NERO VERYNN
The old man leaned closer to get a better view. This was the first time in three hundred years that a mage with a dormant mana core appeared.
I, who had shut my eyes during the whole process, slowly opened them. My world collapsed before my eyes.
I took a step back in shock.
I quickly placed both hands on the orb and pressed tightly with all my might. This had to be a joke. What happened to all the potentials I displayed in the past.
Something was definitely wrong.
I could already hear the silent murmuring of the onlookers. I kept pressing down tightly mumbling inaudible words to myself.
Nothing still.
"You may return." Draven gestured.
I knew it was over for me. I would never be accepted by society and even my father.
Worst of all; how would I even tell my parents that I had a dormant core? What if there wasn't a core at all?
I straightened my physique forcing back the tears that were trying their best to make their way down my cheeks.
I turned, keeping my head high and began to proceed down the stairs. That was the hardest. Facing my peers; my classmates.
The worst thing that could happen to me now would be tripping. My image was already dented as it was, adding more would amount to committing suicide.
"Just cry already!" A voice cut through from the crowd which prompted the loudest laughter I had ever heard. The words stung me like needles but my gaze didn't falter.
"What happened to all the big talks of being the strongest mage ever?" It was a feminine voice. Recognizable too.
I hastened my steps to avoid crying in front of these people. I had barely pushed open the exit door that led outside when the tears fell freely down my eyes.
Without wasting any more time, I ran to the back of the academy's main building which had a lot of bushy covering. That was my fortress of solitude.
I let myself fall into the pile of dried leaves which I'd gathered by myself. There I cried my eyes out. There was no sweet way to tell my parents about this news.
I had placed high hopes on finally getting to know my father better. What's worse, everyone in the academy would no longer regard me the way they did. My days of being the academy's little genius just ended a few minutes ago.
There was a soft rustling.
My despair slowly turned into curiosity. I sat up and looked around. This was supposed to be my safe haven. I slowly stood up on my feet and wiped my eyes with the back of my palm.
I stood still quietly observing my surroundings, waiting to hear the sound again. The rustling came again. It was from the place I lay. I quickly began to scatter the pile of dried leaves.
The first thing I saw was blood.
My chest tightened. I went from curiosity to fear. Was someone killed and hidden under this pile of dirt knowing fully well I'd come here? Was someone trying to frame me for murder?
My hand brushed something soft as I searched. My heart beat increased. I paused and slowly traced where it came from. It was a tail. A white furry tail.
I quickly scattered the leaves covering the small animal. It was bleeding. Its breath was slow. It was about to die.
I grabbed the animal and clutched it to my side. My mother was a healer. If I could bypass the security guards somehow, I could safely get the animal home and get it treated.
Levi and his group caught a glimpse of me running towards the school's gate with my backpack on, hailing a caravan as I approached the gate.
"Hey dimwit!" Levi yelled.
Two boys from his group began to run towards me to intercept me. They were obviously trying to embarrass me more and remind me to know my place in the academy.
The boys missed me by a fingertip. Just as they were about to grab my jacket, I got into the caravan and shut the metal door. One of them reached for the door's handle and made to open the door but the cab driver nonchalantly began the journey.
"Verynn Mansion." I said, still panting. I brought out the squirrel-like animal from inside my backpack and placed my palm tightly on its chest– the spot where the animal was bleeding.
I couldn't shake my mind of the feeling that this could actually be an untamed beast and a rogue one at that. I feared I might actually be bringing disaster to my family inadvertently.
At the same time, I could evidently tell myself I was drawn to it. That was the main reason I couldn't drop the beast with Mythra healers. I wanted this beast to myself.
The caravan's halt paused my thoughts.
"My God!..." The driver exclaimed, terror evident in his tone.
I quickly opened the door to get a better view of what was really going on.
It was unbelievable. It was atrocious.
The sky had been torn open. Seven individuals were floating in the sky, forming a V-shape. Their aura was deafening. I swallowed hard and clutched the beast tightly to myself.
The world below was now a wasteland, cleansed with fire which was evident from the heat it was radiating. I stood there helpless. Hopeless. struggling to breathe.
A few hours ago, my house was just a few blocks away from where I stood. Not even debris was left. Everything was flattened.
The survivors stood, unsure of whether there was more to come, instinctively accepting their fate. Their gazes didn't leave the individuals floating in the sky.
"HEAR ME, LESSERS!" One of them spoke. Her tone was sharp and commanding. The authority it exuded instantly brought everyone to their knees.
"YOUR WORLD HAS BEEN PURGED AND YOUR GRATITUDE HAS BEEN DULY ACCEPTED!"
Gratitude?
I found their words pointless. Inhumane. They invaded earth and annihilated if not half the population, yet they believed gratitude would be offered to them?
There was complete silence. The compelling force placed on everyone was lifted. I could breathe properly again.
Then I looked up. They'd already left. The rift they came with was also closed. The damage was done, half the world had been flattened.
Tears flowed freely down my cheeks as I walked towards the spot my house was located in despair.
I let out a loud roar and knelt on the hot black sand.
"What gratitude!!" I yelled, my tone was bitter.
"I'll kill you all. I'll kill you all. I'LL KILL YOU ALL!!!."
I stomped my fists deep into the hot sand. I was in pain. My heart ached.
Devastation rested on me.
My chest tightened. I sobbed. Now I was alone. There was no one to reprimand me for not awakening my core. My life was officially over.
The beast I'd been clutching to myself was forcefully awakened by my screams. Its eyes barely opening completely, it sought my palm and sunk its canines into it.
I let out a scream as I tried to beat the animal off of me. I could feel a tingling sensation in my eyes. It was the most intense pain I had felt. My scream was guttural.
The beast removed its teeth and fell back, unconscious.
The hole in the back of my palm was deep and blood gushed out freely. I stood up to attack the fallen animal but as I made to move, my whole body instantly felt numb. The tingling sensation in my eyes stopped.
At once, I fell face first into the sand erupting black dust. My ears were ringing loudly and the screams of the people around became inaudible. I couldn't see anything clearly anymore. The sand also burnt my skin but I couldn't scream.
I was falling unconscious… Or dying.