The rhythmic drip of water echoed in the darkness as Amir slowly regained consciousness. Groaning, he rubbed my temples, trying to shake off the lingering fog.
"Ugh, why does this always happen to me?" I muttered, frustration creeping into my voice. "People keep knocking me out, dammit!"
He sat up, instinctively checking for injuries. 'Huh, no bruises. So that woman didn't hurt me... But who is she, and what's her deal?'
Just then, a soft voice broke through my thoughts. "Oh, you're awake."
He turned my head and saw Valerie, casually leaning against the cave wall. She wore a black t-shirt, fitted jeans, and a sleek jacket—all black wrapped around her waist.
One thing was clear: this woman had a serious love for the color black.
She smirked. "I thought you'd sleep all day. How can you be so calm after being kidnapped?"
"Well, it's not like I can escape," I replied, shrugging. "So, why not stay calm?"
"Interesting perspective," she said, a small smile playing on her lips as she moved to sit beside me.
"W-what are you doing?!" he stammered, caught off guard by how close she was now. She was stunning, and I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks.
She chuckled softly. "Hmmm, no matter how talented he is, he's still just a kid. Those raging hormones will settle down eventually." she thought
"So... do you know what you're going to do next?" she asked, her tone suddenly.
He hesitated. The truth was, he didn't have a clue. "I don't know. I've done everything I needed to in the village. Now... I'm a little lost." he said a little dejected
Valerie's smile softened as she noticed the uncertainty in my voice. "Good," she thought to herself, "he's not fixated on revenge anymore. A broken child needs guidance to find the right path."
"If you don't have a plan, why not come to the academy?" she offered her tone light but sincere.
He snapped out of my thoughts, intrigued. "The academy?"
"Yes," she nodded, her eyes sparkling. "It's the ultimate training ground. If you go there, your dreams of one day flying among the stars might not be so hopeless."
"Really? The academy is that great?"
"It's not just great," she leaned in closer, her face inches from mine, causing his heart to race. "It's the most powerful place in the empire for young talents. Every graduate becomes a force to be reckoned with."
He listened intently, he always heard from a young age that the academy was where the most powerful and talented people gathered. It was a known fact that the current king was someone who attended one of the great academies.
"So, how do I get in? they have kids who have been training since birth and I'm only F-," he asked, standing up.
Valerie's smile widened. "Let's make a promise."
"A promise?" Amir asked
"Yes, a promise that binds our hearts and souls," she said, her voice steady. "In exchange for me covering up what you did in the village, you have two months to train and rank in the top 100 at the academy's entrance exam," she said with a calm tone
"What?! Top 100? Didn't you hear me say there are talents from all over the empire who've been training since birth? How do you expect me to compete with that?"
Her demand felt absurd, almost impossible.
"So, do you agree?" she asked, her gaze unwavering.
I stared at her, feeling cornered. 'This woman... she's a vixen. She knows I can't refuse. If I do, the authorities will hunt me down.' Amir thought
But if he was going to be trapped in this deal, I needed to get something out of it. "I'll agree, but on one condition."
Her eyebrow arched. "Oh? And what's your condition?"
"That you never spy on me again," I said, trying to sound firm despite my nervousness. "It's creepy. I like my privacy, so stay out of it."
A tense silence filled the cave, broken only by the sound of water dripping. I started to sweat, thinking I might have angered her.
Then, out of nowhere, Valerie burst into laughter. "Pft, ahahahahaha! That's what you want? Out of everything you could've asked for, this is it?"
She finally calmed down and stood up, looking down at me with warm eyes. "Okay, it's a promise. I won't ever spy on you again." "I'll do you one even better I'll train you up for a while before the exams."
Amir was taken aback by her offer to train him. He couldn't understand her motives, and it was starting to freak him out. What was her angle?
"Wait! How do I know you won't hurt me? We need to add that to the promise, or I'm out," he demanded, his expression deadly serious.
Valerie paused, her eyes narrowing slightly before she raised her hand. A piece of paper materialized out of thin air.
"Alright, this contract will seal our promise. If either of us tries to harm the other with malicious intent, that person will suffer tremendous pain," she said.
As she spoke, the cave was suddenly illuminated by a brilliant light, the paper glowing with a white aura.
"So, do you agree?" she asked.
Amir weighed his options, realizing he couldn't get a better deal. He needed that no-betrayal clause—trust was not something he gave easily without assurances.
He nodded.
The paper began to disintegrate into white particles.
"W-what's happening?" Amir asked, eyes wide.
"This is our promise, sealed by the mana," she explained calmly. "It means the world's mana is binding us to our word. If either of us breaks this promise, we'll experience immense pain—trust me, it's not pleasant."
He gulped. "Great, just great. How do I always end up in these situations?" he thought.
