James smiled tersely as he saw his friend walk up to him. But a realisation soon dawned on him and he narrowed his eyes, "Did they chase you out of the house?"
Richard chuckled, "Very funny. But, no. Maya's usual yelling aside, I couldn't really sleep."
James stole a glance at the sky and sighed, "Me too. Yesterday was... Not good at all."
Richard pushed him into the building as he said, "Likewise, bro, likewise. I'd never felt so useless in my entire life."
"Exactly! I couldn't do anything but watch," James shook his head as they walked across the crowded hallway. Then he paused and looked at Richard, "Wait, what happened to you and the princess yesterday?"
Richard groaned, "Well, for starters, I almost died. Elora especially."
James's lips parted as he wanted to say, "Me too!" but then he felt that their experience after closing hours yesterday was too similar. He resorted to silence and nodded his head, allowing Richard to continue.
"Please don't tell anyone about this," Richard muttered under his breath, taking quick glances at the other students.
James simply nodded in agreement.
Richard sighed heavily as he started, "You remember how Master Hendrik didn't show up two days ago and I snuck out with Elora?" He didn't wait for an answer before he continued. "We somehow found ourselves in the woods behind the Academy, and overheard some shady men talking about abducting Elora. Master Hendrik was one of them."
James's eyes went wide, "No way."
"Hm-hmm," Richard nodded and proceeded to explain everything that happened yesterday.
At the end, he fisted his right hand with a slight frown, "If Prince Kaiser hadn't shown up, Elora would have died. I would have watched them kill her. I could have at least moved or something. Instead, I just stood there, frozen like a statue."
"I get you, but there's nothing you could have actually done. You--" James tried to comfort him, but Richard cut in abruptly.
"I know. I'm weak and useless," Richard raised his fist and spread out his fingers. With enough concentration, he was able conjure some of his Mana and construct a dull musical note. It dissipated almost as quickly as it was made.
"You know what? You're right. You're weak. We both are," James scoffed wryly.
Richard rolled his eyes at him, resisting the urge to punch him in the face.
'You're a fucking Berserker!' he retorted inwardly. He couldn't say it out loud because of the curse word.
"Don't try to pacify me, James. You're a strong Berserker that trains with a mythical beast," Richard sighed.
James shook his head, "What if I told you that all that training was all for nought?"
He quickly brushed over what took place at the Blood Forest yesterday. He knew Hunter would tell his family about it, so he only mentioned what happened from his perspective and how useless he felt.
"Hmph. I guess we really are of a feather," Richard rubbed the back of his neck.
"It's annoying, and embarrassing, but I'm sure we can get stronger if we work hard enough," James said with a sliver of hope.
"Easy for you to say. No amount of training can increase my Mana Reserve," Richard sighed depressingly. He squinted his eyes and looked ahead, "By the way, don't you think we should have gotten to class by now? This hallway is surprisingly long."
"True..." James nodded in agreement, gazing afar off. Then he shrugged and burst into a sprint.
His movement was almost blurry as he moved. He ran, and ran, and ran ...
"Err..." Richard didn't know what to say as he stared at James before him. The latter hadn't moved an inch. He was running on a spot, as though the hallway ground was some kind of treadmill.
James also noticed it and he stopped, panting for breath, "What in Grimbone's name...?"
Richard turned on his heels to survey the hallway. It was at that moment that he noticed that they were the only ones present, and they hadn't even walked a metre away from the entrance.
It was odd. Too odd.
"Uh... Richard?" James called with his eyes fixated on an aged man before him.
Richard turned again, his eyes dilating gradually as he recognised the aged man.
"Master Hendrik?"