Gerial’s every movement was recorded by the eyes of the students around him. William had demonstrated his might to the entire year level, and now the biggest name in the academy was approaching him. There was a hushed atmosphere and anticipation for what was to come.

The reputation of a Marked one wasn’t limited to a single school. They were a force to be reckoned with and respected across the world.

How would someone like that react to William’s feat?

Alexis’ eyes widened in surprise. He took a step back and at the same time William strode forward.

“Gerial.” William’s voice echoed across the arena. “Nice to see you strolling around visibly.”

There was an intake of breath as his words hit the ears of the onlookers. I could see a few students frowning, and yet more had angry looks on their faces. Amanda’s eyes sparkled like she was staring at a feast.

“Yeah. It was a good match.” Gerial answered in turn. “How about we catch up. It’s nice to finally have a chance to talk with my friend.”

He took William’s hand in his own and brought him into a half-hug. The tension bled out of the air as the students saw the Gerial wasn’t there to fight.

I smiled. I hadn't thought for a second that Gerial would do anything drastic. He was there to make a statement.

William was a friend and under his protection. There could be no retaliation because of the outcome of the fight.

The light of the arena dampened, and I saw the symbols powering down. Gold flew off my shoulder as the barrier died. The symbol’s glow slowly disappeared, and the puffer wanted to see them up close.

Everyone was too distracted by Gerial and William to notice the bird.

The duo left the battlefield and walked towards the back half of the building. The crowd around me dispersed, all of them heading towards the exit.

I could see the older students leaving as well.

“Nobody’s going to try and follow him? I thought they wanted a slice of the pie.”

“Pizza. They want pizza.” Amanda flicked my blazer. “And go bother him? With the Marked one there? You’re crazy.” Amanda pouted. “I thought we’d see some drama, but nobody is going to want to bother them now.”

“Maybe that was his intention.” I stared at their backs.

This would be my last chance to say hi to William today. I didn’t want to drift apart from my friend because I hadn’t made the effort to reconnect with him.

Gold returned to my shoulder, and I could see he was content with what he had seen. I turned to Amanda to let her know I was going to try and catch up with William, but her attention was on someone else.

Alexis was leaving the arena

“I’m going to see how he’s feeling.” She shot me an apologetic look. “That was fun, but he’s a sensitive soul.”

“Go be a good sister.” I nodded.

“Please, I’ve always been the best sister anyone could ask for, and a heck of a good friend.”

“You already have my highest rating.” I spoke.

She was already gone by the time the words left my mouth.

I made my way through the throngs of students and soon found myself facing the inner rooms of the dome. It was like the back rooms of sporting stadiums on Earth. Except with more corridors and rooms.

I made my way further inside and to my surprise nobody else was passing this point. It was like there was an invisible barrier blocking them.

Gerial’s influence in this school was frightening.

I fed Gold a treat as we walked through the back rooms of the arena. Koshima academy hadn’t skimped on buying land. The area was huge. William and Alexis had been the only match today and the other students hadn’t been interested in following William once Gerial intervened, so the place was empty.

I used my Mark to try and locate Gerial. It tugged towards a corridor to my left. I turned into it and stopped.

There was a room with the light on.

I made my way towards it and then stopped outside.

I could hear a vaguely familiar voice coming from inside, but it wasn’t Gerial’s or William’s.

It was the person that had challenged William, Amanda’s brother Alexis.

I’d thought he’d left the arena.

“- Fine, I’ll accept your help.”

The door opened and I came face-to-face with a tall boy in the academy uniform. I caught a brief glimpse of the room he’d just left.

Except for Alexis there was nobody else inside.

His eyes stared into mine as I passed him. He was a head taller than me, and his posture screamed confidence. He was more intimidating up close. I briefly wondered who he was talking to.

Maybe he was using a communication regent?

It didn’t matter.

I could feel his gaze on me, but I ignored it. I placed my fingers on Gold’s side to make sure he didn’t cause any trouble. I didn’t want to disturb a teenager that had just lost a sparring match in front of the whole year level.

Amanda was looking for him to comfort him, but that didn’t mean I had to. I didn’t know him, and the slightest miscommunication might upset him and cause me future problems.

That was a recipe for disaster.

I passed by him and walked further into the corridor. My mind drifted off as I concentrated on my Mark to find Gerial. Minutes passed but I received no signal.

The echoes of my footsteps drifted off into eternity. The corridor stretched beyond my sight, and an odour of rot scratched at my nose. I didn’t remember the arena being this large.

I stopped. This wasn’t possible.

Magic was in play.

I looked back. The rooms had disappeared. Alexis was gone, but I didn’t know if that was because he was involved, or if it was because I had already walked far away from him.

How long had I been stuck in this place?

I closed my eyes and activated my mana sense. The world blazed to life around me. The corridor disappeared, and in its place, I saw myself in the same spot I had been. In front of Alexis’ room.

It was an illusion.

I turned around as I spotted a movement at the corner of my vision. I wasn’t alone. Every time I turned towards it there was empty air. It eluded me.

I opened my eyes, and the corridor was gone.

I can see it.

I can see it.

I don’t know how I’d missed it. A sickly green string of mana, weakened and hurt, was in front of me. It was small, almost dying. I didn’t know that could happen to mana.

This mana seems stronger than mine.

This mana seems stronger than mine.

I could feel it intrinsically. This small string was an upgrade to my power. It could help me grow and learn.

