On a train, heading to JIIN, at the present
On one of the more expensive carts of the train, having a table, two-seaters across from each other. It was practically a restaurant. Victoria sat alone. Apparently, his partner wanted to sit alone. Away from her.
What's up with him? She asked about Nathan.
Nathan was laying in an empty seat. He had his phone in his pocket and had his eyes closed too. Victoria stood on her knees and looked over her seat and down at Nathan. "Nate, why won't you sit with me?" She asked.
"It's Nathan," he strongly corrected.
"Aren't you gonna answer me?" She pouts.
"We're going to Jiin to solve a crime. I need to think."
"Can't we think together?"
"God, you're so clingy," he sighs.
"I'm your partner!" Victoria pouts. She looked at him laying without a care in the world. "What're you thinking anyway?"
"The crime we're solving," he mumbled.
"Kidnapped sorcerer? We have a definitive lead, we just need to keep our guard up."
"It's more than that."
"Then?"
"Ugh…" He groaned. His irritation was apparent and he'd rather not indulge in this conversation he deems dull.
"I swear if you don't say anything, I will shoot you myself."
"Oh, please do," he said in a pathetic plead.
Victoria actually did conjure a handgun and pointed it at Nate's forehead. She was very tempted to just pull the trigger. She sighed and dispelled it. "At least tell me why you don't wanna sit with m-," she pouted.
"I'm uncomfortable," he answered, talking over her a little.
"That can't be it," Victoria denied. "You wouldn't outright admit that if you were."
Nate groaned loudly. He was really irritated. "Itsuka, hanashi yo."
"Ima wa hanashite."
"Urusei."
Itsuka, hanashi yo = One day, I'll tell you
Ima wa hanashite = Tell me now
Urusei = Shut up
Victoria retracted to her side of the seat and felt angry herself. Disrespected by her own partner, she suddenly felt like taking the next train back to the school. She kicked her leg up and down uneasily. A bad enough mood that she won't even pick up her phone.
The train stopped for its first time. There were still three more stops, each as six minutes away from each other. "It's still a long way…" She murmured.
I wonder how everyone else's first mission's like, she starts to imagine. Other than for Dan, Laura, Sam, and Volta, everyone was doing okay.
She began to deduce the reasons why Nate doesn't want to sit next to her or talk to her. Is he socially inept? She wondered. He may be just a socially awkward person that doesn't really know how to get along with others. But, he's a Varr. No way.
Victoria had a lightbulb lit up inside her head. She grabbed her phone and searched where the Varr family is based in.
"Ohh…" She realized.
To her surprise, Jiin was where Varr family is based in. They had several mansions, but Jiin was the main one. He must be nervous, if he sees his family members, he'll probably be embarrassed.
Victoria thought of it that way, because no one from the sorcerer families ever went to the school. So, she thought his family sent him to the school because he's a terrible sorcerer.
It wasn't like that when he fought Jay, she recalled. She remembered that Nate kicked Jay's ass pretty hard and only stopped because Kai intervened. Victoria thought about other reasons as best as she could and came up with none more convincing.
I can't imagine Nate leaving his family, she nearly believed it in her heart that Nate wasn't the type to abandon his family. Though, that was just a baseless assumption.
She opened her phone again and searched for Nate's contact info. His name was Nate with an emoji of ice cubes.
Yo, she texted.
Nate's phone rang a loud notification. It was the default one but it got his attention. He grabbed his phone from his pocket and turned it on. Seeing the notification, he decides to answer from the notification center.
What? He replied using the auto responses.
Are you a shitty sorcerer? She asked brutally honest.
Probably, he said, self-deprecatingly.
Oh, she was surprised. Didn't think you'd say that.
What the hell do you want me to say? He retorted. If I say anything that remotely hints at a 'yes' you'd call me arrogant.
Nate went up to sit properly and leaned back to his seat.
Alright, jeez. Chill out, she rolled her eyes as she sent the text.
No.
Is that why you're at this school? She wonders.
Coz I'm a shitty sorcerer? Yes and no.
