[ First Person POV ]
I started practicing my swordsmanship in the yard. The edge of my blade danced along the air in a fashion that used every ounce of my strength fully — Habit I seamlessly integrated upon realizing that I, as a human, would only have a limited amount of it.
Upon losing the ability to get stronger body-wise, I started to upgrade my mana control. It's something you can't quite get the hang of, nor become the best at. Mana is an energy that originates from within — in comparison to Aeternia, something from "God.", it's personal and it can slightly refine the body.
Strictly speaking, humans have a theoretical hard cap on how much mana they can get, but it works just as a concept — nobody will ever reach it. You start getting slower the closer you get to the limit, as easily as that.
Training Mana became an escape for me, practicing upwards of 5 hours a day — even more if I skipped class. I've composed mana attacks that are integrations of hundreds of tiny bits of controlled energy. The result is something terrifying — although lacking compared to the strength of other races.
After around four hours, I stepped inside the manor, making my way to the bathroom. After a quick shower, I went to sleep
[~]
I opened my eyelids, upon feeling a foreign presence in my room. Turns out it's Fred. That's nice. Judging by the way light hits my room, it's 8 AM or somewhere around that.
I looked at him directly, and then he beamed with a wide smile.
- "Good morning."
- "Hey, what's up." I replied, a smile soon appearing on my face.
In a sea of depravity and degeneracy, I can't help but enjoy his presence. He is the only member of my family I would bleed for.
- "Are you going to flunk school today? It 's Thursday — duels day." A hint of concern traveled through his voice, eyelids still heavy from morning slug as he leaned against the doorframe.
- I sat on the bed, with a movement so natural it came off as practiced "I can't run away from it."
- "You really can't, I guess. Some more absences and they are going to kick you out."
- "I say, let them. I've not learned a single thing inside that damned place, everybody is so far behind."
- A little smile tugged on his lips, "Oah, my brother is so cool." --- he said, with a lighthearted demeanor.
- "How are you doing at school, brother?"
- "Good, I've grown stronger, although not as strong as you. An oppressive dread began to take place in the academy yesterday, upon receiving the news of the magical nuking of a new type of virus."
- "The spore is actually terrifying, speaking from description alone. You should go to class today and skip tomorrow — it may be one of the last days you've got to meet your friends."
- "Mhm, thanks brother." he replied, with a faint sorrow adorning his face.
After he left the room, I thought about it. Today is a duelling day at the academy — We are going to face classmates in one on one duels, getting a score that will serve as a meter for our scores later on.
Dressing up, I stared at my reflection. Maybe if I didn't have this face, Julia wouldn't care about me.
After I finished dressing, I started brushing my teeth and performing every routine, leaving for school.
I arrived at the academy, driving my car— a vintage MGB I liked. I parked and waited, killing as much time as possible as I listened to some music.
This red hue is growing, I can't ignore it. It grows stronger every day, by an unnoticeable degree. Remembering what I was told by my sister, my mind trails back to the greatest cardinal. He perished like a dog — beaten by an abusive master that loved to toy with his property. The rest of the cardinals winced at the news like traumatized pets. The Holy Temple of Life is nothing more than a rescue shelter.
I heard a knock on my window, and I felt chilled. It's the first time something like that has happened to me. I was caught by surprise.
I turned my head in a flash. Turns out it's Matthew, a hybrid with a vampire. His race allows him to hide his presence.
I should develop a technique with mana, or something alongside that, which would allow me to better sense my surroundings.
- I lowered my window, questioning. "Is there anything you need?"
- "Uh-huh. I wonder if you know anything about the skies just getting gradually redder each day."
- "God left." I said calmly, the music in my car escaping through the gaping window.
Looking at this scene, Matthew staggered.
- "Yes, but…"
But what, Matthew. Should I tell you?
Being a vampire, you clearly have the strength to thrive in darkness. Maybe, if you know in advance, you will survive and become a paragon of hope for those around you — a beacon amongst the vampire race.
- "I don't know anything about it."
- "Oh, alright. I'll see you around."
Weird encounter. Don't ask a teenager in a vintage car why the sky is turning red. He probably thinks I know something due to my nobility status.
Matthew is odd. He gets with every woman he finds, he collects them at this point. He looks like an ordinary guy and his demeanor is poor to the extreme. It's almost as if he was blessed by the strings of fate.
Twenty minutes went by, mostly consisting of me thinking about rather miscellaneous stuff. I got out of the car and walked towards my class.
I opened the classroom's door, eyes turning to meet mine. I ignored everybody, giving a slight nod to the teacher and sitting next to Julia.