Norval entered the hotel through the front entrance. He appeared to be too fatigued to walk, as if he had chosen to run from the sports complex to the hotel rather than take the bus. With a cheerful greeting, the receptionist welcomed him in. Norval couldn't help but try to match the receptionist's enthusiasm, but his response was so blunt that it almost came out as mocking.“How are you doing Mr. Norval?” the receptionist inquired, holding out his hand in anticipation of a handshake. Norval reached out with a tired, depleted hand that hadn't seen much action since his admission to the hospital. Norval gave the receptionist a wobbly handshake, and the receptionist could see Norval was attempting to grip tightly.He deduced, "You're still healing, isn't it?" “I am not totally recovered,” Norval said with a smile as he removed his hand."  To get back into shape, I'll need some strength training and rehab, but at

The sky had never looked so dreary, and the morning had never felt so foreign. Luciana assumed she had cranked up the air conditioning settings to high heat and forgotten about it because it was so early before the sun had got a chance to shine its rays on the ground, and yet the burning heat was excruciating. Her bedsheets clung to her body as she awoke drenched in sweat. She'd never been so disgusted with herself before.She jumped into the shower without giving her body time to adjust to the discomfort; she was partially undressed when she walked towards the shower, leaving trails of her pyjamas on the floor. Her body craved the sensation of being cold once more, and she gave it what it desired. She set the shower temperature to winter cold and plunged under the showerhead, allowing the frigid water to wash over her back. Her body trembled a few times as it adjusted to the unexpected temperature change. She didn't want to turn off the shower because th

There was no music to accompany them on their journey; all they could hear were the occasional screaming of tires and the overheated engines of other automobiles passing them by. Mr. Ethel and his wife sat in the front seats, and he drove.  He chose to drive himself, which he had never done before, generally because they always had a chauffeur who was hired to drive them around.  But the occasion demanded his presence, and he wouldn't put his trust in anybody else behind the wheel of the car that would take him to the castle.Cecily took a seat in the back row. She was checking her phone for updates, which indicated that the trials were nearing the end and that the champion would be announced the following week. She had no pity for her ex-friends with whom she had abruptly ended her relationship. When she read the updates, the only thing that came to mind was if Nelanian was safe. He was in trouble, and no one was willing to help him, even himself, since t

“We just got word that one of the foreign students will not be participating in the second round of the trials, so we have no choice but to continue on to the final phase,” the man explained. Perhaps it was his attire that gave him an aged appearance. In any case, he appeared to be far too old to be a youthful professor at the same time. Allison, Allison Zurich, was his name. Norval's father's alchemical company employs a pharmaceutical professor. He was appointed to be a member of the judging panel that would oversee the proceedings. The pupils were perplexed as they glanced at him.“Is there anyone else thinking what I'm thinking right now?” Is this trial being handled with less care than I anticipated? “Jalon stated. He refilled his water flask and returned it to the table. They were all sat at a lounge table in the hotel's waiting area, close to the front desk. They had been summoned by one of the workers, and Norval had not yet returned,

“ Guys, he's coming close."  Squatting to the ground and scrutinising a pair of tracks left in the mud, the man observed, "His footsteps are still fresh, which suggests he isn't far from here." He then turned to face the tall man, expecting more instructions. "Let's divide into two groups now,One will go right, the other will go left, and we'll circle back till you meet up at the beach,” he explained. The henchmen then followed suit, splitting into two groups. As he inhaled the invigorating smoke from his cigarette, he finally threw the stub on the ground. "I'll take the middle path and continue straight through until I reach the water's edge. If anyone notices anything unusual or locates the intruder, notify the rest of the group to meet at your location,” the tall man continued. He began walking away, which the henchmen mistook for a signal to join in. The party split into t