Why the 'no'?
No reason.
Come on, tell me.
No, he refused.
Come on, she said, insistently.
No, he refused again.
Come on, she was persistent.
Just drop it, he replied. Please.
Fine, she finally agreed. For now.
Fuck's sake.
What about why you don't wanna sit next to me? She asked again. You can just sleep on the table.
Victoria somehow felt really pathetic. She was texting with the person she was back-to-back with.
I need to focus, he used the same answer as before.
Isn't it better to brainstorm? I'd like to know what you have in mind.
Nate hesitated to answer her immediately. He had something typed, but then deleted it. He sighed loudly. Victoria could hear it. The train stopped for a second time. Two more stations before they arrive.
Nate takes a deep breath and starts typing again. Victoria patiently waited. After a long while, Nate finished typing. But, he never hit send.
"It really is me being uncomfortable," Nate said aloud. "It is an oversimplification. But, I'm not lying."
"Can't you say why?"
It was a long list of reasons. He could spend the entire train ride naming every single one. But he decided to be considerate of her, "I don't trust you," that was the bottom line.
Victoria's heart sank. She placed her phone on the table in front of her quietly and crossed her hands. "Is that so?" Her voice turned dead inside.
"I'm sorry. I just don't."
Victoria grits her teeth and stood up. She picked up her phone and slips it into her pocket. She walked to the bathroom without a word. Nate leaned his head to the table and covered his face with his arms. Shying away from what he had just said. "She's definitely angry at me…" He moaned to himself.
What should I do? He asked himself. I mean, we are still strangers.
It was a long time since she went out to the bathroom. The train had stopped for a third time. One more stop. I should focus, we're almost there.
He tries to focus and think about the mission, but just couldn't. Victoria just stuck at the back of his head. A minute away from the final stop, Victoria came back. She had a big bag of chips with her.
Nate stood up and started walking to the exit, only to stop and see her eating the chips. "Oh, hey…" Nate was a little startled.
"Hey," she replied. "Want some?" She went to reach out with the bag.
"You were buying snacks?"
"Yeah," she nods with her mouthful. She chewed her chips then swallowed. "Sorry it took a bit. There were a few options I wanted, but could only get one."
"Oh… Okay," the thought of her not being angry at him didn't cross his mind. She's probably just putting up an act, he thought. He had no way of telling, his skills to read people were terrible also.
The train stopped for and the two went out and head to the crime scene. The crime scene was at the Jiin National Park. Nate brought Victoria over there through the quickest route. He knew Jiin like the back of his hand.
Nate walked to the park all dejected. Victoria was all happy-go-lucky. She had not a care in the world. Soon, they arrived at Jiin National Park. There was a cabin in the middle of the park, it was old and entry was prohibited. A relic of a place.
One stop before they arrived
A woman awoken, wrists and ankles tied to a chair and her mouth covered by a piece of cloth, unknowing how she arrived in an old cabin. There was a single window behind her that illuminated the room. The cabin reeked of gasoline and dust. The woman's head was spinning so much that she couldn't yet focus to use her magic.
The cabin had three other rooms. The living room, the kitchen, and the bathroom. Inside the bathroom, was a man that stood at six feet. Grey-blue messy hair, shirtless, scared in his lip, a slash on his left eye. He was partially deaf in his right ear. His back exposed showing scars that came from whips.
His hands were trembling as he leaned on the sink and looked into his own reflection. It was nearly two decades since he laid eyes on her, he had finally captured the woman he targeted all these years. His hands trembled not in fear, but a rush of adrenaline. A euphoric ecstasy that he had to repress as hard as he could. He went to the hangers and grabbed his shirt. A long-sleeve fire proof shirt along with an old brown trench coat.
He went back to under the sink and grabbed two jerry cans of gasoline. He then walked over to the room where the woman was tied up. She was unfortunate. If it was three seconds earlier, she could've ran free. She was able to freeze her bindings and break free. She points at the man, expecting spikes of ice to form from the ground and pierce his body. All she could see was steam of what should've been.
