Ryan watched as they stood there among others, wearing the same weird outfit—dark-colored tunic that extends to the knees, and matching trousers with bare feet. Just like Ryan, their hands were chained, much like a lot of people here.
"Alright, go join the line," the driver of the carriage instructed as they began unboarding. Ryan followed suit as he wondered just what he would say to them.
His mind still burned with rage at the betrayal. Maybe he would try and kill them again if he had the chance, but why were they not dead? Not even an injury, they stood completely unscathed.
"Hey!" Ryan called out to them. First, he needed to figure out what was going on.
"You fucker!" Marcus exclaimed as he turned around to see Ryan. He rushed at him, a burning anger in his eyes. "Why would you do that?" Marcus swung his chained arms at Ryan, sending him hurtling to the floor.
"You killed us all!" Marcus climbed on top of Ryan, slamming his hands on him. Ryan raised his hands to protect his face, then he pushed Marcus off, rolling on top of him.
"And you fucked my wife, then poisoned my food, and stole my bloody job." Ryan slammed his chained hands onto the face of Marcus as he knelt on top of him. "You deserve to die, and I'll do it again and again and again an..."
"Stop it!" A better but still weirdly dressed man shouted as he pulled Ryan off Marcus. "You dumb bastards, you can't sell if you're injured. Are you trying to sabotage my business?"
"If any of you get into any more fights, I'd feed you to the dogs." The man's warning was stern and betrayed no signs of a bluff.
"Even if I did any of the things you said, how does all of us dying benefit you?" Marcus snapped but knew better than to continue fighting.
"Dying, we are still alive, aren't we? So I clearly failed since everyone survived," Ryan shot back.
"Nobody survived. It seems we've reincarnated into another world or something."
"What bullshit? Does that make any sense to you?" Ryan spat as he turned to his "wife" Esther, who had been staring at him for some time now.
"Well, that's the only logical explanation," Marcus replied as Ryan walked over to Esther, not even sparing a glance at Dave, Marcel, or Alice. He couldn't care less about his coworkers now.
He stepped in front of his wife, her blue eyes masking her emotions as Ryan brought his face to hers, putting his mouth to her ears. "You disgust me, and if I could, I'd strangle you and look you dead in your eyes as you slowly die."
Then he pulled away, her face froze in a mix of fear and shock.
"Okay, we'll start the test for mana, not like any of you worthless shits would pass," a shout came from the middle of the gathering of slaves and slave traders.
Mana? What nonsense is he on about, Ryan thought.
"You all over there, step up quick!" The man instructed Marcus and the rest of them, with hesitant steps they approached him.
"You put your hand on the orb," the man instructed David. He walked forward, raising his hand and slowly reaching for the transparent glass orb placed in the stand, then he put his hand on it. Then it emitted a subtle glow.
"Mana? This one has mana!" The man exclaimed, a proclamation that drew everyone's attention as they shared looks of surprise and shock.
"What does that mean?" David, his brown hair flailing in the wind, asked.
"It means you, my friend, have escaped a life of slavery. Move over there." The tester gestured for David to stand to the side.
"Next!" The man exclaimed as Marcel walked up. "Pray you are as lucky as your friend here," the tester said as Marcel placed his hands on the orb. Then, just as shockingly as it was prior, the orb glowed again.
"Two of them! What's going on?" The man exclaimed as he gestured for Esther to step forward and place her hands on the orb, which she did. Like before, it glowed as well.
"Could all of them be mages?" The tester wondered as Alice stepped up, placing her hands on the orb. Like before, the orb glowed subtly, and she was asked to stand to the side.
Now it was Ryan's turn. He wasn't entirely certain of the situation, but he knew making the orb glow would mean "escaping slavery," as the man had said. So that's what he needed to do, and if they all could do it, then so could he.
Ryan stepped up, his heart pounding in his chest as he placed his hand on the orb, and then—nothing.
Nothing happened. It didn't glow or show any light. There was no reaction. Ryan stood in confusion as he took his hand off the orb and placed it back on again, yet nothing happened still.
"I knew it wouldn't be all." The tester sighed. "Move to that side," he gestured to Ryan, telling him to move to the other side opposite Esther and his coworkers.
Maybe deep down, Ryan expected it. After all, nothing ever went his way. But at this moment, even more important than him not having mana—whatever that meant—was Marcus not having it as well. For the first time, let Marcus not be better.
Ryan swallowed his saliva as Marcus stepped up. His breathing quickened as he watched Marcus put his hand on the orb. For a while, it showed nothing, but then it glowed. It continued glowing brighter and brighter until the light was almost blinding. It wasn't the subtle glow like the others had.
"It can't be..." the tester blurted out as he stared in awe. "Is this light magic..."