The Zangrest Library
Zangrest Province
Holy Empire Lumerior
10th May 285 A.G.M (After the Great Migration)
Eighteen years after the Hailey Incident
Alastor Kinsway stood by the door as the forensic team walked past each other, brandishing their tools around as they investigated the intrusion that had occurred. Not long ago, Alastor had just returned from a year-long mission with his apprentice. Weary and tired, he had longed for peace and quietness, and now here he was, facing another crisis. One week of peace gone just like that. Well, Reyna would be glad to have something to do. There was broken glass on the floor that came from the glass ceiling above them, where the intruder had broken through to escape. Alastor was having a hard time believing that someone had broken into one of the most secure buildings in the province. Whether it was an inside job or an outside job, whoever had done it must have been crazy. To break into one of the most secure buildings in the holy land, well you would need to have some loose screw-up there. Alastor was beginning to wonder why he had been summoned here. Crimes like this were something that the IPF( Imperial Police Force) should be looking into. He stepped into the room, ensuring to stay out of the way of the Forensics. Standing by a window close to the scene, her hands in her pockets with a cigarette in her mouth was his younger sister. Alastor took the puff from her mouth and flicked it out the window. All she did was raise her eyebrows at him. She was dressed in her usual black jacket with her white shirt and black-ripped pants. She wasn't wearing the official uniform as a Captain of a Division in the Hunter Association. Both brother and sister looked different from one another even though they were related. Though they had the same curly black hair, Alastor was fairer than his sister with his lighter skin tone, and hazel eyes while she had golden eyes. She also had a whole lot of piercings around her nose, lips, and ears that made her look more imposing than normal.
" I hear those things kill you, Captain," Alastor said with a grin. The Sword King snorted, bringing out more packs of smoke.
"I wish there was someone that could kill me," She said in a deprecating tone. But Alastor could see the meaning beneath the tone. "Plus, can you stop addressing me like that?"
"You're a Superior Officer. It's called courtesy." Alastor said. "How else am I supposed to address you?"
"My actual name for one," Alexander said. " Fucking protocols"
"You gave that up when Father passed on the role to you," Alastor said. " And could you not smoke in front of me, please? I don't know when you picked up on this habit but it's not appealing. No wonder you haven't had any offers of marriage"
"Not interested in any of their offers," Alexander said. " And I'm not that interested in romantic entanglements. Being a King is too much of a drag. This...helps with the stress."
"Does it, now." Alastor raised his brow at her. His sister was the laziest and most laid-back person he knew. She had been that way since childhood. He was normally picking up after her ever since they had been kids. He had thought going on a year-long mission in the Middle East would force her to pick up the slack, but she had simply dumped her responsibilities on her underlings.
"While you were away on your mission, I had to step up, you know." She said putting a cigarette in her mouth. Yeah, right. Alastor had received lots of complaints from various Squad captains who had grown tired of her antics but lacked the balls to say anything to her face. Half of his resting period had been placating those squad leaders with free drinks and dinner. Alastor looked around the room one more time before he asked the question.
"Why are we here?" Alastor asked. "Isn't this a job for the IPF"
"The Emperor asked me to oversee the Investigation," Alexander said. "It seems someone has done what we couldn't do and broken into the Zangreus family's workshop. Whoever broke in must be skilled enough to break through those wards. Talk about bad timing. Ananya and I were just about-"
"We've found something." One of the Forensic crewmembers called out. Alastor and Alexander moved swiftly in the blink of an eye behind the worker who was bent over, checking out some bookshelves. He shuddered a little, probably out of shock at how fast they had been.
"What did you find?" Alexander said. Gone was the playfulness that had been in her voice. It had been replaced by the power and authority of a true Magic King. The Worker trembled a little but he pointed his tool at the bookshelf that was in front of him.
