Chapter 361: Pull of Water

Since it was her turn to obtain the weekly legal mana ores quota, she had never slacked.

She was determined to impress Kai by reaching the Aspirant Supernal rank quickly.

It was a form of her gratitude for being allowed to enter the Ambrosia Pact—despite what had happened in the past. One fortunate thing that was going her way was that she wouldn’t be at the bottom of the barrel.

Bryan hogged that spot, so she at least would never get to be the worst one.

Regardless, she had been training relentlessly.

Abigail was afraid of asking for access to the special training chamber that was reserved only for the Red Prince, so she had to make do with what was available to an Angel like her. Before she touched the legal mana ores, she trained in her mana absorption efficiency.

It was possible since the academy has the tool for it.

Just a round sphere lodged on a table that contained energy from the Blue Void.

All one needs to do was to try to pull the energy through the sphere using mana.

She had spent more than a week training, and once she felt that she was ready, she began to upgrade her blood vessels into Awakened Blood Vessels. Even though the difference in mana absorption efficiency was not stark, she could tell that there was less waste now.

Now, she was already at the last step.

Inside her main Divine Lock, there was already a sizeable pool of mana.

Abigail was planning to amass a bit more before attempting to make the breakthrough.

It was either tonight or the next accolade distribution, which would be tomorrow.

Just as her full focus was on her main Divine Lock, the sound of knocking disturbed her.

She tried to ignore it at first until she realized no more mana was seeping into her body. Once she realized that, she opened her eyes and saw that she had exhausted her last legal mana ore. "Tomorrow, then..." She murmured, staring at the dim stone in her hand. "Tomorrow, I will reach the Aspirant Supernal rank."

Once again, the sound of knocking from the door snapped her out of her daze.

A frown crept to her face.

"I don’t think I stayed that long." Abigail stood up and headed for the door.

She wiped the sweat from her forehead and then paused, confused as to why she was sweating in the first place. It wasn’t like he was exercising throughout the hours. She was meditating—and the chamber was kept at a perfectly regulated temperature.

And yet, the moisture clung to her hairline, and her skin felt oddly flushed.

Abigail reached up to rub her throat, suddenly feeling a parched ache blooming in her throat.

It was a demanding thirst that seemed to come out of nowhere.

Before she could well on it, the knocking rang out again—sharper and more impatient now.

Abigail pushed herself forward and found her body was strangely heavy, as though she were wading through deep water. "Did I overdo my meditation?" She muttered silently—and then shook her head. "No. I’ve never heard of a Supernal growing sick from absorbing mana. And even if such a case existed, I only had a dozen legal mana ores."

She shook her head again and crossed the chamber in a hurry.

Inside, she was fully prepared to yank the door open and vent her frustration at whoever was being so rude. But once she pulled on the doorknob, opening the door wide, the sharp words died on her tongue.

Talitha stood beyond the door, bundled in a thick coat against the midnight chill.

An apologetic smile crept onto her face, and she raised two plump, shiny apples in her hands like a peace offering. "Sorry for disturbing your training—" She said lightly. "I brought you a snack. Do you want them?"

Abigail exhaled slowly; the lingering frustration deflated from her chest.

It was only her big sister.

She stepped into the doorway, gently barring Talitha from stepping inside.

"I am done with tonight’s training already," She murmured—her voice slightly scratchy. She pulled the door shut behind her, and then grabbed one apple from Talitha’s hand. "Let’s head back first."

Both sisters made their way back toward the dormitory.

It was empty and quiet inside the main building.

Most students were mining or in their rooms, getting as much sleep as possible to recover.

In fact, the hall was so silent that the echoes of their footsteps rang loudly.

Ever since Kai had become the Red Prince, Talitha’s limited world as a servant had widened. She had more time to visit Abigail, and more importantly, she could walk right into the main academy building—a space strictly reserved for students and professors.

Normally, any servant who tried to do that would be severely punished.

But as the sole servant of Red Prince Kai, she has a bit more freedom to come and go.

Kai had been offered a legion of servants to maintain his new estate—and even his mundane tasks beyond, but he had refused them all. Talitha was more than enough. Because of this, the students simply ignored her.

Rumours about Kai have spread around.

Several disappearances of senior students were rumoured to be his doing.

Many believed that those who wronged his group and those tied to him would suffer the same fate, so no students had the balls to disturb Talitha. As long as she kept her head down and didn’t cause a fuss, she was an invisible fixture.

It was a new feeling for Talitha to be treated like this.

