Fwooo...
The dark room lit up, as the candle flared on, casting a golden glow.
"Arrrgh," Van yawned loudly, waving his hand lazily over the flame, as he staggered towards the velvet sofa, between two shelves, with a round mini-sized table in front of it.
Opposite the sofa, were two golden-brown leather chairs, already occupied by Code and Nara.
"Tch," Nara hissed, turning his face away, while Code's eyes were fixed on something lying on the table.
Rows of books and magazines were stacked there - but not just any magazines, they were magazines with erotic covers, showing half-naked and smiling models, who were somehow, were smiling at him.
"Wha-" Code's eyes widened, his cheeks flushing as he stared.
Then -
Van's hand landed on the magazines, jolting Code back to reality.
"Ahem...th-this is something else," Van muttered, avoiding their gazes as he stacked the magazines and shoved them under the table, replacing them with a tome on sorcery and tenzenology.
From the look in Van's eyes, he was doing everything he could to avoid eye contact.
'For a 1st-grade sorcerer, being obsessed with porn mags is kind of awkward...guess he must be at the peak of his youth,' Code thought.
"O-okay, let's get to business," Van said, his tone turning slightly serious.
"Here, take this," Van said, as he passed Code a thin, silvery thread, that reflected the faint light off the candle.
Code collected the thread, skeptical at first. His eyes fixed on it with confusion, as his fingers wrapped around it.
"What's this...?" he muttered, eyes never leaving it.
"It's a tenzen thread," Nara replied, tone uninterested, as he turned his gaze to Code, crossing his arms behind his head.
Code's eyes raised slightly. "Tenzen thread?" He repeated.
"That's right," Van nodded. "It's not just any thread, but it's a special thread infused with the purest tenzen energy," Van explained.
"Hmm," Code nodded, though he didn't understand most of what was just said.
But front what he could see, the thread wasn't normal. It was long and very thin, but Code could feel a strange sensation from it.
Then, he raised his head.
"Um...so, what do I do with it?" Code asked, his tone inquisitive, as his brows furrowed.
"Isn't that obvious..."
Code's gaze shifted to Nara.
"Snap it," he said.
"Snap?" Code repeated, surprised, eyes shifting back to Van.
"Yeah," Van affirmed. "Cut the thread."
"Uh?" Code exclaimed, a hint of humor in his tone. He looked at Van, expecting some further explanation, but nothing came. Only thing Van did, was pick up a magazine.
'Is this a joke or what?' Code screamed in his head. 'Who can't snap a thread...'
His gaze went to Nara, who also, had already grabbed a book from the shelves.
'...are these guys fucking with me?' Code thought, gritting his teeth.
"Hmph." He snorted, grabbing the thread with both hands. "Is sorcery was always this easy, how come I'm a 9th-grade?"
'I'll show them,' Code thought, as his gaze fixed on the thread with determination.
But as he pulled...
...he pulled what felt like steel.
No, it didn't feel like steel, it was steel.
"What the...!" Code exclaimed, eyes widening. "Wh-why does this feel so hard?" He whispered.
"Oh, and lest I forget..." Van's voice chimed in, as he lowered the magazine from his eyes.
"Uh?" Code's gaze moved to him.
Van's eyes slitted ominously, sending a chill down Code's spine.
Then, Van continued. "You might not know, but what you're holding is a potential NUCLEO-TENZEN BOMB," he dropped the bombshell.
A drop of sweat slid down Code's cheeks.
"So do well...to not try anything funny," his voice fell to a menacing whisper.
"Ah... hahaha," Code chuckled nervously. "I'll do well to keep that in mind," he replied.
And slowly, Van raised his magazine back to his face.
Code stared at the magazine for seconds, gulping repeatedly.
"Ok, this is the real deal."
Now, he was convinced.
"But me too, I'm not giving up without a fight!" Code grinned, chuckling silently.
He held the thread on both ends.
"Nnggh!" He gritted his teeth, as he pulled his hands apart, but it was all to no avail.
The thread still stood unscathed.
He tried another method, placing one end between his teeth, and holding the other end with both hands.
"Nngghhh!" He gritted again, pulling with all his might, but nothing still happened.
After minutes of pulling with his teeth, he finally stopped, due to throbbing teeth ache.
"The fuck is this thing," Code exhaled, nerves pent-up in frustration.
Everything about the thread was a paradox.
It was as soft as wool, but when pulled, it became hard as steel. It wasn't even elastic in the slightest.
He tried another method, tying the thread's end to the shelf, as he other end in hand.
Then-
He dashed forward, pulling the thread behind him.
"Ahh!!" Code yelled in whispers, as the thread pulled.
But as he reached the thread's length, all motion ceased.
"Nnggh," Code mustered all his strength, pulling with all his might, but-
No! The thread wouldn't bulge. Instead, it was the heavy shelf that shifted.
"Oh, Lord have mercy, what kind of thread is this?" Code's heart heaved heavily, as he fell to the ground.
"Arrgh, I'm beat," he sighed.
His eyes locked on his palms. They were bruised from pulling.
'Is there anything else I can do?' Code thought, as he sat up.
Different methods flushed his mind, starting with -
Him tying the thread to the ceiling, and then, hanging down from it. This way, his whole body was pulling the thread.
But Code shook the idea off his head.
'That's somewhat suicidal,' he thought.
Another was him cutting it with a knife or something sharp.
"Yeah, that might work!" He yelled, and luckily, his counterpart, his trusty dagger he always put by his waist was still there.
"Thank God I always too this baby with me," he smiled, placing the kni over the thread, as he pulled it apart - one end tied to a shelf.
Then-
Swang!
He landed the dagger upon it with a great force.
But as the dagger connected with the thread, it split in two.
"Ehh?" Code staggered backwards, as the thread cut through the knife smoothly - no friction.
"Ahh!" Code plopped down to the ground. "It's over," he said, tone defeated.
The flames from the candlelight flickered slightly.
"Arrgh," Code sighed. "There's no way I can cut this thing," he whispered, slowing standing up.
But as he stood, his gaze caught something.
Golden-red, maybe crimson, bright, casting a pale glow all over the room.
Code's lips curled into a grin.
"Hehe, why didn't I think of that?" He whispered, stepping forward.
"There's no way thread can not burn!" His grin grew wider.
He walked forward, towards the candle on top of the table.
He passed by Nara, and as he did, the book in his hand slipped and fell to the ground.
"Eeek!" Code jumped.
Snore. Snore.
"Huh?" He blinked. Nara was out cold, and he snored so loud he could wake the dead.
"Good grief," Code shook his head, crouching to take the tome, as he placed it back on Nara's face.
Then, he walked to the flame.
The crimson glow reflected off his face.
He carefully raised the thread in his hand, and placed it over the fire.
And as the flames contacted the thread...
The entire thread ignited instantly.
***
To Be Continued...
Okay guys, from now on, I'll try to update regularly. Thanks for your support ❤️.