Act I: Enter, White

Chapter 4 – And Myself?

11:33 // Day 80, Freitag. Sol 97c.

About 40 minutes after the end of Chapter 3...

The process was fairly simple. So simple in fact, that I imagine anyone with access to the magic in use could do it. However, finding someone trained in Genetic Manipulation was a task all in itself... Is what I was told.

It's been more-or-less half an hour since the beginning of my 'treatment' at the hands of Sin Odin. An experience that was, painful. To say the least. Honestly, I would prefer not to talk about it, but, I will.

"So, what happened after I left... I could hear you screaming from the other waiting room. I'm still not sure why there was another waiting room if I had to go back, but. Oh well."

Enryn was sat opposite me, in the same carriage that had been waiting outside. We were currently travelling to our second destination of the day. The location? Back to the Northern Region... In this bloody carriage. Enryn still hadn't informed me on the exact area we were heading but telling me would be pointless, it's not like there’s a landmark I can use to judge our location nor do I have knowledge on the distance between any point A or B.

"Well... Obviously, it hurt a lot. Once you left, Sin filled up that massive basin behind the chair – strapping me to it in the process."

"Right. Well, I've never actually had my hair dyed, or even, anything similar to it. What came first, then?" Enryn asked with a curious expression, one that I hadn't seen on him before. Or maybe, I just assumed that he knew everything already. Obviously, no one could, but he gave off that feeling of knowledge. Knowledge unparalleled, at least, by anyone that I had ever met.

"The first step was somewhat painless..." Continuing my explanation to Enryn, time began to pass...

The entire process was made to 'overwrite' my genetic code – specifically in my hair follicles – forcing my hair to grow a different colour permanently. At least until the procedure was repeated, or undone and it had to be the same person since everyone uses magic differently. Having someone else do it would be similar to a Doctor treating a dog, whilst a Veterinarian treats a human. On a base level, they are extremely similar; it’s the way they’re put together that is what makes us different.

The first process was for Sin to create a temporary dye which he could then use to overwrite the existing colour. In my case, this was black. Being the exact opposite of my current hair colour, while also being very common, making it a perfect choice for my shift in character. The creation of the dye surprised me, however. Sin had a ludicrous wealth of berries which he brought in for me. On this moveable stand, every colour of the rainbow was available. Being the creative person I am, I ignored them and went for plain black. I thought that boring decision may disappoint Sin but he seemed to hold no personal attachment to such things while he was working. This line of thought was possibly the only link I could find to Enryn.

Once I had chosen, the process began. Behind me, Sin had started whipping up what would've looked to be a complex potion to someone unaware of its purpose. However, it was just dye; using only the berries, water and a thickening agent, he crafted his potion. Once all the berries were in and broken down, he boiled the ever-living hell out of it. Seriously, you had to be there to understand. I don't know exactly what he did - whether it was linked to his magic from before – but I didn't dare turn around, in fear of my face melting off.

This went on for a while... Then, once the process seemed complete, Sin placed his pair of eerily thin hands on my temple. He began motioning me to move by adjusting his finger's positioning slightly; left, right, left and then right again. Seeming happy enough, he told me this.

"Now, look. This isn't going to hurt but it's going to be hot. The pain comes later, I just need you to soak in this for a good few minutes. Is that ok?"

"Of course, ...I'm ready." I'm not ready. I'm not ready.

"Alright. I'm removing the headrest, lower yourself gently but don't be too slow or the dye won't be even. I'll pull your fringe back when the rest of your hair is under."

Wow, he was making me feel a lot better. I almost didn't recognise the man behind me, he can't be the same one from before? Can he?

A few seconds later, the support for my head was gone. I could tell that the temperature had been unnaturally reduced from its previous degree of heat. But it still felt incredibly hot. Just keeping my head still before was hard work and I wasn't even inside the liquid.

tsss

A sweet moment of pain entered through my head. The liquid was hot, don't get me wrong, but it also felt... Nice? Almost as if my years of freezing out in the countryside were all melting away... A few seconds passed... Then those seconds turned into minutes, and then.

"Alright, that should do. Lift your head but keep it over the basin."

Doing just that, I noticed that the viscous fluid clung to my hair a fair bit more than regular water did. My hair was falling behind my line of sight so I couldn't see what it looked like, though I imagined black, making me anxious about the results.

"Yes. This is ok... Give me a moment to dry it before we move on." Not moments later had Sin brandished a fresh cloth in his hands.

