Another world, Celeste

Chapter Twenty One, pt 2

I exhale loudly in satisfaction when my shivering body is fully submerged in the bathtub filled with warm water.

"This feels nice," I thought.

It's quiet.

My mind flickers to last night's dream and thought, "I can't believe I said those words."

Lowering my body until the water covers my lips, just below my nose as an attempt to hide from the belated embarrassment until my eyelids feel heavy. Not good. I'm starting to feel sluggish and I've only just woken up. Maybe I should've just stuck to showering in the morning. Suddenly standing up causes the water to splashes everywhere on the bathroom floor then being careful not to slip when getting out of the bathtub. Dried and dressed in a short-sleeved black jumpsuit from a branded sportswear, tuck the bottom legs a bit and put on my running shoes. My hair loosely tied with a ribbon. I take my phone from the bedside table and check the time.

"It's still a bit early to leave," mumbling to myself.

When I reach the dining room, breakfast is already prepared. Today we're having a simple yet hearty meal; onion mushroom soup and breadsticks. After Maya and I exchange our morning greetings, we sit down and have breakfast together. Sipping a spoonful of hot soup into my mouth, I internally exclaim in content, "Ah, food for the soul."

Maya's soup and I mean any kind of soup she cooks up, always warms the soul.

Maya smiles fondly after seeing the delightful expression I'm making then speak, "You're going to the sanctuary today as well, right?"

"Yes," I answer, taking another spoonful. "Luna and Roy want to get started on our lesson right away. So today, I'll be at the rehabilitation centre but I'm not sure how long the lesson will take though."

Maya dips a piece of breadstick into her soup and asks, "Do you have some potions with you?"

"There's still some restorative potions and low-grade healing potions stored in my item bag."

"Good. Take them with you later."

Puzzled. The sanctuary is fully-stocked on potions of every grade, including the special-grade potion.

Maya explains when she sees the look on my face. "Not for them, for you."

My hand that's holding the spoon stop in mid-air then replies, "Oh, okay."

Should I expect the upcoming magic lesson with Luna and Roy to be tough and challenging? It's going to be the first lesson anyway, I'm not going to exhaust myself that much right, but come to think of it, Luna doesn't specify what exactly we're going to do and my first class with Roy started with a spar. Best not to think about it too much. I shake my head and resume eating.

After breakfast, I sit cross-legged on the carpet in the living room with my back to Maya who is sitting on the sofa. She delicately combs through my hair and braids them as she always does every morning.

"Your hair has grown even longer than a year ago," Maya comments.

I prefer keeping my hair between short to mid-length because it doesn't take much to maintain but strange though, my current hair that's now grown to below my waist and there's not a single split-ends or damage. Sure, my hair is smoother and silkier than ever and if not the pink hue then, the brown-blonde colour combination due to the influence of mana in the surrounding atmosphere makes it hard to not attract attention wherever I go. Even so...

"I want to cut them."

My mumbling comes out sounding whiny.

When Maya finishes with braiding my hair into a low bun, I walk out to the garden where Bane is lounging at his usual spot; the stone fire pit.

"Morning, Bane."

Bane lifts his head as I greet him while running my hand through his fur and hug his neck. Next, I do some stretches before beginning the mana control exercise. The exercise is a slow-moving exercise, kind of like Tai chi; those slow and flowing meditative motion people do in the park, where I start with detecting the movement of mana within me and slowly let it flow until the mana manifest as a streak of light, swaying between my fingers and balancing fluidly with every movement that I make. When I reach the last step of the exercise, I return to a standstill pose with both arms by my side then finishing with a breathing exercise. The streak of light floating between my fingers moves up to my arms and spreading across my body until the light engulfs all of me. Following the rhythm of my breathing, the light gradually dims when mana permeates back into my skin until there is nothing left.

With the last exhale, "Done."

In the kitchen, I gulp down a tall glass of iced lemon tea and pour myself another from the cooled jar. This time, drinking it slowly. Where I first started doing this exercise, I repetitively collapse from exhaustion after miserably failing to control the amount of mana flowing out of me. Lord Sol and Auntie El had been very patient with me until I manage to do the exercise on my own. Alright, not completely. Bane is always beside me, making sure to pull me out when and if I fall into a trance. Though all he ever does is nudge at me with full force until my body hit the ground, making me lose my concentration and the mana snaps back inside me like a rubber band. It's an odd sensation, gotta say.

I return to my room to check the potions that are left inside my item bag, there are five bottles each of restorative and low-grade healing potions. Excluding the potions stored in my storage reserved for emergencies, that's more than enough. Also, taking with me is my notebook and a ballpoint pen from the study table and put them into my item bag. After slinging the item bag over my shoulder and checking the time on my phone before putting it back inside the dimensional storage, I notice Maya is standing by the door to my room.

"I won't be joining you to the sanctuary today Iris," Maya informs me from the door. "The healers are gathering to discuss some matters and I'm obliged to be present upon their insistence."

In Maya's hand is an opened letter with an emblem of the Healers' Association. Although Maya says she's retired from almost all of her official commitment to focus on her research, however, the Healers' Association would not accept her resignation and both sides agree that Maya stays on as an official member on an indefinite hiatus. Other words, she's on sabbatical.

"Okay. I understand. It must be important if they're insisting. Bane and I can go there ourselves," I reply in understanding.

"I can't give you my access pass and I no longer have the authority to approve of a visitor's permit to the sanctuary on such short notice," Maya mulls over the dilemma about how I'm going to enter the sanctuary on my own. "For now, take a guard to accompany you to the entrance."

"That's alright. I'm meeting Roy by the gate. He should have entry clearance, right?"

Maya nods. "Yes, Kinai still grumbles about the matter. A 'living hazard' was his exact words of disapproval."