Tuesday, March 13.

All space was an infinite abyss filled with warm water. I floated gently through the pitch darkness, not knowing who I was or where I was.

Thoughts didn't exist, dead silence reigned, interrupted only by quiet whispers, barely audible at the edge of consciousness. It seemed someone was nearby but not in physical form.

The whisper repeated one short word. After a series of falls into unconsciousness and returns back, I could make it out—soon. For some reason, recognizing it brought euphoria.

It was unknown how long this had lasted and how long it would continue. The world seemed frozen in this cycle of emptiness, until suddenly a small point of light appeared in the distance, which slowly began to expand, chasing away the darkness...

##

I opened my eyes sleepily. Soon I realized that I was lying on the bed in my room, wearing the t-shirt from yesterday's date. The front door was open.

I carefully move my limbs and body: nothing hurts, creaks or is broken.

Phew, just a trashy dream. Probably yesterday I never recovered from burnout, forgot how I got home and dreamed all this, I thought relaxing.

The sun is at its peak, meaning noon. Time on my phone confirms this—12:47.

I realize that I completely slept through school. What's surprising is not that fact, but that Rob and Sharon couldn't get through to me. And they clearly tried.

But no, most surprisingly, for some reason Jane didn't kick me out. Had something changed, or had she accepted my stubbornness?

After a good stretch, I sit on the edge of the bed, the mattress creaking. A second later, there's a rustling in the hallway that quickly turns into footsteps, and Jane appears in the doorway. She's wearing strange glasses with turquoise lenses strapped around her head. She has a dark fingerless glove on her right hand. Her expression is typically haughty.

"Well, are you going to kick me out?" I ask sarcastically. Jane raises her glasses to her forehead.

"Unfortunately, this is now pointless and impossible. Things were going perfectly, but you screwed everything up so masterfully that the situation is one of the worst. You have no idea how much shit you've gotten yourself into," she replied coldly.

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"Can't you guess yourself that everything's fucked? You were almost ground into mince by a huge freak in armor. If I hadn't found you in time, you'd already be feeding rats. Or is something like that normal for you?"

Suddenly it was like lightning struck me. The recent relaxation was gone in an instant.

"That wasn't a dream?!"

"Really wish it was, but no. Nothing was imagined. Why the hell did you start rummaging through my things? You fucking don't understand what you've done."

"But I only stole the gun and ammo. Objectively, I needed them more," I try to grasp onto rational fragments of her speech.

"Not just the pistol and ammo. You took something that now makes you a target for murder by about a hundred people. And each one represents a deadly danger to you."

"Uhh...?" only now did I process everything she said. "Wait... so you're that crazy shadow who chopped up Boar? What nonsense?!"

Sense of reality wavered again.

"Yes, I smashed that asshole. I must admit, I'm partly grateful to you—according to my information, he was allied with my main enemy. His death hurt that scum's position. Still, you're a complete idiot."

"But what did I do? I don't understand a word you're saying," her gratuitous insults arouse mutual aggression in me.

"Ah, where to begin... Well, as you saw, the world isn't as simple as it seems. There are things hidden from ordinary people. One of them—magic, and—"

"Are you sober? What the hell mag—"

I interrupted her but couldn't finish—Jane extended her hand and I felt the familiar evaporation of oxygen from my lungs. I collapsed on the bed, gasping for air.

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"Don't dare interrupt me," she said irritably. "Do it again and it'll be much more painful."

"O-okay..." I backed off, not wanting to test her, even though my brain was screaming at the impossibility of what was happening. "So what about your magic?"

"It exists, you have to accept that. Besides, many people possess it, including me. How else can you explain what happened last night?"

"Fine, let's say I believe you, but... I still don't understand anything. Why did you hide this? And most importantly—what target for murder?!"

"Normal people shouldn't know about the magical world. And if they find out, the law prescribes immediately eliminating them and reporting to a certain place to cover tracks. I hope I explained clearly."

"You have to kill me?!" I asked with absurd intonation.

"Formally yes, however we're in a very unique situation. Even if it's revealed that I broke the law, it won't affect me in any way. So relax."

Hmm, yeah. If she wanted to, she would've finished me in the alley... Damn, how did it come to me thinking about this in context of my own sister?

"Is the unique situation somehow connected to yesterday...?"

