At that moment, he quickly stood up, feeling the aura of the person who had just tried to kill him. He pulled the arrow from his chest and tossed it aside. Then, he felt an energy pushing him to do something strange. He suddenly merged and became a black cloud, moving swiftly through the area, then shot out the window, heading toward the aura of the attempted killer atop a building.
He stood directly behind him, and the killer didn't sense him at all. Espen emerged from his black form and then said sarcastically:
– "Hey, you! Are you looking for someone?"
The killer, nervous and terrified, said:
– "How did you find me? And how did you get here? I never felt you!"
Espen, mocking both himself and the killer, said:
– "I swear I don't know! I myself don't know! All I felt was a black aura that I merged with, and I found myself right here. It seems the story is trying to make me find you quickly!"
The killer said scornfully:
– "I won't tell you anything! I won't talk!"
He lunged quickly with his long sword, attempting to cut off Espen's hand. The sword bounced back after impact, as if it had struck a stone!
The killer, utterly shocked, said:
– "What? How is this possible? He told me you were supposed to die from a single stab!"
Espen said sarcastically:
– "I swear, I'm shocked too! Moments ago, I was crushed, and now a sword bounces off my body! But I didn't react for two reasons: First, I was flattened a moment ago and didn't die, and second, I'm the hero of this story, so I won't die now, I'm just at the beginning!"
The killer stated sternly:
– "You won't get anything from me, and I will never tell you who sent me!"
The killer tried to run, then tripped and fell from the building down to the ground. He landed on his stomach and cut off his own tongue!
Espen looked down, mocking the situation:
– "Dear story, let me at least try, you fantastical narrative! Let me at least try to do something!"
Espen moved down by jumping and hitting the ground, until his feet hurt badly. He struggled to stand, wincing in pain and saying:
– "Painful! Painful! Painful! Damn it! The idea of living is so hard! I thought it was easy in the animes!"
Espen looked at the killer lying on the ground, who appeared to be dead. Then he looked around. He dug a hole in the ground, put the killer in it, and quickly covered it up, smoothing the earth so it didn't look strange. He clasped his hands together in front of his chest and said:
– "A miserable death, you hired killer! An unimportant character! You come to make me feel danger and then you leave! I don't know why the author put you in this story! Anyway, thank me! If it weren't for me, no one would have buried you; the writer would have left you like this, no one knowing your fate, how you were buried, or how you were found in the first place!"
Espen moved away from the spot, heading back to his room. As he walked, he saw Melda looking at him with a strange gaze, saying:
– "Mister Espen! Why are you here? Weren't you supposed to be upstairs right now?"
Espen told her:
– "Don't worry about it, I was just completing something related to this story."
He continued on his way, and she watched him, confused by his strange words. Melda said to herself:
– "A story? What story? Espen seems to have lost his mind or something! Never mind, this is not the Espen I'm used to."
Espen climbed the stairs until he reached his room, then said to himself:
– "Now I have to sleep for tomorrow, because for sure and certainly I have school."
The next day, early in the morning, Espen woke up and got out of bed. He went into the bathroom to take a shower, as a person accustomed to this in his previous life. He brushed his teeth with a strange toothbrush he found on the sink, then put on his clothes. He found some clothes that resembled the school uniforms from his world assuming they were them.
Moments later, Melda entered, saying in a loud voice:
– "Mister Espen! Wake up! Morning is here, I've brought you breakfast!"
She stood stunned seeing Espen standing before her, wearing his school uniform, and with a clean scent indicating he had showered well! It was as if he had become a completely different person to her. In her shock, she said in a slightly quieter tone:
– "Mister Espen, since when do you wake up before I come and get yourself ready too? How did you do this?"
Espen said simply, as if it were a normal thing:
– "Miss Melda, I've been accustomed to this for a long time, so this is nothing new for me."
Melda said, stunned by this response, her mouth open and her eyes fixed intently on him:
– "You're accustomed to it? Are you sure your mind is alright? It seems it's been replaced with the mind of a mature person! I'm saying this for the first time, who are you?"
Espen told her for the first time without sarcasm:
– "I am the person life taught the meaning of effort, life taught the meaning of striving for something absent in a trivial, routine life, where one sees foolish faces, disloyal people, and a world filled with ugly evil."
Melda said, puzzled:
– "I don't understand why you're saying this. But anyway, Mister Espen, please have your food in preparation for your going to school as usual. And just so you know, it was my job to bathe you."
