Novel Re:Paranoia!

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Synopsis: Asylums. Narcotics. Forbidden love. And a whole bunch of mad hatters ready to plunge the world's magical underbelly into unrepairable mayhem. Fortunately, nothing is ever too hard with a system backing you up—especially when your moral values are skewed, and the only enemy standing in your way to the top is time.

Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Harem, LitRPG, Mature, Romance, Supernatural

Tags: Anti-Hero Protagonist, Beautiful Female Lead, Brother Complex, Charming Protagonist, Depictions of Cruelty, Evil Organizations, Game Elements, Handsome Male Lead, Incest, Love Interest Falls in Love First, Magic, Male Yandere, Modern Fantasy, Obsessive Love, Persistent Love Interests, Polygamy, Psychopaths, Ruthless Protagonist, Weak to Strong, Yandere

Warning: Gore, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Incest (eventually). You have been warned.

Link: Scribble Hub


ToC:

Spoiler

Chapter 1: Paranoia!
Chapter 2: Some Things Never Change...
Chapter 3: Mana Circuit
Chapter 4: Rainey
Chapter 5: Gravewall
Chapter 6: Broken Dolls
Chapter 7: The Die Has Been Cast
Chapter 8: Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe
Chapter 9: Psychophatically Talented
Chapter 10: First Spell: Mana Orb
Chapter 11: Dancing With The Devil
Chapter 12: It Could Have Been Worse
Chapter 13: Akashka Society
Chapter 14: Quest of Redemption
Chapter 15: It Was More Fun in Hell
Chapter 16: Spring
Chapter 17: Success
Chapter 18: A Pharaoh’s Biography
Chapter 19: Pharaoh’s Flame
Chapter 20: A Spell to Rule The World
Chapter 21: Humans Were Never Meant to be Divine
Chapter 22: What Makes Your Heart Beat
Chapter 23: Out of The Cocoon
Chapter 24: We're in This Together
Chapter 25: Guilty Pleasure
Chapter 27: Ashy Petals

 

Chapter 1: Paranoia!

Spoiler

Smoky clouds corralled to fog up the last golden pencil-thin streaks of a dwindling sun. The weather forecast had positively claimed a sunny and cloudless day ahead; that was not to be, apparently. Newspapers were gunned left and right as the wind galloped rampant through the cityscape, and children were forced to scramble back inside their homes.

Jered couldn't care a whit about the brewing storm, even less about the hustle and bustle of his neighborhood. School had just finished choking down his throat another dose of everyday minutiae; masked by promises of success in life and some other kind of bullshit he never bothered to listen to. Honestly, he'd pay more attention if they taught something useful instead of spitting down his brain dates upon dates of past events that would never make it into his curriculum.

Nowadays school's cultural-based knowledge could only push you that far, and that push was a half-hearted one. He certainly didn't need to know how to analyze the form and the structural semiotics of a poem to make a good impression at a job interview. And he'd rather be taught some god-forsaken law at school, instead of memorizing word by word the entire history behind the constitution.

And that piece of paper at the end was just a document stating you were an obedient student, not an intelligent one.

A thunderclap cracked overhead as the cluster of urban racket died off to the sky's raging symphony.

He rummaged inside his jacket, a tinkle from clattering metals ringing out as a set of keys were siphoned out and inserted into the keyhole. Jered stepped in and shut the door with a bump.

The house's archetype silence greeted him. His mother, Jane, must have been still working, he mused. Not surprising. After his father's tragic passing, the household's economy suffered a dent, and now they were barely scraping by. There were no inheritances to speak of—besides the less than generous amount in his savings deposit account—and no close relatives willing to dish out their own money to help them.

So the poor woman—God bless her—had to roll up her sleeves and put twice the effort to provide for them. Thankfully, Jasmine, his dearest sister, and himself were more than apt at taking care of the house's chores. However, instead of growing closer through hard times, it felt more like they were slowly drifting apart. He stopped paying attention when she engrossed herself in pursuing her teenage dream at her friend's house. He never understood why she put a wall between them, but he had no intention of tearing it down.

Which was why she was hardly ever at home. Dressing up her feelings with clothes and friends had done the trick for her. She had probably found a family in someone else, a little utopia to hide the stains of a dysfunctional family. It was disheartening to see Jane's faltering smile when she had to see her daughter leave for so long, only to sleep under the loving embrace of another family. He resented Jasmine a bit for that; she should have known better than hiding away somewhere else, leaving behind an even more tangled mess Jane was trying so hard to unknot.

He entertained the thought that if he wasn't so empty inside, he might have found respite in some odd endeavor as well, just so he could escape from those suffocating walls that reeked more of a prison than a home. And in a sense, it was fine. Because it was his prison, his cage, his purgatory.

There was no need to wear a mask when he was alone.

Jered traipsed up the stairs and shambled to his room. He chucked his school bag against a corner somewhere in his room; left to be unattended until the next morning. He loosened out an exhausted huff before heading towards the bathroom, where his reflection stared back at him with all the apathy of a teaspoon.

His life had become this: a quagmire of boring moments that wouldn't have been out of place in a black and white moving picture. God, he wished someone would shoot him and make him feel some adrenaline because he was about to go crazy. It was like having claustrophobia, a tapping in the back of his brain that was getting impatient, and he wanted nothing more than doing something stupid so he'd feel alive, or maybe something noteworthy so he'd feel above everyone else. Whether it was for the good, or for the bad of others, he wanted to be special. His father would have understood; they had the same mettle.

It was such a handicap being ambitious for the wrong purposes, in a playground that limited his methods. At least he had still a long road ahead of him before old age pinned him down a bed, otherwise, he would have not been there postulating about his boring life. Instead, he would have been somewhere else, still postulating about his boring life, but with a gun pointed at his head.

He splashed cold water against his face.

No... suicide was for the weak-minded. People wore that excuse as if it were a new trend.

Jered yanked himself out of his daydream and waded towards his bed, where he crashed face down into it with a muffled groan. Yet another day would have gone by uneventfully... thank God his life wasn't a movie, or there would have been no one there to watch it.

[Welcome to Paranoia!]

The sudden hue of light swathing his face disturbed his unplanned afternoon nap. He swung his eyes back open, ready to lash out a long string of expletives... only to come face to face with a square-ish hologram.

[Downloading files: 1%]

[It will require 6 hours and 28 minutes to complete the download. The system advises you to sleep in the meantime to hasten the process.]

"I would have kept on blissfully sleeping if you darn alienish oddity hadn't woken me up!" he unconsciously hissed.

Of course, yelling at his hallucination would have not made it go away. Jered was relatively acquainted with such symptoms, and he wondered if this time it was due to his BPD friend's medicines whom he had borrowed from. She rarely used them anyway, and he stopped shortly after too.

He used the heel of his hand to rub the last vestiges of his somnolence away. Those overlapping screens were still hovering a few inches from his eyes, and in reaction to that he just cocked an eyebrow up, "Oh not again..." he took a long and heavy breath, as if savoring something abstract yet unmistakably familiar to his sensory apparatus, "Hmm... cancel download!" he ordered.

Nothing happened, of course.

Jered tucked his legs underneath the weight of his body for more comfort, his hand slowly flitting forth to touch the screen—but as he had been already expecting, it just phased through. There was not even a ripple or a feeling, "Hmm..." well, shit. What now? There was no magical word to make it go away, at least he had not found one yet. He careened his neck forward, and licked it. Honestly, the last time something like that happened, the smiley face staring at him blushed when he defiled it with his penis. Good times.

No taste made its way back, not that he expected it to. It would have been fun watching the screen in front of him turn red in embarrassment though.

"Whatever..." with his newfound novelty winding down into plain boredom, his face restored its unflappable and cold exterior. He sagged back on his bed, wholly uncaring of the glowing inmate close-by. It would have gone away on its own, given enough time. And if it didn't... well, the nearest asylum was twenty minutes' worth of walking if he ever wanted a change of scenery. He took another long breath, and slowly snored away into his dreamscape.

The moonlight trickled in as a flurry of hail whacked against his windowpane, orchestrating soothing drumming when the rain pelted against the glass, and tottered when a rather strong thunderclap raged out. It was just a background reminder that the weather was still going on, and showed no sign of simmering down.

[Downloading files: 99%]

[It will require 2 minutes and 14 seconds to complete the download.]

Jered had been awake for a while now, fiddling his time away by leafing through his social media's baloney. All his friends had an account there, with a substantial amount of followers. And of course, his sister hadn't been bailed out of the quandary of selfies and noteworthy poets and writers' quotes as well. He guessed it was a sort of teen-like social stigma to categorize the most outcast ones from those that followed the trend like a sheep.

Not that he could blame them, he had an account as well. But in confront to his peers, his homepage was comparatively lacking. No videos or selfies, only a short streak of photos where he was tagged in. He started scrolling down and down and down... his thumb dragging itself up across the screen as a bevy of images and posts flashed past, his eyes filtering through emblematic attention-whores and self-entitled assholes. Until a particular update halted his finger.

It was from his dear sister. She and Alison—aka her best chum—were doing faces to the camera. Jasmine's blond hair was bundled up in a ponytail, and she had her greenish eyes locked down on her nose to make the sight even sillier. Alison, instead, was hugging her from behind with her eyes squeezed shut and her tongue stuck out.

Despite the poor-lit setup, the image's quality did nothing to curtail their beauty. In fact, the selfie had already gone over 100 likes.

"..."

He always thought of himself as free of mundane emotions. Jered never understood how someone could feel guilty, sad, or depressed to the point of suicide. Even the tiniest of lies could make someone cower behind a sheet of guilt for a long time. Lies were necessary; 'you should never feel bad for twisting the truth into something people can bear and not crumble down under its weight', his father was a master in that field. That's why he frowned. Sometimes he felt something... but it was so faint, so feeble, and so tragically out of his grasp that it made him feel uneasy. Was he lying to himself, or was he so devoid of emotions that he translated any sway of mood as something more?

Jered hummed. Should he like her selfie or not? His sister had never been bashful about it, barraging likes on every photo that had his name cited on it, and he felt the need to reciprocate that. His train of thoughts suddenly slammed on its brakes when the delightful beep of a microwave sounded out next to his ears.

[Paranoia! has been successfully installed!]

[Congratulations on having been chosen as the System holder! You can access it by saying the command 'Menu'. Some features are currently locked, you may use them as you slowly become stronger and complete quests. Be mindful of not leaking Paranoia's existence under any circumstance!]

 

Chapter 2: Some Things Never Change…

Spoiler

"Oooh-kay..."

Jered chewed the inside of his cheek as he dragged his eyes over. The newly-arrived hovering interface turned up with a beeping sound in its starter package. Additionally, the content inside was doing a poorly copycat job of these newfangled game ads that had been popping up on the internet lately. With a deep and peeved groan, he started scrutinizing the screen, and aside from that last intimidatory reminder at the end, it felt like his brain was trying to hoax—or worse, scam—him. The only thing missing was the voice with a stereotype thick foreign accent trying to wheedle him into giving his information away.

Well, there was not much to do anyway.

He cast a glance at his neglected phone, whose screen had already gone black from the temporary disuse. He wanted to at least put a funny comment under Jasmine's selfie, if just to rile her up a little bit... and look cool while doing so. His father had always strong-armed nihilism and confidence in him, and as he grew up, he developed a humoristic view of the world. 'Life means very little in the grand scheme of things, son. For fuck's sake, break that scheme.', John had told him enigmatically. 'Truth belongs to those who seek it... and if you can't find it, make of your lie the truth everyone else will seek.'

Jered could still remember the ghost of a smile on his father's face—a longing chuckle just beneath the surface. John was the ubermensch Nietzsche would have been proud of. A true superman. He wondered if his mother and Jasmine had ever noticed it, not that he was any better. He was still trying to find the scheme the man had so wistfully spoken about. It was a week before he died. A week before things fell apart. A week before Jered had his first nightmare.

'Hell is empty. All the devils are here...'

He shook his head, and with that last internal battle winding down, he crammed his quandaries into the backburner of his mind, "Menu."

[Status] [Library] [Limbo]

A new interface scrolled down before his eyes.

Those things had a reactionary response to vocal commands. That was certainly not what he had expected. Jered was a bit floored, the source of the problem eluded him. And it was not normal, not even for him—and he could easily write a book about his idiosyncrasy. His brain might be having its jollies by hornswoggling him like that, probably out of a vindictive streak from all those pills he ingested. In his defense, he was still alive. Not that it was a good excuse, but who cares? Definitely not him, so his brain shouldn't either.

But no, that smelled way too fishy to be a by-product of his vengeful brain. He narrowed his eyes and pressed on, "Status."

[Name: Jered von Jacobs]
[Age: 16]
[Race: Human/? ]
[Class: - | Type: - ]
[Title: - ]
[Rank: - | Unlocked Veins: - ]
[Magic Density: - ]
[Mana Pool: - ]
[Soul: Mortal | Average]
[Sin: - ]
[Mandatory Quests: 0/4]

He studied the values, attempting to understand their esoteric connotations. And besides some of his personal data, everything else was fairly ambiguous. Most of these terms were making no sense. Was he supposed to somehow fill them in with numbers and letters? He didn't want to shape up an erroneous theory to base his future judgments on. Damn, he still couldn't believe it...

[I see you have already started getting acquainted with the system!]

Jered blinked at the screen. This one had shown up on its own.

[Mana is the groundwork of any world, and also the best attribute to prove your strength with. In light of the fact that you'll need every ounce of power you can get, we have adjusted the system to better fit your mindset.]

Another notification sprung up out of nowhere, and it seemed perfectly au courant with him and his actions.

[We have endowed you a library feature to better aid you in your endeavors, avoiding all that asperity of learning skills through good old hard work. You'll have to come in contact with a skill book for it to be consumed by the Library. Of course, relying too much on free meals will not make you powerful, be mindful of that. To prove yourself worthy of Paranoia! complete the mandatory 4 quests. After that, the Wheel of Fate will choose your class. The 'Limbo' feature is currently unlocked. Do beware that failing the trials will erase any and all of your memories of the system.]

All of the prompts closed off once his eyes read the last line. He wetted his lips and fell into deep ponder, stuck between attaching a weight to those screens and running to the nearest wringer to get his brain thoroughly scanned. It didn't feel like tomfoolery. And unless he had fallen victim to a prank staged up by a bunch of extraterrestrial creatures in some uncharted corner of the Milky Way—only to humor their masses through their equivalent of the internet—he couldn't come up with anything else.

He still chortled at the thought; that wouldn't have been that unwelcoming, all things considered. Maybe he could become an influencer there.

[Let's get you started with your first mandatory quest!]
[Quest of Kindness: Your mother is getting back home, fatigued, and carrying with her another day of hardships. Prepare her a sumptuous dinner to show her some goddamn loving, unfilial host.]
[Reward: Mana Circuit]

"Oh wow, don't get your virtual panties in a twist, system."

Jered chewed his bottom lip in ambivalence. Lighting up the screen of his mobile showed that it was indeed almost time for his mother to be back. He was no expert cook, but he had enough experience to pull out something edible and fairly decent... and, why not? He was quite famished himself.

"Also... don't ever take that tone with me, or I swear I will fill your library with Literotica."

Jane von Jacobs, mother of two, assistant secretary for a small company in Alabama—and to whoever asked, a knockout lady still in her prime, thank you very much—was beyond riled up. No, she was incensed. No, scratch that, she was unquestionably and absolutely furious. For all of her god-given patience, she just couldn't put up with Brad McNair, the quintessential office sexual harasser, one of the most stereotype perverts she thought existed only on third-rate movies... until she met him, that is.

The only good thing was that, while her situation strongly resembled a cliché drama series, Brad didn't actually hold any true position of power in the company. So his veiled threats and cheesy flirts were nothing but farts, and despite being harmless, nobody would be pleased to catch the whiff of a particularly smelly fart. And ladies and gentlemen, Brad was a nasty one, Jane could acknowledge that even in a court. Hell, once or twice she considered suing him only for his ridiculously thick eyebrows; those monstruosities should have been illegal.

She heaved a deep sigh as she pulled back the handbrake and got out of her Mini Coupee. They used to have a bigger and more exquisite car, when her husband was still alive. With the financial problems that jabbed at her from all sides after his death, she was constrained to trade it up for a smaller one and use the rest of the money to pay off debts.

Jane's heels clacked against the softwood flooring, her face scrunching up from the ache her poor feet were weathering through. Going around with such footwear daily was literally doing a number on her. Screw work's clothes code! Screw her job! But most importantly, screw Brad! No, wait. He'd probably 'like' that.

She dragged a hand across her face, failing to get rid of her weariness, or some of her anger, "Ah, to hell with it." she snorted, tugging her feet out of her heels and letting them dangle by the hem of her fingers. The pain abated a bit, much to her relief. Now barefooted, with only her pantyhose cushioning her steps, she strode forth.

"Mom?" her son's voice wafted from the kitchen. She paused. The kitchen's glow cast a blanket of light on the shadowy hallway she was in, and the hodgepodge of noises from within was like the only sign that her house was not dead—not completely, at least.

"Jered?" Jane called back, "What are you doing?" she sauntered inside, and the sight made her arch a shapely eyebrow up.

Jered pulled the faucet lever on the sink down, and the running water tapered off. He turned around and dried his hands with a cloth, "Oh, you know... cooking."

Her eyebrow went even higher as she delivered him a 'duh' sort of look, "I can see that, honey." her eyes then scoured over the exquisitely set up table, to the pots and pans over a low flame, and then back to him, "You must have been really hungry to actually not wait for me. Is your sister not coming back?" she asked as she sank down on a chair, rubbing her left calf.

"No, she's not. Alison and her mother must have persuaded Jasmine into staying there for another week or something, yet again." he turned off the fire and hummed to himself.

"Be nice." her tone was supposed to be chiding, but the twinges of her sadness still reverberated through, "They're being awfully kind to be taking care of her so much."

"I guess." he nodded thoughtfully, "At least she looks happy."

Jane smiled ruefully, not that he could see with his back turned, "Yeah..."

The conversation ended, and Jered poured spoonfuls of rice over his and her plate.

"Curry?" she bit back a smile as she took long sniffs of the spicy aroma in the other pot, "That's my favorite! How did you know?"

"I know, Jasmine knows, our dear neighbors know, gosh, even Jesus knows. The smell must have reached heaven before we could stop it. Our whole neighborhood should be throwing money at me and Jasmine for stopping you at that time, or you would've kept making it every day." he chuckled at the resurfacing memories, "We were so nauseated by eating curry that even saying its name out loud made us flinch. Jasmine aptly called it 'The-Food-That-Must-Not-Be-Named'... I hope you realize how serious the situation was."

"It was not that bad," she mumbled defensively.

"It wasn't? You need a memory check mom, let me explain things to you." he rolled up his sleeves and sat down, "You do remember that supermarket a few streets away? The one that closed down a few months ago." at her nod he continued, "Well, I overheard their cashiers whispering about the 'Curry Lady' that'd come in and buy the same ingredients every day. And then, of course, things took a tragic turn when Halloween came around and you became a horror tale to them. It was so ridiculous that somehow you became both a joke and a legend among their circle. And I don't even know how many horror stories they based on you."

She gasped overdramatically, "That can't possibly be true. I'm sure they were just talking about my beauty." she whipped her hair around to add to her point.

"Mom..."

"Just kidding." Jane chuckled behind her hand, "I know, that was a rough phase of mine." she poked her food around a bit, the ghost of a smile gracing her face, "But it was a funny one. You and Jasmine took control of the kitchen and you'd shoo me away every time I tried to step in."

"And then it all snowballed into a warzone." he supplied theatrically, "You were so obsessed we were kinda starting to believe those tales, mom. Not to mention that the smell of curry permeated the house for quite a while. Jasmine had to spray all of her Louis Vuitton perfume to make the air breathable again."

She smiled, and it was a reminiscent one. A smile that concealed all of the thoughts and memories and good stuff...

Jered brought a forkful of rice and chicken into his mouth, his attention glued on that smile, and everything it contained.

Some things never change...

[Quest completed.]
[You have been awarded a Mana Circuit]
[Do you want to open the reward right now? Y/N]

... but maybe, with a little help, life would start looking up—or look even more down. Who knew. Jered was in it for the thrilling joyride anyway.

 

Chapter 3: Mana Circuit

Spoiler

Jered's hand slid aimlessly along the stair's parapet as he walked up. The house was curtained by a flimsy veil of darkness, and sometimes he wondered whether it was a concurred decision of saving energy, or if they had an uncanny penchant for living like bats. His mother was still in the kitchen, he realized. Probably indulging herself in some form of self-hating introspection and leftover pastries. She had a sweet tooth, and as of that evening, an embittered heart.

It had never been easy, in a certain way. Not for him, for her, or Jasmine. He never lied to himself, but lies were what shaped his life. Pretending to be normal—when every little nightmare in his head hid behind a smile—was slowly eating away his patience. He hated it. That's why he sought some form of entertainment; it was the only medicine he knew that didn't involve pills. Drugs could get you high up, and then plunge you down way deeper than you were before. It was never a permanent solution, certainly not for a 16-year-old teenager.

Jered wanted something more in his life, something more substantial. Higher than any drug, better than every carnal pleasure.

Jane would probably choke him if she knew what kind of man her son was turning into. His father would have been more lenient, instead, but in no way less threatening. He'd take him out to meet some prostitutes and drug-addicted riffraff from the slums, and show him what life was ahead of his path. John never raised his voice at him, he never screamed, he never beat him. There was no need to, the cold truth would have hit harder than any of his slaps.

Then his parents would have started quarreling over how they had to educate their children.

He quietly closed the door of his room, "Fuck it." a faint throbbing in his head led him to the bathroom. His hands clutched the cold vitreous of the sink; his reflection staring back at him, for the second time that day. Wonderful. Jered opened the cabinet, eyeing the disarray of empty vials that were once stocked up to the brim with colorful pills of happiness.

