“I HAVE seen a lone fighter. I was shocked to see she was a young girl! She only entered the tournament yesterday, but she had been fighting non-stop!” Hadir exclaimed to everyone. He was tasked to gather information in the stadium. Seti and Pierre glanced at each other. The lioness could not hide her excitement. “Have you seen her? Tell us what she looks like.”“She looked innocent yet mystifying. Her emerald eyes contain unfathomable hatred. She had been killing her opponents.”Valin dived in. “What’s her name again?”“Alfreda Herfst from Northern Axum. You guys should be wary of her. She’s a beast hiding in a young girl’s body. She is merciless. Even her magic is godly. She must be an offspring of royal blood out of wedlock!” Hadir’s eyes were wide. He had seen the battle on the second floor, and now the girl quickly advanced to the third floor to fa

 MALAIKA slowly gasped as she regained consciousness, and her worried friends’ faces came into view. Her eyes welled up in tears as she saw Seti and Attisha crying, looking down at her. “I thought we lost you.” Seti gave her a warm hug, and Attisha did the same. “We missed you.” Attisha sobbed.“I survived…” she whispered.Malaika was grateful that they were all reunited at last. She gently stroked their backs and felt their warmth to ensure this was not a dream. It had been so long since she had seen them.It was by accident when she witnessed them in that battle. She went down the lower floor to survey the wealthy elves who own a shifter oppressing them. And Malaika thought she imagined things when she saw Captain Valin and Madar shift to their bird form and try to hit their enemy’s neck when she gazed at the arena.Malaika was even more surprised to recognize

MALAIKA and her team had reached the Baraf safely. Everyone was wary of an ambush during their travel, knowing about the uprising. Thankfully, she regained her strength with the help of Attisha’s medicine. Everyone reminded her not to overdo her magic, especially since she could still not harness it properly.“You learned magic that easy? How did you know the proper incantation?” Seti had been bugging her about this matter. Malaika obliged to tell them the detailed story from the day Erevan had abducted her to pass the time. They were in an inn that Travion arranged for them.“Now that I remember it, I lost consciousness back in the cave, and when I woke up, Erevan was gone… and there was a sign of flooding. Could it be that I summoned the water unconsciously? Frode said I could even use water magic without chanting.” Malaika recalled what happened. It was the first time she met the cave dweller and perhaps triggered her magic, the reason she gifted Xoxo.Malaika shook her head. She h

GOVERNOR Lansear was focused on the two delegates fighting on the battleground. It was obvious that Alfreda was being too careful not to hurt her opponent. He had seen her fights before advancing, and the girl had picked her interest. Watching how the fight ended, he was sure Alfreda’s identity was not real. She was the missing Halan princess. With their happy reunion below them, he couldn’t be wrong. “I want the two of them in Colegio Maxica,” Lansear said to the headmaster beside him. Headmaster Prife has been in-charge of the School of Magic for a hundred years. He was old. He had long white hair and a short beard. He was famous in Axum for being the first water wielder that attained immortality because of his vast knowledge of magic. Aside from Lansear, who recently claimed the name of Immortal Governor due to his power. “That little witch and the shifter?” Headmaster Prife pretended to mishear the governor. “You heard me.” Lansear casually drank wine from the goblet while st

“YOU let a lowly shifter come inside our sacred shrine? I can’t believe it!” Professor Prife motioned his staff in bewilderment. He was enraged. “Why? Isn’t it an insolent act?” “Are you questioning my decision, Professor?” Lansear glared with a warning at the old elf. The professor glanced down and cleared his throat. “My apologies, Governor. But why did you do it?” his voice turned low. They were inside the receiving hall of the Capitol building waiting for General Rikrus Amakir. It had been a few days, and he wasn’t back in Baraf. This was their schedule to meet after his urgent business in Hala. “The Aqua festival will end soon. After what I observed inside the shrine, I became more interested in the Princess of Hala.” “What have you seen?” Lansear’s lips quirked up mysteriously. “That will be your task, Professor Prife. Be vigilant once she enters the School of Magic. I know this will create confusion among our students. But I want you to watch her closely in the final match