After she declared she wouldn't be going down for dinner, she set her alarm. She still remembered that she needed to check the pendant tonight.
Sigh, I still can't believe I'm planning to do this.
While waiting for dinner, she tested her communicator. The gift her father had given her, which looked like a smartwatch, was a communicator. If you are one of the lucky people able to access dungeons, the watches come with an extra feature.
Otherwise, it's just an ordinary watch.
The year after the disaster, governments around the world made a discovery. They unearthed meteorite stones that could test for awakened. The discovery happened almost simultaneously. People older than 20 and under 18 years old don't have a chance of activating the stone.
The communicators were also developed around the same time. They noted that by linking it to a person's biometric signature, they would be able to monitor a person entering the dungeons.
As Aurelia activated the watch, she felt the small pinprick.
Currently, it only has the regular features of a phone. After evaluation, she would be able to see more.
Aurelia ate dinner and went to sleep. She didn't bother anyone, and they didn't bother her.
At about 1 am, her alarm went off. She woke up groggily, about to turn off the alarm and go back to bed, when she remembered what the alarm was for.
She shot up and headed downstairs quickly and quietly. She found a knife that looked sharp, took it and went back upstairs. She wasn't about to stay downstairs to be discovered.
Upon reflection, she wondered if she might be crazy. She accepted all of this too easily. It might be because she didn't have anyone back there. Even if she left, it was fine. And if she were being honest with herself, she felt exhilarated.
So, if she is crazy, she'd rather be crazy with magical stuff happening.
She went to the bathroom. The gaudy pink still burned her eyes. She decided to do it over the sink. Save herself the problem of washing away the evidence.
She took off the necklace, wrapping the chain around her fingers. She made sure the pendant was placed on top so she could close her hand after the cut. She took a few deep breaths, steeling herself for what she was about to do.
With the knife in her other hand, she cut her palm. The pain radiated as she winced, trying not to make too much noise.
Blood sprang from the cut on her palm. She stared at it, the blooming red colour stirring something inside her.
She shook her head, dismissing it. Then she pressed her hand closed, pressing the pendant into the blood.
At first, there were no changes. Then she felt it. The burning started from the palm of her hand, travelling up her arm to her chest, and to the other hand. Then it started radiating from her chest, spreading down to her legs and up to her head.
Every inch of her body felt as if it were on fire.
She started screaming but stopped when she remembered where she was. Her body went limp, her mouth open in a silent scream.
For what felt like an eternity but was only five minutes, Aurelia felt this pain.
Slowly and surely, it started to fade. She wished she could faint. However, her body refused to let her, even after all that pain, she could only lie on the floor. The pain subsided, and she felt the cool floor tiles.
Son of a B*tch! Damn! F*ck me sideways!
Aurelia couldn't help but curse a few times. In all her 18 years of life, 26 years if you count her previous life, she had never felt such pain.
She lay on the floor breathing heavily. It took a while before she looked at the pendant. She looked at her hand, realising the pendant was gone.
She scurried up on her hands and knees searching for the pendant. She hadn't moved from her position, so it should be far. But no matter how she looked, she couldn't find it.
The chain was still in her hand, but the pendant was nowhere to be found.
She tried to calm herself. She didn't go through that pain for nothing. There must be something she missed.
Before she could think any further, she disappeared.
In the next instance, she reappeared on an island. The first thing she noticed about this island was the volcano. It was massive. Luckily for her, it didn't seem ready to spew hot lava.
The sky was filled with stars, twinkling like diamonds. More than she had ever seen in her life. They seemed so close, as if she could touch them.
The air around her smelled fresh. Just one breath made her body relax. The ground is filled with rich black soil. She could see a few plants, but couldn't identify what they were.
The crashing waves caught her attention. The inky blackness of it made the world around her seem calm.
The last thing she noticed, which should have been the first, since she was standing right beside it, was a building. If you could call it that. It seemed more like a shed.
[Khaos invites you]
This is what she saw written on the front of the shed.
Against her better judgment, she decided to enter. She couldn't help but gasp as she went in.
It's bigger on the inside!
She walked into the shed, through a hallway and ended up in a large living space. In the centre was a table. She was met with three doors. All of the doors were closed.
She made her way to the table. On it was a book, a large, round, transparent stone and a piece of paper.
There were words on the paper she couldn't make out. She touched it. It turned into a stream of light and went into her forehead.
It was the rules of the space. The marble on the pendant was an actual world. A world that is only a few thousand years old. She just became the master of this world. While the island remains the same, the outer reaches will expand, allowing the landmasses to come into her view.
As it stands, if she were to access any of these places, she would not have the strength to defeat any of the people here.
The book is a cultivation method for primordial energy, and the stone is used to test her qualifications.
Hearing all this, Aurelia was stunned. She felt as if she was unable to move. Unsure of what to do with this information, she left. The book would still be there tomorrow. She needed some time to think about what was happening.
Because she got the information about the space, she knew how ot leave.
When she left, she appeared in her bathroom. She went to bed. Not deliberately thinking about anything but her mind was still buzzing.
Is this why Eve wanted it?
The thought crossed her mind. But how would she know about it? The book never mentioned anything like this.
Now, she wondered how much weight that book actually has.
She lies on the bed with her eyes closed, thinking. Before long, she drifts off to sleep.
Aurelia woke up the next morning ready to face the new day. Today was Sunday, and it was the last day she would spend in this house. She could come back for the holidays if things didn't end up like the books. She wouldn't mind living at home for a while.
Besides being Sunday, today, Aurelia and Eve would take their evaluation.
As Aurelia went downstairs, she realised everyone was already up. It seemed they were waiting for her to have breakfast.
She sat down, and her father had the maids share the food.
"Are you two ready for today?" her father asked.
They both nodded.
"Aurelia, I know you've just come to the family. Some things are unfamiliar to you. If we had found you sooner, maybe you would have had time to accept it. I want you to know you are always welcome to come home whenever you feel homesick. Your mother and I will send you an allowance. You are one of our children, and you will have the same as everyone else has."
"If you look at the banking app on the watch, you should be able to access it," her mother added.
"Doesn't the school use points?" Aurelia asked.
Not attending doesn't mean she doesn't know how the school works. They use contribution points as currency.
"They do, but they also use regular credits. You can convert money into contribution points. So if you don't have enough points, use the credits."
Her mother sat across the table, giving her common knowledge about the school.
It didn't take long for breakfast to end. However, just as they were about to go out the door, Eve couldn't help but ask.
"Aurelia, why didn't you wear the dress I gave. I thought you would wear it today."
"No thanks, I think I'll wear what my parents bought me."
She didn't hide her dislike of Eve.
The other might have thought it was because of the incident yesterday. But only Aurelia knew why she refused to wear the dress.
Without waiting for a reply, she led the way for the family to leave.