She starts to panic and start casting several spells but none were working. The man wasn't melting her ice, but was burning her mana away the moment she casts a spell. A feat that takes incredible precision and speed. The man was unfazed by her futile attempts, he had foreseen it. He was inexperienced but he was taught well.
The man set aside both the jerry cans and covered her exit. She turns around and heads to the window behind her. As she leaps to crash through the window, a chain made of molten bricks appeared from the ground and snapped around her neck. She jolts backwards and fell to the ground. She could feel the skin of her neck sizzling.
"Stand," he ordered gently. As she struggles to stand up he runs at her. He shoved his knee to her stomach, she falls down wheezing for air. "Couldn't even stand on your own?" He mocked.
"You must be some low life. To think you were born of royal blood…" He said, disgusted.
She could get up on her own, but barely. "Wh- Who are you?" She asked.
"Ore oboete ka?"
Ore oboete ka? = Remember me?
Before she could mouth a reply at him, he raised his right foot up to her left ear and kicked her in the head. Her entire body slammed into the wall. He snapped his fingers to dispel the molten chains around her neck.
"P- Please, stop," tears ran down her face as she pleaded for her life.
The man rushed forward to her and grabbed her by her left ear. He grabs the right side of her head by her hair and slammed his right palm onto her left ear several times. Her ears rang and she began to lose focus. He kept hitting her ear until blood spilled out of it. She started losing half her hearing.
"A Varr, begging… How pathetic!" He yelled with a smile on his face.
She trembled in fear and was scared for her life. Worldly desires started rushing into her mind. Her past started rushing into her mind. Her life started flashing before her eyes.
"Please… I'm begging you…" She cried.
"Beg. Again," he said with cold eyes.
"Plea-"
He stopped her from talking by punching her abdomen. She wheezes as she lopped on the ground, weak and defenseless.
The thought of defiling her crossed his mind, "I could do that," he muttered in a grin. "Payback…" He was even more tempted.
She started crawling away, trying to get around him and to the exit. "Look at you go," he said as he let her crawl away. When she reached the door frame, he grabbed her by her ankles and pulled her to his feet. He grabs the chair she used to sit and starts slamming it to her thighs. Her right femur shattered. With the amount of force and number of hits, it was likely she'll never walk normally again. She wails in the process of it.
He walks over to the side of her torso and flipped her on her back. He lifts his left leg and starts stomping her stomach. He gradually moves up to her chest and cracked several ribs.
He stopped and crouched down to her face. He pats her on her stomach, rubbed it. He was getting closer and closer to that decision. He starts reaching down with his hand gently and slowly but stopped at her waist line. "Please… Help me…" She called out, her voice grew too weak to scream.
The man realized he couldn't bring himself to cross that line that she did so effortlessly. He moved his hand up, dragging it by her stomach and her chest then her neck. He grabbed her face cheeks and he leaned his head down to her functioning ear. "No one's coming to save you," he whispered to her. "Because no one can save you. Not even yourself," he quoted.
He glared into her eyes, visibly burning with loathe. "Nothing I do to you will amount to anything you've done."
The man walked over to the jerry cans and grabbed one of them and opened the lid. He poured the gasoline on her. "You'll die by my flames," he said. He walked away after she was covered in it, he snapped his fingers and he lit on fire. She wailed in agony as she felt her entire body burnt to a crisp. Her lungs filled by the smoke her body produced. Ultimately dying to smoke inhalation.
The man felt happy and relieved that she's dead now. He couldn't help but notice that tears ran down one of his cheeks. What the hell? He was startled by his tears.
"It's just the smoke," he tried to convince himself.
He snapped his fingers and the fire burning on her body subsided completely and the smoke also dissipated. He wiped his tears and took a deep sigh of a relief. He walked out the cabin slowly. As he walked out, he found himself in front of two kids. One with black hair and glasses, one with blue hair like his and a turtle neck.
"Nate, kare wa…?"
"Tabun," Nate focused.
Kare wa...? = This is...?
Tabun = Maybe
"Who are you two?" The man asked.
