Eternia's Requiem

But she wasn’t done yet

Her gaze shifted toward the desk.

The strange grimoire still rested there.

Eternia stood slowly and picked it up.

"...Now let’s see what you can do."

She flipped through the pages until she reached the spell she had studied earlier.

The unfamiliar one.

The spell labeled—

Adapt.

Eternia frowned slightly.

"I’ve never heard of a spell like this."

Most spells were straightforward.

Attack spells.

Defense spells.

Elemental manipulation.

But Adapt seemed... different.

The runic structure was complex.

Unusual.

Almost experimental.

Eternia stood in the center of the room and raised one hand.

Her newly formed First Circle pulsed with energy.

"...Let’s try it."

Mana flowed outward.

She followed the runic pattern exactly as the grimoire described.

The spell formation began building in the air.

For a moment, it seemed like it would work.

Then—

The structure collapsed.

The mana dispersed instantly.

Eternia blinked.

"...What?"

She tried again.

The same result.

The spell refused to activate.

Eternia studied the runes carefully.

Everything seemed correct.

Her mana control was stable.

Her First Circle provided enough power.

Yet the spell simply wouldn’t activate.

After several more attempts, she sighed and closed the book.

"...Maybe I’m missing something."

Her body was still recovering from the intense training earlier.

Her mind was growing tired.

Eternia placed the book back on the desk.

"...I’ll figure it out later."

For now...

Sleep was more important.

She collapsed onto her bed moments later.

And quickly drifted into deep sleep.

~~~~

Morning arrived quickly.

Sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating the quiet room.

Eternia opened her eyes slowly.

Her body felt surprisingly refreshed.

The First Circle continued circulating mana smoothly inside her chest.

She smiled slightly.

"...Still there."

Good.

It hadn’t destabilized overnight.

She stood up and stretched her arms.

Then walked toward the wardrobe near the wall.

Inside hung the combat clothes she had received the day before.

Eternia pulled them out and examined them again.

The fabric felt incredibly comfortable.

Lightweight.

Flexible.

Perfect for battle.

She quickly changed into the outfit.

But as she looked in the mirror—

Her eyebrow twitched.

"...Why does it look like this?"

The clothes were practical.

But the design clearly emphasized feminine aesthetics.

Elegant lines.

Fitted sleeves.

Subtle silver embroidery.

Very... girly.

Eternia stared at her reflection for several seconds.

Then sighed.

"...Right."

She was a girl now.

Even after five years, moments like this still caught her off guard occasionally.

Especially during baths.

Every time she stepped into the water, her brain briefly froze before remembering the obvious truth.

Shatter was gone.

Now she was Eternia.

A beautiful girl.

Eternia shook her head.

"...Focus."

Today was the second trial.

She grabbed her staff and left the room.

The trial grounds were already crowded when Eternia arrived in the afternoon.

Hundreds of candidates filled the arena courtyard.

Her eyes widened slightly.

"...That many?"

Apparently the retrieval teams had recovered most of the remaining participants from the labyrinth.

And they had already completed their supplementary trial earlier that morning.

Eternia frowned slightly.

They went easy on them.

Still...

It didn’t matter.

Her attention shifted toward the center platform where Captain Varos stood.

The announcer raised his hand.

The crowd slowly quieted.

"Candidates!"

His voice echoed across the arena.

"The second round of the Sinclair Family Trial will now begin!"

Excited murmurs spread through the crowd.

Varos continued.

"This round will determine who among you possesses the talent worthy of advancing further."

Eternia crossed her arms calmly.

Her First Circle pulsed gently with mana.

Whatever the trial involved—

She was ready.

Varos raised a scroll and began reading the rules.

As the explanation continued—

Eternia’s eyes slowly widened.

Her mouth opened slightly.

Then—

She gasped loudly.

"...Huuuuuh?!"