Soul Interaction: Chain! (ENG)

48 • The Four Winners

Herega reached the end of the path after obtaining the three pieces. At the very end, there was another house, with its door blocked. However, to the right of the entrance, there was a triangular section. Placing the completed puzzle inside, the gate unlocked. During the run towards the end of the journey, the raven had followed Herega, accompanying him to this mysterious house. They went down the stairs, where the youth met three other people, the winners of the first trial.
«Kura, you're back.» A female voice said.
It was the raven girl's voice, and she was speaking directly to it.
«Did it follow you all the way here?» She asked the red-haired sorcerer.
It seemed even she didn't know what the bird was going to do.
«Yes. It let me complete the puzzle.» Herega replied.
He realized it hadn't been the girl's doing but the bird's. Herega approached the raven, and it allowed him to stroke it.
«I didn't ask your name.» The youth added, addressing the girl.
A smile slipped onto her lips.
«Riswyn. His name is Kura.» She said shyly, although she seemed happy.
The boy didn't have time to respond. A man entered. He was tall, with short black hair. He had a serious expression and a judging face.
«Congratulations. You four have arrived first. You will learn as much as possible about sorcery. We had to make a limited selection, only for the deserving. As you know, people who practice sorcery are not well-regarded in Aostra. Follow me, we'll take a carriage that will take us to the designated place.» He said, signaling for them to follow, and they did.
The carriage was spacious enough, at least for four people. Along with the youth and the girl were two other boys, one of whom looked familiar. Herega approached him, but it was the other one who spoke first.
«In the end, you were lucky, you made it this far.» He said.
In that moment, Herega recognized him. It was the brown-haired boy who had taunted him before the trial.
«Why do you talk about luck?» Herega asked, a little annoyed.
«Because I saw you confused and lost before we started. Weak stuff, really.» He continued, provoking him with a mischievous laugh.
«Leave him alone, Rirai.» The other one interrupted.
He had a calm and soothing voice, and he seemed a little frightened. The young provocateur, apparently named Rirai, grimaced and turned away.
«Such strange people.» Herega thought.
«Apologize. He arrived before us and thinks he's the best.» The same boy said, speaking softly, trying to avoid being heard.
«You shouldn't be the one apologizing.» The youth replied, shooting a glare at the other.
«Sorry.» He said again.
Herega decided to let it go and moved away from both of them. They remained silent. Rirai seemed to be sleeping. Riswyn was reading. Herega was thinking. The other...
«I still don't know your name.» He said, approaching again.
«Emzam. You can call me that.» He replied.
Herega thanked him and then returned to his seat. They rode in silence until they arrived.