"We'd like the ask same thing," Victoria replied.
"The boy looks familiar," the man had a photographic memory, there was no way he would forget a face of kid like Nate's. Though what triggered the familiarity was the resemblance he held with the woman he killed a few minutes ago.
"You're looking for that sorcerer, aren't you?" The man asked.
"What sorcerer?"
"Eleanor Varr."
Nate's fall to silence made it obvious that he knew who she was. The man scoffed at his poor poker face. "Don't worry about her," he smiled. "She's now just a burnt corpse."
"Can we assume you did it?" Said Victoria, her hands twitching from mana surging.
"Yeah, you can," he nods nonchalantly.
Victoria's main training with firearms, especially handguns, was to shoot from the hip accurately. It also helped that her magic guns had near-none recoil. Then, being able to pull the trigger as fast as she could. With a real semi-automatic handgun, she could fire eight shots in one second.
Though, her choice when it came to close quarter combat would be a small gun with an incredibly high RPM (rounds per minute). G44, an automatic pistol that could fire at 2000 rounds per minute. It was basically a sub-machine gun.
She conjured up the G44 in her right hand and lifted her elbow up to her hips and pressed the trigger. For a second, twelve bullets shot straight to the chest of the man. The bullets reached the man's chest but that area of his body was quickly enveloped by hellstone. The bullets lost its force and fell to the ground.
"Impressive aim," he complimented.
Vic looked a bit worried, she reached her hands out and aimed the gun at his head. Two shots to the center of the face, hellstone enveloped his entire head as little horns grew a sudden. His head tilted a little.
His right arm and both his legs were enveloped by the same hellstone. "Temee wa Varr darou?" He asked, looking at Nate.
Temee wa Varr darou = You're a Varr, aren't you?
Before Nate could answer a fist met his diaphragm. He was lifted off the ground as he crashed through several trees and plummets into a giant old tree. He fell to the ground and immediately lost consciousness. The punch crushed his lungs, the crash broke his spine. If he were to be let be, he'd be dead in an hour. Victoria's eyes widen as her heart pounded out of her chest. Her arms trembled and her legs grew weak.
The man looked at Victoria and glared at him, "run," the man said.
Victoria didn't think and immediately just ran away. She followed the trail of broken trees. For some reason, the man wasn't following her.
She reached to Nate's unconscious body, she didn't want to touch him and mistakenly made his body worse. She pulled her phone out and went to dial for an ambulance. Despite being scared for her life, she hadn't put her guard down. She was still very aware of her surroundings via Mana Sense. She stood up straight and turned around with a combat shotgun aimed at a man. Not the same one from before, but definitely held a resemblance. "Omae dare da!?" She asked, her voice shaking.
Omae dare da!? = Who the hell are you!?
"You might wanna put the gun down," said the man.
"Like fucking hell!" She refused. "Take another step and I'll blow your head off!"
The man definitely heeds her warning and stopped moving with his hand up.
"Hayaku kotae yo! Omae dare! da?"
Hayaku kotae yo! Omae dare da!? = Hurry up, answer! Who are you!?
"Name is Zachary Varr. I'm related to Nathan."
Victoria heard rustling from behind her, using Mana Sense, she could pinpoint the location of the person. She conjured another shotgun, a sawed-off. She held it with her right hand. Triangulating it under her left armpit and using her right elbow as a rest for her other gun.
"Don't fucking move," she ordered to the person behind her.
"I'm related to Nathan too. I'm Zach's sister. Mio Varr."
"How do I know you're both a Varr?" Victoria was stressed out but she tried her best to remain calm and not panic. Being completely protective over the situation. She knew she was out of her element.
With Mana Sense, it was clear that the two sorcerers that were in front and behind her were far tougher than she was.
"Zach, show her your cress," Mio yelled.
"Why mine?" He asked.
"You wanna have your head blown off?" Mio retorted, irritatedly.
"No," Zach sighed.
"Then show it to her!"
