06: Her New Resolve

As Evelyn laid her eyes on the amulet once again, a flood of memories from five years ago came rushing back to her.

She was only eleven years old when she had that vivid and realistic dream. It engraved a memory deep within her that she could never forget.

In her dream, she met a stunning middle-aged woman with black eyes that shimmered with golden sparklers, similar to her own, and long wine-red hair adorned with a crown.

The woman approached Evelyn and gently touched the amulet around her neck. As if in response to the touch, the amulet began emitting golden light. She looked into Evelyn's eyes and spoke words that she had never forgotten.

"This amulet is a precious treasure. You should try to keep it hidden from people who may covet it in the future. It also has the power to protect you from harm. Guard it closely!" With those words, she embraced the young girl and pressed a passionate kiss on her forehead.

When Evelyn woke up from her dream, she still felt the warmth of the kiss and sensed a familiarity in the emotions it had stirred. Even the fading glow of the amulet was enough to convince her that the dream was not ordinary. Since that day, she had kept the amulet hidden beneath her bed, fearing that revealing it would invite trouble and danger.

Seeing it once again reminded her of those memories. Her indifferent expression vanished as she held the amulet tightly to her chest, still reminiscing about that experience. That was when the realization struck her. Perhaps the amulet can assist her with discovering her magical ability.

'If the amulet can emit a golden glow, is it also capable of absorbing mana or spiritual energy? Perhaps, just maybe, harnessing its energy could help me discover my elemental or variant affinity.' These were her wild thoughts running rampant.

Internally conflicted, she pondered whether to leave the amulet behind, safeguarding it from covetous eyes. Or she could take it with her to the academy and use its power to uncover her latent abilities, but then it would be difficult to keep it hidden from others.

After much contemplation, she decided to sleep on it, resolving to make her final decision in the morning.

The next day, Evelyn woke up early, without even waiting for her usual wake-up call from Elvis. She sprang out of bed and began packing her belongings. While sorting through her clothes, her eyes fell upon a piece of clothing that had been charred. This sight triggered another memory.

She remembered the time when she was humiliated by a girl named Sushi, who had mastered the elemental magic of fire. Her clothes were set ablaze by Sushi. Just looking at the almost burnt dress reminded her of her retribution with Sushi.

This has further fueled her resolve to get stronger as soon as possible so that she can get payback on Sushi and her other bullies. Evelyn certainly holds grudges and is very vengeful.

Considering these thoughts, it seemed increasingly advantageous for her to attend Rylinth Academia of Mages and take the amulet with her. The decision had been made, and there was no turning back.

After packing her belongings into a bag, she carried them to the living room where her mother, brother, and an unfamiliar man were engaged in conversation. Sensing that she was late, she hurriedly joined Elvis, who was unusually cheerful and charming today.

Dorcas introduced the man to her two children as Mr. Griff Zeccammon, her cousin from the Zeccamons. He was a master-level mage.

"Good morning, Uncle Griff," they greeted in unison.

"Good morning, Elvis and Evelyn. May I ask you a question?"

"Yes, sir," they responded simultaneously once again.

"Do both of you want to attend Rylinth Academia of Mages? Are there any of you who does not wish to go? Due to our family's connection with the academy management, your mother was able to secure your admission. You may have heard rumours about the academy, where the strong openly oppress the weak. Indeed, the school management does not interfere with student affairs. So I am giving both of you an opportunity to think it through. No one is going to compel you to attend," Griff voiced his concerns, even though he knew that Dorcas would not be happy with his decision.

Elvis quickly agreed to attend the academy, and everyone's attention shifted to Evelyn, waiting for her response. Upon learning about the school's dynamics, she was overwhelmed with nervousness, and the prospect seemed daunting. Elvis felt like convincing her, but he couldn't let himself do it. It would be too selfish of him.

A tense silence enveloped the room as everyone awaited Evelyn's decision. She agreed to attend the academy, remembering the decision she had made earlier. This made Dorcas and Elvis feel relieved.

With all the discussions concluded Dorcas approached her children. Tears streamed down her face as she tightly embraced them. As Evelyn rested in her mother's embrace, she couldn't help but think about the kiss she had received in her dream. The two embraces felt entirely different. She felt more emotions in her dream than she does now. This left her wondering who exactly the strange woman in her dream was.

After the embrace, Dorcas placed a pouch on the table and retrieved a sword and a bow with arrows from it. She handed the pouch and presented the sword to Elvis. Evelyn received the bow and arrows, along with a beast's core.

"Elvis, that is your father's sword. I hope you will learn swordsmanship while attending the academy. That pouch is spatial; it can hold as many items as you can fit in a room. You'll soon learn how to use it in the academy." Dorcas said to Elvis, her voice choked with emotion. Then, she turned her attention to Evelyn.

"Evie, I'm giving you my bow and arrows. Perhaps you might consider practicing archery. That beast core will significantly enhance both your mana core and your ability to control mana. There's nothing more I can give to both of you. Take care of yourselves and each other. I will miss you," she expressed, as she bid them farewell. They place their weapons and baggage inside the pouch.

Led by Mr. Griff, they embarked on their journey to Rylinth Academia of Mages, which was located on the outskirts of Rylinth. While they were inside the Transporter, a crystal-powered vehicle that could transport up to 75 passengers, Evelyn clutched her amulet and activated her mana circulation. She has no time to waste because, as stated in the letter they received, they will be participating in the upcoming ranking and categorization test at the academy.

This ranking and categorization test was called the Magical Prowess Test. It was conducted to rank students into different tiers based on their magical potential and to assign them to the departments that best suit their abilities. This is why Evelyn couldn't spare any time to begin practicing mana circulation with the aid of the amulet. And just as she had predicted, it seemed to be working. While wearing her amulet, she was able to freely circulate her mana and store spiritual energy in her core. The restriction seems to have disappeared.

She was overjoyed that it was working. Now it was time for her to awaken her unique magical ability, as she already had a significant amount of spiritual energy stored in her core. Gathering her spiritual energy, she channeled it into her hand, causing a small flame to flicker briefly before extinguishing.

This did not escape Elvis or Griff, who had been watching her all along. Evelyn opened her eyes to find two pairs of glaring eyes staring back at her. She grinned and placed her hand over the amulet, which was the cheat she used to accomplish the feat, covering it from view.

"You finally did it, Evelyn," complimented Elvis, happy for his dear sister.

"Yeah, I just got the hang of it now. So I decided to try it out, and it worked," she replied.

Griff didn't say anything; he was lost in thought. 'Why does she look so much like Marcus? Is there any connection between them? And that flame is not just an ordinary flame; it feels similar to his own.' Such details surely cannot escape a Master Mage like Griff, but there was one thing that managed to evade his detection: the amulet.

Finally, they have arrived. As they stepped off the transporter, they gazed in awe at the magnificent giant gate towering before them.