The Frozen Hour

Anna looked at Damien for a few moments and spoke

"Do you know how he died?'

Damien replied while shaking his head

"I don't. I only know that he was on a mission at that time" 

"What should I do?" Anna asked Damien with determined look on her face

Damien held her gaze for a few moments and spoke with a slight chuckle.

"Just focus on getting stronger. There's not much you can do to help with this."

Anna looked at Damien and nodded. A few moments later she spoke 

"So, What should I do to get stronger?"

"Hmm? Have you not thought of anything about that?" Damien questioned, curiosity gleaming in his eyes.

'I wonder what she is going to say now…' he thought.

"I have…" Anna spoke as she lowered her head

"Hmm. Tell me about it." Damien asked still as curious as before

"I think that I should join The Star Council."

When Damien heard that he tilted his head as he questioned

"What?"

"I mean, isn't it one of the strongest if not the strongest factions in the whole world? What other place can help me get stronger faster than that? After all, they know the most about the midnighters."

"It can be dangerous for you." Damien said in a stern tone.

"I know…" Anna replied with a lowered head

"As I said before, it's not that simple, Anna." Damien said with a solemn expression which said 'I won't let you do as you like'

"I understand that but brother…"

"No. Once again, You think you do—but you don't. Not yet"

"Brother…"

Anna lowered her head and started to clench and unclench her fists. Soon she took a deep breath and let out a sigh.

"Hah…"

"I have to do it brother. For me. For you. For all of us. I can't stay as a princess if I don't want to feel like I did that day… please don't take away this opportunity from me" Anna spoke as her eyes burned with determination. Her voice unknowingly turned authoritative instead of persuasive at the end.

'I can feel it. The Hunger of strength… looks like she is not a kid anymore huh"

Damien stood up from his chair and ordered

"Follow me"

Anna nodded once as she too stood up from the bed and started to follow him

As she walked out of the room a lavender blue walled hallway came into view, The walls were adorned with various antics and paintings, Stars, crescents, and moon-shaped carvings could be seen at the top and bottom of the wall. The hallway looked like something out of a fantasy novel. Damien's steps echoed within the lavender blue walls as he made his way to the garden in front of the villa.

As soon as they reached the garden, Damien asked.

"You remember all of those combat and self-defence classes, yes?"

"Yes." Anna replied with a straight back

"Then let's put it to a test." Damien said with a small grin on his face

"W-what?! N-no way. How can I fight you?" Anna said in shock and disbelief when she heard Damien's suggestion

'Does he want to kill me or something?' She thought but did not voice out her thoughts

"HAHA!" Damien started to burst into laughter

"No. You won't train with me. You are too weak for that."

"Hah…" Anna heaved a sigh when she heard that. Her face suddenly turned into a frown as she replayed Damien's words in her mind.

'You are too weak for that.'

Soon, However she shook her head and regained her resolve once more.

'Yeah… I just have to work hard to get stronger'

"Then who?" She questioned as determination burned in her eyes however

"White. Train with Anna" Damien called out.

"W-what?!" Anna blurted out

"Hmm?"

"How can I fight with n-" Anna suddenly placed her hands on her mouth stopping the words from leaving her mouth

"Huh?"

"Huh?"

Damien and White tilted their heads in confusion

"What do you mean?" Damien questioned

"N-Nothing." Anna said as she shook her head in embarrassment.

"Then get ready." Damien spoke in a stern tone

"Yes." Anna said and walked towards a clearing within the garden

White walked and stood before.

"Ready?" Damien asked

"Yes!" Anna replied while White just nodded his head

"Begin!"

As soon as Damien said so Anna ran towards White, Trying to get an upper hand from the start however just as she about to hit White, He sidestepped and—

*Bam*

—landed a punch right on her abdomen

"Ugh!!" Anna fell down and started to cough as spit flew out of her mouth. She looked up and saw White standing in front of her while holding his hands behind his back.

"Again!" Anna said as she stood up and once again tried to hit a punch on White and same as before, White sidestepped and—

*Bam*

—landed a kick to her side

Anna once again fell to her knees but she soon stood up and said "Again!"

This exchange continued for a few more times until Anna was laying on the ground as she was breathing heavily and all of her clothes were wet with sweat.

Anna turned to look at White who was leaning beside a tree, He was the same as before. He was neither breathing heavily nor were his clothes wet with sweat.

"Argh" Anna blurted out in annoyance

Damien who was looking at all of this was deep in thought.

'Even Though it might look like that she was beaten one-handedly which she was. But her progress is nearly as good as White when he was younger'

Damien looked at Anna with complicated eyes. Even though he was happy with Anna's progress but he still couldn't allow himself to accept letting Anna become part of midnighters world

"Hah" Damien heaved a sigh and walked towards Anna

"Let's go. We will continue this from tomorrow." Damien said as he helped Anna to stand up.

Damien and Anna walked through the beautiful garden towards the entrance of the villa.