"I was able to pick out tiny traces of Mana particles around here. The feeling of the Mana was strange, enough to draw my attention." He pushed around some of the books that were on the shelf, shining his light from the torch at the side of the shelf. Written across the shelf in what was human blood was the Runic word: Reveal. That was odd. No Mage practiced or used Blood magic anymore. It was outdated and forbidden from being used within the Global Union. Also, this runic word was an ancient language that had died out thousands of years ago. Not many Mages knew how to read or write the words. The only conclusion that could come to mind was that it had to be one of them. Which was kind of crazy. They were incapable of setting foot within the confines of the Holy land of Lumerior.
"A spell to reveal something," Alexander said. " Is anything missing from here?"
"Yes, my lady." The Worker said quietly. " It seems one of the Zangreus family spellbooks is missing."
"Which one," Alastor asked. He could almost hear the regret in his voice for asking the question. But they had to know what was missing. Inside this building were things too dangerous to ever get into the hands of someone dangerous.
"Unknown at the moment." The Worker said. " The Zangrteus family had lots of Grimoires that are still unknown even to this day." Alastor frowned. That did not sound good. The Zangrteus family's collections of Grimoires were the most sought-after in the world. Even by them since most of their collections had been trapped within this building. The fact that someone had been able to sneak in, destroy the wards protecting the building, and steal something right under their noses. That was something that could not be allowed. Something that the Central court won't be too happy to hear about.
"Talk about Radeus giving us a hard time," Alexander said. " I guess we have no choice but to track down whoever this thief is."
" I'll do it," Alastor said. Alexander raised her eyebrows at her brother.
"You just came back not too recently from a mission and you want to head out again." She asked. Alastor said nothing. For some reason, he knew that this job required delicate investigation and someone of a certain rank. "What about Reyna, what will she say when she finds out you dissed her again." Now Alastor cringed at that. " Very well, I guess I can come up with an excuse for you that'll save your ass."
"Thank you, sister," Alastor said. He loved that cold-mouthed apprentice of his but he did not want to risk bringing her into a mission with a potential of clear danger.
"Don't thank me yet. You owe me, so when you get back, I'm going to delegate some of my shit to you. That and it's also kind of your job being my right-hand guy." She said as she walked away from the room. Alastor smiled and looked out the window into the peerless night sky, devoid of any stars.
*
Lakane district
Lakane Public School service
Pele city
Haumea Nation
285 A.G.M
Eighteen years after the Halley Incident
"Mr. Walker! Mr. Walker! Mr. Walker-"
A nudge at Eren Walker's rib brought his attention away from the window and back to the classroom. He made a face at Asher Asterion, who nodded towards the Instructor glaring at him at the front of the class. Eren groaned at him, not giving a damn about the speech he was giving. Summer was coming, the end of their school year was at an end, graduation was next week, and all he could care about was the upcoming practical exam for Namer Academy-
"Mr.Walker, you should do well to pay attention," The Instructor said. Mr. Briggs was an average height for a man, with fair skin and a wave of brown hair. "I suppose just because you're graduating next doesn't mean... Hey! I'm talking to you.." Eren was about to turn his attention back to the window but then he sighed and faced the instructor again.
"I see here you listed you intend to join Namer Academy for your secondary education," Mr.Briggs said. There was a flash of disdain on his face, his lips turning into a sneer as he looked back up at Eren. "Oh...Don't tell me you intend to join the Hunter Association." The rest of the classroom turned to face him. Eren didn't say anything, nor did he attempt to give the rest of his classmates his time. It had always been his goal to become a Hunter, and being accepted into Namer Academy was the first step. The school was the most prestigious institute in the entire Global Union when it came to training potential Hunters and was known for producing the best of the best. But not everyone could get in. Unless you were part of the upper class or you had the money-which was extremely expensive-, getting into Namer Academy was only possible through the practical exam that was being held this summer.
"Ha! Ha! Ha! How's someone from a low class, especially one who lacks a Spiritual foundation going to get into Namer Academy," One of his classmates roared in laughter. "You're just a Mundie-"
"Now! Now! Tyron, you don't have to be so rude," Mr. Briggs said. "Everyone has a right to dream, even if the dream is a little unrealistic for our taste."