Jered had promised himself that he wouldn't touch that stuff anymore, that it was all a shadow of his past, and anything related to that past had to stay there. But ghosts from the past never truly die. They cling on you, feeding off of you when you are at your lowest. And he was always at his lowest.

'Don't smile like that, son. I know. I've been there before... you'll end up cutting yourself with that dagger you hide.'

Sometimes he could hear his voice too.

"Ah, sorry, father. I forgot..." he huffed out a chuckle and smiled. His hand then lashed out and swatted the vials, barraging them all over the floor in a cacophony of cracks. His back slowly slumped down against the wall, and his eyes kicked off a staring contest with the immaculately white tiles of the floor, bewitched by something visible only to him.

The square-ish holograms were still floating close-by, constantly pulsing with an ethereal glow. Jered wetted his lips and gazed up. It was all supposed to be temporary entertainment for him, a passing vagary because he had nothing better to do.

[Reward: Mana Circuit]

[Would you like to open the reward right now? Y/N]

"Yeah yeah, open it..."

A bright light spawned to life, and he recoiled in surprise, almost hitting his head against the sink in the process. The miniature sun fluttered in circles around him, like a shy firefly too scared to approach. It pulsed with warmth, and it was only when the light started leaking a trail of sparkles all over his body that the shit hit the fan. There was a loud thump against his ribcage, followed right away by an ever-quickening and painful hammering. His heart was racing against an unknown enemy, and the aftermath was pouring out a liquid fire throughout his body.

Jered bit back a scream, and any attempts at standing up ended with him unceremoniously crashing back down. He thrashed around, his hands trying to hold onto anything to release the pain, to soothe his torment. The veins on his temple bulged out, his face reddened. It was as if there were a swarm of insects partying inside him, crawling over his insides with their tiny legs and disgusting appearances, tearing his muscles apart and eating his guts.

He felt nauseous, but he couldn't muster up the energy to puke.

It was at that point, when the black swirl of oblivion was tugging at his mind, that—

[Your Mana Circuit has been successfully forged.]

—the pain stopped, and his ebbing consciousness was thrown back inside its container. Jered coughed, dragging a hand across his lips to wipe away the saliva. His skin was clammy with sweat, his chest heaving violently. Not out of pain, but out of its memory. A wisp of something cool stirred inside him, like a refreshing breeze under the scorching hot sun of July. It was so pleasant that he didn't dare to move, least that sensation vanished and left him feeling empty.

Unfortunately, all good things come to an end.

The coldness of the floor settled in on his damp back, and he frowned at the jarring contrast between the temperatures. With his mind sobered up, he pushed himself back up—or at least, he tried to. He laid a hand on the wall for support, staggering a bit as he did so. It was then that he caught the whiff of something. He would have chalked it up to his sweat, or probably some weird tang wafting from his medicine cabinet or the washstand. It smelled way too odd for that. He couldn't even remotely pinpoint its source. It was not unpleasant... just peculiar, and strong.

He wrinkled his nose, and as quickly as it came, the weird scent was gone.

Jered blinked. Then, to make things more baffling, his Status Window popped up in front of him on its own. This time the originally blank spaces had been filled up with something. He would have passed it off as nothing to worry about, but the pain had been real. It was not a hallucination. Or maybe it was, and it was his brain's masterplan all along to make him believe it was not. Then again, it might have been not, and he was making a paradox out of nothing but his needless paranoia.

[Name: Jered von Jacobs]
[Age: 16]
[Race: Human/? ]
[Class: - | Type: - ]
[Title: - ]
[Rank: Neophyte | Unlocked Veins: 1]
[Magic Density: 1]
[Mana Pool: 50]
[Soul: Mortal | Average]
[Sin: - ]
[Mandatory Quests: 1/4]

However, right before he could postulate more about the newly-altred status screen...

"Jered, you okay sweetie?" his mother's concerned voice tinkled out from behind the door.

Taking a couple of seconds to tone down his surprise, and wave the screens away, he answered calmly, "Yes mom, I just stumbled down, that's all." he scampered around, clustering the empty vials on the floor into a big pile, before throwing them in the bin.

"I see..." her tone was so soft he almost missed it, "Erm... have you talked with Jasmine today?"

He fixed his hair and splashed a bit of cold water on his face, "No. I've hardly talked to her lately. She's like a ghost, sometimes she's here, sometimes not. It all comes down to your luck." not the right words to say, he realized; nonetheless, on topics such as that, there was never the right thing to say. It was all a choice between which one hurt less. The lesser of two evils, so to speak.

"That is an accurate description." her giggle was so hollow it almost brought a grimace on his face. Almost. "Well, hopefully, I'll have some girl time with her tomorrow. Her birthday is approaching."

Jered let the silence hang for a while, "Yes, it is... isn't it?"

"Ah yes! My baby girl is slowly turning into a beautiful adult woman... I can already see the day she'll bring a fine young man home. Your father, unfortunately, won't be there to see that, so you'll have to put up your 'protective brother' mantle and be there for her."

"I'll try not to scare the poor soul too much."

Jane's giggles became more spirited, "You better not." her voice had restored some modicum of happiness. It was a topic that had many a mother dream fondly of the big altar. The white decorations. And their daughter professing the vows of eternal love. Jane was not any different. "And one day we'll see your marriage as well, of course... well, if God allows me, that is."

She was being a bit sappy, but Jered sympathized with her. She was trying her best.

"Of course mom." he assured, "I just don't know what to get her..."

"Anything that comes from your heart will be fine..."

Heart. He didn't have one.

With one last look at the mirror to confirm he had spruced himself up decently, he turned around and quietly opened the door. Jane was leaning on the wall, chewing on her bottom lip while staring through space. There was still some make-up left on her face, and her blonde hair was loosened into a half-bun. She smiled and faced him. It was just a slight tilt of her head, to anchor him within her sight and keep staring ahead at some distant memory.

"Anything will be fine, okay?" she reiterated.

Jered found himself nodding apathetically, "Okay."

"I want to throw her a surprise party, like in the movies!" she bent her head closer to him and whispered conspiratorially, "Don't tell her anything, okay?" she made a shushing gesture for emphasis.

"Duh..." he smiled, "I'll help you."

"Haha, fabulous!" she returned, "Hmm, I'm gonna hit the hay then... uh, you look a bit pale, are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm peachy." Jered chuckled, "Nothing broken, just a bruise that'll go away in a few days."

Jane regarded him with that mother-look that could see right through anything.

"I'm fine, don't worry." he insisted, "You look weary though, you should go to sleep."

Her face scrunched up a bit before she finally conceded, "Okay..." she stepped forward and enveloped him within her arms, her hand soothingly going up and down his back. It was more to soothe herself than him. He could see it in her eyes. "Good night, sweetie." she gave him a last gentle squeeze on the shoulder before trotting off.

"Good night."

Jered turned off the lights and hit the bed. The pale moonlight trickled in, allowing him to barely make out the outline of the furniture in his room. He stared at his phone, at the pic of his sister still on display.

Why couldn't things ever be normal for once? Maybe it was better this way...

He shook his head and closed his eyes. The information on his Status Window still bugged him, but that was a problem he'd deal with another time. It eventually took him hours before sleep blessed him with its magic. That was just another Friday for Jered von Jacobs, albeit one that would prove to be anything but.

 

Chapter 4: Rainey

Spoiler

That kooky smell lingered at the tip of Jered's nose yet again, waking him up in a bad tune. He frowned and pinched his nose shut, and slowly clambered out of his bed. The sun had already climbed up to the centermost seat in the sky, overlooking the underneath cluster of urban activities.

He proceeded to splay the windows wide open, just in time for a morning breeze carrying the remainder of yesterday's storm to swoop inside. The fresh aroma of ozone the rain left behind dampened a bit that odd tang permeating his room. Thankfully the smell didn't stick around to further test his patience.

A quick glance at the clock told him that he had overslept, and that his mother had already headed off to work. Jasmine instead was at her friend's place, and would not be coming back until further notice. He was alone. It was the kind of movie-esque situation where he could throw one of those mind-blowing parties that'd involve alcohol, scantily-clad underage girls, and a massive lack of common sense. It was not that uncommon for underage girls to get pregnant, after all. It was all in good faith.

He was almost tempted to do it.

Jered took a minute to let his eyes catch up to the fact that he was awake, rubbing them for good measure. The memory of last evening swirled around his hazed mind, life-like and crystal clear. He could remember the pain, and the mystical feeling of being infused with magic. Was that even magic? He didn't feel magical at all. Maybe it was a gradual thing...

He munched on his bottom lip for a bit, contemplating on his next course of action to take... oh right, how silly of him!—Gravewall Mental Hospital. That has always been the answer to his quandaries. A quick visit to a certain someone to rekindle their friendship was in order, but more than that, it was a hazardous journey into the kingdom of the mad hatters to stockpile his prized elixirs. He might need them, or perhaps not. It was all about the safety he'd feel if he had them. It was amusing how he kept going back to the same place he swore to never be admitted in. It was his self-inflicted curse.

With a clear goal in mind, he washed and got dressed properly before striding downstairs, and after grabbing some breakfast on the fly, he was out of the door. Jered traversed the streets leisurely, sauntering around the peaceful neighborhood he lived in. The atmosphere was one of normalcy, happy families, laughing kids, and all the lies that'd never leave his house. He passed by Jasmine's friend's house, the Cruentus Family. So perfect were they, so kind and so false. They were an even bigger lie than the Jacobs.

He shook his head, pulling the hem of his black jacket straighter against the chilly wind. Sometimes he felt like he was the only one that could see past people's smiles, or maybe he just refused to see anything else besides what he wanted to. Ah, perhaps he was just in a philosophical mood. Gosh, the last thing he wanted was to become like those angsty girls and post daily quotes about life and love on his social media. That was Jasmine's job.

Eventually, his stroll came to a conclusion when he arrived at a bust stop shelter. It was a bit out of the way, but it was the nearest one. He tucked his hands inside the pockets of his denim jeans, disinterestedly looking up. The sun had lost some of its former radiance as stray rain clouds marshaled around it. He looked back down, and waited patiently.

Cars sped by back and forth, with no trace of the bus he's been waiting for. He had the whole day to do what he set off to do, so its delay wasn't really a problem. Meanwhile, the wind picked up speed, and the overshadowing clouds boded the forthcoming rain. The National Hurricane Center had leaked the news of a hurricane en route towards the east coast. And while Alabama wouldn't bear the full-blown hit of the storm, the climate was still severely affected.

"Excuse me, has the bus to Eastford Avenue already passed?" a strong rush of that familiar odor slammed on his face with all the subtlety of an elephant in a whorehouse. His nose twitched in reaction, prompting him to shoot a glare at the source, who turned out to be an elderly woman with the strap of an umbrella hanging from her forearm. She smelled as if she were bathed in that stuff. Maybe sensing his annoyance, the lady smiled apologetically.

"Not yet." he started, "I only hope it won't run too late."

"Yeah, that would be most unpleasant." she sat next to him and tucked her hands upon her lap, "If only the weather was a tad bit nicer..."

Jered let her know his utter disinterest in holding any sort of communication with her by grunting out a hum of approval. The old lady though seemed to have different plans.

"You don't have an umbrella, do you? You'll get soaked once it starts raining..." she sighed remorsefully, "Hmm, you're also taking the same bus as me, right?" her soft tone carried a certain hint of something that had him finally making eye-contact with her.

He was caught off-guard by the surging interest brewing in her not-so-old blue eyes. Her face was stretched by the passage of time, with wrinkles framing the edges of her eyes and mouth, yet she had this tangible aura of youth around her, as if she had never truly grown up. Like a kid trapped in an old body.

"So it seems..." he muttered, still flooded by question marks. "There are only a handful of buses that stop by here, and considering the time, the one that is currently coming is indeed headed for Eastford Avenue." it was such a pointless question.

She nodded with a slight tilt of her head—and at long last—zipped her lips. And while Jered was grateful for the restored peace, he could feel her occasionally sneaking glimpses at him. He didn't mind, but there was something about her that triggered his fight or flight response. It was ridiculous. She looked so frail he could definitely see her being swept away by the oncoming storm... yet, she looked so graceful and composed for someone of her age, strong even.

He couldn't understand why. It might have been her eyes, they were as reassuring as they were scary, as if a wolf slaughtered a lamb and tried to wear its skin. And now she walked around with a face that was not hers.

"Are you okay dear?" she asked when their eyes locked onto each other.

"Yeah..." he said quietly, "I love this kind of weather, but it has the side-effect of making me think too much."

"Ah... yes, I agree with you. I'd enjoy it even more behind a window though, I don't fancy getting drenched."

He could see past her smile.

Eventually, the whistle of the bus pulling on the brakes squeaked out. He loosened out a sigh as the doors folded back, and allowed the passengers to step out. The vehicle eventually emptied out, and Jered climbed inside, as did the old woman.

"This will be the last ride for the day," the driver announced from the front-end of the bus, "I've just received notification that the weather is about to get really nasty, so you better not stay out for long. Hah, why not tell me earlier? Those from the Nation Weather Service are drunk, I tell you. Another hurricane? God loves and hates America." and then he proceeded to grumble something else that was lost on them.

"Hmm... I really hope this won't be as bad as the last one." the lady shook her head ruefully, "What do you think about it? I mean, global warming, pollution, and everything..." she swiveled around and looked up at him.

He didn't feel like joining in on a supposedly in-depth conversation about the world's problems and the like; it was way too early in the day for him to cogitate about those things. "That Earth has a bad case of stomach-ache due to all the shit we fed it, and now that we're smelling the stink coming out of it, it's too late to clean this whole mess up. At some point, Earth is going to flush us all away into space..." so he settled for a wisecrack while plugging in his headphones.

The lady stared at him for a moment before she creased up in throaty chuckles, "That's silly!" she kept shaking her head with that elderly smile that'd convince even god himself that she had nothing but pure intentions. "You have a weird sense of humor, but I like it. Thank you for the good laugh."

He nodded, indicating that he heard her despite the music blaring in his ears.

"What's your name may I ask?"

Jered knew that it was senseless avoiding a conversation with her. She seemed to have a purpose in talking to him, so he let her do all the talking.

"Jered."

The lady smoothed her skirt before sitting down, beaming at him, "Hello there Jered. I'm Rainey, pleased to make your acquaintance."

"Likewise."

Rainey hummed to herself, and all of a sudden her entire demeanor did a 180-degree turn. "Sooo... tell me..." she started while peering out of the window, where little pearls of water began pelting against the windowpane. Jered shifted his eyes upon her, "... tell me... did you perchance feel weird lately? Like a sudden pain, dizziness, or... abnormal changes... you know, things you can't explain?"

He paused the song mid-way and fully concentrated on the old woman, "Why? Is there a virus around or something?"

"Oh no no no," she waved her hand as if the sheer logic behind his statement was amusing, "Nothing like that. But sometimes youngsters tend to do something very foolish, don't you think?"

Jered pressed the button for the next stop and nodded along with her, "I agree... nowadays teenagers act more impulsively. Might be hormones, a new trend, or some sort of hijinks. Who knows?"

"They're not at fault though, are they?" Rainey continued on morosely, talking more to herself than anything. She didn't even register his words. "Most of the time, they just don't know what they're getting into... so they think it's fine if they do it, that the worst that could happen is a slap on the wrist. However," her tone softened, and by that time Jered had already stopped staring at her, he already knew her next words. "...some actions have consequences that do not care about their age. And... and it's like this hurricane, you know? You don't truly feel it until everything around you start crumbling down, and you lose everything."

 

Chapter 5: Gravewall

Spoiler

The bus eventually slowed down to a stop, and Jered chewed over her words. He could walk out now, and avoid her line of questions, but it would not solve anything, instead, it would just strengthen her suspicions. It was like slapping a big 'I DID IT' on his forehead. No, they were not even suspicions, she firmly believed in her words, as she if he had seen first-hand him swallowing those pills. She didn't look like she wanted some shallow revenge though, so maybe he could sit back down, and see if he could turn the cards around.

There was no need to escape.

"I mean... I'm not condemning you. Actually, I'm just curious about the results."

Jered titled his head slightly to the side, just enough to give her a sideways look, "Pills? Do I look like someone who'd do such a thing?" he rolled his eyes for emphasis.

"No, you actually don't. But I know you did. Arya is not particularly sneaky in her attempts to hide the pills under her tongue." Rainey simpered with that sweet and kind voice of hers. She was not stating an opinion, she was stating a fact. "Come on now Jered, stop with your foolhardy behavior, I'm old in body but young at heart. I've seen plenty of misbehaving kids and adults alike. Your tantrums are childish... and completely out of place." her lips moved up and down slowly, as if to allow him to savor every single syllable that came out of it, "You're just another puppet trying to cut its strings... with the wrong tools."

Jered fixed her an impressed smile, "I'm going to recommend that last aphorism to my sister for her next post on her social media. I hope you don't mind." he shook his head with a resigned chuckle. "So, who are you exactly?"

"Just a caretaker that is a tiny bit concerned about her stolen resources. Do you have any idea how much I had to spend to have those pills developed? I could have bought your life, and still have some money left for a coffee." Rainey yammered on like a grandmother lost in her own thoughts. "You took something that normal people can't even begin to imagine. And now I'm broke! Of course, it's not entirely your fault, but you're a thief and I'm angry!"

Of course... the system might have been related to those pills, or at least they played a big role in triggering its activation. Did Rainey want it back? Pfft, like hell he'd hand it to her. But no... she didn't seem to know about it. She even asked about the results, which meant that those pills had an aleatory effect, or perhaps they were never supposed to grant someone such a game-like interface that could interact with reality. It was most definitely a problem now that he knew how all of that chain reaction started.

In his defense, he didn't know the shit he was getting into. He looked at the opened doors, at the grim weather outside, and at everything that'd happen once his choice was made. It was so impulsive of him that he visibly frowned, but then again, he was a teenager; that was his lame excuse. Maybe he could get away with just a slap on the wrist, after all. Moreover, something was urging him to go down that rabbit hole.

"Oii, kiddo. Aren't you getting out?" the driver's voice cut through the tension, "I don't have all day."

Jered turned around, "It seems this is the wrong stop, sir. Sorry," he said.

"Aye aye, it's no matter. Just don't press the button casually, I already get that every day. God knows the hassle I gotta go through to feed my family..."

With that, the whistle blew out as the bus hit the road yet again.

Jered flopped his butt right next to Rainey, the latter scrutinizing him with a twinkle in her eyes. "Don't look at me like that. It doesn't look like a wise choice... I know," he stared at her with all the honesty of a robber in a bank, "But hey... a man's got to take risks. Also, I feel like we could become good friends. We do have that sparkling chemistry."

"Bullshit. Well, I have no intention of intimidating you or anything. Instead..." she stated whilst taking out a chocolate bar from her purse, "Want one?"

"I've been told not to take candies from strangers."

"Oh? Fair enough..." she unfurled the plastic and nibbled on the sugary goodness inside, "I just can't have enough of this..." it almost put a frown on his face when she melted into low grunts of delight. It would have not been an issue per se if she were quiet—or if she were 20 years younger—but she didn't show reservation and kept her moans so high it prompted the poor driver to cough a couple of times. Who knew what lecherous images were rolling down the driver's head now, especially with Jered being such a young man.

"You're making the driver uncomfortable... he's probably thinking that I'm your chew-toy."

Rainey smiled like a kid, with crumbs glued on the corners of her mouth. It reminded him of children who were unable to eat anything without smudging the food all over their faces. The contrast was so jarring it physically hurt him. "Oh, you generation z have no sense of humor." she swallowed the last dollops of chocolate and chortled, "Anyway, what do you think about working for me?"

"Working for you?" he parroted as he sent a wary glance her way.

"You stole something precious, you have to pay for it. Also, as far as I can see, you did obtain something out of that reckless stunt."

"Technically, I didn't steal it. I asked for it, and it was handed to me willingly. Arya is the one who should be punished for her profligacy."

"Oh no, don't be a smart mouth. You should be kneeling down and thanking whatever god you believe in, because I'm going out of my way to be nice to you."

"I'm touched by your magnanimity, why don't you allow me to help you cross the road next time?"

"Fuck you."

"Yes, sure. But I want to be paid for it."

Rainey wore a mischievous grin that was not fit for her old face, and her misbehaving hand started tip-toeing across his inner thigh, before giving his crotch a soft squeeze. "Are you sure?" she purred. That was so, so wrong coming from her.

"Hey, where do you think you're touching!" Jered whisked himself away from her hand, "You have to marry me first, pre-marital sex is a bad thing. Also, I want you to sign up for life insurance."

"Oh boy, you'll drive me crazy. I already know it." her voice was so subdued that he knew she was mentally waving the white flag.

"You already are crazy, Rainey, I'm just helping you become sane."

The bus sped away after dropping them off at their requested location. Jered had an unwilling frown etched on his face, while Rainey was humming quietly along the way.

Gravewall Mental Hospital.

Those were the words printed atop the steel gate in strong characters. The infrastructure didn't have a gloomy atmosphere around it like in the movies, instead, it looked more like a cozy mansion surrounded by greenery. It was not the first time he had been there, not if the amount of pills stolen could testimony to that.

"I reckon you know the way from here, right?" Rainey started, "I have a small thing to take care of, but I'll be back right away. Oh... and don't you dare steal again, I swear I will rape your mind, body, and soul if you do that again."

He just nodded in reply. "Sounds good to me."

She gave him a superstitious stare before trotting off.

Jered walked up to the gate and waited. As if on cue, after a soft click, the gate automatically opened itself. He wandered through the short pathway to the main entrance, where a psychiatrist was quietly smoking a cigarette. A thunder cracked out overhead as the wind rushed back and forth, sweeping fallen leaves and rainwater everywhere. The raging weather would have been the perfect background for a movie reaching its crescendo, with him the clueless victim about to walk into the devil's den.

