I tried accumulating throughout the night, hoping that I could advance by noon tomorrow. But I felt sleepy and tired because I haven't had a proper rest for the past 1 week, as I went to sleep late and woke up early.
I thought just for today why don't I sleep early and by tomorrow evening I can advance to Rank 1. So, I went to sleep dreaming of the beautiful and happy life ahead as a Rank 1 magi.
I woke up just in time, as mum was leaving for work. She was excited too as she was aware that her son would finally become a rank 1 magi today.
"Ellis I will be back early today, and I will prepare a feast for your advancement today." She said as she scuffled my hair smiling. I smiled back as I hugged her thanking her.
She left and I soon started accumulating. I opened my eyes as I felt hungry having not eaten anything for breakfast. It was noon, and I felt I only needed 5 more hours to rank up. I ate something and went back to accumulating.
At 4pm someone started knocking on my door. Feeling annoyed I went to see who it was. I only needed 1 more hour before I can rank up. Besides where is mum? She said she would be back early today.
There was no one by the door when I opened it. I got annoyed thinking someone was pranking me. As I was about to close the door, I noticed a sealed envelope on the floor. I frowned as I took it and opened it. Seeing the contents of the letter my heart leapt as I nearly lost my balance feeling dizzy.
'Your old house in 15 minutes or your mum dies.' That was the content of the letter written in blood red.
I started panicking. Who would want to hurt us? Suddenly I remembered what the stranger who saved me said in his letter about their being danger.
I ran towards our old home, while praying to whatever gods to keep mum safe.
I soon reached the shanty house made out of scraps of wood and metal, while trying to heavily draw in as much of the rotten air as possible. I soon opened the door and shouted "Mum!"
Suddenly I felt weak and slumped to the floor, facing the ground. I couldn't move any of my muscles, lift my head and see if mom was in there safe.
I soon realised what this was. It was a rank 1 paralyse spell, that lasted for the amount of magi particle supplied to it. A magi is here. But what would a magi gain by attacking us?
"You know you are like a cockroach. You keep coming back even when killed." I heard a contemptuous voice.
That voice, its Phil. I heard someone walking closer as they lifted my head. I saw someone with a silky smooth white short hair, and trimmed beard, that suited his pretty face.
"How good is your luck that you were saved by really high-level magi, along with him helping you with your advancement?" He said. I felt someone picking me up by my shoulders. I stood there, supported by two people as I faced Phil.
"You know I wouldn't have resorted to this if you hadn't drooled after Ava. How dare a slumdog like you come after what a noble like me loves?" He said in anger as he punched my face. I couldn't even move or scream due to spells effect.
"My dad has always taught me never to leave a thorn in my path. You see I wouldn't have cared if you had come back alive after I attempted to kill you last time, as slaves are always slaves." He said as he punched me in my stomach, I couldn't even bend down to absorb the shock going through my stomach. I started looking around the room for mum, but couldn't see her in the small room, that used to be our home.
"But when they start to revolt you got to put them down. Who told you to suddenly become so close to ranking up? Because of that I have to make sure to crush your teeth so that you wouldn't bite the hand that fed you peasant." He said. I felt a relief amidst the pain. Since mum is not here that meant the letter was a trap to lure me here.
"But since I am a kind person I will give you two choices. Either die or use a rank 1 spell. So, which one will you choose?" He asked me as he pulled back my hair. Seeing my contemptuous eyes his face darkened.
"Since you need a motivation to choose I will give you one." He said as he nodded to the two people besides me. I felt them tying me up with ropes. Once they finished I could feel the effect of paralysing slowly wearing off.
Soon two other people came in bringing with them a sack. They came in front of me and opened the sack.
"M...uu...mm!" I tried screaming towards my mum who seemed to be badly beaten up. But the paralysing effect was still residing in my body. She was also under the effect of paralysing as she could only stare in shock at her only son, who seemed to be beaten up and tied down.
"Now choose or these horny hooligans might do something a son should never see happening to his mum." He said as I saw one Phil's underlings played around with a dagger near my mum.
"Please don't... leave... my mum alone. She ...is sick. I will ...do ...anything you ...want." I said as tears slowly left my eyes, while slowly trying to mutter each word amidst the paralyse effect.
"You were always the work hard of the classes in the academy. How about casting a rank 1 relaxation spell, to relax your tired body, since you always worked hard?" He said smiling.
Everyone was aware what would happen once someone attempted to cast a higher rank spell, especially a no rank like me. They will lose all their accumulated magi particle and would have to start their accumulation again. But for me I will lose all my 7 years of hard work. But that was not important compared to my mums safety.