Zach sighed and grabbed a pin that had the Varr family cress on it. He held it out, it was too small for Victoria to be sure. "Toss it," Victoria ordered with her hands trembling.
"No way," Zach refused.
"Zach!"
"Mom's gonna kill me if I get it dirty!"
"Then fucking clean it later!"
"It doesn't wash off!"
"You wanna die?"
"Ffffffine!" He folded. He tossed the pin and it landed on the tip of Victoria's feet. She glanced down and saw a blue and white shaped V. A gold outline of the overall pin. It was real.
"How do I know you're here to help?" Victoria asked.
"You don't," said Mio. "If you kill us and call an ambulance, Nathan's dead."
"An ambulance won't be able to heal that," said Zach.
Victoria contemplated heavily. Should I or not? She grits her teeth and was desperate for help. She dispelled her combat shotgun and put her sawed-off down. Mio swiped her hand and filled the area with water. Engulfing Zach, Nate, Victoria and herself, the water then disappeared and they were no longer there.
The four reappeared in the hospital at the Varr Family Residence. It was a huge four-story facility, a fully established hospital specifically for Varr family members.
Nate was placed on a bed and some light sorcerers started operating on him immediately. Almost as if they knew they would be operating on someone. Victoria didn't notice it at the time. They moved outside of the operating room and to the hallway.
"He's going to be okay, right?" Worried Victoria.
"He will. His heart's still beating," Mio reassured.
"Who was that guy?" Victoria asked.
"Zach?" Mio looked at Zach. A puzzled look about her, "what guy?"
"You didn't see the guy who punched him?"
"We... Didn't," claimed Zach.
"Why were we sent on a mission against him?" She questioned.
"What was he like?" Mio took an interest.
"He had a defensive spell that was faster than a barrage of bullets."
"That's High-Rank level," Mio stated. "Why would you be on a mission for that?" "No idea," replied Zach, looking away from the two.
"Yes, you do have an idea," said Mio. She grabbed his collar and forced him to look at her. "Don't lie, Zach."
Zach looked annoyed by Mio's probing. He stayed silent and decided it'd be best to keep quiet.
"Did you know there was a sorcerer of that high level?" Mio pried further.
Victoria realized Zach was withholding information from her, she raised her sawed-off to Zach's face. "I will blow your face off, tell me."
Zach's demeanor changed slightly, he was no longer afraid of being shot. He raised his hand and grabbed the barrel of the sawed-off. Ice grew from his hand and started freezing the gun. "Try it," he challenged.
Victoria actually pulled the trigger, though it didn't shoot, it still made Zach flinch. She was actually going to shoot me? Zach was stressing out inside his mind.
"Fine…" Zach submitted. "I did know there was a sorcerer."
Victoria dispelled the gun and let Zach feel at ease, she was ready to conjure another gun, however.
"Who was he?"
"I only know a few things, 'kay? Slow down," said Zach. "Last night, there was a party celebrating the clan head's birthday. While the party happen, I saw Eleanor alone."
"The woman?"
"Yes, one we'll let the police handle."
"Okay…?" Victoria didn't really understand, she decides not to ask any further.
"When I saw Eleanor, there were flames that appeared behind her, then a man with a coat and blue hair."
"Probably him?" Mio deduced.
"It was. He took Eleanor in the middle of the party, leaving a little trace. I decided to track him down. Only to be spread out to several different locations with the same mana stain. The stains disappeared after six hours. Using a map, I pinpoint the location of where the man would be. I decided to scout out the location on my own at first. With Mana Sense, I could tell he fell asleep after tying Eleanor to a chair."
"You didn't try saving her?"
"I didn't, since he noticed I was nearby watching him. Then I went to Cathy Mcarthy and asked her to send Nathan Varr to Jiin."
"Why?"
Mio sighs loudly, "you're such a bitch, Zach,"
"Well…" He shrugged his shoulders. Not denying what Mio said.
"Why did you want Nate?" Victoria started to raise her voice.
"I didn't know he had a partner though. I'm sorry about that," he sincerely apologized.
"That doesn't answer my question," Victoria got irritated.
