53 - Battery
Darkness. That was the first thing Mariana noticed. Not the comforting kind that came with sleep, but something deeper. Heavier. As if the world itself had been swallowed. Her head throbbed faintly.
“… ugh…” A soft groan escaped her lips as she stirred. Her fingers twitched first. Then her eyes fluttered open.
A ceiling. High. Stone. Covered in faintly glowing runes.
Mariana blinked. “… what…?” Her vision slowly cleared. And with it, awareness returned. The carriage. The attack. Her brother.
That man—
Her body jerked upright. “Brother Eirwen—!”
The name left her lips before she could stop it. But instead of the familiar sight of her brother, she found herself staring at something else entirely. A room. Circular. Massive.
Dimly lit by floating orbs of light. And at the center, a long obsidian table. Surrounded by five figures. Watching her.
Mariana froze. “… ah.”
She was sitting on a couch, a very old, very tattered couch. One that looked wildly out of place in such a grand, ominous chamber.
“… okay.” Her voice came out quieter this time. “… this is new.”
A soft chuckle broke the silence. “Good morning.”
Mariana’s gaze snapped toward the source. Him. The man who took her. Messy dark hair. Crimson eyes. A lazy, almost amused expression. Leaning back in his chair like he owned the place. “… you’re welcome, by the way.”
Mariana blinked. “… what?”
He grinned. “For saving you.” A pause. “Those people were about to either kill you…” His eyes gleamed faintly. “… or use you.”
Mariana stared at him. Flat. Unimpressed. “… you kidnapped me.”
“Rescued,” he corrected immediately.
“… without permission.”
“Details.”
Mariana’s eye twitched. “… who are you people?”
A gentle voice answered instead. “Now, now… let’s not be too harsh.”
Mariana turned.
An older man sat across the table. Long beard resting neatly over his robes. His expression calm. Kind. In a way that felt… ancient. “You must be frightened.”
Mariana hesitated. Then, “… yes.”
Honest. Simple.
Because honestly? She had been kidnapped by a suspicious man and dropped into what looked like a villain headquarters. Reasonable reaction. Another voice spoke. Smooth. Firm.
“You are safe here.” Mariana glanced toward the speaker. A woman. Silver hair. Sharp violet eyes. There was authority in her presence. The kind that made people listen without question. “… we will not harm you.”
Mariana studied her. Carefully. Suspicion still lingered. But… there was no killing intent. No hostility. Just, observation.
“… then why am I here?”
Silence. The five figures exchanged glances. Then, the silver-haired woman spoke again. “... because of what you are.”
Mariana frowned slightly. “… what I am?”
The old man leaned forward. His eyes softened. “… tell me, child.” A pause. “… have you ever felt it?”
Mariana blinked. “… felt what?” The air shifted subtly. Almost imperceptibly. But she felt it. That strange, familiar sensation. Warm. Flowing. Like something moving beneath her skin. “… that.” Her breath caught slightly. “… I…”
The tattooed man spoke next. Deep voice. Serious. “That is mana.”
Mariana’s eyes widened slightly. “… mana…?”
The silver-haired woman nodded. “… yours is abnormal.”
Kael snorted. “Understatement of the century.”
“Kael.”
“… fine, fine.”
Mariana looked between them, confused. “… what does that mean?”
Silence fell again.
Then, the old man spoke, slowly. Carefully. “It means…” A pause. “… you are not ordinary.”
Mariana deadpanned. “… I figured that much.”
Kael laughed. “I like her.”
The silver-haired woman ignored him. “… you are what we call…” Her gaze sharpened slightly. “… a Demigod Candidate.”
Silence.
Mariana blinked. “… a what?”
Kael leaned forward, grinning. “A walking disaster.”
“Kael.”
“… a rare prodigy,” he corrected lazily.
The old man sighed. “… a being capable of transcending mortal limits.”
The tattooed man added quietly. “… something that has not appeared in centuries.”
Mariana stared at them. Then, “… you’re joking.” No one laughed. Her stomach dropped slightly. “… you’re serious.”
The silver-haired woman nodded. “Yes.”
A long pause.
Mariana leaned back slowly into the couch. “… okay.” She covered her face with her hands. “… okay, that’s… a lot.”
Kael tilted his head. “Take your time.”
“… I got kidnapped, almost killed, and now I’m apparently not human?”
“Still human,” the old man corrected gently. “… for now.”
“… that does not help.”
Kael snorted.
After a moment, Mariana lowered her hands. Her expression more composed now. “… so what happens next?”
The five Archmages grew slightly more serious. The silver-haired woman answered. “… we train you.”
Mariana blinked. “… what?”
The tattooed man crossed his arms. “Your power is unstable.”
The old man nodded. “And valuable.”
Kael added casually, “Very valuable.”
Mariana’s eyes narrowed slightly. “… in what way?”
Silence.
Then, the silver-haired woman spoke. “… to the wrong people…” Her voice grew colder. “… you are not a person.” A pause. “… you are a resource.”
Mariana felt something cold crawl down her spine. “… what do you mean?”
The old man’s gaze softened again. “… your mana…” He hesitated. “… could be extracted.”
Mariana froze. “… extracted?”
Kael leaned back. “Think of it like this.” A grin. “You’d make a very efficient battery.”
Silence. Heavy. Horrifying.
“… that’s not funny.”
“I’m not joking.”
Mariana’s hands clenched slightly. Her mind raced. The hooded figures. Their aura. The way they moved.
“… they…” Her voice was quieter now. “… they were after me for that?”
The silver-haired woman nodded. “… most likely.”
The room fell silent.
Then—
“… so you’re keeping me here.” Mariana looked at them. Direct. Sharp. “… for my safety?”
The old man smiled gently. “… partly.”
Kael added, “And partly because we want to see what you become.”
Mariana’s eyes narrowed again. “… and if I say no?”
Silence. The silver-haired woman met her gaze. “… you may leave.”
Mariana blinked. “… really?”
“… after we ensure you can survive.” A pause. “... on your own.”
Kael smirked. “Preferably without exploding.”
“… I’m not going to explode.”
“… you might.”
Mariana exhaled slowly. Long. Tired. “… I want to go home.”
The old man’s expression softened further. “… we understand.”
The silver-haired woman spoke firmly. “… and you will.” A pause. “… but not yet.”
Mariana looked down at her hands. Then back at them. “… how long?”
The five Archmages exchanged glances. Then, Kael grinned. “… long enough to make you terrifying.”
Mariana stared at him, flat. “… I don’t like you.”
“I get that a lot.”
---
Far away—
On a blood-stained road, Eirwen stood surrounded by fallen enemies. His chest rose and fell heavily. His grip on his sword still tight. Beside him, Leonhard wiped his blade clean. “… we move.” Eirwen didn’t hesitate. “… now.”
Because somewhere out there, Mariana was alive. And until she was back, nothing else mattered.