Bondage

After Dan and Laura had a moment together, they decided to get to know each other better the next morning. Slept for six hours, they slept at 1 AM and woke up at 7 AM the next day.

Not even thirty minutes after getting out of bed and they were already being interrogated by Kai.

"Laura-chan Daijōbudesuka?" (Laura-chan, are you alright?) Kai asks worryingly

"Yeah, I'm fine." Laura assured

"You two are awfully close, huh?" Dan commented

"You okay too, Dan?" Kai asks Dan this time

"Yeah, I'm fine." He replied

"Good. Now tell me what happened." Kai said

"The beast was stronger than it should've been. It should've been a level one?" Dan said

"Yeah, something like that. But instead, we fought a level four." Laura added

"Yeah, I got thrown through multiple houses, she got stabbed in the shoulder." Dan said nonchalantly

"She was stabbed?!" Kai raised his voice

"Yeah... Wait you didn't know?" She asked, confused

"You two were fine when I found you." Kai claimed

"Oh, well. Then this guy with a weird mask named Shujin came. And apparently, he was there the entire time." Dan continued

"Kai, he could hide his mana wavelength completely and adjust it to what he sees fit." Laura added

"What did he want with you two?" Kai asks

"Something about a ring my dad owns." Dan sajd

"Your dad?" Kai uttered

"His dad's the Manipulator." Laura said

"You've gotta be shitting me." Kai said in utter disbelief

"He said he already found one of the three rings." Laura said

"Can we pause for a moment? Can either of you fill me in on what the fuck these rings are?" Dan asks, frustrated

"The Dayton triad rings, the Overhaul ring, the Star ring, and the Gravity ring. He wants the Gravity ring. Your dad is called Manipulator because he can manipulate gravity with the ring." Kai explains briefly

"Is he famous in the sorcerer world or something?" Dan asks about his dad

"He was one of the three sorcerers that were responsible for the destruction of Bright." (The city they destroyed in 2018 was called Shine city located in Bright) Kai said

"Oohhh..."

"He's still out there, somewhere. A ghost." Kai claimed

"So, you guys can't find him?" Dan questioned

"No, not yet. And even if we do find him, he's not gonna sit still and let us take him." Kai said

"What's his sorcerer rank?" Dan asks out of curiousity

"His rank would probably be High-rank grade 2. I said probably because the grade part of the ranks were only implemented seven years back." Kai said

"Aren't you a higher rank than him, though?" Dan sajd

"Spells that can manipulate intangible concepts like gravity, space, and time are very difficult to deal with. Not only that, it's not coming from him but his ring. The ring was made to be very efficient. Say like your max mana is a thousand and the ring only takes up like zero point one mana. He regains his mana quicker than he uses it." Kai claims it'd be harder than it is

"Oh, so you're saying he can just keep using it forever?" Dan assumed

"Yeah, and the spells he can cast has city level of destruction." Kai said

"Yeah that would be bad. Wouldn't want to destroy Bright again." Dan replies

"Okay, if that's all then you can go back to working on missions."

"Okay."

"Oh, by the way, where'd Sam learn how to fight?" Kai interestingly asks

"Me and my mom. She's a black belt in karate so it's mostly her, I just spar with him. Why?" Dan replied and asks

"Just wondering." Kai said

Kai then dashed out of the lobby and left. Sam walks out of the elevator and saw Dan sitting next to Laura.

"Hey, buddy, how are ya?" Sam asks

"I'm fine." Dan replied

"Hi to you too, Laura. How was your first mission with him? Was he a handful?" Sam jokes

"Uhhh... N-No, not really."

"How was your first?" Dan asks bacm

"Oh it went great, saved... Lives."

Sam suddenly lost the spark of joy in his eyes. He looked down and bit his lip. Dan then slaps Sam in the face.

"Ow, what was that?" Sam said, shocked

"You did what you could, okay?" Dan said

"Yeah...? Yeah."

"Where's Volta?" He asks

Sam's eyes lit back up with overwhelming joy.

"V? She's in her room, she's still sleeping it looks like. I knocked earlier." Sam replied

"It's too early, Sam." Dan said

"Too early for what?" Sam confused

"Never mind."

"Well, I'm gonna go get breakfast. You guys wanna join?" Sam asns

Dan looks over to Laura. "You wanna eat again, Laura?"

She nods at Dan.

"Alright then."

The three walked to the cafeteria. While walking, they met up with Nate who was with Victoria.

"Dan."

"Oh hey, Nate."

"..."

"You guys go on a head, I wanna talk to Nate for a bit." Dan said

"Alright, I'll leave you two, too." Vic said as she walks away

"See you later, Vic."

