chapter 3

The sun's light showed into Scott's room in the early morning. For Scott, he was curled up in his bed, facing the wall—his small and slim form outlined through the bed sheets. He's been in this position most of the night, not getting much sleep because of the violent coughing fits.

Knock Knock.

A knocking came from his door before an older female voice came through.

"Scott? My name is Sharlot, and Walter told me to give you a change of clothes." She introduced. "May I come in?" Sharlot asked.

'Is it already time to get up?' Scott groaned before he sat up, not noticing his chest was showing, and looked at the door before answering.

"Yes." He answered, he grimaced at his horsed voice.

After a few seconds, the door opened, and a tall woman wearing a maid's outfit stepped in, carrying clothes. She was about a couple of inches taller than Scott, with silky smooth amber hair flowing down her back. Her bright blue eyes and gentle smile glowed as the sunlight hit her.

She put the clothes onto his desk before turning to Scott. Sharlot then bowed and looked at Scott.

"It's a pleasure to meet yo-" Sharlot said before she paused. "Oh my god! Are you okay?!" She screamed, rushing over to Scott.

Scott then remembered he was coughing up blood for most of the night. He looked down to see both his bare chest and hands covered in spots of blood. Scott tried to cover up but was lifted and floating in a giant water bubble before he knew it. His mind couldn't keep up with the events happening to him.

"Water magic, Healing pulse." Sharlot chanted, her blue and tan grimoire floating next to her.

After a second, the water's edge rippled, traveling across the surface and inside the bubble. When it hit Scott, his throat started to feel less sore. The ripples continued for a couple of minutes before Scott fell back onto his bed, surprisingly dry. Scott then realized the bubble also cleaned the dried blood. 'That felt nice,' Scott thought, releasing a shaky breath.

"How are you feeling?" Sharlot asked, concern filling her voice.

Scott looked back at Sharlot. His mind halted as he noticed what she started doing. She was groping him to see if any injuries were left, her eyes full of worry, but Scott didn't notice. Scott began to shake from her soft fingers flowing around him, his breathing getting faster.

Scott's world shrank to the confines of his racing heart, a chamber echoing with the clamor of irrational fears. Each breath fought through a constricting throat, a battle against an unseen enemy.

'This isn't her, she's not Sally.' Scott tried to rationalize in his mind, but it was futile.

His mind, a storm of fragmented thoughts, raced down rabbit holes of dread. A kaleidoscope of irrational fears danced before his eyes, each more grotesque than the last. Sharlot's voice morphed and muffled into a discordant symphony, a cacophony that threatened to drown him.

Tremors coursed through his limbs, betraying the desperate struggle for control. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead, testimony to the fevered pitch of his panic. The air, thick with an unspoken terror, hung like a shroud around him.

'I can't breathe,' a mantra, whispered but loud in the silence of his struggle. Each word echoed the desperate cadence of his gasps. The room seemed to pulse in rhythm with his heartbeat, a nasty drum heralding his descent into the abyss.

His surroundings blurred, details lost in the fog of his unraveling sanity. The once soft bed became quicksand, threatening to pull him down and trap him.

A dissonant chorus of fears played on, a relentless soundtrack to his unraveling. The panic, an uninvited guest, ransacked the sanctuary of his mind. Shadows danced on the periphery, spectral manifestations of his deepest anxieties.

In the crucible of panic, time lost its coherence. Seconds stretched into eternities, each heartbeat a thunderous reminder of his vulnerability. Scott grappled with the intangible, a lone sailor on a storm-tossed sea of irrationality.

Unaware of Scott's panic attack, Sharlot continued to check for injuries.

"What happened?" Sharlot asked concerned.

When she looked at Scott's face, his dark red eyes glazed over as if he saw right through her. Tears fell on his face as he froze in fear. She then realized he was also shaking violently. She immediately backed off in a panic. Sharlot tried to get Scott's attention by waving her hand before him but failed.

