Before the Duel

"Duel will start at six sharp," a master informed.

Adeleine sat a bench, uncomfortably shifting around trying to calm herself down. The ever loud beating in her heart tugged the knot forming in her stomach. She felt like puking. The pressure was just too much.

She could hear the chattering from above to where she was. It seems like people were really excited to see this fight that they audience started pouring in an hour even before the fight.

Her motivation slowly slipping away every move of a minute like an inflated balloon punctured with a slim tiny needle. One day. A day has passed ever since she started training with Kellie, and oh boy, it sure does hurt like fire with yesterday's training session.

The woman basically took over the entire day despite being a rest day from school. With all the events that happened these past few days, Adeleine had no time to breathe.

"An hour left." Kellie sat beside the girl which snapped her back from her own reminiscing.

Adeleine looked outside to the battlefield and up to the elevated benches packed with people. She winced with the tremendous amount of audience present. The rising bile from her throat returned and made her nauseous.

Her main worry still remained—how will she defeat Hera?

The declaration of Headmaster Verkel's thoughts slowly weighed on her shoulders. Was she really unable to use affinity? How about Moon, she hasn't responded for days. It's as if she didn't exist. Was she hallucinating her all along?

Was she so deprived of a social life that she created an imaginary friend in her mind?

It's all too surreal. Years—she'd been talking to Moon for years. She couldn't just made that all up in her head! Could she?

"Damn him," she snarled as she messed with her hair.

She planned to unlock her affinity before the duel; she was confident. But it seems like she was no different from Hera who recklessly tried to force an awakening. She was an idiot.

It could have been an advantage over her opponent, but now she's uncertain about her capabilities. Even more worrying that she couldn't rule out the possibility of Hera awakening in the middle of the duel. If that happens, she'd be done for.

"Adeleine," she felt a hand on her shoulder, "don't think too much."

She whipped her head to the side, seeing Kellie staring at her intensely.

Right, she shouldn't be muddling her brain with other matters at the moment. She should be, first and foremost, focusing how to actually win the fight.

Well, for now the match is even for Adeleine. Her opponent couldn't use affinity yet, so it'll be down to physical combat. The only question now would be how experienced is Hera?

The noise from outside grew louder that it sounded like thousand of buzzing bees on Adeleine's ears. It's distracting…and spiked her anxiety even more.

"Why is there so many of them? The academy didn't look like they have these much of students," she complained, throwing her hands in the air in frustration.

Kellie peeked at the large entrance hole. "Those are civilians."

"I- huh, what?" Adeleine looked at her confusedly. "Isn't this academy supposed to be heavily guarded? Why are you letting people in so easily?"

"People can't just let the opportunity pass up when they hear you dueling."

"Because I'm letherian, aren't I?" she bitterly chuckled. Of course, that, again. She became an entertainer in their eyes. A poor sacrifice thrown into a gladiator to face the lion, for people's entertainment.

But there was one thing plaguing her mind. It didn't seem to line up.

"Why are you introducing me to the public? Wouldn't it be better to keep me hidden as a trump card?" If they're letting people inside, they won't guarantee the authenticity if each audience's identity. Someone from Letheria could easily slip in and see her. And no doubt, she would even be a hot topic all over the empire and could even reach the ears of their enemy.

"Verkel."

No need for further explanation. One word is enough for her to comprehend the whole scenario.

Of course, that slimy bastard!

"Um… is it alright to visit?" Bridget stood at the back entrance, hiding behind the wall shyly. She met eyes with the two and quickly averted her gaze, flustered. "Oh I'm sorry! I didn't mean to disturb! I just want to, uuuh, uhm, to…"

She squeezed her eyes shut out of embarrassment and her face exploded red.

"I wanted to wish good luck," she muttered under her breath, something too low to hear.

Adeleine raised her eyebrow in skepticism but the taller lady called her, "Come in."

"I- wha- um, I wasn't-" she fumbled through her words, shaking her hands fervently.

"Didn't you come here to wish her safety?" Kellie asked. "Then you should come in."

Intimidated by the lady's indifferent tone, she obliged and stiffly walked towards them. But she just stood there, shaking.

Noticing the girl's actions, Kellie stood up knowing her presence gave the young one a fright. "I'll be checking on the preparations." Then she left.

Adeleine had a good look of her. She fiddles so much and apologizes even for a mistake she didn't commit. Just like what she did when Kellie prompted to leave. If she were any like her, she would have been targeted by everyone at school and it would be worse.

Adeleine noted the small hair clip that pushed the bangs away, revealing only her left eye. Bridget has a cute rounded face.

Adeleine's hand itched to sweep the rest of the girl's fringes. It would have been better if she fixed the hair. It would bring out more of Bridget's notable features instead of looking more of a wallflower or a pushover.

It was too late when she realized she did it. But she was even more surprised to what stared at her behind.

Her forest green iris mutilated in shock, instead of the same hazel Adeleine was expecting. Fear settled in the Bridget's quivering eyes and the latter stood frozen.

She flinched backwards and her hair fell to where it was once before.

They're mismatched. Adeleine's jaw slackened and she couldn't find the words to back up her actions after the revelation.

"I- I- I wish you good luck. May Astrea shine her light upon you." She spoke so fast Adeleine almost missed her words when she bowed and dashed behind the door.

At the same time, Kellie just came back and saw the girl leave in haste.