"Obice, repellendos, materia solida, quam liquida, quae est amovere. Release"

Coating the cloth in a protective barrier, Sin began wiping my hair. The spell prevented him from removing the actual dye that had soaked into my hair, instead, removing all the excess mixture. The fabric of the cloth had a different texture than you would normally expect, though that could just be the spell. Then again, can you even feel magic? Maybe. However, that was the least of my concerns right now. I was more focused on what Sin was about to say, even now I still remember every word to the last syllable.

Sin took in a sharp breath.

"Now... When I overwrite the genetic code for your hair follicles, it's going to hurt like something else. You'll feel like your body is under constant attack from a foreign source. That's because, in your case, it is. You need to try your best to remain stable so that I don't mess up the process and overwrite the wrong part of your genetic code. Worst case scenario, you become a vegetable."

And just when I thought it couldn't get any worse.

"Best case scenario, you die."

Uncontrollable shivers still took control of my body while recounting the details to Enryn. Those words that were so precise and straightforward, yet so carefree and melodic. As if he used this line on everyone seated here... Is what I had thought at the time.

That was the most interesting part of the event. All that came after that? Screams, agony, pain; and all of the above. The process that Sin described was accurate to a T.

The best way to describe the dreaded sensation didn't even make sense to myself...

My scalp felt like a garden, my hair the produce, and someone else had entered my land and – using the incorrect tools – forcibly removed my produce. Even though it was the exact opposite of what did happen, I still felt as if my head was having its contents scooped directly out.

This feeling of pain was an experience unique to me (like lots of things in this world), it also wasn't real. Much like magic, everyone's experience with Genetic Manipulation was unique to them. And, because of my perspective of my hair – the experience became much worse than it normally is. Making Sin's warning a tailored promise, instead of a generic one. The effects were made from your subconscious feelings, not your current ones... So, did that mean I didn't hate my hair? I'm not sure, but, it's certainly too late to go back now.

"So that's how it works..." Enryn took some time to think about what I had told him.

I, on the other hand, thought that ordeal would tire me out but now I've found the opposite to be true. I feel awake – liberated even – and at the worst time too. Right when I have to sit through this horrible trip again...

Oh, that reminds me. Enryn had told me the process would hurt before we arrived, right? Does that mean he had already met Sin in the three days prior? Though, I hadn't seen him leave the house very often... Perhaps I'm thinking about it too much. He probably just heard that one-sided fact from a friend, assuming it was like that for everyone.

Now thinking about life was making me tired. Did my plan work? Have I tricked my body into feeling tired? No, who am I kidding? I don't have that kind of power yet.

3 Hours and 23 Minutes Later...

That familiar hatch opened again, accompanied by the familiar voice.

"We've arrived."

Shortly after, my eyes opened to greet the familiar sight of Enryn’s thankful expression. Finally, we had arrived at our destination.

Just like last time, the small man opened the door for us, allowing Enryn out first this time - mainly because he was the closest to the door. The same conversation that occurred last time happened yet again, this time the carriage driver would be allowed to leave as we had other means of returning home.

"Thanks for taking the time to ferry us around, give my regards to Hans."

"Of course, it is no trouble Enryn. Even I am aware of your renown."

"You’re going to make me blush... Now, here’s your tip. Go grab yourself a beer or something."

"Sir, I couldn’t possibly drink on the job." The small man replied with a face that completely contradicted his statement.

"Yeah, yeah. See you around."

And with that, the man departed back to his all too familiar bench. Followed by a familiar hiya, the pair of horses bolted into action once again. Leaving the scene not moments after I had left the carriage.

"Well, we’re here."

"You still haven’t told me where ‘here’ is..." I questioningly asked.

He didn’t answer, instead opting to nod in the direction of our location.

Before us was a massive hall, covered in moss and clearly in need of renovation. Massive wooden doors were placed at the peak of a small, circular, set of uneven stairs. They presumably led to the main section of the building. While the building itself looked to be in a sorry state, the general structure of it was extremely well made. It had to be, to still be standing strong underneath all this growth. Underneath all of the moss was a mixture of dark and light-coloured stone bricks that were lodged between sets of solid, smooth, pillars. I imagine that if the moss wasn’t covering a good third of the building then the windows would have provided a beautiful view from their height.

We stopped just before the small set of stairs, then. Just before we began our ascent, Enryn answered my unspoken question. That being, what is this place?