Sharlot watched his tears fall onto his chest, which, to her horror, was covered in surgical scars. She didn't notice them when she was frantically checking for injuries. She could see they were white and straight around his chest, flowing into his arms and under his pants. Most looked six years old, while others looked only a few years old.

'Who could do this to a child!' Sharlot exclaimed in terror as she processed what she was seeing.

As abruptly as it had seized him, the panic began to recede. His breath, once a rasping struggle, found a steadier rhythm. The room, a distorted mirage, gradually regained its familiar contours.

Scott looked towards Sharlot, who had horror written over her face. He felt drained and wanted to be alone.

"Leave… please," Scott whispered, his voice sounding small and defenseless.

It snapped Sharlot out of her thoughts. She looked into his now dull eyes, tears still flowing freely.

"I'm-m sorry I didn't me-," Sharlot started but got cut off.

"Please," Scott begged, still whispering. His head was down and eyes shadowed.

Sharlot nodded, got out of bed, and headed for the door. She turned her head towards Scott, an apology on her tongue, but held it instead. After she closed the door, she immediately headed to Walter to tell him about the situation.

Scott sat there, still trying to get his breathing down as phantom pains wracked him. He groaned at this whole situation, feeling done with the day already.

"Don't worry, Scott. It will only hurt for a little. You want to get stronger, right?" A hauntingly sweet female voice whispered into his ear. The same voice that had haunted him ever since he had lived with his uncle.

Scott whipped around, expecting the worst, but nothing was there. His breathing started picking up again in panic.

'Sally's not here. Why would she be.' Scott's rational side of his mind comforted him.

After a few minutes to calm down, Scott got out of bed and stood in front of the mirror. His lean body was slightly shaking still, his black hair more messy than usual. His dark red eyes were dull and somewhat puffy. 'Stupid,' Scott thought, berating himself. 'It's been years. You should be over this.' He continued, feeling stupid for having a panic attack. 'I am stronger now. I won't be hurt like that again.' Scott promised himself, but part of him didn't believe that.

Scott went towards the clothes where Sharlot had left. It was an entirely new outfit, much fancier than he had ever worn. As he put it on, he couldn't help but feel guilty for kicking Sharlot out like that. 'I will have to apologize to her when I see her,' Scott thought.

Scott emerged from his room and donned an aqua fur mantle that enveloped his chest, its parted halves revealing a glimpse of the black vest underneath. A diamond-shaped pendant clasped the mantle at his neck, proudly displaying the emblem of the Aqua Deer over his heart. The mantle, soft to the touch, bore the echoes of his squad's logo. The strap of his grimoire case went over his right shoulder to his left hip. Each step he took in his black boots resonated with a subtle squeak against the hard marble floor, creating a rhythm that echoed down the hallway. The snug fit of the black vest and white undershirt accentuated his lean physique, clinging to him as he moved.

Scott was lost in thought as he walked down the hallway. The thoughts of his panic attack were still fresh in his mind, making him feel stupid the longer he thought about it. A red flush crept up his face and ears, remembering that Sharlot saw him at his lowest. 'Why do I have to be like this?' Scott internally groaned.

Scott shook his head in frustration, ruffling his messy hair. When he shook his head, he noticed that he had walked for around a minute from his door. He looked around and saw the paintings from last night. They ranged from mountains to cities, and they were colorful and vibrant. He stopped at a painting of Kikka from the point of view of the top of the Colosseum. The sun shined high above the city, with merchants working diligently. People were browsing the goods and listening to the street performers. Children ran around playing games with each other.

'It's like I'm looking through a window, watching a normal day of Kikka.' Scott thought in amazement.

He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't hear footsteps approach him.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" An excited female voice asked next to him.

Scott jumped back out of fright. He turned and saw a short, petite woman with straight black hair that went to her chin. Her kind grey eyes stared into his startled dark red ones. A giggle left her mouth before she spoke.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. My name is Fragil Tormenta, and yours is Scott, right?" Fragil asked with a smile.

It took a second before Scott's brain caught back up to speed. And with a cough, he finally answered.

"Yes, my name is Scott Lambergotem. It's nice to meet you, Fragil." His face was red from being caught off guard.