After they got off the carriage, they found a small house surrounded by immense trees that didn't block the sunlight. The natural sounds echoed like a drop in an empty cave. The sound of the nearby stream softened the atmosphere. A vast garden surrounded the house, or rather, a vast meadow, similar to the Nustia one, where Herega used to spend time with Eavelin. A bit of nostalgia returned to his mind but was interrupted by the man who had accompanied them.
«This is where you'll stay this week. During the evening, you'll rest in the only house you see. During the day, you'll train in this vast stretch of grass. Since you'll be tired, we'll skip the training today. However, I'll explain the basics about sorcerers and sorcery:
As you probably know, the origin of sorcery comes from the Antiqua Costormia. If you don't come from there, you surely have a relative with this trait. The blood of the Costormians has a characteristic: it allows the circulation of a substance called mana. Mana is the magical energy of a sorcerer. Every magic and dark magic use a fixed amount of mana. Generally, dark magic consumes more. When a sorcerer's mana runs out, they faint, awakening once they have regained it. This process doesn't usually last more than two days. There is a way to discover how much mana one has and a way to increase it, but you will undergo these tests in the following days. Additionally, there are three classes of sorcerers:
A • Capable of using all types of magic and dark magic.
B • Capable of using multiple types of magic or dark magic.
C • Capable of using one type of magic or dark magic.
To classes are also assigned + based on the color of their eyes:
If the eyes are red, they get a +. If the eyes have an added pigment to red, they get a ++.
Now you'll tell me and show me what types of magic or dark magic you can do. This will allow me to classify you.» He said.
Without asking, he waited for someone to step forward.
The first was Emzam. He came from a family of the Antiqua Costormia who managed to escape the nation. To prevent the spread of their corrupted blood, they decided not to have children, except with each other. Thanks to this origin, he knew many types of magic and dark magic. Of course, he also knew about Imaginary Characterization and Solid Characterization, but they didn't count as true sorcery because they were necessary for all other spells, on their own they were useless.
The second was Rirai. His father had managed to escape the Antiqua Costormia, but he never got to know him. Apparently, he had been captured shortly after impregnating his mother. She had told him this. He didn't know the theory behind sorcery, like Characterizations, but he was able to practice one: "Metal-Shape Spell." Normally, from the name, it's easy to guess what it can generate. The "Shape" is added when a generic element, like metal, can be generated, and it can take any form within a contained volume. For example, "Metal Spell" doesn't allow one to shape the object as desired, but it will be created in a shape dictated by parameters too complicated to explain to such uninformed youths.
Then it was Riswyn's turn. Her story captured Herega's attention the most. She had always lived alone. She had few memories of her childhood, and the few that remained were of her, hungry, in the streets of Aostra, begging for food from passersby. One day, a raven appeared. The bird brought her something to eat every day. She never knew anything about her parents or her origin, but she felt as if the raven was part of her, as if they shared a soul. Thanks to that bird, she managed to survive, but never had a true family. She didn't know much about sorcery, maybe only by name. She felt as if the raven had been created by her need to survive. The man revealed the existence of a test to find out if mana circulated in a person's body, but he didn't seem to pay much attention to it. He said the rooms of the first trial were designed to test the potential of sorcerers and their spells. If Riswyn hadn't had mana in her body, the room wouldn't have "activated its game."
Then it was Herega's turn. He told his story, about how he had created chains and reversed a spell written in a strange book of dubious origin. However, he didn't know anything about his own origin, other than being born in Aostra, in a small village in the south of the continent, and, due to a series of circumstances, had arrived in Elandria.
The man listened to each story, then began to assign the classes, making a brief preface:
If you can only perform magic: a male, and a famale, is called a magician.
If you can only perform dark magic: a male, and a famale, is called a dark magician.
If you can perform both: a male is called a sorcerer, a female an enchantress.

Emzam, who could use many spells of both types of magic and had orange eyes, became a sorcerer of class B++.
Rirai, who could only use one spell and had green eyes, became a sorcerer of class C.
Riswyn couldn't use any magic or dark magic. For the moment, however, the raven was considered as a spell. Additionally, thanks to her red eyes, she became a magician of class C+.
Herega, who could use one magic and one dark magic, and had red eyes, became a sorcerer of class B+.

«Ah! Should I sleep in the same bed as you?» Rirai shouted when he saw the room where they would sleep.
There was only one bed, quite spacious for four people, but his pride was already hurt.
«I'll sleep on the floor.» He said, slamming his back on the floor.
«Go to the bed. I want to sleep outside.» Herega said instead.
The three of them would have enough space to avoid unwanted contact. Rirai didn't move a muscle.

The red-haired youth lay down on the grass.
«I wonder what Eavelin and Ren are doing.» He thought as he gazed at the few stars that weren't covered by the trees.
At that moment, Rirai arrived and lay down on the grass as well. Herega looked at him, confused.
«Stop looking at me? I don't want to sleep in the same bed as anyone else.» He said, feeling somewhat addressed.
«Yet you decided to sleep in my garden.» Replied the youth, trying to provoke him just a little.
«Why did you decide to sleep outside?» Rirai unexpectedly asked him.
«I often slept outside in my country. I didn't like my house.» Herega answered, though he regretted it a little.
«When I saw you outside during the first test, you seemed confused and disoriented, but you weren't scared, actually, you were curious. Your eyes were shining like a star. Your curiosity is greater than your fear. For you, sleeping outside, where anything can happen, is nothing.» Rirai said.
It was the truth. He had understood Herega's feelings really well.
«Then why did you decide to act like the superior arrogant one if you have respect for me?» Herega responded.
At least, that's what it seemed like to him.
«As long as I don't hurt anyone, I'll keep doing it. To be the strongest, you have to impose yourself on others.» Rirai finished.
He seemed truly convinced of what he was saying.
«I understand, it's just like I thought. There are no bad people, they're all the result of the experiences they've accumulated in their lives. If I had understood that sooner, I could have changed things with my father. Why didn't you tell me, father? You should be the one teaching me, right?» Herega realized he was speaking out loud and stopped, even though he had just finished.
«Sorry, I've had problems with my father since childhood, I was just thinking out loud.» He said.
The conversation ended. They stayed silent, so they could be ready for the next day.