Chapter 7 The Adoption

Evernya awakened, approximately two weeks after the incident in the mana isolation cell. She sleepily wiggled under the soft and warm covers, enjoying the feeling on her skin.

A moment later, her eyes sprung open upon realizing her limbs were free of shackles. In an instant, she sat upright, ignoring the twinge of pain from her sore body as she frantically scanning her new surroundings.

Evernya found herself lying on a king-sized bed in a spacious bedroom decorated in a green, brown, and white color scheme emphasizing a forest. It drove this point home with scenery pictures of evergreen trees hung on the light brown walls, some covered in snow connecting to the white carpet. To her left past, a beautiful oak nightstand was a dark brown leather couch placed before a TV similar to the ones from the lab hung from the ceiling. An oak coffee table was sitting between the couch and TV with hunter-green placemats to add color. Similar color accent pillows rested on the couch as well.

In front of her was an open area, then a door which was likely the exit of the room. To her right was another nightstand, followed by a walkout balcony displaying a majestic view of a vast lake and evergreen trees. The balcony was currently open, allowing for wondrous scents to reach her nose.

Her stiff shoulders loosened slightly, knowing she was no longer underground, but remained on guard in unfamiliar territory. Past the balcony were two closed oak doors, side-by-side, which she assumed led to a closet and bathroom.

As she completed her investigation of her surroundings, the events of the lab and hospital caught up to her. She pulled her knees to her chest while stroking her tail. Tears formed in her glowing sapphire eyes, which were steadily increasing in brightness as a panic attack built.

How did I get here? The last thing I remember is the painful room. Then nothing.

Why did they restrain me?

Why did they chain me in the cell? It hurt so much!

What did I do wrong?

Why won’t people leave me alone!?

All people do is hurt me!

All I want is freedom!

The Elven woman entered the room, drawing the panicked catgirl’s attention. Fangs descended, poking out from her upper lips as her pupils turned into vertical slits. At the same time, a cocoon of force materialized around the girl, contradicting her apparent hunger.

The elf stayed within the girl’s line of sight as she approached the foot of the bed. She stopped about a meter away from the bed, giving the on-edge girl some space.

“Hello, can you hear me?” The elf asked in a calming tone.

The girl just stared at her with wide eyes, without responding. The elf continued speaking. “You are safe here. My name is Meira, what’s your name?” Meira inquired.

Evernya ignored her question, deciding to continue to stare. Is she an elf? Elves don’t exist, but neither do cat people. She’s so tall and beautiful. People always hurt me it doesn’t matter if she’s an elf or not, she is still a person. Is she with the last people who hurt me?

“I will not hurt you. I took you away from the hospital. You are safe within my territory.” Meira assured, as if reading the girl’s mind.

Meira tried to move closer, but the cocoon around Evernya expanded, warning her to stay back. She retreated a step with her hands up, showing she meant no harm. Finally, Evernya spoke in a quiet, timid voice. “Are you with the people who hurt me?”

A pained expression displayed on Meira’s face. What a poor girl. She likely doesn’t trust anyone. Meira thought.

Meira tried to keep her emotions down as she responded, “No, I am not. I rescued you from the cell.”

Evernya appeared unconvinced, but her cocoon receded a little, allowing Meira to take one step closer. “I’m here to help you. I took you home with me because I couldn’t stand to see such a beautiful young woman suffer and not help.”

“Are you an elf?” The timid catgirl asked.

“Yes, I am,” Meira replied.

“But elves don’t exist.” Evernya asserted.

Her kitten’s comment confused Meira until she remembered the black band around the girl’s neck. Did they isolate her from the world?

Meira then asked, “Did your masters tell you we don’t exist?”

Evernya stared up at her with a confused tilt of her head, prompting to Meira point at her neck. The traumatized catgirl reached up to touch her own throat, feeling the evil black band still locked around her neck. She immediately checked her wrists and ankles, finding the other bands missing. What happened to the bands? Why do I still have the neck one?

To ease the girl’s confusion, Meira explained, “I’m not sure how, but you destroyed the wrist and ankle limiter bands. However, the slave band around your neck is permanent.” Anger flashed across Meira’s beautiful face as she continued. “The evil slavers developed those bands to control and limit their slaves. They made the neckband permanent once installed, so it forever marks even escaped or freed slaves. The owner of your band set it to limit you to the point you were weaker than a normal human of your size. You probably were tripping over your own tail.”