"It’s an Adventurer’s Guild, known as Vaalbara Eclipse. This might be one of the places we train so I wanted to bring you here before you start this coming Montag."

Enryn awaited my reaction whilst admiring the view. Even though I thought the building seemed old - derelict even - there was certainly a charm to it, I suppose it could be considered rustic. But still. I had mixed feelings about the 6-month training Enryn had proposed. While I had no issue with self-defence, I never considered myself a violent person. At least, fighting wasn’t something that I wanted to do for a living.

"I’m glad you’re still apprehensive, though, you know that this training isn't for hurting people, right? It's for protecting them, and yourself... maybe you'll understand once you've had a look around."

"I didn't think the training would be done through a guild, is that why we're really here?"

"Well, I actually have some business to do, I just wanted to bring you along to check out the place. You don't have to come back if it's not really your scene because, as you say, it's not really relevant to your training."

Huh, so I'm just being dragged here because he couldn't be bothered to drop me off at the house?

Either way. The small back and forth continued as we climbed the uneven steps. And, as if symbolising my feelings over the past few days, we reached the end of the climb. Petty grudges aside, if I was still doubting Enryn now, then what was today's purpose? So, no... I had no doubts, telling myself once more. None.

And then, at the peak of the stairs, Enryn grabbed the circular handle for the right door. Pulling on it slowly and revealing the heart of the Adventurer’s Guild, Vaalbara Eclipse.

4:12

Alright, so Enryn left me. He’s been gone for about 10 minutes and I have no idea where he went. I’ve ended up just sitting in the Guild’s reception staring at a wall.

Unfortunately, Enryn wouldn’t come back any sooner or later if I stayed here. Standing up, I decided to at least look around the place.

Using my limited knowledge from sitting around, I surmised that this building surrounded a central dining hall – as if it were a courtyard, though has a roof – with smaller corridors that seemingly led to other buildings or rooms. Directly before me was a wooden partition, similar to those that I had seen in churches around Carencia, which led into the aforementioned dining hall. Even before reaching the hole in the wall, I could hear the booming voices from within, and when placing my hand on the wooden frame, miniscule vibrations replied to my touch.

The nervousness that I felt when leaving the village suddenly came back to me. While I was in the village there was never any need for me to hide my appearance but when we left, however, I would wear the same black hood I had worn not hours before. Maybe I relied on that hood for more than just hiding my appearance. Perhaps it was like how some of my friends couldn’t sleep without their cushions...

Come on White, get over yourself. I could almost laugh at myself for being such a child. Even if I was one.

With that, I set foot into the crowded hall. Thematically, the area felt like a repurposed church. At the end of the room was an empty stage (where a priest should have been stood but wasn’t), it truly lacked purpose, there wasn’t even some form of altar or pedestal to stand upon. Surrounding the entire room was a second floor, suspended by pillars, with a light-wooden frame guarding the edge. Small vines descended from the intricate masonry (which reminded me of the exterior of the building, though to a much lesser extent), adding a subtle hint of green to the overpowering greys and browns provided by the stone walls and wooden boards.

Making my way across the red carpet laid bare across a marble floor, I quickly reached the end of the room. The whole time dodging and weaving through the masses of people either half-drunk or fully drunk. Those that were sober remained seated, providing no challenge for my passing. Looking back, masses of people were each gathered around their respective tables, the people got their drinks from a bar on the right-hand side of the hall. Though, one had to wonder why they were drinking in the middle of the day.

"Come on Kai, we’ve had no work for almost a month and it’s going to be the Luna season soon. We’ll be even shorter on work."

"Yeah Kai, I’ve been stuck working out all day, every day. When are we going out?"

"Don’t act like you don’t like lifting weights all day Rex, you’re not fooling anyone. You should be hoping that we don’t have any work and not wishing for it."

On a close table, I overheard a conversation between three people. Upon closer inspection, I saw a fourth member of the group, though she seemed reluctant to talk. Usually, I’m not one to eavesdrop, but the cast of characters intrigued me, so, I decided to listen to the end of their conversation before moving on.

"Heyyyy, Kyomi. Say something, you’re surely tired of sitting around doing nothing all the time, right...?

"hmm..." The quiet woman replied.

"She hasn’t had anything to say the whole time she’s been here; I don’t know why you bother talking to her, Isa."

"Rex, she’s still a part of our group. We’ve talked about this countless times."

