A few hours later, Ethan and Nicole parted ways, both feeling refreshed after having a heart-to-heart talk with each other.
As for the young man's dream last night, he thought it was because he was still thinking of what had happened in the Painting of Enlightenment.
The Nicole in his dream was clumsier and seemed inexperienced in the art of lovemaking, but he was patient enough to teach and make love to her, which lasted for several rounds.
'I should really move on for both of our sake,' Ethan thought as he safely locked the passionate memories away inside of his heart.
He knew that with the threats of the Fomorians, he would need to keep his wits about him.
The sun was already setting, giving the clouds in the sky a beautiful purple and orange hue.
When he finally arrived in the Dud Manor Common Room, the only people he saw were Luna, Lilian, and Hecate.
Lily, Emma, and Joanne had already returned to their respective manors to have dinner with their Manor Mates.
"That took longer than expected," Luna said with a smile as Ethan sat between her and Lilian.
"Yeah. The two of us fell asleep together," Ethan replied.
"Did you tell her everything?" Lilian asked.
"Yes," Ethan nodded. "I shared my memories with her."
"Including THAT?" Lilian inquired.
"Yes."
"How did she react?"
Ethan smiled because Nicole's reaction was so casual that it made him feel that he was worrying over nothing.
"She said that the real one is more amazing," Ethan replied. "And that I shouldn't worry about it too much since it's not real."
"Well, I expected that kind of answer from her," Lilian chuckled while covering her lips. "In the end, she made sure to say that she's much better, right?"
"Indeed." Ethan held Lilian's hand. "How about you? Do the memories I passed over to you help you better understand your Legacy?"
Lilian nodded. "It allowed me to gain a bit of enlightenment. But I still need time to organize what I learned inside my head. However, I am certain of one thing."
She moved closer and whispered something in Ethan's ear.
"Right now, I believe that both of us can unleash a Legacy Resonance together," Lilian whispered. "But this is not the best place to test it."
Ethan nodded because he also didn't know what would happen if both of their Legacies created a resonance.
The last thing they wanted was to accidentally destroy part of the Academy if their powers went out of their control.
"Then let's try it next weekend," Ethan said. "Let's go on a short vacation with everyone."
"Sounds like a plan." Lilian kissed Ethan's cheeks because she was looking forward to spending some quality time with him and her sisters.
Luna, who was right beside Ethan, lightly tugged on his robe, making the young man glance at her.
"The Headmaster called you and the others," Luna said. "Did something happen?"
"Yes," Ethan replied. "But let's not talk about it here."
Professor Rinehart had said that they shouldn't spread this news to others because he didn't want the students to panic.
However, Luna was different.
Ethan trusted her completely, and they had known each other long enough to keep each other's secrets.
Most of his lovers were called to the meeting except Luna, and he didn't want to make her feel that she was purposefully being kept out of the loop.
If not for the fact that Luna could only use her magic on the days of the full moon, then she would definitely be one of the strongest, if not the strongest Witch, in the academy today.
Hecate, who was silently watching Ethan interact with his lovers, smiled faintly.
She had heard stories that the Tide Bringer had many lovers back in his own time, but seeing him with them made her understand that the young man was a very kind, caring, and loving person.
Feeling a bit hungry, she glanced at the clock on the wall. Seeing the time, she asked the others if they wished to have dinner together in the Dining Hall.
Ethan, who also suddenly felt hungry, agreed readily, so the four of them went together.
Along the way, they noticed that there were many Ravens circling above the Academy grounds.
Feeling a familiar presence, Ethan raised his hand and called his guide to come to him.
From within the group of Unkindness, a sole White Raven descended from the sky and flew in Ethan's direction.
(A/N: In case you guys don't know, a group of Ravens is called Unkindness, and sometimes it is also referred to as a Conspiracy.)
Dantalion landed on Ethan's outstretched hand and waited for his Master to ask him a question.
"What's happening?" Ethan asked. Sёarch* The nôvel_Fire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
"Recently, our comrades have started being attacked by unknown assailants," Dantalion replied through telepathy, allowing Luna, Lilian, and Hecate to hear his words, surprising the three girls.
"At first, we thought that this was just a series of unfortunate accidents. After all, this hasn't been the first time that something like this has happened. Since we regularly travel to bring the letters and items of our Masters to faraway places, it is only natural that we encounter dangers along the way.
"I have had my fair share of these incidents in the past, and many can say that it is an occupational hazard. However, recently, there was a series of attacks, which led to my comrades getting seriously injured or even killed.
"The survivors mentioned that these people were wearing gray robes that had an emblem of a Hawk.
"Because of this, the Ravens are having a council of war. We are deciding whether or not we will all mobilize to find the culprits and punish them for the crime of assaulting our kind."
"That's terrible." Luna, who had just sent her Raven, Phoebe, back to her family to deliver her message suddenly became anxious. "Why would they actively attack Ravens?"
"I don't know, Ms. Luna," Dantalion answered. "All I know is that, even now, the Ravens who are returning home, or going on a long journey are in danger of being attacked by this renegade organization of unknown origins."
Ethan pondered for a bit before looking at his Spirit Guide with a solemn expression on his face.
"Have any of you told the Headmaster about this?" Ethan inquired.
"His Raven told him about it just now," Dantalion replied. "I'm sure that he is communicating with the other Academies to see if their own Ravens are being attacked or if this is just an isolated case, specifically targeting the Ravens of Brynhildr Academy."
Dantalion then looked up at his circling comrades in the sky before bidding his goodbye.
"I must go," Dantalion said. "If we all come to an agreement, all of us will depart tonight and hunt these criminals down."
"I understand. Be careful, Dantalion," Ethan replied. "If you need my help, don't hesitate to ask."
"I know." Dantalion nodded. "Thank you, Ethan."
The White Raven flew to the sky and rejoined his comrades in their War Council.
The Wizards and Witches who had made a pact with the Ravens could hear their voices clearly as if they were talking to a normal human.
However, this was the first time that a Raven who belonged to someone else had talked to them, which caught the three ladies by surprise.
"Those poor Ravens," Hecate said softly. "I hope that whoever is attacking them will be punished accordingly."
"Let's go to the Dining Hall," Ethan proposed. "If this news is as serious as I think it is, Professor Rinehart might make an announcement during dinner."
Everyone nodded in agreement, so they all continued towards the Dining Hall.
Other Witches and Wizards were doing the same after their own Ravens informed them why all of them had suddenly congregated in the sky above the academy, shrieking as if they were warriors who were about to head for war.