Chapter 23 – Trap

"... Black Cube."

White's esoteric magic formed tendrils of darkness that swirled around the slime creature, wrapping him tightly like his tentacles had done to Jasmine and ceasing him.

The creature struggled endlessly but to no avail. Its doomed was certain at that moment.

The black tendrils wrapped around their target until they completely enveloped him but it did not stop there.

Many more layers of the dark material formed and continued to form until a black cube of dense magical energy was constructed, imprisoning the slime monster.

White snapped when this was done and the cube shrunk to a size that he could easily carry in his palm.

Jasmine watched this whole thing unfold but she was not the only spectator.

"Did he just cast a spell without a wand?" she wondered, "Is that even possible? Just who is this person?" she wondered.

She was dumbfounded, gaping at her saviour.

The level of skill that White had exhibited was beyond what she knew about magic. She looked at her wand and then at White as if contemplating the essence of wands if everyone could cast spells without them.

She failed to understand that it was not a skill that everyone could have.

Only the top warlocks and witches could even boast of such level of mana mastery.

"That's more like it," White said, throwing the cube up and catching it many times, like a plaything.

He turned to Jasmine and with a cheerful voice, he said, "I like the cube light. It's less stressful to carry that way."

Jasmine did not know what to say, instead, she nodded.

White turned back in the direction that the beast was standing a moment ago.

He looked around — up, down and to his sides. White was searching for traces of the beast's magic but did not sense any.

He sighed underneath his white mask.

"No trace of mana. I see... so that's how it is."

He immediately turned to the streets and looked around, yet nothing.

White jumped back onto the roof and darted his eyes over the city, searching for a mana signature but found nothing.

He returned to where Jasmine was.

"What is the problem?" she asked.

White ignored her at first, being very focused on finding the traces of mana.

He rubbed his fingers on the ground and smelled them.

"It's gone... completely gone," he said.

Jasmine was still in the dark on the matter.

"What's gone?" she asked a second time.

White then turned to her, giving her the attention she wanted.

"The mana signature. It's gone. This creature was a puppet with no mana of its own. Whoever was controlling it managed to conceal his mana signature, leaving no traces behind.

"Meaning the real problem is still out there."

Jasmine shuddered at White's revelation.

She immediately thought about the fact that she may have to go through this kind of torment again.

White's mind presented different possibilities on the matter.

He looked at Jasmine and thought, "Did they use her to lure me out? They were certain that I would come to her rescue since I've saved her before. Was that the case?

"Or perhaps, they were gambling it. Hoping that I'll come, tsk tsk. But that smell on Jasmine, it's gone too. They wanted me to know she was their target. So that's how it is, huh?

"This whole thing was a trap that was set up to lure me out. Then why are they not attacking? What is their motive?"

As White thought about it, another figure that had watched everything happen walked away from another end of the street.

He was the second spectator of White's fight with the slime monster.

The real perpetrator.

This figure blended with the crowd of the city and hid himself perfectly.

"So he is indeed real. To defeat one of my minions that easily. I'll get you, White. I will get you no matter what it takes."

He put his hood back on his head and walked into a coffee shop, thinking about White and analysing his level of strength.

"Hey, Maggie. Can I get a cup of coffee?" he requested of the barista.

"Sure thing, James. I'll be right there, just have a seat."

...

...

...

"It's beautiful."

White carried Jasmine to the sky where they could get a view of the Silver City.

Jasmine was indeed impressed at how remarkable the city looked at night with the lights from the streets making a sharp alluring contrast with its dark.

He gave her a better tour of Silver City than she had planned to get while also searching for the person behind the whole event that happened earlier.

White started to descend on the roof of a building where the two of them sat.

The masked man sat quietly, his piercing blue eyes fixed on Jasmine as she hesitated, her voice trembling as she began to recount the harrowing ordeal she had endured.

He could sense the weight of the story before she even started, the tension palpable.

Jasmine's words flowed like a torrent, her voice cracking as she recounted the events of her kidnapping.

White knew the story but only a part of it.

Her hands shook, betraying the fear that still gripped her and his strong presence offered a silent reassurance that he was there to support her.

He watched as Jasmine's eyes clouded with tears, memories of the trauma threatening to overwhelm her.

With a gentle nod, White leaned in slightly, his actiom one of empathy and understanding.

His voice, when he finally spoke, was soft and soothing, a balm for her wounded soul.

"I can't even begin to imagine how terrifying that must have been," White said, his tone low and compassionate.

"But you're incredibly brave for sharing this with me. It takes a lot of strength to open up about something like this."

Jasmine's eyes met his, searching for any sign of judgment or disbelief even though she could only see so much.

What she found instead was a genuine concern that warmed her heart.

A small smile tugged at the corners of her lips, a flicker of trust igniting within her.

She continued, finding solace in White's presence.

As she spoke, White's hand found its way to hers, a gesture of solidarity that didn't invade her personal space.

His touch was gentle, his thumb rubbing soothing circles on her knuckles.

It was a silent reminder that he was right there with her, supporting her through the retelling of her darkest memories.

"It's okay to feel all these emotions," White murmured, his voice as steady as his gaze.

"Trauma leaves scars that can't be seen, but talking about it is a step towards healing. You don't have to carry this burden alone."

Jasmine nodded, her tears falling freely now, mingling with the rain outside.

White's calm demeanor remained unwavering, his presence a rock in the storm of her emotions.

He gave her the space she needed, never pushing but always there, a steady presence.