1:53 PM
1348, High Street, Emerald Coastline
Melissa confidently strode down the High Street of Emerald Coastline, her eyes focused on the tablet she held in her hands.
As she reached the opulent entrance of Eleanor's mansion, Melissa paused to take in the grandeur of the estate. The grand gates stood before her, a symbol of the lavish lifestyle within.
"So, this is the place."
Melissa's mission was clear – she had been ordered by Rosa to locate the individual responsible for the surge of magical energy, kidnap them, and bring them to Doctor Xun Zheng for further analysis, and magic extraction.
What made this energy distinct was its nature as reality-warping magic.
A swirl of crimson smoke billowed at the gate, materializing into the imposing figure of the guard stationed there. His stern gaze bore into Melissa as she stood before him, the tablet clutched in her hands.
"What is your business here?" the guard demanded, his tone firm and unwavering.
Melissa understood the guard's suspicion; after all, it wasn't common for strangers to approach the mansion unannounced. However, she also knew the importance of maintaining her composure in such situations.
With a subtle smile, Melissa sought to disarm the guard's skepticism, her expression calm and collected.
Her smile wasn't just a formality; it was a strategic move to convey a sense of friendliness and cooperation.
"Hello," she greeted, her voice steady and composed. "I'm here to speak with the owner of the mansion."
Melissa knew that diplomacy and tact were her best allies in gaining access to the estate. She hoped that her polite demeanor would help smooth the way for her inquiries, allowing her to delve deeper into the mysteries that awaited within Eleanor's mansion.
"What is it you want to speak with her?"
Melissa saw an opportunity—a chance to employ one of her many guises and navigate the delicate dance of deception.
She reached into the depths of her leather jacket pocket, retrieving a carefully crafted fake business card she kept for such occasions.
"Well, you see," Melissa began. "I'm an event organizer, and I heard that the owner of this mansion hosted a charity ball yesterday. Our company specializes in events."
It wasn't the first time Melissa had resorted to such subterfuge. She carried an arsenal of fake business cards, each tailored to fit a specific scenario.
She also researched the events at Eleanor's mansion provided her with the necessary ammunition to weave her web of deceit.
The guard inspected the card with a skeptical eye before returning his gaze to Melissa.
"Cut the lies, I know you're lying," he asserted, his tone unwavering.
Undeterred, Melissa maintained her calm facade. "I'm not lying, Monsieur. I am—"
Before she could finish her sentence, the guard raised a hand, signaling for her silence.
"Mademoiselle, my magic allows me to sense whether a person is lying or not," he declared with authority.
Melissa's lips formed a sardonic smile in response.
"Oh, is that so? What a shame," she remarked, her tone laced with subtle sarcasm.
The guard's frown deepened as he regarded Melissa with suspicion. "What do you want?"
Melissa calmly removed her sunglasses, revealing eyes adorned with Yellow Diamond-shaped pupils and red irises.
As the sunglasses came off, an aura of potent mana radiated from her, matching the strength of an A-rank Magician's power.
The guard staggered backward, his breath catching in his throat as he struggled against the suffocating pressure of Melissa's overwhelming mana.
Melissa's smile remained unperturbed, though a flicker of warning danced in her eyes.
"Please step aside. That's my first warning," she stated firmly.
What Melissa is doing is "Mana Pressure". It's not a spell, but a strategic use of one's mana.
Magicians with larger mana reserves can exert dominance over those with lesser reserves, creating a power differential, causing psychological intimidation, or even physically overpowering them by influencing their mana.
Despite the overwhelming force bearing down upon him, the guard stood his ground, his resolve unyielding.
"No…," he managed to utter defiantly, his voice strained against the weight of Melissa's power.
Melissa chuckled. Amused and mildly surprised at the guard's resilience. Despite his unwavering stance, her demeanor remained composed.
With a slight tilt of her head, Melissa regarded the guard with a mix of curiosity and respect for his steadfastness. In that moment, she recognized a worthy adversary, one who wouldn't easily succumb to intimidation or coercion.
"Very well," she remarked. "I see you're not one to back down easily."
Unbeknownst to Melissa, another guard lurked behind her, his intentions concealed by the shadows. A red pistol aimed squarely at her head, poised to unleash its deadly payload.