"Yes. Ironically, I was essentially forced into all this because of you. And you ended up getting hit," she suddenly laughed.

"Because of me?"

"Actually, you should also have been born with a sensitivity to magic. But due to some incredible bad luck, you were robbed of it. This was the starting point for the breakdown of our family and all the shit that followed."

"Parents were mages too?" I suggested. The word magic still made me laugh.

"I'm glad you understand obvious things. Yes, magic genes are inherited. And now it's time for you to learn about the strict social hierarchy of our world. Absolutely every mage has a 'status', which consists of factors such as personal power, origin, reputation, prestige, place of birth, clan activity, and others. It has three clear categories: lowest, also called trash; middle, also called normal; highest, elite. Status determines everything in your life, limiting or allowing opportunities. It's important to note that status can be gained or lost, but if you end up at the bottom, it's likely to be for life. There are many things that can bring you to the bottom. For example, birth of a non-mage in a magical family."

"Since you and parents are mages... What are you hinting at?" I tense up, though I understand what she's getting at. Nevertheless, everything said still seems like nonsense.

"Exactly—because of you the family's status dropped from middle to trash. Such an anomaly is considered a sign of magical gene degeneration. For this same reason dad left us, so the status decrease wouldn't affect him. Unfortunately, he succeeded since he and mom weren't officially registered as married. This was the reason for her depression. And also why I grew up isolated from normal mage society, since trash isn't accepted."

"If everything's like that... Are you now confessing intense hatred for me?" I literally don't know what to answer.

"No, you didn't choose anything. Who I really hated was dad. At the first opportunity I made him answer for his betrayal," she smiled. I didn't want to clarify how.

"Uncle too?"

"Yeah, I'll deal with him later. To prepare for that I wanted to send you to him, so he'd relax."

"This is all bullshit," I fall onto the bed, my head buzzing. "So the genes just degenerated all of a sudden? And you and mom suffered because of a little thing like that?"

"I didn't exaggerate about the strict social hierarchy. Though I don't know if something really degenerated or it's just plain bad luck. You have about 0.004% magical energy, which still distinguishes you from a normal person. However the difference is so insignificant it might as well not exist."

"Okay... But what's the connection between all this?"

"It's considered impossible to rise from trash status, but some methods exist. The most accessible—though most dangerous—is provided by the Magical Federation, the highest authority in our world that controls all major organizations governing the continents. Officially called the 'Tournament of Honor,' but everyone knows it as 'the Game.' It's held every four years across all continents, locations picked at random. Put simply—all low-status mages are offered a chance to participate in a massive death battle. If you're in, you get a special bracelet marking you as a participant. No turning back after that. You get a month to prepare, then on the set day you activate the bracelet and the Game starts. Only one person wearing a bracelet can remain—that person is declared winner and elevated to elite status. The Game has strict rules though, with an observer from the federation monitoring everything and 'disqualifying' rule-breakers. I'm sure you've figured out I decided to participate since it's being held in our city. Now you get why I pushed you to leave home."

"You mean you seriously decided to risk your life for some social approval? Jane, are you sane? Why couldn't you just forget about it and live like a normal person?" her revelation only emphasizes the absurdity of the system to me.

"Don't think I'm stupid," she snapped. "You don't understand what status means. Without it, I can't even get a job baking magical cakes. Besides, no academy will accept me or any organization, not even the most trashy one. And with my talent, I could reach incredible heights. Only status prevents this, and that's why I won't give it all up. I'm aware of all the risks, and there are none for me. Mainly various weak rabble participates in the Game, winning won't be any trouble for me. This is the easiest way."

"Don't you think you're too overconfident? By your own words, you have to kill about a hundred mages."

Suddenly Jane laughed.

"John, where do you think our money comes from?"

"You work as a waitress evening shift...?" I answered uncertainly.

"Do you really think that pittance would be enough to maintain a whole house?"

"Well..."

"I'll reveal another secret. Status blocks the possibility of baking magical cakes, but skills are valued not only in the white zone. Since age 14 I also work as an elite hired killer and bodyguard, I even have a nickname."

"Very Creepy Shadow?" I blurted randomly and laughed nervously. Seems today I can't be surprised anymore.

"Just Shadow," she corrected. "So don't doubt, I know how to kill."

"Okay... But what does this have to do with me at all?!"

"That when you were rummaging under my bed, you put on my bracelet," Jane said roughly.