Around 2 pm the next day, the small restaurant buzzed with the clatter of dishes and the aroma of freshly baked bread. Dom carried a tray of dirty plates, balancing them carefully as the hum of conversation filled the room.
He froze mid-step, catching snippets of a nearby conversation.
"Seriously?" the first customer asked.
The second leaned closer, voice low. "Their wives waited all night… but they never showed. My police friend investigated before dawn… couldn't find them."
"What happened?"
"No clue… but all he found was their prey…" The second customer glanced around to whisper his next words. "…and bloodstains."
"A wild animal?"
The second shrugged. "That's the going theory. But those two were the best hunters in town." He frowns. "Only a monster would be able to take them down like that."
Dom stiffened. Blood… monsters… hunters… The words tugged at the edges of his mind, stomach twisting. But before fear could take hold, a familiar voice broke his thoughts.
"Dom!"
The fear evaporated instantly when he saw Devon, his chubby, cheerful friend, grinning at the front door.
"We're going to play Mana Ball! Wanna come?" Devon asked.
Dom hurriedly carried the dishes into the kitchen, dumping them in the sink. "Can I go play with my friends?" he asked Pops, who was plating food with precise movements.
Pops glanced at the clock. "Fine, but be back by three. Phil's leaving early for a school project."
Dom nodded, tugging off his apron, but Pops held up a plate.
"Table 3," he said.
Sighing, Dom took it to the table. Pops added, "And stay away from the woods. Rumor of a wild animal. I'm not saving your dumb ass today."
"Okay, later," Dom called back as he delivered the meal and ran to meet Devon. Meanwhile, Pops returned to his crossword, unconcerned by the missing criminal picture on the open newspaper page.
The town playground was alive with energy. Children screamed from swings and slides, the air thick with the scent of barbecue and dust. Brightly painted structures dotted the sand, and faint wisps of mana shimmered like morning mist, barely noticeable unless you focused.
Dom followed Devon, weaving past kids and their colorful magic sparks. His grin faltered as he spotted Matt, the cocky blonde, surrounded by a group of kids. Matt twirled a brown fenestrated ball with wind magic, sending it spinning with a sharp whistle.
"Not this guy again," Dom muttered.
"We all hate him, but he's the Chief's son," Devon said. "Play nice."
Dom folded his arms. "No promises."
Matt smirked, spotting Dom. "Well, if it isn't Snow White."
"Real mature," Dom replied.
"You don't even have a magic affinity. What can you do?" Matt taunted.
"You don't need magic to play Mana Ball, dumb-ass," Dom said, chin high.
The other kids snickered, and Matt's lackeys glared.
"I really hate you, Dominic," Matt said.
"The feeling's mutual. Are we playing or not?"
Matt fumes at Dom just before an idea brings a smile to his face. "Fine. Then how about a bet?"
Dom raised a brow, curious.
Matt stops the ball's spin and holds it up to Dom. "One game. You and me. We'll play for 3 minutes, and I'll be the hunter."
Murmurs spread among the kids.
"That's not fair. His magic can hit from any direction," one whispered.
"Yeah, but Dom's the best target," another said.
Dom smirked. "Fine. If I win, you give me 100 credits. Should be easy for a daddy's boy, right?"
Some kids laughed, making Matt scowl.
"Okay. But if I win…" A sly smile crept onto Matt's face. "…you never play with us again, and you have to fetch apples from the woods for everyone."
Dom counted heads—seventeen, excluding himself. Devon frowned at the unfair deal, but Dom smirked. "It's a bet."
The kids cheered.
Disclaimer: In Mana Ball, a Hunter chases the Target using a mana-infused ball. The Target dodges or blocks with magic. The hunter can enhance the ball with their affinity, but it can't seriously harm the Target.
A tall boy held up a pocket watch. "Three minutes."
Matt wound his arm. Dom stretched, exhaling slowly, releasing navy-blue mana to surround his body like a translucent mist.
I don't have a magic affinity… so I'll just boost my body and dodge.
Matt unleashed his yellow aura, a faint heat rippling in the air.
"Get set… go!"
The ball flew. Dom dove, rolled, and sprang up. "Easy peasy," he muttered, grinning despite his pulse racing.
Matt hurled again, spinning the ball with wind magic. Dom ducked and leapt, every sense alive—he could hear the wind shift, smell dust and grass, feel the ball slicing past.
Seconds flew by. "Thirty seconds!" the umpire shouted.
Dom's hands clenched into fists, legs coiled, eyes tracking the spinning sphere. Matt hurled with precision.
Dom rolled left, dove right, slid over the sand—every move smooth, every dodge near-perfect. Cheers erupted.
"Time's almost up, daddy's boy," Dom taunted.
"Shut up." Matt snarled, preparing another throw. His eyes flicked to the second lackey.
A subtle nod.
The boy's fingers rippled with magic. The sandy ground beneath Dom shifted, forming a shallow pothole as if the earth betrayed him.
Dom's foot gets caught. He stumbled under the uneven terrain, eyes widening as he sensed the trick. His gaze locked on the second lackey, finger subtly pointing.
"You litt—" Dom started.
Before he could speak, the ball smacked him squarely on the cheek with a loud smack, silencing the crowd.
The umpire's watch chimed, marking the end.
Matt raised both arms, grinning. "Yes! I win!"
Only his lackeys cheered. The other kids stared at Dom, who quietly rubbed his cheek, simmering but silent.
"What's wrong, Dom? No more jokes?" Matt mocked, stepping closer.
Dom didn't answer. He walked deliberately toward the crowd, stopping in front of the second lackey.
"You cheated," he said, low and calm, rage simmering beneath the surface.
The first lackey blinked, confused. Matt gritted his teeth, fuming.
"I… I… I didn't! You're lying!" the second lackey stammered.
Matt stepped between them. "No need to be a sore loser, Dom. I won fair and square. Or did anyone see anything different?"
Dom looked around. Silence. Not a single kid corroborated him. He was alone.
Matt smirked. "See? Now, be a good boy and pay up. Or were you lying about that, huh, Future Monarch?"
Devon stepped forward, glare sharp. "Hey! That's going too f—"
"Fine," Dom interrupted, eyes still fixed on the second lackey. He exhaled quietly, acknowledging the loss, his anger buried but intact.
"My ball?" Matt asked.
Dom shoved the ball into his gut without a word, then turned and walked toward the forest, silent and measured.
The crowd, unsettled, lost interest. Those who hadn't noticed the cheat felt the outcome unfair. One by one, they wandered off, leaving Matt with only his faithful lackeys.
"Don't worry about them, Matt," the first lackey said.
"Yeah. We'll play with you," the second added.
Matt's gaze lingered on the forest where Dom disappeared, anger simmering beneath his proud grin, hinting that their rivalry was far from over.