"You know... we aren't supposed to smoke. Something about an old geezer thirty-odd years ago abruptly lashing out at the caretaker of that time. A sniff of too much and cheap booze had made him high-strung." the old man blew out a puff of smoke whilst giving him a friendly smile, "So a ban has been lifted up. A funny story. Well... It's been quite a while since you last came here. Feeling lonely Jered?"

"Ah Jerry, I don't know what I could ever do without your wrinkly ass around here. Also, weren't you the one who lashed out at that poor soul?" Jered returned with a chuckle, "It's a biblical mystery how you managed to wind up working here after that."

"Can't help it if the crazies here love me."

"Yes, I'm sure they do. You smell of sperm and unwashed balls. Have you been bedding them?"

Jerry huffed another ring of smoke, and replied with a frown, "Who did you take me for, lad. Of course I've laid some of 'em asses." he then flicked the butt of his cigarette away and leaned down, "Let me join you in on a secret. Most females here, co-workers, nurses, patients, are always in heat. There's nothing to do here but to stare at a wall or get freaky under the bedsheets, heh. And I gotta say, between them all, patients are my favorite. They're just so... I don't know, weird and daring and wild."

"Wow... would have never guessed that..." Jered said in faux surprise, "How do you even keep that sort of rhythm at your age?"

"I just smuggled in some elixir, if you know what I mean."

"Ah yes, I'm glad you finally committed yourself to do some exercise. It's all smooth sailing from here on. Now, if you excuse me, I have somewhere to be." Jered patted him on the shoulder, and walked inside, "Don't lose yourself too much in promiscuity, sticking your dick in crazy is a big no-no if you're not fond of having a knife constantly hovering near your nuggets."

There was a loud raspy chuckle that followed him before the main entrance closed.

 

Chapter 6: Broken Dolls

Spoiler

Asylums were not a place to seek comfort or warmth, and most certainly not a place where love was the slogan behind everyone's smiley faces. White walls, long and narrow corridors, and that one janitor always bustling around mopping the floor. No, asylums were a prison for people with a prisoned mind, the ones that couldn't escape from their own bubble of happiness and lunacy. If you were sane, then you'd definitely wind up insane working there. It was the Alcatraz for the innocent; the dangerous innocent. Once in, never out. They might as well have put a sign atop the gates that read 'Abandon all hope, ye who enter here'.

However, Gravewall was a bit different in that regard. It had taken a different approach from its bygone sisters of the past, all of them chopped out one after the other by the constantly updating laws. No, Gravewall adapted to the evolution of psychotherapy, and thanks to substantial funding from the government of that time, everything came to life. Patients with severe disorders were able to somehow tread through a bit of their life peacefully, receiving sittings with the institute's psychiatrist and plenty of colorful pills.

Jered navigated through the maze-like corridors with honed familiarity. Eventually, a nurse noticed him and smiled sweetly, "Oh, if it isn't Jered. It's been a while since you last visited." her white uniform was conservative, showing that the general attire for a mental hospital hadn't seen particularly modernization since the 60s.

"Nancy, beautiful as always I see." he returned with a chuckle.

She giggled behind a hand, the other one busy holding a basket with neatly folded clothes within. "I've hadn't had the opportunity to pretty myself up for a long time. I always feel like I'm slowly losing my femininity. It's nice to hear a compliment or two once in a while."

"Jerry's been leering your behind more than he wants to admit. If you bat those long eyelashes of yours at him, his heart will leap out of his chest and right into your hand."

Nancy giggled again, twirling a chock of her greying brown hair around her finger, "I know, he's been making advances on everyone. So, are you here for Arya?"

"Yeah, how has she been?" he asked as he resumed his trek towards his destination, Nancy at his side. "I'm the only one that comes to visit her. It's so saddening that she had to be dumped here and then cast away by her relatives."

"I know... her parents called only once after her admittance, and it was to make sure she didn't cause too much of a fuss. After that, they vanished. We never managed to contact them again." she caught her bottom lip between her teeth in frustration, "A lot of patients here don't even understand the situation they are in, but those that do become bitter and angry at everything and everyone, isolating themselves even more."

A chorus of girlish screams suddenly wafted from a room nearby. "Oh not again!" Nancy hastened her pace—almost sprinting into a jog—to the location the noise was coming from. Considering that they were in the female-only district, no presence of males, besides the staff, was in that specific building. Jered followed her quietly, his hands tucked inside his pockets.

The constant buzz of the television's news anchor droning on and on was overlapped with shouts and the hodgepodge of different voices talking to each other. Needless to say, it was total chaos.

"I said give it back you whore!"

"Nooo, it's mine!"

"Whore! whore! whore! Giveeee it baaaack!"

The ruckus they came to was almost escalating into a fight. Nancy had an admonishing frown etched on her face as she surveyed everyone involved, but then said frown flickered to mild acceptance. "Donna, Annabelle! Stop right now." the vehemence in her voice didn't go ignored as silence ensued. But it was short-lived as a cross-eyed girl with short hair voiced out her indignance.

"The whore stole my doll, Nancy! She... she doesn't want to give it back!"

"This doll is mine, Donna! I'm not giving it to you." Annabelle cowered back with her lips puckered out, holding for dear life onto an old worn-out barbie doll that had its creepiness magnified by the lack of some limbs, "Stop behaving like this, you're scaring me."

Nancy forked her hips and stared them down so hard it begot another bout of silence, "Sit down. Both of you."

Although Donna seemed to have more bullets to fire, she meekly acquiesced along with Annabelle.

"Is this the way to behave in front of a guest? Aren't you girls embarrassed?"

They stole a quick peek at Jered before apologizing in unison, "I'm soooorry Nancy."

"And..." the nurse prompted them to go on.

"And..." Donna looked up and begged, "Nancy... that doll is mine, please."

"W-What... no no no... Nancy! Nancy! It's mine! It was a birthday present from my mom before she died." Annabelle almost yelled in a dramatic fashion. "You don't really believe her, do you? We all know she likes lying!"

"And we all know you're an attention-seeking whore!" the cross-eyed girl shot back, "You're so annoying! I hope you choke on Mason's sperm and die!"

"Wh-What? Nancy, did you hear her? Oh my god... I can't believe you just said that!"

"Oh please, drop your act. You're not daddy's little princess anymore! Grow up!"

Annabelle's face shifted constantly, wholly thunderstruck by her friend's hurtful words. Her eyes glassed over with tears as she sniffed, and with indignant fury, she hurled the doll towards her friend before stomping her way back to her room with a last childish insult, "Bitch!"

Nancy held her forehead in exasperation, "I'm sorry you had to witness this, Jered." it was not unusual for quarrels to pop up every now and then, and while most of the time they were silly in nature—easily containable if she raised her voice loud enough—other times they were not. It was stressing to know that it'd only take a small distraction, a slip-up, and someone could be injured, or worse, killed by one of the girls due to a mood swing, plain pettiness, or jealousy.

"It's okay." he waved her off, "I'm sure you're used to seeing this every day."

"Not used enough actually. I need a break and a pay rise."

Jered chuckled good-naturedly, "Why don't you just quit then?"

"Quit?" her face scrunched up as if the taste of that word was particularly bitter, "And where'd I go? I've been here for years... I'm... I'm not sure I could handle another job with a sane mind, without worrying about medication time, controls, and treating everyone else as if they're not mentally screwed and ready to stab one another at a moment's notice. No, no... I don't think I could put my heart into that. My place is here, with the girls."

"I see." he nodded thoughtfully before breaking into a cheerful smile, "Well, I'm going to see Arya if you don't mind."

Nancy replied with a smile of her own, "Sure thing. As for you Donna, come with me. We're gonna have a little chat about this."

A displeased groan was the last thing he heard as he headed off to his friend's room.

Arya liked to think she was the sanest one amidst such a herd of broken dolls. Of course, to wind up there you had to at least have some gears out of place, but so far she was confident to be the most functioning one in that pothole. It was a nice and cozy place all considered, sure. Not her idea of paradise, but it was close enough.

The hubbub from the common room was grating on her nerves, especially when she just wanted to enjoy her music in peace. Pushing the cushion of her earbuds deeper in her ear cavity, she turned up the volume a little. With a satisfied sigh, she leaned on the stark white wall behind her and started counting the raindrops racing down her window. Today they had an outing to a nearby shop scheduled; it was supposedly a rare event so everyone was understandably giddy. Unfortunately, the weather was not cooperative, so they had to postpone it.

She preferred it this way, to be honest. Like hell she'd go around the town with a rowdy bunch like that, only to fake surprised gasps at the little things she missed out on her entire life and then be expected to feel grateful at these assholes for the opportunity given. Nuh-uh. She'd take music and books in the comfort of her bed any other day over that.

A soft knock on her door disturbed her inner dialogue. If it were anyone of the staff, they'd have already barged in after the first knock. "Come in," she said, unplugging her earphones.

The door creaked open and a handsome teen walked in with a smile, "Sup." his posture was straight like a javelin, and he sauntered around the room like he owned the place.

Arya thinned her lips into a line, "Jered..." she struggled with herself on whether to throw something at him, or spring up on her feet and hug the life out of that opportunistic bastard. "I thought you were in prison for sexually harassing little girls or stealing lunch from that one blind kid at your school."

"I'll give you a call when I end up stooping at such a low level. Maybe they'll put me in here with you." Jered's smile grew in size as she huffed out her annoyance with a roll of her eyes. It was definitely an enjoyable sight that of her delicate face—strongly accented by her Philippine's heritage—twitch ever so slightly in displeasure. "So, how have you been?"

"Meh... okay, I guess? It's not like you can get any better here. They just want to make sure we don't get any worse." she draped a bare leg over the other, and let her stylishly pedicured foot dangle in the air as she studied him, "Are you here for more pills? You have to wait for a couple of hours still I'm afraid."

Jered's mouth twisted into something that looked like a pout and a grin, "Well, that was my initial plan."

"But?"

"But... things happened."

"Explain." she wrinkled her nose at him.

"I've had the luck of making the acquaintance of a lovely old lady that talked me out of it, that's all."

"Wow..." Arya leaked a chuckle in disbelief, "Just... wow..."

Jered sat down on a chair next to her bed and shrugged, "She was a persuasive orator."

"I'm gobsmacked, this is... wow... wait, gimme a moment to calm down." she crossed her legs in a meditative pose, and heaved in a deep and theatrical breath.

Yet another amusing reaction. Man, he loved messing with her. "It's okay though. I had committed myself not to take that shit again... it really messed up with my head for a while." he chortled, "And I have a long track of things I gave up on after setting my mind into doing something that was not self-harming in some way. I'm no good with commitments."

Arya let some of her long black hair slump over her left eye, and regarded him with a stare so intense that it would have leveled any weak-hearted man, "I know, that's literally your catchphrase."

"Any respectable man ought to have one." he replied promptly, not at all bothered by her 'I call bullshit' look. "What? It's true."

"Pleeeaase, as if you're any more respectable than the dirt on my shoes." she fired back with a tinge of amusement, "But tell me, how was this old lady like?" her black eyes glowed in interest.

Jered adopted a 'lost in a far-away memory' expression as he sagged himself further back in the chair, humming, "Well... you know those old women that go to the church every Sunday morning?" at her nod he continued, "Now, add a touch of a nosey neighbor here, the scowl of an overprotective mother there, and the scent of a pedophile in menopause as the icing and boom! You've got her."

"Haha, I kinda want to meet her."

"You probably already know her." Jered grinned, "She does seem to care a lot about her little dolls."

 

Chapter 7: The Die Has Been Cast

Spoiler

Jered chit-chatted with her for the next dozen minutes. While his original mission in going there had been carjacked by Rainey, his indignation eventually tempered off as the clock ticked by and the conversation went on. Then that sharp smell cropped up out of nowhere, and he was almost left seeing red. His patience was being tested, and for a moment he considered taking a blunt object and smash his nose into a bloody mess. Arya stopped talking and pored him over, "What's up? You look pale..."

"Can't you smell it?" he returned with a question, frustrated at the constant odor following him around, "It's so strong..." not to mention persistent. It was as if someone was playing with a switch, or turning the volume of television up and down on a whim. Sometimes it was there, right under his nose, tickling his anger. Some other time it was like he was hallucinating all along. Needless to say, if that kept up, he'd be doing something stupid very soon.

"Uhh... smell what exactly?" she sniffed a bit around her, trying to locate the source of her guest's discomfort, but nothing came of it, "It's pretty clean here, I mean, at least my side of the room is sparkly. I can't speak for Chloe." she finished with a shrug, defending her territory from any suspicion of dirt or funky smells. It was amusing, in an endearing way.

"Nevermind..." he raked a hand through his hair, "I think I'll go out and take a breath."

Arya was having none of it—if her expression was anything to go by. But just as she was about to make a fuss, a strong knock echoed inside the while walls of her room. It was at that point that her features went from a scolding mother to a royally pissed off teenage girl that had her joyride interrupted. It was not every day that she could laugh like that, and Jered's visits had become far and in between. Her rage simmered quietly underneath the surface of her stoic mask.

The door was swung open, and in entered a smiling Rainey and a couple of nurses. One of them was holding a small glass of pills, with an ever-present Chesire grin stitched on her face. Her porcelain skin and smokey eyes would have not looked out of place in a run-of-the-mill shop that sold haunted dolls. "Medication time, honey." Arya was so sick of hearing that. It was all about medication, and she was never even told what those little things were for.

There was a bit of hesitation in her hand, but a raised eyebrow from the nurse killed off any shred of defiance she was stewing inside. "It's for your good, come on..." her voice had an underlying challenging flavor that dared her to refuse. Arya didn't want to find out what'd happen, so she reached out and took the proffered glass. Meanwhile, Jered's vertigo had reached an all-time high, something that didn't go unnoticed.

"Oh my, are you feeling alright?" Rainey approached him, and the more she did, the more he felt like throwing up on her face. It did not escape him how all of that tang seemed to stem from her presence.

"I'm peachy..." he rasped out, barely able to muster up the force to speak.

The clacking of her stilettos reverberated through his ears rhythmically, until it abruptly halted and he found himself snapping his gaze up in reaction. Her face was so close to his that he could count each and every wrinkle on her skin. Then a constant cracking noise sprung about inside his head. The new addition was not welcome, but he steeled his nerves. It was not wise to lose his shit now. Rainey's expression provoked apprehension as her hand snugged on his cheek, "Better now?" he unclenched his jaw as his shoulders loosened up. Everything was back to normal. No smells, no sounds. He was left with nothing but his nagging suspicion.

A suspicion that was proven correct, and that sparked no little amount of anger. "What was that?" but no, he had to rein it back, for now.

"You... seem to have an unnaturally high mana attunement." he expected a snarky comeback from her—that was how most of their exchanges had played out so far—yet her tone had taken on a tinge of excitement and skepticism. "Wasn't that why you were feeling so... overwhelmed?" she had gotten even closer now, their faces just inches away from a kiss that would surely be unwilling on his part. He craned his head back in response.

Her words carried a weight he couldn't dismiss.

Jered tugged at the collar of his shirt, a stiff smile on his face and a snappy retort at the tip of his tongue. Everything felt like part of a puzzle, and the pieces were slowly coming in. He knew he needed her answers, for she most assuredly had them. "How do you know?" he schooled his features and asked.

"If someone purposely leaks their magical energy, then even a normal person can feel it. However..." Rainey took a short break between her words, munching over an abstract theory coming together inside her head, "... You had intense reactions when I was not leaking it as well. Right after we got out of the bus, for example. And now, you almost threw up from a Mana Sensitivity overload." she nodded along with her explanation, as if her words made more sense out loud than in the secrecy of her mind.

It was absurd how she so easily spat out the answer, despite the gazes drilling on them from Arya and the nurses. It looked like a joke, he wanted to laugh and wake up. "Magical what? Excuse me..." it couldn't have been what he was thinking about, not a chance in hell, "I need a more practical... evidence—if you will—of what you just said. I'm having trouble keeping up with you."

Rainey's lips curled up slightly, "Yes... fair enough." and then she snapped her fingers. A powerful rush of that annoying smell clobbered against his senses, and Jered had no time to react when he was lifted off the ground by a sudden absence of gravity. He was airborne, his limbs flailing around as his brain finally registered what happened. Arya had her hands cupping her mouth in utter befuddlement, while the nurses just stood there as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

What. The. Actual. Fuck.

"Better to see it for yourself than hear about it. We've just avoided a long-winded lesson about what is happening to you." the old lady giggled quietly, "That is why I told you that you shouldn't have taken the pills. That's the result. You are now magically empowered, sort of."

Jered shot a glare at her, "Put me down..." his voice was so cold that had it been a magic spell, it would have frozen the entire room. She found it amusing, but complied nonetheless. His feet touched the ground, and the smell vanished.

He was mentally drained out, and his day had just started.

"What the hell just happened!?" Arya's voice was so high-pitched it sounded like she was about to have a breakdown. Rainey silenced her with a stare. Literally, because the mixed-blood girl fell asleep right then and there. It must have been another magical thingy, there was no way she fainted out of fear.

"Let's hope she wakes up a tiny amount of mana, at least." the doll-like nurse droned, "We're wasting an unimaginable amount of resources on her."

The other nurse, a fifty-or-so-year-old woman nodded. "I always told you that it was pointless. Now we're running low on funds, and if at least half of them don't wake up our plan will be foiled."

"It's okay." Rainey waved them off, a genially smile lighting up her features as she squinted her eyes at Jered. "I think we've just found our proverbial ace in the sleeve."

"Okay, okay... wait a minute. First of all," Jered raised a fist to clear his throat, his artificial smile faltering. "I didn't agree to anything. Just because you're some supernatural freak, it doesn't mean you can control me..." and when Rainey made a show to snap her fingers again, "Okay! Okay! You can... wait, you told me you didn't want to intimidate me!"

"Ah, I'm not good with commitments either."

"..."

"Don't make such a face. There is nowhere for you to go even if I don't rope you in." her eyes glinted like an unsheathed sword, "You'll soon find out how shitty both the world we live in and the magical one are. 'A man's got to take risks', right? What's stopping you from taking my hand and be my handsome sidekick?"

"I don't know... you look sketchy, that's all. The devil would look more innocent."

Rainey cupped her face in a cutesy fashion, batting her eyes at him. "I do?" a smirk split her face. And then, she faded from existence in a flurry of crimson, glowing embers. Jered stiffened. The sudden outpouring of mana overpowered his senses, leaving him almost blinded of his surroundings. A hand tapped his shoulder. He couldn't see Rainey, but he knew it was her. Her presence stank of power and ashes, and that same presence was whispering to him from behind in a dulcet, mischievous tone. "We have good chemistry, don't we?" her warm breath tickled his earlobes, "What do you want? I'll give it to you... just work for me until my goals are accomplished, and then you'll be free."

He felt powerless. Whether to her power or her promises he didn't know. But the thrill pumping through his veins was certainly more addicting than the pills. Wasn't that what he wanted? Rainey's hands snaked around his waist, hugging him tightly against her warm bosom. Jered titled his head sideways, and met her hopeful, heated stare. Whatever. The die had been cast anyway. "Fine, I'm in. For as long as your goals are accomplished..."

 

Chapter 8: Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe

Spoiler

In hindsight, it might have been a stupid idea.

"Just so you know, I have to be back home before 8 PM."

Hell, it might have been his stupidest one yet.

"Oh? Curfew? What a little boy."

However, Jered was so blinded by a strong curiosity towards his situation that it blotched out any good sense he had left. Rainey must have been stalking him for a while to crop up that bus-meeting coincidence. She was playing by her rules, and he knew that if he quit now she could easily snap her fingers and levitate him off a building—or worse, turn him into a mindless puppet to play dress-up with. His teenage wacky foolishness landed him there because he wasn't already edgy enough, and now he was embroiled in some potential terroristic organization whose aim was still unknown. Well, as long as she'd pay him handsomely for his services, and not with her body, then he was aboard. Also, he had promised.

The best course of action was not to antagonize her, especially if she was more than capable of putting him to sleep with a wink.

"Dinner is not going to cook itself, and I have to look around a bit for a potential gift for my sister." he hoped their playful back-and-forths would alleviate the lingering tension between them; he needed their relationship to be at least on a friendly level. It would ensure his survival for the foreseeable future. It boded well that she was easy to get along with, and didn't seem keen on flaying him alive or 'raping his soul, mind, and body' as she had antecedently threatened to do. "Don't look at me like that, I'm not kidding. Her birthday is approaching and I want to buy her something nice."

"I've been told I have quite the taste for gifts. Maybe I should accompany you? We could also grab something to eat, we have a lot to talk about anyway." Rainey challenged with a growing grin.

He so wanted to make a retort about her and Jasmine's age gap, and how he doubted she'd really supply him with any good suggestions. But no... a jab at her old age would have been very, very stupid. "I'm afraid you're too old to know what a young woman would like for her 18th birthday." why did he say that? It must have been the little devil on his shoulder. Gosh, lately he's been doing very stupid things. His chuckle faded as Rainey's smile scrunched up in distaste, and he quickly translated that as a dangerous sign. "Buuuut, you know... I've always had a thing for old, wrinkled skin. I think it's... cute." he eloquently added.

"Y-You think I'm cute?" Rainey averted her gaze. The way she bit her bottom lip provocatively was so, so wrong. "Do you want to do it here? No one will disturb us."

"Ah, but surely you'd prefer someone with more experience under his belt?" Jered wanted to conjure a knife and slit his throat, "Should I call Jerry? He's been honing his skills with the patients..."

There was a tense silence before she cracked up in giggles. "Oh, Jered... I was just horsing around," when he visibly relaxed, she narrowed her eyes, "But I dare you to make another joke about my age, and I swear I'll magically defile your body in every way possible."

He threw his hands up in the air, "You win, my bad. No need to go that far,"

She waved him off, "Back to the topic, if it's necessary you could stay here for the night as well. I'm sure you're more than apt to work out a lie to tell your mother."

