TO BE MORE CAREFUL, THOSE WHO DECIDED TO STAY IN THE XING MANSION PERFORMED A PROTECTIVE INCANTATION IN THE ENTIRE HOUSE.

Fei, Jia, and Haru helped, while I took care of Ellis who is currently munching on some fruits. I was watching beside the window how colorful their powers are. Then, the protection slowly becomes transparent, making it in stealth mode.

After a while, we all assembled in the mansion\'s home theater with luxurious reclining couches. It was time to chill a bit, because this morning was filled with a lot of tension. All of us are really worried about what might happen.

Together with me in the home theater is Fei, who sits beside me, Ellis, who sits in a wheelchair in the corner, Haru, who is beside Ellis, Jia, Taki, and Salvatore. The Hindi, Maori, Albanians, and Brazilians left the mansion and returned to their respective countries. The Filipinos and the Italians stayed and the young ones joined us for some chill activity this afternoon.

"So, are we gonna watch some romantic-comedy movie?" Taki excitedly asked.

Jia giggled. "You\'re such a hopeless romantic, Taki."

"Can you blame the guy? He never had any serious relationship since he graduated high school," Salvatore served us some tea.

We were giggling on the corner as Taki defended himself. "Come on, guys. No one\'s taking me seriously. I\'ve had a guy, a girl, a bisexual, a trans woman, a lesbian, and a trans man, but unfortunately, it just doesn\'t work out. They always leave me. Sometimes, I think that I am cursed."

[What? I thought Taki was straight.] I asked Fei in my mind.

[He\'s pansexual.] Fei responded, then he looked at Taki.

"Maybe you\'re too clingy?" Fei asked.

Taki\'s mouth opened wide. "What\'s wrong with texting them to know where they are currently?"

"You really don\'t need to do it all the time," Salvatore said.

"I think you\'re just someone who falls in love fast when someone gives you a little bit of attention," Haru replied to Taki with a sizzling sass.

"Says the one who fell in love fast with an intelligent woman who chooses her books over someone who likes books," Taki said, with his tongue out, teasing Haru.

"Hey! She\'s special," Haru defended.

"And in my relationships, they made me feel special too," Tongue out still, Taki said.

I understood Taki somehow. Fei has been treating me well in the last few days and I can say that I feel so special. Who wouldn\'t want that?

"Don\'t worry, Taki," I spoke. "Someday, you will meet the one who is destined for you. I know that."

"Looks like someone\'s already found his destiny," Ellis raised his left brow, looking at me. Then, the room was filled with yodels and ululations.

"Stop it, you guys," Fei chuckled as he said it. "Let\'s just watch some sappy movie, in honor of our hopeless romantic friend, Taki."

All the fun was erased when Fei turned on the screen. It showed the current channel, which is a news channel. Right now, it\'s delivering its breaking news.

"Breaking news from New Orleans, Louisiana. Last night, a tropical depression named Venus is building near the Gulf of Mexico, but shockingly, it developed really fast and the storm strengthened into Tropical Storm Venus this morning. Two hours before it performs its landfall, it became a hurricane, which we now call Hurricane Venus. As of the moment, the hurricane is rapidly intensifying, destroying New Orleans, and moving up to Baton Rouge. The hurricane can be compared to the 2005 Hurricane Katrina which passed almost the same route as Hurricane Venus. Oddly, the tropical depression wasn\'t expected to worsen. We\'ll provide more updates soon. This is Suzanne Kitts, reporting for KCXT 14."

All of us were left speechless. That was one great hurricane. Yet… the people in the room, except me and Ellis, seemed to have their own opinions.

"That\'s no nature," Jia said right away. "Someone\'s controlling the weather."

"Yeah, I can tell. Although it may seem real that a storm might progress to a hurricane that fast, I would say that someone\'s behind it," Haru uttered.

"Who do we know has that power?" Salvatore asked.

"Not us, for sure," a voice spoke from the door.

"Princess!" Fei yelled.

"Tiberion," I whispered, then Fei looked at me again with squinting eyes. I just grinned. But wow. I couldn\'t not stare at his stunning physique. He looked delectable in a casual look. Such a snack!

"Tiberion, Prince of Merizem," Salvatore stood up and shook Tiberion\'s hand. "Do you know anyone who could have done this?"

