Chapter 25: The Family

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Stage 2 Overall rank:

Name, Year-Section, Weapon

1. Xiao Lan Devinsky, 2-1, Sword

2. Harvey Cassius, 5-1, Sword

3. Jin Qiu Devinsky, 5-5, Sword

4. Raxithak Silvester, 3-3, Sword

5. Yin Hong Devinsky, 3-5, Sword

6. Rosemary Ophell, 4-2, Sword

7. Gillian Cassius, 2-3, Sword

8. Jacob Devinsky, 5-3, Sword

9. Blake Quinton, 2-6, Sword

10. Alexander Mistichestor, 3-1, Sword

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Xiao looked at the display board one last time before she hopped on her broom. The others had gone off before her, and she watched their backs disappeared into the clouds of the late afternoon sun.

"Xiao Lan." Uncle David called out to her, he has his own broom in his hands.

"Yes?"

"We can talk while we're flying." Her uncle smiled, and Xiao began channeling her magic into the broom.

Once she's in the air, the older man quickly caught up to her. He didn't say anything for a while, and Xiao slowed down a little. The young witch turned around to look at him, and her uncle had a soft look on his face, but he's not smiling.

"What changed?" He asked her.

"What?"

"What changed, Xiao Lan?" He repeated his question, and he flew closer to her. "You haven't... Intentionally hurt yourself for a while."

"For a while?" The young witch mumbled, and she looked away from him. Her beady black eyes are focused on her destination, but she felt his eyes burning holes in her head.

A sigh was heard, and Xiao turned around again. "Ever since the accident, and I told you that I couldn't null your engagement. What changed you to wanting to pursue a number one streak?"

"The engagement." The young witch answered. She knows she can't say anything else because despite being a secretary, Uncle David can detect lies.

Thus, Xiao won't tell lies. She just won't tell the entire truth.

"If I get first place," Her eyes caught her uncle's, and her glaze is unwavering as his. "The groom would no doubt back down. It would be hard for my father to find another suitable match."

"That's all?" The older man moved next to Xiao, and his eyebrows frowned a little. "No more hurting yourself? What changed there?"

"The accident." Xiao looked away from him again, her fingernails nervously picked at her broom. "Ironic how actually having a high probability of death restored your will to live. The stitches still hurt sometimes, whenever I sleep wrong or something, but it reminded me of how it could've been."

"You don't want to die alone." Uncle David's voice was barely a whisper. "I wrote to your father. He'll be here tomorrow."

"Alright." Xiao just nodded. "Thank you again for the sword."

With that, she went as fast as she could back to her dorm, skipping dinner all together. She shook her boots off, and she threw herself on her bed, not even bother to light up the crystal chandelier or the lamp. Then, she screamed into her pillow.

Why must her father come?

She pushed herself off her pillow, and she reached for her messenger bag. Her fingers ran over the cover of the two books, and she opened the blue one. Her finger pointed at the crystal chandelier, and she mumbled a light spell. Her entire room lit up, and her eyes returned to the book.

After five minutes of reading, she's tired of all the graphic blood and guts. The young witch put her boots back on, and she went back out to the balcony. She has to return the books after all.

With a tired groan, she flew to the library.

"Good evening, Ms Oyekan!" Xiao greet the library, and before the dark skinned woman could say anything, Xiao ran to the shelf.

Running is forbidden in the library, but...

After she put the books back in its rightful place, Xiao rushed back to the librarian.

"I returned the two books I borrowed. I'm sorry, I have to go." The young witch waved at the librarian as she picked up her broom.

Ms. Oyekan looked at her with confusion written all over her face, but she didn't write Xiao a warning card. "Alright. Have a good night."

Once she's back inside her room, Xiao went sat on her bed and began crafting. Crafting anything from thin air is hard work, but she made those earrings for Yin once, so she can do it again.

What is she making?

The young witch has no plans yet, but she's challenging herself to make the quickest weapon yet.

One.

Two.

Three.

In three seconds, a needle the length of her finger dropped into her hands. That's good enough, time for dinner.

When morning came, Xiao strapped her short sword to her belt, which hung awkwardly on her hips.

"A little higher, maybe." Yin tapped her chin like a philosopher before she reached out and lifted the belt from her cousin's hips up to her waist. "This looks a bit better."

Then, she tightened the strap, earning a yelp from Xiao.

"See you look cute." The older witch patted her shoulders with a large smile, the rose earrings are sparkling.

"Alright. Thanks." Xiao sighed, and her eyes glanced at her messenger bag. She's not allowed to have it on her today...

"Let's go." Yin Hong opened the door, and off they went to the cafeteria.