He shifted a bit on his chair. After that whole ordeal about Arya and her supposed failure of awakening mana simmered down, he was led towards her small office. Rainey had her behind propped against the lip of her mahogany desk, peering down at him with such an intensity it had him constantly on the edge. It didn't help that his nose never stopped working as a magical radar, and Rainey's close proximity was making his head throb. Also, her knack for sneaking a sex joke here and there during their exchange was going a bit overboard, not that he wasn't to blame as well.

"There is no need, this room should suffice." Jered crossed one leg over the other. He wanted to address something that had his heart go cray-cray, "You talked about Magic..."

Taking his cue, her demeanor switched to a serious one. She pulled her hair up into a bun, conjuring an elastic out of nowhere. "I'm surprised you're taking everything so calmly."

"I've been living my life as if everything were nothing but a silly hallucination. I just need to let it sink in for a bit." his system had planted the seed of suspicion, she just confirmed everything. Magic did exist.

At his growing smile, Rainey pleasantly went on, "Yes, it does. I could talk about it for hours, but it wouldn't be particularly beneficial to waste time this way." she bit the corner of her bottom lip, "I'm going to give you a brief summary of Magic, as for the rest you'll have to study it on your own after I provide you with the material. I have a stack of books that I'm sure you'll enjoy immensely."

His smile never faded throughout her explanation.

Jasmine turned off the television. The National Hurricane Center was spamming the news of the latest weather anomaly, called Layla, everywhere. It was concerning, yes, but she had more pressing problems swirling through her head. She checked her phone for new messages, but nothing. It did just not feel right, the emptiness in her chest should have been filled by the constant affection of Alison and her family. Life was good so far, but she so missed the bleary atmosphere of her home.

Some feelings still clung to the happy memories of the past.

It was not something she often found herself mulling over, but her birthday was approaching, and there was no way she'd spend it elsewhere but at home. As much as she loved Alison, it was time to be brave and open that can of worms; she had been spending too much time at her friend's house.

She slumped a bit, still staring at her phone, as if it would have provided the solution to all of her problems. She just needed a text, a call, a goddamn remainder that they wanted her back there. It was easier to ignore her faults, it was her choice to alienate herself from a family that was slowly breaking down after all. She didn't want to be the one to pick up the pieces, but now that she was slowly breaking down inside, no one was there to pick up her pieces.

"Jaz, what got your panties in a twist? You look like you're about to cry..." Alison's voice wafted from the sofa nearby, too busy polishing her foot's nails to even spare a glance at her. She briefly wondered how the black-haired girl had even caught the slight difference in her expression. She had made sure to tilt her head around when her eyes prickled with tears. Jasmine remembered when she was younger; clothed in wool, warm pajamas she used to curl herself into a ball for, and cry away into her pillow.

John had just died then, and she couldn't cope with the loss, not so early in her life. Jered would crawl on her bed, a proud smile on his face. 'Don't worry, Dad is there in heaven making business deals with God. I'm sure he'll come back soon,' he'd say, and she'd laugh at his silliness. How couldn't she?

Years passed by, and her father's death—for better or for worse—changed a lot of things. Her mother did her best to be there for them, and soon enough, Jasmine did her best not to be there. Jered must have been feeling lonely living in that empty shell of a house.

She thinned her lips into a line and raked her hands through her hair, bundling it up into a ponytail. She and Alison were lazing around in the living room, her friend's parents had left for some time—they usually did. It was all good, but she needed some ruckus around her to drown out the thoughts in her head. It was hard living with a guilty conscience, even if she had done nothing wrong. Well, not really. She did nothing wrong, but paradoxically she was wrong by exactly doing nothing.

"Hey... calm down Jaz." Alison suddenly stopped what she was doing, "What happened?"

Don't cry Jasmine, don't cry... you're better than this. Don't fucking cry.

"I... I'm fine..." a wet, salty pearl betrayed her determination, and streamed down her face. "I'm not fine..."

Nailed it.

Alison clambered to her feet and hugged her, "Shh... it's okay... what happened, tell me." her voice was so soft and comforting that for a moment she considered spilling out everything. That would have been a bad idea. Her personal problems had to stay personal, if she told her they wouldn't be personal anymore.

There was so much she wanted to tell her, so much weight she wanted to take off her chest. Alison wouldn't understand, however. When it came to things that didn't involve the two of them, she would never understand. Homesickness was but the tip of a bigger iceberg, and despite their close relationship, what was lurking in the icy depths beneath it, had to be forgotten amidst the waves of time.

"I'm going home, Ali..."

"What? I thought we'd go out today... also, I'm not supposed to tell you, but my parents want to surprise you with a birthday party! And... and—"

Jasmine sniffed a bit, interrupting her with a cracked voice. "That's awfully nice of them." she cooed, "I'm sorry, but I'm homesick... I-I just want to go home."

There was a short silence.

"Ah... I see... I must have been keeping you away from your family a lot. Huh." Alison nodded comprehensively, a smile of relief slowly blooming on her pretty face. "Honestly, I thought it was something way worse."

"Oh, no no... don't worry. It was me! I mean... thank you."

"You're so silly..."

"Oh shut up you!"

They somehow ended up pillow-fighting each other for a good while. Jasmine was clearly on the receiving end, futilely struggling to hold her friend at bay. "You're cheating! How can you be so strong!" it was all fun and games, until Alison broke through her defense, and leaned down next to her ear. Whatever she was about to whisper was cut short by a whistling melody, her phone being the source. Jasmine used that excuse to wrestle herself free from her friend's invasive grasp and stood up. A quick look at the screen, and she found herself inwardly thanking her mother for the impromptu rescue.

"Sorry, it's my mother. I better go now."

"It's okay, dear. Give me a call when you're feeling better. I'm so lonely here. I'll really miss you..."

Jasmine huffed out a chuckle as she zipped up her hoodie and took her umbrella on the way out. "Hehe, I know... I'm such an amazing and irresistible friend, everyone wants me..." she sighed theatrically, as if her awesomeness had already transcended the mortal plane of existence.

"For fuck's sake, you ruined everything. Go away..."

"Hehe, see ya."

Alison leaned back, a knee draped over the other—and before the door was fully closed, as if tempting fate that Jasmine would somehow hear her—she muttered in a sing-song tone, "Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe... catch the disobedient girl by the toe, if she hollers don't let her go..." she burst into peals of giggles, her hand tip-toeing down her navel, ever so southward, past the bindings of her pants. She bit her lip, "Oh, Jaz..."

 

Chapter 9: Psychophatically Talented

Spoiler

Jasmine wrinkled her nose. The howling wind was making a mess out of her hair, and her umbrella proved to be quite useless as it bent upwards. Needless to say, she was having a bad day, but her determination didn't waver. She could have asked for a ride back home, yes, but Alison's parents had yet to come back. Thank God she lived nearby, otherwise it would have been a nightmare threading through such weather. After heaving a much-needed breath to soothe her worries, she marched on.

The text message from her mother was still visible in the background of her phone.

—"Are you busy?" it read.

No, she wasn't. Not anymore.

She considered giving Jane a call, but she must have been still working.

—"Noope, I'm going back home right now " Jasmine typed back.

Even using a hand only, her skilled fingers were quick on working out a reply. It was not something to be proud of, but she liked to gloat that little fact to her brother who was a slow-typer. Normally, she'd put her phone back in the bag and dilly-dally as she plodded through the gale. It was not like her mother would have answered right away, not when she was so busy. However, contrary to her expectations, her phone chirped seconds after her message was delivered.

—"Really? That's good, I'm taking the rest of the day and tomorrow off... I was thinking of spending the time together, just the two of us. We could watch a movie and gossip a bit, or make fun of Jered LOL"

Jasmine couldn't help the giggle that bubbled out of her. It used to be such a common sight that of them pestering Jered on a daily basis. Their father would hide a smirk behind a newspaper, and her brother would roll his eyes and mutter something about 'annoying sisters', but he'd play along. He always did. Then they grew up, their father passed away, and he didn't anymore. She missed those days. She missed drawing smiley faces—and some more inappropriate doodles—on Jered's arm, and hold her sides in laughter as she watched him try to scrub the ink away. She missed sharing a seat with him on the couch, criticizing movies and celebrities as if they were above them. She missed the familiar sound of his footsteps at night as he walked past her room.

Time healed some of the wounds, fortunately, but the scars stayed. Jane would always say that everything was fine, that even with the financial problems, they'd pull through; it was all in their blood. The Jacobs were determined, and there was no obstacle that they couldn't overcome. It was their family's dogma, and their father was so proud of his bloodline. She didn't care much, and neither did Jane, but it rubbed off on Jered. Her brother became uncharacteristically narcissistic and confident, a shadow of their father.

God knew how close those two were.

Then their family's savings started dwindling, and Jane became more and more absent... and she and Jered closer. It was becoming something unhealthy the dependency she had on him, like a chain reaction that couldn't be stopped. They grew up unsheltered from their mother's supervision, and she had only her brother as her truest and only friend—someone she knew would have always been there, watching over her antics, smiles, fantasies, and all of her dreams, as if he were some goddamn hero from her cartoons. It was then that she drew her boundaries, because she knew that if left unchecked, she'd cross them.

She was but a child back then.

Jasmine never thanked Alison enough for moving to their neighborhood when she did. Her best friend's presence, and high school, whisked her away from teetering on the edge of a bottomless pit. She never knew how hard the fall would have been, and she was grateful for her nights at Alison's house. It managed to cool her down, especially when puberty started being cruel on her.

She was seventeen now, still a child in many's eyes, but old enough to be responsible for her love life.

And she was ready to go back home.

—"That sounds fun! when r u coming back?"

—"Right now, you need me to pick you up?"

—"Naw, it's fine..."

—"Are you sure sweetie?"

She didn't mind the rain, and she wanted to get back as soon as possible. Of course, had she been somewhere far from home, there was no way her mother would have acquiesced so easily.

—"Uh-huh don't forget to bring some popcorn for later..."

—"Will do <3"

—"<3"

Although their conversation was pretty short, it was enough to put a pep in her step and make her smile like an idiot throughout the journey back home.

Jered facepalmed.

"Told you..."

He leveled a glare at Rainey, who was leaning against the main entrance wiggling her eyebrows at him. "Oh come on, it's your fault for not bringing an umbrella with you, and unfortunately I don't have any to lend." she shrugged half-heartedly, a smirk dressing her features. The bitch was enjoying herself at his misfortune, he knew it.

"Can't you, I don't know, wave your hands and create one out of thin air?"

"Yes, I can, but it's not a permanent solution." Rainey toyed with a chock of her hair as she explained, "The umbrella would vanish as soon as the connection between it and me breaks, which can happen if you're too far away from me. Any item you conjure must be fed with mana to keep it alive."

"Nevermind then..."

"Don't you have anyone to come and pick you up?"

Of course he had. "It's complicated..." but he was not keen on inconveniencing his mother for such an insignificant problem. However, the rain took it upon itself to blur the world behind a thick wall of water. Now he couldn't go anywhere, not if he didn't want to get drenched. A blinding flicker of light raged out, and Rainey whistled as the rumble that followed jittered the windows. The last thing he needed was for the weather to get worse.

"I will tell you again, you should stay here for the meanwhile. I don't understand what's bothering you, it's not like I'll eat you or something..."

"Says the wolf in sheep's clothing."

"Ohh for fuck's sake..."

Jered allowed himself a small smile as he checked his phone for any upcoming texts or calls. He was not disgusted by the idea of spending the entirety of his day in Gravewall, but he was hard-pressed to read the books he was given by Rainey. Her explanation was short and to the point. Magic did indeed exist. Few were capable of it, and even less ever managed to achieve anything in the field of witchcraft. That statement, nonetheless, was true only for normal people; she had also mentioned a fantasy-like reality that mirrored theirs—where magic was the yardstick behind everyone's lives—breathing right beneath their feet.

She was very vague about it, omitting a lot of details, but the cold glint of repressed anger was being sharpened right behind her kind smile. As for the pills, they were stimulants. Mana was a dormant energy, almost non-existent; you couldn't just awaken it through rigorous study. A Mana Circuit was required, which was an array of pathways inside the veins where the magic energy would travel from. However, a Mana Circuit was only an understructure for mana, it did not provide mana itself. Those stimulants were a prototype made up of an incomplete formula Rainey had personally stolen from someone on the other world—she was so proud of her theft too. Its purpose was to increase a magician's mana pool by super-charging it, crossing your fingers, and hope for the best.

Each patient in Gravewall was hand-picked for their Mana Circuit, going through a selection that defeated the purpose of the asylum itself, and admitted people only based on their latent-talent instead of their mental problems. And if someone they wanted was not mentally-challenged enough to be placed under their watchful eyes, Jerry, the institute's trusty psychiatrist, would find an excuse to stigmatize them and therefore jail them inside as experiment rats. It was a strategy that involved bribery, a few well-delivered threats, and some pretty faces.

'You shouldn't even be alive.' she had said.

Jered just let out an 'ooh' and pouted. He was not suicidal by any means, but the staggering amount of pills he swallowed was enough to kill him, and make him skip his next couple of reincarnations as compensation, yet he survived. Rainey had tried to overfeed her patients in the last ditch-effort of producing superpowered mentally-screwed teenage girls en masse, however, after the third pill, all she wound up with was a severe headache, and a handful of corpses to get rid of.

It was one of the hush-hush discoveries she had made. Being diagnosed with a severe mental illness was a free seat among society's unwanted garbage, yes, but it was also an opportunity to carve your own path to the top in the ghastly underbelly of a magical civilization no one was aware of. Apparently, seeing things that weren't there, mood swings, highly anti-social behaviors, psychopathy, and whatnot were just a side effect of a huge attunement for sorcery. It was ridiculous, but Rainey explained that it was not so far-fetched since those people's brains functioned differently from a normal person's.

The problem was the lack of mana, though. Normal people couldn't possibly have it without inheriting it from a relative, or external patronage.

With nothing better to do, he sat down on the porch. "Meh... I guess it won't hurt to wait a bit."

"Fiiiiinally..." Rainey chuckled, "You might as well start reading those books, and practice. I'll supply you with anything you might need. Remember that you work for me now."

Jered nodded thoughtfully as he took out the first book from the pouch she had given him. It was made of black leather, and was as thick as the bible. There were no words on the cover, not even a title or the author's name. It was so bare of embellishments that he almost doubted that the book in his hands could possibly have anything occult to it. However...

[Do you want to absorb the contents of this tome? Y/N]

... his brain hologram dutifully answered him.

"Anyway... I'm going to check on Arya." Rainey said with a wave of her hand.

"Hmm... she failed her awakening, what are you going to do with her?"

She heaved a deep sigh, her forehead furrowing like folded blankets. "I don't know. Going by the rules of our institute, she must either be brainwashed and transferred to some dilapidated asylum in the middle of nowhere, or in the worst case, become a soulless doll obediently working for us. That's what all the other nurses want anyway. But I don't want to get rid of our manpower like this... there are more avenues to explore. A demonic contract, for example. However, that is a risky and expensive move... hmm... and if it does not work well, it could backfire into something we can't handle."

He had no idea what that was. At his vacant look, Rainey grinned.

"It's not something you have to be worried about. If you read all of the books I give you, you'll eventually know what it is."

Jered nodded emotionlessly as he kept his eyes fixed on the screen in front of him. "It's going to take me a while." Rainey just snorted uncaringly, and after dropping him a last smile, she sashayed back inside the building.

He didn't like her, still... it was a marvelous windfall that may just help him break free from the bindings of a humdrum life. For now, he'd play the obedient kid part. There was no way he was going to skip on the extraordinary world beguiling him behind the pages of her books, books he had yet to get his hands on.

Ignoring the screen floating quietly at his side, he opened the cover and dove in. First-hand information was better than anything Paranoia! could ever chew and spit down in his brain. He'd use that function once he was done reading it.

 

Chapter 10: First Spell: Mana Orb

Spoiler

The rainstorm fell upon the grass like cold and sharp needles. Had it already been two hours? A rather strong gust of wind almost flipped over the page of the book in his hand, which prompted Jered to scoot backward. At that point, he just didn't know how he would have gone back home. Maybe if he made a rush for it...

Had it been any other day, he would have cursed and blamed his luck. However, he couldn't help the smile tugging at the corner of his lips. It was undoubtedly chilly, but with his heart pumping out the blood at a faster pace, the cold tickling his skin was negligible. He turned on the next page, the recipient of his happiness ensnaring his whole attention as word after word flowed into his head. It was real... the lingering smell he came to hate was now pleasurably lingering on his face.

Mana Sensitivity.

He could feel it! The slight movement of that magical energy slithering across the veins in his heart, or the faint cracking sound in the back of his mind, like that of dried leaves being stepped upon. It was so feeble that the rattle of the rain almost drowned the sound.

According to the book—and Rainey—Mana Sensitivity could be broken down into; Sight, Hearing, Smell, Taste, and Touch.

It was the first step, to grasp completely your sensitivity and not let it overwhelm you, something he was clearly having trouble achieving.

Most magician trainees could only perceive mana by Touch. It was the standard for anyone who tried dabbling with the magic arts, not including natural talents, and Jered was elated to know that he was among that last category. His Mana Sensitivity extended to Hearing and Smell as well, which meant a higher attunement, and a higher attunement meant that manipulating mana would have been a cakewalk... or so he thought.

He stretched his fingers apart, leaving the center of his palm completely exposed. Mana Orb. It was the easiest spell highlighted in the tome, whose initial purpose was to provide light. To conjure it, he had to rally a moderate amount of mana on the middle of his hand, which was not coming along well.

It was a rough start, but he didn't give up.

As the minutes flew by, his concentration began wavering, a shy breath's away from wholly shattering. There was no progress to speak of, besides a slight disturbance in his heart. Of all the 10 magical veins in his heart, only one was working properly. It was normal, as he had found out reading. Everyone started with one vein. Jered, though, was still miffed if the frown on his face was anything to go by.

"I take it you're having a rocky start."

He spun his head around to find the source of the voice smoking yet another cigarette.

"You're not going to live long... you know that?"

Jerry brushed his concerns off with a lazy wave of his hand, "Naah, it's totally fine... I've never seen a magician dying of anything else than a sword or a spell. We're basically elves in that regard, well... almost..." he puffed out a well-crafted—though Jered would never admit it—ring of smoke. "Rainey briefed me of our new entry... never thought I'd see the day where you became a magician. I did tell her that you have a good mind... but noooo... she didn't believe me..."

"You knew? What do you mean?"

"What I'm trying to say is that you had the potential even before gobbling down those pills. I was planning on sneaking some of them inside the food Nancy usually gives you, but there was no need to... you did everything by yourself. And it worked like a charm, didn't it?"

"... I could have died if I didn't stop promptly..."

"Bullshit..." Jerry chuckled, "Who told you this? Rainey? Don't listen to her... she's full of bullshit. She knew those magic dopings would have not killed you. You're not a normal person. I told you, there is no way for a magician to die from anything else than a swordsman or another magician. Pills, diseases, guns, and normal injures can't even tie you down on a hospital bed. Unless you're using it for something else, mana is self-sufficient. It will automatically heal you. Of course, you can still die by normal means... then again, you've just woken up mana."

"But I didn't have mana when I took them."

"Those things were not made to come with deadly side-effects, well... sort of. The only reason those girls died was that they became addicted, and Rainey kept on experimenting by handing them out willy-nilly. She wanted to see if they could work as tonics too. Also..." his eyes crinkled enigmatically, "I'm not sure of the details, but I did feel a mana reaction inside you a long time ago. Which is crazy, right? Normal people can have a talent for manipulating mana, but they're never born with it. Yet, here you are. As little as it might have been, you indeed had mana. Maybe she knew it all long? Who knows..."

Jered's face twisted, "Why should I think that your words are any truer than hers?"

"Between me and her, who is the most trustworthy?"

"Neither."

"Fair enough. But if you had to choose, who would you think is the one that is less likely to lie to you?"

"..."

At his contemplative gaze, Jerry pressed on, "Rainey is just a little girl chasing after her dreams of revenge, and to climb on that peak she'll use everyone around her as a ladder, as a stepping-stone, as cannon fodder. She'll feed you, give you..." he pointed at the book in his hand, "...tomes, a bit of power... even wealth, and make you think that you're important. That's bullshit."

Jered shook his head with a small laugh, "Nice tale, Jerry. That would have been a convincing speech if I really gave a fuck about it. I don't care if Rainey is trying to use me... what I want is what she can give me."

"Why?"

"Why not? Do you really need a reason to want wealth and power? Ask that to any average Joe and see if they'd answer no. Life is a competition, and I don't care what I have to do to make sure I'm ahead of everyone else."

"Such a mundane desire, there is just so much to explore and find... why grounding yourself to the earth when you can see the stars?"

"I'm 16 years old, what were you expecting? I won't indulge you in a deep conversation about the endless possibilities of magic and whatnot, you can go find Rainey for that."

The old man inhaled another breath of smoke before chucking the cigarette away, and then he exhaled the residual wisp of tobacco towards the icy wind, "Okay... okay... nevermind," he turned around, and with his voice a tad bit softer, he explained. "Mana Orb is the easiest spell... you need to visualize how your mana travels from your heart to your hand, not the mana itself. Just think of yourself under the shower, and focus on that stray bead of water gliding down your arm. Think of that as your mana going to your hand. Visualize, Jered. Belief and Visualization are the keys to success when learning a spell."

Jerry stomped on the smoldering embers of the cigarette and headed back inside. Meanwhile, Jered had his eyes closed. A cool sensation traveled through his arm, like goosebumps, making his hair stand on its end. His heart thrummed explosively when an unknown source of warmth quietly floated atop his hand.

He fluttered his eyes open, a widening smile etched on his face. A miniature sun-like white orb shone brightly within the confines of his hand.

[You have learned the skill 'Mana Orb', Lv.1]
[Experience: 3%]
[This is the most rudimentary spell any magician can chant. It allows you to create light. However, by leveling it up to a certain extent, its degree of concentration would be enough to use it as a magical attack. The amount of Mana Orbs you can conjure depends on your proficiency and Mana Pool.]