Realization dawned on Evernya when she remembered how many times she tripped on her tail. She reflexively grabbed and cradled her tail.

Meira failed to suppress a chuckle from escaping, prompting a glare from the embarrassed catgirl. The reaction caused Meira’s face to light up with joy, knowing the girl had some fight left.

After a few seconds, the words permanent slave band sunk in, causing Evernya to tear up again while touching the band around her neck.

“It’s ok, the band is no longer active. It may permanently mark your neck, but now it’s no different from a black choker necklace. If anything, you can use it as a symbol of pride of your escape.” Meira explained, trying to soothe her panicked kitten.

Evernya returned to stroking her tail with a slight tremble in her hands as she watched Meira’s every move with teary eyes. “So, I asked before, what’s your name?” Meira inquired.

The girl opened her mouth to answer her previous name, but paused. So I really forgot my old name. It’s like I was Evernya all along. Did the evil bands mess with my mind?

Meira assumed the delay was a sign her kitten wasn’t ready to reveal her name yet, so she refrained from prying any further, letting the girl answer when she was ready.

After a few minutes, Evernya peered up at Meira. With a shaky voice, she answered the question. “My name is Evernya.”

“What a beautiful name, Evernya.” Meira smiled.

Meira’s compliment prompted a small smile to sneak onto Evernya’s face. She tried to hide behind her hair but failed. It was her first smile since claiming this body as her own. Her mana cocoon finally dissipated with her first smile.

“You should smile more Evernya. Why would you hide such a beautiful smile?” Meira complimented.

Evernya’s face heated in embarrassment, prompting her to change the subject by asking, “Why was I restrained?”

“You don’t know the policy for unconscious shifters?” Meira inquired, prompting her kitten to shake her head while studying her tail, like it’s the most interesting thing in the world.

“Hospital personnel must restrain all hospitalized unconscious or aggressive shifters with silver to avoid hurting themselves or others. Especially young ones like you who may lack control. Shifters may be aggressive if they awaken in an unfamiliar place, so they must wear restraints with silver to avoid possible incidents. Unfortunately, restraining you, caused an incident.” Meira explained.

“So, I’m a shifter?” Evernya asked, curiosity overruling her nerves.

Meira smiled down at her kitten as she responded, “Yes, you are, though you are unique. The scans only displayed you as a feline shifter, no specific breed. Your appearance is identical to a black-haired catkin, but if you were even part catkin, it would have shown up on the scans.”

Meira paused before revealing. “I do not know what your actual breed is, but you seem to be a mana siphon as well. Since you are a mana siphon, the mana isolation cell they placed you in was dangerous. Usually, one would feel intense pressure from the shackles on their mana system, coupled with the room preventing their body from absorbing mana. The dual effect impedes the occupants from performing magic while wearing down their reserves.”

Evernya peered up at Meira as she trembled, flashing back to the cell while Meira continued. “They wanted to subdue you until you calmed down, but it backfired. Instead of harmlessly subduing you, the chamber was slowly killing you. Even if they knew of your deteriorating health, they couldn’t free you because of your volatile magic. Since they were mages focused on healing, they lacked the capabilities to handle an aggressive mage capable of partially overpowering the mana-suppressing shackles.”

Unable to handle the topic any longer, Evernya hugged her tail as her mana cocoon reappeared.

Meira quickly assured, “It’s ok, you are safe now. We don’t need to talk about that room again.”

Evernya peered up with tears in her glowing blue eyes. She sucked in a deep breath before allowing her curious side to peek through. “I can use magic?”

Despite the stupid question, Meira answered without looking down on her kitten, while pointing at the nearly invisible cocoon surrounding Evernya. “Oh yes, you are quite powerful for your age at least I think you are young. The scans couldn’t pinpoint your age. In fact, you are performing magic right now. Can you see your force field?”

After Meira pointed her magic out, Evernya finally noticed the cocoon causing her to eyes widen in surprise.

She doesn’t even know she was using magic? No wonder her control is terrible. She must have awakened recently. Meira thought.

