Ch. 1 Cain X Styker

* Click *

" Sigh." I rubbed my shoulder as I walked towards my bed as I took off my work clothes from my part-time job.

* Step *

* Plop *

I threw myself into bed, planting my face into the pillow. As I got comfortable, I then heard a rush of footsteps coming towards my door.

* Step! Step! *

* Bam! *

The door was slammed open to reveal my little sister.

" Brother!!" She shouted.

I peeked one of my eyes from the pillow as I looked at her

" What?" I groaned.

With an excited face, she rushed towards the bedside as she pointed at her phone in front of my face.

"Look! Check out the new game! " She exclaimed.

I squinted my eyes from my sister's phone as I turned my head back into the pillow.

" Can't you ask mom?" I asked as the pillow muffled my voice and hugged the pillow.

My sister groaned.

" Not this again! Mom said to ask you this time!" She explained as she tapped her phone on my head.

" Sigh." I sighed into my pillow.

Reaching into my pocket, I gave my sister my card.

" Yes!!! Thank you!!" my sister said excitedly as she grabbed the card from my hand before running off.

" Close the door!!" I shouted to my sister as she ran out of my room.

" Sorry! Oh! right! Schools tomorrow!" She shouted before running through the hallway.

" F*****ck!!" I shouted into my pillow.

" Dinner is ready!!" A shouted came from downstairs.

" Sigh." I sighed as I pushed myself from the bed and changed into comfortable clothes.

* Click *

I am exiting my room and walking downstairs to reveal my father in an apron.

As soon as he saw me walk down the stairs, he smiled.

" Good morning, my baby." He spoke with a gentle voice.

" Sigh, I'm not a child anymore. You can stop calling me that." I cringe at my father's greeting as I sat down at the table.

My father chuckled as he brought the food to the table.

"There! I got this recipe from the other house husbands!" Father said proudly as he made me a plate and gave it to me.

" Thank you, dad." I said as I started digging in.

" How was work?" My father asked as he washed his hands before drying them.

" Troublesome as always." I replied with tiredness in my voice.

Father nodded.

" That store has been seeing more customs ever since you started working there." Father commented as he turned towards me with a worried face.

I noticed this as I looked at my food.

" Don't worry about the women there. I can take care of myself." I spoke.

" I used to think the same ever since I met your mother." Father replied.

Before I could reply, a shout came from the door as it opened.

" I'm home!"

I looked towards my father.

" Speak of the devil."

" Oh, hush." Father replied as he went to greet my mother by the door.

I looked down at my food before looking around the house.

I was eating at the table and could see the living room. My parents walked in from the hallway.

" Sigh, how was work, son?" Mother spoke as she rubbed my head before sitting across from me.

" It was fine, just the usual." I replied.

" I can see that. You seem tired." She commented.

" Not tired, just drained from all the customers." I said before taking another bite.

" Oh? Please do, tell?" Mom asked as dad made a plate for her.

" Sigh. So there was this one woman who wouldn't leave the store because she wanted to talk to me, but the manager and other workers were not having it." I spoke as my father walked upstairs.

" Hoh? and then what?" Mom said as she listened in.

" Then she caused a huge scene which attracted the rest of the customers. But the thing was, she wasn't the first one. Sigh, I think I should start looking for another part-time job." I said, as I got up to get a drink.

Mom nodded as she saw my father and little sister coming downstairs.

" Ow! Ow! ow! My ear!! " my little sister shouted as Father pulled her ears to the table.

I glanced at them before taking my cup to the table.

" Sigh, seriously. You should stop playing those games." Father sighed as he made a plate for her and himself.

My little sister sat next to me as father sat next to Mother.

I stretched my right hand towards her. She understood and slapped my card into my hand.

Mother saw this as she turned towards me.

" You should stop spoiling your little sister. Look how she turned out." She said before looking at my little sister.

My little sister gave a nervous chuckle as she and my father waited for my mother to eat first.

I didn't care as I took another bite.

" Gulp, maybe you guys should stop spoiling her." I pointed out as I looked at my mother and father.

Father looked away and whistled as Mother glared at me.

I stared back as I slowly put the food to my mouth.

Mom picked up her utensils and began to eat. This was a sign for my father and little sister to begin as well.

The sounds of utensils were the only thing that resounded through the room before my mother spoke.

"This is your last year of middle school, right?" Mother asked.

" Yes, it is." I responded.

" And which school are you going for high school?" She looked up from her plate.

I paused for seconds before putting the food into my mouth.

Mother noticed I was quiet as she laid down her utensils before she looked at me with sharp eyes.

I looked at my father, who looked away before looking at my mother.

" Paragon Academy." I replied.

* Slam *

" You are not going to Paragon Academy!!" Mother shouted.

" Why not?" I asked calmly as my mother stood up from her seat.

I knew this would happen.

Father and sis stopped eating as they watched us with worry.

" Because I said so!!"

" No. Tell me the real reason." I said calmly as Mother glared at me.

" I want to know why I can't go to Paragon Academy? Is it because I'm a boy? Do you think I'm weak and can't live on my own!?" I stood up and glared back at my mother.

" Your talent could not keep up with the rest! You should - "

" Should what!!?? Stay here and wait for my death or a woman to just come and take me away and be some house husband for the remainder of my life!?" I replied.

" Now why don't we -" Father tried to calm us but failed.

" Shut it." Me and mother both spoke without looking at him.

" I'm going to Paragon." I stated as I looked back to my mother.