Vic joins Laura and Sam and head to the cafeteria.

Dan and Nate stood across each other, about three feet (~one meter) away. They stared at each other in silence for a few seconds.

"I wanna... Uh... Apologize." Dan said

"..."

"About being a dick the other day." Dan referred

"..."

"I still don't have an answer about the question you asked me after you hit me with your knee. And I'll keep looking for an answer, when I do, you'll be the first to know."

"Guess I'll be waiting for an answer." Nate replied

"Speaking of that day, what were you working on? You know with the maps and stuff." Dan asks

"I'd thought you already knew." Nate presumed

Nate pulls out the map from his pocket and hands it to Dan.

"I had speculations but I wasn't sure." Dan shrugged his shoulders

"Just looking for someone missing." Nate said

"Who?"

"My brother. He went missing ten years ago." Nate answered

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that." Dan apologized

"It's fine. I'm sure he's not dead. The thing is though, it was so long ago I barely remember his face, but I vividly remember his voice." Nate said

"Ten years is a long time. His voice might change, too." Dan made a good point

"He'd be seventeen or eighteen by now."

"I'm sure you'll find him, Nate."

"Yeah, I hope so."

The two then started walking to the cafeteria to join the other students.

The cafeteria was large but short. Fighting in the cafeteria is strictly prohibited. They actually would press charges if you did. They had good food though. Eggs, bacon, and toast for breakfast. Various lunch options, but no dinner.

Wooden picnic tables were neatly spread out in the cafeteria. It was quite lively. Faculty members, the CCC, other sorcerers, they were all eating there.

Two tables brought together—Jay's idea. He thought it'd be a great bonding session if they ate breakfast together.

"So, why do you have guns as your spells?" Sam asks Vic

"My dad, he was a sorcerer assassin." She replied

"An assassin?!" Sam screamed

"Yeah, it's actually pretty common in this line of work." Vic replied

"Really?!" Sam still in disbelief

"He's retired though. He's an expert marksman, and his spells are based off of guns." Vic replied

"Oh, that's cute. Minus the assassin part." Jay commented

"What about you, Laura? Why do you use a sword?" Sam asks again

"J-just a family thing." Laura replied bashfully

"How many type of sorcerers are there?" Sam asks aloud

"Normal ones, assassins, core users, swordsmen, speedsters, and Anomalies. So, like six." Jay replied

"Okay. What about you, Hiro? How did your first mission go?" Sam asks Hiro this time

"Well... I guess." Hiro shrugged his shoulders

"What did the beast look like?" Jay asks

"Like a weird looking cat." Hiro described

"Oh, mine was like a weird looking dog." Sam said

"What was working with Volta like?" Hiro asks Sam

"Yeah, since she always wear a blank face." Vic budges in

"She's nice, strong, fast, and a lot of other things." Sam claims

Dan and Nate arrived at the table holding their food tray. They sat at the empty space.

"He definitely likes her." Dan exclaimed

"Yo, Dan." Jay called

"Hmm?"

"How long have you known, Sam?" Jay asks

"Like three years." Dan answered

"Since middle school?!" Hiro surprised

"Yeah, he's a big pain in the ass." Dan claims

"Not as big as you. You literally beat up four dudes coz you were bored." Sam disagrees with Dan heavily

"Well..."

"Hey, Nathan." Hiro called

"Just call me Nate." Nate said, he's getting used to tbe nickname Dan gave him. He usually uses his full name for everything.

"Okay, Nate. How'd your first mission go?" Hiro corrects himself and asks

"Like a walk in the park." Nate claimed

"Yeah, being a cold sorcerer gets you a big advantage. You have reach for all close, mid, long range." Vic envied a little

"And top of that he's a Varr." Jay said

"Can you not mention that." Nate said

"Why not?" Jay asks

"Just no, please."

"Alright, alright."

Dan then glanced over his shoulder. He sees Heath eating alone. About four tables away. He's constantly on his phone while eating. Dan saw him grinning to himself.

"Yo, Jay." Dan called

"Yo."

"What's Heath like?"

"He's the type a' guy that don't bullshit around. A man of few words. He's quick to judge inna fight, y'know? No hesitation." Jay described Heath

"He's the guy with cards, right?" Sam asks

"Yup."

"Why's he eating alone? I'm usually in that spot." Dan asks

"Dunno. He spoke nothin' when we was on a mission." Jay replied

"Odd fella." Dan judged

"You're one to judge, Dan. You're weird yourself." Sam replied, annoyed heavily

"Touché." Dan said

The eight went and finished their breakfast quickly. They were all eager to get back on missions.