“Do you know how old you are, Evernya? Typically Magicals awaken their magic class between 15 to 18 years old, and from your appearance, you appear to be around that age though it’s hard to tell with shifters.” Meira inquired.

Evernya shook her head, studying her hands, clutching her tail, embarrassed she didn’t even know the age of her new body.

“Would you like to find out? I can do a more powerful scan than the hospital. It may show more details on your race as well.” Asked Meira with a gentle tone.

Evernya remained silent as her mind raced. Should I trust her? She hasn’t hurt me yet, but maybe she will if she finds out more about me. Or she is trying to gain my trust to hurt me later. I really need to learn more about myself though, and this may be the safest place I will get. Should I take the risk? At this point, what do I have to lose?

Evernya nodded, prompting another smile to bloom on Meira’s face as she instructed, “Thank you for trusting me, Evernya. To perform the scan, you need to dispel your cocoon and lay on your back.”

“How do I do that?” Evernya inquired.

“The easiest ways would be to suck the mana back in or cut the connection to the mana. For you, sucking it in will probably be easier. To do this, focus on the cocoon around you and try to suck it back through your mana veins to your mana core.” Meira instructed.

“What are the mana veins and the mana core?” Asked Evernya.

“They even withheld knowledge on a mana system?” Inquired Meira, assuming Evernya’s so-called previous masters kept Evernya in the dark.

“I didn’t even know I could do magic until a minute ago, though in hindsight, it explains some things.” Admitted Evernya, sidestepping the question.

Taking Evernya’s response as a confirmation of her assumption, Meira explained the basics, “Mana veins are similar to blood veins, but they carry mana throughout the body instead. While the mana core acts as a reservoir for mana. The mana core also functions as the heart of the mana system. Together they make up what we call the mana system, allowing us to perform magic. Except in unusual cases, one cannot function without the other. You should be able to picture your mana system in your head if you focus on it.”

Curious, Evernya closed her eyes and focused inward. At first, nothing happened, but her instincts kicked in, directing her to a brightly shining network of continuously flowing blue mana veins and a glowing blue sphere located a bit below her heart. Mesmerized by her mana system, she lost track of time.

She awoke ten minutes later from her trance to find Meira sitting on her bed, only a half a meter away from her. The sudden closeness startled her, causing her magic to explode outward, sending Meira off the bed. Meira stopped herself in midair with air magic before gracefully floating back to the bed, this time sitting a little further away. After recovering from her surprise, Evernya watched the display of magic with childlike fascination.

A moment later Evernya’s fascinated expression turned sheepish as she apologized, “Sorry you surprised me.”

“No problem. I should have known better than to get so close. I’m assuming you found your mana system.” Meira remarked nonchalantly.

“Yeah, I had no idea something so beautiful was inside of me,” replied Evernya, now making eye contact with Meira.

Evernya closed her eyes to focus on sucking her cocoon back in. Aided by her instincts, she succeeded within a minute, but she ended up sucking a bit too much mana. A quiet moan escaped her lips. Upon realizing the sound she made, her face turned red, imitating a tomato. She tried to hide her face behind her hair and tail, but this only added to Meira’s amusement.

“A little hungry, are we? No need to hide your reaction. It is perfectly natural for a mana siphon to receive an almost sexual reaction to absorbing mana.” Meira assured before proceeding to over-explain, “Unfortunately, without a mana core, a mana siphon cannot store mana, condemning them to an endless loop of sucking mana. Over time, their minds erode by the reaction to absorbing mana, leaving them as a mindless mana sucking addict always searching for their next fix.”

Meira quickly clarified upon catching her kitten’s terror-filled eyes. “Unlike normal mana siphons, which can pop up in any magic capable race, you have a mana core. Mana siphons are one of the few of the exceptions I mentioned earlier, having a mana system without a mana core. Luckily, you have a complete mana system, which makes me think you are not a mana siphon at all. If you were a true mana siphon, you would jump me right now, which isn’t happening, although you are clearly hungry.”

At that moment, Evernya noticed her almost overwhelming hunger and the sharp, pointy things she accidentally poked her tongue on. Oddly, she had no problem talking with her fangs descended, as if her body instinctively knew how to manage with them.

