"Y'know, why do I suddenly feel like someone's watching us?"
...
The Next Day…
The early morning sun cast a pale glow over the rooftops of Azura. The city was still and quiet. Code lay sprawled on his bed, wincing at the sunlight piercing through his window as his eyes slowly fluttered open.
Then...
"Nara! Wake up already!!" Hina's voice shook the house.
"What? Is it morning already?" Nara groaned lazily from the other room.
"Code, you too!!" Hina barked, banging on his door.
"Eeeh!" Code yelped, jolting upright. "Ah crap, I overslept," he muttered, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
"Good grief, Hina, you don't have to shout so loudly," Van's tired voice drifted in, followed by a yawn. He leaned into the corridor, where Hina stood between Nara's and Code's doors.
Hina slowly turned toward him, her tone turning cold. "You shut up for a bit."
"Eeeh!" Van flinched, sweat beading his forehead. "I'll just… mind my business," he said, retreating quickly.
"I really don't wanna get on her bad side," Code muttered, shivering as he reached for the bathroom door. "And on my first mission too…"
But then he paused. His gaze drifted to the window. Golden rays penetrated through, as a chill wind brushed against him bringing with it memories.
His last mission. His failure. And the losses that came with it.
A shiver ran down his spine before he shook it off.
"I better not crash this one," he whispered, stepping inside. "I might not get a second chance again…"
***
Minutes passed, and after another round of Hina's shouting, everyone was finally ready.
"This feels a little tight," Code murmured from behind the door, adjusting his collar. He inhaled deeply, then exhaled. With a quiet push, the door swung open.
He stepped out, and just as another argument filled the air.
"Oi, Nara, stop eating the sugar cubes!" Hina scolded.
"Why? I need it before the mission. Sugar improves tenzen flow, y'know," Nara replied smugly.
"Idiot! Where'd you even hear tha—" Hina snapped, but then froze. Her eyes widened, fixed on the dark corridor behind Nara.
"What is it?" Nara asked, noticing the change in Hina's demeanor, then turned.
Slow footsteps echoed from the darkness, as Code emerged from the corridor.
"Woah," Nara gasped.
"Uh, hey guys…" Code muttered nervously. "Why're you looking at me like you just saw a ghost?"
Hina's lips curled into a faint smile. "Y'know, I think I might actually agree with Van that our guild's uniform doesn't look so bad after all."
"Huh? What do you mean?" Code blinked.
"You're the first person to actually look good in it," Nara said, eyes gleaming.
The guild's uniform was a long black coat that reached the knees, layered over a high-collared tunic and fitted trousers tucked neatly into boots.
(A/N: the guild's uniform is what's on this book's cover.)
"Haha, that's… weird," Code chuckled awkwardly. Then his eyes widened. "Wait. Does that mean no one else wears it?"
"Yeah," Nara nodded. "Not even Van."
"Unbelievable," Code muttered.
"Can you blame us?" Hina sighed. "After all, he picked it out, then decided it wasn't his taste."
"And wearing uniforms makes us look like kids," Nara added jokingly.
"What?" Code staggered back, bewildered. 'What the hell is wrong with this guild?'
Uniformity had always been one of the things he admired about guilds, especially high-class ones. Yet here… no one in this guild seemed to care - a 1st-grade's guild for that matter.
Nara clapped him on the shoulder. "Don't worry, man. It looks damn good on you."
Just then, Van strolled in, holding a magazine that had his face on it.
His eyes widened, as he saw Code. "Woah! Now that's what I call looking sharp."
"Ha," Code laughed nervously, still reeling from the realization.
"See?" Van said, looking at Hina and Nara. "The uniform was never that bad."
"Then why don't you wear it?" Nara raised a brow.
Van shrugged. "Doesn't suit a god like me."
Then his expression turned serious. He pulled out a metal band etched with intricate markings and spells, its center holding a silvery orb.
"Here, take this."
Code stepped closer, eyeing it. "What's that?"
"A tenzen bracelet," Van replied. "You haven't stabilized your tenzen and anti-tenzen balance yet. This'll keep you safe."
'A tenzen crystal?' Code's eyes widened, as he looked at the silver orb on the bracelet.
Then he accepted it warily. "What does it do?" He asked.
"It's made from tenzen crystals. Artificial ones, of course," Van explained.
Code nodded. "Right. Natural ones are very rare and expensive. Just one could power all of this city for a month."
"Exactly. With this, you'll have a temporary tenzen signature, plus stability, so you won't be detected with a demonic presence."
Tenzen crystals were the rarest and most sought after minerals in Tenebrous. In nature, they were formed from prolonged accumulation of tenzen particles over thousands of years. However, through Technologically Integrated Sorcery, man has been able to create tenzen crystals, though not as potent as natural ones.
"Cool," Code said, fastening the band. A surge of energy instantly shot through his body, making him shiver.
"We should get going," Hina called, strapping her katana to her waist.
Code's eyes widened slightly as she stood. She wore a sleeveless, high-collared black top that ran to the waist, belted over slim black trousers tucked into her boots.
Her black hair was tied, and packed into a low ponytail, which rhymed perfectly with her dressing.
"Hehe, finally," Nara grinned, rising from his chair. A surge of anticipation flared in his eyes.
"Make sure you don't die," Van said with a lazy wave. "And buy me some magazines. Ones with my face on them."
"Not me," Nara replied flatly.
Code turned to leave, but Van's voice suddenly called back. His tone darkened.
"Code…"
Code glanced back. "Yeah?"
Van's eyes glinted with a faint smile. "Your power is blood sorcery..."
"Eh?" Code exclaimed. "Does that even exist?" He asked.
"You're the first one I'm meeting," Van replied. "And apparently, the flow phase gives the power of blood dominance," he added.
"How do you know that?" Code raised a brow.
"Hehe, see it as a god's omniscience," Van said proudly.
"Good grief," Code sighed, them turned.
"Most importantly, Code," Van chimed in. "Your inner balance is still very fragile, so whatever you do, don't awaken your demon side."
Code hesitated noticing the seriousness in Van's tone, then nodded. "Got it. I'll be going."
"Oi, Code, hurry up!" Nara shouted from outside.
"On my way!" Code called back, stepping out the door.
But his thoughts lingered.
'What did he mean by saying I shouldn't awaken my demon side?'
However, the thought faded quickly, replaced by anticipation.
His next mission awaited.
***
To Be Continued...