Espen said in shock:
– "Wait a minute! Your job to bathe me? Am I supposed to be bathed by you?"
Melda said to him, with a sly look on her face as she left the room:
– "Absolutely! It seems you need to know now that I bathe you every day before you go down to school. And you are completely naked in front of me, and I am also completely naked in front of you while I bathe you."
Espen muttered to himself in shock:
– "Oh, damn it! Good thing I showered before she came, or else it would be incredibly embarrassing! How could this fool have such a beautiful maid, and also have her bathe him every day! Both of them together in the bathroom, completely naked, and she bathes him! I don't know whether to say he's lucky or not! I fear the censorship!"
Afterward, he ate his breakfast and went downstairs to ask Melda for the location of the school; because he naturally didn't remember anything, or so he made them believe.
Espen asked her:
– "Where is the school?"
Melda said:
– "Of course, you don't remember. Well, I'll take you to school today so you know the way from now on."
Espen said:
– "I would be thankful to you, Miss Melda."
Melda muttered to herself:
– "Thankful to me! Since when are you thankful to me? I really feel like I'm dealing with someone else, not the Espen I know."
During that time, Melda drove Espen to school, then left him and departed. Espen entered the school, impressed by its beautiful and magnificent appearance. He was turning around, not understanding where he was or exactly where to go, but for some reason, his mind slightly remembered where his class was. Espen deduced this behavior, saying:
– "It seems I have a body memory that knows where to go, or perhaps this is related to my ability. Because I've understood that I use Darkness Energy."
A little later, he entered the classroom and sat down. The stands filled with students, and the hall looked like another world... a world that reminded our hero of the place he came from. The sounds of whispers, the footsteps, the flipping of book pages... everything gave a heavy feeling of awe.
And before the place calmed down, an old man appeared at the entrance of the hall,
But he wasn't just a man...
He was more like a Priest from an ancient time, stepping out from the pages of legends.
He was relatively tall, standing with quiet steadiness, his body wrapped in a dark robe that graduated in color between black and purple. A wide shawl draped from it, flowing over his shoulders like a heavy shadow. Silver metallic buttons gleamed faintly on his chest, and a chain of pale gray lines gave his attire a ceremonial look, resembling the clothes of great sages or judges of a mysterious world.
His hair was pure white, combed neatly back, and his locks bore the mark of age and experience.
His long, sharp chin gave his features a severe solemnity, while the furrows on his face deepened with wrinkles that drew a history of secrets and confusing decisions.
His gray eyes were half-closed, as if they were not looking at the students... but piercing right through them.
He kept his hands clasped behind his back, walking with calm, measured steps that exuded authority... as if his presence alone was enough to silence the entire hall.
When Espen saw him, his breath stopped for a moment.
He looked at him with a sharp gaze, furrowing his brows as he muttered to himself in a voice barely audible:
– "Look who's here...! It's the scoundrel Priest who killed me...! Please, come on in... come on in!"
It was as if the world narrowed for him for a moment... but the Priest continued as if nothing had happened.
The old man stood at the front of the hall, looked at all the students, opened his arms slightly, then said in a quiet but powerful voice:
– "Good morning, students. I hope you have a good day. Open your books to page twelve... and let's begin the lesson."
Espen watched the Priest explaining the lesson, completely ignoring his speech. His eyes were fixed on the Priest, thinking:
(Watch... watch. I'm watching you, and I will never take my eyes off you. Can you hear me? I won't look away.)
After several minutes.
Espen actually dozed off, his head resting on the table, drool running from his mouth. Suddenly, he raised his head quickly, waking up from his nap, and stammered while wiping his drool:
– "Huh? Where am I? Wait... Oh, I'm at school, right."
Espen noticed that the Priest was still continuing his lesson, so he said to himself:
– "What is this? He's still explaining! Damn it, these things went quickly in animes. It seems it's taking longer because I'm a part of it."
The old Priest stood at the front of the hall, clasping his hands behind his back with steady composure, his calm voice echoing between the high, crowded stands of students.
He said in a tone carrying the weight of ancient knowledge:
– "You must know that Mada in its origin is not an independent power like Elemental Energy or Solid Energies... but rather a thread intertwined with the central energy of each individual among you. It differs from person to person, and sometimes differs radically, which is what makes it more complex than others. For Mada... is not an active force, but a substance, an essence, something that is formed and is not used in the same way."