My mum also slowly seemed to be getting rid of the paralysis effect as she screamed, amidst the cover in her mouth "Mhm...mm"
I said while I cried "Sorry...mum." I casted the spell. I soon felt the effect of paralysis leaving my body completely. Along with that I felt all my accumulated magi particle being used up for the spell. Everything is gone. 7 years of hopes and dreams I gave to mum.
All lost just because of my foolishness. I should have known my place. Why gods why? Why did I go after Ava? If you could give me a chance I will make sure never to go after her. All I wanted was to heal my mum. I cried as I watched my mum, who got paler seeing the green light surrounding me.
"Good boy. Slaves do know their place. Hang on someone is calling me." He said as he took a communication crystal from his pocket.
"You are late. Are you not finished there, Phil?" That voice I recognised it. The melodious voice that once made me blush and confess to her, Ava. But I couldn't believe it was her
"Almost." Said Phil as he kicked me. I was soon able to see the interface of the crystal. I was met with the beautiful blond-haired goddess that I used to worship.
"Is he dead yet?" She asked as if I was some cattle ready to be butchered.
"No, I didn't feel like killing him, so I decided to get rid of his accumulation instead as you said." He said apologetically.
"Fine don't be too late for the date. Come quickly I am waiting." She said pouting, she then winked at him and disconnected the call. I was shocked, everything I endured was for this bitch. I got my mum in this situation only for this whore. I abhorred myself for even loving her in the past.
"Thanks to you I am late now." He said as he kept on kicking me. I didn't even scream as I had lost my will to even live.
I soon heard my mum struggling amidst her bindings, to get up and stop Phil from kicking me, hearing that I soon awoke from my trance as I felt the intense pain coursing through my body. I curled into a foetus position, from the pain, and I soon felt that few of my ribs were broken.
"How dare you avoid my kicks, you filthy slave?" He was enraged by the fact that I dared to curl into myself to lessen the impact from the kicks.
After 5 minutes of being kicked, I laid there hoping that everything would just be over.
"Untie them and come back to the manor soon. My sister wants some help with moving somethings." He said as he left after spitting in my face.
"Yes master." They replied in chorus.
After he left the 5 hooligans proceeded to untie me and my struggling mother. "Stay still bitch. We are untying you." One of the hooligans said as he slapped her across the face. She winced from the pain and stayed still as they untied her legs followed by her hands.
As one of them was about to untie her hands the other stopped him. "Hang on man" Making eye contact with the other person, he smiled.
"Seriously even in this situation. Can't you just go back to base and do it?" The other guy said as he too smiled.
Soon one of them walked up to me and stuffed some clothes in my mouth. I soon understood what they were about to do.
I struggled to get free of my binding as I watched one of them removing his belt followed by his pants. I cried and shouted, through the cloth in my mouth for the next 2 hours as I was forced to watch my mother, as she was raped and abused in front of my eyes, by 5 different people. I laid there powerless, being able to do nothing but struggle, while my mum screamed in pain, but after a while, I lost the strength to even move.
I cursed myself for getting her in this situation. Why didn't that man just let me die? Mum wouldn't ever be through this if I was dead.
After a while of crying and wailing through the clothing stuffed in my mouth, I lost consciousness. When I opened my eyes, I saw mum lying there amidst her torn clothes.
I noticed that someone seemed to have untied me. I got up and went up to her.
"Mum wake up." I said as I shook her while holding in my tears. I kept on shaking her, hoping she would just open her eyes. She didn't seem to wake up.
I took a sheet from the mattress that we left behind and covered her. I carried her amidst the sharp pain stabbing throughout my whole body, in the middle of the night.
I ran to the nearest healer. I ignored the pain as I only wanted to get to the healer before anything bad happened to mum.
I laid mum against the wall of the healers' house as I knocked on the door. I didn't stop knocking until I heard someone shouting from inside "COMING! STOP KNOCKING!"
I shouted back "Hurry up my mum is not waking up!"
The person opened the door was a middle-aged man. He along with his wife who was standing behind him seemed pissed off. But as soon as he saw me he almost shouted in shock "You... What happened to you?" He said as he grabbed my wrist and felt for my pulse.
"We need to get you treated soon or ..." He carried on
"NO!" I shouted as I took back my wrist
"Mum is not opening her eyes. Please look at her first please." I said as I got on my knees pleading him, as all the tears I held back came out.
He suddenly turned his head and noticed my mum wrapped in a sheet, laid against the wall. His face darkened as he said in a grave serious voice "Darling make sure the children don't come out."