"Is that so," Eren said, getting up from his seat. He was trying his best not to get riled up by them. Hadn't he spent the last four years of his life hearing these same comments from others? This wasn't the first time his dream had been questioned. His fist was breaking through the wooden desk that was his. Dark thoughts were whispering in his mind. Voices so low that later on he would barely remember them. A hand came up on his shoulder bringing him out of the swirl of dark emotions that was burning through him. Ash was shaking his head, giving Eren the usual look.
"Sorry Mr.Briggs, Eren meant no offense talking back to you," He said coolly. The rest of the classmates all turned to Ash. The girls all swooned, looking at him, and Eren felt a little bit annoyed. Leave it to Ash to try to diffuse the situation. Even the Instructor was having a hard time saying anything. Eren could see the different strands of expression running through their faces, awe, fear, disgust, envy...It was always the same look that people gave the boy right next to Eren. Luckily for them, it was that moment when the bells signaled that school was over, giving Eren the chance to get the hell out before he did something he regretted. He grabbed his bag and walked away. Everyone stood aside for him to pass by, the fear on their face making him feel better. Even though they had been snickering at his expense, they still knew better than to cross him. The boy was known around this part for getting into fights, fights that he always won even without the use of Mana. In the end, they knew better than to cross the Bone smasher, the delinquent boy known for his red hot fist.
Tyron and his crew walked out of the building, laughing as Cyrus Occhia was cracking a joke about what had happened in class. Eren was by the fence, waiting for them as he knew this exit was where they normally got out of the school. He could still feel the anger at the insult Tyron had thrown at him, using a derogatory word.
"Tyron," Eren called his name. The gang turned around, surprised to see him waiting for them.
"What do you want, Mundie," Tyron said. Eren raised an eyebrow at him. This bastard was feeling brave since they were nearly done with school. He must have forgotten the taste of his fist.
"You shouldn't call me that," Eren said. He hated that word. An insult meant for people who weren't born with the power to cultivate Mana. Back when he had been a kid, growing up, he had been waiting for his Mana to awaken like other kids his age, waiting for the day when he would either manifest a Grimoire or a unique ability. Though Eren had the Spiritual foundation, his body had been unable to develop the Essence core needed for Awakening. He had grown up in the Atwell orphanage, different from his fellow orphans who could cultivate even though they were of the lower class like he was.
"And what are you going to do about it," Cyrus said with a smirk. Were they fools or something? Eren thought to himself. He may not have Mana like them…
"Looks like I have to educate you again before the school year finally ends," Eren said, cracking his hands with a devilish grin. It was a blast watching their expression turn from laughter into a look of fear. Tyron's crew, who still remembered the beatings they had gotten from him, ran off leaving Tyron and Cyrus alone.
"Arghh" Tyron shot at Jax, his fist chucked full of bright red flames. Tyron was an Elementalist, able to turn his Mana into flames. Jax did not hesitate, his reflexes kicked in. He dodged the first three fireballs that Tyron shot at him, moving so fast that the boy couldn't even comprehend Eren's movement. He lessened the distance between him and his opponent and sent a roaring punch at him. Tyron blocked it with a blast of flames but Eren had already moved away from the blast, as quick as a Hellcat, moving around the flames and then he shoved one of his feet within the kid's leg, performing a front-wheel technique to throw the boy off balance. There were small chunks of concrete in the air from the resounding force that Eren had used on Tyron. He then grabbed the boy by the neck and with his full strength, flung him to the wall of the school building. There was dust from the crash, and Cyrus ran over to where Tyron was. Yes, he had been born without Mana, but luckily for him, he had been blessed with raw physical strength and speed that was almost on the superhuman level. So while he lacked Mana, the requirement to become a Hunter, Eren had been gifted with inhumane physical prowess. His opponent, Tyron Oster, fell to the ground unconscious. The wall behind him had broken off, creating a large hole that showed how much force Eren had put into his throwing technique. And that was without the use of Mana enhancement.