Now aware of her hunger, her body acted on its own, coiling in a crouch like a frog ready to pounce on the tasty elf-shaped treat when said elf materialized a jug of glowing blue liquid.

Meira floated the jug to the ravenous catgirl, instantly taking the attention away from her. Evernya followed the movement of the jug like a hawk with the eyes of a predator. She snatched the jug out of the air. In her haste, she fumbled with the cap for a few seconds before opening it. A scent on par with the pool in the lab reached the voracious girl’s nose. She chugged the jug with an animalistic vigor.

Evernya’s fangs worked overtime as she absorbed all mana in the liquid, reducing it to plain water flowing down her throat. Her face flushed as muffled moans escape her lips clamped around the jug while she vigorously downed the contents of the gallon jug. Within a few minutes, she emptied the entire contents, then fell back on the bed with a satisfied smile. Her fangs retracted and her pupils returned to normal a few seconds later.

“Quite appetite you have there. I didn’t think you would drink it all.” Meira commented with amusement.

After a few minutes of lying limp on the bed basking in the afterglow of her meal, Evernya inquired, “What was that? It tasted amazing. I feel both energized and relaxed at the same time. I need more of whatever that was.”

Meira used air magic to float the empty jug back toward her as she explained, “That was mana enriched liquid, also known as MEL. It is a liquid, usually water exposed to a large amount of mana. In this case, my mana, so it is a bit more potent than you would find at most stores.”

The room descended into a comfortable silence as Evernya recovered from her meal for several minutes before Meira inquired, “Are you ready for me to scan you?”

She received a nod from the catgirl, who was still basking in the after-effects of her meal. “Ok, lay still and don’t resist the scan. It will make the readings less accurate if you do.” Meira ordered.

Evernya complied, lying still with her eyes closed. Meira materialized a wand-like device, running it up and down her kitten’s body. Tingles assaulted Evernya’s body as the wand scanned her body. After the tingles disappeared, she opened her eyes, watching Meira patiently. Meira materialized a tablet, glancing at the screen for a second before handing it to Evernya.

“Hmm, so even I can’t get your full genetic makeup,” Meira commented.

Height: 160 Centimeters

Weight: 50.7 Kilograms

Sex: Female

Age: 19 Years

Race: Shifter-feline: Unknown type

Blood type: Unknown

Bloodline: Unknown (sealed)

“At Least we got your age, though not much else. It proves my theory you aren’t a true mana siphon despite having similar traits, nor are you a catkin.” Meira said while watching her kitten read through the readings.

Wow, I’m older than I thought. I thought for sure I was around fifteen or sixteen, but I definitely prefer nineteen. It can be so hard to gauge someone’s age by appearance alone, especially petite women like my new body. Evernya commented mentally.

After handing back the tablet, Evernya inquired, “How old are you?”

After a slight delay, Meira replied, “I think I turned 336 this year.”

Evernya’s eyes widened in disbelief. How could she be so old!? She looks to be maybe mid-20s! How hasn’t the world discovered us if we live so long? From what she said, there are a lot of us Magicals out there.

“If you don’t get physically killed, you will live just as long, maybe even longer,” Meira added to the wide-eyed catgirl.

“Wait, I am immortal!?” exclaimed an astonished Evernya.

Meira paused for a moment as she formulated an answer. “To be honest, I don’t know, but you should live at least as long as a normal shifter. Normal shifters live up to 200 years, while alphas can live to around 500 years. I am fairly sure you are an alpha since you don’t seem to have the drive to seek out a clan to join.”

After her explanation, Meira checked the time on the clock resting on the left nightstand before insisting, “I know you have a lot of questions, but it’s getting late. I think you should rest now. You are still healing from all your recent trauma. You are welcome anywhere unlocked in the house after you rest.”

Evernya groaned in pain, as if confirming Meira’s statement. She fell onto her back, unable to hold her body up as the high from her meal faded away, leaving her to deal with her sore body. Her eyes drooped as she struggled to remain conscious.

Meira gently lifted her kitten’s limp body before pulling the sheets back. She placed her kitten on the bed then tucked her in while making sure her tail was comfortably lying to the right of her kitten’s body.

Once satisfied, Meira left the room, allowing her kitten to drift off to sleep naturally for the first time in her new body.