Jered's chewed on his bottom lip in barely contained euphoria. His efforts were finally awarded—though he had partly to thank Jerry for that.

And he wasn't even halfway through the book. The prospect of learning more spells was so tempting that he just wanted to shut off the world around him and enjoy this magical piece of literature that had him so deeply enamored. However, a good read was always savored better if within the safety of a dim-lit room, perhaps with a steaming cup of coffee to accompany it. Jered had three more tomes to eat through, and a rainstorm was definitely not a proper backdrop for such a task.

His thoughts were then interrupted by a cheery tune. He siphoned his phone out and looked at the caller. A momentary flash of surprise froze him, but he composed himself right away and answered.

"Hey, mom."

 

Chapter 11: Dancing With The Devil

Spoiler

—"Hey son, where are you?"

Jered raked a hand through his hair, "I'm at my friend's place, and I don't know when exactly I'll be able to go back. It's quite far from home." she had no idea about his secret rendezvouses to Gravewall, and he had no intention of ever letting her know about it. Jane might have been one of those easygoing mothers that allowed her children a lot of freedom, but she was still capable of wringing his ears all the way up to his room, fork her hips and stare him down until he apologized. The asylum was not a playground for a 16 years old boy to hang around at.

—"I can come to pick you up. Jasmine is on her way back... we're going to spend family time together! So shut up and lemme come get you!"

The chiding undertones in her voice reverberated clearly through his end of the line.

—"Oh wow... is she?" Jered tried his best to show interest, "I don't think it's a good idea right now, mom... I—"

—"Shush you, it's fine. I got a day off and I want to spend it with you." Jane interrupted him. She was way too hyped to even allow him the grace of putting forth his own argumentation. "Now hurry up and share me your location, I'll be there in a jiffy." an exuberant Jane was never a good thing. The woman liked to let herself be carried away by her childish whims, and interestingly enough, Jered inherited that same trait as well.

—"No, mom, no no, no need..."

—"I can't leave you there until the weather clears up, son."

—"Tell her I'll drive you back home." Rainey's voice drifted from the spot Jerry had been minutes before.

Jered didn't even bother looking back at her as he clutched the phone closer to his ear and replied, —"It's okay, my friend's mom offered me a ride."

—"You sure?" she didn't sound convinced, "Let me talk with her for a moment."

—"No... no no no, no need, mom. Please."

God forbid those two talking. There was no way he would have let that happen. Not with Rainey. Hell no.

There was a short pause before Jane audibly sighed, —"Fine... be careful. I'll be bringing back popcorn and other snacks, today is movie day... and then we can do other stuff." her words ended on a chipper note.

He chuckled and readily agreed. "Sounds good to me. Get some snickers as well."

—"Will do."

—"Bye."

—"Bye sweetie, mwah." the sound of her puckered up lips smacking together embarrassed him deeply.

And thus the call ended with that kiss.

"Mwah?" Rainey shook her head with a giggle, "Wow..."

"Rainey..." Jered growled, and quickly switched topics. "You have a car?"

"Of course, heh. I took the bus earlier just for the sake of talking to you." more like 'stalking', but whatever. She fished out a set of keys, and let them clink together for emphasis. "See?"

He facepalmed, "Why didn't you tell me before?"

She shrugged with a smile, "I forgot..." and then she pinched his cheeks, "Should we get going you cutie? We have quite a bit to talk about."

Jered rubbed the offended flesh on his face with a resigned grunt. "Fine... but don't do that anymore." with that being said, he gathered the books into a pile and put them in the bag. Once he secured the lace around his neck, he stood up and followed the already departing form of Rainey, completely nonchalant of the rain soaking her.

--

House music blasted out of the radio, its volume so high it was easily testing the limits of the speakers. Jered found the situation comical, to say the least. There he was, leaning his head against the window-pane of a second-hand mini cooper, contemplating the hidden nuances of magic and whatnot, while the driver, an old woman with a kink for sex jokes, bobbed her head back and forth to the beat. It was insane.

"Sooo..." Jered broke the ice, "What did you want to talk about?"

Rainey didn't stop her head seizures; hell she even started singing along under her breath. It was only after he lightly whacked the dashboard that she sighed and looked at him. "I thought this genre of music was to your tastes."

"It is... but I'm more interested in what you have to say."

She waved a hand in the air, "Ah, it's nothing important. I just wanted to spend some time with you."

"Really? Come on..."

"Don't be like that..." she wore a thousand-watt smile, "I believe that you and I could make a great team, if given enough time."

Jered laid a hand on the bag, and clutched the bulging edges of the content inside. He needed to check constantly that the tomes were still there, that it wasn't a dream. It was silly, but he couldn't help it. It was the only anchor of truth that kept him from losing his grip on sanity.

"You have an absurd amount of talent. I tell you." Rainey went on, licking her lips. "I can teach you a lot of stuff, you have no idea. We'll stand together on even grounds, and do a lot of great things together. Yes! Once I'm sure you're fully prepared and geared up, I'll take you to the Other Side. I'll show you wondrous stuff, Jered. New species, new cuisine, new sights, new... experiences." her nails dug deep in the leathery fabric of the steering wheel, "But most importantly, I'll show you all the dirty, shady, and disgusting shit it likes to force-feed you. All the lies, the betrayals, the wickedness, and... and the depravity that takes your innocence away... I'll show you ALL. It's okay though..."

He stayed silent, barely registering her words.

"It's okay because I'll also show you how to topple those pieces of shit, those fat pigs that eat the labor of others... sitting on their thrones sipping vintage wine. All the kings and queens, nobles and servants, pharaohs and monsters, magicians and swordmasters, I'll show you how to topple them all..." her eyes kept on glancing between him and the road, "Jered... I know I strong-armed you into this, but I hope you'll do your best to help me, just as I'll do my absolute best to help you."

Jered watched as she looped around a traffic circle, and pulled in the main lane towards his home. It didn't take long before they stopped by the driveway, his house in full vision, with Jane's car parked right outside the garage. Rainey didn't bother turning off the engines, not when her layover there was temporary. She stared at him.

He knew exactly what she wanted. "Don't worry." he chuckled, "I'll do my absolute best as well... but I expect to be paid."

"Hehe, no problem. No problem at all." her face lit up in happiness, "Read those tomes, and practice a lot. I won't be contacting you anytime soon. No, scratch that, I will contact you as soon as I can. Anyway, for now, avoid loitering around Gravewall." they exchanged numbers, and Rainey's smile broadened up even more. "Nice! Nice! Uh, okay... so, I'll text you when I need you to do some odd jobs for me. But hey, if you want to chat with me... or trade pict—"

"I'm getting out. Thank you for the ride."

"Kids..." she sighed.

Jered closed the door as the car backed off, rounded the corner, and sped away into the distance. He still struggled to believe that all of that out-of-a-fantasy-book clusterfuck happened to him, within a day no less. Magic? The Other Side? New experiences? Rainey and Jerry's words overlapped in his head, like the devil and the angel on his shoulder; each whispering into his ears hoodwinking bullshit. There were no rewards to speak of if he followed his old friend's advice. But God... he needed those tomes, and if dancing with the devil was the only answer, then he'd dance, fuck and marry the devil herself if he had to.

 

Chapter 12: It Could Have Been Worse

Spoiler

"Jasmine! Don't eat so much chocolate before dinner, for God's sake."

"It's okaaay, I'm just warming up my stomach for later. That's how I keep my figure so good."

"Jasmine!"

"Mom! I saw you sneaking off a basket of sweets to your room on Halloween, just so you didn't have to share any of it with the kids. That's way worse than munching on some chocolate before dinner."

"Don't pull that card on me, young lady!"

The tinkle of the main door opening put a stop to their ongoing conversation. Jered's water-filled shoes squelched from the entrance up to the hallway, before finally waltzing within their sight. Jasmine bit back a smirk as she eyed him up and down, water dripping down from his hair. "Looking clean, bro." she draped a leg over the other, wrinkling her nose ever so slightly.

"And muddy too..." Jane observed. "Why don't you take your shoes off and go take a shower?"

Jered nodded, "Yeah..." he then squinted his eyes at the content in his sister's hand. "I hope those aren't my snickers."

The girl in question swallowed whatever dollops of chocolate were still in her mouth, and promptly hid the murder weapon behind her back. "I don't know what you're talking about..."

"Really?"

"You snooze you lose."

"Reaaally?"

Jasmine looked undeterred. "Yes." she sniffed arrogantly for good measure. "What are you going to do about that?"

"Well... I could, you know..." he took his shoes off and started making his way for the stairs, "Tell everyone what you use the computer at 2.59 am for. You should really learn how to fucking delete your browser history."

Her face visibly paled. "B-Bullshit! I call bullshit!" however, when no response was heard, she sprung up to her feet and made to chase after him, "Jered, get back here!"

"Jasmine! You stained the couch!"

"B-But mom... he... he—"

Jane stared her down so hard that the shadow of death seemingly hovered behind her. The discussion was over.

"No buts. Get back here. You'll settle your problems with him after dinner, and after cleaning up your mess."

Jasmine eeked and slumped her way back to the couch, "Fine..."

--

After a revitalizing shower, Jered flopped on his bed. He could clearly hear the mishmash of noises from downstairs, it was... odd, to say the least. A couple of months ago, it was not uncommon for their house to be mistaken for abandoned. It was the target of rumors or dare challenges among the kids in their neighborhood. The so-called House of Horrors. He chuckled at the memories. Thankfully, Halloween swept off any ghastly gossip about their little house once Jane shooed away trick-or-treating children. Those candies belonged to her, she had said.

It might have cleared up the rumors, yes, but from then on the Jacobs were even weirder to the eyes of the other families, not that they cared.

He rolled around, and after concentrating for a bit, a bright white orb spawned on the palm of his hand. It was like a swirling and glowing sphere of mist, slightly warm to the touch.

And once he stopped feeding mana to the orb, it dwindled out of existence.

[Mana Orb, Lv.1]
[Experience: 15%]

The results of such a low-cost effort brought a giant smile on his face, and it motivated him enough to not waste time and keep studying. Jered reached for his nightstand and grabbed the still wet bag. He had bookmarked the page he was reading by folding the edge of the page upon itself.

"Page 24... Chapter 2."

'In my world there is no God, just humankind sitting at the top of the universe.'

That was the subtitle, written in bold characters.

He leaned back and started reading...

--

"Jeeeereed! Dinner is ready honey."

Jane's voice whipped him up from his binge-reading. He would have asked for five more minutes if he didn't know his mother's temper about eating together as a family. Now that Jasmine was back for the foreseeable future, it was all the more of a moot point.

He stretched his joints, got up, and headed downstairs. The clatter of the pans and the cutlery being moved around echoed off the kitchen. He stared at the 'corpse' of his sister sunk in the couch, a knee upon the other as she zapped through the channels of their TV. Her hair was tidied up into a half-heartedly done ponytail, some of her blonde tresses were shooting up everywhere around her head. Even her garments bespoke clearly for her laziness; a baggy white t-shirt that reached all the way down to her waistline, and shorts.

"Haven't you heard mom? Dinner is ready..." he said.

She twisted around and took a long whiff of the throw pillow under her chin. "Damn, I so missed the smell of home..." she then looked up at him. Something brewed in her eyes, begging to be set free but forced to stay confined. A hollow laugh parted her lips, "Oh, yes, I missed you too by the way."

He smirked, "Oh wow, glad to know a pillow has more importance to you than your brother..."

Jasmine answered with a smirk of her own, "Well, a pillow is soft and cuddly." she emphasized that fact by burying her face deeper into the object of question.

"And I am not?"

She cupped her chin in thought, "You're more of a punching bag than a pillow. Soft enough not to hurt when throwing a punch, but not soft enough to hug to sleep."

"You're so foul-mouthed sis, I'm hurt."

"I am not!"

"Are too..."

"Am not!"

"Are too..."

"Am n—"

"Jered! Jasmine!"

Their mother's voice thundered out, and the heat of their bickering quickly cooled down. Sharing a mirthful glance between each other, they scrambled their way to the kitchen. Dinner was a lively affair. Jane didn't stop asking questions or making sure that the conversation didn't die out amidst their eating. Jasmine never stopped gifting them with tales of her time at Alison's house, and their mother made sure to hang on to her every word. Jered watched the ongoings like a detached spectator, wearing a practiced smile to not stick out of the cheerful atmosphere.

A spark of envy prickled his features. Their happiness was so genuine it made his stomach churn. He made sure to savor every bit of it though, it was one of the few things he was allowed to feel, after all.

"Jered?"

He looked up, blinking any vestige of irregularity off his face. "Yes?"

Jane's eyes met his, and he so wanted to pay back the love glimmering inside those orbs with something authentic. At least once, because she deserved it. "You've been awfully silent. Are you okay, sweetie?" Jasmine stopped eating and stared at him as well, a touch of concern dressing her expression.

"No... nothing, I was just a bit nostalgic, that's all. I really missed days like this, you know? This house is not the same when we're not together. Let's all move on. At least for the sake of father. I know he wouldn't have wanted this." his voice was so soft—and somehow heartfelt—that it melted away all of their worries. He took a sip of water and stared back at his sister, who met his gaze with a more subdued one. "All of our bickering notwithstanding, I really missed you, sis. Things have been hard on you too, I know. So please, stay. Mom's been eating a lot of sweets to fight off her loneliness, after all." that earned him a playful swat on his shoulder and a chuckle. It was worth the effort, because he had never seen such a beautiful smile on Jasmine's face before.

--

Jane and Jasmine moved back to the living room, where they lined up all sorts of snacks upon the coffee table. It was literally a warzone between cans of sugary drinks, and bags of chips or some other kind of unhealthy food. It was movie day, and god forbid his mother organizing these kinds of events. She'd always wrap it up with a banquet that wouldn't have been out of place on a birthday, and his sister—so similar to their mother in her exorbitance—would follow suit and stuff her face with whatever she could get her hands on.

At least they looked happy. Jane skipped around as if she were a little girl at her first sleepover, while Jasmine was lost in a very silly conundrum; what to eat first. Chips or chocolate? Her hand darted forth to unwrap a chocolate bar, but then for some uncanny reason stopped. She changed her mind. The cocoa goodness was not her aim anymore, instead, a delectable bag of chips was beckoning her attention. Her hand whirled around and made to grab her target, yet she halted again. And now Jasmine had her lips scrunched up in deep contemplation, and when no solution was found, she looked like she was about to cry.

And amidst all of that, Jered couldn't believe that he was spectating all of that with such solemnity.

"What do you guys propose to watch first? Horror, comedy, drama, or romance?" Jane called out as she turned the TV on, and logged in on their Netflix family account. "Umh... let's see." she scrolled through the slew of titles, "Should we rewatch some old classic? Hmm..."

"The emoji mo—"

"Hell no!" Jered silenced his sister with a nasty glare, which quickly deflated her. "I'm pretty open to everything, but please don't push my buttons. I'd rather rewatch Shrek at this point."

"Oh Shrek! Yes! Yes! He is so cool." Jasmine mock-blushed as she sighed wistfully. "His humanized version is kinda hot too and—"

"—and we don't care." he rolled his eyes. "What about Pirates of the Caribbean?"

Jasmine gasped dramatically. "Well, shiver me timbers! Really? Pirates of the Caribbean? Why not Harry Potter then?" she huffed when his lips curled into a knowing smirk. "What?" she wrinkled her nose.

He sighed wistfully, "Harry is so cool. Those piercing green eyes could undress me anytime he wants, and he's pretty good with his wand too, isn't he?"

"Oh god, Jered! Damn! Why do you always have to go overboard? I might start thinking you have a thing for dudes."

"And I might start thinking you have a thing for ogres that brush their teeth with swamp slugs."

"T-That's different..." she defended. "I was just trying to make you feel uncomfortable..."

"What a lovely coincidence, then." Jered chuckled, his eyes alight with mirth. "And it seems I have won."

Jane watched the banter between her kids with a raised eyebrow. "I gave birth to two oddballs." she shook her head ruefully.

"..." there was a short awkward silence as both of her children looked at her, "Says you?" they chorused.

"This is literally the pot calling the kettle black..." Jered said. He knew he was pretty bungled up in the head, but no one in his family was the synonym of a sound mind either.

Jane at least had the decency to blush. "I don't know what you're talking about." she whipped her hair around and, mustering all of her authority as a mother—which was at an all-time low at that moment—she cleared her throat and said, "Shush now, we need a movie guys, a movie! What are we going to watch?"

"Ahem," Jasmine straightened her posture, a smirk splitting her face. "I'm glad you asked because I have the solution." at their confused looks, she popped open a bag of popcorn and nestled one between her fingers. "This is the popcorn of truth, it will pinpoint to us what we are destined to watch tonight. Ohhh salty one, with all my heart I have sought you; and uhh... do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from bad movies so that Jered won't bug me anymore. Amen. Jasmine 6:69"

"Oh my..." their mother covered her mouth with a hand, looking positively amused by her daughter's shenanigans.

"Of course..." Jered drawled out. "Are you actually serious?"

Jasmine wrinkled her nose at him, before pitching the salty treat in her hand towards the screen like a Pokeball. He didn't know what she expected to happen, and neither did Jane. The kernel wound up ricochetting off one of the sliding movie playbills, and her reaction was like she had just seen the messiah smiling down at her. "Yessh! That one! That one! We found it!"

"Which one...?" Jane was too busy contemplating her life choices to track down the popcorn's trajectory.

"That one! Flowers in the Attic!" Jasmine jumped to her feet, stole the remote from her mother, and pressed play. "Trust me guys, I know what I'm doing. This is going to be one of the best movies ever! Believe it!"

--

It could have been worse, Jered reminded himself.

Flowers in The Attic had a strong start. The plot revolved around the Dollangangers, a family of seemingly perfect-looking people; the sort of people Hitler would have wanted for his Aryan project. Blonde hair, blue eyes, porcelain skin. It was the kind of family you were jealous of, that one annoying well-off neighbor that always had the grass greener. Then, the death of their father snowballed everything towards a more grim... territory. Granted, Jered liked the drama that ensued in the movie, and the now-widowed mother of four was decisively an interesting character with her shady motives.

What started ticking off his alarm's bells was when the Grandmother—the supposedly bad character in the movie—begrudgingly welcomed them in her mansion, and locked the children inside the attic for nefarious purposes, and among other things, blatantly accused the eldest siblings of incest. Of course, if you wanted to avoid such a scenario you don't just lock two fucking beautiful teenagers inside an attic for two years and expect them not to do anything.

That was when Jasmine realized the mistake she made. However, at that point, they were already halfway through the movie. It would have been more awkward getting up and stopping the movie than finishing it as if nothing happened, hence they decided to soldier through it.

It could have been way worse, Jered reminded himself yet again. Child abuse, religion demonization, and incest was not a good way to start the evening. Not after the two fictional siblings started making out. He was pretty sure his sister had just lost any right to vote for the next movie.

The end credits started rolling up.

"Should we watch it again?" Jered grinned. "I liked that part where he used his tongue to inspect her tonsils." it was so unappropriated to say such a thing, especially in front of his mother and sister, but he didn't care.

"Ughh..." Jasmine tried to make herself small on her side of the couch, holding tightly onto a throw pillow. "I'm sorry?" she probed, batting her jade green eyes in a fashion that would have levelled any weak-hearted men. It was her ultimate guilt-inducing move. He didn't want to admit it, but in an ironic slap of fate, they were all more or less similar to the Dollangangers in the movie. He wondered if they thought the same.

"It's okay, it wasn't bad." Jane smiled down at her, running her fingers through her daughter's silky blonde hair. "I mean yeaaah, they should have avoided such controversial topics, but... it was refreshing. It was legit not bad."

He silently agreed. "As much as I don't want to take your side because watching you suffer is entertaining..." he almost laughed when her eyes screamed 'betrayal', "I'm with mom on this one. It's not for narrow-minded people. And it was refreshing, to a lesser extent. Well, now that the review is over, I propose to call off Jasmine's veto for movies until her birthday."

Jane nodded seriously, "The motion has been approved."

"I object!" Jasmine called out.

"Objection rejected." Jered stole the remote from her.

She crossed her arms and wrinkled her nose in defiance.

And thus, the movie night went on until the wee hours of the morning. Jered didn't sleep much though. Armed with a tome in his hand—and a glowing orb in the other—he thumbed through the pages at a fast pace, devouring all of the knowledge like a thirsty wayfarer in the middle of the desert. And when the sun peeked above the skyline, he realized one thing. That it wasn't enough. He needed more.

 

Chapter 13: Akashka Society

Spoiler

[Mana Orb has become Lv.10]
[You can now create multiple Mana Orbs. The light can be colorized.]
[Experience: 21%]

"How useless..."

Jered didn't know what he was expecting, but becoming a human lightbulb was not it. Thankfully, it was an easy skill to learn and develop. He reasoned that it would take anywhere between a couple of days to a week to use it as a blunt weapon. The tome did say that Mana Orb was an indispensable skill to learn since it branched off into many powerful variants. However, there was good news. After a whole, sleepless day of trial and error, he had finally succeeded in curbing down his annoying Magical Radar. That's how he called it. 'Magical Radar'. It was sweet, short, to the point. And most importantly, it didn't harm his pride.

His smartphone's screen lit up and vibrated.

07.30 A.M
Wednesday, 15 October
Rainey has sent you a message.
—"Hey, doggie, I've got a job for you."

Of course...

He unlocked the screen and opened up the chat.

—"What is it? Also, don't call me doggie."

He patiently waited... and waited. But the 'Rainey is typing...' went on for a full minute before...

—"Ok."

"..."

She must have been trolling him. Such a waste of time.

He typed back, —"What is the job?"

A reply popped up faster than Jasmine's.

—"Hey, doggie. You free now? Let's meet up. I'll explain everything to you in detail "

—"Technically it's a school day, but whatever... yes, I'm free..."