"You may think of the Borgs, or the Sovietskys, or the Saint-Pierres, but… there\'s one more you need to consider. The Merizem is currently on full defense, as we were bombarded with tons lot of pre-historic animals, marine monsters that we never knew existed until now. Many castle soldiers have died already, so I was sent here by King Suvann to warn you all," Tiberion spoke.

"First and foremost, I am Ellis, also known as Miss Conflagration," Ellis extended his hand, even though he\'s a little far from where Tiberion is standing. Tiberion was about to approach Ellis, but Haru stood in front of Ellis and asked Tiberion.

"Who is it, Tiberion?"

"The Hyeons of Seoul," Tiberion revealed. "When we found out that the Borgs are hosting the tournament, our land soldiers researched about their affiliates, and we figured out that the Borgs are consorting with the Hyeons. As you know, the Korean peninsula is surrounded with large bodies of water such as the Sea of Japan, the Yellow Sea, and the East China Sea, which have been their gateways to attack underwater kingdoms such as Merizem."

"The Hyeons… They used to be our business partners, until they decided to put up their own business. They\'re good-natured people, so I\'m sure there\'s someone behind all this," Fei said. "The Hyeons are powerful people, but I would say they don\'t have this capacity to annihilate the weak ones."

"Look what\'s happening," Tiberion said. "The hurricane?"

"Wait, I\'m confused. Don\'t they send ingelids as invitations to the tournament? Why do they need to kill the weak who managed to kill the ingelids?" I questioned them, as I am already involved in this, even if I am powerless.

"Yes, but it\'s like level two, you know?" Tiberion replied. "And level three\'s happening now."

"That\'s insane, Tiberion. We better get going now," Haru stood up and went behind Ellis and pushed his wheelchair.

"Hey, we\'re supposed to watch some romantic bullshit. Where are you taking me?" Ellis complained, as the two of them walked out of the room. Jia, Taki, and Salvatore followed as well. The only ones left in the home theater are me, Fei, and Tiberion. We stood up and faced Tiberion.

"We need to get ready, Fei. I know you guys have applied protection in the entire mansion, but it\'s better to be prepared," Tiberion warned.

"I understand," Fei replied.

"I\'m gonna go to Mistress Akira\'s office to discuss King Suvann\'s propositions," Tiberion said and he walked out of the home theater.

I turned to Fei, with my hands trembling. "What\'s level three?"

"They\'re gonna kill everyone, including the innocent ones. See what they did with New Orleans? That Hurricane Venus wasn\'t meant to attack only the witches who lived there. It wasn\'t just a freak of nature. It\'s an attack," Fei said, as he held both my hands. "that\'s why you need to be always beside me. I don\'t want anything to happen to you. I\'m gonna protect you with all my power."

"Then let me protect you too," I stated. It\'s unfair that he\'s the only one doing it. I should do something about it as well.

In the last few days, my life has changed. Now that I have discovered my purpose, I will make the most of it. I\'m not gonna turn back.

"How are you going to do it?" he asked, with a cute smile.

"Make me a sorcerer," I spoke, as I brushed my lips against his. He responded to my kisses and I can tell that he\'s into it. He even caressed my jaw, and that made me feel like he wanted to pull me towards him.

He then inserted his tongue inside my mouth, and I did welcome it with mine. The fencing of our soft tongues is turning me on. Oh, I couldn\'t resist it anymore.

Fei then let go of the kiss. "This is not a test anymore, is it?"

I giggled. "No, but does it not feel odd?"

"Odd in what sense?" Fei asked.

I sat down on the couch and leaned. "I don\'t want you to think that I\'m only doing it with you to get your powers. I want you to think and feel that we\'re doing it because I like you. I like you as a whole. I like kissing you, laughing with you, spending time with you, just with you, and not just because you\'re a sorcerer."

Fei sat and bit his lower lip. "You like me?"

"I won\'t come here with you if I didn\'t," I replied. "Although I must say, I didn\'t think someone would like me this way."

He then leaned towards me and planted a sweet kiss on my lips. "I thought Taki is the only hopeless romantic in this mansion?"

"Shut up," I pushed him to the leaning chair and I sat on top of him. He held me on my waist firmly, smirked, and all of a sudden…

"Where the f/uck are we?!"