Project Mage

The morning sun streamed through the windows of Okun's grand mansion. Aliana, Elena, and Gaiza sat, eating cereal they had discovered in the well-stocked pantry in the dining room.

Aliana took a moment to reflect and then turned to Gaiza with curiousity. "Gaiza," she began, "I've noticed something about you. Whenever we faced danger on the mystical island, you always seemed to conjure that water blade of yours, almost as if it were second nature. It seems to be your favorite spell. Did you really want to learn Sword Magic all this time?"

Gaiza hesitated for a moment before nodding and showing her excitement. "Yes, Princess Aliana. I've always admired you and your Sword Magic, but I never thought I could learn it. Now, with this sword, it's like a dream come true."

Aliana smiled warmly. "You should take Okun up on his offer, Gaiza. Go to the Eastern Sword School, train with all your heart. You of all people should have the potential, and you shouldn't let it go to waste. I have a feeling we'll be here for a while, so you'll have time to learn at least the basics."

Gaiza's eyes sparkled with starts. Elena, who had been listening quietly, added, "Gaiza, go for it. Aliana and I will be here to support you every step of the way. And who knows, maybe I'll find something to pursue here too."

Aliana glanced at Elena and then another bite of cereal. Just then, Aliana's sharp ears detected a faint footstep, but when she looked around and found nothing out of the ordinary. She turned to Elena and Gaiza and asked,

"Did either of you hear that? It sounded like a footstep."

Both Elena and Gaiza exchanged puzzled glances before shaking their heads in unison.

"No, we didn't hear anything,” they replied

Aliana shrugged her shoulders,

"Maybe it was just the house settling or something," she mused, taking another bite of her cereal.

Aliana, Elena, and Gaiza left the grand mansion behind. While walking away, Aliana looked back one last time at it. Just before she turned completely around, she could have sworn that she saw something, which looked like a little girl's face in one of the windows of the mansion. It was an odd, somewhat unsettling sight, but when she blinked and looked again, there was nothing there but the reflection of the morning sun.

Shaking her head, Aliana dismissed it as a trick of the light or her imagination. She caught up with her companions, and together, they ventured out into the sunny streets of Eastern Jancito.

The morning sun bathed Eastern Jancito in a warm, golden light as Aliana, Elena, and Gaiza strolled through the streets. Soon, they suddenly spotted Okun, the formidable blackbelt swordsman they had met the previous day, heading towards them. He gave them a nod of recognition upon approaching.

Aliana took the opportunity to strike up a conversation. "Okun, do you have any children?" she inquired.

Okun replied, "Yes, I have two. My son is quite the enthusiast when it comes to card games, always challenging me and others to a match. And then there's my daughter, the spirited one with blue hair. She's a student at the Eastern Sword School, a bundle of energy, I tell you."

Gaiza, curious, asked, "What's with the belts they wear? I noticed some students wearing them yesterday."

Okun smiled and began to explain. "Ah, those belts represent the ranking of Sword Magic users in the Eastern Sword God School. They start as white belts and work their way up through the colors while they progress and master their skills. My daughter is currently an orange belt, which is quite an accomplishment for her age."

Elena nodded in understanding. "It sounds like quite the journey. Do the colors signify different levels of proficiency?"

Okun nodded. "Indeed, they do. Each color represents a different level of mastery—from white to black. It's a way for the Sword Gods to track a student's progress and abilities."

Okun regarded Aliana, Elena, and Gaiza very seriously. "I have one request that I hope you'll consider," he began. "I'd like all three of you to participate in the upcoming tournament."

Aliana raised an eyebrow. "A tournament? What's the catch?"

Okun let out a deep sigh, perhaps with a bit of frustration. "Well, the tournament allows for a very special prize—a reward, I, myself, think should not have been used as such. It's known as the 7 Star's Crimson Blade, an artifact of legend, truly holding immense power. The fact that it's being given away as a reward worries me."

Elena frowned in thought. "So, you want us to enter the tournament to secure this artifact?"

Okun nodded. "Exactly. I really feel that your three entering the tournament is the best way to guarantee that the 7 Star's Crimson Blade doesn't get into the wrong hands. It's a dangerous weapon, and I don't want to see it misused. I tried hard to convince the organizers of this event otherwise, but they seem dead set on this course of action. Your entering and participation will raise the possibility of gaining the Crimson Blade by a large margin. And if you do manage to win, then I have something big to offer as a reward."