BANG!
The deafening gunshot shattered the air, a fiery bullet hurtling toward Melissa's unsuspecting form.
With a sickening impact, the bullet tore through her skull, leaving behind a gaping, lifeless void.
Melissa crumpled to the ground, and the overwhelming aura of mana she had emitted earlier dissipated into the air.
The guard who had been suffocating earlier breathed a sigh of relief, the pressure lifted from his chest.
The guard who had fired the fatal shot calmly walked past Melissa's lifeless body, extending a hand to his comrade in silent acknowledgment.
"Are you okay, Charles?" he said, offering his hand.
"Yeah, thank you, Louis," Charles replied, accepting the gesture.
Charles glanced back at Melissa's motionless form, a solemn expression crossing his features.
"She emitted so much mana, I nearly suffocated," he remarked.
Louis nodded in agreement. "Yeah. If it wasn't for the fact that I'm Manaless, I'd have never been able to sneak up on her."
Manaless people are immune to Mana Pressure, as they lack any mana within them. Charles suffocated earlier as Melissa had more mana than him, making it easy for her to overwhelm him.
"Indeed," Charles agreed, his gaze lingering on Melissa's lifeless body. "Louis, take her body elsewhere. I need to report this to Madame Eleanor."
Louis nodded while Charles turned on his heel and made his way toward Eleanor's office, his mind racing with the gravity of the situation.
***
Charles arrived at Eleanor's office door and rapped gently against the wood.
Knock! Knock!
"Madame Eleanor, I have some information," he announced.
"Come in!" Eleanor's voice rang out from behind the door.
With a nod, Charles turned the knob and pushed the door open. As it swung inward, he caught sight of Eleanor seated behind her desk, her demeanor composed and attentive.
"Take a seat," Eleanor invited, gesturing to one of the chairs opposite her desk.
Charles obeyed, settling himself into the offered seat with a sense of purpose.
Eleanor regarded him with a patient expression. "What's the information you have for me?"
Charles took a deep breath, steeling himself before launching into his report, recounting the events that had transpired in meticulous detail.
***
Louis dragged Melissa's lifeless body into the secluded garden shack, the dim light casting eerie shadows across the worn wooden floor. He had no choice but to kill her, after she discovered his secret and threatened to expose him.
He felt a pang of guilt, mixed with fear and anger. He had worked so hard to build a normal life, despite being Manaless in a world that despised him.
BZZT!
He was jolted out of his thoughts by the familiar chime of his Commlink. He quickly reached for the device in his pocket, the holographic display showing an incoming call from his mother.
He stepped out of the shack, hoping she wouldn't notice anything wrong. He answered the call, seeing his mother's worried face on the virtual screen.
"Louis, how are you, dear?" she asked, her voice full of maternal concern.
Louis forced a small smile. "I'm doing fine, Mom. Just dealing with some stuff."
He didn't want to tell her the truth. He didn't want to tell her that he lived in a world where magic was everything, and he had none. He didn't want to tell her that he had just killed someone.
"Are you sure you're okay, Louis?" she pressed, sensing his hesitation.
Louis nodded, "I'm coping, Mom. Just taking things one day at a time."
His mother looked sad, "Louis, I'm sorry for-"
"Mom, don't. It's not your fault that I'm Manaless."
"I-know"
"Besides, being Manaless has some perks, you know."
He tried to sound upbeat, but he knew the reality. He knew that in Sylvestria, where mana was abundant, those who lacked it were discriminated.
Before, he had a hard time finding a job, until Eleanor gave him a chance. She was one of the few people who looked past his Manaless status and saw his potential.
Louis was grateful to Eleanor, and he enjoyed working with plants and guarding her mansion.
He chatted with his mother for a few more minutes, then decided to end the call.
"Goodbye, Mom!"
"Bye, Louis."
He hung up, feeling a surge of resolve. He was ready to face whatever came next.
He turned around, and his eyes widened in shock. There, standing before him, was Melissa. She was alive, and the hole in her head was gone.
"H-How?!"
He gasped, unable to believe what he was seeing.
Melissa smiled, a mysterious warmth in her eyes.