"Please. Why do you have to argue all the time, just chill out would you." The young man sighed, annoyed that his party seemed to only ever argue. Perhaps he wanted this time in-between work to be spent more productively.

"We're not arguing." "We are not arguing!" "..."

The three of them seemed to respond in unison, even if only two of them spoke.

"Jesus, why don’t you just get married already."

"What!? I couldn’t do that... not with Isa..."

"Yeah, what are you saying Kai..."

"For crying out loud, it was a joke. Whatever, I’m going to make sure Enryn is actually working, I'll be back in a few."

With that, the black-haired man made his way down the packed aisle, nimbly avoiding the outstretched legs. He possessed defined features. His black hair complimented his deep, red eyes – a feature all too common, yet bold and striking, among residents in the Central continent. His hair was styled in a high taper fade which led into his ducktail beard, framing his face in a way that could only be considered handsome.

To me, however, what stood out the most about the man was his relation to Enryn. Considering Enryn’s role as a merchant, this man must be more than a simple adventurer to warrant him checking on him.

It wasn’t long until the man known as ‘Kai’ was out of sight. I had considered following him to find Enryn but I thought that would be extremely creepy and weird, so decided against it. Instead, opting to go back to the entrance and try one of the corridors on either side.

With that goal in mind, I decided to make my way back, though, not as nimbly as Kai had done. I had considered it strange that no one had stopped to ask for proof of age since this was technically a 'bar', but I assumed that was because I was 16 and fairly tall for my age. Did I even need Identification? I wasn't sure, but I thought that I'd best not take any chances, I didn't want to be kicked out and lose track of Enryn... Unfortunately, I took a moment to wait in the entrance, which caused a woman – around the same height as myself – to crash into my back. It was enough to have caused a scene if everyone wasn't already glued into their conversations and drinks.

"s...sorry."

The woman apologetically gestured towards me, kneeling to pick up some of her dropped supplies. Among them was a set of different coloured wool, paper with important-looking text on and what appeared to be a shopping list. After recoiling from the initial shock, I offered my hand to help her.

"It’s fine, really, but why are you in such a rush?" Asking her while stacking a pile of papers together, I noticed she was the same woman from the group I had just seen. The one who hadn’t spoken. I noticed that after I had offered a helping hand, her attitude became less apologetic and sterner.

"I just didn’t notice you."

Regaining her posture after the collision, she stood back up and accepted the pile of paper that I offered to her, thanking me and apologising once again. And just as soon as she arrived, left. Honestly, I was a little in shock at how quickly she manoeuvred past me.

"..."

"Huh, why’d she run off?"

Behind me I heard the familiar voices of the two remaining people, nearing my vicinity. Turning around, the pair were close enough to see. The male voice belonged to a fairly tall, and heavily built, red-haired bloke. His hair was a dark shade of red that matched his boisterous yet straightforward personality to a T. Almost creating a perfect contrast to his hair, he owned a pair of dark green eyes which seemed to shine even without the light hitting them.

The woman by his side, who I assumed to be Isa – based on the conversation I heard – owned a bright pair of yellow eyes. Matching this with her blonde hair, it was certainly a rarer combination. Her long and curly hair reached down to her hips, which curved in all the right places, but not so much to distract a man’s gaze. The same could be said for her general figure, she was a very attractive woman yet chose more ‘traditional’ clothing, not relying on her attire to bolster her natural beauty.

Before I had a chance to examine the pair any closer, they stopped by the same doorway that I had entered from (and was currently trying to exit through).

"Geez, she’s long gone already... We’ve been in a party for almost a year now and I still don’t know the first thing about her."

"That’s her business, if she doesn’t want to open up to anyone then she can spend the rest of her life alone."

The two stood in the entrance a moment longer, in all honesty, they were in my way but I wouldn’t be the first one to say that. Though, I probably should, after seeing where it landed me.

"Hey friend, did you see where that woman from before went? She came past a few moments ago."

"..."

Was he talking... to me? I suppose he was since I was the only other person around. In response, I quickly formulated my sentence.

"Um, yeah. She bumped into me, then ran down the right corridor..."

"So, she went back to her room, well, whatever then. Thanks, friend." The man turned back around and swiftly begun to make his way back to his previous seat.

"I’m gonna get another drink before training Isa, I’ll see later if you’re busy."

"Alright Rex, I’ll see you later too." And with that, Rex made his way out of sight and earshot. Leaving me and Isa standing in the entrance, neither of us making the first move to leave.