—"Perfect! Cuz I'm already waiting for you outside."

He blinked; once, twice. She was? Jered tossed the bedsheets aside and made a beeline for the window. An inconspicuous Mini Coupe was parked by the sidewalk. A well-aged lady dressed in business attire was sitting rather inappropriately on the car's trunk, bobbing her head around as she listened to some heart-pumping music. She noticed him, waved a hand, and typed a quick message.

The smartphone in his hand vibrated.

—"You have a yummy physique "

Jered was a bit floored, then he stared down at his exposed torso. He liked to sleep with only his briefs on as it helped boost his already overly-inflated ego. It must have been a family's thing for he knew both his sister and mother did the same, albeit less exaggerated than him.

He promptly ignored her. —"I'm going to wash up, wait a min..."

There was no reply, but he saw her nod at him. Jered turned around, and, after a few seconds of not-so-deep contemplation, he took all the tomes Rainey gave him out of the bag. He wanted to use Paranoia!'s library feature and absorb them only when he was done reading them, but if the job proved to be dangerous, then there was no reason to hold back. After a split second of hesitation, he lay a hand on the tome's cover, "Absorb?" he muttered questioningly.

The bible-like black tome disintegrated into beautiful, wispy butterflies of light. 200 pages of magic knowledge flowed into his brain.

[You have absorbed the tome 'Dahmaska's Mana Theory']

So that was its name, huh?

[Knowledge transfer: 10%]
[Knowledge transfer: 32%]
[Knowledge transfer: 78%]
[Knowledge transfer: 100%]

[You have already learned the spell, 'Mana Orb'.]
[Mana Orb has become Lv.22]
[The Orb's density can now cause mild blunt trauma. Depending on your Mana Pool, you can also regulate the Orb's size.]

[You have learned the spell 'Mana Beam', Lv.1]
[A variant of Mana Orb. It fires a highly-concentrated beam of mana. It's heavily taxing if fired continuously.]

[The spell 'Mana Beam' resonates with the spell 'Mana Orb'.]
[Mana Beam has become Lv.5]
[You now need slightly less mana to conjure a Mana Beam.]

The lone Mana Vein in his heart throbbed. And not only—his neurons were gliding around in a weird dance to fit in the knowledge, which caused his head to be hammered by a dull, stinging pain. It was as if he had just crammed half a month's worth of studying into his brain in a scanty couple of seconds. Definitely not healthy. A few ragged breaths later, and Jered found himself grimacing as he stared at the remaining two tomes. The first one had at least around 700 pages, while the second one was well over 1000.

And that was considering how 200 pages almost knocked him out.

Well, at least he knew it was legit and not a scam. A swirling mass of white mist magically-ionized above his palm. It was as big as a human's head, and bright like an incandescent bulb. Then it started to tremble dangerously before the Mana Orb converted into pressurized kinetic-like energy, ready to be fired off at the snap of his fingers—literally, and figuratively. He balled his hand into a fist, quickly stopping the flow of mana, and hence snuffing out the spell.

The light dispersed into a misty smoke.

Jered felt a bit winded after that stunt. Mana Beam was indeed quite taxing. His heart rate accelerated to compensate for the drained energy. Even so, a smile tugged at his lips. Did a God out there decide that he was apt to become the chosen one? Or maybe it was all an intergalactic conspiration that spanned for centuries across the universe, and Jered someway, somehow found himself in the middle of it all? Because it was simply impossible for someone's life to turn upside down like that in less than 24 hours.

What was even Paranoia? Where did it come from?

[This is classified information. You don't have the rank to access Paranoia!'s database.]

Came the system's reply. Which meant that at some point, when his rank was high enough, he could get inside its database?

A sigh left him. It was neither the time nor the place to unveil the mystery behind the screens. He was just feeling a bit emotional.
--
After cleaning himself up, Jered slung his school bag—which contained only his tomes—over his shoulder and made his way downstairs. His mother was there, over the sink of the kitchen with her back turned to him, looking as lively and beautiful as a freshly out-of-cocoon butterfly. However, unlike a real butterfly, the woman's lifespan seemed to stretch over the three digits as she stopped aging after hitting her 30s.

"Jered, you're not going to have breakfast?"

Jane tilted her head around. Her voice was one of confusion, with a teaspoon of concern.

"A friend is driving me to school, we're going to grab a bite on the way," he said, his fingers flitting slowly across his phone's keyboard.

—"Coming..."

"Ah... I see... I thought we could have breakfast together..." his mother's voice lowered considerably towards the end. Jasmine, who had been munching on a muffin so far, was staring at him as well. She didn't say anything, not that she needed to. He could see it in her eyes, same as their mother's. It was one of those rare times where he couldn't really decipher her. She usually wore her heart on her sleeve, yet there was something else in there as well.

Jered's stride halted. "I'm really sorry, mom. I've already promised." he smiled apologetically, "Also, this concerns a part-time job I'm interviewing for with said friend. So for the bigger picture, I'll have to go."

The smile on Jane's face thinned down to a bitter, understanding line. She nodded, "Fine sweetie, just be careful. And when you come back I want to know everything about your part-time job, okay?"

He grinned, sidled up to her, and planted a chaste kiss on her cheek, much to her surprise. "Sure thing, mom. Thank you."

The ugly line curved back up into that loving, blinding smile.

She wiped her hands with a cloth and proceeded to smooth Jered's hair, jacket, and give him a quick once-over. And when she was satisfied—totally ignoring his growing chagrin at being treated like a child—she smacked a resounding kiss on his forehead. "There you go. All dolled up."

"Thank you..."

"Haha, no problem. Off you go then."

Meanwhile, Jasmine tried to squelch back her grin behind a fist. It didn't work. Jered noticed her smirking away at him. Therefore, when he passed her by, he didn't forget to give her a brotherly flick on her ear. The crisp squeal of pain he was awarded, and her indignant 'hey!', accompanied him until he was out of the door.

"I swear, Jered, once you're back ho—"

With a click, he closed the door.

The soft, weak golden strands of the morning sun struggled to stay alight amidst the swirling mass of darkness billowing in from the south. The whole neighborhood was tinted in a faltering bronze light as the black clouds encroached with their raging silver streaks. Jered heard the low hum of a car's engine. He hastened towards it, opened the copilot door, and slid inside. There was no blaring music, contrary to his expectations. Instead, a mantle of silence walled between him and Rainey.

She was not even looking at him.

"You don't seem to be in a good mood," he stated quietly.

Rainey's eyes were fixed somewhere in the sky, where the storm was coming from.

"I'm sorry..." her voice sounded so defeated for some reason, "My mood soured..."

"I hope it has nothing to do with me..."

A smile—however weak it was—lifted her lips. "No, it has nothing to do with you. Don't worry..." she wheeled the car around, and sped away from his house, to the opposite direction of the storm. The town's morning fanfare rolled past his windowpane in a blur. And after a few minutes, his fingers were tapping impatiently on his knee. He was fine with the silence, but the gloominess oozing out of Rainey was grinding his gears. It made him feel unsettled.

"So, are you going to tell me what is the job I have to do or not?" he inquired with a barely concealed edge in his voice.

"Hmm... it's a probationary job, actually." she started, "You see, we of Gravewall are part of a magical organization called Akashka Society. It's recently founded, so it's not some huge corporation with its fingers stretched all over the globe. We used to operate mostly on the Other Side."

"Used?" he noted.

Rainey tucked a fringe of her hair behind her ear, "Yes, used. I thought it would be for the best if we waited for our society to grow more before we started anything outrageous there." she ventured a quick look at his face, the wrinkles on her face retreating behind her smile. "The only true members of Akashka are me and Jerry... and potentially anyone else in Gravewall who awakens mana. The ones that work there are only outer members since their fighting capabilities are almost non-existent."

"I see." Jered nodded thoughtfully, "And this 'probationary job' is a test to see if I'm qualified to become a true member, right?"

"Yes. We've already established that you have a lot of talent," a hint of eagerness sneaked into her tone, "But can you live up to it? The Other Side is full of dangerous, god-like monsters. Many other societies like ours are deep-rooted there, holding incredible influence and sway. I gave you the tomes to get yourself acquainted with magic, yes, but also to see how much you'd learn in such a short time-span. In layman's terms, I want to see if the trend is worth investing in."

"And if the trend goes down you pull back to minimize the loss. So, what if I fail this job? Are you going to kill me?"

An amused chuckle preluded her next words, "No no... I told you, didn't I? We need manpower." she said matter-of-factly, "You might not become a true member, but you'll spend your days working for those who become, though. A little errand boy for the ones that have power. Better than death, huh?"

"Yes... better than death..." he drawled out, staring at his bag. Should he? Whatever it was that he had to do, he couldn't afford to fail.

She turned the radio on, switching through the channels to find a song she could bob her head to. "The job is simple, really. Simple but dangerous. Do you remember what I said about demonic contracts?" at his nod, she went on, "Well, I found out a perfect demonic entity somewhere in the outskirts of our town. Usually, you'd need special equipment to register its low-frequency voice. But hey, mana is really a beautiful thing. It makes life easier and lazier."

It was then that Rainey took the first lane to the right, whereupon the cluster of buildings started thinning out, until they were on a single road surrounded by vegetation. Jered blinked. "So you're going to... what... implant a demon inside Arya?" it was more of a statement than a question.

"You can interpret it that way if you want."

Was she trying to be mysterious?

"And where exactly is this demonic entity?"

Rainey shrugged, "Where is the most likely place you can find spirits, ghosts, and demonic entities on Earth?"

"A haunted... house?"

She coughed a few times to mask her mirth, "Nope," she shook her head, popping the 'p', "A haunted asylum, dear."

 

Chapter 14: Quest of Redemption

Spoiler

An infrastructure stood underneath the raging skies in a despaired husk of its former self. The redbrick walls were almost completely peeled off of their once lustrous, white paint. And as Jered ventured forth, shards of broken glass crunched under his shoes. Toys, clothes, and a whole host of personal belongings littered the front yard as if someone had partied there and left without cleaning it. His eyes roamed the abandoned asylum, from its whining gates to the ramshackle pillars supporting it. Some of the windows were bare of their glass, allowing the brave one to steal a quick glimpse of the dusty darkness that was the asylum's insides.

"This one was not quite as lucky as Gravewall," Rainey's voice carried a tinge of melancholy; it fitted perfectly with the broken-down building towering in front of them. "A lot of torture, sexual abuse, and who knows what else, took place here. While this asylum was officially closed in 1992, many people at the time protested about the lack of humanity transpired here. The case went on for a few years, before the higher-ups swept everything under the metaphorical rug. And no one has ever come here since then."

A crack of thunder rolled overhead.

Jered's smile became wider with each sonorous rumble. It seemed that every time he had to enter an asylum, the weather would play its role as the background soundtrack. "You need to work a bit more on your narration if you want to make it scarier than it is." he smiled cheerfully, "So I have to go inside and ghost hunt?"

"Weeell... you don't have to hunt it, you just have to bring it back. Mana itself doesn't affect ghosts and demonic entities, but they can—and will—affect you. You're still too weak to deal with them," Rainey opened her hand, and hovering a few inches above her palm, a transparent pearl materialized in a smoky firework of lights. "I hope you have learned enough because today you'll be on the defensive. Someone is in there, and they're pissed." she flicked the pearl towards Jered, who caught it mid-air, "Use that to capture it. You just need to get close enough to it, and the pearl will do the rest. Of course, you must make sure the entity is willing to get inside, and if it isn't... hmm heh, a bit of elbow grease and a prayer should help."

He stared at the magical device in his hand, his nose twitching in reaction. "It's okay," he winked at her, "I got this."

She unwrapped a chocolate candy, "What heart-fluttering words. Don't get yourself too hurt," and popped the confectionery into her mouth.

Jered faced the asylum, and...

[You have triggered your second quest!]

... a notification zoomed in out of nowhere.

[Quest of Redemption: Life is but another circle of hell. Not all who die find peaceful sleep, and not all who sleep peacefully are dead. Let the resentment guide you, and there you'll find what is still living in its past.]
[Reward: 1000% experience on a skill of your choice.]

Now he had another reason to push that door. And so he did. With a firm grip on the handles, the frames creaked ominously, and Jered found himself welcomed by a mildewy abyss. He spawned a few Mana Orbs around himself to pave the way. He'd use his phone's flashlight, but Rainey explained that it was highly likely that the ghostly presence could turn it on and off. Rusty trays trolleys were discarded left and right among piles of debris. The atmosphere was somber, funereal. It felt like he had stepped into another world; another time. Graffitis chalked the walls, with arrows pointing towards random directions.

He followed them. Only his footsteps echoed off in the foreboding silence of the psychiatric ward. Jered couldn't afford to maximize his Mana Orbs' brightness, he needed to conserve every ounce of mana he had, so his radius of vision was only a couple of meters ahead—and around—him. To his right, his Mana Orbs briefed him of an unlocked room. He pulled it back slightly, allowing a broader view of its inside. The window was boarded up, offuscating the minimal pencil-thin light that sneaked in.

A mattress was laid on the broken tiles of the floor, ripped and yellowed. Its bedframe stood perfectly parallel beneath the window, in all of its oxidized glory. Jered explored the cement walls, highlighting a corner in particular. It was not any different from the others; same cracks, same blisters of paint falling off. However, that particular corner was a testament to the patient's madness, because written in blood-red, was two unmistakable words.

KEEP OUT.

He was momentarily stunned by the harshness behind the jagged handwriting. He took a step back, and due to his sudden movement, a white and black photograph slid out under his foot. His dusty shoe-print hazed the yellowed picture. He crouched down to pick it up, and after brushing a thumb across its surface, a young girl focused within the frame. She was flanked by two older people, most likely her parents. The woman had a hand on the girl's shoulder, squeezing it affectionately—she was the spitting image of what the girl would look like if life had been kinder on her. The man stood on the right, slightly behind them, with hands tucked inside his pockets. There were subtle nuances of emotion here and there, but it all seemed fabricated, like a stitched smile.

Jered's eyes splayed wide open as he shot a curious look towards his arm. "Goosebumps...?" he mumbled. At first, it was just a chill in the air, a wet caress that nuzzled his right arm with shivers. It was only that arm's hair that stood on its end, the rest of his body didn't share the same experience. Then he noticed the increased tang of mana, colder, like breathing in the frozen air. It was more pronounced than the hallways. His Magical Radar would not be wrong.

Someone was there with him.

He abruptly turned around, hoping to catch the demonic entity red-handed.

No one was there.

Jered's head swiveled around in a frantic game of hide-and-seek with the ghost. It was still there, he could feel it. Then he stumbled across a cracked mirror barely hanging on the wall. In its crooked, kaleidoscopic reflection, he descried a mop of dark, greased hair falling down over a silver face. Partially sheltered behind the half-closed door, the entity's head braved a peek at him, before fading back into the maw of darkness behind it.

"Wait!"

He ran after it, his Mana Orbs flashing a brighter white to capture the ghost within his peripheral. His feet eventually halted in front of a staircase. There was no shadow of the entity, just cobwebs, and strips of wallpaper strewn all over the floor. His Magical Hearing worked like a metal detector, buzzing intermittently while slightly spiking whenever something supernatural was caught in its area of effect. That's why he was there. Something was waiting for him on the staircase's landing. A hazy, white silhouette fluttered like a clump of particles, shimmering in and out of view.

He slowly climbed up, one probing step at a time. Jered couldn't risk scaring it away, or worse, scare it into attacking him. Halfway through, an urgent series of footsteps reverberated rather vividly in the tunnel of darkness behind him. From a casual walk to a brisk jog. It kept getting closer and closer.

Jered whipped around, his hand clutching a swirling mist of mana, ready to lash it out at a moment's notice. However, a strong push on his back broke his balance. With a painful thud, he bounced down the staircase and unceremoniously crashed on to the ground. He couldn't afford to register the spike of pain—not when he was fully open for another sneak attack—so he rolled around, and fired off the Mana Beam brewing within his fingers. The bright, plasma-like energy sizzled off towards the staircase. A wave of heat rolled back towards him as the Mana Beam ricocheted off against the handrail, bursting into a rain of embers and rusty fragments.

Damn, his only method of attack was still weak. He would have consumed the other two tomes if they contained anything remotely useful to deal with the situation.

Was Rainey pulling his leg? Jered was being toyed around there.

He didn't have time to mull over his odds of survival for he heard someone's faint weeping. Meanwhile, the footsteps had disappeared, and the presence lingering in front of him followed suit. In the dead silent asylum, someone's heart-wrenching sobs wafted through like a whisper next to his ears. His irritated frown gave away to a growl of frustration as he picked himself up. A pulsing sting spread from the back of his head down to his shoulders. Thankfully, his mana acted up and shifted there to relieve the pain and heal the bruise.

So he marched on.

What a load of bullcrap. His mana couldn't affect them? His hands balled into fists. Jered didn't like it. He felt ashamed, undermined, underestimated. He kicked a stray metal trolley out of the way. It clattered several feet away, its wheels whimpering from the worn-out, rusted suspension parts. The crying in the distance stopped. And in response his mana pumped out faster, stronger, filling his hands with the unquenchable thirst for violence. "Are you angry!?" he shouted out, his lips curling up into a smirk of sadistic satisfaction.

There was nothing there, no sound, no smell, no shadows. Just a tide of darkness that receded as his Mana Orbs pulsed in resonance with his feelings.

Meanwhile, outside the sky raged, lighting ripping through the inky clouds. Across the hallways, Jered's ears could make out a chorus. It sounded like something that would make a better impression in a church, not a psychiatric ward. The voices were soft, warped, and had that echoing after-effect, as if they were traveling through the pipes. He stood still, planning out his next course of action.

With a resigned sigh, he raked a hand through his hair and drew his smartphone out.

—"Mom, I'm gonna be a bit late today..."

 

Chapter 15: It Was More Fun in Hell

Spoiler

A beautiful jagged, silver streak cracked the sky in two. Jane frowned, encasing her arms around herself. While her woolen bloom protected her from the cold, it did not protect her from her worries. She watched as the heavens washed down a thick sheet of water; the trees moaned and writhed. Dust was kicked up, plastic bags and weed were uprooted and swept away. Meanwhile, in the background, the TV's BBC newsreader was listing off methodically the state that would bear the full-burnt of the hurricane as it approached the Gulf of Mexico.

"The hurricane Layla has become a category 4 monster..." he droned on, a map of the southern US appearing behind him. A white, swirling mass of clouds could be seen above the ocean basin. It was spearheading towards Louisiana. "While it will eventually weaken once it goes inland, Louisiana's local authorities strongly recommend evacuation."

Jane slouched herself on the sofa, steepling her fingers beneath her chin. A text message alerted her smartphone with a chirp.

—"Mom, I'm gonna be a bit late today..."

It had not even been an hour since Jered had left for school, so what could possibly have happened? She chewed her nails, waiting for a more detailed explanation... but his 'online' status had gone off. She would have not been this worried if not for the weather. A lot could happen if someone was not careful, especially while driving. Jane didn't even know who was taking her son to school; was that person even reliable? Should she have met that friend beforehand?

She worked out a quick reply, —It's okay, take care

Her text popped up on the chat, but her fingers still hovered above the keyboard. She hated herself for being this overprotective. It was not her fault, she told this to herself repeatedly, whether before sleeping or upon waking up. After John died in a fog of mystery, she felt like the world was after her family. When everything was perfect, untainted, a snake slithered into her Eden and turned everything upside down.

—"You forgot to take an umbrella with you"

—"Also, if you want I can come to pick you up when school's over"

—"Why don't you let me talk to your friend? I just want to make sure it's all okay"

—"Please let me know"

—"Jered?"

She kept the messages coming, but as she had expected, none of them were seen. Jane tossed her phone aside, and with a huff, she blew out of the way a strand of hair that fell over her nose.

--

Jered ignored the constant vibrations in his pocket. Someone was following him; he could smell and hear it. Whoever it was, it never strayed closer than it needed to. Its steps were a background remainder that it was there, behind him, content to patiently wait. He ignored that too. He had to secure himself a demonic entity, not a random resentful spirit. Then the footsteps faded. Jered turned around one more time—guarded and ready to squeeze out every drop of Mana to protect himself—yet his Magical Detector didn't buzz again. Was it gone? His chest relaxed, and the breath he was holding in was loosened out.

He walked up the stairs in front of him.

The second floor was the same as the first one, if not worse for wear. Debris, paint chips, and various abandoned tools surrounded him. The drawings were certainly disturbing to the weak-hearted eye; an invitation for any intrepid visitor to join the world of madness that once caked those same halls. At some point, he even stumbled across an operating room. The cyan tiles were bleached, with thin scorched-like strips of mold running down the corner of its walls. The surgical table was torn apart, while the operating light was rusted all over, barely hanging on by its extension arms.

Jered cast a cursory glance at the surgical instruments and, after not finding anything particularly noteworthy, moved on.

It was then that the paranormal phenomena concentrated, joined hands, and paved his way towards the end of the hallway in an ensemble of noises. It started with a banging on the walls, sometimes in a flurry of mindless anger, sometimes soft. Then came the frantic scratches behind the locked doors, and the pitter-patter of bare feet running around. The psychiatric ward was more alive than he thought. And it came all to a complete silence way too suddenly. It was as if the building itself were watching him, evaluating, curious to know how well-prepared he was.

His nose started twitching, and as if a hand was beckoning him forth, he stopped in front of the last room. It was a dead-end unless he decided to go back. There were no windows, only stripped walls isolated the room. His Mana Orbs swathed the door with gentle, pulsing waves of light. And on its wooden frame, faded black words were written by a despondent hand. 'IT WAS MORE FUN IN HELL'. Jered prepared himself, mentally, physically, metaphorically. The outpouring of mana was the strongest inside the room. Every nerve on his body was on high-alert, his heart fueling that addicting adrenaline; a delicious drug for his veins. It made everything brighter, louder.

And with that same feeling stuck in his throat, he let the tension guide him.