"Who's the weak one, now brat," Eren said. His arms were sore from the heat of Tyron's flames, but it wasn't enough to bother him. "How many times do I have to beat some senses into you damn Mana brats."
"You may be strong, but that's still not enough to become a Hunter," Cyrus said. Eren huffed in anger and was about to pounce on him when someone caught his arm. He turned around to see Ash.
"That's enough," Ash said. "I'm sure they've learned their lessons."
"I'm not sure they have," Eren said.
"What would Mother Ruth say if I told her about this," Ash said. Eren halted, and the image of Mother Ruth sprang up in his head. Shit! He would be in big trouble. And then his stomach grumbled, catching his attention.
"Fine. Let's go." Eren said walking away with Ash. They left Cyrus alone with the unconscious Tyron, Eren feeling better than he did moments ago.
"Damn, I'm famished." He said.
"Skipped lunch," Ash said. He didn't smile or grin, showing no expression. That was the way Asher Asterion was. Eren had known him since the boy had shown up in Atwell orphanage, silent and mysterious. He could barely remember how the two had become friends since they were nothing alike. While Ash was what one would call a guy with killer looks, brown luscious skin, long white eyelashes and hair, golden eyes, and a beautiful face, Eren was the opposite. He had dark skin, black hair styled in long dreadlocks, and hazel eyes. While Ash was tall with a gracious movement that resembled a model, Eren was of average height with broad shoulders. He wouldn't consider himself ugly, but compared to his best friend, Eren could just as well be plain-looking. They headed to one of the food stands by the busy streets of Lakane districts. It was a carriage under an umbrella pole, the smell of fried Lochfish filled the air. Customers were sitting on plastic chairs and tables, chatting and talking while eating. The boys waited in line as Jax stared around the district. Lakane District, where their school was located, was different from the Downtown district. While Downtown was cleaner and more organized with rules enforced by District cops, and beautiful automobiles, Lakane was rougher, muddy, foggy, and jagged with lots of busy people who didn't have time to waste. This street alone had lots of vendors trying to sell stuff, magic items, and magic tools that were probably useless. Transport carriages drove by, not a care in the world for traffic rules. In the air were Dirigibles- aircraft vehicles that were powered by Mana crystals, and only available to those who could afford them. They soared through the sky, taking their passengers wherever they wanted. Eren had been on an airship only once in his life and that was when he had been eight years old. It had been a special day, Mother Ruth, the director of the Orphanage, and a Mother-like figure to every orphan, had taken them on a field trip to Namer Island, an island on the eastern side of the nation of Haumea. It was there that Eren had gained his dream of becoming a Hunter, after witnessing the true power of a King-
"Give up on becoming a Hunter," Ash said. Eren snapped out of his thoughts. They had left the Lochfish vendor, their food wrapped in iron foil, freshly fried and hot. They were sitting by the banks of the Lakane River, beside the railroad bridge which connected the Lakane district with the rest of the districts of Pele City. Eren had undid the tie around his neck, the heat from the sun soaking his back with sweat.
"What do you mean," Eren said, his mouth full of fish. He swallowed it and glared at Ash. "You know I can't give up," Kids were running around, their parents watching after them, orange light surrounded them, light from the setting sun. Ash was watching the kids running to their parents. He said nothing as his red eyes were fixed on them. Eren saw the crunching of his teeth, the way he held them firm in anger. Nobody...No one in the orphanage except for Mother Ruth knew of the anger that was within Ash. Everyone thought he was just the cool, collected friend of the ruffian Eren Walker who liked to get into fights. But Eren knew of the anger in Ash. He knew about it, and he was always amazed at the control and collection that he displayed. Eren looked at the parents and children playing and he understood the frustration that Ash held. He had never had that thing...that bond that was right in front of him. He never knew his parents, the orphanage and the Sisters and Mother Ruth were all he knew. So he could never understand Ash's emotions because his situation was different from Eren's. Ash once had a family. At least he had them till he lost them and was brought to the orphanage. He was also blessed with talent and impressive Spiritual powers. Ash was a genius when it came to cultivation while Eren...well he wasn't even a cultivator…so he had no idea if he was a genius or not. His Foundation was there yet he could not cultivate anything on it because he was spiritually inert. All he had was the martial arts that he had used to train his body.