She sat to her spot. "That was quick," she commented as she eyed Adeleine's shock expression.

Her tongue tied.

"That girl, her other eye is blind," she continued, albeit her words solemn. "But she could see things others normally could not. The blindness is just the side-effect, the mismatch colors as well."

Adeleine, who slowly recovered from her stupor, turned to her. "What do you mean by that?"

"She could see the true nature of energy flow. Temple elders would need to give up their eyes to see the gift of Astrea—the light energies—but she was born with it. It was a blessing, but people are skeptical of anything they deem unordinary."

"Oh, I…see."

It wasn't that Bridget was shy, she was subjected to a treatment that made her act this way. That was the reason she was always alone, the reason why she stuck with Adeleine. In hopes to find a friend condemned like her, searching for understanding, to share empathy. That…Adeleine understood.

She might have doubted the girl too much.

"Kellie," she called after a long pause of silence as she hung her head. "How do I know if it's genuine or not?"

"Trust."

"But then I'll end up-"

"Then you'll learn. But if you limit yourself before you even tried, then you'll never know when you missed an opportunity."

Adeleine kept quiet, letting it sink in. Why would an Adhelian ever show kindness to her? Why would anyone that regard her as an enemy treat her as theirs? It sounded too good to be true…and a very laughable thought.

She squeezed her forearm tight.

"Do you pity me?"

Was it that?

She looked straight to Kellie's eyes, searching for a flicker, a small slip of a mask that would keep her unswayed. Getting attached would be her lose.

She believes Kellie is a good person, but she doubts the lady has done it out of the goodness of her heart.

Her nails imbedded deep in her skin and her face contorted a pained frown. Mother…

Why does Kellie remind her so much of the familiar but haunting silhouette? The beautiful memories of her mother…it flashed her a distasteful imagery of her mother's dead cold eyes boring straight through her soul. Her blue lips muttering, "Why didn't you save me?"

She gasped and shook her head to rid such thoughts. She couldn't even recall her without soiling her image with red spilled liquid.

"I was asked to tend to you." Kellie didn't hide, it was no use for her but hearing the exact reasons would be more unpleasant for the girl. "But I did it because you remind me of someone."

Adeleine looked away. Well, she was right. No doubt it was the sly snake who would do something like that. She expected to not get her hopes up, but she was curious on another matter, "Did you meet another letherian?"

"Given my previous line of work, I've met a lot, but she's not letherian." Kellie shook her head.

"Ah…"

"You look so much like her," she muttered as she continued to stare.

"What's her name?"

"Lady Arade."

"It sounded like she's special to you."

Silence hung in the air. You could hear the thrumming cheers outside suppressed by the thick walls and Adeleine stared at her boots, kicking the grains of sand strayed from the battleground. The faint suspense as she waited for the lady's response.

Finally. "She is more than that. She's my savior, to me and to my family. An outstanding daughter of the Saoir household, and a very compassionate person." Her voice was held firm. "She took us in, gave us shelter, when we were endangered from our own kind. She was never biased and thought everyone as an equal. Thus I swore my faith and allegiance to her and to her name."

Adeleine stared at her wide-eyed. Never had Kellie spoken so long and sung highly of someone. She thought she was a hard cold aloof knight. But she expected as well that the lady's conviction run as deep.

"So what happened to her? Why are you serving a scheming person such as him now?" If Kellie vowed to that woman, something must have happen to her, right? No way would someone as straight and justified as Kellie would work under a person conniving and insufferably evil.

"Verkel is not as bad as he appears, that man is just," she paused, "bad at making first impressions."

"Right." She rolled her eyes.

The trumpets hollered, interrupting their conversation and instantly pulling Adeleine back to her current dilemma. Kellie stood up and gave her a firm nod while she gulped. Her hands were clammy.

"Wish me luck," she forced a grin, albeit her body breaking a cold sweat underneath the metal armory.

"Ten buckets wouldn't be enough."

Adeleine frowned. "Huh? What kind of encouragement is that to your student? I carry your legacy, you know!"

Kellie held her shoulders. "Don't push yourself too much."

This time, she wasn't joking. Adeleine understood and nodded.

"Just stay alive."

Of course, she will. She didn't persevere this long just to let herself get handed to someone. And as much as possible, she wanted to beat the crap out of Hera.

"Yeah."

"Alright. Good luck." Kellie threw her a last glance before turning around the door.

Now she was left to herself. She let out a deep breath and calmed her nerves. Licking her lips as her throat suddenly dried up, she wiped her palms against her cloth and felt it shaking. She was cold.

In. Out. In. Out.

She felt like bailing.

The second bellow of the trumpet sent the whole stadium thundering with cheers; the ground shook under her boots. It drowned the loud thumping of her heartbeat against the ribcage.

"The first match on ninety-first day of Pierre with the eleventh Morning Star shall commence!" the announcer declared. "Come forth, to my right, Heloireean Hera, under the patronage of House Azura—the challenger."

From the other side of the arena, she emerged with confident strides. The crowd hollered cheers. She took her place beside the flag holder, her chin raised proudly.

"Come forth," the announcer continued and Adeleine breathed hot moist to her shaking palms. She could feel the jitters all over her body and it felt like her body was stuck in ice. It was too nerve-wracking. "My left, Heloireean Adeleine la Liga Kleis-Saoir—the contender!"

Huh, what?