Chapter 12
"Hey, Eason, how are you?" Leah asked as she walked up to me after work. "When are you letting me come to your house for training with you? You know the competition is starting in five days, and we have to train harder."
"I know," I replied, "but before you come to my house, we have to make a *Mana contract."
"Why are you so mean? Do you hide dead bodies in your house, or do you steal from people and kill them there?" she said with an exaggerated gasp.
"Look," I said, holding her shoulders. "There's something of great importance that I'm trying to protect. So, we have to make the contract now if you want to come over."
We walked together until we reached a secluded spot. There, we held hands, and I instructed her to say the words:
"I, Leah, Scion of the Elsher family, pledge on my Mana to never tell anyone what happens in his house. If I don't adhere to this contract, all of my Mana and abilities will be disabled and unusable for the rest of my life."
I then spoke my part:
"And I, Eason, of the McKay family, pledge not to put her in danger in my house as long as she is not attacking me."
The moment we finished, a little bit of Mana escaped from our bodies and bonded together.
"It's done," I said firmly. "If you fail to hold up your side of the bargain, you'll get what's coming to you. Come to my house tomorrow."
As I began walking away, I added, "And stop looking at me like that. I'm not fully a McKay anymore."
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That night, when I got home, I told Denim that someone was coming over tomorrow. He didn't look happy about it.
"They won't snitch," I reassured him. "I made a Mana contract with them."
"Where did you learn about Mana contracts?" he asked, his face puzzled.
"You do know we have a library in this place, right?" I replied, shrugging. "Anyway, I'm going for a walk. Goodnight."
I left the room and jumped off the first floor, landing effortlessly. From there, I started walking toward the city gates. I often sat on the walls to think and stargaze.
As I sat there, my thoughts drifted to my sister and my mom—or, at least, what I could remember of them. My sister: a young, beautiful girl with striking blue hair and eyes that twinkled like the stars. My mom: a mature woman with soft facial features and a voice that could soothe anyone.
I still believed that my dad had died the day that incident occurred, and what was left of Denim was just a hollow husk of my father.
As I was lost in thought, I noticed a figure speeding toward the city gates. I activated my *Mana Sight to zoom in on them. It was a dark-skinned boy carrying a girl in his arms. He was running at inhuman speeds, a grin plastered on his face. Two swords were strapped to his back. The girl, on the other hand, looked delicate and soft, her golden hair resting on either side of her face. She was beautiful.
Soon, the boy reached the foot of the gates and, to my shock, jumped all the way to the top in a single leap. That was something I never thought a human could do.
"Hey, kid," he said, his voice full of confidence. "I'm Lucien. Is this the Nameless City, or am I lost?"
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*Mana Sight*: A skill that involves guiding Mana to your eyes to enhance your vision.