"I already took the theorem exam, and my grades were excellent," Eren said. Eren had taken the written aspect of the exam, and his grades had arrived. He had qualified to take the practical aspects. He had been so happy, his hard work and studying had paid off. And now all that stood in his way was the practical-
"And how are you going to pass the practice test," Ash said. "To pass it, you need either Magical powers or Battle aura and you have none," Eren said nothing. He understood what he was trying to say. The practice test was going to examine how much control one had over their Manna in combat and for Eren to attend the test when he had none...well that was just foolish of him. If only he had gained the power he needed...
"To be a Hunter is to fight Maleficants," Ash said. "You have no Mana, so how are you going to convince them to let you become a Hunter," Eren thought of the weird creatures that plagued the world, evil spirits that feed off negative emotions and could only be killed and dealt with by those blessed with Mana. Eren had never seen one of them in his life… how could he when he lacked the basic ability that comes with being Mana sensitive: Internal sight. He had heard of attacks in various cities across the nation, but the Hunters were always around to deal with them. The closest that he had come across one was when he was eight years old, and he never even got to see what it looked like. Being Manaless and having no Magical power or Martial aura was the reason why he had never been attacked by one.
"And Namer Academy is very prestigious. Its admittance rate is very low, and only two percent get accepted. And that's accounting for all those who try to join in Haumea, not to mention the rest of the other nations in the Global Union and outside of it."
"What are you trying to say," Eren asked. He was getting pissed off by Ash's comments. It was the usual advice that Ash would normally give him from time to time.
"I just want you to be realistic," He said. "That's all," Ash stood up as the steam train came into view, the black smoke from the train filled the sky as the train passed them by. Eren grumbly shoved the rest of the fish in his mouth. After licking his fingers, he moved to stand up but stopped. There was an object by the spot that Ash had gotten up from. It was a black book, its cover was blank, with no title or anything on it. The book looked old and shabby.
"Hey, Ash, is that yours," Eren called out to Ash. Ash peeked down at the book, picking it up and then flipping through it.
"There's nothing in it," He said.
"Let me see…" But Ash flung the book to the river, the currents carrying it away from them. Eren grunted, sewing with rage at how Ash had ignored his wants.
"Let's go," He said. With the sun finally setting, the boys walked home in silence, neither saying anything to each other. The Orphanage was located on Calmuet Street, one of the only decent places in Lakane with low building prices. Mother Ruth, a retired Hunter, and a member of the faith was in charge of the Orphanage which belonged to the Lumerian church. It was a place for kids who were abandoned, kids that society deemed unwanted but the church in its everlasting mercy took in. The Orphanage was a large building within a compound, a field of flower garden made by Sister Abby, and maintained by the groundskeeper, Abbox. As soon as Eren opened the door, he and Ash were greeted by Sister Judith, a middle-aged Nun from the Church who transferred here two years ago. She was the newest member, so she normally helped with the little kids, and right now, it seemed she was having trouble with one of them.
"Oh! Patry, you have to wash your hands for dinner-" She stopped as soon as she saw Eren and Ash. "Oh guys, how perfect. You're just in time for dinner."
"Sweet, I'm hungry," Eren said. He smiled at Patry, one of the little kids who happened to look up to him.
"Hey, Eren, you promised you were gonna teach me how to do a backkick," Patry said, jumping up and down. He was a rascal child, with brown hair, toothless in some area in his mouth, and wore some of Eren's hand-me-down shirt and shorts.
