Wizards

CHAPTER 5: The Transfer

"That was just a portion of your magic," said Niflheim, leaning on the wall while his arms are folded to his chest.

     Has it been an hour already when he stood there explaining? If it wasn't, then Rei felt like it has been more than that. After all, she just woke up with a throbbing headache not long before Niflheim opened the door to check up on her. Being in pain can indeed make minutes seem like an hour.

     "That is why you have to go to Nesting Peak and learn how to control your mana," he continued.

     "How bad will it be if I failed to control it?" she asked, squishing her blanket.

     "It will explode. You will explode. The explosion has the power equivalent to one atomic bomb," Niflheim answered. "That's why you cannot go back to your place . . . at least while you can't control your mana."

     Rei didn't know how to answer. These were all new to her, these were all shockingly unreal. Or at least she wanted it to be unreal. But unfortunately, it is not. Rei looked at the clock that was hanging on the wall. It was almost eight in the evening on the tenth day of June, and today at exactly seven o'clock in the morning was her scheduled time of transfer to Nesting Peak. But it was postponed to later in the night because of the Explosion in the Alley.

     "I missed dinner," she said, "Sister Annie will be furious."

     Rei sank on her bed, realizing that she was, in fact, one of them and cannot go home. She knew she just has to face it one way or another. So she kept quiet for a while till Niflheim left.

     Not a word could be said any further. She already saw it with her own eyes. It does not matter what she believed or wanted to believe. As she relived the moment in her head; the blue thing—the aura of some kind—did they call it mana? She felt it as she was reliving the moment. The cold wind in the alley as her mana pulses out from inside her. That warm feeling. That throbbing pain repeatedly pounded on her head and chest as the pulsing mana grew stronger until she was knocked out to unconsciousness.

     Her own mana made it clear for her. She's one of them—a witch—and she can't go back to the Kid Ranch. Paranoia struck her when she remembered the image of the Norris Mansion. What if the disaster that came upon the Norris Mansion happens to the Kid Ranch because of her? Or even worse, what if it happened in the whole village? Children disintegrated, destroyed houses, everything turned into ash—it was motivation enough for her to go through this "unknown" process.

     Two floors above the room of Rei, all but Nifleheim gathered in the Death Squad Room; preparing, waiting. The door opened and Niflheim walked in, drinking his coffee in a standard plastic cup. He stopped to look at everyone; Moriggan and Jovial were on the couch, Crimson and Grave behind the bar.

     "Ready?" said Niflheim, addressing everyone.

     "Yes," Mori answered. "Just waiting for your word."

     "It's time to go then."

     Everyone got up, grabbed their wands, their keys, their jackets. Crimson grabbed a bottle of wine, Jovial put on his headphones, Morrigan put on her jacket and Grave got up, cracking his knuckles. The room was left with its lights and TV turned on.

     Two floors down the Death Squad Room, standing in front of a mirror, looking pale and yet still so beautiful, Rei was tying her hair using a rubber band she saw on the floor, she heard the door open. Niflheim.

     "Are you ready?" he asked.

     Rei nodded to answer, finishing the knot on her hair.