A week had passed since the stay of Zoe with Laila and Ethan. Unexpectedly, Zoe and Ethan grew a strong bond as friends and would spend friendly hours chatting before going to bed each night.
For Zoe, each day was a day of strenuous training. Mastering the control of one's mana wasn't an easy task as she had hoped.
Sometimes, Ethan would ponder on how he ended up as friends with Zoe. "How low the mighty has fallen," he would say sometimes. But it all started on their first night as roommates.
Alone in the dark room hidden in the dark night, they fought over who would clad in the privilege of slumbering in the bed. Each stood at a side of the bed.
"It's my bed!" Ethan pointed out.
"And I am the guest," Zoe shot back. "Not to mention, I am a girl. For a guy who holds so high in esteem his manhood (don't get me wrong) you don't know how to be gentle."
"A girl?" Ethan sneered. "More like a gorilla. Plus, I am being gentle in allowing a bully to sleep in my room!"
"(SIGH) Why am I even arguing with you? Master Laila said as long as we are in the boundaries of this room, I am in charge! So, I am sleeping in the bed and you can have fun catching a cold on the floor for all I care!"
"Hey! You can't do that. This is my room, and my bed!"
"Tell that to Master Laila. Now shoo!"
She climbed the bed and buried herself under the cozy sheets. Ethan knowing what his mother could do if her rules were ever broken, he stood there like a scarecrow gazing in disgust and jealousy. Knowing he can't do anything about the situation, he went and threw himself on the floor like a falling tree. And indeed, he felt like a great tree had fallen.
As if things weren't already bad as they were, Zoe went on and added more fuel by saying, "so, you really can be a good boy." She spoke to Ethan like a pet. "Now stay... Good boy." She applauded.
For a long moment, there was a forever of silence in the room. Both still had an ounce of pride left in them. The silence continued for another forever even though none of them was asleep. When Ethan tried to catch a snooze, a short dream knocked him back up and filled him with guilt and shame.
It was a dream about his father. One that was more of a memory. As usual, it was one of those where his father lectured him about manhood. They sat round a table where his father usually had his pint.
"Being a man doesn't make you perfect," his father said. "A man errs. And sometimes, we mostly are at fault because our ego is just too hard to chew, and too big to swallow. Son, whenever it involves a woman, just remember that you are at fault even if you aren't. That's what makes a real man. Accepting your fault will drop her veil so you see if she's got a heart. If you see no heart, she is a fiend."
Ethan remembered asking his father, "but isn't that just testing the woman and not really accepting your guilt?"
"Son…" he paused with a slight smile, "we are men."
Up till now, Ethan never understood what his father had meant. He thought that perhaps he would understand if he put it to the test.
"Zoe, are you asleep?" Ethan asked.
"Nope. I will sleep after the pervert does."
The comment stung Ethan like the sting of a wasp but he sucked it in and continued. "I guess I deserve that, huh? Listen, I am sorry for earlier. I am sorry for accusing you of theft when it was my friend who stole the cake—"
"Wait a minute! You knew who was culpable all along and still accused me!?"
"Yeah. I mean homies over hoes, right? Anyway, I am trying to apologize right now—"
"And he just called me the H word (SIGH)" she said. "Good night, Ethan. I do hope you catch a cold by morning!"
"(DISAPPOINTED SIGH) Way to go Ethan," he murmured. "I didn't mean it like that. And (AGGRESSIVE SIGH) you really were being a bitch after you heard my name, so I had to fight back!"
"Really? Was that before or after calling me a thief? You couldn't even sense the difference in power. I mean, how could an untrained boy without an oz of mana sense another's mana. You must have known you had lost the moment you threw the first punch."
"Well of course I knew!" Ethan exclaimed. "But what honor have I got if I can't even protect my father's? You are just like everyone else. You all point fingers without knowing whether what you point at is transparent, reflective, or opaque… Forget about what I said earlier. Good night."
Zoe did not respond as she felt in her heart a bit of shame, remorse and pity. But at the same time she was chocking with laughter at the hearing of Ethan trying to sound wise.
Another forever of silence came by till Zoe chokingly swallowed her pride.
"I am sorry too," she said. "You know, it's not easy on my side either. Not that mine outweighs yours or anything… truth be told, I'm lost—Ethan?" she got no response. "(SIGH) Good night to you too," she said stiflingly, "honestly, I don't want you to catch a cold."
"I won't."
"Fuck…! You were awake!?"
"Hey, hey! No cussing here. And yes. My eyes have been wide open the entire time. (GIGGLES) Hard on the outside, soft on the inside. Just like a melon. Now if you please, proceed. Your story was getting really interesting."
"You little— you know what? I will be the better person and let this slide. And just so we are clear, I am not sharing because I feel lonely or anything. Is that clear?"
"Like crystal."
Zoe continued. "As I was saying, I'm not here of my own accord, I am frigging lost! Currently, I kinda envy you. Being Silver tiered in mana core capacity is not always the best thing, you know? Especially when you don't have control."
"Holy sh... no cussing in my room… your core is Silver tiered in mana capacity? As in the tiers: Aluminium, Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum? You are on the third tier?" Ethan asked with awe.
"Yeah. Why so surprised?"
"You are just 12!"
"I am 10 actually," she corrected with a cute giggle.
"And you envy me? Damn! Got pummeled by a kid who is also a g-girl. Such an unfair world."
Ethan's speech left her bubbling in laughter. She laughed so hard her eyes started to water. She finally cleared her throat and recollected herself.
"As I was saying, being a noble such as myself, our prestige stems from our power. But what is power without control? My father taught me that at least," she said with a slight disgusted groan. "A week ago, I took it upon myself to perfect the mastery of my mana so I can use my Mask—Did I mention I'm a Prodigy with an A class Mask?"
"No, no you didn't? —Wait…le fuck! Where is this world marching to? You mean a Prodigy as in a god chose you?"
"Yep," Zoe responded.
"What happened to the days when men were the symbols of power? (SIGH) Anyway, proceed, please."
"(GIGGLES) You are really funny you know? Anywho, knowing the severity of what I was about to do, I made sure no one would disturb me. I locked myself in my room, and without hesitation, I took off the mana seal my father had forcefully put around my neck as a 'necklace'."
"That reminds me. If you hate it so much, why do you have it tangled around your wrist?" Ethan asked.
Zoe didn't answer. Instead, she mumbled with a slight laughter then said, "you should have been there to witness my power, Ethan. It was beautiful, my mana. It oozed out of my body like silvery smoke. In a hurry to delve deeper into my power, I summoned my Mask to wear. It was like poking a heap of gun powder with a smoldering stick. All I heard was a deafening explosion, all went black, I woke up and there I was, in an oasis not far from the town. I have been staying there for the past week."
"You've had it hard." Ethan said with a stich of sadness, "and m-mom decided to teach you, huh?"
"Yep. I'm a great fan of hers you know. Gale, Zephyr's chosen. She is very popular actually. And for her to look me in the eyes and say, 'you have great power buried within you'," she screeched with excitement, "I am getting goosebumps just think of our training together!"
"I wouldn't be excited if I were you."
"And why is that?"
"You'll see. Just don't come crying to me."
"You know, I think you are just jealous your mom chose to teach me and not you."
"It's that obvious, huh? Good night."
"Oh, come on. I didn't mean it like that—"
A motherly knuckle knocked on the door, and a teacherly voice spoke, "Zoe, it's time for your training. Meet me outside in 5 minutes. Don't be late."
"But it is in the middle of the night."
"Come on now. You knew what you signed for. Plus, the early bird catches the fattest of worms," Laila said.