Wait. Hadn’t it been weak?

Maybe I can absorb it.

Maybe I can absorb it.

A shiver ran down my spine as I realised the potential of the power in front of me. I had absorbed mana before through my Mark. This wouldn’t be any different. It was calling to me, begging me to accept it. I reached out with my hand…

A bright flash of gold glittered across my body and gathered onto my fingers.

The green tendril squirmed in the light. I looked down and saw that my mana had manifested over my skin, coating it in a layer of gold.

That was strange. I’d never seen my mana leave my body without my permission. Most times it was used up within me in order to cast spells.

I looked back at the green mana, but it was gone.

Green mana?

What was I thinking… there hadn’t been any green mana.

I felt a tug in my chest, and there was a spattering of footsteps and I turned around to see Gerial rushing towards me, Gold was flapping in the air by his side.

When had Gold left my shoulder?

“Andross!” He rushed over to me. “I felt your mana burst out, and then I saw Gold passed out on the floor. Are you okay?”

“Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?”

Gold squawked at me, pecking at my golden hand.

My hand?

I retracted the mana, absorbing it back inside me. I didn’t know how it had gotten onto my hand. It normally wasn’t visible unless I emitted it on purpose.

Wait. This train of thought felt familiar.

“You’ve got to be careful. If people see your mana, then they might start asking questions.” Gerial chided me. “Luckily if anyone is nearby, they probably thought it was me.”

I dismissed my thoughts. “Yeah. Sorry. I’m normally more careful.”

It was obvious from the beginning that there was something special about the mana the Mark gave me. I hadn’t shown it to Indra or the others. Only my parents had seen it when I had charged my mask to connect with it.

Wait. I’d already thought that twice now. Déjà vu?

Gold flapped his wings and settled back down on my shoulder. “You were unconscious?”

Something wasn’t adding up. I had turned into the corridor after seeing Alexis, and then there was mana in my hand, and Gold had left my shoulder.

“Gerial.” I kept my calm. “I think I’ve lost some time.”

He looked at me, and then at Gold. He frowned.

“What happened?”

I explained the connections I was making, and how they didn’t add up. He nodded but when he heard my concerns about Alexis, he shook his head.

“Alexis doesn’t have that kind of power. You saw it yourself. He controls his weapons remotely.”

That was true. Alexis had gone out of his way to challenge William. It was possible he was holding back abilities, but something this powerful would’ve been useful in his fight.

Then I remembered Amanda.

“What about his bloodline? Couldn’t that give him some sort of power or magic like this?“

Gerial shook his head. “He’s not an inheritor. You can tell by the fiery hair Amanda has. He would be the same if he had inherited the bloodline.”

“You know Amanda?”

“You know that I like to keep an eye on talented people.” He shrugged.

“You mean potential friends.” I smiled. “She’s nice. Not scary at all.” I raised my fingers. “My mana must have reacted to something. That’s why it was exposed.”

Gerial walked around me and looked at the area and floor. I couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary, even with my mana sense.

“Or you did something to expose it on purpose.” Gerial concluded. “Come with me, if you’re missing memories then they’re still there. We just have to draw them out through meditation.”

It relieved me that he was taking me so seriously. I was expecting him to deny that something like that could happen at the academy, or that he would’ve sensed it.

We made our way past the rooms and corridors until Gerial stopped. I could feel a chill coming from the door of the room we were in front of.

William was inside this room.

I pushed open the door before Gerial could and saw William meditating. He opened his eyes and he grinned as I stepped in front of him.

“Are you two brothers?” He spoke.

I paused. Then I coughed. I looked at Gerial and saw that his eyes were wide.

“I’ve been wanting to ask that for almost a year.” William gestured from Gerial to me. “You don’t look related at all. Two Marked ones. Amazing.”

This had been a concern of mine. William was smart. Really smart. He had seen and heard everything that Gerial had said when saving us from Eli’s dimensional rift. It wasn’t a surprise he’d worked everything out.

“Have you told anybody?” I asked.

“Of course not.” He raised an eyebrow. “Look at you dodging my question. Very wise. I approve.”

Gerial stepped beside me, and I saw his expression soften. He nodded at me, and I read between the lines.

Gerial closed the door behind him, and Gold sensed the mood and flapped over to a chair, sitting down.

“The Mark doesn’t work like an ordinary bloodline.” Gerial glanced at me. “The Marked ones are given the bloodline randomly and there is only one Marked one per generation.”

“Obviously that last part was proven wrong.” William’s eyes gleamed. “Maybe you’re wrong about the lack of relation, you just don’t know it.”

“That…” It was a pretty good counter argument. “Is something we’ll have to get to after.”

William saw my expression. “What’s wrong?”

“We’re not sure.” Gerial responded.

We sat down and maintained a meditative position. I took a deep breath in, and a deep breath out.

There was something interfering with my mind, but I was its master, and nothing could hide from me if I knew it was trying to hide.

The world around me disappeared and I sat down in the empty space of my mental construct.

The space filled with the sight of the corridor. Alexis was there, but I could hear him walking off. I hadn’t paid attention to it at the time, but now I knew he hadn’t been there for the event.

I concentrated, trying to figure out what had happened next.

I’d walked down a corridor and then I’d realised there was magic being used against me.

Then…

My eyes flew open.

“What mana is coloured green and smells like rot?”