After a few moments, she sighed, then turned towards me.

"Hey, you look new. Are you here to apply to the Guild? I can show you to the desk if you’d like."

As if the sigh acted as a change of personality, her once giddy and excitable personality turned into one that exuded professionalism. She was clearly experienced in talking to different kinds of people, though not to the same degree as Enryn. Unfortunately, she was wasting her since I was just being dragged around by Enryn.

"I’m just waiting for someone. I haven’t come to join... He should be back sometime soon."

The woman took another moment before replying to my answer, as if a fleeting thought had come and gone in her mind, though, choosing to discard it.

"Well, there’s a spare seat on our table now that Kyomi is gone. You can wait over there if you want?"

I had no reason to refuse, so I accepted the offer from the woman I had deducted to be Isa. She was yet to introduce herself, however, so when we were seated, I employed the tactics that Enryn had taught me. What had he told me to do? Enryn had drilled it in my head to always ask for the person’s name, to make sure the conversation didn’t turn into an interrogation.

"Erm, I’m White, just White. Would you mind telling me yours?"

"Ah, oh. Hmm... I forgot that step again... It’s Isa, Isa Elgard, and the hunk of muscle who just went back to the bar is Rex Beaugard. Sorry for not introducing myself, we all rely on Kai a bit too much for formalities."

From what I could surmise, the four people once seated on this table were part of the same party. Kai seemed to be their leader; while Isa, Rex and Kyomi seemed to be members under him. Even to my untrained eye, it was apparent that this group was strong. Underneath Isa’s hooded, black, corset was a tightly fitted, long-sleeved bodice. Neither acted in ways to flaunt her own body but even with the extra layers, her toned body was apparent. Like many people in the Capital, she wore woollen hose to cover her legs. However, she also possessed a dark – brown – skirt that would have been a stretch to wear in public by itself.

While I hadn’t seen much of Kyomi, she was wearing a similar white corset to Isa, though the arms widened considerably at the ends – which simulated the upper-half of a kimono. That would make sense, as she seemed to be of Eastern origin based on our brief encounter. Anyway, Kyomi didn’t seem as strong as Isa, but held herself in a way that told me she was highly disciplined. At least when she wasn’t charging up my back-side.

Rex was, well. He was almost the living definition of ‘muscles for brains’. Even underneath his dark-red tailcoat – which matched his hair colour almost perfectly – his muscles were trying to break free from their spacious prisons.

Now that my curiosity about the group had been satiated, I decided to try talking to Isa. The reason was simple. Enryn had brought me here for a reason, I at least wanted some information on the place. Well, that and, I wasn’t going to be the first person to turn down a conversation with a beautiful woman. Even if she looked quite a few years older... Don’t make that face, I’m still a teenager...

"So, Isa, how long have you worked here? I’m assuming you’re an adventurer."

"Yeah, I’ve been an adventurer since my 16th birthday. That was when I was considered old enough to leave. And you? You look not much older than I was when I started here, that’s why I thought you were applying."

"It was my 16th not long ago... How many years have you been an adventurer for? You, and your group, seem experienced. In all honesty, I've never really met an adventurer before... The one time I did, didn’t end too well."

Come on, White. Stop thinking about it. It happened already, why am I thinking about it now?

"Huhhh. Are you asking how old I am?" Isa leered back to me, completely ignoring my few seconds of depression.

"Ah, no. Sorry. That isn’t what I meant." It’s exactly what I meant.

"Haha. I don't mind but you could've just asked... Still, good job covering it up. You’re at least more discreet than some other people here."

With that sentence, I could almost feel some of the dejected sighs from the surrounding people. I suppose it wouldn’t be surprising that a woman like Isa could attract so much attention. But still, talking to her felt a lot like talking to a guy. Perhaps it was because she was mostly surrounded by them, or maybe I just wasn’t experienced enough when talking to women. Maybe they all spoke like this? Why should I know...

After a while, we began to settle into our conversation. Isa told me about the lack of funding for guilds around the Northern District. With funding being pulled by the Government, lots of guilds were merging to be able to support themselves. Luckily, or so it seems, this guild has managed to keep its individuality because of the popularity and strength of the adventurers. The bar also brings in quite a bit of money from outsiders.