"Later, little one," Eren said as he headed to the kitchen to wash his hands. "Maybe if you wash your hands I might give you better pointers,"
"Alright," Patry said. He ran past Sister Judith and into the kitchen.
"Thank you so much, Eren," Sister Judith said following after the kid.
"No problem," He said. Ash took a turn towards the staircase, leaving them to their discussion. "Hey! Where are you going,"
"To drop my things, and wash up," Ash said. "Not all of us can smell like a dog during dinner,"
"Bastard," Eren muttered.
Dinner that evening was another serving of mashed potatoes with fried turkey and Edmaine soup, which was brewed with Edmiane leaves. Everybody was gathered together at the dining table. Mother Ruth, the oldest Nun, and the director of the Orphanage sat in the front seat, and on her two sides were Sister Amber and Abby. Sister Judith was sitting on Patry's side trying to tamper the boy's excessive energy. Eren was two-seat away from Mother Ruth but he could still feel her eyes on him. He wondered if she knew about the fight that had happened.
"Eren, I got a call from school about another incident,"
Shit. He was screwed. The bastard Tyron might have snitched on him to the school. Eren said nothing as he dropped his fork and knife. Since Eren's early childhood, he had always been taunted by kids his age for not having Mana. Even though he would always insist that he would get it, the world didn't seem to care. He saw it in the way his classmates treated him, the way he was never chosen for any activity requiring Mana in school, and the way society was towards others like him. Eren had given up on awakening a grimoire and instead had thrown himself into learning martial arts. With his inhumane physical strength, learning how to fight with his fist had been the logical thing for him to use to survive. There was a slight chance that the strain of learning Martial arts might push his body to develop an Essence core, one of the basic foundations one needed to awaken. Mother Ruth had suggested it to him. She had shown him just the basics and then left Eren to master and improvise on it. And Eren had done exactly that. But even with his talent in Martial arts, Eren still did not form an Essence core that would have allowed him to cultivate Battle aura. As he grew up and began Public school, Eren quickly resorted to using his physical strength to shut up any detractors who doubted he would be able to become a Hunter. He would get into lots of fights and eventually, he became known as a delinquent. The school had mentioned multiple times that he would be expelled if he continued his bad behavior, but thanks to Mother Ruth's intervention, he was never expelled no matter how many times he got into trouble.
"It's not my fault that they pushed me into a fight," Eren said.
"And you couldn't refuse.." Mother Ruth sighed. She knew Eren's nature. If the boy gets a chance to fight, he will take it. "Eren...you're nearly done with Public school, and you can get into any university of your dreams. Don't throw it all away because of someone else..."
"It wasn't that...He called me a Mundie- '' Everyone at the table stopped eating. The word Mundie was an insult, a slang used in the past to refer to humans who couldn't cultivate. It still was used presently. One's status in life was based on how much power one possessed, and the stronger it was, the better life one could have in this society of theirs. In the Western continent, where spiritual power was more common than any form of power, people like Eren were also looked down upon like regular humans. In truth, his inhuman strength may have well been average given the fact that Mana was the superior power. With the advancement in Mana research and technology, Magic was steadily becoming available to those who didn't possess magical power. Thanks to companies like Sol Corporation, and the Satou industry, magic tools have developed significantly. Now careers such as Adventurers were possible for people like Eren. If he wanted, he could apply to the Dungeon Guild- the organization responsible for managing the Dungeons-, and if he got in, he could get an Enchanted tool that could aid him in his job. But the life of an Adventurer was not something that interested Eren. What Eren wanted was to join the noble ranks of the Hunter Association. It was something that had been planted in him after witnessing the most powerful of them all in action. Memories of the Battle King, Alexander of the sixth Division of the Global Hunter Association were etched firmly within Eren's brain. She was his idol, the person he had modeled himself after, even though there was still not that much information about her available to the public. After that day, Eren had only one thing on his mind.
