"Last chance," the servant warned, knife glinting in the sunlight. "The pendant or your blood. Lady Eris gets what she wants either way."
Heat surged through Marcus's veins.
"I don't need help," he said, flames dancing between his fingers. "I just need you to back off."
The servant's eyes widened at the fire. "You—"
"Yeah, wrong target. Bad day for you."
Marcus thrust his palm forward. The flames shot out more controlled this time, a focused blast rather than wild energy.
'I don't want to kill this guy. I'm not sure how the awakened are treated upon killing someone.' He thought.
The servant barely dodged, the heat destroying his sleeve.
"You're dead!" he screamed, charging forward in desperation.
Marcus sidestepped, letting his attacker's momentum carry him past.
Another fireball formed in his hand, this one hotter, brighter.
"Stand down," Marcus warned.
"Never!" The servant whirled around for another attack.
Fire erupted in a concentrated stream, catching the servant's knife arm.
"ARGHHH!"
The knife clattered to the ground.
"Lady Eris will destroy you for this!" the servant hissed, clutching his burned hand that suffered major burns.
"Tell her if she wants my pendant, she will have to dream about it." Marcus formed another fireball, making his point clear.
The man scrambled backwards, then fled down the alley.
Marcus left the alley, his heart racing.
'I almost died there...'
His inexperience had proven to be a major flaw as he was tracked and almost preyed on by an awakened, much weaker than him, an E-Rank Awakener.
'I need to get stronger fast,' he thought, straightening his pendant.
The walk home was a blur of paranoia, every shadow potentially hiding another attacker. When he finally reached Elara's house, relief washed over him.
He pushed the door open to find several bags stacked by the entrance.
'That's weird. What's with the—'
His bladder interrupted the thought. After that adrenaline rush, nature was calling urgently.
He spotted the bathroom door. Without thinking, he pushed it open.
Steam.
Porcelain.
Bare skin.
"AHHHHHHH!"
Jasmine's scream hit his ears the same moment her fist hit his face. The impact sent him flying backwards, crashing onto the hallway floor.
The bathroom door slammed shut.
Marcus lay there, stunned, his cheek throbbing and face burning hotter than his fire magic.
'I'm dead. I'm so dead.'
Footsteps thundered down the hall as Elara burst from her room.
"What in the world—" She froze, seeing Marcus sprawled on the floor. "What happened?"
His mouth opened and closed like a fish gasping for water. No words came out.
The bathroom door flung open. Jasmine emerged, fully clothed but hair still dripping, her face a dangerous shade of crimson.
"Jasmine?" Elara turned to her daughter. "Did you—"
"I thought someone was breaking in," Jasmine cut in, eyes drilling holes into Marcus. "But it turns out Marcus was just... closing the door I accidentally left open."
Marcus blinked. That was... not the answer he'd expected.
Elara looked between them, eyebrow raised. "He was closing your door by flying five feet backward?"
"I slipped," Marcus croaked, finally finding his voice.
"On what? Air?" Elara asked.
Jasmine crossed her arms. "He startled me, I might have... reacted."
"Reacted by punching him across the hallway?"
"It was a nudge."
"A nudge that probably broke his jaw."
Jasmine huffed. "He's fine. Aren't you fine?" Her glare promised death if he answered incorrectly.
"Never better," Marcus managed, pulling himself upright. "Totally my fault. Wasn't looking. Sorry about that."
Elara looked between them again, suspicion written across her face. "Right. Well, those bags by the door are yours, Marcus. I packed some extras for the Academy."
"Thanks," he mumbled, still feeling Jasmine's death stare.
"The shuttle leaves tomorrow morning," Elara continued. "Get yourselves together."
She walked away, shaking her head.
The moment she was gone, Jasmine grabbed Marcus by the collar, yanking him to his feet.
"If you tell anyone what you saw—"
"I didn't see anything!" Marcus squeaked. "Just white. A flash of white. That's all!"
"White what?" she hissed, face inches from his.
"I don't know! Tile? Towel? Light from heaven about to claim my soul?"
Her grip tightened, then unexpectedly, her lips twitched.
"Light from heaven?" she repeated, voice quivering slightly.
"That's about to claim my soul," he added weakly. "Which I think it's still trying to do."
A snort escaped her.
"You better forget what you saw," she said, releasing him.
Marcus straightened his shirt. "So... you're not going to kill me?"
"Not today." She stepped back. "But if you ever mention this—"
"Never happened," he agreed quickly. "Total blank in my memory."
Jasmine studied him a moment longer, then nodded. "Good."
As she walked away, Marcus caught himself staring after her.
He hurried to the bathroom, his face still burning.