I felt my body propel upwards, and before I knew it, I woke up. 

The pain in my upper body felt more tolerable than before, though I still felt a throbbing pain every few minutes.

Francis must’ve healed it when I was sleeping…

I rose to my feet, and still felt weakness in my legs.

He didn’t heal my legs… it’s probably to make it harder to escape.

I felt something run down my leg, so I pulled up my pants and there was a cockroach standing still.

I flicked it off.

Disgusting. 

__

The boys and I stood out of our doorway as Ivor and Francis passed by us, calling our names.

“Subject 1…”

“2…” Both Francis and Ivor called out together

“3…”

They stopped at Thomas and turned to him.

“4.” 

“Let’s go.” Ivor insisted. 

“Single file line behind us. Fall out of formation and you will be sent back to your room with a missing finger.” Francis threatened

I was the last in the line, and in the very front was Thomas. 

We marched up the stairs and down another hallway leading to the muddy yard out back in the Manor. 

There were a few small dead trees and shrubs.

There was also a garden that looked like it hadn't been tended to very much, a small yellowish pond with leaves swimming around in it, patches of mud nearly everywhere, and just a bit of grass along the walls of the manor.

We arranged ourselves into a line shoulder to shoulder, as Ivor demanded.

“Use your magic on the environment given. Subject 1, begin.”

Thomas stepped up.

“Wh-”

“Use it.”

Thomas nodded and raised his hands to the level of his chest. 

He closed his eyes tightly, and tensed his arms. I noticed that his veins were protruding on his forearm and hands. 

It took a second, but a small ball of fire formed from thin air between his palms. It lasted only 7 seconds, though.

Thomas with Fire Creation Magic… 

If Thomas had enough mana capacity and mana intensity he could be a great magician due to his very rare magic affinity. 

I remember Otis telling me about being able to create magic and how those magicians are regarded to be highly respected in kingdoms across Varyn. 

Francis wrote on the paper on his clipboard.

“Hm.” Francis looked at Ivor. Ivor nodded his head. “Subject 2.”

Rainard took a small step forward. He walked towards a patch of soil near the garden plot and placed his hands on it. 

His eyes seemed worn out like he was crying all night.

I wouldn’t blame him…

Alard told me that he and Rainard were able to amend the soil around them. 

Alard was disappointed, but Rainard was excited because he wanted to live a peaceful life as a farmer.

Their mana intensity wasn’t strong, so it’s not like they could’ve made much of a difference in farming with their magic, anyway.

Ivor squinted his eyes. 

Drills of mud began forming around his feet, spinning rapidly as the drills grew bigger.

Rainard stood still watching. 

“What’re yo-”

The drills were released and thrusted into the air towards Rainard. 

Two moderate sized drills pierced Rainard through his chest. 

One drill just missed, and cut the side of his left leg.

The other 4 drills missed him entirely, flying in the air until it collapsed beyond the gate.

Rainard fell to his knees and was gasping for air. He couldn’t breath, the drills struck his lungs. 

Rainard fell on his face in the soil, flailing his arms and legs. 

Thomas, the other boy, and I both stood still watching in awe. 

Why? 

While Rainard was still alive, the other boy stepped back and began running towards the door. 

Ivor turned his head towards the boy, and did the same thing he did before killing Rainard. 

The door was too far for the boy to reach in time to escape from the drills.
Ivor released the drills, and they thrusted towards the boy. 

One drill was enough to finish it all and completely pierce the back of the boy’s skull.

His brain splattered beneath him as he collapsed over it.  The other drills hit the manor. 

Francis punched Ivor on his arm.

“You’re going to get us killed! If Sir Williams sees that the back of his house is all fucked up from your mud manipulation, he’s going to slit our throats!” Francis scolded 

“Fine.” Ivor disregarded. 

I also panicked, but I stood still.

I didn’t want to get on Ivor’s bad side.

What should I do… 

Francis was still scolding Ivor.

If Rainard died from having a weak mana capability… then I’m going to die… 

I still haven’t manifested my mana capability.

I had no choice but to wait it out.

I was sweating profusely. 

My mouth was very dry, and I was very hungry.

“Whatever.” Ivor disregarded. “Subject 3.”

What should I do…

I stepped up.

I raised my hands to the level of my chest.

Please work… 

I focused my mana through my arms into my hands and exerted it through my palms.

Nothing but a gentle wind brushed against both of my palms. 

“Francis, write it off.” Francis nodded and began writing

He’s probably writing my name off the board… they’re going to kill me!

“Wait!” 

Francis and Ivor both turned their attention back to me.

I tried even harder this time.

I focused my mana especially hard- and I collapsed.

My heart and lungs felt like they collapsed. I was on the ground grasping towards my heart.

Ivor didn’t strike me with his mud drills, in fact, nothing physically touched me. 

My body felt like it was being crushed. 

In just a few seconds, I blacked out.

I found myself in nothingness, again.

I was still falling downwards. 

What the hell is happening…

Church bells chimed it’s melodious ringing. Men were vocalizing a number of melodious sounds. 

‘Tell me, Alaric. Do you like to linger in suffering and pain?’ a strange dark voice asked in the distance.

What? Who-

‘You heard me very well.’ 

He can read my-

‘Yes, I can.’

Wh-

“Who are you?” I interjected my thoughts with a blunt verbal question.

‘Who are you?’ Asked the voice

“You already know who I am. You just said my name-” The voice hushed me before I finished. 

‘You will know me very well. I’ve seen your past, I know you.’ I didn’t bother asking anything else. I thought that he would just hush me off anyway. 

I crossed my arms, still falling. ‘This world will endeavor it’s unfulfilled punishment.’ 

“Hm.” I went along with the voice. “Are you done? I’m about to die any second now. I don’t know why I was so afraid in the first place. Why would I want to continue such a fruitless, tragic life?” I chuckled, not because I found anything funny, but out of pity for myself.

I peered at the bottom of nothingness, at least I thought I was. I couldn’t tell if I was looking at the bottom. It was just darkness

‘Giving up so soon?’ 

“I guess so, yeah.” 

‘Are you sure?’ The voice didn’t seem too concerned, but I felt a little pressure from the question.

“It’s too late. I’ve nowhere to run, and my body gave out on me. Ivor should kill me any minute now. What good would you do, o’ mighty voice?”

‘It’s not too late, but if you insist-’ My head shot up. I looked around me to see if I could find where the voice was coming from. 

“How could you help? I’m powerless. I’m just average.”

The voice sighed.

‘Look, if you’re going to keep complaining, I’d rather you die.’ The voice seemed pissed. ‘I don’t like when people waste my time. Better yet, people like you.’ the voice snarked.

“What’s with all the sudden aggression? What’s wrong with a child complaining about their soon-to-come death?”

‘What’s wrong is that you’re forcing yourself to give up. You people deserve to die.’ 

“I don’t understand?”

‘It’s fine to be depressed about something, but it’s wrong to not even try to fix your issues.’ 

Wise words…

‘Trust me, and I can help you. Last chance.’ 

I hesitated.

“Alright…” 

My falling came to an end as I softly fell on my bum. 

I was sitting on dark water. 

The only way I could tell I was sitting on dark water was because the light was shining off of it.

The light came from behind me.

I turned around, and a humanoid dark purple aura stood tall ahead of me.

“Hey… what are you?”

‘I am what the world feared the most.’ The humanoid aura raised his right fist to his chest. ‘I am the Vampire of Varyn.’