia absorbed an artifact that boosted her fire spells. Despite the advantage, Cecilia still failed to overpower her.
That humiliation was the root of their rivalry. A noble tying with a commoner, even with a boost? It was unbearable. What began as competition in battle turned into competition over love interests.
And yet— before Amelia's death in a ritual carried out by Black Sabbath, a terrorist group— qthey had slowly become friends. Cecilia had begun to see Amelia not as an inferior, but as an equal.
After Amelia's death, Cecilia's worldview had changed. She came to see the truth: noble or commoner, life was fragile, all the same.
But now?
'She's acting like a supremacist bitch,' Levi grumbled internally.
'And what's so great about compressing a technique in under ten seconds? You could die twice over in that time.'
[Stop hating.]
Cecilia frowned at Levi's unimpressed face. "I know you can't comprehend my achievement, seeing as you haven't even awakened an Avatar". She said, contempt dripping from her voice.
Levi snapped from his thoughts, plastering on a smile.
"Forgive my ignorance, my lady." He gave a shallow bow.
"It doesn't matter, as long as you know your place." Her grin widened. "Under my feet."
'This bitch…' Levi's face heated red with anger. 'Just you wait.' His teeth ground together.
Cecilia smirked, satisfied at his trembling body. The sight filled her with joy—commoners crushed beneath the weight of her superiority.
'Yes, that's how it's supposed to be. Grovel under the weight of my superiority'. Seeing Levi increasingly trembling body, she knew she had struck a cord and that filled her with joy.
But her gloating faltered when she noticed her bodyguard, Lyra, speaking into her earpiece. The woman's face lit with joy at whatever she heard.
'Why is she happy?' A prickle of irritation crawled up Cecilia's chest. Lyra should only smile for her.
Before she could scold, Lyra turned, excitement still written on her face.
"They found it". She said.
Cecilia froze. "They… found it?". Her voice trembled with excitement. She even forgot to rebuke Lyra for her casual tone.
"Yes, my lady," Lyra corrected quickly, catching the flicker of change in Cecilia's expression.
Levi body shook in excitement. 'finally'. He wanted to shout towards the heavens but knowing Cecilia temperance, he was sure he would be beaten up and threw into the dungeon. So he wisely shut his mouth.
Cecilia, too, trembled, but with joy. She fired orders immediately.
"Lyra, come with me. The rest of you, dismissed." Without waiting for replies, she turned and strode off, Lyra hurrying after her.
Levi didn't linger either. He hurried back toward the servant quarters, pulse racing.
In the original script, his predecessor had followed them on this expedition— only to meet his death.
So why was he excited? Why rejoice over a path that promised death?
'I am going to seize the Artifact for myself'. Levi clenched his right hand in excitement, thinking of the prospect of gaining the power of the artifact.
[Remind me how you are going to get it. Aren't they supposed to be lots of guard supporting her in this quest?]. The system asked in confusion.
'you would see'. Levi only gave a cryptic explanation. His lavender eyes drowned in mystery.
He finally reached the servant's quarters, and without skipping a beat he ventered straight to his room.
Upon arrival he took a short bath to wash away the insult least he commit suicide in anger, then he proceeded to seat on his bed, legs crossed.
Clearing his thoughts, his mind turned blank. And he suddenly felt a falling sensation, and his body jerked and he opened his eyes in reflex, but he was no longer in his room.