Chapter 24 – Not A Brat After All

White dangled his legs freely in the air as they sat at the edge of a rooftop, viewing the city in its glamour.

"You're not defined by what happened to you," White said firmly, his eyes never leaving Jasmine's.

"You're defined by how you choose to move forward from it. And I believe in your strength, Jasmi—miss... miss....

"You see, I meant to say that I believe in your strength, miss, hehe."

White was almost about to out his identity when he forgot that 'White' did not know Jasmine like Dickens did.

His quick recovery, scratching of the back of his head and nervous laughter saved the day but did not go unnoticed by the look on Jasmine's face.

Jasmine's heartache slowly began to yield to a sense of comfort.

White's words were like a lifeline, pulling her out of the darkness that had plagued her for so long.

With a sigh, she leaned into his supportive presence, feeling a sense of security she hadn't felt in a while.

She learned to trust the masked stranger because his voice was filled with sincerity.

"Whenever you're ready, you can explore ways to heal from this. You don't have to face it alone."

Jasmine nodded again, her trust in White deepening with every passing moment.

Drops of rain pat their shoulders and White glanced to the sky.

"Looks like the heavens want to wash your sorrows away," he said, both of them chuckling.

As the rain continued to tap against their bodies and the rooftops of the city's buildings, a glimmer of hope emerged in her heart.

In White, she had found someone who understood her pain.

...

...

...

Jasmine couldn't understand it but she felt comfortable around the masked man, enough to speak her mind without feeling she would be judged or shut down.

It made her feel good.

It made her feel heard.

It was the needed comfort.

"Shoot!" she exclaimed, staring at her wristwatch.

"My three hours are almost up. I have to go back to the academy."

White didn't say anything, instead, he carried her down from the rooftop and tagged along with her.

The masked vigilante conjured an umbrella out of nothing, to shield her from the rain.

Jasmine found everything that he had done so far quite impressive.

She couldn't believe there was someone with such mastery over mana.

She walked in front and White tagged along, following closely behind her.

"When am I going to see you again?" she asked.

White did not respond and she continued to walk. She didn't want to sound desperate and didn't ask a second time.

Instead, Jasmine stole a glance behind her from the corner of her right eye.

When she didn't see anything within her field of vision, she turned and looked back but he was gone.

White had vanished without a trace.

Her face wore a mask of disappointment and she sighed.

Jasmine glanced at the sky with one question in her head.

"Who are you?"

She wanted to know who this mystery man was — the face behind that white mask.

...

...

...

Jasmine had arrived at the gates of the Zenith Academy For Warlocks & Witches just on time.

Her three hours of permit remained about three minutes by the time she got there.

At the gate stood the guard from earlier who she had handed the permit to before leaving.

"Aren't you a lucky chap?" he said, taunting her.

But he was not wrong. Jasmine was indeed lucky that she made it back before her permit's expiration.

It would have been a different matter otherwise.

She scoffed, taking back her permit from the guard and entering the premises of the academy.

She walked until she reached the scholars' living area where the dorms were located.

"Huh?" she muttered, noticing a figure in a nearby field close to one of the dorms.

"Isn't that Dee?" she said, squinting her eyes to get a better few.

She had seen right.

Yes. Jasmine had seen very clearly even though it was night.

It was me, Dickens Nuttinson, in the field with a book in my hand.

You remember the book from earlier? The one that was written by the warlock, Sol Malfaeis — The Basics of Understanding Mana.

That was it. That was the book in my hand.

I knew Jasmine had noticed my presence. I hoped she wouldn't but oh well.

She stood there glaring at me while I pretended to be reading this book on mana.

Actually, I was reading the book but I did get distracted from time to time, otherwise, I would find it quite interesting to read.

I looked in her direction and waved at her, signalling to her that I knew she was there as well.

Not that I expected any response from her, you know... Jasmine being Jasmine, but surprisingly I got one.

Jasmine waved back at me and even smiled.

Is this real?

The pompous brat was not being bratty and bitchy this night.

That was a first.

Jasmine might not be brat after all.

I smiled knowing that her encounter with my other self, White, may have contributed to her jolly nature this night.

...

...

...

"The smell is gone," I thought.

I couldn't perceive the foul smell that oozed from her body any longer.

One problem had been solved but it was not the major problem.

The real trouble was still out there and I'm yet to find out who or what it was.

I knew that something bigger than Jasmine or her kidnap was going on.

Something ominous was happening on a large scale, gradually being built up and I would need a clue to start putting the pieces of this puzzle together.

I could feel it in every fibre of my being.

Whatever it was, it had to be stopped before it manifests itself.

Notifications suddenly popped up, disrupting my thought process.

[ Daily Quest Completed ]

[ You have gained +2 Pimp Points for completing the quest 'Ask Jasmine how she is faring' ]

[ You have gained +6 Pimp Points for completing the quest 'Make her feel comfortable on her first day' ]

[ You have gained 6 Pimp Points ]

[ Pimp Points: 32 ]

[ Pimp Status: 2 ]

[ You have 18 Pimp Points left to the next Pimp Status ]

"Wow! I did it... in time. Jasmine really is a piece of work."