Chosen By The Lover's Constellation-Chapter 125: Children of Mana, Part Nine

As the soft morning light filtered through the curtains, Lianna stirred from her slumber, feeling the warmth of Enverna’s embrace beside her.

They were spooning. As she shifted slightly, her eyes fluttered open, and she felt a minor pang of disorientation.

Frowning in confusion, Lianna leaned over Enverna, careful not to disturb her peaceful sleep, and her eyes widened as she beheld a familiar sight hovering in the air above them—a System message.

Her heart raced as she read the words displayed before her.

{Prevent the Fall of Garriden on the 30th of December}

{Reward: Heartstrings (Spell)}

Lianna’s breath caught in her throat as the weight of the message settled over her like a suffocating blanket.

This was it.

Now, everything they did here had a deadline. The fate of Garriden rested squarely on her shoulders.

As the message faded from view, Lianna sat in stunned silence, her mind racing with a million questions and uncertainties.

[Okay... But, how exactly am I supposed to do this? Even if I can get the artifact working, it’s not like I’m going to be able to tell a whole army of Fiends to fuck off, right?]

But even as doubt threatened to consume her, Lianna pushed the thoughts aside, knowing that she had no time to waste.

She had to try.

Silently slipping out of bed, Lianna got dressed quickly.

Checking her phone, she found that Mel had sent her a message.

Soon, Lianna’s phone rang. She glanced at the caller ID and smiled when she saw it was Mel calling. She answered the call, her voice warm with affection.

"Hey, Mel! What’s up?"

"Good morning," Mel replied, her voice slightly gravelly. "I just wanted to check in on you. How’s your meditation training been going?"

Lianna paused for a moment, considering her response.

"It’s been... decent, I guess. One day was good, one day wasn’t so good."

Mel hummed in understanding.

"I see. But it’s great that you’re sticking with it."

Lianna nodded, even though Mel couldn’t see her.

"Thanks. I’m trying my best."

There was a brief pause before Mel spoke again.

"Listen, I was thinking we could meet up in person and talk about it some more. Maybe I can offer some advice or support?"

Lianna’s heart warmed at Mel’s offer.

"That sounds like a great idea. Where do you want to meet?"

"There’s an inn just a few streets away from where you are. I’ll send you the location. How about we meet there in, say, an hour?"

Lianna checked the time on her phone.

9:00 a.m.

"Sounds perfect. I’ll see you there."

"Great!" Lianna found it rather cute how excited she sounded. "Looking forward to it. See you soon, Lianna."

"See you soon, Mel." With that, Lianna ended the call, a sense of anticipation building within her. She quickly got ready, eager to meet up with Mel and discuss her meditation training in person.

---

{Mel}

Mel sat nervously in the grand lecture hall of the Starsign Association, surrounded by other initiates eagerly listening to Al’has Varim, the esteemed leader of the association, as she conducted the course.

The air hummed with anticipation as Al’has began instructing the initiates on spellcasting techniques. Helping them increase the rate at which they trained their Combat Magic skill, which Mel hadn’t even known could be done before this.

As the class progressed, Mel couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched.

She noticed a few of her fellow initiates stealing glances in her direction, their expressions ranging from curiosity to mild amusement. Self-consciousness gnawed at her, and she found herself fumbling with her spellcasting gestures, her confidence waning with each passing moment.

When the class finally came to an end, Mel breathed a sigh of relief, eager to escape the scrutiny of her peers.

However, her relief was short-lived as she felt a presence approach her.

She looked up to see Al’has Varim herself standing before her, her gaze penetrating yet compassionate.

"How are you feeling, Mel?" Al’has inquired, her voice gentle but firm.

Caught off guard by the question, Mel hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to respond.

"Uh, I’m fine," she replied weakly, offering a forced smile.

Al’has studied her for a moment, sensing the unease radiating from the young initiate.

"You don’t seem fine," she remarked, her tone perceptive.

Mel’s facade crumbled under Al’has’s unwavering gaze, and she sighed, admitting:

"I feel... shy, I guess. Everyone seems so confident, and I’m just..."