"Okay, we should get straight into what's next," Valerie said as a crystal orb appeared in her hand
Amir already knew what this was. It was the orb they used to check your magic element affinities. He remembered the day he found out he had no affinities, and he was deemed a cripple. That was when everything changed for him.
"You want to check me for affinities right," he said in a knowing tone
"Yup so put your hand on the orb," Valerie said
Walking up nervously for a second Amir placed his hand on the orb. He knew he had mana now but the experience with the test left him a bit nervous. Placing his hand on the orb he closed his eyes and breathed out. He already knew how the orb worked so he didn't waste time.
Ding*
[ Unknown energy entering the host]
[Energy removal attempted]
[Attempt failed]
Amir felt something stirring within him, not physically but on a level far deeper. It was as if the energy inside him was drawing something out and channeling it into the orb. The orb began to glow, shifting from a vibrant, deep red to a pale, icy blue, and finally to an ominous, deathly black.
Valerie's face momentarily froze in shock before she quickly regained her composure.
'Three high-grade affinities? This is unbelievable,' she thought, her mind racing. In a world where most people had only one affinity, and only the most gifted had two, possessing three was nearly unheard of. And for all of them to be high-grade? This kid was something else entirely.
'Maybe he's worth the effort after all,' Valerie mused, her initial doubts fading.
As the light from the orb dimmed, Amir opened his eyes, glancing at Valerie with curiosity, waiting for her to reveal his results.
"You did well, kid. You've got three elements: fire, darkness, and wind," she said.
"Only three?" Amir muttered, a disappointed frown forming on his face.
Valerie's eyebrow twitched in disbelief at his reaction. 'He's already one in a billion, and he's upset about having just three? What a greedy little brat,' she thought, amused but exasperated.
She placed the orb back into her magic ring and motioned for Amir to follow her deeper into the cave. As they walked, Amir couldn't help but marvel at the sheer size of the place. The cave was vast, with a ceiling so high it seemed to disappear into darkness. They eventually reached a large, square-shaped room, its walls and high ceiling illuminated. The floor was tiled with a pattern of a spider wrapped in thread at its center.
"What kind of cave is this?" Amir wondered, baffled by the mysterious setting.
He glanced at Valerie, her presence only adding to the enigma. Who is she really? he thought. No ordinary academy official could have a place like this.
"Hey, where exactly are we?" Amir asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.
"This is just a place I use when I'm on the move and need to sleep," she replied casually.
Amir couldn't shake the feeling that her answer was deliberately vague.
"I'm going to teach you how to use mana, but first, we need to build a mana circuit in your body," Valerie said, her tone suddenly serious.
Amir's interest piqued at the mention of mana, his eyes lighting up with eagerness. "Mana circuit? What's that?" he asked, hanging on her every word.
Sitting on the floor Valerie signaled to him to do the same.
"To put it simply, a mana circuit is what allows us to store and channel mana through our bodies. Without it, we wouldn't be able to use mana efficiently and those without one would die a pitiful death."
Amir listened intently, still clueless about how to use mana. Ever since awakening, he had relied solely on his bloodline to handle everything.
"So, how do I develop my mana circuit?" Amir asked, eager to learn.
"We'll have to create it by forcing mana to flow through your body in a specific circuit, over and over, until your body becomes accustomed to it," Valerie explained.
"Okay, we should start now. There isn't much time before the entrance exam, so the sooner I start training, the better." Amir said excitedly
Amir's excitement was palpable. He was finally on the verge of using magic. He knew that the longer he waited, the less chance he'd have against his competitors in the exam just two months away.
Valerie could see the excitement in Amir's eyes, but a wave of pity washed over her. She knew all too well the pain that came with creating a mana circuit. It was a hell that every mana user had to endure in the past.
"Okay turn your back to me and remove your shirt," Valerie replied
Amir quickly removed his shirt but his face turned red slightly as he showed his bare-bones body Valerie. He quickly sat to hide his blushing face.
Valerie's eyes widened as she saw how malnourished he was.
'This kid must have been starving for forever to look like this.' she thought
She thought about how bad his life must have been up to this point. She understood why he would try to kill his mother.
"Before we start just know that this is gonna hurt," she said
'It doesn't matter if it's painful or not,' Amir thought, steeling himself. 'If I don't do this, I'll be left even further behind.'
He wouldn't allow himself to waste any more time. He didn't want to be weak anymore, and if enduring a little pain was the price for strength, he would gladly pay it. Anything was better than the days of eating garbage to survive.
Amir took a deep breath, ready to move forward.
"There's no turning back for me now. The only way is forward," he said with resolve
Valerie smiled as she heard Amir. The kid had the same mentality he'd had as a child—willing to endure anything to gain power and free himself from the chains that had bound him since birth.
"Okay let's begin," she said as she channeled to channel mana into Amir's body