Chapter 33: Manipulation

Luther carried Ivery down the hallways, heading to the cafeteria.

No matter how many times Ivery begged him to put her down, he said nothing and proceeded to walk. He was ignoring her....

....

Sariell and Piere opened the cafeteria doors for Luther.

Luther entered first and the MVP's followed behind him, not daring to step in front of him or walk faster than him.

Ivery instantly spotted Beatrice sitting alone...

"I want to go over there.." Ivery pointed at Beatrice

Luther peered over to where Ivery was pointing at and saw that girl that Ivery befriended...and the girl that possesses Inanna's soul.

"Very well..." Luther walked towards the table Beatrice sat at, fiddling with the fork in her food

....

Beatrice saw Luther approaching her with Ivery in his arms,

"Crown...Prince Luther?" Beatrice watched Luther sit Ivery down next to her on the cushioned chair

Ivery hasn't seen Beatrice ever since she was affected by the flower of youth.

"It's me...Inanna" Ivery smiled

"Inanna?" Beatrice looked at the little girl next to her

"What happened!?" Beatrice scooted closer to Ivery

"I touched the flower of youth.." Ivery told her

"But everyone knows you're not supposed to touch the flower of youth with your bare hands.." Beatrice said

"That important fact wasn't explained to me...as for I acted on my own and now I'm suffering the consequences of my childish decision" Ivery wanted to return to her normal age, the reversal medicine's effects were slow-acting so she had no choice but to deal with her predicament

"You're taking the reversal medicine right?" Beatrice asked

"Yes.." Ivery nodded

"Good..." Beatrice took a deep breath

"I'll be over there" Luther pointed to the only giant black marble table with pure golden chairs in the room

None other than the MVP table, reserved for them exclusively. The table was slightly elevated on a black platform and you'd have to walk up 3 steps to get to the table.

"Okay" Ivery looked up at him and watched him walk away from her and Beatrice

...

Ivery caught Beatrice up with everything that's happened to her so far through the week.

..

Ivery picked up her warm tea and suddenly a 'plop' sound was heard by her and Beatrice. Ivery looked inside of her cup and saw a small glass shard floating around inside of her tea.

Ivery cast her glance up and saw the shocking sight...

Beatrice looked up and her mouth dropped to the floor...

"Why...are you here?" Ivery rubbed her head

.....

..

"I was bored and alone....so I came here!" The crystal blue dragon sat on top of the glass dome of the cafeteria

Everyone in the cafeteria's attention was locked on the giant dragon above.

"Go back, Eness.." Ivery demanded, she didn't want to be mean to Eness but she shouldn't be here of all places

"Why..?" Eness asked, wondering why her master wanted her to leave so soon

"You're going to break-" Ivery paused

*Crack*

The glass dome cracked under Eness's feet and soon completely shattered. A dragon-sized hole was made in the dome as Eness and thousands of glass shards came falling down.

Ivery held her hands up and a pinkish golden light enveloped Eness in a giant barrier. Stopping Eness from crashing down into the cafeteria floor.

"Reversion.." Ivery pointed her right hand up at the giant hole in the dome

Most of the students in the cafeteria ran away from the falling glass, some students wrapped themselves in magic physical shields.

Before the glass shards even hit the ground, all the pieces of glass flew back up and were quickly reattached to the hole in the glass dome. And it appeared as if the hole was never there.

Ivery slowly lowered her left hand and Eness gradually floated down to the cafeteria floor, under Ivery's control.

"You know you can't come here Eness, I've told you plenty of times.." Ivery scolded as she walked over to Eness

"I apologize...master.." Eness lowered her head

"I-Inanna!" Beatrice ran over to Ivery

"Stay away from that dragon!" Beatrice pulled Ivery away

"Beatrice..?" Ivery looked up at her

"It's the same dragon that guards the golden egg...the same dragon that devours anyone and anything, you mustn't get close to it..." Beatrice wanted to protect Ivery with everything she had

"The dragon is loyal to me.." Ivery told Beatrice

"What...?" Beatrice looked at Ivery with confusion in her eyes

"I would never harm my master, you gravely insult my allegiance to my master...human girl!" Eness was offended

"Master..?" Beatrice couldn't believe that...Inanna tamed this ruthless ancient dragon..

