Sciro: Book One - The Mage World

EPISODE TWELVE

TRAINER OF SCHWAN

Kane had been walking alongside Since for what felt like hours, the sun hanging low on the horizon as they slowly approached the city of Eortes. The journey was both slow and tedious, with every step wearing down his patience. Magic, as convenient as it would’ve been, was strictly off-limits. The Magic Council’s laws forbade any aspiring Sciro master or any other aspirant related to magical jobs from using magic to travel between cities. It was a test of resilience—one Kane understood but still found frustrating.

He trudged along, feeling the growing fatigue in his limbs. His thoughts wandered to how much easier the journey would be with a spell or two, when something unsettling broke his focus. A strange, sharp sensation crept into his head, almost like a pressure building behind his eyes. Before he knew it, his hands were clutching his temples, trying to shake off an invisible itch. His surroundings began to warp, vibrant colors swirling into chaotic patterns. The world blurred and spun, like he was looking through frosted glass.

Kane's vision tinged blue, fuzzy at the edges, as though thick fog was clouding his sight. Panic surged through him, and he shook his head violently, desperate to clear it. "Oh no... what is happening?" he groaned, his voice weak and shaky.

Aldine, walking a few steps ahead, turned and glanced at him. Her expression was calm but serious. "That’s the power of your dear Ximce. Weird Sciro, that one. Its owner suffers a lot—blurry vision, headaches, panic attacks. This is just the beginning."

Kane staggered, his breath hitching. "You guys didn’t warn me about this."

Loer scoffed. "Like you would’ve listened if we had."

"It’s painful..." Kane muttered, clutching his head as another wave of dizziness hit him. "Really painful."

Loer’s tone was flat, unimpressed. "Suck it up. At least you got your Sciro cards back—"

Before Loer could finish, a sharp streak of ice shot through the air, striking his right arm with brutal force. His words turned into a yelp of pain as blood seeped from the fresh wound, staining his sleeve. Loer grabbed his arm, his face contorted in agony.

Aldine was at his side in an instant, worry flashing in her eyes. "Loer!" she gasped.

Kane, alarmed, scanned the surroundings, trying to pinpoint the attacker. "What the hell?" he muttered.

Loer grit his teeth, glaring at his injured arm. "I’m fine," he lied, his voice tight with pain.

Before anyone could react further, another icy blast narrowly missed Aldine’s head, embedding itself into a nearby tree with a resounding crack. Frost spread across the bark, the once warm air rapidly chilling around them. The vibrant green grass turned brittle and white beneath their feet. The sudden transformation was terrifying—like the breath of winter itself had descended upon them.

"What the—" Aldine whispered, her voice shaking.

Then, cutting through the biting cold, came a voice. Cold and sharp, like the air around them. "Where is he?"

The trio turned, their eyes landing on a figure emerging from the icy mist. A young boy with crystal white hair stood before them, clutching a spellbook in his hand. His gaze was cold, unyielding through his foggy white eyes. Snow swirled around him only allowing his silhouette to be distinguished.

"Who are you?" Kane demanded, still reeling from the chaos. "Are you the one who attacked Loer?"

The boy’s expression remained indifferent. "Where is Schwan?"

Kane’s brow furrowed in confusion. "I don’t know who the hell Schwan is," he shot back. "Why attack us?"

The boy didn’t answer. He raised his hand, summoning another blast of ice that shot toward Kane. Kane barely dodged, hitting the ground hard. "Hey! What’s your problem?" he yelled, scrambling to his feet.

The boy’s gaze remained cold, his focus unrelenting. "Schwan."

"We don’t know any Schwan!" Kane snapped, still trying to process the situation.

Without another word, the boy began chanting, his spellbook glowing with an eerie light. Massive snowballs materialized in the air, their neon white glow casting ghostly shadows across the landscape. They hurled toward Kane with terrifying speed. He barely had time to dive behind a tree for cover. The snowballs hit the tree with a deafening crack, splitting it in two. The shattered remains left Kane exposed and vulnerable.

Frustrated and desperate, Kane waved one of his Sciro cards in the air. "Ximce! Do something!" he shouted.

With a smug grin, Ximce materialized from the card. The human-like creature hovered in the air, its eyes glinting with amusement. "Kane!" Aldine called out, panic in her voice. "You don’t understand—Ximce’s powers—"

"Just use your hypnotism, Ximce!" Kane interrupted, his patience wearing thin. This was one of the powers that was written on the card that held Ximce which was unlike the Sciro cards he had. Ximce was the only one with his own power.

Ximce smirked, turning his gaze toward the boy. In an instant, the boy—Hitoshi, as the words on the cover of his gremoire read—fell to his knees, his face twisting in fear. His cold, confident demeanor crumbled, replaced by a childlike terror. He scrambled backward, hands shaking, his voice trembling.

Kane, still breathless from the encounter and from his own pain, watched in awe. "Whoa..." he muttered. "That’s... powerful." But even as he admired Ximce’s work, his body betrayed him. His knees buckled, and he collapsed, clutching his chest in agony. The strain of using Ximce’s power was too much for him.

Ximce, satisfied with the chaos, hovered smugly before retreating into the card. Kane, still gasping for breath, forced himself to stand. Every step felt like he was dragging a hundred-pound weight with him, but he refused to show weakness.

Hitoshi, meanwhile, had started sobbing uncontrollably. The once-fearsome boy was reduced to a broken mess. Kane, despite his own pain, crouched beside him, unsure of what to do.

"What exactly did Ximce do to him?" Kane asked, glancing at his teammates.

Loer shook his head. "Ximce forces you to relive your worst memories. The things you’ve buried deep... he drags them out."

Aldine's gaze softened as she watched Hitoshi. "He’s... really suffering. His trauma must be unbearable."

Kane’s expression shifted from anger to guilt. He hadn’t meant for things to go this far. Crouching down beside Hitoshi, he gently placed a hand on his shoulder. "Hey... I didn’t know it would do this. Are you okay?"

Hitoshi flinched at the touch, covering his face. "No... please... don’t hurt me... I’ll do anything..."

Kane’s heart sank. "I’m not going to hurt you," he said softly. "I’m sorry. We’re not your enemies."

But Hitoshi wasn’t listening, too lost in his fear. Kane sighed, turning to Aldine and Loer for help. "What do we do?"

Aldine shook her head slowly. "Aggression won’t help."

Kane stood up, frustration gnawing at him. "He keeps asking about Schwan," he muttered. "Who or what is Schwan?"

Loer grimaced, still nursing his wound. "Schwan is a Sciro. But it’s dangerous."

Kane frowned. "And Hitoshi’s connected to it?"

Loer nodded weakly. "Looks like it."

Time dragged on as they waited for Hitoshi to calm down. Kane's patience was wearing thin while Aldine helped nurse Loer's arm, and his concern for the boy grew with every passing minute. He stood, flapping his Sciro cards into the air, commanding them to search for Schwan—Ximce included.

As they dispersed, Kane returned to Hitoshi, sitting beside him, trying to offer some comfort. Minutes passed. Then an hour.

Finally, a rustling from the bushes caught Kane’s attention. He crawled toward the sound, parting the snowy underbrush.

There, nestled in the snow, was a small, fluffy Sciro—Schwan. Its innocent, playful energy shimmered in the cold air.

Kane let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. "We found it," he whispered.