Ch. 51 Stress and Paranoia

Only after the sun began to set did Ethan finally get home. The boy was covered in dirt from head to toe, yet his s**t eating grin pierced through.

"Where have you been?" asked Ana from on top of his old 'sleeping spot'. Her eyes were bloodshot, her face puffy, and she was munching on a vitality pill.

"You ok?" Ethan was slightly taken aback.

"Never better. Did you know you don't get sleepy anymore if you eat lots of these things?" Though she had just finished a pill, she began eating another one.

"Yes… but you need someone to take out the residue to avoid potential side effects. And, you'll still need 1 hour of rest per night, ideally near morning."

"Excellent!" the girl jumped from her spot and landed in front of him. "I never would have thought of that. We make a great team!" She began patting his shoulders a bit too strongly. Her smile was slightly weird as well.

"Right… I think you need some rest." said Ethan. "How about you sleep for a few hours and I can check on you tomorrow."

"No!" Ana practically screamed in response. Her face also contorted in anger though just for a second. "I mean… I don't want to waste anymore time. I have so many things to learn. And, who needs sleep anyway?"

No matter what, she had to keep an eye on him. Until she found a way to talk some sense into him, until she found a way to deal with the suffering he caused, it was all the poor girl could do.

'Is she getting nervous about the tournament? There's still plenty of time.' Completely oblivious, Ethan watched the panicky girl up and down before saying: "If you want me to up your training, I can, but it won't be easy."

"I do! As long as I can stay near you… and learn all the incredible magic you know, I'll do anything." Ana began clapping her hands like a kid. However, instead of excitement, her face showed a combination of fear and stress.

'Those pills are really getting to her.' thought Ethan. "Ok, then let me wash up and we can begin."

"No need." said Ana while pulling out a tiny piece of paper from her bracelet. As soon as she ripped it, a gust of air which smelled of petunias washed over both of them and took away the grime. In just a few moments, they were both clean and smelled like a field of flowers.

"…Really?" Ethan was not impressed.

"Now, we can begin faster." 'And, I won't lose sight of you.'

She knew he wouldn't run away while taking a bath. But, in her drugged up state immediately after a full day of crying, she wasn't thinking clearly anymore.

The 2 got on the roof and started running their circuits. Ethan took this opportunity to remove the impurities left behind by the vitality pills. Then, he pulled out his chest full of cultivation pills and opened it.

"Ready?"

The girl, now somewhat calmer, nodded.

The overnight training began. Normally, Ethan would give her several breaks during their 8 hour sessions, especially now when using cultivation pills. However, he took her enthusiasm as a passing phase and figured she'd give up faster if he were serious.

4 hours later, the girl was still going. 6 hours of uninterrupted training passed, and she hadn't lost focus. To avoid her problems, Ana embraced cultivation, so her concentration was better than ever.

Ethan smiled. 'If that's the case, then let's see what you've got.' After all, he wasn't opposed to extra training. In fact, he lived for it. It was just hard to find people willing to match his pace.

13 hours of uninterrupted cultivation later, Ethan finally ended the session.

"Good job!" he congratulated her honestly. Ana almost fainted on the spot. 'Indeed, it's time for our 1 hour of rest.' He made sure she was comfortable on the roof's tiles before joining her in slumber.

1 hour later….

"Wake up!!"

"Whaaaaaa…!?" Ana screamed before rolling down the roof and falling on her bum.

'And, that's how it feels.' Ethan nodded in satisfaction. "You still up for it sunshine? I'm a little busy this morning, so I could let you rest."

"No!" Ana jumped to her feet in a panic. "I'm ready and chipper and…" She pulled out a cleaning mini-scroll and ripped it in half. "See?"

"God, I really don't like that scent." muttered Ethan. "Get one that smells of dandelions next time, sheesh."

After a quick breakfast, the duo went straight to the Academy. Since the Hunts wouldn't give him access to their private stash, Ethan had no choice but to check out the incomplete Alchemy documents there.

"Are you going to be ok?" he glanced at Ana.

"Of course! I'm with you, aren't I?" Right now, she was under-slept, eating vitality pills like bombons, and beyond paranoid. In this state, Charles and his goons would probably look like walking, talking stress relievers.

'She's facing her fears.' thought Ethan feeling slightly proud. 'If she keeps this up, then maybe, just maybe, we can start training for real.'