But she couldn’t say that she hated it.

On the contrary, she quite liked this new normal.

"Why didn’t you wait in my room?" Abigail asked as she walked. "You knew where I placed my spare key. No need to come visit me in the training chamber. I am still worried that you’d get into trouble."

"Look at you, worrying about me—like a responsible adult." Talitha giggled lightly. Her little sister had all grown up now. "I did wait for you in your room—but you’re taking a long time. I thought something happened, so I came to check. Honestly, I was starting to suspect that you fell asleep in there.

"Did you get lazy again? An opportunity like this wouldn’t come again, you know."

"Eugh... Stop nagging me." Abigail rolled her eyes. "I didn’t fall asleep. I was meditating!"

"Sure...Whatever you say, little girl."

"I’m not a little girl anymore."

Abigail blinked—the action took effort as her eyelids dragged heavily.

It didn’t escape Talitha’s eyes.

"I’m grown up now and can take care of myself."

"Yes, yes, I believe you. What about the group? Are you settling down nicely?"

"I am. I think the others still kept secrets from me, but they’ll open up soon."

"That’s good."

Soon, they arrived at the lobby and walked towards the main entrance. A senior student was walking in from outside as they passed the entrance. He was unscrewing the cap of a water bottle; the plastic rim already tipped to his mouth as he took a deep gulp.

Abigail’s step faltered.

Her gaze locked onto the bottle, tracking the way the condensation rolled down the plastic.

Her throat constricted—a dry, scratching sensation begging for relief.

Talitha noticed her sister’s lingering stare at the water bottle and the slight, dragging shuffle in her step. She glanced at the senior, then back at Abigail. "What’s wrong?" She asked with a noticeable frown on her forehead. "Are you thirsty? If you’re that thirsty, then why not drink from the drinking fountain earlier?"

Abigail snapped her head away from the water bottle, blinking rapidly.

It was almost as if she was roused from a daze.

She forced a smile, though the expression felt a second too late.

"I’m fine—" She said, waving her hand. "I must’ve zoned out because of the thirst. I will drink plenty when we get back to my room."

Eventually, the sisters reached Abigail’s room on the first floor of the dormitory.

Ever since the horrific night—the night when they were both aimed to lure Kai that had almost ended with both of them dead—Kai had refused to let them stay in that room. He was worried that Abigail would feel restless all the time.

So, he had made a single request to the academy, and it was granted the very next day.

Now, Abigail occupied Chester’s former room.

She was living inside the chambers of a High Angel.

Evenide Academy has strict—archaic rules regulating the Angels and High Angels. One rule was made to heavily limit the privileges of normal Angels—and ensure they never crossed the boundaries of their betters.

But one word from Kai, and that rule had simply been overlooked.

It was fascinating, and more than a little terrifying, what power could do.

Talitha walked over to the small table in the corner and grabbed the large thermos. She shook it slightly, hearing only the hollow echo of metal. A sigh escaped her lips as she turned around to show Abigail the empty container.

Abigail sighed, waving a hand dismissively as she trudged toward the bathroom.

"I’m going to shower first. I’ll deal with the water problem later."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

She closed the door behind her and locked it.

"Don’t drink the toilet water!" Talitha shouted with a teasing lilt in her voice.

"I won’t!" Abigail shouted back in annoyance. "Do you think I’ll be that gross?"

Talitha chuckled softly.

She walked out of the room and stepped into the quiet hallway.

Perhaps because she still sees Abigail as her little sister, she decided to get water for her.

Since the nearest drinking fountain was only a short walk down the corridor, it wasn’t a hassle.

As she stood in the dim hall, watching the clear water rush into the thermos, her mind went back to Abigail. She seemed strange today. Sluggish—and out of it. Her movements had been heavy and her reactions delayed, as if her mind was covered by a thick fog.

But Talitha only shook her head, dismissing the worry.

"She must be working so hard trying to reach the Aspirant Supernal rank," Talitha mumbled to herself, capping the thermos—and starting to walk back to the room. "She’s probably tired, but this was important for Kai, so I’m rooting for you."

Talitha returned to the room and placed the thermos down on the wooden desk.

Just then, she paused.

For some reason, she couldn’t hear anything—the room was utterly silent.

Abigail should be showering right now, but there was no sound coming from the bathroom.

A troubled frown crept to Talitha’s face as a small knot of confusion formed in her chest.

She walked to the bathroom door, grasped the handle, and pushed the door open.

Only then did her eyes widen—there was nobody inside.

"Abigail...?"