The night of slaughter would not soon be forgotten. In every large city of the empire, important individuals and countless civilians were butchered like cattle.
The academies lost teachers and some of their most promising students. The church lost their apprentices and many of their priests. Both nobles and peasants of all five races had to bury their loved ones, their children.
In the following days, despite having the beast general’s backing, every last office of the adventurer’s guild was raided. It’s members were apprehended, interrogated, and tortured. Some of those responsible were identified, but many more went into hiding. As for those who had survived the raid, their lives would never be the same.
It was already the middle of the day when Annie and Finn came back to their senses. Annie was wobbly, like she hadn’t slept for days, while Finn had a large scar on his chest and was missing an arm.
“What… Happened? Am I…”
“Don’t move.” Annie dragged herself over, and while blinking furiously, she pinned the boy on his back. “Don’t move a muscle... And don’t you dare move your mana.”
After a thorough examination, she sighed in relief.
“He’s not going to turn?” asked Reina.
“No, but there’s no telling what might trigger it.” After a bit of hesitation, she put her hand on his forehead and released a pulse of mana into his brain, putting him back to sleep.
“I'm sorry. Reina, I can’t carry him. Can you?”
“No way, he weighs a ton.”
“Then, let’s wait.”
Annie fell on her back, exhausted. Finn’s so-called win almost got them all killed.
For the next hour, Reina battered her with a million questions. Too exhausted to lie, she revealed her abilities and made her swear secrecy.
“So, you’re like the hero of legend. I knew it!”
“No, I just like magic.” She gazed at Finn and furrowed her brows. “Reina, it would be best for me and Finn to not leave this place until he’s stable. This might take a while.”
“On it. I’ll get food and let the academy know we were attacked.”
“No, we’re in no state for an interrogation. Go to the Hunter’s dorm in the south-east, third floor, room six. Find Natalie Reed and tell her what happened.”
The pink haired mage nodded and rushed out of the two story house. On her way towards the dorm there were numerous guards speaking to civilians. Several tried to stop her, but after showing her family's crest, they backed off.
There were people dressed in black carrying human sized sacs towards the crematory, and third year students were using water magic on the streets and buildings.
Reina thought of asking what happened and what they were trying to clean up, but thoughts of a starving Annie made her press forward. She entered the dorm, nodded at the receptionist and rushed up the stairs. After stopping for a moment to catch her breath, she took a large breath and knocked on the door of room six.
There was no response. Reina knocked again, then she tapped, and when that failed she straight up kicked the door until its hinges started to loosen.
“Stop that.”
The girl turned her head and saw a nearby dorm room was open. In the doorway, a beautiful young man, with blonde hair and blue eyes, was giving her a scowl. “The girls are not in. Why are you looking for them?”
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“Yyy…yo…your sword scabbard. It’s all red!” With a squeal, Reina turned around and sprinted down the hallway. However, not even five steps in, the boy caught up lifted her by the nape.
“It’s been a long night,” he pinned her to a wall. “You’re Annie’s classmate, aren’t you? My name is Tommy, one of her teammates. Is she safe? Tell me, where is she?”
While Reina's cheeks were turned beet red, back at Nunac’s house, Finn was waking up once more. As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw Annie looming over him. Out of reflex, he pulled himself back.
“I won’t hit you again.”
“Are you sure? I'm pretty sure I'm still dreaming.”
He lifted his hands and they were both healed. He checked out his stomach, and the wound was gone.
“Yep, I’m definitely still asleep.”
Annie walked over and helped lift up his chest. She then cupped his face and said “Do not try to reconnect with mana, not yet.”
The girl crossed her legs and the boy followed. She placed a palm on his chest and closed her eyes.
“Can you feel it?” Annie shot a pulse of mana which reverberated through every inch of Finn’s being.
“Why didn't that knock me out?”
“Focus. Feel the energy coursing through your body but do not attempt to control it. Observe it, like a child watching her mother.”
“A child watching what?”
“Mana is your mother. It is no different from your mother’s mana, a piece of her energy which she gifted to you.”
Finn closed his eyes and observed the sea of blue inside his body. Tiny waves and ripples of energy passed between his cells, sometimes exiting the body completely, other times converging into pools of power.
“But how do I use it?”
“Would you use your mother?” Both teens frowned. “You do not control this energy, you are under her care. If you’re in danger, she will protect you. If you really need her help, then she will help you.”
“Ok, I see what you’re trying to say, but logically…”
“Forget logic.” With her free hand Annie flicked his forehead. “Logic will not strengthen your bond. Your relationship with mana must be built with feelings.”
“Emotions,” Finn muttered at almost the same time. “So it was this simple…”
“Feelings aren’t simple!”
Finn almost opened his eyes. Somehow, he knew the expression Annie was making: ‘Frustration, hidden worry.’ The boy smiled and placed a palm on her cheek. He then pulled her head, rested his forehead on her own, and whispered “I know. I’ll do my best.”
[Inside Madam Isabella’s office]
The old woman was sitting behind her desk with a hand on the table and a sharp stare. Across from her, Michael was looking anywhere but into her eyes, while Natalie was pacing behind him, left to right.
“Children, I do not have all day. If you know anything…”
“I don’t,” said Michael while staring at the ceiling.
“He doesn’t!” huffed Natalie and continued her march.
The old director tapped two of her fingers, but before a flame could emerge, she sighed and canceled the spell.
“I too was young once, about a century ago. There were fewer rules back then, and I broke most of them.
Do you remember what I said before you left for Trident? You are my children now. I will not punish you for breaking a couple of laws, but I need to know the truth: Why were the assassins after you? When have you met them prior and what happened then?”
Natalie stopped walking and instead crossed her arms. Michael’s lips started to part when something glowed from underneath the director’s desk.
“What now?” Madam Isabella pulled open a drawer, grabbed a purple crystal and placed it on the table. She considered for a second whether to dismiss the children, but she decided to activate the crystal anyway. As soon as she saw the person who appeared, she regretted it.
There was a man in his twenties flying through the sky. He wore long, silver trousers, a black shirt, and a silver jacket. His hair was green and short. As he exited a cloud, droplets of rain gathered on his purple earrings, on the glowing, snake shaped medallion around his neck, and on the huge bow covered in purple crystals which rested on his back.
“General, where are you going?”
The boy did not talk.
“You are the one who called me. General Sylph?”
“I thought I told you to call me Junior.” The boy clicked his tongue. “I’m going to pay Hudson a visit.”
“General Daccar? That would be ill advised.”
“I don’t care! Cousin, there is movement in the south, it can’t be a coincidence. Organize your students and await my command. While I deal with the bull and the foxes, I want the academies to scour the empire and get to the bottom of this.”
The image disappeared and the crystal lost its shine. With a complicated expression, Madam Isabella dragged it back into its drawer.
While resting her forehead in her palms, she muttered “This meeting is over. Go, and prepare for travel. It seems your mid-year assignments will arrive early.”