Reincarnated as the Villainess’s Unlucky Bodyguard

Ananara made a sound like a dignified scoff but mercifully shut up. Kaelith paced around the glowing basin of water in the center of the room, his movements deliberate and predatory. I could already tell this wasn't going to be a friendly lesson. If Seraphis had sent me here, it was for one reason only: punishment disguised as "education."

"Do you know why you're here, Silverthorn?" Kaelith asked, his voice as cold as the stone beneath me.

"Because the principal hates me?" I offered, leaning back on my hands.

Kaelith stopped pacing, his gaze like molten gold boring into mine. "Because you're undisciplined, reckless, and entirely too smug for someone of your limited skill."

I raised an eyebrow. "Wow. You really know how to boost a girl's confidence."

"You don't need confidence. You need control." He gestured to the basin. "And that is what I will teach you. Now, focus."

With a sigh, I turned to the basin. The water shimmered faintly, as if daring me to try something stupid. I reached out with my magic, pulling at the liquid until it rose in a trembling column. It wasn't pretty, but it was functional.

"Pathetic," Kaelith said, circling me like a predator stalking prey. "You're treating it like a chore. Magic is an extension of your will, not a task to complete. Again."

I gritted my teeth and tried again, this time shaping the water into a sphere. It wobbled but held, hovering unsteadily above the basin.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

"Better," Kaelith admitted grudgingly. "Now, sustain it."

Easier said than done. The longer I held the sphere, the more it shook, droplets spraying everywhere. Ananara yelped as a rogue splash landed on him.

"Do you mind?" he huffed. "Some of us are trying to stay dry."

"Shut up, Ananara!" I growled through clenched teeth, my focus slipping.

The sphere collapsed with a loud splash, soaking both me and my obnoxious pineapple companion. Kaelith sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as though my incompetence physically pained him.

"Again," he said sharply.

I groaned but raised my hand to try again. The water rippled, reluctant to obey me. My head was already starting to ache from the effort.

"Pathetic," Kaelith muttered. "You lack discipline. Do you even want to improve, or are you content to flounder in mediocrity?"

"I'm floundering because you keep insulting me!" I snapped, glaring at him.

Kaelith's expression didn't change, but the air around him seemed to grow colder. "Insults? You think I'm insulting you now? Child, you have no idea what real criticism feels like. Shall I show you?"

Before I could answer, he raised his hand. The water in the basin surged upward, forming into a massive wave that hovered ominously over my head.

"Control it," he commanded.

"What—" I started, but the wave came crashing down before I could finish. I threw up my hands instinctively, summoning a barrier of magic to deflect the worst of it. Even so, I ended up soaked to the bone, shivering as Kaelith's booming laughter echoed through the chamber.

"Pathetic," he said again, his tone almost mocking now. "If that's the best you can do, I don't see how you've survived this long."

Ananara, ever the opportunist, chimed in. "She hasn't. I'm the only thing keeping her alive, obviously."

I glared at him. "You're a fruit. You don't even have legs."

"I have spirit," he countered, puffing out his leafy top. "Which is more than I can say for you right now."

"Enough!" Kaelith barked. "Silverthorn, you will either learn to master this magic, or you will fail spectacularly. Either way, you will stay in this room until I am satisfied."

I wanted to argue, to tell him where he could shove his smug attitude, but the glint in his eyes told me he wasn't bluffing. With a resigned sigh, I turned back to the basin.

This time, I focused harder, drawing on every ounce of patience I could muster. The water rose again, forming a sphere that was smoother, more stable. For a moment, I felt a flicker of pride.

"Hold it," Kaelith said, his voice cutting through the silence like a whip.

The sphere trembled as I struggled to maintain it. Sweat dripped down my forehead, and my hands shook from the effort. Kaelith didn't say a word, just watched me with an intensity that made my skin crawl.

Finally, the sphere collapsed, the water splashing back into the basin. I slumped forward, gasping for breath.

"Better," Kaelith said, though his tone was anything but complimentary. "But still pathetic. Again."

I groaned, my arms feeling like lead. "How long are we going to do this?"

"Until you stop embarrassing yourself," he replied.

[You know, you could just set the water on fire. That'd make him shut up.]

"Not helpful," I muttered under my breath.

"What was that?" Kaelith asked, his golden eyes narrowing.

"Nothing," I said quickly. "Just talking to myself."

He studied me for a moment, then gestured to the basin again. "Focus. And this time, if you drop it, you'll regret it."

Hours passed or at least it felt like hours. My arms ached, my magic reserves were running low, and my patience was hanging by a thread. Kaelith, however, seemed as fresh and smug as ever, his criticism as sharp as his gaze.

"Silverthorn, if your magic were any weaker, I'd suspect you were a garden gnome," he said at one point.

"At least garden gnomes are decorative," Ananara quipped. "She's just wet and useless."

"Shut up, both of you," I growled, summoning yet another sphere of water. This one lasted all of three seconds before collapsing into a pitiful splash.

Kaelith sighed dramatically, rubbing his temples. "If Seraphis thinks you're worth training, she's clearly lost her mind."

"Maybe she just enjoys torturing me," I shot back.

"That makes two of us," he said with a wicked grin. "Again."

By the time he finally dismissed me, I was soaked, exhausted, and ready to throttle both him and Ananara. As I stumbled out of the classroom, the system chimed in with its usual snark.

[Congratulations. You survived. Barely.]