" No, you are not!!" She replied.

" I can take care of myself -" I tried to agree but was interrupted l by her.

" I know! But your talent is not great like a woman!! You should just go to Arcana!" Mother replied.

" I'm going to Paragon! And you will not stop me! you have no control over me!!" I swung my arm across as a gesture as I looked into my mother's eyes.

" Sigh! Why can't you be like your older sister?" Mom sighed as she held her head.

" Maybe it's because I'm not her. She may have joined the guild as an adventurer, but I'm going to be Magic Swordsman." I spoke before turning around and walking towards my room.

" And what of the girls there!!?? They could do -"

" Do what!!? Take advantage of me like how you took advantage of dad when you two were young!" The room turned silent as Mother stared at me in shock.

" That's right! I know what happened!" I pointed at myself.

Sister looked startled as she looked at Mother before looking at Father as who looked away in shame.

I stopped as I started regretting what I shouted in front of my little sister.

" Tsk." I turned around as I left for my room.

" Son, wait!" Mother shouted, but I ignored her as I walked up the stairs.

The three of them watched as I walked up the stairs.

As soon as I got up the stairs, I entered the bathroom and locked the door behind me.

" Sigh." I sighed as I leaned on my two hands on the sink and looked at the mirror.

Looking at myself. My metalic dark red hair shone as I looked at myself with my dark red eyes.

I moved a part of my bang that covered my right eye, I paused as I saw the small scar that I got when I was a child.

" Sigh." Sighing once more as I sat down in the floor and dragged myself against the wall.

" Talent, my ass. I just need that skill." I spoke to myself as I put my knees to my chest and rested my head on my arms.

' I want to be free from this place.'

It was them I remembered my journal.

" I need my journal." I concluded as I got up and splashed some water on my face before walking towards my room.

Entering my room, I immediately looked under the bed and pulled out a key from underneath.

Getting up, I walked into the closet and opened a container, which unlocked to reveal another key.

Grabbing the key, I went towards my study desk and pulled the drawer on the right side, and pulled the books out to reveal a key hole.

Inserting the key and turning it, I unlocked it to reveal a set of books.

Talking one out of the drawer and closing it back up, I sat on the nearby chair as I opened the journal.

I made these journals when I was a child and detailed my everyday life and thoughts to deal with my mental health growing up.

The pages were written in Japanese, Chinese, English, Russian, and Korean. The languages were written randomly by each separate page.

I turned the pages one by one, reading them, seeking the information I had written in the journal.

' There.'

I stopped at a page with my finger as I started reading.

' Analysis. A skill used by mages to comprehend spells and skills. There is a way to upgrade the skill with a shard of Eden. Doing so would make the person with analysis to analyze techniques, skills, spells, and most of all, magic particle.'

Magic particle. It's like an atom but filled with pure magical energy. Controlling these particles will create spells and use skills like analysis.

Finishing the page, I closed the book and put it back in the drawer. As I did so, I saw a glass container that read, "DON'T OPEN!!' looking at it for a few seconds before closing another book caught my eye.

' Haven't checked this in a while.'

I grabbed the book that read, ' Cain X. Stryker, ' Opeing the book to reveal blank pages. But a few seconds later, words began to appear as it showed my name and some numbers.

[ Cain X. Stryker ]

[ Rank E+ ]

[ Mana/Mageia: E+ ]

[ Mana/Mageia Control: E+ ]

[ Strength: E+ ]

[ Stamina: E+ ]

[ Agility: E+ ]

[ Luck: B+ ]

[ Charm: A+ ]

" Sigh." I leaned back in the chair as I looked at the ceiling.

' I finally hit my limit.' I thought to myself.

' The analysis skillbook cost at least a couple grand. With that, I should be able to start increasing my training, even if I can not improve anymore.' I closed my eyes before opening them once more.

I let my hair loose as I wrapped my hair tie on my left wrist.

'This will keep my mageia to a normal person's level. I'm glad I got this first before I unlocked my Mageia, then I should have by the rules.' I looked out the window that was covered by the curtains.

' This is my last year in middle school. I will need to increase my training and study as much as I can.' I thought as I looked back at the drawer once again.

I then steeled my resolve as I pulled out my phone and went online to purchase the skillbook.

' I'll earn more money in the future, anyway,' I convinced myself as I finished the order.

I then put the book back in the drawer and put the keys back in their places.

I walked back to my bed and picked up my phone

' Eight days. That is when it will come in the mail.' I confirmed the address and order before charging my phone and throwing myself onto the bed.

However, before I could close my eyes, a knock came from the door.

* Knock Knock *

" Son?" Father opened the door as he peeked inside.

I sat up on the bed as I looked at my father with a raised eyebrow.

" Yes?"

" I'm sorry about your mother she's just worried about -"

" That some women will take advantage of me? Sigh, like I said before, dad, I can take care of myself." I interrupted as I stood up.

Even after speaking, Father still had a worried face.

" B... But Paragon? That's the number one academy in the Empire. Not only that, but no male has ever entered that school."

I walked up to my father and held his shoulders, and looked him in the eye.

" Dad, look, I'll be fine. I'm sure I'llC be able to get in."

Father looked like he didn't believe as I pushed him out of my room.

" Goodnight, dad."

" Sigh, goodnight, son," Dad said before walking down the hallway.

* Click *

I closed the door.

' Just one more year.' I thought to myself.

I walked toward my bed to get to sleep for school tomorrow.