Raven's POV
On her way back from the palace, Raven walked in silence, her expression blank, her aura darker and heavier than before. The same sentence kept circling in her mind over and over again:
"A monster… she should be imprisoned."
Morivayne's voice echoed within her, amused and sharp. "Calm down. You're scaring everyone around you."
Only then did Raven truly notice it—
People stepping back, clearing the street before her… their eyes frightened, their hands trembling slightly as she passed.
Raven exhaled slowly.
"Perhaps I should have killed those old fools when I had the chance," she muttered, "and blamed them for collaborating with Lord Cassian."
Morivayne laughed darkly. "They call you a monster because you're strong …. yet they've seen nothing of your real strength."
" I really want to leave this city ." Raven said in tired voice .
Morivine replied in an amused voice, "What's stopping you?"
Do you know that spell I've been looking for ? Someone told me that the spell was with a knight 25 years ago, but he sold it to someone from the city of Aurelia, but he didn't know exactly who bought the spell. I can't leave until I find it, so I have to put up with all the nonsense from the nobles and those in the palace until I find it , she said in sharp voice and with a serious expression ""That's a very important spell for me; I'll need it later when I'm ready for my next step."
By the time Raven reached her teacher's small home, her aura was nearly suffocating—dense, cold, and black as shadow. Her teacher was outside watering the garden. Without looking up, she said:
"You're late…
I didn't know you cared about plants," Raven said as she approached.
"I have far too much free time since retiring," her teacher answered dryly.
Raven leaned against the fence. "You know… if you don't want to return to monster hunting, you could become a trainer for the royal soldiers. They're weak , too weak . They could actually benefit from your skills."
Her teacher finally looked at her, one brow raised. "That's a sudden proposal. Where did it come from?"
"It's just an idea. You have a lot of free time—and sitting at home all day will make you rusty. Just Think about it for a bit ."
Her teacher waved a hand dismissively. "Enough of that. Tell me—why did the king call you? What did he want?"
Raven's voice was cold, flat.
"Nothing important. He just wanted some answers."
Her teacher's tone sharpened immediately And approached her. "Raven. Tell me what happened. I know you're hiding something ، It's written all over your face.."
Raven hesitated for a heartbeat, then forced a laugh.
"It's really nothing important ,They called me a monster. Said I should be locked up."
Her teacher froze. Then—
"WHO said that? Was it the king?!" she roared.
"No," Raven replied simply. "The council members. And the nobles."
"They have no right!" her teacher snapped. "Those decrepit cowards are the real monsters. They'd kill each other for a title. How dare they call my student a monster—!"
Raven gave a small smile—the kind that never reached her eyes.
"Relax.. I don't care what they think about me .
Her teacher's expression softened, just barely, touched by worry and sighed , she whispered , "This isn't fair. They're talking about you like this when all you did was help them."
"Don't worry about this now," Raven said with a smile that didn't reach her eyes . Now … shall we begin training? "
"No. Not today. Today we rest. I'll cook something nice and you'll eat here."
Raven blinked. "I thought you said you can't cook."
Her teacher crossed her arms confidently. "I have a recipe. If I follow it, the food will be delicious."
Raven stared at her for a long moment. Then she sighed.
"No …I'll cook. I don't want to die from food poisoning."
Her teacher looked genuinely shocked. " You hurt my feelings , and You can cook?"
"It's not that hard." Raven shrugged.
"Anyway… what was that ability you used the other day?" her teacher asked, narrowing her eyes. "Don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about. You disappeared from sight entirely."
Raven paused… then answered calmly:
"I met a powerful mage long ago. He spent his entire life working on a teleportation spell. When I copied his magic, I modified it a little. Now I can move anywhere instantly—without opening a visible portal."
Her teacher stared at her, stunned.
"That… that's beyond amazing. Does anyone else know?"
"No. Only you. And the people at the orphanage."
"Good. Keep it that way." Her teacher's voice was low, urgent. "They already fear you. If they discover you have that ability… I don't know what they would do. Be careful."
Then she asked hesitantly, "Are there… other abilities I should know about?"
Raven thought for a moment.
"Well… this one isn't really an ability , yet. I'm still working on it. But I can show you."
A small black sphere appeared in the air beside her—a perfect dark circle. Raven reached into it as if reaching through water… and pulled out a sword.
Her teacher's eyes widened in absolute shock.
Raven explained calmly,
"The mage I copied his ability opening portals , When I studied his spell further, I discovered something—between these portals lies a space. A vast, endless void where time doesn't move. Everything inside remains unchanged."
Her teacher listened in stunned silence.
"So," Raven continued, "I'm trying to create a personal 'pocket' inside that void. A storage space. But the void is too big, and it's difficult to open the portal in the same spot every time… so I'm still working on it. When I perfect it, it will be very useful."
Her teacher stared at her long and hard—pride mixed with deep, deep concern.
Because Raven's power wasn't just growing.
It was evolving… rapidly.
And the day the king realized how strong she truly was—
Raven would be in grave danger.