The Ascendant Wizard

She sat on the ground and allowed her body to relax, allowing the energy to flow as it wanted. She could feel the poison inside her still, and while it didn't pain as much anymore, the effects didn't instantly vanish.

Her body was still trembling faintly with every beat that her heart took, the sweat cooling against her skin and staining the sheets.

She had no strength left to move. The AI warned her that this would happen; she expected her body to be in a terrible condition once she had finished, but she didn't expect to feel so drained.

This was just one time, and she needed to do it a total of seven more times; as much as she wanted to do it again in order to speed the process along, she couldn't. She had to wait at least a day in between each vial; otherwise, the backlash would be more than she could handle.

This was because she had to allow her body to purge the impurities from the poison fully before she took another vial; if she didn't, the dose would be too strong and she could actually die.

It's as they would say, the body needed time to adapt, to purge what filth it could and allow the energy to settle.

'Let's just get cleaned up and take a rest.'

Stretching her hand with what little strength she could, she noticed that her body was soaked in not just sweat, but a gooey, blackish substance. It had leaked from her pores while circulating her energy, and it seemed to be some sort of mixture of impurities from inside her body, including the poison itself.

The smell was horrible; she was glad that no one was around, otherwise she would be greatly embarrassed.

"Is this what the protagonist from those cultivation novels experiences when they break through? Gross."

She stripped what she could and left the ruined clothes in a pile in the bin; she would burn those later.

Before going into the bathroom, she opened the window to allow the room to air out; the cold night's wind quickly circulated and carried the scent out with it.

She poured a large basin of water for herself and took a long, calming soak, making sure to scrub her skin clean, being extra careful to get all the grime off.

When she finally lowered herself back against the mattress, the darkness came over her without effort.

The next morning came quickly.

Adolf's knock woke her early, something he hadn't done before. She pulled on a robe and tied her hair loosely before answering, only for his face to show more worry than she had seen in weeks.

"They are here."

'Vague.'

She frowned.

"Who?"

"Three people from the Elder Council, and they brought your brother, like you asked."

Her eyes widened in surprise before quickly narrowing.

"Already? They couldn't have received the letter more than a few hours ago."

"They must have left right away and ridden straight here. They aren't alone either; they brought ten warriors with them, a grand display. They're waiting at the gate."

She clicked her tongue in irritation. Her reply hadn't even had time to reach them properly, and here they were.

This wasn't a response; it was a rush. They were deliberately putting on a show for everyone to see.

They were basically saying, 'You wanted us to come, so here we are, what now?'. They were insulting her to her face, but she wasn't one to take such insults kindly.

She wouldn't react in the way they expected; she wouldn't give them what they wanted. Instead, she would use this as a chance to properly establish her own position in their minds.

"Fine, let's welcome them in then. They're our guest after all. Escort them to the main hall. Let them wait for me there while I get dressed, that's the least they could do for disturbing my rest."

"As you wish, my lady."

Adolf bowed slightly and withdrew.

Morena washed quickly and dressed herself. Not in plain robes, not in her usual casual wear, no, she went all out.

She wore a deep black and silver dress, over her body was a cloak with her family's crest on it, and on her side, she hung her dagger in clear sight. She drew her hair tight and adorned her finger with the Ravenscroft seal.

Not only did the outfit bring out her features, making her stand amongst the beautiful, but it also showcased her presence.

By the time she left her chambers and made her way through the halls, she could see the servants shuffling about in their nervousness. After all, ten warriors stood outside the wall, and while they posed no true threat to the house, even if they were to try something, one couldn't help but have nerves in such a situation.

She didn't bother speaking to them to ease their woes; instead, she made her way to the main hall where the elders waited.

The doors were pushed open as the guards announced her arrival for those inside.

"Now entering, Lady Morena Ravenscroft."

Her name boomed in the empty hall, being received by the three elders inside like a threat. But she didn't even look at them, not yet.

If she focused on them, she would be giving them too much power; she couldn't grant them that. Instead, her eyes stayed straight ahead.

The great chair at the center of the hall waited. Her father's seat, the seat of the house. She moved down the red carpet without a word, without a glance, slowly climbed the steps, and sat, posture straight, arms resting along the sides.

Only then did she grant them the privilege of meeting her eyes.

The three council elders stood before her, robed men with faces carved by age and ambition.

The first was an old man, no younger than his 70s, from the grayness of his head and wrinkles on his face; Elder Raxon. He was a man of great ambition and cunning; one of the oldest people in the Council, and he had stayed alive all this time due to his wit.

The second, a middle-aged man dressed in fabulous jewels and walking with a cane he didn't need, looked to be in his 50s, but it was hard to tell with his dyed hair. Elder Marci, an odd figure who enjoyed spending his money and time on luxury and women.

The final was a man who looked to be the youngest; perhaps he was brought because of that, yet even then, he was still in his late 40s at best. Elder Darculum, she knew very little about him, but he earned his position through blood rather than merit.

She focused on them only for a brief moment; instead, her eyes drifted behind them.

Behind them was her younger brother. The boy looked thinner than she remembered, his hair combed neatly, but his eyes were tired. At twelve, he was still more child than man, yet his steps were as careful as could be, trained.

Near him, ten armored warriors fanned out, their presence filling the hall.

Morena watched them all with a calm expression, her fingers tapping lightly on the armrest.

"Welcome, elders. Seems like you were in a rush to come here, your reasoning must be good?"

Her voice carried through the chamber; she didn't need to yell for her voice to boom thanks to the echo.

They looked up at her as she spoke, not a single one of them bowed or lowered their head, holding on to their pride as best as they could.

One of them, Elder Marci, spoke first.

"We received your letter and wished to fulfill your request. We decided haste was better than delay."

Her lips curved faintly.

"Haste. Or impatience?"

The man didn't answer, but the way his jaw shifted was answer enough.

She leaned back in the chair, her presence standing out in the hall. She smiled, but she didn't bother trying to do it convincingly enough for it to reach her eyes.

"You arrive unannounced, and with warriors dragged behind you, trying to make some sort of show of power. I can't tell if you've grown overconfident or foolish."

Silence answered first.

Then another of the elders, Elder Raxon, cleared his throat.

"We are here to speak of matters that concern all of us. Your father was summoned. In his absence, you will do."

She tilted her head slightly.

"You mean in his stead, not in his absence. He remains Lord of this house. He left me in charge of the matters for the time being, as it will be my responsibility in the future as well."

They scoffed, one of them louder than the others; they did not like the correction.

"Then let us speak. But understand this clearly. You are in my hall, not yours. Whatever airs you carry from the Council chambers, leave them at the gate. Here, you stand before House Ravenscroft."