The Extra Wants Control

[Neveah POV]

My thumb hovered over the end call button. It had been an hour, and frustration gnawed at me. Lara, the elusive Elven Princess, had vanished. My search had stretched from the bustling hallways to her quiet apartment building, all yielding nothing but disappointment.

Eliana, my ever-reliable homeroom teacher (though a tad annoyed with my interruption), had provided the number well she basically gave me the entire contact list of the Class. Well a win is a win.

Two rings, none answered. Third time was a charm, they say, but the answer that greeted me was far from charming.

"Whaat… Can't you take a hint. This better be important." The voice dripped with irritation.

"This isn't Lara," I thought, sinking deeper into the comfortable chair in my apartment.

Clearing my throat, I began, "I apologize for calling late, May I speak to Princess Lara?" I kept my voice polite, even as annoyance bubbled within.

"Who are you and what do you want with her? As a matter of fact, where'd you get this number?" The woman on the other end fired questions like a suspicious guard.

"I'm Neveah... I want to talk about our assignment which was given while I was absent. As for the number, I requested it from Miss Eliana, our homeroom teacher." I explained.

A skeptical hum was my only reply. Just as silence threatened to engulf us again, another voice sliced through – though 'younger' it sounded calm.

"I've been looking for you... I need you to... What are you doing with my phone?" It cut off abruptly.

"Some guy was spamming it with calls so I answered it," the first woman countered nonchalantly. "Spamming?" I thought, bewildered. Three calls hardly constituted a spam attack.

"Haahh... Give it to me... And she's calling for you."

A sigh followed, then the phone changed hands. "Hello, who's this?" The new voice was closer now, and instantly recognizable – Lara.

"Neveah," I replied.

"You must have heard about the assignment. Unfortunately, I'm not in school now. How do you suggest we handle this?"

"We can do it at the library Sunday night. That's if you'll be here." I suggested.

"Sunday night..." Her voice trailed off, then came back. "I have another idea. Come to my place tomorrow. I believe I have better resources than the academy for the assigned topic here."

The Elven Palace. That's what "her place" meant. It wasn't exactly on my list of favorite locations to visit. Those two women will be there, they made me slightly nervous. But then again, the Elven Palace... maybe there, I could find that piece.

It didn't seem like it would be of much use to them anymore.

"Understood," I muttered, and before I could voice any further concerns, the line went dead.

*********************

[ELIANA POV]

My "quality time" with Uncle Darius was in full swing. Just as I started getting real breakthrough about Raven's exile, Neveah's voice popped into my Academy communicator, I forgot I had this, asking contact information for someone. Annoyed, I gave him the entire contact list of Class S.

Honestly, these interruptions were pushing me towards early retirement. I hate being a teacher.

"Cough… cough… Come on, Elara," Darius rasped, a hint of amusement in his voice despite the fire licking his arm. "Our family boasts the strongest fire resistance, you know. So why are you using fire for torture. You're about as stupid as your parents." He coughed up another mouthful of blood, the crimson staining the floor.

"Don't make light of this, Darius," I said, my voice flat and devoid of warmth. "And this isn't torture, it's motivated questioning. I want to know what you did to Raven, where he went. What happened after."

"Why the sudden concern?" Darius sneered. "Neither you nor your mother ever gave him the time of day. You and your mother never gave the boy a sliver of attention. You bullied him, she ignored him. You cast him aside, and I simply… expedited the process. A kindness you should be thanking me for!

Generosity should be repaid right?." He roared, the effort turning his face a mottled red.

"Shut up," I growled, enhancing the flames further. "Answer the question. Don't give me your self-serving narrative."

With a quick flick of my wrist, my sword leaving a sizzling trail on Darius's arm. The mixture of Master aura and Peak Grandmaster flame made the flesh sizzle like bacon on a griddle.

"Do you think after everything he might have miraculously survived?" Darius cackled, his voice laced with a cruel joy. "And you call me stupid? A flimsy child shoved out the door to fend for himself to survive? Don't be ridiculous!"

He laughed again, the sound raw and grating. This wasn't getting me anywhere. Mumbling a quick incantation, I activated the circle, a technique I'd discovered in the treasure vault. It hyper focused the target's mind to the inquired topic, forcing them to blurt out the truth unconsciously.

