Valentine grabbed the door handle and tried to open the door but no matter how much power he put behind it it wouldn't budge.
"Kid you can't just brute force your way out of fourth circle magic. The more cooperative you are the more painless I'll make your death so stop making both our lives harder." The driver said.
Valentine did not cooperate with the absurd request, slamming his entire body weight onto the door yet with no effect. The driver sighed in annoyance and pulled over. He calmly opened the glove compartment and pulled out a large butcher's knife.
The driver turned towards Valentine. He slowly caressed the knife's blade with a smile. He rarely got such a chance. He never got to use his favorite knife in killing anymore. Things felt different when he killed normal people and this one was as close to normal as he could get anymore. He was well aware and wanted to savor the feeling.
"I'm not a superweapon. I'm just some cripple. That's just rumours. I swear." Valentine said, having lost all faith he could make it out of the car.
"Whether you're telling the truth or not, I was given the order. Even if that would change how the higher-ups would feel, I am just missing the thrill. You can't really blame can you? Killing full fledged mages just doesn't feel the same. The fear isn't there, the despair isn't there. It's just too bland. You get what I'm talking about?" The driver replied, lost in his own little world.
"Wouldn't it be even better if you gave me a false hope of survival while meticulously chasing me? Having me run away in constant fear while being unable to call out for help?" Valentine asked.He felt like playing along with the man's disturbing fantasies was the only way he would get a chance to survive.
The driver looked deep in thought for a few moments. Valentine was certain he had struck gold but his hope was crushed as soon as it came.
"Tsk tsk tsk, I can't do that." The man said while turning his head negatively.
"That would be fun but I do have a job to do after all. I'm a bigger fan of despair and victims stuck in small places anyways. So I think the car will do fine. Though I would have much preferred a cabin in the woods." The man continued.
In a breath's time the driver lunged at Valentine with his knife. The chair was still in-between the two so Valentine had enough room to avoid the strike. He fully leaned towards the door, making his body as flat as possible. The driver cut deep into the car seat on the exact place Valentine stood before.
The man tilted his head to the side the way a dog would. Though instead of the innocent look of a dog it was a look of sheer ecstasy. A predator glad that its prey wanted to make the hunt into a game.
The driver made his way to the back seats in a slow and methodical way. Though he didn't do it to ambush his victim but to cause immense fear to his defenseless prey.
Valentine kicked at the driver frantically, hoping to make him stay back but that was not for long. The driver grabbed Valentine's leg and dragged him in front of him. He twirled the knife in his hand, his eyes filled with anticipation.
The driver sliced at Valentine's calves, slowly making his way up. All Valentine could do was flop around like a fish, slowly being covered by his own blood. Valentine still felt the pain yet not as vividly as anyone else would, annoying the driver due to the lack of screaming involved.
"Oh I'll make ya scream alright. You're acting tough but that won't be for long." The driver leaned forward, having his knife in range of Valentine's abdomen and he started stabbing blindly.
Valentine tried to cover himself with his hands but stab after stab the knife kept getting through. Valentine started feeling the despair deep in him. His adversary was a skilled mage, even if he managed to claw his eyes out he would just be able to heal it back up again.
But there was only one way valentine believed he could survive and that would risk his life a different way. He left his chest and abdomen open, using his index and middle fingers to dig into both of the drivers eyes. The man recoiled in pain, not used to his victims fighting back which gave Valentine one chance.
Very few people could claim they were as aware of their magic circuit as Valentine was. He wasn't skilled or experienced enough to know its state or how to cast any other spells, at least not yet. But due to it being in constant agony he knew its exact layout.
Valentine wasn't sure on whether a single magic missile would do the trick, or if he could heighten it at will. So he made a bet with his life on the line. He used as much mana as he could muster, creating two distinct streams in his body and guiding each one to a different finger.
"MAGIC MISSILE" Valentine screeched, the spell emerging twice, once from each hand and hitting its mark.