Fragil looked back at the painting and asked. "Do you know who painted these?"

Scott shook his head, wondering the same thing. A big smile appeared on her face as she answered.

"It's no other than our captain, Rill!" She cheered.

Scott's eyes went wide from surprise.

"Wow, he's a captain and an amazing artist?" Scott asked in amazement.

Fragil's eyes were stars as she nodded enthusiastically, lovingly bragging about Rill.

"Yep! He is so impressive. With his paint magic, he can paint beautiful art and has enough power to become a captain at such a young age." Fragil bragged as she fawned over her beloved captain.

She was so intense with her passion for her captain that it became palpable, making Scott feel like he made the right choice to join the Auqa Deer. He looked back at the painting with a new light.

"So he uses paint magic?" Scott asked with curiosity.

"Mhm, it's so beautiful when he uses it," she continued with a big smile.

"Anyways, as your senior, you will work with me until you get the hang of this." Fragil cheered happily.

"Well, if that's the case, please take care of me then," Scott replied while bowing, which got a giggle out of Fragil.

"You don't have to be so formal here. We're a family here." Fragil added while patting Scott's back, making him cringe a little.

"If you follow me, I will show you to the dining room. There should be some members still there that you can meet." Fragil said while gesturing to follow her.

Scott took a deep breath and followed, grateful for the distraction from his panic attack. They walked down the hallway, the silence filled with Fragil's pleasant humming. Scott glanced at the other paintings, all beautiful and vibrant. Their steps echoed as they made it to the stairs. As they made their way down, Scott could see the front door and the open area with Walter and some members. Walter was in front of his magic door, letting members through it.

"Good morning, Walter." Fragil brightly smiled as they made their way to him.

Walter looked towards them and gave them a one-armed bow.

"Good morning to you, too, Fragil. And Good morning to you, Scott." Walter replied with a gentle smile.

"Good morning," Scott replied simply.

Walter looked over Scott for a couple of seconds, examining his outfit.

"Do the clothes fit you? We had to guess because we haven't gotten your measurements yet." Walter asked.

Scott looked down at his outfit and shrugged.

"It fits perfectly. I'm just not used to this kind of thing," Scott admitted.

"That is good to hear. I would still like to get your measurements later if you don't mind?" Walter continued.

Scott nodded before Fragil cut in.

"What did the maids make for breakfast today?" A little dribble left her mouth as she thought of the options.

"I believe it was sausage with scrambled eggs." Walter chuckled, knowing how Fragil would react.

"Yes, my favorite!" Fragil cheered with stars in her eyes. "Come on, Scott, you'll love the cooking here; it's just the best." Fragil grabbed Scott's sleeve and started dragging him towards the dining room.

As Walter watched Scott get dragged off, an expression of discomfort was on Scott's face. Walter took a deep breath and made up his mind about what he was going to do that day.

'If I want to serve and help him, I must know what is happening to him.' Walter declared in his mind.

After an hour of introductions and breakfast with some of the Aqua Deer members, Scott and Fragil made their way to the front area. Scott remembers meeting some interesting people from Cesc with his Shakudo and Francis's water creation magic.

Cesc is known for his love of animals and hates to fight magical beasts because of this, even if they hurt him. Francis loves to fight and watch people fight. He already asked Scott to a fight sometime in the future, which Scott agreed to.

When Scott showed off Slimy, they started asking him about his magic. Having all that attention was exhausting, but they all seemed to like Slimy, especially Fragil, who was now carrying him. Scott looked over and saw that Fragil was still fawning over him, with him pressed to her chest. They passed by doors and hallways on their way to the front area, hoping Walter was still there.

"You're just so cute!" Fragil squealed, pressing Slimy harder into her chest. Luckily, Slimy didn't seem to mind the attention.

"How could you keep something so cute and squishy from me." Fragil pouted, looking towards Scott.

Scott tilted his head before replying. "How did I know you would love Slimy so much?"

