The Spider Queen

(Planet Caorn- Jasimin Island)

(Mariena Hotel- Banquet Hall)

Sophie leaned back against the wall and took a small sip from the bottle of water in her hand.

She could vaguely hear the sounds of chairs being shuffled as well as light conversation coming from somewhere in the distance.

Cleo: [Feeling nervous? Have you met the other representatives yet?]

Sophie's lips curved upwards as she tapped on her wrist communicator and quickly wrote out a reply to her girlfriend.

Sophie: [Apparently the conference is starting in five minutes… I'm not super nervous but I can't say that I'm looking forward to it]

Sophie: [Also I haven't met the other representatives… I think that everyone basically stayed in their rooms since arriving]

Cleo: [Well best of luck! I'll be watching the conference livestream on the Virtual Net with Astrid and Qiana]

Cleo: [We got popcorn and everything!]

The hybrid girl stretched out her arms and let out a small yawn.

She was currently relaxing in a side room that was connected to a corridor that led the banquet hall.

The press conference was supposed to last for two hours.

The representatives of the Four Great Universities would be fielding questions from journalists and making comments about the upcoming tournament.

Sophie felt relatively confident about maintaining a calm and collected image.

She had spent last night getting a good night's sleep, so she felt both refreshed and relaxed.

"Let me grab a quick snack," Sophie muttered quietly to herself as she walked over to a table in the corner of the room.

The representatives did have to wait for the conference to begin so the hotel had placed comfortable sofas, chairs, and a table full of snacks in the side rooms.

Sophie hummed softly to herself as she reached for a box of chocolates in the center of the pile of snacks.

She peeled off the wrapping and took a quick bite. The smooth chocolatey layer of the treat melted away in her mouth and left a sweet aftertaste.

There was a small nut in the middle of the chocolate and a satisfying crunch could be felt as Sophie's fangs easily cracked open its hard outer shell.

Delicious…

Sophie finished off the rest of the chocolate sweets and then grabbed a fresh bottle of water to rinse out her mouth.

It would be embarrassing to go outside with bits of chocolate stuck between her teeth.

The hybrid girl unscrewed the top of the bottle and then poured its contents into her mouth.

She swished around the liquid in her mouth for a few long seconds and then swallowed. Sophie went over to a nearby sofa and then sat down.

Time seemed to move at a snail's pace as she waited for the press conference to begin.

The quietness of the waiting room was oddly unnerving since it meant that Sophie was alone with her thoughts.

What if I embarrass myself?

What if the reporters ask tough questions and I can't answer them?

What if…

Sophie closed her eyes and took in a few deep breaths. She silently counted to ten over and over in her mind until she could feel her heart rate slow down.

There was no use worrying or stressing about what to come. All she could do was be herself and the rest would take care of itself.

There was a soft knocking on the door which caused Sophie to open her eyes. The wooden doors slowly opened, and a woman dressed in a black uniform strode inside.

"Miss Peterlor… the conference is about to begin," the woman politely spoke as she bowed her head.

"Please allow me to escort you to the banquet hall."

"Thank you," Sophie curtly replied as she got up from the sofa and followed the hotel employee through the doors.

There was a long corridor outside the side room which led directly to the banquet hall.

Sophie walked behind the employee as she led her through the corridor towards a set of heavy metalloid doors that been painted in a nice deep blue colour.

The doors automatically opened, and the hotel employee nodded once and then gestured for Sophie to enter the room.

The hybrid girl held up her head high as she walked into a large open space and was immediately greeted by dozens of white flashes of light.

The banquet hall was around the size of a football field and a raised platform could be seen at the front of the room.

On the platform was a long table and four chairs. Each chair was shaped differently according to the body shape of the representatives.

Chairs were neatly lined up in orderly rows in front of the raised platform and Sophie guessed that there were around two hundred reporters in the room.

There were also men and women in body armour interspersed amidst the crowd to prevent any trouble.

Sophie walked slowly but gracefully towards the raised platform with a cold expression plastered across her face.

The hall was silent as the reporters were content to film or take pictures of the hybrid daughter of Duke Peterlor.

No one wanted to risk being kicked out of the conference for causing a scene.

This was one of the most high-profile events that would be played on news stations across the Federation.

Sophie noticed a chair that was lower than the rest but had a decent width in order to accommodate her blade-like appendages.

She sat down on the chair and waited patiently for her fellow representatives to arrive.

Fortunately, she didn't have to wait long as other doors across the hall opened to reveal her competitors.

A Servie boy with an unpleasant frown on his face zipped across the room and landed on the chair to her right.

He twitched slightly and Sophie observed using her enhanced vision that the veins on his hand were blue.

"Fuck… I shouldn't have taken that hit…" the Servie boy muttered under his breath as his fingers tapped rapidly on the table's surface.

He wore a light red uniform that had runic symbols carved into the fabric. The runic symbols glowed slightly with an eerie light.

Two beautiful translucent wings sprouted out from behind his back and his brilliant amber eyes had an oddly hypnotic quality to them.

The third person to arrive was a handsome young man with short blonde hair. He wore a dark navy-blue outfit adorned with precious jewels and gems.

There was ring on the index finger of his left hand that had the symbol of a black raven.

Sophie didn't like the arrogant look in his eyes as he confidently strutted up towards the table with his chest puffed outwards.

He smiled broadly at the cameras and posed before sitting down on the seat at the far-left side of the table.

The last door opened slowly, and the final competitor walked into the room with confident steps.

She was a human girl with dark red hair that fell down below her shoulders.

She wore a purple uniform that came with a long cape that was playfully wrapped around her lower back.

She was a cute girl with deep dimples on the side of her cheeks when she smiled and a small button nose.

But there was one aspect about her appearance that immediately stood out.

Her eyes.

She was blind.

Sophie felt confused as she watched the girl walk up to the table with eyes that were completely white and unfocused.

She did not appear to have any trouble navigating her way through the hall despite not being able to see.

Clearly Sophie was not the only one to notice as the blonde man raised an eyebrow and chuckled lightly under his breath.

"Damn a blind girl? Tantibus University really scrapes the bottom of the barrel…" the man muttered quietly.

"Wait… but… was she the representative? I could have sworn that it was someone else…"

While Sophie did not approve of the man's harsh words, she could not help but pay attention to the last part of his mutterings.

He was right.

The second-year captain of Tantibus University was supposed to be a Mendolesa warrior named Victor Abraham.

Who was this girl?

The young woman approached the table and then sat down to Sophie's left. She leaned back against the chair and her lips gently curved upwards.

"Nice to meet you," the girl calmly spoke as she held out her hand in Sophie's general direction with a clear intention to shake it.

"Likewise," Sophie politely replied as she stretched out her hand and gave the palm a firm handshake.

"And it was a pleasure to meet you two as well," the girl withdrew her hand from Sophie's grasp and addressed the two boys.

"Yes… it is indeed your pleasure," the handsome man smirked.

"I do advise you to be careful in the tournament. It can be very difficult for someone with your… 'condition' to fight properly."

If the young woman noticed the barbs hidden in Ryan's words, then she did not appear to be affected.

"Yeah… it's nice to meet you mate…" the Servie boy absentmindedly spoke as he tried his best not to faint.