The morning dew had not yet dispersed, and it condensed into glistening water droplets on the window frame.
Anveena yawned as she walked through the second-floor corridor, the hem of her nightgown brushing lightly against the polished oak floor.
Since learning magic from Aegwynn, she had to give up her habit of sleeping in late and had to get up at dawn every day to prepare her study materials. Aegwynn would always teleport over on time to supervise her, and her sharp eyes could see through any excuse for laziness.
At this hour, the corner should have been deserted, but a soft door opening sounded. The girl stopped curiously and saw Jaina emerge from Deren's bedroom, her long golden hair loosely draped over her shoulders, the ends still slightly damp. The collar of her robe was slightly open, revealing a suspicious red mark on her collarbone.
"Sister Jaina?" Anveena blinked her sleepy eyes, rubbing the corners of her eyes with her little hands. "Are you here so early to discuss things with Deren?"
An eerie silence fell over the corridor. Jaina's fingers froze in mid-air, the ends of her blonde hair slipping from her fingers as she was fixing them. She opened her mouth, but couldn't utter a word immediately, and a blush spread across her fair cheeks at a visible speed.
Deren appeared behind the door, his shirt collar open, revealing his muscular chest, and his hair much more disheveled than usual, as if he had just been through a fierce battle. " Jaina, up so early to practice?" His voice was eight octaves higher than usual, as if someone had grabbed him by the throat.
Anveena was about to answer when she heard familiar footsteps coming from the corner of the stairs. Aegwynn emerged from the shadows, her long, silvery-white hair shimmering in the morning light.
The former Guardian's gaze swept over the three of them, finally settling on Jaina's slightly swollen lips, a knowing smile playing on his lips. "Looks like I missed an... interesting morning meeting?"
Jaina's ear tips were almost transparently red, but she quickly regained her composure, straightening her back as if to conceal her earlier embarrassment.
"Perfect timing, Teacher Aegwynn." Her voice was excessively calm, yet her fingers unconsciously tightened the edge of her robes. "I think it's necessary to intensify Jaina's magical training." A sly glint flashed in her eyes, as if she were experiencing the satisfaction of a successful revenge.
Aegwynn raised an eyebrow, her silvery laughter echoing down the corridor. "Oh? It seems our 'diplomatic operation' is going very well?"
Anveena tilted her head in confusion, watching the adults quickly change the subject. She felt that the atmosphere this morning was a bit strange, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. She seemed to have discovered some incredible secret, but she also felt inexplicably burdened with more homework.
The girl pouted and slowly walked towards the restaurant, clutching the heavy magic book.
The restaurant was filled with the aroma of fresh bread, and sunlight streamed through the stained-glass windows, casting shimmering light on the long table and making the silver cutlery sparkle. Anveena was sipping honey milk, a ring of white milk stains clinging to the rim of her cup. Aegwynn suddenly put down her cutlery, the silver fork clinking against the porcelain plate.
" Jaina," the former guardian said, his voice unusually serious as he addressed her by her alias, silencing the other conversations in the restaurant. "I'm considering formally taking you as my apprentice."
The girl nearly dropped her cup, spilling a few drops of milk onto the tablecloth, forming a small lake. "Really? Really?" Her eyes widened like a startled fawn. "Like you taught Lady Jaina?" Her voice trembled slightly with excitement.
Aegwynn nodded slightly, his eyes gleaming with excitement, as if he had discovered a rare treasure.
"You are the embodiment of the Sunwell, so your magical affinity is unparalleled in a millennium." Her fingers tapped lightly on the table, the rhythm like some ancient incantation. "If properly guided," her voice trailed off, as if she were talking to herself, "Perhaps a demigod could be cultivated."
Deren cleared his throat, breaking the moment of solemnity. "Speaking of which, Anveena, as the embodiment of the Sunwell, once drank half a bottle of water from the Eternal Well. That must have had a great influence on her, right?" He casually spread butter on his bread, as if he were just talking about the weather.
"What?!" Aegwynn jumped to her feet, the chair scraping against the floor with a screeching sound. Her eyes were wider than Anveena's, her silver hair moving without wind.
" The Eternal Well? There's such a wonderful thing? Why didn't you say so sooner?" Her voice was almost a roar, and the glassware throughout the restaurant began to tremble slightly.
Chaos erupted in the restaurant. Anveena shrank back, curling up in her chair like a startled rabbit, and whispered in protest, "I... I thought it was just a trivial matter." Her fingers nervously twisted her napkin. "Besides, my brother said not to tell anyone."
Taking advantage of the moment, Jaina quietly pushed away the plate in front of her, her cheeks still flushed suspiciously, her gaze occasionally drifting towards Deren. When their eyes met in mid-air, she quickly lowered her head, pretending to be very interested in the fruit on the plate.
"A trivial matter?" Aegwynn's voice rose an octave, her hands gripping the table as she leaned forward. "That's the essence of the Well of Creation's energy!" Her eyes gleamed with fanaticism. "From today onward, your training intensity will double—no, triple!"
Anveena's face fell, but her eyes still shone with anticipation. She stole a glance at Jaina, who gave her an encouraging smile, even though the mistress of Theramore's ears were still bright red.
Deren looked up and thought for a moment, then said to Aegwynn, "If I manage to get the water from the Eternal Well later, how about I give you a bottle?"
The Black Dragon sitting next to her suddenly turned to look at Deren. What was he planning now? She remembered him mentioning the Tomb of Sargeras, that demon's lair, which Aegwynn needed to find a way to close.
"You can get more?" Aegwynn was about to yell, "Do you think the water from the Eternal Well is goblin Glass Beads?" She was about to have a heart attack. She was both excitedly wanting it and incredulous, especially by Deren's casual tone.
"I know there should still be two bottles left in this world. If we look carefully, we might find something." Deren thought of the blind man who was still imprisoned and should have left behind two bottles of water.
Aegwynn asked suspiciously, "Really?"
Deren chuckled and said, "Anyway, there's no harm in searching. But there's no rush now. You should teach Jaina magic first; we'll rely on her to find water later. After all, she's the Sunwell Incarnation and drank from the Eternal Well Water; she should have a way to trigger the magical resonance of the hidden well water. We'll see how it goes then."
Aegwynn's morale was boosted. "Great! I'll push her to improve even more."
Anveena:... Why am I always the one getting dragged into this?!
Second update