Numbers x Casket-Chapter 25: Lightning Struck Twice

Born from a normal family in a small town far from civilization, with her parents treating her with utmost care and protection, a young child grew up unaware of her talent; however, when that certain time came, everything changed, and the sleeping beast woke up from slumber.

It was a peaceful afternoon on that particular day; the young child was busy running in the wilderness along with the other children. The air was filled with their joyous laughter and playful giggles.

Then dark clouds loomed on the horizon; the sound of rolling thunders sent fear to the little ones.

"Let's go home! It will soon rain," uttered a child, and the rest nodded in agreement.

Thus they moved as fast as they could; however, a little girl with grayish hair fell down as she stumbled on a tree branch.

"Wait!" she yelled, but a sudden rumble behind the clouds masked her voice, causing the children not to hear her call.

They all ran without glancing at their backs, leaving the little girl alone in the wilderness. The child stood up; her left knee was grazed, and blood began to ooze out from the wound, but she remained calm.

She didn't cry or complain; she walked back to her home, dragging her left leg in the process. Soon, the droplets of rain started to fall, and she felt the pain in her knee becoming more intense.

As the downpour became heavier, her blood dripped on her legs all the way to her feet and down on the puddles on the ground. It was not that much, but its metallic scent was enough for beasts to track her down.

However, the child had no knowledge about this. With just a single thing in mind, which was to go home as soon as possible, she continued her steps, traversing the path ahead.

Then, upon reaching an area with a giant maple tree, growls coming from all directions penetrated her hearing sense. The child halted her steps, her gaze roaming around, trying to search for the owners of the unusual noise, but the moment she saw their silhouettes, she froze in her spot, and fear crept inside her thoughts.

A pack of three-eyed wolves circling around her, their eyes radiating with bloodlust.

"M-Mother... Father," the child stuttered, calling her parents for help.

However, all the reply that she got was the wolves deadly stares. With one of her legs being wounded, she took a step backward.

"D-Don't come near me!" she muttered, terrified by the creatures' presence.

However, the wolves lunged forward, craving her flesh and blood. Upon seeing them charging in her direction, the little child closed her eyes and screamed at the top of her lungs.

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Then, a heavy sound of thunder rolled, followed by a massive crimson lightning bolt that jolted downward, killing a wolf. Afterward, with the puddles and streams of water as the conductor, the sparks of electricity zipped to the remaining members of the pack.

Seconds later, all of the wolves fell, their bodies stiff and scorched as they were electrocuted to death.

As soon as the child opened her eyes, she saw the carcass of the monster lying around her, and a few sparks of crimson lightning were still present around the area.

Curious about the flickering light of electricity, she extended her finger and touched the lightning, but instead of feeling pain, the little girl felt warmth she had never experienced before.

The lightning currents crawled all the way to her arm and even wrapped around her body as if it had a life of its own. Then, a thin crimson line circled and settled around her heart.

Unaware of this strange phenomenon, the child played with the sparks of lightning, juggling them between her fingertips, and then she accidentally flicked her hand, and a bolt of lightning was hurled into a nearby tree, creating a small explosion.

The child was stunned upon seeing the damage, a massive hole on its trunk made her breathless for a second. She looked at her hand; the sparks were still there, and her joy turned into a sudden panic.

Then, she was pulled out from her thoughts when she heard a voice from a distance.

"Celine! Where are you?" the voice echoed.

"Father!" Celine yelled, her eyes gleaming in delight.

Afterward, several footsteps came closer, and Celine was overjoyed upon seeing her parents along with the other townspeople who helped to find her.

However, the moment she stepped forward, she noticed the fear painted on their face, and in that moment, the scene where she was standing sunk into the young child's mind.

Tens of dead wolves with a size twice as big as a person's scattered dead on the ground, and in the middle of it all was a little girl wrapped in flickering sparks of lightning.

Celine tried to retract the lightning around her, but it wouldn't disappear. Thus, she looked at her father, her eyes asking for help.

"Father," she uttered.

Her parents were about to run and gave her a hug the moment they heard her worried voice, but the other people prevented them from doing so.

"Don't! That's not Celine!" exclaimed a man.

Then, he pointed his knife at the child.

"Who are you? What did you do to Celine?" he asked.

The child's eyes widened in surprise upon hearing the question.

"Uncle, what do you mean? I'm Celine," she insisted and even put her hand on her chest.

However, the moment she did, she noticed the red markings on her arm. Thus, she took a look at it and even checked her other hand.

Ancient scriptures were written in red; they were the source of the sparks of lightning.

"What is this?" Celine muttered.

Then she looked at the people; tears began to form in the corners of her eyes.

"Mother, I'm really Celine; I don't know what's happening to me," she said, hoping that her parents would believe her words.

However, the woman whom she called mother shook her head and even took a step backward.

"My child is not a monster!" she exclaimed, causing Celine to stand in dazed.

"I-I'm not," she stuttered; her voice escaped like a choked whisper.

Then, she lowered down her gaze, and her reflection in the puddle of water came into her sight. With a loud scream along with the rolling of thunders, the lightning struck twice.

. . . . .

Long crimson hair, fluttering from the wind and slit eyes resembling a serpent's, along with a long horn protruding from her forehead.

That was the image of Celine that registered in Efraim's memory the moment she unleashed her lightning attack. Even though it was just a glimpse, it was enough for him to notice the sudden change in her silhouette.

However, it was not her appearance that made him dazed for a second; it was the number at the top of her head. The number ninety-six written in vibrant blue color decreased to forty-five, but its hue changed into white.

'Is that even possible? When someone changed forms, their ratings increased as well,' Efraim pondered as he stared at Celine, who was smiling while standing still.

Then, she gave the appraiser a side glance, and the curl on her lips turned even wider.

Efraim found himself trembling, not from fear but from excitement. If not for the fact that he already earned too much unwanted attention, he would love to have a spar with her.

"Anyone still want to take away my seat?" Celine announced as she roamed her eyes on the crowd.

However, no one answered; they all averted their eyes from the Ninth Pillar. After seeing the state of the challenger, their view of her changed, from a fragile young woman into a mage worthy of respect.

Thus, no one dared to question her position any further. Then, the Grand Lord stepped forward and made another speech.

"Now that everyone witnessed the Ninth Pillar's strength, what are we waiting for? Let's get the party started. For Celine Boltz! For Celestia!" Riel stated, his voice filled with nothing but excitement.

The crowd responded with triumphant cheers, and with a magic circle materialized underneath, everyone was transported back to the event place, and the beat of loud music reverberated once more.

. . . . .

Giggles and laughter occupied the entirety of the ground floor of the Magic Tower. Most of the mages shared their stories and tales of bravery with friends and new companions, while others chose to hit the dance floor, grooving to the music's rhythm.

And at the same time, there were some who chose to enjoy the delicacies present in the buffet, like Efraim and Lindsay.

They were eating while chatting in silence when the star of the night, Celine, approached them with a smile.

"So, the Grand Lord's daughter is the friend that you're talking about," she stated before looking straight in the appraiser's eyes.

"Yes, she is," Efraim said and stood up from his seat.

"How can I serve the Ninth Pillar?" he added, asking, but this time, his voice dripped with sarcasm.

. . . . .