***
The atmosphere in Eleanor's office grew tense as she absorbed the gravity of Charles's report, her mind racing with implications and questions.
"To think some stranger would just walk in front of my gate, suffocate you, and get killed."
Eleanor mused, her fingers tracing a pensive path along her chin as she contemplated the unsettling turn of events.
Charles nodded in agreement, his expression reflecting a mixture of concern and determination to uncover the truth behind the mysterious intruder.
BOOM!
Suddenly, a deafening explosion shattered the stillness, sending shockwaves rippling through the room as the office door disintegrated into a cloud of debris and smoke.
As the smoke cleared, Eleanor and Charles recoiled in disbelief at the sight before them — Melissa, her presence more sinister than before, adorned with fresh blood and an eerie aura of power.
Charles's eyes darted to Melissa's forehead, where the fatal wound from moments ago had inexplicably sealed, leaving behind an unsettling testament to her otherworldly resilience.
"How?!"
Charles demanded, his voice tinged with a mixture of fear and incredulity, but Melissa offered no response, only a cryptic smile that sent shivers down his spine. She seemed to enjoy his terror, as if it was a game to her.
With a chilling gesture, Melissa extended her index finger, pointing it ominously in Charles's direction.
"Boom," she whispered.
In an instant, Charles's body was engulfed by a devastating explosion, scattering blood, organs, and bones in a gruesome display of violence and destruction.
Eleanor's heart sank as she witnessed Charles's horrifying demise, her mind reeling with shock and disbelief at the sudden and brutal turn of events.
Melissa's twisted smile sent a chill down Eleanor's spine, the malice in her eyes a haunting reminder of the danger she now faced.
As Melissa approached, Eleanor's fear intensified, her pulse quickening with each step closer to her vulnerable position. She reached for her desk drawer, hoping to find a weapon or a way to escape.
"Hello there, Madame," Melissa's voice dripped with menace as she spoke. "Please be cooperative and answer my question."
Eleanor's breath caught in her throat, her expression a mixture of apprehension and defiance as she braced herself for what was to come. She glared at Melissa, refusing to show any sign of weakness.
"You see, the Magitist in our organization scanned a huge unusual wave of magical energy here last night," Melissa continued. "And this type of Magic Energy is a form of reality warping."
Eleanor remained silent, but her eyes widened in realization. Aubert's magical display from the charity ball echoed in her memory.
"So, tell me this, do you know who is responsible?"
Caught between the weight of truth and the fear of consequences, Eleanor remained silent, her eyes betraying a flicker of recognition and dread as Melissa's interrogation pressed on.
"W-Why are you asking this?"
"That information is confidential."
But Eleanor knew the stakes were too high, and the truth too dangerous to reveal. Even in her vulnerability, she refused to betray Aubert, a boy she barely knew but already felt compelled to protect.
"I-I will not tell you the truth."
In that moment, Eleanor reflected on her past, grappling with the weight of her sins and the opportunity for redemption that lay before her.
Despite her wealth and status, she found herself burdened by loneliness and remorse, seeking solace in the chance to make amends for her past transgressions. She had done many things she regretted, hurting many people along the way. She had been selfish, ruthless, and cold-hearted.
But she wanted to change. She wanted to be a better person. The first thing she did was to organize a charity ball to raise funds for the orphanages. And the last thing she wanted to do is to not tell Melissa that it was Aubert who did it.
Melissa sighs, expressing her disappointment
"It seems you failed to be cooperative. It seems I have no choice but to kidnap you and take you to Umbrascourge headquarters."
Eleanor's eyes widened in terror at the mention of Umbrascourge—an infamous and malevolent Magician organization.
She had heard new about them, about their dark and twisted experiments, their ruthless and violent methods, their ambition and greed. She knew that if she was taken there, she would face unimaginable horrors and pain.
With a swift motion, Melissa took out a grenade from her jacket and threw it at Eleanor.
In a haze of panic and desperation, Eleanor watched helplessly as the grenade released its toxic payload, its green smoke enveloping her senses in a suffocating grip of darkness.
As the toxic fumes enveloped the room, Eleanor's consciousness waned, the world fading into darkness.