My Family in the Novel?

Chapter 39: Joint Combat Exams 6

Birds chirped as the morning sun began to rise, casting a warm glow into the room.

"Good morning" Adrian greeted Elena softly, his warm breath brushing against her cheek.

"Good mor—"

Elena, still half-asleep, mumbled a reply, her words trailing off as she opened her eyes and found herself staring into Adrian's face just a few inches away from her. Her body was nestled in his tight embrace.

Elena immediately sat up, surprise lingering on her face.

"I-Ian?" she exclaimed; confusion etched across her face.

"Why are you here?"

Adrian couldn't help but chuckle at her bewildered expression.

"What do you mean, why? This is my room, you know."

Elena's eyes darted around the room, her initial shock deepening as she realized that she was indeed in Adrian's room.

"Why am I here?" she wondered aloud, her voice laced with uncertainty.

Adrian smiled, finding the situation rather amusing.

"I should be the one asking you that. You don't know how surprised I was to find a sleeping angel on my bed when I returned last night."

"Last night, I was just—"

Elena's voice trailed off as she suddenly winced, her hand reaching up to grasp her head. A sharp headache descended upon her, causing her to clutch her temples.

Adrian, sitting nearby, immediately sprang into action, concern etched across his face.

"Are you okay?" he inquired, his voice laced with worry.

Elena, still massaging her forehead, reassured him.

"Y-yes, I'm fine, just a headache" She tried to sit up, but before she could make any move, Adrian gently but firmly placed his hands on her shoulders and pushed her back down onto the bed.

"Sleep some more," he insisted, his concern for her evident. "You're clearly not well."

Protesting against his gentle insistence, Elena tried to argue.

"I'm fine" but her words were interrupted by a sudden and unexpected kiss. Adrian's lips met hers, and their breaths intertwined as their tongues engaged in a passionate dance.

After their intense and lingering kiss, Adrian gazed into Elena's drowsy eyes, his voice a soft and soothing murmur.

"Sleep," he whispered before tenderly planting a kiss on her forehead. An inexplicable sense of comfort and serenity washed over Elena.

It was as if a soothing lullaby had suddenly enveloped her, making her eyelids grow heavy. Her eyes closed, and she drifted back into the peaceful embrace of slumber once again.

....

My gaze remained fixed on the sleeping Elena, a worried furrow on my brow as I couldn't help but express my concern.

"Is she alright?" I inquired, my voice tinged with unease, a testament to the genuine worry I felt for her well-being.

My sister, who was currently concealed within the depths of my own shadow and communicating with me directly through my thoughts, offered a reassuring response.

"Yes, her body is simply going through the process of adapting to my influence and divinity. Given the extent of her exposure to me last night, it's only natural that her reaction would be as it is."

From low-tier spells to the most advanced and complex magical arts, everything she did was executed with a level of precision that left no room for improvement.

Each incantation flowed seamlessly, every movement was graceful, and every manifestation of magic was a testament to her utter mastery of the craft.

It was as if she had taken the very essence of magic and made it her own, transforming it into a work of art that could be nothing but flawless.

In the eyes of the professors, Bella's presence at the academy was somewhat baffling. Her abilities far exceeded those of a typical student, leaving them to question why she even attended in the first place.

Aria couldn't help but wonder what a formidable magician like Bella was doing as a student.

If it were up to the principal, she might go to great lengths to persuade her to become a professor at the academy, an offer that would be difficult to decline given her exceptional talents.

Aria took a deep breath, her heart racing as she approached Bella. She wanted to appear as composed as possible, doing her best to keep her inner fangirl in check.

Although they were classmates, this was the very first time Aria had approached Bella. In fact, she couldn't recall anyone in their class having a conversation with Bella.

During classes, Bella usually kept to herself, often drifting off into sleep or quietly teleporting away after the lesson was over.

She had become somewhat of a loner in the eyes of her peers, though it appeared to be a role she embraced rather than resented.

"Excuse me, Miss Bella," Aria began, her voice steady as she tried to appear composed.

"Professor Dust asked me to give these documents to you."

Bella, her eyes heavy and drowsy, looked at Aria and then at the documents she was carrying. Her response, however, was a simple and unexpected

"No."

Aria was taken aback by the abrupt refusal and asked in confusion, "Uhm, what do you mean?"

Bella elaborated with a direct statement

"Take it back. Tell him I'm not signing it" With that, she covered herself with her hood and proceeded to drift off to sleep.

Aria stood there, unsure of how to react. She stared at the peacefully sleeping Bella, her mind racing. "But class is about to start, though?" she thought inwardly.

Glancing down at the documents she was tasked to deliver, Aria inadvertently caught sight of their contents.

They were documents confirming one's participation in the upcoming Joint Combat Exams. A sense of disappointment washed over her.

It seemed like such a waste that the top student of their department had no interest in representing the magic department during these important exams, particularly as the core of the first-year students.

Uncertain of how to proceed, Aria decided to retreat to her own seat, recognizing the futility of trying to persuade Bella or engage her in casual conversation.

It was evident that Bella's usual tendency to doze off mid-conversation would be a major obstacle in establishing any kind of rapport.

As she made her way back to her seat.

"...Hey"

Aria was surprised when she heard Bella's voice calling out to her. She turned around to face Bella, her curiosity piqued.

"Adrian Vulter Tellus, what is he?" Bella inquired, her voice laced with an unexpected intensity, even though her eyes remained half-lidded, clouded by sleepiness.

"Excuse me?" Aria responded, caught off guard by the peculiar question.

Aria was taken aback by the question, not expecting Bella to express any interest in her brother. While it wasn't a secret that Adrian and Aria were siblings, it was still rather unexpected that Bella would bring him up.

Bella, with a sigh, seemed to dismiss the question as she said.

"Never mind, forget about it" She then went back to her nap, leaving Aria somewhat bewildered by the odd exchange.