Fragil got an offended look on her face, her grey eyes piercing his dark red ones. "Look at this face and tell me!" Fragil exclaimed while putting Slimy in his face. She stomped her foot on the marble floor for emphasis.

Scott chuckled nervously, not knowing how to reply to that. Fragil just huffed and started fawning over Slimy more. They walked for a couple of minutes before they reached the front area.

They saw Walter sitting on one of the red couches, sipping tea and reading a book. When he heard them enter, he put down his book and tea. He patted down his black vest and approached them.

"Hey Walter, have you seen Rill?" Fragil asked.

Walter's smile faltered a little.

"He unfortunately has a meeting with the Coral Peacock," Walter answered professionally, but his eyes looked pained.

Fragil sighed and looked towards Scott. "Which squads asked you to join them?" Fragil asked nervously.

"Aqua Deer, Coral Peacock, Purple Orcas, and Black Bulls. Why do you ask?" Scott asked nervously in return.

"Well," Fragil began but paused briefly, thinking about the best way to put it. "Rill has a bad habit of boosting when someone chooses his squad over theirs." Fragil dejectedly finished as it pained her to say something terrible about Rill.

Scott paused at that. 'He didn't seem like that kind of person.' Scott thought before Walter added fuel to the fire.

"It didn't help that Slimy was the one who chose for Scott because he believed that Rill had the tastiest magic." Walter committed, which made Fragil look down at Slimy with mixed emotions.

"He will be bragging about this for a long time." Fragil sighed, knowing this would be a headache for the Aqua Deer. She plopped down on the sofa that Walter was sitting on and pinched her nose in annoyance.

Both Fragil and Walter had depressed looks on their faces, which made Scott feel guilty. The sun showed through the windows above the front door, giving them a shadowy look.

"Sorry, I didn't know that letting Slimy choose would be a pain." Scott apologized.

Slimy's face went red, and it looked down, embarrassed and feeling guilty too for causing trouble.

"It's fine, Scott. You and Slimy didn't know how Rill can be." Fragil comforted with a couple of pats that made Scott jump since she was sitting on the sofa just a second ago.

'Is that her magic? Teleportation?' Scott pondered.

Walter then coughed into his fist to get Scott and Fragil's attention.

"You wanted to retrieve some items from your home, right?" Walter asked, wanting to change the subject.

Scott thought about it and nodded. "Yes, I have some books and tools I would like to grab. Also, I want to tell my Uncle what squad I got into," Scott confirmed.

"Okay, we can go right now." Walter conformed.

"And after that, we can start your first mission!" Fragil added excitedly, pumping her fist in excitement.

"Oh? Already? I didn't expect to get one already." Scott admitted, excitement filling his heart.

Fragil laughed. "Of course, it's best to start as soon as possible."

"Yes, you don't seem like the type that would like to wait, so Rill set up a mission for you and Fragil," Walter added.

Slimy started wiggling with excitement. Scott felt the same.

"What's the mission?" Scott excitedly asked as Slimy wiggled furiously in Fragil's arms.

"It's a secret, but I will give you a hint. It deals with magical wolves." Fragil said mysteriously, which made Scotts and Slimy's excitement skyrocket.

"But, first, let us get your belongings. I need to know where you live," Walter asked, while his hand started glowing pink.

"Kikka," Scott replied, his excitement palpable.

A door then appeared in front of them. Walter opened the door to reveal the same pink energy swirling around as last night. He gestured Fragil and Scott to enter, and without hesitation, Fragil entered, holding an excited Slimy still in her clutches. Scott was about to follow when he felt his grimoire case shake. Scott paused in confusion for only a second before he realized what happened.

'Slimy ate some of the warp door!' Scott panicked internally.

He waited to see if there was any pain or if the door would break from it. Luckily for Scott, neither happened.

'Thank god. Slimy only ate a little of it.' Scott sighed in relief.

He waited to see if there was any pain or if the door would break from it. Luckily for Scott, neither happened.

Scott let out a breath that he didn't know he was holding. 'That stupid glutton,' Scott thought annoyed. Scott took a deep breath and walked through the door.