He paused slightly, then raised an eyebrow as if testing their comprehension before continuing:
– "And this is why Mada differs from other energies, especially polluted energies. Take the example of White Mada... strange, right? We know White Energy, or Light if you prefer the simple term, but what is Light Mada? And what distinguishes it?"
His voice flowed slowly, explaining, winding, and circling... until many students began to lose focus.
In the third row, Espen sat, leaning on the seat, staring ahead without interest. The Priest's voice cut the thread of his thoughts, which had drifted away minutes ago. He bit his lip in annoyance and said to himself:
(Damn it... do I really have to listen to all this nonsense? I'm bored. I want this cursed lesson to end somehow. I was smart in my life on Earth, and that didn't benefit me at all here... not this world, not these energies, and not this old Priest.)
The classroom was plunged into a heavy silence, broken only by the monotone voice of the teacher continuing his seemingly endless explanation. Espen drew a slow breath from his heavy chest, and pushed his right forearm towards the edge of the worn wooden table. He rested his elbow on the cool surface, then leaned his forehead into his cupped hand, allowing the weight of his head to press on his fingers. His eyes followed imaginary spots on the white board, while his mind drifted far away, counting the remaining seconds until the end of this boring lesson.
Suddenly, something strange caught his eye. In the slanted drawer of the table in front of him, there was a small piece of paper folded in half, which hadn't been there before he took this waiting posture. Espen slowly leaned down, careful not to let the teacher or a classmate notice his movement, and extended his fingers to pull out the paper.
It was a small, torn sheet from a notebook, light to the touch, and it had elegant, feminine handwriting that was not unfamiliar to him. He read what was written on it with focus:
– "Wait for me after school in the classroom. (Nira)"
A wide, sarcastic smile spread across Espen's lips, accompanied by a stifled, husky laugh that didn't go past his throat, just a short, whispered "heh heh." He withdrew his hand from his forehead and began turning the paper over between his fingers:
– "Heh heh, it seems Espen has some naughty things to do after school."
He muttered it slowly to himself, with a wicked tone, feeling a spark of anticipation gleaming in his eyes. Then he sighed, a sigh that didn't hide the challenge mixed with temptation:
– "The problem here is, what does she really want?"
Espen pushed his rebellious dark purple hair back with one finger, and continued his muttering:
– "I realize her intent, yes, I realize it well. But no problem, I'll give her the benefit of the doubt, just for the principle... until I see."
He carefully folded the paper, tucked it into the inner pocket of his jacket, and returned to an upright sitting position. But this time, the wait was no longer boring. The silence of the hall had turned into a silence full of anticipation, waiting impatiently for the end of the lesson... for completely different reasons now.
After the Priest finished the lesson and left, carrying the sound of his heavy footsteps with him, silence settled over the classroom like a curtain slowly drawn. Seats began to empty, books closed, and students rushed towards the door, until the place turned into a semi-deserted hall, where only Espen's tapping on the table with his fingers, clearly bored, could be heard.
He waited.
And he didn't wait long.
Only one girl hadn't left... as if she stayed on purpose.
She sat quietly near him, as if waiting for the right moment to move.
Then she stood up.
The faint light filtering from the window struck her royal blue hair cascading to one side, while the other side of her head was smoothly shaved, giving her a bold look that no one else possessed. Her long strands of hair moved with her first step, as if the air itself was leaning to make way for her.
Her dark brown eyes carried a steady focus, a gaze that didn't try to be strong... but was strong by nature.
As for her fair, pure skin, the classroom lighting reflected off it, making her more present, more serene... as if she were the only thing still alive inside this empty room.
She was wearing the official school uniform impeccably; a dark blazer with its buttons neatly arranged, a black tie, and a short skirt falling in straight lines. Long black stockings extending to mid-thigh added a striking coherence to her appearance, and dark leather shoes echoed her steps with quiet confidence.
She walked towards him with measured steps, her back straight, her shoulders firm.
She didn't hurry, nor did she hesitate.
As if she knew that every step came with its own weight and its own impact.
She stopped directly in front of Espen.
She raised her head toward him, letting her blue hair slide to the side like a royal curtain.
She said in a calm, straightforward voice, carrying neither plea nor fear... only clarity:
– "Espen, I need a favor from you."