The cafeteria was as wild as usual, and Xiao stuck close to her cousin, her hands holding on to the edge of the older witch's sleeve. Still it didn't protect her from the eyes that followed her. The boys offered her a little more comfort... Safety in numbers.

She wished that people would not stare at her do much, like on a normal school day. Even as she's walking in the middle of the group, it didn't stop people from looking at her and talk about her within her hearing range.

"Xiao Lan must've learned from the other seniors she's with..."

"That Devinsky girl might be toasted by Harvey Cassius again..."

Finally, Xiao picked up a broom, and she rushed to get off the ground. The others followed after her, and Yin flew closer to her.

"Xiao, what's wrong?" Her cousin asked. "You seem more... Anxious than usual."

"My father will be there." The young witch whispered back.

"It's just your father." Yin chuckled. "And you did great."

Truth be told, her father was not even happy when Xiao made it into top ten last season, nor the season before that. Sure, he's glad that he has a daughter with a great capability for magic, he should've expected that since he himself was also a great mage after he graduated. However, all he cared about was Xiao's powers would be better on her if she's a boy. Issac Devinsky had always wanted a son, and a daughter is taking all the achievements of a son.

The colosseum is slowly filling up with students, professors and visitors. The elites claimed the seats closest to the arena, giving them the best view. Xiao knows her family will be seated in the same balcony as the Abbot since they're part of the Royal Court and Uncle David literally works with the Abbot everyday.

Once the ground arrived at the frount gate, a servant greeted them.

"Young masters Devinsky!" The youngman called out to them. "And young master Silvester."

Raxithak nodded at his address while the other chimed in their own hello. The servant led them into the balcony, since the ceremony won't begin anytime soon.

Many seats were added to accommodate more people, and beady black eyes landed on a group of people on the left. A woman with silky black hair and red painted lips smiled warmly at Xiao. The boy next to her beamed when he saw her, his fluffy brunette hair bounced as he made his way to her.

"Xiao Lan!" The boy is already her height, and he lend out a hand for her to shake. The young witch did just that.

"Hello, Gideon." Her brother brightened even more at the call of his name.

Not far from them, Yin is surrounded by her parents, and the twins are moving their arms everywhere while talking to Uncle Eric. At the edge of the balcony, Raxithak is quietly conversing with his mother.

On the other side of the balcony, Alexander is drowning in attention, from both the Abbot and a handful of royalties whom Xiao never bothered to learn their names.

"You're number one now! Are you gonna win?" Gideon's loud voice is enough to make Xiao cringed, but she knew their father would scold her if she dares to correct her brother.

"I hope I do." The young witch answered, and her brother began talking before she could say anything else.

"Cool! I'll join you once the break is over. Isn't that crazy? Too bad the twins will graduate, though." Gideon laughed, and his sister made eye contact with their mother.

Ming Yi put her hand on her son's shoulder, and the boy immediately moved aside. Behind her mother, stood a man a few inches taller than her with the same hair color as Xiao and ember eyes like Raxith.

"Darling, how's this season going for you?" The woman asked, her voice honey sweet.

"Not bad." Xiao responded abruptly. Her parents heard about her "accident" from Uncle David, and they no doubt saw the ranking on the display board.

"You broke the record." Her father siad, his voice as monotonous as ever. "Five seconds."

Right, that five seconds.

"Yes?" The young witch carefully chose her words. "I broke the record you created two decades ago. Seven seconds was matched before, and now they have a new record, set by the child of the last person who set it."

A ghost of a smile graced her father's face, and Xiao screamed internally.

"Your brother has been training." A hand landed on Gideon's shoulder, and the boy nodded with a grin at his sister. "In a few seasons, we'll be seeing him breaking that record."

"If you can do it, then I can do it!" Her brother gestured between the two of them. "By the way, mother! Mother, tell her!"

Ming Yi only smiled softly, and Xiao's eyes wandered to her mother. What's the news?

"We're bringing you another sibling." Her father's voice said instead.

Another sibling?

Her head snapped to her father's smiling face, and she wanted to shout at him for a million things, but instead she nodded and smiled.

"How far along?" She asked her mother.

"Four months." The woman put her hand on her belly.

Now that Xiao is paying attention, she noticed a slight bump underneath the blue dress that hung over mother. The belt which her mother usually wears around her waist to show her figure is now higher up underneath her breats. The young witch is speechless for a moment.

What if the child is a girl? Will her father get rid of them like he did to the others who came after her and before Gideon?

She's too afraid to ask that question, so instead she bowed to her parents. "We can meet again after my matches. I won't disappoint you."

Xiao was the first of the victors to leave the balcony, at the entrance, she walked passed Harvey and Gillian. Right, she forgot the Cassius are part of the Royal Court, too.