Glass Heart Syndrome

Chapter 1

Eren Valen clutched the edge of the cart as it rumbled through the jagged woods, the air filled with the rough scent of damp earth and leaves crushed underfoot. The last traces of sunlight bled through the trees, casting streaks of red and orange across the forest floor. The sky above, thick with rolling clouds, closed in like the lid of a coffin. He was alone here-or rather, supposed to be.

He pulled his coat tighter, feeling for the coin pouch in his pocket. Four silvers. That was all. His grip tensed, his heart thrumming. He'd spent months training, burning through his meager savings for basic scrolls, hiring cut-rate instructors to teach him the elements, their voices always laced with condescension for the young, wide-eyed mage with "heroic" ambitions.

The cart jostled. He stiffened, catching movement up ahead. A figure cloaked in shadows moved between the trees, quick and silent, like a hunter tracking prey. Eren squinted, gripping the side of the cart a bit tighter, but he forced his breathing to slow. He'd passed villages filled with rumors of bandits-a small group that lurked along this stretch of the road. But rumors and reality... well, they rarely looked the same.

The cart's driver, an old man with leathery skin and a gaze that hinted at places far darker than this forest, clicked his tongue. "Close enough to town now that they won't bother us," he muttered, more to himself than to Eren.

The man's reassurances did little. Eren's fingers itched, and before he could think to stop himself, he murmured a few low words. He felt the familiar prickle of mana pooling in his hands, flickering to life with an eerie blue glow, casting strange shadows on the rough canvas of the cart's cover. Not enough to scare anyone off-but enough, he hoped, to ward against an attack.

Just as his fingers curled into his palm, extinguishing the light, the cart lurched forward, nearly tipping as a thick branch snapped under one of its wheels. Eren's heart skipped as he caught a glimpse of that same cloaked figure, but closer now, watching him from beyond the trees."You see it too, huh?" The driver's voice was dry. A blade flashed in his hand-small, rough-edged, the kind of weapon used by someone who valued survival over skill. He looked over at Eren, eyebrows raised. "Don't just sit there with your magic tricks, boy."

Magic tricks. Eren's jaw tightened, but he didn't respond. Instead, he pushed himself up, scanning the woods. "You think they're here for us?" He could feel the bitter tang of adrenaline pooling in his gut, sharp and sour.

"They're here for anyone who dares pass this close to nightfall," the driver grunted, gripping the knife in one hand while his other tightened on the reins. "And right now, that means us."

Just then, a low voice echoed through the trees. "What a pleasant sight to see a mage out so late. Shame about the company, though." The figure emerged, the last glimmers of dusk catching on a series of crude tattoos that coiled up his arm, each one a symbol of allegiance to the bloodier gangs of Ezura's underbelly.

Eren took a breath. This was it-his chance to stand up, to protect. The thrill surged through him, mixing with a familiar hint of fear. He took a step forward, letting his mana gather again, the low hum of it crackling in the air around him.

The bandit's eyes gleamed with something Eren couldn't place, and then, with almost no warning, he lunged, his dagger flashing through the air. Eren's instincts flared, and he released a pulse of energy. The magic snapped forward, sharp and sizzling, hitting the bandit's arm and knocking him back.

"Not bad, boy," the driver muttered, a strange gleam in his eye. But as the bandit staggered to his feet, wiping blood from his mouth, Eren felt the shock of realization hit him like a blow. The man wasn't alone.

Figures melted out of the shadows-three, four, maybe five of them-each with weapons that glinted under the dimming light. Eren swallowed, the thrill of a moment ago chilling into something else entirely. This wasn't training. There were no instructors watching from the sidelines, no spells that would fizzle out after the lesson ended.

The driver let out a low chuckle, his knife held high. "Now's the time, mage. You either fight, or you die."

And as the first bandit charged, his blade flashing toward Eren, he felt that choice narrowing, closing in around him.