"MAGIC MISSILE"
"MAGIC MISSILE"
"MAGIC MISSILE"
Valentine kept on casting, he wasn't sure if his attacker was alive, dead unconscious or otherwise but he kept on casting until he lost his own consciousness due to blood loss.
-
The simple and continuous sound of a heart rate monitor beeping filled the silence in the dull hospital room. The walls were a monotone light gray that looked like it was one with the similarly colored floor.
"W-where am I?" Valentine asked, his voice weak and raspy.
"Valentine, stay put. Don't try to move, you are in the hospital. I'll go alert the doctor that you woke up." Sally said.
"Mom?"
"Yes, it's me. Don't worry, everything's going to be alright. Just stay put and the doctor will be here soon"
Valentine's vision was weak and blurry but he still tried to move his head to look at his mother. He was concerned about all the fear he must have caused her. She looked tired, weak and afraid.
"Of course it is. I can't die, remember?" He said with a smile.
"Sally, I'll go call the doctor. You can stay with the kid. I'll tell the boys outside that he's fine." The unmistakeable voice of John said.
"Huh? What happened?" Valentine asked.
"You were attacked by someone who wanted to mug you. Do you not remember?" Sally answered.
"No, not really. I just remember going to the bus stop and then boom, I'm here." Valentine lied, his encounter with the mage still fresh in his mind.
"The doctor said you'll be fine but don't let your mind run wild, until you're fully well you're not allowed to leave the house."
"Sir yes sir." Valentine said, trying to raise his arm to salute but being unable to.
"I have good news. Miss Crissy from across the street called and said that we got a message this morning. It was from Sunbright Academy. They offered you a full scholarship. Oh, your friends came by too. Their dad was just here a moment ago." Sally replied
"Really?" Valentine asked, pretending to be oblivious to the fact that she tried to hide her poor state.
He could see that she was tired. If the message came it must have been a day since he was in the hospital. That could only mean that she stayed awake all night waiting for him.
"The doctor said he'll come by as soon as he can. You need to go rest now Sally. It's not good to stay up for that long." John said.
"But he just woke up. I need to know what the doctor will say." Sally replied.
"I'll take care of that. You don't need to worry. I'll call you when the tests are done. It won't do you or Valentine any good." John insisted, putting his hand on Sally's shoulder.
Valentine was enraged. He had promised he'd leave his family out of it. It was the only condition. He was ready to die and kill. All for the small trade-off that his family would be left out of it.
A raw, feral rage started overcoming Valentine. His mana started to run rampant and leak out of his body. His pain got even more severe but he was too lost in the betrayal he just witnessed to hold back. And John took note of that.
"I'm not doing anything you idiot. I'm just as angry as you are." Valentine heard John's voice in his head, their eyes meeting briefly.
"Yeah mom, what mister John said is right. I'll be fine. I told you already." Valentine said.
"I guess I have no other choice. If anything happens you contact me immediately alright?" Sally said, a nod from John sealing the deal.
The very moment Sally went off eardrop Valentine immediately blew up.
"YOU SAID YOU'D KEEP MY FAMILY OUT OF IT. YOU BASTARD. CAN'T YOU RESPECT THE ONE CONDITION I CHOSE IN THAT DAMN DEAL?" he screamed
"Calm down, you're leaking mana everywhere. Your wounds are severe and we can't just heal you. You're only hurting yourself. That bastard made me mad too. Don't you think I'd be angry when my own subordinate backstabbed me?"
"They tried to kill me because of your damn rumours and now my family is involved."
"CALM. DOWN. You'll need to recover before doing anything. You are lucky you got to survive this one. If you rush it you'll never be able to get rid of that pain."
"John. They know where my family is and I don't even know who THEY are. They had no qualms about using your subordinate to try to kill me just in the off chance a rumour turned out true. What do you think will make them stop at just that?"
"If you don't take a break to recuperate, your mana will continue to run rampant. The pain will never stop."
"It's just pain. I want to continue my training as soon as possible."
"Very well then. You made your choice. We start tomorrow."
"Good"