The door's hinges squeaked out, and before he even stepped inside, Jered knew that someone was there. A chillness settled over his body, but he braved on. The gap widened, the darkness retreating. He slowly dragged himself through the threshold. So far so good. What caught him off-guard, however, was that—even though he was not running out of mana—his Mana Orbs started flickering in and out, like a bulb reaching the end of its lifespan.

"Shit..."

With a resounding thump, the door slammed shut by itself, trapping him inside.

So far not so good, after all.

A silhouette was in front of him, different from the mischievous entities following him around. Sitting on a broken-down bed frame—swallowed by darkness itself—she had her back turned to him. At first, what looked like a normal, stained white tunic, was in fact a straitjacket. She was rocking back and forth, lulling herself into some sort of false security. Not once did she turn around. And not once did Jered ever think of approaching her. His hand clutched protectively the pearl Rainey gave him; it was his only lifeline at the moment. 'Dahmaska's Mana Theory' was the only fountain of magic knowledge he could fall back on, yet it never taught him anything about ghosts, or how to deal with them.

Rainey had said so herself. Jered was still lacking.

Then what in the nine hells was he supposed to do? Negotiate?

He squinted his eyes, anchoring the figure within his sight. His Mana Orbs were on the edge of being snuffed out. The light waned dangerously low, and Jered found himself in a mental deadlock. He knew he had to get closer, but the safety of standing still eroded his mind. She slowly, almost imperceptibly, cambered her head to the side. Her mane of ebony-black hair would have been barely visible if not for her white, restraining garment.

Jered squelched back the stress building up inside of him. A sickening, atrocious whiff of putrid meat sneaked into his nose. It permeated, grew, and latched onto his face with each breath he took. He pushed his mana harder, powering his Mana Orbs in a last-ditch struggle against the interference. A flash of light returned for a brief instant before it died down. Jered bit his lip, and in an unconscious act—a whim, if you want—he drew out the photograph he had pocketed downstairs.

"This is you, right?" he smoothed out his voice, "This is you." he tapped the middle of the picture with his finger, steely confidence backing up his claim. He didn't know if he were spitting bullshit or if they were the same person. It was a shot in the darkness. "I'm sorry about before... I didn't mean to make so much noise, sometimes I get a little mad," he said slowly, deliberately, "I'm not here to—"

Well, shit.

She was right in front of him. His Mana Orbs decided that it was the perfect moment to blink out. Jered back-paddled, until a wall stopped his retreat. He tried to kick-start his Mana Orbs into working again, yet a curtain of charcoal robbed him of his vision, offering its throne to the queen that had been skulking in its embrace for more than he had lived. Jered quietly slipped his smartphone out and turned the flashlight on. It was a momentary reprieve for it wasn't any better than his orbs.

"This is you, you're the one in the photograph, right?"

No answer.

The hand holding the pearl tightened.

"Are these your relativ—no, parents. Right? Where are they?"

Icy fingers grabbed his picture-holding wrist, squeezing with its biting cold yet leaving burn streaks on his skin.

"Did they die?" Jered was not deterred. His words flowed slower, more articulately, "Were they with you?" the vice-like grip on his wrist pressed harder, "Did they leave? They must have, right? They left you here in this dreary place, all alone, to rot away. They probably didn't need you... you were just a little parasite, an unwanted tumor to their perfect life, weren't you?" his Mana Sensitivity was being overloaded from the reeking, miasma of anger bathing him. He soldiered on. "Come on, show yourself to me."

With a violent shove, Jered's head was forced to high-five the wall behind him. Wizened, rough, and slender fingers curled around his throat, cutting off his air supply. A strangled gasp left him, and the throbbing pain wood-chucking his skull became a secondary problem; the first one was currently staring at him. The flashlight of his smartphone, which had clattered against the floor, winked a few times before it successfully flashed to life.

Black eyes—scleras, irises, pupils—glared at him. Her eye-sockets were bony, creased, as was her ash-grey face. Not even a semblance of her former beauty left its legacy on that hideous, maggot nest canvas. Her lips were bluish, and chapped from frostbite. There was nothing but decay, rotten filth, and resentment on her expression. She leaned her head ever-so-slightly closer, a predatory grin unveiling blackened gums with no teeth.

A corpse would look better than her.

"You're angry... and I get that. I really... do." Jered struggled to speak, but at least he maintained eye-contact. "But, as mawkish as it sounds... I can help you. When you slip off God's hands you fall straight into Lucifer's ones, and you know what they say. When in hell, only the devil can help you out." breathing became a little easier, "What do you want? Revenge... closure perhaps? A grave for your parents? And tell me, what can you do by yourself? You're nothing but a sad, crazy little mass of ectoplasm who was forgott—"

"I... was... not... crazy..."

The hold on his neck tightened in response. And her whisper came with the stink of death, raspier than a smoker, and squeezed out with years of solitude.

"—But you were forgotten. They left you here in this shit-hole, didn't they? Aaand... now you have a simple solution before you. Take a moment to untangle that anger-filled yarn that is your head, and maybe you'll understand the opportunity I'm laying down at your feet."

Honestly, he didn't even know the full backstory of what transpired between them. He was lucky to hit the nail on the first shot. She started gnashing her gums together; the slimy, fleshy sound was nauseating to his ears. The they he was referring to could have been her parents, relatives, tutors, or anyone that used to hold a huge sentimental value to her. It didn't matter. It was all about capitalizing on her anger.

"Killing me is not going to make you feel any better or satisfied, but allowing me to help you kill them just might. This is not only about revenge, this is much more. So much more than me, you, or anyone else. Trust your fate to someone who can handle it, you have nothing else to lose, after all. Come on now... she is waiting for us outside," Jered wrestled to get his hand up, where a shiny, misty pearl was nestled between his fingers. With his other hand instead, he weathered through his revulsion and cupped her chin, his thumb nuzzling her wrinkled, cracked cheekbone. And with a dazzling, sweet smile, he said, "Also, don't you want to be beautiful again?"

 

Chapter 16: Spring

Spoiler

She was a clown.

She used to laugh, to smile, to humor, and to ignore the snarks by cupping her ears shut. The people in nurse uniforms were not kind. She decided that she didn't like them.

She was not crazy. She was different; as different as every human was from each other—with her likes, dislikes, quirks, vices, and merits. She was beautifully flawed, tragically built from a wicked witch's brew of leftover personalities.

She made a wish once: to see the day her parents would welcome her back. Her father would have a proud smile, never too keen on expressing his feelings. Her mother would cry instead, all too eager to show how boundless her love was. And so, every morning, she'd wait for hours by the window. The clouds would roll back and forth, and the sun would set down, yet she would still be there, patiently staring at the end of the driveway—at that little corner that met the main road towards the city. She would perk up the sound of every car passing by, and sulk in disappointment when none of them turned past that little corner.

It was fine.

She could go there again the next day and wait.

Winter never bothered her with its frosty breaths, snow-capped trees, wool blankets, and the promises of a better, more peaceful year. Summer was a kind teacher, smiling at her with its rustling trees, and lulling her to sleep with its glittering night sky. Autumn was a colorful, lively sister, carpeting the ground with her swirling golds and reds. Spring always approached quietly, never too hot or too cold. And as the seasons marred the landscape with each of their passing, she was always there, waiting.

She knew her parents were coming. They made a pinky promise—and everyone knew not to break pinky promises. It was an unbreakable oath. However, the nurses weren't happy. They never believed her. Ah, but she'd show them! One day, she'd go away and leave all of them behind. She would be the one smiling at them.

Eventually, she grew older, and she grew more lonely.

People came in, and even more never came back.

It was fine.

She remembered many things. She remembered the clock ticking by, slowly, one second at a time; one more cursed second of her life ebbing away behind white walls. She remembered the food, overcooked, salty, and always the same—every day. She remembered a nurse in particular. Her name was a bit elusive, her face blurry, like a camera that refused to focus. She would grab her by the arm and whisk her away whenever she had her face plastered on the window. The nurse never understood, never listened, never saw her tears, or the child screaming for help behind her eyes. It was a game. Everyone played it as well. The bruises on her lips, cheeks, and arms were a testament to that. It was so one-sided it made her feel jealous. But patients were not allowed to play, right?

Well, she remembered one last thing. She was never a fan of rules. And when the next morning came, it was one hell of a day.

It was truly a party to die for.
--
Her long chain of victories came to a glorious halt when she was crowned with a gift. There was no way it was anything but a gift, just like her new chamber—she was awarded that on her seventh day. Oh, and how beautiful it was. It set her apart. The clothing was perfectly tailored to fit her new status. It was long-sleeved and lily-wite. It reminded her of winter. They were a bit uncomfortable, however. For some uncanny reason, her arms were painfully locked behind her back. How was she supposed to play like that? No matter how much she writhed, squirmed, or twisted. She could hardly move.

It was fine.

She knew her parents were coming. And when they did, she'd play with them too. She would proudly announce that she learned how to play. Her father would chuckle at her; he always liked to laugh at her. Now she could laugh with him too. Her mother instead would be a worthy opponent; when it came to playing, she was really good. She was looking forward to it.

With a smile on her face, she waited.

She was not crazy. She was different; as different as each human was from each other—but unlike them, she was perfect now. She was beautiful. And because of her beauty, she'd smile, she'd laugh, she'd humor, and she would never shut her ears anymore. The snarks couldn't hurt her.

She made a wish once: to see the day where winter would finally be gone, so she could feel some warmth.

Eventually, she grew old, and she grew more confused. How long did she have to wait for them?

A lot of people went away. Apparently, it was due to a new hush-hush game. She heard their small-talk, how couldn't she? No one wanted to stay in hell, so they moved away. Where though? Well, it must have been a very popular game, people were slowly disappearing. The hallways had never been so bereft of life before. It was not fair, she wanted to play it too. It looked really fun. So she followed them. One stifled step at a time, up the stairs and towards the roof. No nurse was there to watch. The fools. And then the sky opened up to herself, tussling her hair and kissing her face. Her chest squeezed in a lungful of sweet, crisp oxygen.

So she opened her arms as well, or at least she tried to... until they dislocated and the pain became a faraway friend.

She wished her parents could see her now—she had just learned how to fly, after all.

Life was a difficult game.

And she lost.

It was fine.

She could wait for them there.
--
Did spring finally come?

It was warm, soft, and it wrecked all of her defenses. She ventured a look into his green eyes; was it pity that she saw? Compassion? Sympathy? She certainly didn't find fear, revulsion, or hatred. No, they were such a vivid green that she could almost see herself sitting behind that window, and stare as the grass danced to the breeze's tune. It was the eyes of spring, never too hot or too cold. His hand didn't shy away. It held her, his warmth a painful contrast against the cold rivulets of her cracked skin.

"Also, don't you want to be beautiful again?"

She squeezed his neck harder, she wanted to feel the wheeze of his dying lungs bathing her hand.

He smiled, a simple curl of his lips. "You... have waited... long enough. We came... here... for you." despite his splintered voice, a glint of self-assured victory flashed past his eyes.

She was frustrated. That was not how you played a game. You should never talk when playing.

His words faltered her. His fingers touched, probed, and felt every inch of her zombified face, as if he were plucking the strings of a guitar. No hesitation, only a smooth transition between each of his digits. It had been so long since she was last touched like that—a touch that didn't hurt her. It didn't leave behind any bruise, pain, or discomfort. Actually, she found herself liking it. That's why a small side of her didn't want to kill him. If she did, she'd lose spring.

That was unacceptable.

"I... was not... crazy..."

"I know..." he whispered softly, "I know you aren't. You're not crazy. You're just slightly different... just like me in that regard. Ah, but you're angry... understandable, if I were in your shoes, I'd feel just the same. You've been waiting for too long, and now you can't leave. The world hasn't been kind on you," the pressure on his windpipe lessened, and Jered was finally able to take a breather again; nonetheless, the entity's hand didn't retreat. It stayed glued on his neck, as cold as a cube of ice. "You're stuck here, in this moldy shithole, dutifully waiting for people that will never come back... you know that. You've always known. That's why you waited. Not for them. But for someone else to come, and take you away."

She gasped, her eyes stretching dangerously wide open. "I..." she struggled to say something else, but her mind was wired to repeat the same thing. Over and over. "... was not... crazy."

"Indeed you were not." Jered tilted his head to guide her eyes towards the pearl, "That's why I'm here. You're very special, and because of that, you'll get to relive life once again. It's an opportunity only for you and you alone. And all of you have to do, is take this..." he hovered the pearl higher, closer to her than him.

The entity's free hand sailed upon instinct, edging for that shining little stone. She was so close to the pearl that it kicked off a strong reaction. The mist inside swiveled and twisted. A burst of wind went off, shooting up dust everywhere. A suction vortex suddenly concentrated on her, like a magnetic field. Jered thought she was only going to be sucked inside the pearl. No, it was a bit more dramatic than that. A raspy scream tore through her throat. Her hair, face, and body melted like a popsicle left under the sun for too long. Her skin dripped off her flesh, and then her flesh was peeled off her bones, and then her bones were pulverized by the pearl's pulsing light—until a black ectoplasmic substance was extracted and swallowed inside.

Her distorted screams faded off as the pearl, now glowing an angry red color, burst with another powerful gust of wind—it carried such a putrid smell, along with the heavy Mana-ish tang, that Jered had to pinch his nose shut. It was definitely not a good combination. Once the wind waned into a slight, dying breeze, he retrieved the pearl. His Mana Orbs flickered back to life, and light finally returned in that dreary, cramped room.

"Well, shit. She must not be happy about it..."

The pearl twinkled as if in response.

[Quest Completed!]
[You have been awarded 1000% experience for a spell of your choosing.]

Jered slumped back against the wall. It was finally over. He grabbed his phone, brushing the dirt off its surface. A slew of messages from his mother popped up as soon as he unlocked the screen, and he had to bite back a chuckle at that. It was not surprising; she used to do that to Jasmine too. Now that he had caught a breather, it was time to rub it in Rainey's face. "I choose Mana Beam," he said, clambering back to his feet.

[Mana Beam has become Lv.15]
[The spell's power output has become stronger. You now need slightly less mana to conjure it.]

 

Chapter 17: Success

Spoiler

The crimson pearl was nonchalantly flicked up in the air—where it did a beautiful spin—before a very cocky Jered caught it in a fist as he strutted out of the asylum. "Well well..." he announced with open arms, "Guess who just completed his job awesomely?" a crack of thunder rolled out across the raging clouds, as if the sky itself were acclaiming his success.

Rainey draped one knee over the other, her eyes glowing with twinges of mana as she peered straight through the pearl. No need to confirm it up close. She could see the trapped, resentful wraith inside. "I'm pleasantly surprised, Jered. Congratulations, really. It must have been difficult..."

He waved a hand dismissively, "Nah, it was easy."

"Sure it was..." she smirked, "Do you think I couldn't see what was going on inside?"

"Oh... well, it was not that hard. Aside from some technical difficulties along the way, there was no doubt that I had it in the bag from the get-go." Jered handed the pearl to her, "So... I passed, right?"

Rainey nestled the pearl between her fingers, her lips easing down into a genuine smile. "Yes," she huffed out a chuckle, "You did. Welcome to Akashka. Aaand... color me impressed, Mana Beam is not a spell you can learn in such a short time." then, a theatrical snap of her fingers later, and a fancy black ring with a thorny, withered red rose as the head gem embedded in the middle materialized above her palm in a swirl of mist. She threw it to him.

He caught it, allowed himself a few moments to admire it from different angles, and slid it on his middle finger.

[You have joined the arcane organization 'Akashka Society']
[Your affiliation status has been added.]

"Is this made of mana? It won't suddenly disappear once I'm back home, huh?"

"No no, I didn't conjure it out of nowhere. This one was magically enhanced by Jerry." she shrugged, "He's good at tinkering with stuff."

"Well, he is quite proficient at tinkering with your patients too."

A wide, playful grin distorted her features. She faced him with an upturn of her eyes, "Nothing wrong with some consensual tinkering."

"Yes ma'am," he grinned back, "Let's hope it was not unprotected tinkering."

"I'm most certain Jerry magically enhanced his tool before he started hammering away."

They both shared a good laugh at Gravewall's psychiatrist's expense.
--
Jered didn't mind the music. He was in a good mood. Hell, he even joined Rainey's in her crazy head bobbing. That was how much of a good mood he was in. His heart still remembered that sudden adrenaline rush. So sweet and intoxicating—the treacherous embrace of danger. It lingered there, throbbing for more. He rubbed his neck. It was right where the entity's hand had made itself at home. Hah, it still felt cold.

"You look like you had the time of your life in there," Rainey commented with an amused raise of her eyebrow. "Well, I would have bailed you out of there as soon as your life was at risk... soo..."

He snapped his head towards her, "I legit thought I was on my own there. Would have you really saved me?"

"You silly pie! Of course I would have." his superstitious stare didn't lessen, "I swear! I even told you before, there is no way I'd have you die for nothing. I only foresaw you getting a bit roughed up. That's all. Why would I let someone as talented as you die? No way! The test was just to make sure you had the right mentality to make the best use of said talents."

"I know. I'm not complaining..."

She puckered her lips up, "Do you want me to buy you ice cream?"

"No..."

"Do you want to go to a movie? You still have time before you have to be back home, don't you? Your mom doesn't know you skipped school."

He rolled his eyes, "I'm sure that she has been notified of my absence by now. Take me home, I want to keep reading..."

"Aww..."

Eventually, Rainey pulled on the handbrake a few streets away from Jered's house. He looked at her. She looked back at him. A brief silence ensued, until he decided to break the ice. "Are you going to make Arya sign the demonic contract right now?"

She hummed, "That's the plan. Why? You wanna watch?"

"Can I?" if he had a tail, he'd be wagging it.

"No."

"Really? Why not?"

"It's less interesting than you think it is. Trust me. There'll be some screaming involved, some strobe light effect with magic, some more screaming..." she listed off, "... honestly, you'd be better off spending your time reading than watching someone suffer before having a new evil entity shoved inside them."

"Which can be translated as: 'I don't want you there so shut the fuck up'." he unbuckled his seatbelt, "I get it, I get it. I don't like it, but I get it."

Rainey sighed dreamily, "This is exactly why we get along so well." she twiddled with a chock of her hair, "Oh, wait. Here, this is for you..." she rummaged inside the glove compartment before drawing out a dusty, worn-out tome. It was considerably less thin than the ones he had already been given, which made its sight even more welcome.

Jered grabbed the proffered tome, blowing away the dust on its surface.

[Do you want to absorb the contents of this tome? Y/N]

He smiled.

"Don't smile like that, it's nothing advanced or flashy. It's just a miscellaneous collection of everyday charms." and then she had to pour cold water over him like that. What a bummer. "Ohh, but it will 100% make your life easier. Trust me."

Well, that kinda made him feel better. Just a bit. Well, anything magic-related was ought to.

"I begrudgingly accept your gift."

She nodded, "Off you go then. I'll be sending you tomes from time to time, so please, do your best to go through them all."

"You have my word, Rainey." he tapped the tome's cover a few times for emphasis, "These bad boys won't survive a week with me."
--
Jane was an impatient mess. She reminded herself that she had to be lenient, however. That was the way to go about it. She was not a good mother, but she was an understanding one. That's why she wanted to understand why Jered skipped school. It was not a consequential matter. Actually, had he asked her, she would have allowed him to stay at home. She could have used the company. The problem stemmed from his lies. And his unknown whereabouts, of course.

Ah, fuck. She was already imagining the worst outcome. Jane chewed the inside of her cheek, her eyes firmly fixed on her smartphone. She was tempted to send Jered another long string of messages, but she doubted the chances of an answer making it back to her. How frustrating.

Then the clicking of keys turning inside their latch sounded out. And oh boy did they sound out. Jane sprung up to her feet, making fast and determined strides towards the main hall. The door creaked open, and Jered was not allowed the time to even take a single step forward that he was confronted by the questioning stare of his mother. Her lips parted, but he raised a hand, promptly stopping her.

"There are no excuses." he started morosely, "You're a very considerate mother, I know. If I wanted to stay at home I should have just asked you. I... I don't know what to say... it's my fault, sorry. I hope you don't think any less of yourself because of me."

"I—" she reluctantly shook her head, a chuckle bubbling up to the surface. "No sweetie. It's fine. You get good grades and your teachers have nothing but praise for you. It's no biggie skipping a day or two as long as you don't make it a habit."

His face lit up in a beautiful smile, "Thank you for being so understanding." and then he looped his arms around her. She returned the hug with fervent enthusiasm, her hold on him strengthening for a good while before she pulled back, keeping him at arm's length. "You're the best mom."

This time a giggle made it past her lips. "You're just like your father..."

Jered grinned, "Sometimes I am, some other times I'm just like you..."

She pressed her lips together, a sigh at the corner of her next words. "Your father was a great man, Jered. Never let anyone tell you otherwise," her tone bespoke of memories; memories only she could see through him. It was soft and on the verge of breaking, "But he was too ambition-driven. Don't be like that, honey. Being ambitious is good, but then, when you look back and realize the relationships you could have formed, all of the little moments you missed because you were pursuing power and money, all of the outings with your friends that you canceled in favor of your work. What do you have to show for it in the end? An unnecessarily huge load of money, and not many years left to enjoy it."

"..."

"Your father wanted too much. Ah, he was a good man, yes. Smart, caring, charming..." her smile faltered, "... but his mind was always elsewhere." she cradled Jered's face in her hands. "When you grow up, I want you to become a good husband and an exemplary father. No, sorry, I know that you will be. You're my son, after all."

Her speech was so well-delivered that he wondered whether it was rehearsed or not. And if God had given him a wider range of emotions, he would have felt something.

"Yes, mom." he smiled brightly, enveloping the now tearing woman in another hug.

But he didn't feel anything.