"It's family politics. Zach's next in line, if Nathan actually leaves the family," Mio answered.
"So…" Victoria's head works out the possibilities. "You wanted Nate to become the family head?"
"Yeah," he bashfully admitted.
"How?"
"I thought by making him injured, he'd be forced to stay here and force himself into the family drama."
"That's… Fucked up," Victoria came to the realization.
"Yeah, it is," Mio agrees. "And thanks to you, he can't extend his stay."
"He still might stay," Zach was open to the idea.
"Why the fuck would he?" Mio questioned. "He's just like you and me, he hates this place."
"I don't hate this place, Mio."
"You know I do. I rather live in Dettory than this shit hole."
"Why would you do that?" He shook his head.
"Because then I might actually help people."
"You're dreaming," Zach scoffed.
"Well, at least I'm not some coward."
"Fuck off, Mio," he snapped.
"Fuck you, actually," Mio snapped back. "Nathan left, deal with it. You're next in line!"
"I don't want to be!"
"Why not? You said you like this place!"
"I didn't fucking say that!"
The two went silent and glared at each other. The two recoiled and awkwardly waited. Victoria definitely felt awkward, but there was something she should be able to do. She left Zach and Mio to themselves and went back in to check on Nate.
The sorcerer treating him started throwing all the empty Healing Crystals. "Is he okay?" Asked Victoria.
"He is," they replied. "Just needs time to recover is all. Might wake up in a few hours."
"Okay, thank you."
The light sorcerers left and she stood at the end of Nate's bed. He looked at him completely unconscious. But, at least he's not bloody. He shattered two of his spine, several ribs broken, his lungs crushed, and suffered a heavy concussion. Luckily, all in the range of Healing Crystals. It took them 121 crystals to heal him completely. In medical bills, that would cost several million yen.
"Sorry, Nate," she muttered an apology. She didn't care whether Nate was listening to him or not. She balled her hands into fists tightly and felt frustrated. Her best quality, simply deflected by a spell faster than her reaction speed.
She then felt a presence behind her and immediately shifts her body to the side and took a few steps back. She saw a man, old and rough. White beard with white hair mixing with his blue hair. He was huge. Muscular, six foot five inches tall, looked like a merciless killer.
"Who the hell are you?" He asked, his voice was deep and terrifying.
"Victoria Lau. Nate's partner."
"Heh," he laughed condescendingly. "Nathan Varr needs a partner? Pathetic."
"Who the fuck are you?" Victoria was very offended by what he said.
"You dare speak to me like that?"
"I don't give a fuck who you are, actually."
"I oughta teach you a lesson," he said in a creepy voice.
Victoria readied herself for whatever bullshit this old man going to throw at her. From his front foot, launched a wall of ice spikes. She quickly conjured a claymore, she pulled the pin and was blown back a few steps as superhot steel ball-bearings burst through the ice spikes. She dispelled each ball after it passed the wall, in order to not destroy any property.
"Are you fucking insane?" She yelled as smoke cleared and ice shards fell on the ground.
"Why me? You were the one who was gonna blow up a claymore," he snarked.
"This is a hospital!"
"One you're not welcomed in," his voice turned threatening.
"Nate's my partner, I need to be here."
"You dare talk back to me?" The pride in his voice was understood by Victoria, he'll never back down. Not until his ass was handed to him.
The old man casts Ice Aurora, an aurora of light that acts a mine, once the aurora detects movement, it freezes. As the aurora was traveling toward her, she quickly conjured a handgun and shot at the aurora. Triggering the spell before it hit her.
This little bitch is fast.
He started walking forward, casting a shadow over her. He froze his fists as he starts bashing away. He smashed several beds in half, swinging quickly, a single mistake by Victoria, and it would cost her life.
Quickly, Victoria was backed into a corner. The old man unfroze his hands and had a hand choking her neck, the other arm holding one of her shoulders down. "I like your fire, girl," he grinned at her with eyes with lust and desire.
