July 29, 2025

“You are something, Niji,” Shiningreel muttered. “Disappeared after the graduation without a word. Thanks Goddess, Rem told me you are fine.”

“I am sorry, Shiny. I’ll explain it someday. I will.”

“I thought you were crazy about joining PRISM, and then it just all went wrong…”

The girls were sitting in a coffee house inside Arena City, the very place Niji and Rem had met two months ago to discuss Freyja’s business. Their table was on a small balcony on the third floor of the mall, so one could observe the tiny flickering shopaholics below.

So little time had passed, but Niji missed her friend greatly. She was looking at the newly minted public servant with a bitter envy. Her new PRISM uniform resembled the one they used to wear in the Academy, a black jacket with white cuffs, a pencil skirt and high stockings. Shiny was wearing her PRISM badge with pride, and just not so long ago Niji had been ready to sell her soul for such decoration.

She was well aware that after discussions of their graduation, movies and Six Colors Olympics summer season, it wouldn’t be long enough they started talking about their occupancies, but Niji avoided the question as much as she could.

“By the way, Izumi-sensei has asked about you,” Shiningreel’s smile was cunning.

“Wonderful,” Niji rolled her eyes, sluggishly poking her dessert with a fork.

“But really, nobody could get why you’ve left so fast despite all the prospects. And Rem zipped up his lips.”

“How is he?”

“He looks quite miserable without you around, but all in all, good. He is now sensei’s personal assistant.”

“Sounds better than the supply division.”

“It sure does! And also…” she almost whispered. “Rem asked me if someone from my family could consult him about amplifiers. By ‘someone’ he meant my cousin, of course.”

“Oh,” Niji almost dropped her fork. “Did she agree?”

“Nah, you know Irenesviel. Too busy with her research of native people’s magic. Can you even imagine the Omnious giving amplifiers to some outsiders? Meh! Even I don’t have one. They say I should earn it first,” Shiny was grossed out. “And PRISM lacks enchanters of such type. But.. I am afraid Rem is up to something. What if he decided to become a mage like… Those guys. I told him so many times that it’s impossible to level up his Lackluster magic potential to full magic, even if you’re covered with tattoos from head to toes.”

“Wait a minute, who are those guys, exactly?”

“Do you want to hear some inside stories?... Oh crap, I’ve let it slip already, so I guess I can tell you. We are currently searching for the people who claim they can make you a proper mage. Have you heard anything about it?”

“Ah, I’ve seen some topics of Magebook.”

“They are a creepy lot. ‘Join us, if you want to become a wizard!’ That’s 80-level marketing for you.”

“Don’t tell me people believe it.”

“They do, in huge quantities. Silly people cannot master the simple truth: you are either a mage, or not. Nothing in between. Meh… Feebles.”

“People without magical potential,” Niji corrected her automatically.

She was always disgusted to hear wizards talking trash about magicless people, especially with this old squeamish name. While it was a taboo word in the Academy to be punished severely for, Niji heard it a lot from Shiny, especially when Rem was not around. The integrated ‘Omnious snob’ feature.

“As far as I know, such ‘services’ have emerged since the sixties when the mages were a trendy stuff,” Shiningreel ignored her friend’s comment. “With the boom of social media it’s become even more pain in the ass. We have a pack of inquiries each day. Usually victims are just stuffed with drugs and then raped or robbed, nothing more. But this new wave is somewhat different.”

“In a way?”

“They actually implant magical threads in people. Eeeew.”

“Do they become mages?”

“They become gimps. And they won’t last long. The mere sight of it is repulsive, believe me.”

“Why can’t PRISM put an end to this?”

“Well… We sent our spies there, but these bastards seem to scan the area and see that we are mages. Even the Lacklusters, with no aura at all! We’ve been scratching our head to figure out how they got the radar’s prototype.”

“I thought the scanning was an urban myth…”

“Not at all. The PRISM invented the system long ago. It checks physical properties of the aura and shows the true colour. But the remote version has been implemented just recently. Imagine the public would know about that. They’ll start screaming about violating their rights yet again. We have had enough of it already.”

“It makes conspiracy quite believable.”

“Some tech wonders, right? Ughhh… I should be more careful about my NDA.”

“It’s fine, Shiny, my lips are shut.”

“Wanna see the scanner in action? I have a portable version on my smart…”

Shiningreel took out her tablet and activated it. The lock screen showed 15:12, and Niji jumped up from her place.

“Damn it, I forgot! I am… argh… I need to be at Union Square station in twenty minutes!”

“I see. Okay, let’s go then.”

Shiningreel finished with the last drops of cappuccino and casually threw a few bills on the table. The girls hurried to Arena City exit, and automated doors were happy to open the way.

“You should call the sensei, though. Seems like he’s miss—”

Shiny was interrupted by a guy in a funny hat who bolted past them. A hefty bald bull in PRISM’s uniform was chasing him, with a huge double-handed sword worthy of the Orcs’ king. It was obvious he was bearing a lot of grievances towards the fugitive.

“It’s fine, m’ladies!” Dammit shouted on his way before disappearing in the street. “Nothing to worry about!”

Shiny sighed so dramatically, that it was clear she’d already witnessed the scene many times.

“Niji, be honoured to meet my colleague, Cinder. He is a bit obsessed with his revenge. Just a little, tiny bit.”