Chapter 038
1282 Words
“To what do I owe this visit? Unfortunately, Master Suvayan is out,” Axel greets.
I take a deep breath and gently exhale so that it won’t be evident that I am getting breathless with his presence.
“Two years ago, at the funeral….” I watch him frown. “You mention you’ll find the suspect.”
“We already apprehended him, right? Aman is the name.”
I look up at him. How will I warn him about the destruction of Quads in my previous timeline, especially when it’s about to happen years from now?
“Do you trust Master Suvayan?” I ask instead.
“Hmmm…”
I just hope that if Master Suvayan betrays us, he’ll believe it.
“Why are you asking?” he asks.
I purse my lips. This is it. I need to ask him directly. “I need help that only one of the Quads can give. I need the investigation documents and your contacts.”
He raises his brows. “And you’re asking me?”
“I know that it’s something I should not ask a Quad like you. But I am at the end of the line. I really need the resources.”
“We have already investigated it. Everything points to Aman. What else would be the motive anyway?”
I stare at him. “I don’t know. Something larger,” I say, and I hope that he’ll believe me.
“Holly, that case has been closed.”
“I know! But can’t we revisit it? I’ll help!”
“Only you?”
I drop my eyes. “Yes, it’s only me. Do you need more?”
“Holly, I can’t help you with the case. It’s closed already. Also, I am not from Benia. You will get more luck with Master Suvayan or Master Deborah.”
“But I trust you!” I breathe. “And I don’t think Master Orson can be killed by a mere farmer.”
Axel features soften. He taps the top of my head and says, “It will be okay, Holly. It’s been two years. You’re past the hardest part of mourning.”
After that, Axel goes back to his table. “It’s not because of grief! There must be something wrong with the investigation,” I say, my voice getting louder. Why does he not believe me?
“I was included in the investigation. I thought you trust me?”
“What if it’s some kind of power struggle?” I whisper, barely audible, but I get the reaction I need when Axel raises his head again.
“Power struggle?” he frowns and thinks about it for a while. Then, finally, he looks away and then back to me. “I don’t think it is, but I can check.”
“Then, does that mean I can look at the documents about the investigations?”
“No,” is the flat reply. “I cannot give it to a mage who hasn’t even gotten her designation.”
“But I am about to!” I complain.
“About to is different from actually having it,” he says, and I know it’s the end of our conversation. He’s the same as when I was a child again—concluding a discussion without asking the one he’s talking to.
I clench my fist. I thought I could already get through to him. I never had a problem when I was saving him from my previous timeline. Are all geniuses like this?
I turn around to leave the room when I hear him ask, “Why not join the Scepter selection this year? In that case, you can get more information than I can give you.”
I look back at Axel.
“It’s risky. If I don’t win, I will not have the opportunity to look into the documents,” I say.
“I can help you with some pointers.”
“You will?” I ask, barely believing it myself. He’s not the type to train people. Or is he gonna impart his knowledge on how to win it to me?
“Why not? For old time’s sake, I can help you if that means you’ll forgive me for not seeing you for a few years.”
I blush. “I’m not your obligation….”
“I still want to help,” he says. “How about tomorrow? I will wait for you here.”
My eyes widen, and I feel excitement welling up from within. For a split second, retrieving documents no longer matters to me.
“So?” he prods on.
“I will come!” I say, almost enthusiastically. Once outside the room, I hit myself. I’m dreaming of something I can never have again.
*************************
“What are you reading this time?” Olivia asks as she hovers over me during her break time.” Ain’t that too advanced for you?” she asks after reading the title of the book.
I nod, it is advanced for my current age, but my actual age has already read through it.
“Here,” she says, placing a thin book in front of me. “Read this instead.”
I glance at it. It looks like a romance novel with two gorgeous people on the cover. I ask, “Why?”
“I’ve heard during Master Orson’s death anniversary that you are planning to apply for Scepter, right?”
“That is still not sure.”
“Nevertheless, you will learn from this. And if you become a Scepter, you will lose the chance for romance.”
I don’t really care. But then, does Aaron count as romance? Does she think that Aaron is just my friend?
“You’re looking at me as if you don’t care,” she comments. “Wait here.”
Olivia gets up, and I watch her walk to the shelves. She browses through different titles and comes back with a stack of books on her chest.
“You can start here,” she says.
Finally, I touch the books. The books are well preserved, not dog-eared, have no visible highlighting signs, and look like it’s not been opened for years.
“I know that you love reading, so these will be easy for you.”
“I read technical books, not fiction.”
“Then it’s about time,” Olivia whispers and hands me one of them.
I look at the cover. It’s undeniably a romance novel. “I don’t--”
Olivia raises her hand to stop me and continues, “This is about the lovers, Amelia and Elijah. You can mimic their romance inside.”
Like the previous one, there are also two gorgeous people on the cover. Aaron might fit the guy in the picture with a perfect body and rugged features, but I don’t. Compared to the woman on the cover, I look like a child. Well, at least, I got her long hair but mine’s not curly and with the wrong hair color.
I take a sigh. “No magic, right?”
“It depends on your perspective,” Olivia answers. “Some say it’s magic, some say it’s foolishness.”
“And you?” I ask her, but Olivia only looks at me, confused. “What do you think of it?” I add.
She sits beside me and says, “I’ve been with Felix before, although that didn’t go well.”
“And if someone comes along with no strings attached?”
“It’s something I would like to relive if given a chance. But you know, after Felix, I’d be more cautious about it.”
To be continued…
- Writer