Curious about the guild’s name, I asked her. Isa explained that most of the members – and others familiar with the guild – refer to it simply as ‘Eclipse’. The ‘Vaalbara’ part comes from an ancient story; in this story, all of the World’s continents were one, and Vaalbara was a supercontinent that hosted dozens of continents that have since split and travelled far across the endless oceans. The Pentas Dale is supposedly an archipelago that split from the others early in its life.

Being honest, I already knew all of this. I just didn’t want to kill the conversation since Isa got so into explaining the history of the guild.

"Thanks, Isa... there’s just one thing, you never actually told me how old you are..."

"Give an inch, take a mile, huh."

Well, there wasn't much I could say to that.

"I suppose you did humour my explanation, even if you already knew the answer. I’m 25 and don’t forget it." With a cheeky smile, Isa retorted my possibly rude – and poorly timed – comment.

"You’ve trained your Insight?"

"Uh-huh, I reached the second stage a few years back... but I don’t need that to see what you’re up to."

Man, this could go on forever. Even I could tell that she was just teasing me at this point. Any hope that I may have held for breaking this status was being dashed by her years of experience. Not that I was hoping for that... Fine, whatever, maybe I was. Just a little. I can’t help it; this is the first time I’ve talked to a woman outside of my village alone. Excluding Sara, though she is a bit younger than me (and, not to mention, a total klutz, it was hard to think of her as anything other than a family member.)

This is how shallow my reasoning is, I’m justifying trying to chat up someone almost 10 years older than myself by comparing it to someone 2 years younger. I’d never cared about relationships before I left, again I ask. What is wrong with me?

5:06

Isa and I had been sitting opposite each other for a good half-hour now. I was beginning to worry that Enryn had just up and left me here. Isa seemed to still be in a teasing mood but now I’d learnt to dodge her obvious pitfalls, making it obvious that she wasn’t necessarily as experienced as I initially thought. I just imagined that not many people made it this far in the first place.

Just as Isa inquired about life in the South, a familiar voice re-emerged.

"Yo Isa, did Rex leave already? Kyomi’s gone too... And this is?"

"Kai! This is White, he’s waiting for someone so I thought I’d keep him company, and yeah. Rex left about 20 minutes ago, after his third pint... Kyomi ran off not long after you went, she even bumped into White, which is how I met him."

"I see... You like them young now, too? I thought you and Rex were together." Kai dryly replied.

"Urgh, why is that the one thing you take from what I said. I just said it’s because Kyomi bumped him. And... me and Rex aren’t seeing each other, idiot."

"Yeah, yeah. Anyway. I’m late back because me and Enryn just got caught up. So, I'm glad that you found White here, I was just looking for him."

Wait, what? Why was he looking for me?

Kai lazily scanned my person. Concluding that I was the person that he had undoubtedly heard about from Enryn, he made himself room on my bench. When seated next to me, I noticed that he was ever-so-slightly shorter than Isa while being slightly taller than myself. He wore a black, cotton gambeson, over his torso. His lower body was guarded by a dark grey hose, which slipped underneath his black mid-calf boots. From his belt, a pair of mittens dangled which seemed strange. It is still Sol, after all.

"Yeah, so you probably already figured it out, but Enryn told me about you. Mind you, he didn't tell me to come and talk to you so don't be dreading what happens next."

"Wow, that’s oddly comforting. You’re Kai, right? You already know, but I’m White. It’s nice to meet you."

While stretching out my arm to shake his, I found that his hand was already raised. As if he pre-emptively knew that I would offer to shake it.

"Nice to meet you, White... Hmm, I'm trying to find a way to ask you this without it coming off as really sudden or strange, but. If you want, I’d like you to come with me somewhere. I have a small initiation for you, now that I’ve seen you in person."

With that, the surrounding men and women in earshot jumped up. Everyone seemed excited about the event that Kai had planned for me... What exactly was about to happen?

"You just told me not to dread what happens next..."

"Come on Kai, he’s not here to join the guild. And, if what you just said is true, won't Enryn get mad with you?"

Now I was getting worried...

"Uhhm, can I say no?" I asked warily.

"You can... However, my opinion of you will greatly degrade."

"Do you even have an opinion on me?"

"I will if you say no."

"Fine, what is it you even want?"

Pretending to clear his throat, Kai stood up from his bench. Moving over to the side of the bench closest to the aisle, he placed his hands on the table, declaring his proposition to me.

"I, Kai Cassius, Guild Leader for the Vaalbara Eclipse, challenge you to a duel."

"…"

Why is this happening to me?

5:11

Chapter 4, End.