"What happened to Raven? Details of his exile and after," I repeated, the circle glowing faintly around Darius's feet. His red eyes widened, momentarily losing their defiant glint.

"He… he…" Darius stammered, then spat blood onto the ground. "Screw you! You think I didn't anticipate this? I know most of the vault's secrets, brat! Techniques you wouldn't comprehend!"

Interesting. When he said "vault," the circle flickered ever so slightly, a detail I wouldn't have noticed otherwise. It seemed Darius had some kind of countermeasure, something that dulled the circle's effect.

"Alright, then," I said, rising to my feet. "Seems I have a new lead to chase."

A small spark of hope ignited within me. Darius's countermeasure, his mention of the vault and the momentary change in the circle– it was a clue, however faint. Maybe the answers about Raven weren't with him, but within the vault itself.

"So you give up? Come back and try again when you have something more substantial," Darius taunted, his arrogant smirk returning.

"I haven't given up, Uncle," I replied. "Your pathetic counter is merely an inconvenience. I've extracted all the information I can for now. And trust me, getting details from your little network of allies will be a walk in the park compared to this. They wouldn't have planned for this little truth circle, would they?"

A flicker of fear replaced Darius's arrogance for a fleeting moment before his face hardened once more.

"Goodbye, Darius," I said, slapping a silencing spell on him before shutting and locking the cell door. "You piece of shit."

The treasure vault held more than just forgotten relics and wealth– it held secrets, and perhaps a clue to what happened to Raven. And that was a thread I was determined to unravel.

****************

Stepping inside the treasure vault, the 'scent' of age clung to the air. With practiced ease, I disarmed the ancient security measures, a series of intricate hand gestures and magic circles and spoken commands and scannings passed down through generations. I even had to drop blood on some arrays.

Now, the vast chamber lay open before me, an archaeological goldmine brimming with secrets waiting to be unearthed.

But the sheer volume was overwhelming. Relics, library of techniques, weapons, gold, precious stones– everything was crammed shoulder-to-shoulder, a chaotic history museum locked in time. Aimlessly pawing through it all would be a fool's errand. With a sigh, I called upon the vault's guardian.

"Mira," my voice echoed in the cavernous space.

A flicker of flame materialized in the corner, coalescing into the form of a fiery woman. Mira, the vault guardian, a bloodline contracted spirit, materialized in a shimmering red dress, her hair and eyes, her hair tips burning with a calm fire.

"Greetings," she said, her voice polite yet formal. "What brings you to the Vault child of the Empress."

"Mira, I need your assistance," I explained. "I require a comprehensive catalogue of all items within the vault. Additionally, records of any items removed, the dates of their departure, and who accessed them. And finally, the original manuscripts detailing the purpose and history of every object ever housed here."

Mira tilted her head, considering my request. "It will be done, Daughter of the Empress," she then she vanished in a swirl of embers only to reappear again with a humongous volume of books and scrolls.

There was no worry of fabricated documents or altered records here. Mira, was contracted to the bloodline ensuring loyalty. Not to mention there were consequences of a betrayal which she couldn't handle. Theft of things was almost an impossibility. Key word being almost. In some very very rare conditions it can occur but even then it would be discovered almost immediately.

Even though knowing this I'm still here to get a clue anything that can help me get to Raven.

"Do you require further assistance in cross-referencing? I am at your service." Said Mira being uncharacteristically nice.

Then it hit me. Like my ancestor, my mother possessed a powerful connection to fire spirits, her monstrous flame affinity coupled with her mythical potential drew their adoration. I recalled how she'd established a bond with the Fire Spirit Queen upon reaching the 7-star rank.

Even a high-ranking spirit like Mira couldn't resist a chance to curry favor, hoping to impress the Queen through me, my mother.

"I wouldn't mind the assistance," I admitted, a wry smile crossing my lips. "Consider it a favor."

Mira's ethereal form materialized again, her fiery eyes dancing with delight. "I am honored, Daughter of the Empress!" she exclaimed.

So much for the pure, emotionless spirits, I thought with a sigh. Even they couldn't resist a little political maneuvering huh.

Looking at the mountain of books and scrolls Mira deposited before me, I braced myself for a long night.