"Besides, whooping snotty brats like him is good for society if you ask me," Eren finished. The others laughed at Eren's joke, and even Mother Ruth couldn't help but grin at it. Eren was smiling until he noticed that one of his sisters wasn't around.
"Hey, where's Ina, don't tell me she's gone already," Eren said.
"Ina's upstairs in her room," Sister Abby said.
"What! I thought she was getting adopted today," Eren said. Ina was one of the few orphan girls in the Orphanage, and she was like a younger sister to Eren. Everyone was a sibling to him and Eren had taken it upon himself to always watch out for them. He had been excited for Ina when she had been chosen for adoption. The girl was only twelve years old, and that was the last age before one could no longer be adopted. It was also the age when it was advised for one to begin their cultivation journey.
"Looks like the Adoption fell through," Ash said. "She's been in her room since then," Eren turned to Ash. Unlike Eren who had never been once considered for adoption, Ash had lots of opportunities to get into a good family, a family that would have given him a better life, but he had denied it. He had refused to go along with any adoption, instead remaining in the orphanage. Eren used to think that the boy didn't want to leave because he didn't want to abandon his new family, but he realized over the years that Ash just didn't care for the opportunity those families could give him. Like Eren, Ash desired only one thing and that was to become a Hunter. Why he had the same goal as him, Eren didn't know.
"Why didn't it go through?" Eren asked. No one said anything. But Eren knew. He got up from the table and left the dining room. Mother Ruth didn't stop him from leaving. He couldn't help the anger that was burning through him. Anger at the way the world was. Anger at the stupid system that made this world unfair. Even with all the resources and development Mana had brought into the world, at the end of the day, one's spiritual power was still important. Eren squeezed his fist vehemently as he got to Ina's room. She shared it with Carla, another of his sisters. He made sure to calm his anger first and make his face look positive. He cleared his throat and knocked on the door.
"Go away," Ina called out. He knocked as sounds of sobs came out of the room. Hearing the girl's sob from inside the room was possible for Eren with his sharp hearing.
"I said, go away-"
"Ina, it's me, Eren," He said.
"Eren...pfft..is that you...pfft"
"Yeah, little one, it's me," Eren said. He opened the door to see Ina lying on her bed. On the floor was her open suitcase. She got out from under her blanket, her eyes red from crying.
"I heard about the Adoption," Eren said.
"Can you believe it...pfftt..it doesn't matter.." She tried to brush her pain off, but Eren wouldn't let her. He got on her bed, and put her head on his lap, playing with her brown hair.
"It matters," Eren said. "You matter."
"I don't think the Owen family believes so," She said. "I guess my magical power wasn't to their liking," Eren grind his teeth to stop himself from cursing the whole family. In this world, there was power in words, a power that was strong enough especially when chanted with such strong negative emotions that were swirling within Eren.
"Forget about them," Eren said. "Just because they didn't want you, doesn't mean other families wouldn't"
"They were the last," Ina said. "I'm twelve years old. Next year, I'll be too old to be considered and I'll be stuck here forever,"
"Hey! It's not so bad being here," Eren said.
"Pfft!...you know what I mean," She said. She straightened up, pulling her knees to her jaw.
"I never got considered and look how I turned out," Eren said. She laughed at him, clearing the tears and the snort on her face.
"Hey...look at the bright side. You don't have to leave us," Eren said.
"But you're leaving soon," Ina said. "Next week is your graduation and you'll be off to Uni," Eren thought of Namer University. That was the school he wanted to get into. It was the only path to his future that he could see. But without a spiritual power to cultivate Mana, how was he going to get in? No. That's not important right now. Ina is.
"No matter where I go, Atwell and everyone in it will always be here," Eren said, pointing to his chest.
"You mean it," Ina said.
"Of course I do. And when I become a world-famous Hunter, I'm going to make this place even better than it is now," Eren boasted. Ina gave him the biggest smile he had ever seen, her brown eyes looking more pretty than before.