Control the Void

The door opened, and Evie walked in. She stood on Valencia’s right side, frozen with shock.

“Are you okay, Miss Elyane?” Evie asked worriedly.

Valencia gasped as she darted her gaze to Evie.

“Am… I done?” she questioned.

Evie slowly nodded.

“Yes… the result came out. I tried calling your name, but you didn’t answer. So I stepped out to see if you’re alright,” Evie explained.

Valencia hurried out of position and bowed to Evie.

“I’m sorry, Madam Evie. I’m not feeling too well, so don’t mind me,” Valencia lied.

Evie sighed in frustration.

“I see… no wonder your result came out as F… you don’t have much energy to help an Esper…” Evie expressed disappointment.

Valencia’s head perked. She looked at Evie.

“I’m Rank-F?”

“Yes… I’m sorry, Miss Elyane—”

“Great! Do I need to come in tomorrow?” Valencia wondered.

Evie paused, staring at her with confusion.

“Hm, yes… just in case?”

Valencia smiled and bowed once again.

“Thank you!”

Then she grabbed her bag and left the office immediately.

Evie stood there, bewildered, holding her clipboard. An assistant walked in and watched Valencia.

“She’s the one who graduated as an F-rank because she couldn’t control her aura or something. Wasn’t it, Madam Evie?” the assistant asked.

“Yes… and she seems to enjoy being one,” Evie answered.

Silence between them stretched as the assistant groaned, looking around. Then—

“Madam…”

Evie glanced at the assistant, who looked horrified.

“Yes?”

“The gem is broken… we might need to get a new one before Her Highness comes tomorrow.”

Evie darted her gaze at the gemstone. She gulped.

“How could that be? It was fine all day…” she paused. She remembered that Valencia reacted awkwardly. “Could she…? Impossible.”

“Could it be?” the assistant whispered. She leaned closer to Evie’s ear. “One of the previous Guides was really an S-rank Guide?!”

Evie shook her head, suspecting Valencia over all the others. However, she couldn’t understand why.

While Evie pondered, Valencia hurried back to her place in the slums. She covered her head as she walked through the alley, hiding her face. Just as she stepped to a corner—

“Hey, young lady… where are you coming from?” a man asked, stopping Valencia.

She gasped sharply, covering her eyes. Her purple eyes that shaded under the moon.

“I… please move out of my way—”

“Why? Too pretty for me?” he smirked, grabbing her wrist.

She yanked her hand back as he cackled. He reached for her hoodie, and she stepped back, glaring at him.

“Leave me alone!” Valencia, with a distorted voice, demanded. She raised her hand—

A purple void orb formed before him. His eyes widened in fear.

The void swallowed the hand that dared to touch her. Blood splattered across her cloak.

Cold. Darkness.

“Ah!”

Valencia snapped out of the delirious state and stopped the void.

The man fell down, crying in agony.

“You’re a monster!”

Valencia hyperventilated as she ran away. She slammed the door behind her, breathing heavily. When the air was quiet behind the door, she rummaged through her bag, removing her gloves. Repeating the same process… releasing the void aura that lingered at the palm of her hands.

As the cold steel pressed against her scar—

A purple hand grabbed her wrist with the dagger.

Valencia froze, staring at the hand. She hesitantly moved her gaze up to see the face of the hand—yet not a single face was revealed.

Just purple shadow.