 

Chapter 18: A Pharaoh’s Biography

Spoiler

[Name: Jered von Jacobs]
[Age: 16]
[Affiliation: Akashka Society]
[Race: Human/? ]
[Class: - | Type: - ]
[Title: - ]
[Rank: Neophyte | Unlocked Veins: 1]
[Magic Density: 1]
[Mana Pool: 50]
[Soul: Mortal | Average]
[Sin: - ]
[Mandatory Quests: 2/4]

Jered fiddled with the cover of his newest tome as he stared ahead of him. His status screen was like a magical version of his identity card—and that seemed reserved only for him. God, if the information displayed was exhaustively true, then he was not 100% human. Maybe only 99%? That question mark next to his race was kinda suspicious. Well, Jerry did say he had felt a smidgen of mana inside him, way before he ingurgitated all those pills. So, what did that mean?

Either there was some sketchy stuff going on behind his heritage, or it was the system itself that tweaked his data to suit its purposes. Then again, Jerry's words made him lean more towards the former. Was his mother hiding something? Or was it his father? Most importantly, could his father's death be connected to it?

With a wave of his hand, his status screen faded away, leaving behind only more questions—and an excited smile on Jered's face. Not even a few days had gone by that he already found himself swept away by the big reveal of magic, demonic entities, and now a potential conspiracy undertow. Jered flung himself back onto the mattress, tome in hand. He had thumbed through it before, and it was 100 pages worth of beautiful thickness. Easily digestible. He wanted to read it, but his other two tomes held the priority. No time to waste.

"Absorb."

[You have absorbed the tome 'Diora's Everyday Charms']

[Knowledge transfer: 33.3%]
[Knowledge transfer: 66.6%]
[Knowledge transfer: 99.9%]

It was surprisingly faster than his previous attempt.

[You have learned the spell 'Everyday Charms', Lv.MAX]
[A detailed collection of charms for amateur casters. Their use is mainly limited to household chores as their mana consumption is negligible. You have learned the following sub-skills: 'Low Telekinesis', 'Cleanse', 'Low Conceal', 'Repair', 'Lighter', 'Breeze', 'Shock'. This spell cannot be further upgraded.]

The tome in his hand pixelated away. Fortunately, he didn't have to put up with a stubborn headache like the last time. The knowledge was successfully absorbed without any side effects. Jered was caught in the throes of anxious anticipation to try out his newly-acquired sub-skills. He stretched his fingers wide apart—and after shoveling some mana towards his fingertips—two arches of electricity zapped from one digit to another. Then with a snap, it morphed into a flame. No sting. No burn. Just a mild warmth that rested atop his hand.

With a dismissive flick of his wrist, his window curtains were yanked apart by an unseen force. The feeble, mournful daylight poured in. He walked up to it. A gentle tapping on the windowpane shifted his attention to the constantly worsening weather. For some uncanny reason, Rainey looked positively bothered by the storm. Should he have a reason to be concerned as well? As if on cue, his smartphone vibrated with an incoming message. Jered opened his hand, and the device flew into it by itself. "How useful..." he grinned, unlocking the screen.

It was not Rainey.

—"Jered, where are u? :/"

It was his 'best friend' Kenny. A timid, androgynous kid he befriended on his second year of high school. He was Jered's second shadow. So lost was Kenny without him that it made him feel good. It was to the point that the rumors dancing around Kenny were growing some flustering credence. At least with regard to Jered; he was the only one that humored the bullied kid with his company.

—"I'm at home Ken"

—"Oh you skipped?"

—"Yep"

—"I took notes for you btw "

He was unbearably adorable, always going out of his way for Jered. How could he ever shoo him away? Jered's precious sidekick's existence was vouchsafed with the respectable purpose of making his life easier between one class to another. Among cliques of popular kids, cigarettes, unsafe sex, and the whole high school's drama ordeal, Ken stood anchored to him out of sheer convenience. And he allowed this anchoring because it didn't weigh much—and especially because it was incredibly malleable.

—"Thank you Ken, appreciate it "

—"No biggie what u up to?"

Jered summoned a tome with his free hand, —"Just some light reading, Ken. Look, as much as I want to talk to you right now, I really need to get this stuff done. See you tomorrow? "

—"Oh ok. Sure, see you tomorrow"

With another flick of the wrist, the curtains slammed shut. A flimsy screen of darkness was now draped over his room—he had to set up the perfect atmosphere, after all. Jered lazily flopped back on his bed, and turned the nightstand lamp on. The mild, cozy lighting flashed gloriously upon the title 'A Pharaoh's Biography' emblazoned across the tome's cover, written in gold, cursive characters. He leafed through the first few pages in nigh a minute. And within one hour, over 50 pages were gobbled down by Jered's focused mind.

It was during his second hour that he finally realized something. There were no spells to learn. Despite that, a more meaningful reward slowly rooted in his head, and said reward was a deeper vault of knowledge about magic and the wondrous mystical world he had yet to see.

--

[Your magical abilities have been enhanced by 5%]

That was the upshot of an entire morning dedicated to 'A Pharaoh's Biography'. He figured that by the end of the day he'd reach the halfway stamp. Of course, he could have easily absorbed it, but prior experimentation showed that reading it beforehand was bound to grant him a more generous reward afterward. Still, as much he relished in the anecdotes of the first Egyptian despot vandalizing his way across the supernatural side of the world, Jered was more hankering to unlock his second vein. He sidelined the tome, and furrowed his brow.

"Hey system, any way to unlock my second vein faster?"

As far as he knew, the safest method to unlock veins was through rigorous exercise thereof. In layman's terms, he had to use magic until exhaustion, recover, and then do it again. Rainey called it the 'Magical Workout'. It was very accurate. Unfortunately, it required months of effort to see success—and Jered wanted to skip that. Of course, reading tomes also provided immense insight into unlocking veins, but only a very select few of them were capable of that.

[There are many ways to unlock your second vein faster, if not instantly. However, you are in no possession of such materials.]

What a letdown.

"How can I come in possession of such materials then?"

[The 'Limbo' function, once unlocked, will provide you with all the materials you need.]

"How do I unlock the 'Limbo' function..."

[Complete the 4 mandatory quests.]
[Mandatory Quests: 2/4]

Jered hauled out a peeved sigh, "Give me the last two quests." he doubted the system was going to hand them out willy-nilly.

[Denied. The mandatory quests are triggered by aleatory events.]

"Of course..."

He hadn't been expecting much anyway. No hope, no disappointment. Life in a nutshell, basically. He hid his tomes inside an inconspicuous box, and headed downstairs. Jered may have been uncharacteristically silent because Jane was not alerted of his presence. The woman was slouched on a chair, hands cupping her puckered forehead as she stared at the stack of bills on the table. The way her knee bounced up and down without rest was proof of the hurricane of thoughts she was swept by. She shook her head with a resigned sigh, the rim of her eyes reddening.

Jered had his back against a wall as the ever-so-faint sniffles wafted out of the living room. Money was what drove the world—it kept people afloat when in troubled waters. You either learn how to swim, or you get carried away by the currents, squeezed dry of oxygen. And hardly anyone will be there to extend the stick and save you. At least, no one had ever been there for the Jacobs.

The tinkling of keys snapped his head towards the door. Jasmine had great timing as always. She waltzed in with her bag barely hanging from her shoulder, and her face was a sheet of boredom that could have rivaled even his own. "Oh, Jered! You son of a gun! I'm still upset about what you did this morning!" she wrinkled her nose at him, a threatening growl bubbling in her throat.

"And what did I do?"

"You flicked my ear! It hurt!"

"And you ate all of my snickers yesterday, that hurt too."

She gasped, "I didn't do such a thing, it was mom!"

"Excuse you?" Jane ghosted out of the living room, making her daughter almost jump out of her skin, "What did you just say? Hmmm?"

Jasmine waved her hands around in a sweaty fluster, "Nothing mom. I was just horsing around with Jered, hehe."

"Ooooh sure you were! Uh-huh! I could have sworn I heard you blame me for wolfing down all of those sweets."

The way Jane forked her hips was not a good sign, and she knew it.

"Noooo waaay! Pfftt..." Jasmine's expression molded into one of such unbridled bafflement that Jered almost believed her. "Who me?" she wagged her head, "No, nope, nay, nawh!"

Their mother huffed out a chuckle of exasperated fondness. "Oh dear, I'll forgive you only because your birthday is coming soon."

"Hmm-hmm. No, you'll forgive me beca—mom? Are you okay?" Jasmine inched closer, her eyebrows almost shooting out of her hairline. "Your eyes are red..."

Jane blinked hard, her knuckles darting up to wipe away any leftover evidence. "I think..." Jered could already see the lie at the tip of her tongue. Did she prepare it beforehand or was she a natural? "I think something flew into my eyes..."

"Ohh..." his sister was smarter than he gave her credit for. She didn't buy that lame excuse, but she had to pretend everything was alright. "Haha, do you want me to blow it away?"

"No no, don't worry about it, sweetie. Go get changed, lunch will be ready in a trice."

Jasmine beamed at her one last time before she disappeared up the stairs—not forgetting to flick Jered's ear on her way up. Ah, he'd get her for that. Jane shifted her attention upon him, her smile as sweet as freshly harvested honey. "What's wrong Jered?" she tilted her head sideways. It was just a rhetorical question. She didn't know that he knew.

Then again, his family was made of actors. And for the sake of the act, he had to pretend as well. Thankfully, he was used to it. It was his life. "Nothing mom." he smiled, "I just wanted to thank you..."

She seemed more amused than surprised, "For what?"

"For being the way you are... even if it hurts you."

Her amusement tapered off into a thoughtful—albeit a bit forced—smile. Jered scrambled back up the stairs, passing by the quietly eavesdropping Jasmine. Neither of them said anything. Her head was drooped low, her foot running circles on the floor. He wondered if she felt more guilt than sadness. She had left to live a better life at Alison's, after all. He felt slightly bad for her. Just slightly, which in itself was surprising.

A hollow chuckle curled his lips up. The household was going through a financial tribulation. And he needed to do something about that.

 

Chapter 19: Pharaoh’s Flame

Spoiler

[Your magical abilities have been enhanced by 15%]
[Mana Orb has become Lv.31]
[Mana Beam has become Lv.17]
[Due to your constant magical exercise, your second vein has been slightly stimulated.]

"That's it?"

Jered had given up on a hefty chunk of his beauty sleep to finish 'A Pharaoh's Biography', and get some magical workout in. But the outcome was less than satisfying. Frankly, he didn't even know why he was pushing himself so hard—but something inside him tickled with the yenning of climbing that metaphorical pyramid of power. Each time he leafed through a page. Each time he wrung mana out of his aching vein. Each time a system's notification scrolled down before his eyes, Jered felt himself grow. It was a gradual development, and the more he developed, the more he realized something...

...he needed more.

"Absorb."

The tome disintegrated into specks of lights and rushed towards him.

[You have absorbed the tome 'Ramsen's A Pharaoh's Biography.']
[Your magical abilities have been enhanced by 20%]
[Due to your high comprehension of 'A Pharaoh's Biography', you have learned the Royal-Tier spell 'Pharaoh's Flame', Lv1.]
[The spell 'Pharaoh's Flame' is too high for your current rank. A forced usage can cause lethal internal injuries.]

[The spell 'Pharaoh's Flame' resonates with the sub-soell'Lighter'.]
[The sub-spell 'Lighter' has evolved into the Adept-Tier spell 'Vizier's Light', Lv.1]
[The spell 'Vizier's Light' is higher than your current rank. Prolonged usage can cause internal injuries.]

The notifications popped up with nigh a few seconds from one after another. Knowledge of the skills burned into his mind. Literally. Jered held his breath for a while, veins bulging out on his temples. He doubted that was a skill Rainey foresaw him acquiring. It smelled of dangerous stuff—and he goddamn loved it. Once the sizzling pain abated into a dull throbbing, Jered washed up, got dressed, summoned his school bag, and scuttled downstairs for a quick breakfast.

--

"You're not going to skip today too, are you?" Jasmine threw that question as if she were throwing down a gauntlet, full of a challenging flavor.

He sat down next to her, "You jealous?"

A smirk peered over the toast halfway in her mouth, "As if!" she scoffed, "My attendance is perfect, unlike a certain brother of mine."

Jered fixed himself a bowl of cereals, "My grades are perfect, unlike a certain sister of mine."

"Because you cheat!"

"I don't cheat, I simply seek the answers elsewhere."

"That's cheating."

He drank the leftover milk in one gulp, "It's not cheating if they don't catch you."

"Flawless logic." Jasmine rolled her eyes, "Whatever, just go away."

Jered stood up, advancing towards her side of the table. She smothered him with a withering look as she cupped her ears in protection. How naive of her. He was not aiming for an ear flick, instead, he deftly snatched the muffin she was saving for last. Jasmine gaped, her eyes splayed wide open at the unexpected betrayal. It was her fault. The muffin was there, in plain sight. "Nooo..." she clawed at him, "Jered, come back here!"

"Nuh-huh." he was so smug with his victory that hopped back out of her grasp, twirled around, and swayed his hips in a funky dance as he walked up to the door. "You see sis..." he opened it, his other hand proudly showcasing the result of his theft, "You snooze, you lose." he slowly chomped down on the sweet treat, cracking an eye open to gauge her reaction.

And he was not disappointed.

"JEEREEEEED! Come back he—"

He slammed the door shut.

--

"What's up faggot?"

Kenny's head didn't make a pleasant sound when it kissed the wall. Then again, no pleasant sound could ever come out of his head when face-to-face with 40lbs of pure muscle. A smattering of derogatory chuckles danced around him, from one ear to the other. Kenny picked himself up—or at least he tried to. The collar of his immaculate shirt was wrinkled in a fist, his body hoisted up from the ground effortlessly. "I said, what's up faggot." it was Carter, quarterback, stereotype bully, and his worst high school nightmare. Of course, behind Carter were his grinning henchmen, Lloyd and Victor, their hands tucked in the pockets of their letterman jackets.

The pride of the school. Hah, what a massive load of bullshit. A slew of trophies lined up the principal's shelves, and that was the out-turn that made those shitheads get away with only a slap on their wrists for their behavior. In their eyes, his daily suffering was a worthy price to pay to keep those jocks anchored to the school's sports team.

"C-Carter... please, j-just let me go." it was useless, and he knew it. He had been there before, and there was no magical word to make them go away.

"Oh did you hear him?" Carter cackled as he turned around, his tone a gloating indifference that disgusted him. He bumped fists with his buddies, "What a loser," and what followed up next was a punch straight to his guts. Kenny doubled over, his mouth tearing wide open to eject a lungful of air. He dropped to the floor, clutching his midsection. His heart hammered in his chest, his blood heating up in that helpless acrimony that always left him more angry at himself than at his bullies. The licks of pain were nothing compared to his self-hate.

People walked by, some ignored his plight without sparing a glance, some others thought it funny to take their phones out and immortalize his humiliation.

Kenny knew the video would soon spread through the entire school.

"Hahaha..."

Lloyd raised an eyebrow, "Oh look at him... he's laughing. He's enjoying it." he shook his head, "Hey Cart, don't go too hard on the poor fella or he might start liking it."

"Daaamn, he's a maso fag!" Victor added enthusiastically, his knuckles pressing against his mouth to squelch back a guffaw. "Yo bro... take his phone! Doesn't he like to cosplay?"

"Oh right, bet we could find some weird shit in there! Hahaha!"

Kenny scurried back, his face a veil of terror. "No!" Lloyd and Victor moved in tandem, each of them holding an arm. He struggled and kicked, but he was a twig compared to them. "No! Please, Carter!" if they got ahold of some of the selfies he had secretly taken—God, he couldn't even imagine how awful the aftermath would be. His thrashing became so frantic that a few onlookers frowned. It was obvious they were taking it too far. Some of them voiced out their worries, though they were a clear minority.

"What the hell..."

"Yo dude, stop. That's enough,"

"Yeah, just leave him alone now..."

The comments floating around didn't deter Carter. No, he felt his authority being questioned. He cracked his neck in a very movie-esque way, and ignoring Kenny's cries, he rummaged around his pockets. He was quick to dig out Kenny's smartphone. He even put up on a mocking show by waving it around his face. There was no need to unlock it, with the help of his stooges he browbeat Kenny into fingerprinting it. "Now now... let's see what you're trying to hide from us—"

"Carter," a voice spoke out from the crowd, and its owner sauntered into sight shortly after. A very attractive teen with piercing green eyes stared him down with a cheerful smile. "How have you been?" he sidled up to Carter, his hand giving his shoulder a friendly squeeze.

"Jered..." Carter was caught off-guard. He knew of him; very few people wouldn't. He didn't hate him, but he didn't like him either—and there was a reason for that. They've never been on friendly terms, which was why he was nonplussed at his impromptu greeting. Reputation was how students kept score in school. And under the unadulterated eyes of many, Carter didn't want to make an enemy out of Jered. "Oh hey man, I've been doing great! How about you?"

"Ahh, you know. I'm always peachy."

"Haha, great to hear,"

Jered nodded with a fading smile, "Anyway, the coach heard about the commotion going on here and..." his tone lowered down by an octave, and only Carter was its recipient. "...I daresay that you have a bit less than a minute before shit hits the fan."

He amused the quarterback with one last pat before he retrieved Kenny's smartphone. Lloyd and Victor were not so amused, however. They stepped forth, hands balling into fists as they walled Kenny behind them in a flourish of intimidation. Unfortunately, it didn't work on Jered. He smiled, stimulating his mana. It was only supposed to be a curious, spontaneous experiment—a slight flare of his mana, but...

"Lloyd, Victor... stop playing around and let's go,"

Carter was not pleased with the situation; nonetheless, he forced the bitter pill down his throat. His stooges were puzzled if the dumb look on their faces was anything to go by, still, their leader's words were absolute. They scrabbled behind Carter, the latter of whom ventured a mild glare at Jered. "See you around," he said with a nod, strutting away. It was only after they turned a few more corners and entered a less populated hallway that Lloyd felt pressed to ask.

"Ehm... buddy, why did we leave again? We both know that the coach doesn't care about what we do with that loser anyway..."

"Jered..." Carter spat out, "... that guy, for some reason he gives me the creeps. If I were you, I'd stay away from him..."

Lloyd and Victor looked at each other, trading dubious frowns.

--

The students filed away once the show was over.

"That Carter... gotta give it to him, he's unexpectedly intuitive," Jered observed with an appreciative nod. As obnoxious as he was, the quarterback made the right call—or better, his gut feeling did. Instead of kickstarting a diatribe with Jered, he accepted the path of retreat he opened for him, and left without much of a fuss. He switched his attention upon his friend. "You alright Ken?"

Kenny's long, black hair was tousled, and his highly androgynous face was crumpled up in a sheet of sadness. He slowly clambered back to his feet. "I'm... well, I could be better." his tone was derisive, adorned with cracks. It was not his first time getting battered like that. He attracted that sort of crowd like blood would to a shiver of sharks. "I'm sorry..." he drooped his head, not daring to meet his friend's gaze, not when he was cutting such a sorry figure.

Jered didn't know what mask to wear, "For what?"

"I mean... come on, look at me." Kenny chuckled, his hands trembling as he gesticulated at himself. His smile faltered, "Just look at me... I'm gross, weird, and... and pathetic! I bet you're putting up with me out of pity... I... I... you know what, nevermind. I won't bother you anymore..." he made to run away from his shame, but a hand clamped on his wrist. There was no way he could resist—he probably didn't want to either.

"I'm looking at you," Jered prodded his wrist, and eventually Kenny turned around, hiding his eyes behind the safety of his long fringe. "And what am I supposed to look for? Because I don't see anything gross, weird, or pathetic. You're being unnecessarily harsh on yourself. Why? You don't have to prove anything to anyone."

"But... but... they always pick on me! And my father... oh God, I know he doesn't approve of my choices..."

"Ken, relax!"

"I can't... I'm just so tired... so, so fucking tired... of everything, everyone..." Kenny slumped back against the wall, barely finding the strength to hold himself. "I'm such a mess... full of problems... hah, I'm surprised you're still here. Thank you."

A short bout of silence ensued before the bell rang out. Jered nudged his shoulder. "Psst," he whispered, whipping his head left and right to make sure no one was within earshot. "Do you want me to take revenge on those dimwits?"

"W-What..."

"You heard me," Jered chuckled, one hand tucked inside his pocket. "I can hurt them a bit. No one will know,"

Kenny's eyes almost popped out, "No! Jered, no... you don't have to..."

"Why not? You think I'm going to kill them or something?" his chuckle bloomed into a full-blown laugh, "I'm just going to pull some pranks on them."

"This is my problem, you don—"

Jered inched closer to Kenny's ear, "Then let's make this my problem. I know your family is filthy rich, sooo... this is what we're going to do. You pay me, and I'll make sure they won't hurt you anymore." he shrugged animatedly, "You have my guarantee, and if you're not satisfied, you'll be reimbursed."

"What... you... you want me to pay you to hurt them?"

"Why aren't you listening? I'm just going to pull some pranks and give them a friendly warning. You're not paying me to hurt them, you're paying me to ensure they won't hurt you."

Kenny raked a hand through his hair, his voice thick with flustering indecision. "Isn't this a bit too much? Also... h-how are you going to do it? They're three... and... and they're bigger than you."

Jered waved his concerns off, "You don't have to worry about that." he heaved a deep sigh, "Look, Ken, no one is going to make this offer to you. No one. Why? Because no one is invested in your worries as much as I am. I'm your friend, buddy, just trust me... everything's gonna be alright. All you have to do is to give me a month's worth of your allowance, and for the next few years, your life will be free of them. No more bullying. No more bullshit. Huh? What do you think?"

"I..."

[You have triggered your third quest!]
[Quest of Character: Sometimes we all need that extra, friendly push to reveal our true selves. Carter's being a dick, you might as well cut it off. Help Kenny deal with the bullies.]
[Reward: 1000% experience on a skill of your choice.]

With grim determination burning in his eyes, Kenny clenched his jaw, and nodded, "I accept..."