Anna was currently using a wide room enough for 2 people. Made up of royal red walls, adorned with small, intricate patterns. It had a shelf filled with books, antics and other luxury goods. A white wood table was placed in front of a small window from where moonlight brightened the room. It had a balcony from where smooth cold winds were entering the room.

The room felt like it was made for some royal. Anna laid at the velvet bed at the centre of the room and gazed at the moon hanging up out in the sky as she remembered what Damien had told her about the place she was at…

Few minutes earlier-

"I was meaning to ask what this place is?" Anna said as she looked around the place

"Hmm? Oh, looks like I was too busy with my thoughts that i didn't even explain this to you" Damien replied with a faint smile as he continued

"In the continent of Azure* where Necron the city is situated. It is mainly known that our whole planet consists of four continents, yes?"

"Yes"

"However, that's false. The four continents which are —Azure, Shuran, Valconica, Yurak— in which two are habitable —Azure, Shuran— while the other two are not. There exists one more continent which is —Azor—. Azor is hidden from the outer world by a barrier thus only midnighters or those who are born here, know about it." Damien concluded with a smile

"So… It's always night here because of that barrier too?" Anna spoke after thinking for a while

"Correct."

"Do we know who placed that barrier?" Anna asked with excitement.

Seeing that Damien chuckled as he continued

"No, we don't. The barrier was placed thousands of years ago."

"Oh."

"I see. I see" Anna spoke as she nodded her head continuously

"Tell me more about Azor." Anna asked. Damien could literally see stars in her eyes. He gave a small smile and continued

"Well, Azor consists of 4 Countries—Xyonthar, Zendorn, Dartar, Aquadra—and we are currently at the capital of the Xyonthar Empire, Xyontra." 

"How are the other countries like?" Anna asked with same excitement as curiosity as before

"Zendorn wilderness is the second largest country after Xyonthar, It's a place of tribes as it's covered with wildness all over"

"Dartar Hills comes after that. It has massive hills made up of black stone and even the trees there have black wood and white leaves. It is the country with the most star beasts."

"Aquadra is the centre of Azor. It is a group of small islands which are in proximity to each other. The Tower of Night floats at the centre of the ocean of Aquadra."

"The Tower of Night?" 

"It's the tower from which the barrier spreads throughout the Azor"

"Oh…"

"Hmm… that's pretty much it." Damien concluded

"Thanks for telling me. Brother" Anna said with a small smile on her face

"Well, I can at least do this much for you." Damien said so as he moved towards Anna and hugged her. He moved his hand on her head and started to pat her hand

*Pat* *Pat*

Anna was baffled by these turn of events and moved away

"W-what are you doing patting my head like that?! I am not a kid anymore." Anna hissed at Damien

'She looks like a cat…" Damien thought. Soon, However he shook his head and walked away while chuckling to himself

"Hahaha!"

"Hmph!" Anna pouted seeing Damien acting like that.

But soon she too started chuckling

"Hehehe!"

Present—

'What should I do now? Vey is still at the starborne mansion too.' Anna thought as she lay on the velvet bed.

"Hah.." Anna sighed and walked towards the balcony, When she reached the balcony her eyes landed on the clearing where she had sparred with White.

"It was more like a one-sided beating than a spar." She thought as she chuckled to herself. She walked towards the edge of the balcony and then her eyes fell on White who was jogging around the garden.

'Hah… no wonder he's so much stronger than me.' she thought

Seeing White train Anna resolved herself and left the room in a hurry, She soon reached the garden and started to move towards White

White raised his eyebrow when he was Anna coming towards him

"Miss Anieal? Why are you here?"

"Teach me."

"What?"

"Teach me how to fight." Anna said with a determined and stubborn tone.

"I am just a mere spy, Miss Anieal" White said while bowing a little.

"It matters not. I just want you to teach me."

"I don't think I can do that."

"Why? Do you think I am too weak for that?"

"Huh? No, that's not what I meant." White replied as he broke the bow and stared at Anna with shock.

"Then what did you mean?" Anna asked while narrowing her eyes.

"I…" White couldn't come up with an answer.

"You don't have to lie to me, I know you feel that I am too weak to be taught by you. I only want you to help me get stronger, nothing else matters." Anna said with conviction.

White could see the hunger of strength in her so he could only give up.

"As you command, Miss Anieal." White agreed.

"Let us start then." Anna said with a small smile which soon cracked when she heard White's words.

"Ten rounds of the garden without break, Now!"

"W-what?" Anna was baffled

"Move!!"

"O-okay!"

Soon Anna started to run through the stone pathway of the garden… a few moments later she was panting and was drenched in sweat. Feeling tired Anna stopped for a breather and just as she stopped a sharp voice came

"What are you standing for?! You haven't even completed one round yet." White yelled at top of his lungs as he was running a few meters in front of her

"W-wait a moment"

"Move!!"

"Hah.. yes yes" Anna took few deep breaths and started to run behind White

Damien was looking at all of that from a window with a small smile on his face.

Footnotes:

Star beasts: Beasts, animals, birds etc which are evolved due to star essence are called star beasts.