Victoria couldn't utter a response as she was losing air quick. With her free hand, she conjured a sawed-off and aimed under his chin. If she pulled a literal ten milliseconds early, the old man would've been dead. The man then lost his grip on her and he was pulled back. The pellets from her shotgun grazed his face slightly.
"Mike, what the fuck are you doing?" Asked Zach, disgusted.
"Unhand me!" Mike demanded. He couldn't move as his entire body was being held up by Zach's Ice Tentacles. Zach slammed Mike to the floor and held his head down with one tentacle. "Fucking creep," he muttered. Zach then recalled all of his tentacles back and unhanded Mike.
Victoria coughed as she tries to breathe in oxygen. Her face and neck was red.
Mike stood up and glared at Victoria, he wipes off the dripping blood on his face. He turns to Zach who was unfocused and lands a punch at Zach's face. "You fucking piece of shit," he turns to Victoria again. "I'll kill you!" He starts chasing after her.
He then fell to his knees as he couldn't tense the muscles on his left leg. He was confused. What just happened?
Suddenly an ice blade met his throat, "I feel sorry for you. Almost," said Mio. Mike looked up at her with rage in his eyes. "I cut your tendon. You'll need to limp over to the bed to get healed. You're paying for every bit of this, by the way."
"Piece of shit," he grumbled.
"You nearly got your ass handed to you by a fourteen-year-old female fire sorcerer from the school. You're only alive because Zach pulled you from the line of fire. Now be a good uncle and say sorry."
"Like hell!"
"You fucking geezer," Zach uttered loudly.
"Your wife, Eleanor, is dead, by the way," said Mio.
"Really?" He asked.
"I mean, I know you don't care. Neither do I. She definitely deserved it," she replied. "You both abused a child 'til he committed suicide, you deserve every bit of it," she said coldly.
She walks to Victoria and leans down to her, "you okay?"
"I am."
"Good."
"I'm fifteen, by the way," she whispers to correct her.
"Oh, right," she laughs.
The two then checked up on Zach who was holding his nose. No blood was coming out though. "Quit acting like your hurt, Zach."
"Fine…" He stood up like nothing happened.
The three left Mike alone. They know he won't try anything with the clan head's kid, Nate. So, it was safe to leave him there alone. They stood on the hallway again.
"Thanks for saving me, Zach," thanked Victoria.
"Saving you? I was saving Mike," though he was ashamed he needed to at all. "Wish I didn't."
"Hehe, thanks anyway," she laughs.
"What's your name again?" Mio asked. She recalled Victoria never properly introduced herself.
"Victoria Lau."
"Victoria, sorry for what happened earlier. You can expect something like that happening again. Out of the entire family, probably only Zach, Nate, and me that are reasonable people."
"Why?"
"Hardcore family politics, really," she sighed, exasperated.
"That can't be it," Victoria couldn't believe Mio.
"It is, just on a more extreme level."
"That's why Nate left, right?"
"We don't know why he left, actually. He had a big fight with his dad, it was gossip all around the family," Mio replied. They were just as clueless.
"Maybe it's the pressure? As the first born of the head and all."
"Oh... He's not the head clan's first born," Mio corrected.
"He's not?" Victoria had just found out about it. Victoria always thought of him as a single child. "You said he was next in line."
"He is, but only because his older brother was a Core-user. A failure in the family's eyes."
"He was outcast and abused by the entire family. At around nine-years-old, he ran away," Zach continued. "No one knows where he is."
"Was he a good brother to Nate?"
"We can't tell how much, but he definitely cared about Nathan."
On the train, he said he had a secret reason for going to the school. Is that it? She thought. On top of that, Nate must hate his family for what they did to his brother then. Sorry, I thought you were genuinely a shit sorcerer.
Mike then walked by the three, perfectly healed, acting as if nothing happened. The three glared at him. Victoria decides to walk into the room for the second time and check on Nate. Mio and Zach followed behind her. She went in to see the entire place empty.
"Where's Nate?" Victoria asked.
With Mana Sense, it was clear that Nate was no longer in the hospital. Or even his family residence. He fucking left…