"WE?! Are you sure you want to keep the bracelet?" I'm openly shocked.

Jane rolls her eyes and slaps me.

"Ouch! What did I say wrong? Isn't this deadly dangerous? I thought we'd do reconnaissance at most."

"Again, do not take me for a fool. If it were up to me, I'd lock you in the basement until the observer shows up. Unfortunately, the bracelet can be traced even in such a place. Get the point?"

"You talk like everyone will try to kill me simultaneously. Involving me in magical battles is a billion times more dangerous."

"Not everyone, but the risk remains, and it is great. Imagine I leave and five minutes later some mage attacks the house. Even better—several mages in an alliance. What would you do in that case?"

"Well... I'll try to—"

"And you'll die anyway. So stop showing off, from dusk till dawn you'll always be with me. This time is dangerous even by the rules. And this isn't up for discussion."

"Why not just refuse operations until the observer comes? That would minimize risk," I ask without hope.

"That would work, but only if all other participants also stopped activity. Every minute of inaction is loss of advantage. I've already noticeably slipped since I spent all night dealing with the bracelet, though I planned otherwise. Fortunately, the failure was partially compensated by killing the armored one. I have a clear plan for victory, I'm not going to deviate from it."

"So I'll have to roam with you every night?"

"Every night until the observer shows up. But today's battle is special, don't use it as an example. I have to take this bitch out right at the start since she's a major threat and will only get stronger as the Game goes on. Now's the perfect time to strike, while she's rattled from losing a strong ally. Other participants shouldn't be much trouble."

"And how will this look? I'll be on stimulant shooting at her witch hat?"

"Don't talk nonsense. We'll approach the location, I'll attack, and you'll either sit aside or carefully trail behind. Probably the second, alone you'll be vulnerable."

"Come on, really no other way? What if we both lock ourselves in the basement..."

I wanted to continue arguing but Jane's angry look killed the desire.

"We'll move out closer to night, I'll come get you. Until then you're free, take the gifts and drag them to your room. You can train somehow to be in shape. I'll be seriously busy here now. Don't dare distract me, and also—you are FORBIDDEN from leaving house territory," she pointed me to the exit and approached one of the shelves.

Gifts... great name. Okay, should be grateful she's even bothering with me at all. Clearly she could've chosen some easier path.

So as not to irritate Jane, I quickly put the ziploc in my pocket, grab the box, which turns out to be quite heavy, and head for the stairs.

Back in my room, I happily drop the box on the floor as my palms were going numb from its weight. I sit down on the bed next to it.

Do bullets become heavy from magic too? I wondered.

I flex my hands and open the box lid. Inside it's divided into two sections: in the first empty magazines lie in foam inserts, in the second—the bullets themselves, packed in rows. Visible that Jane took from here, but still many bullets remain.

From my experience I estimate total bullet count at about 400. Don't know how many needed for one shootout with a mage, but ideally should last about two weeks.

Wonder how long this Game lasts on average?

I take a bullet between my fingers. It really feels a little heavier than a regular 9mm, and a green circle wraps around the bullet itself. Must be the enchanted part.

I grab a magazine and load it up with 15 rounds. Then I realize I have nothing to put it in. I look around the room—the Glock is on the nightstand next to the closet. I get up and take it, amazingly the fight with Boar didn't leave even a scratch... Or Jane did some magic.

The magazine flies in. Since the pistol itself is not featherweight, the extra weight of the bullets is hardly noticeable. I really hope I don't have to shoot.

I return to the bed, put the gun beside me and take the instructions and ziploc from my pocket. Attention focuses on the latter.

Just five pills total, no particular weight felt, on detailed inspection can make out an engraved bat on one side.

Not so many, but definitely a lot for several days. As I understand, eating more than one equals death.

This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author's work.

Hmm, if I feed two pills to Zack, would that count as revealing the magical world?

I don't want to open the ziploc and handle the pill, it goes back in my pocket. Gaze returns to the box.

Wonder how getting hit by such a bullet feels? Would I take extra damage from one?

Suddenly a wave of sharp emotions hits me. I spread my arms and fall on the bed, mind fills with irritation and anger.

"I'm seriously thinking about how to kill a damn mage... How did it even come to this?"

Everything still seems like some drug dream or TV show character's life, but there's no confirmation of unreality. Ordinary life, which I considered pretty gray and boring, now doesn't seem so bad. Hope it hasn't ended forever.

Oh god, just hope this doesn't drag on long. I don't even mind memory erasure. Have to admit magical world laws are built smartly, outsiders shouldn't know about the crazy trash happening here, I thought mockingly.

My thoughts are interrupted by a series of notification sounds. Who writes like this—don't even need to think.

