Golden: The Collection

Chapter X: Adapting

"Hey, Aureate," a familiar voice greeted her. They were in a dark room of sorts. Aureate couldn't see much. But when she looked up, the sky was fully visible. Strange. There was a dimly lit orb in the sky. Big enough to be the moon, it looked like, but the rest of the sky was dark, starless. She frowned, confused. That was different. What could it mean?

Aureate's thoughts continuously went back to the dream she had last night, even as she tried to concentrate the light around her into a deadly weapon.

Aureate still had yet to act. She knew there was something up with the headmaster, but she didn't allow herself to pursue her suspicions, as she figured she was still too weak.

They still used the same classroom—the one in the wall. It was convenient enough, and Headmaster Elm trusted Buckwheat to watch over the students in the solitude of the wall.

But that was the part she didn't get; what was going on between Headmaster Elm and Professor Buckwheat? They obviously had some sort of past, or agreement, that caused some sort of unconditional loyalty and trust with one another.

Aureate huffed. With the state of mind she had, she was not going to make any progress. Even after a month of training, she still barely had any synergy with the Topaz of Light. She understood the Cora, but not how to summon and manipulate it to her will. Luz had told her that was the hardest part. At the time, she didn't allow it to discourage her, but now.. she was having second thoughts.

"Princess? Are we taking a breather?" Luz asked after materializing before her.

They were in the training room underneath the classroom of Class S (or the Hideout, as Nicholas called it), beyond the trapdoor. There wasn't just a training room down there, but Aureate had yet to bother with exploring the rest. For the past couple of weeks, she'd been training relentlessly every day after classes end or there's some kind of intermission between class time, all to no avail.

Aureate hadn't even realized she was slumped against the wall until she had to force her head to loll up and meet Luz's ghostly gaze.

"Are you certain I'm cut out to be a Gembearer?" she asked him, frustration seeping into every word as she voiced her doubts. At that, the look on Luz's face seemed to change from mild concern to understanding. She forced herself to look away.

"Is this about your Core Ability again?" Luz returned the query, crossing his leaf blades. "It's.. not only that," she started, shaking her head. "I had a strange dream last night—" Her gaze flickered up to Luz's inquisitive eyes before back at the floor. "—stranger than usual, I mean."

"That explains why you're so distracted, then," the spirit mumbled. "How was it stranger than usual."

"I dunno.. can we get back to the training?"

Luz arched a brow at her. "Not so fast, Princess! There's something else we must discuss with the utmost importance." When Aureate blinked at him, he continued. "It's about your Core Ability. Well, your Cora Type, actually; I believe you're a Type C Chorian."

"Type C, Type C... that's Conjurer, right?" she wanted to clarify. "Technically, but it's called Convoker." Luz responded.

"Okay... well, how come you think I'm a Convoker?"

"Your eyes!" Luz made a dramatic gesture towards his eyes to emphasize. "They're just like your mother's, and she was a Convoker, so why wouldn't you be? That specific shade of green is reserved for Type C Chorians and them only."

"Huh.. Type C. But Luz, what does knowing my Cora Type have anything to do with anything if my Ability has yet to reveal itself?"

"Because Chorians with different Cora Types train in different ways! Just think about it, Princess—should we train in a way that compliments your Cora Type, our results will skyrocket, Core Ability or not!"