#2 Hel Vandel Vaughn

"Wake up. It's breakfast time, Hechicera Vera." a voice said and kept on nudging me.

I just groaned in response.

"Hechicera Vera, we have croissant and pancakes for breakfast today. C'mon get up."

I then obliged after hearing food.

The owner of the sweet voice chuckled.

It was Senior Hechicera Celestine.

"Come now. Let's eat with the others." she said with a smile.

"I'll be fixing myself first, Senior Hechicera Celestine." I managed to say.

"You still haven't mastered 'it' , have you?" she asked.

I meekly nodded.

"Well then, I'll help you then."

"Fit here and there, let this lovely lady be dressed and let all known to stare." she chanted as her eyes flash a red shimmering light.

I ended up with an emerald dress topped with a bluish white cloak, and a black and fit knee-high boots.

"My deepest gratitude, Senior Hechicera." I said as I placed my right hand where my heart is located and took a solemn bow.

"No need for formalities, Vera—"

I.. suddenly felt a kick out of nowhere.

"Vera! VERA! You freaking mutt! Wake up, you mutt!"

I was brought back to reality as I opened my eyes.

I looked at the idiot who woke me up—Hel Vandel Vaughn.

I glared at him before drowning and spacing into the ocean of thoughts.

Hechiceras can receive visions of what's yet to come, but dreaming? Like daydreaming?

How? It's impossible!

All I know is I can't possibly dream due to the consequences of finally receiving the Signum of Valor, or the Signature of Value.

But as far as I can recall, the Mistress Hechicera once fondly told me about dreams— that us—witches, sorceresses, Hechiceras, or whatever one may prefer to call us, will lose the ability to dream but will enhance the ability of vision.

(flashback)

It was the day that I decided to take an afternoon stroll, as I went down to the Main Hall, I saw the Mistress was doing the same thing.

I approached her to give respect, and surprisingly, she told me to accompany her for a stroll.

"It's if the sorceress finally receives the Signum, they will lose the ability to dream, nonetheless it's their sub-ability, or if they are too exposed in distress that they can communicate through dreams. In rare cases, if the Hechicera can dream for straight days and can find a way to communicate through it—may it be a dream of the past, future, or recently—without losing a large scale of mana, it's fitting for them to be called a pure blood." she fondly said with a different glint in her eyes.

I could still recall the first time I saw her, she's beyond a masterpiece. But she looks quite familiar to be frank.

I intently stared at her with amazement.

As she spoke, she looked straight at the scenery in front of us that day. Her voice was soothing and it has a certain emotion, which was unusual. The Mistress usually got a cold and emotionless voice, but you can see the emotions, are ablaze and felt in her eyes.

I saw how she turned back to me, with visible pain in her eyes—as if recalling a distant memory.

I didn't want to even to dig about it since it may be too personal.

"I may be the Mistress, but I'm not a pure blood. I'm more of a powerful blood, those who have pure blood can surpass my legacy." she knowingly said before patting my head and vanishing before me.

First was the crystals, now the dream. How peculiar can our Mistress be?

(flashback end)

As I make way back to reality after spacing out, I didn't noticed that I was in a room.

"How long have you been like this?" a cold voice asked.

"How long have I been what?" I responded mindlessly.

An angry Vandel caught my attention.

"Don't f**k me with those tactics, Venice."

"Are we on name basis now, Prince Van of the Kingdom of Nightshade?" I haughtily shot back.

"Or are we on title basis now, former Lady Venice of the Kingdom of Sapphire?" he snickered.

"I'm no Lady of Sapphire, but I'm a Lady from the House of Valor. Thank you very much." I glared at him.

"So, since you seem... got out of space.. how long have you been inside the House of Valor?" he asked, looking like an interrogator.

"Ever since the day I left you, the day I made a run for it. The exact day where they tried to find me and shot me. Just to go back home or should I even call it that?" I humorlessly chuckled.

"So it's been a while huh? Have you heard of the disappearance of my sister then?" he asked again, but this time with a much colder expression.

"I am not involved with whatever, I've got no knowledge about it. I'm just an ordinary sorceress in the House, wherein the ones who know more are on the pinnacle." I mockingly answered him.

"Venice, don't even get me started." he took out a knife and placed it threateningly where my heart was located.

"Vandel, don't even bother asking a low rank junior Hechicera for such information. And I don't even bother dying, for the Mistress, for the House of Valor, for the association I can call a Home, a Family." I met his gaze.

He took away the weapon and frustratingly pulled his hair.

"I'm desperately looking for information here Venice! My sister died because of sorcery, my mum died because of sorcery, father is bedridden due to sorcery, and you ran away because of the damn interest in sorcery! That d**ned House of Valor isn't a house of value at all Venice! Wake up!" he screamed and went berserk.

"You d**ned idiot! There's more to meet than what the eyes see in the world of sorcery. There are wizards not even inclined with us! Blaming us even if we didn't do anything wrong!" I screeched at him.

'I will break off the cuffs and I will strangle you.' I thought.

As I was just giving it a thought, much to my surprise, it worked.

I broke out of the cuffs, I—out of the blue—regained mana, and I could feel powers and spells surging and eyes glowing. That—I don't even know how happened.

And now I'm up against Hel Vandel Vaughn, a skilled swordsman, a fighter, and the Prince of the sneakiest Kingdom, the Kingdom of Nightshade.

Well, it's showtime I guess?