I reluctantly take out my phone and open chat with Lily. Three latest messages visible in the window.

Need to answer her or messages will be thousands.

"Hope this works," I reread the message, sent it and turned off my phone. Emotions surged anew.

Just don't die.

##

As midnight approached, I was still lying on my bed. Twice I went to the kitchen to get something to eat. Fortunately, Jane had bought groceries at some point yesterday. I'd also changed back into my usual t-shirt and hoodie.

The stream of thoughts gradually died down. Jane's words about how hard it was living with trash status kept coming back to me—but she hadn't broken, she kept going forward. I didn't want to wallow in sadness compared to her strength, to look like some drama queen in her eyes... or in my own too. I clearly got that showing any weakness was working against myself.

There was no more worry, only mild frustration and apathy. Accepting my helplessness, I began to count sheep. The last one was 1702, then my room door swung open.

"Let's go," Jane said calmly, "don't forget the gun and pills, waiting in the garage."

She immediately disappears from the doorway. All day I'd been dreading this moment with shudders, but in the end I feel only extreme laziness and unwillingness to deal with all this nonsense.

I sit up on the bed, look at the pistol and sigh. To hell with it all.

Ignoring spare magazines, I head downstairs.

The basement entrance had disappeared. Jane walked around her car drawing runes with red chalk on its sides. It's a dark blue Honda Accord from the dealership, bought by her for cash six months ago. Then she explained such money appearing as winning the lottery... guess she just successfully eliminated someone.

I'm not really into cars, but I've driven a few times under Jane's supervision. Desire to get a license, however, unlikely outweighs laziness.

What Jane was doing puzzled me.

"We're really going to a magical battle in a regular car?" I ask.

"How do you suggest covering 40 miles?"

"How many? Where are we even going?"

"To Emerald Oaks. Sure you know about this elite district. My familiar spies precisely located her main base."

I know right away where this is—Zack lives there, too. Let's hope we don't run into him, or else the regular fighting will be even more magical.

"I see... But still, isn't it too noticeable? You yourself talked about advantage and everyone totally watching everyone."

"You think I decided to draw on the car just for fun?"

"Uh... Yeah, what are you doing anyway?"

"These runes will protect the car from directed spells and create fog of war for other familiars. Recognizing us will be practically impossible, that's the main point. That bitch has eyes all over the suburbs."

"And Plan B?"

"I will have to fight earlier than planned. However, I'm sure everything will go smoothly."

She makes a stroke like an uneven triangle on the back door, tosses the chalk and whispers something. The runes shone for a second and smoothly dissolved.

"Get in. The spell is powerful but works no more than an hour."

She unlocked the doors and plopped behind the wheel, I settled next to her. Without buckling up, she starts the engine and floors the gas pedal.

"Forgot you drive like a maniac," I said, nearly flying into the windshield.

"Main thing is I drive at all, unlike some. Tell honestly, are you scared?"

"About your driving or trip's purpose?"

"If you're joking, nothing catastrophic then," Jane unexpectedly winked. "Main action will take less than ten minutes, obey me and everything will be fine."

"Easy for you to say. Fighting mages is, you know, slightly new for me."

"You got good experience yesterday in the alley."

"I was on adrenaline and didn't understand what was happening. At that moment it felt easier than now with all this knowledge. So it doesn't count."

"For a regular person you held out very long against such a powerful mage. Of course, no credit to you, that idiot just loved torturing opponents, but fact remains."

"By the way, why did you find me so late?"

"After school I went grocery shopping and sat in the basement preparing for Game start. I only went up to my room close to 10:30, wanted to activate the bracelet right away. First minutes I was in extreme shock not understanding what happened. Theory it was stolen by another participant immediately fell away since I checked the bracelet morning, and sneaking by unnoticed when I'm nearby is impossible. Then noticed the Glock was gone too, became obvious it was you. You didn't answer calls so I started magically tracking the bracelet by pre-placed mark. Showed same spot where you were and I immediately moved out. You were very lucky I made it just in time."

"Sorry, earlier I emotionally blacklisted you. But how did you—"

"Back when you were 8 I placed a similar mark on you to always win at hide and seek. When you're in my field of vision, it feels like weak energy waves coming from your direction. When you're far, I can create a kind of thread to you with a snap."

And how many more magical things I don't know about are hanging on me? I thought.

"Wow... In those glasses a weak dark tint overlaid everything. Is that the mark?"

"Yeah, its effect at micro level."

"So I'm only alive thanks to huge luck?"

"Exactly, physically escaping the armored one was impossible due to one of his abilities. So be glad."

"And if somehow my location differed from the bracelet's location...?"

"Why think about what didn't happen?" Jane said slyly.

Complete mess. My caution must be maximum, definitely won't get so lucky again.