Mason's Decision

"Well, you are trying to create a new element. You wouldn't expect it to be easy to achieve. It's something unheard of in the spirit realm. You achieving this much is already an awesome feat."

"What can I say, I'm the first mage on earth."

I smiled smugly. I am really proud of this nickname. I may have given it to myself but that doesn't matter. The truth is I really am the first mage on this earth. There is no clan that can use mana and does magic. There are bounty hunters who can use mana but they can only use it with the help of magi-tech. And spirits are spirits.

After me, Mason would be the second mage. Well, if he doesn't want to be in this world I can't force him. I want him to be with me in this but I can't force this on him. This is something he has to decide of his free will.

There are many amazing things on the supernatural side of the world. I don't know everything but I already know the wonderful things this world has to offer. Things you can do with mana or aether are fascinating. I don't yet know the general aspect of the aether but with mana, you can create and manipulate many elements. I can create gold, silver, and similar precious metals with the earth element. This alone is something many people would die for.

"Don't you think they are taking too much time?"

"Hm? I don't know. It's not exactly an easy topic to talk about."

"Oscar is right. They might have trouble with talking about this topic but they have to get over it together."

"I don't know. I just feel nervous for Charlotte."

"...she is innocent in the matter of Mason's death. But I can't possibly know everything that happened between them."

Izumi talked after staying silent for a while. I guess she is really become good friends with Charlotte. I think it's good that she is befriending someone with her real emotions. She has some awkward expressions while talking about Charlotte but I guess that's to be expected. You can just turn on and off your emotions. It would take some time to get used to her real personality but thankfully she doesn't seem to be so far off from the previous persona she showed.

As for Charlotte's and Mason's talk, I don't really care about it. I already learned that she is innocent and didn't involve in his death. So, I don't really care what will come out of their conversation. What I care about is Mason's decision. Will he stay or want to return to his old life? As for Charlotte, I don't really expect her to be part of our team. Yeah, at this time we are going to be a team. Anyway, she experienced too many traumatizing things in recent times. She will need a lot of time to get over them.

(Mason's POV)

I... have died. I was shot in the heart and died two weeks ago. That's what Oscar told me. If it was any other time I would say he was joking or spouting some bullshit but... I remember. The shock I felt when the bullet entered my chest. The coldness I felt afterward... I also remember Oscar appearing before me while I was on the ground bleeding out.

My memories of that night are hazy. I can't remember what happened after seeing Oscar. They are perfectly matching with what he told me. I died after he arrived next to me. It's a shocking fact. It is hard to swallow. I used to fear death like everyone. But now that I experienced it I have complicated feelings. I have fragmented memories after my death. Well, I'm not exactly sure if they are memories or not.

In every fragment of those dreams, I was always finding myself in a dark place. Endless darkness with nothing to see on the horizon. The only thing that caused me to remember them is the coldness I felt. It was freezing. I can't remember what I did there or if there was anything else. But now that I think about it, it is scary. Is there only darkness after death? I don't know and I'm scared to know about it.

He told me what happened after I died. It seems I was dead for one and a half weeks. At that time in order to bring me back, he went somewhere he could learn some magical things. According to what he said, he created something that never before seen, and with it, he managed to bring me back. I felt... proud after learning he was willing to go to such lengths for me. He really is a dear friend of mine. We are friends for a long time, even though we weren't best friends we cared for each other and he proved it with what he did. I can't beat him this time.

He also told me more about the supernatural side of the world. The spirits, the bounty hunters with magi-tech, shady groups with magi-techs, and the many different clans with supernatural powers. There are already too many different things to be wary of. I don't really understand most of the things he said but I can understand the seriousness of the situation more or less.

"Anyway, you should first face her. I don't know and can't imagine what are you feeling and thinking. You have experienced something horrible. It's just my own selfish desire but I want you to settle anything you have with her. Unlike us, she doesn't have to involve in this world. She can still have a relatively normal life."

"Thank you... I really need to talk with her... I get what you say but..."

"Hearing from me and from her would be different. Don't worry, I understand. Take as long as you want. After you made your decision, we should start your training."

And finally, he mentioned Charlotte. I loved her. She was the north star that I chased after. An unreachable flower that strived to get closer. I also died while chasing after her. It's weird. I pushed myself to become better and achieve great things while chasing after her but at the same time I also lost many things while chasing after her. It's really weird.

After Oscar left the room, Charlotte entered inside. There was no door but he mentioned that there was a magical seal that prevent noise from leaking outside. He said that we could talk freely inside without worrying that they would hear us. It's such a weird and fascinating thing this magic. Can I use magic the complete my project? Urgh, it isn't time to think about to project.

"Mason..."

"...Charlotte."

My chest is tightening when I see her. Oscar already told me that she is innocent and her phone was hacked. She wasn't the one who sent that text to me. But it is hard to accept or get over the feeling I have against her. When I see her face I can't help but remember the sensation of being shot.

"You probably feel uncomfortable just by seeing my face... I can't blame you for this... I'm sorry that the message that sends from my phone caused you... *sob*"

She couldn't finish her sentence and started crying. Does she really care about me this much? Does she... feel guilty because of my death? It is obvious she does. After that, we talked about a lot of things. She told me everything she went through after I died. It feels really weird that hear what happened while I was dead.

She told me how Oscar kidnapped her and later how her family died and how they found out what her family did to homeless people. Houll Family was always the number one in the scientific field but I never thought that they would go as far as to perform inhuman experiments on homeless people. She specifically told me about the spirit Oscar fought in the basement of her family's mansion. As I listened to her I understand the danger of spirits more and more.

The world is wider than I thought. There are so many things I didn't know of. When there are so many dangerous beings out there roaming the world however they want, the lives of ordinary people are in constant danger. I... don't want to die again. I want to live and live longer. Oscar has supernatural powers and he said that I could have the same power. I want to get stronger.

Not to mention the possibilities I can have with researching these magical things and the energy Oscar mentioned. Maybe I can even use them on my project. Well, I don't know if any reason left for me to continue that project.

"I decided. I will join Oscar."

"...then I will join too."

"Are you sure? It's a big choice to make."

"You don't have to tell me that. I already lost too many things and... I don't want to lose you again."

"...thank you. I... really need you in my life. What happened before was not your fault and I don't blame you for it. But having you in my life will always make me feel better. I don't want to lose you, too."

I want to confess to her but... I think I should wait. I need to gather my thoughts. Anyway, after talking with Charlotte, we both left the room and went to Oscar. Walking after what happened felt weird but I could manage it. I still stumbled a bit but Charlotte helped me walk by putting my arm on her shoulder she supported me. I felt a bit happy with this.

"Oscar."

"Mason? Did you get up? You should have rested a bit more."

"I think I have rested enough. I want to get on my feet as soon as possible. Anyway, we want to say something. We both want to join you."

"...Are you sure? I know that you really don't have much of a choice Mason but this world is still far more dangerous than the world we know."

"I don't want to live in fear or in denial. I want to get stronger and discover more of this world."

"It's the same for me. I already lost too much and don't want to lose Mason too. I want to join you too."

Oscar looked surprised. I guess he didn't expect Charlotte to join or we deciding on this matter this quick. It's understandable.

"Ah, I thought you would take more time to decide but it doesn't matter now. I welcome you to our humble team. Mason, Charlotte there are so many things to properly explain and discover in this supernatural side of the world. Let's discover this world together."