But the proof was right in front of her so...she had to believe it..

"Eness, it's time for you to return to the castle" A pair a golden scissors materialized with a glow, in Ivery's hand

Ivery vertically cut open a portal with the scissors and the portal widened.

"You might land somewhere unexpected...I'm still not good with the coordination" Ivery waved her hand

"Master! Wait!" Eness had no time to react before she was forcefully pushed by a powerful force

Eness fell into the portal and it sealed close.

The golden scissors in Ivery's hand burst into hundreds of golden particles.

"Inanna! How did you tame the crystal blue dragon in the Dungeon Of Hell!?" Beatrice wanted answers

"Well...." Ivery didn't feel like explaining it but since Beatrice wanted to know..

..

Luther carefully watched with a smile as everything unfolded, he allowed Ivery to handle that situation on her own...he finally realized he had to let her deal with some of her problems on her own, or she'll never reach her full potential..and he loved seeing her display her strength.

....

Ivery managed to leave the cafeteria without Luther noticing...or maybe he noticed and is watching what she's seeing through her eyes..she didn't know..

Ivery had to go to the bathroom and she told Beatrice that she didn't have to come with her...

If Beatrice came with her, Ivery would've felt like she was being babysat and was being walked to the bathroom like a child that isn't potty trained or a child that's afraid of being alone.

As Ivery walked down the vacant hallways, she felt a cold chill sweep across her skin...

Ivery felt uneasy...

She quickly turned around and swiftly jumped several feet back...

....

...

..

"Such fast reflexes...." A voice said

"Who are you?" Ivery asked

"The one you all threw away!" A girl walked forward into the light

"Xia?" Ivery recognized her face as Xia but her appearance was drastically changed...from her eyes to her hair color

And the black pentagram mark on her forehead was ominously suspicious..

"Correct!" Xia cackled

"What...happened to you?" Ivery knew this wasn't the original Xia...something was definitely dark and evil within her

"What happened to me!? What happened to me!?" Xia's black colored eyes bulged out of her sockets and her face twisted in anger

"You happened to me! You stole everything that was once mine! So...now you have to pay..." Xia's lips curled into an evil smile, her hands gathered a purple mist

"Your little friend you helped that day...I wonder what she'd look like with her eyes gouged and her tongue ripped out, I desperately want to hear her screams" Xia's black eyes had a red glint in them, her expression warped with sadism and excitement

"She has nothing to do with this.." Ivery's eyes glowed

"Do I care!? Should I care!? She'll suffer just as I did...or maybe even worse...unless you do exactly what I ask" Xia laughed as she played with the purple mist in her palms

"What do you want me to do?" Ivery glared at her and her hands glowed with a golden light

"Renounce your engagement to Luther and your title as the Crown princess, and go back to the Hollow's Castle where you rightfully belong!" Xia shouted

"Unless you want poor Beatrice to suffer a fate worse than death..." Xia twirled the purple mist around

"If I do this...you can't touch Beatrice at all, if you do, I'll make you wish you stayed in that cell.." Ivery balled her hands in fists, her red eyes seeming like they were on fire...

She wanted to get rid of her...but Ivery felt like if she attacked Xia...something would go awry...

"Nothing will happen to your friend as long as you do as I say..." Xia smirked

"...." Ivery turned around and walked away

Ivery had to talk to Luther...she didn't want to hurt him nor did she want to leave him...but she wasn't going to put Beatrice in harm's way...nor let her suffer...but she also wasn't going to let Xia get her way so easily...she needed a plan..

This wasn't going to be the ending of everything...she was going to make sure of that.

.

.

.