Al’has nodded in understanding, her expression sympathetic.

"It’s natural to feel that way, especially when you’re surrounded by others who appear more self-assured. But let me tell you something, Mel. The only way the world will begin respecting children of mana like you is if you carry yourself with dignity and pride."

Mel listened intently, her heart stirring at Al’has’s words.

She had always struggled with her confidence. But hearing Al’has’s encouragement, something shifted within her.

[Right... I came here to change, didn’t I?] Mel thought, head low. [I need to do a better job of it.]

As if she just heard that thought and wanted to reinforce it, Al’has lifted her head by her chin.

"Believe in yourself, Mel," Al’has continued, her voice unwavering. "No one else will unless you make them."

Mel nodded, feeling a newfound sense of determination coursing through her veins.

"Thank you," she said earnestly. "I’ll remember that."

With a reassuring smile, Al’has nodded, her faith in Mel evident in her gaze.

As Mel left the lecture hall that day, she carried Al’has’s words with her, all the way up to the present day.

---

The quaint inn buzzed with the chatter of patrons as Mel and Lianna settled into a cozy corner booth, their conversation flowing easily over plates of steaming food.

"How’s the meditation training going?" Mel inquired, sipping her drink as she glanced at Lianna.

Lianna sighed, setting down her fork with a thoughtful expression.

"It’s been... okay, I guess. Some days are better than others," she admitted, swirling her drink absentmindedly.

Mel nodded understandingly.

"It takes time to master something like that. But I’m sure you’ll get the hang of it soon."

Their conversation paused briefly as they enjoyed their meal, the clinking of cutlery mingling with the distant murmur of voices in the bustling inn.

"I, uh, heard on the news that Fiends have been increasing in number near Garriden," Lianna remarked, breaking the silence.

Mel’s expression turned somber at the mention of the Fiends, her thoughts drifting to the recent events in Telvan.

"Do you think there could be a raid?" she asked, her voice tinged with concern.

Lianna’s brow furrowed in confusion.

Strangely, she looked pleasantly surprised.

"Why would you think that?" she questioned, her curiosity piqued.

Mel hesitated for a moment, considering her words carefully.

"Well, after what happened in Telvan..." she trailed off, her gaze meeting Lianna’s with a mixture of sadness and apprehension.

Lianna’s expression darkened. Mel didn’t know too much about that event, only that Lianna had participated in defending the raided part of the city.

"Yeah, I guess that’s a possibility," Lianna conceded, her voice tinged with unease. "But I hope it doesn’t come to that."

Their conversation shifted to lighter topics as they finished their meal, laughter, and camaraderie easing the tension that lingered between them.

As they lingered over their drinks, Mel leaned in closer, her expression thoughtful.

"You know, there might be another way to help with your meditation," she said.

Lianna perked up at the suggestion, her interest piqued.

"Oh? What do you have in mind?" she asked, leaning in to listen intently.

"Come," Mel said, standing up from her chair. "I’ll show you."

She guided Lianna over to her room, then, the one she’d been renting for a while. It was positioned strategically at the back of the hall, to keep from bothering the others staying here.

As they walked in, immediately, Mel held Lianna’s cheeks and kissed her.

"W-Whoa," Lianna’s eyes widened. "Where’d that come from?"

Mel’s response, at first, was to kiss her again, pushing her gently toward the bed at the back.

Once they arrived, she pinned the girl down.

Mel inhaled sharply, reminding herself of what Al’has had said.

[Pride and dignity,] she reiterated. [Be confident.]

In truth, this was all still mostly an act. But, it was an act she was committed to.

"Fake it till you make it" was the essence of her strategy.

Straddling her, Mel’s purple hair fell over her shoulders. Both girls looked at one another before Mel said:

"You need to clear your mind, don’t you?" Mel leaned in closer. "Stop thinking, then."

On that note, she kissed her again, and Lianna’s response was to lock her arms behind her.

It seemed to be working.