Espen thought sarcastically:
(Of course she's going to ask me for something, and I'm sure there's a price, and I hope it's not what I'm thinking of.)
Espen said to her with a smile:
– "Of course, what is your request, Nira?"
Nira said to him, with clear sadness on her face:
– "My father works a lot, but he can't get medicine for my siblings, and the medicine is a bit expensive. I ask you to lend me some money so I can get it for them. If you please."
Espen said, smiling kindly, sensing the necessity to help:
– "Of course, Nira, just tell me how much you need, and I'll lend you the necessary money."
Espen said to himself before she could answer, fearful of the consequences of an agreement he didn't know if he could fulfill:
(I don't know if he can do it or not, but assuming this is normal for him, I'm sure he can, that's why I agreed. I hope I don't regret this agreement.)
Nira said, with faint sadness on her face, but she gathered her courage:
– "Okay, Espen. Thank you for agreeing. Let's start now, Espen."
Suddenly, Nira moved her hands to her blazer and started unbuttoning it until her chest and her pink bra became visible.
Espen said to himself as she did this, the bleak expectation coming true:
(I knew it! It seems he was a scoundrel, lending them money in exchange for sex.)
Espen said, standing up quickly and trying to stop her before she removed her bra, shock coloring his voice:
– "Wait! Wait! What are you doing now? Calm down and stop that thing you're doing!"
Nira said, surprised by his strange reaction, as if assuming an understood matter:
– "Why, Espen? Isn't this what's supposed to happen? That you give me the money and do it with me?"
Espen said, with utter sarcasm on his face and his mouth slightly open in shock, unable to comprehend her horrifying frankness:
– "What frankness, my sister! Calm down a bit. I will do what you want without the need for that."
Nira said, with disbelief on her face, her doubts taking over:
– "No, you're fooling me. You won't do it. Before, you did things for a price, and I don't think you'll do it without doing it with me."
Espen said to himself, panic creeping in:
(Damn that scoundrel! What to do now? I have to run away.)
Espen moved quickly towards the exit door, but Nira closed the exit with her sky-blue crystal ability and advanced towards him, saying sternly, having taken a challenging stance:
– "Do you think you can escape from me or something? You won't leave before you do it! Because I know you're trying to escape because you don't want to give me the money. You're always like that!"
Espen said, nervously and scared, resorting to censorship as a shield for the second time:
– "Madam, please calm down. I can't do it, the censorship prevents me! I really wish I could do this thing, but I can't. What do you say I suggest something to you?"
Nira said, with her blazer open and her chest provocatively prominent, trying to find his alternative:
– "And what is it, Espen?"
Espen said, raising his hands in front of her, surrendering and nervous, proposing a postponed solution:
– "How about I go with you home, and I will help you, and afterward, we'll do what you want? Do we agree?"
Nira looked away, thinking, then looked back at him, closing her blazer, and said, the tone of sadness returning as she pleaded for his honesty:
– "Okay, Espen. I'll see what you do. And I hope you are honest, because my siblings really need help. Please, Espen, don't be fooling me in the end."
Espen said, with a feeling of guilt on his face towards what his predecessor used to do, cutting a genuine promise:
– "Don't worry, Nira, I will help you. I promise."
Nira moved, removing the crystals from the door, and left, muttering to herself with a heart heavy with doubt:
– "Promise me? I doubt it."
Espen took a deep breath, letting out a long, comforting exhale after those stressful, embarrassing moments had lifted from his shoulders. He leaned his back against the empty table, his sarcastic smile temporarily gone, replaced by a serious expression mixed with relief:
(Damn! I barely escaped,) Espen thought, cold drops of sweat beading on his forehead. (The FPI would have killed me now because of that bad scene!)
He felt danger looming, not from Nira's ability to trap him with her crystals, but from the abyss he had almost fallen into within this story. The danger wasn't physical so much as it was about censorship. He had barely managed to tame the intent of the previous character and stop the scene before it turned into something irreversible:
(What an idiot!) he thought with contempt toward the old "Espen," (This girl needs help, not to be exploited in such a cheap way. At least, I'll fix something in this world.)
He looked at the door Nira had left through and felt a sense of weight. He had made a promise, and now he had to keep it:
(Alright, let's go now. I must find a way to make this story continue with dignity, and to help that poor girl and her siblings.)
Espen straightened his stance, adjusted his black tie, and then walked toward the door with more confident steps, leaving the silent classroom.