Elena appeared hesitant. "Thanks for the offer, but I don't think I'm good enough for this. I'm not even a Magical Sword user, and never have I seen so many in one place."

Okun raised an eyebrow. "What are your abilities, Elena?"

Elena paused for a second, and then replied, "Well, I am a telepath; that is my special skill, what I was commended for back where I'm from. Other than that, just the basic magic any mage could pull off. Telepathy's where I differ."

Okun leaned forward. "Elena, Let me tell you something. Most people believe that some of us are born extra special. But most people aren't. But that doesn't mean you can't learn, develop skills."

“Talents may give a head start to some, but hard work coupled with dedication to craft and the right guidance can take one a long way. It is often countless hours of practice and the willingness to learn from your mistakes that pave the path to mastery."

“It is not about where you start," Okun declared with an assured confidence, "I have seen many students who started with little to no talent in sword magic, yet with the right training became great warriors. It's about how far you are willing to go."

He then added, "You mentioned telepathy as your unique skill. That's something that can be incredibly useful in battles, as it allows for communication without words. If you decide to participate in the tournament, you'll have the opportunity to grow, learn, and surprise yourself with what you can achieve."

Elena's gaze dropped to her hand. Then she remembered the headmaster's praise and all those dark deeds she had taken part in. The feelings within her swirled, making it hard to rationalize her past actions and current situation. Then Okun's words cut into her internal uproar.

"Elena, I may not know your entire history, but what I do know is that you have a special gift, one of great value. It's time you learned to master these powers of yours not to please another human being, but to benefit yourself."

Okun's words gave Elena some renewed sense of confidence. She nodded slowly, "You're right," she replied. "I can't go on living in fear of what I have done in the past. I need to move on...."

Okun smiled seeing the will within her eyes. "That's it, Elena. Remember, the powers in you are part of you, and with the proper guidance and training, you can do much more than you have ever imagined."

Aliana smirked with mischief in her eyes. She leaned in slightly towards Okun.

"Alright, Okun, I'll agree to your favor on one condition."

Okun raised an eyebrow. "What's your condition?" he asked.

Aliana's smirk widened. She leaned in a little closer to whisper her demand in Okun's ear. After hearing her condition, Okun chuckled and nodded in agreement. "Very well," he said. "You drive a hard bargain, Princess."

With a sly grin, Aliana leaned back and accepted a small bag of money from Okun.

"Well, I should head back to the Sword school," Okun said, adjusting the belt on his tattered trousers. "But before I go, Aliana, I had a chance encounter with someone you might remember, Cassandra."

The name he mentioned, "Cassandra,” made Aliana flinch. She recalled the intense clash between her and Cassandra in the past. She quickly composed herself, not wanting Okun to notice her reaction.

"Cassandra, you say?" Aliana feigned ignorance, though her heart raced with anxiety.

“Yes, Cassandra," Okun replied. "I told her you were back in town, and she had quite the mixed reaction. She was… ‘Happy’, but not entirely."

Aliana's eyes widened in disbelief. "You told her I was back?" she exclaimed.

Okun chuckled, seemingly unperturbed by Aliana's reaction. "Yes, I thought I'd be helpful. I also mentioned you might drop by today."

Aliana's eyes widened in shock, and she exclaimed, "YOU, DID, WHAT?!"

Okun chuckled nervously. "Well, I thought it would be a good idea to help you meet the 6 Sword Gods," he explained, trying to justify his actions.

In that moment, Aliana remembered exactly why she had a love-hate relationship with Okun. “You know, Okun, you really haven't changed a bit," she said with irritation. "Back in the day, you always had this knack for overdoing things and making everything more complicated than it needed to be."

She threw her hands up in frustration. "You had to go and tell Cassandra I was back? Really? Do you have any idea what kind of mess you've just walked us into? I can’t believe you still think you’re helping by creating a whirlwind of chaos!"

Okun, taken aback by her reaction, tried to explain. "I just thought—"

Aliana cut him off. "Oh, I know what you thought! You thought you were being the hero again, meddling and making things worse. You've always had this talent for making everything unnecessarily complicated. If you ever wanted to prove you haven’t changed, congratulations, you’ve succeeded!"

She turned to Elena and Gaiza. "You see, this is what I meant. ‘Princess’s luck’ doesen’t exist… I can’t believe I didn’t see this coming."

Okun sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "I suppose I have a tendency to overstep. I just wanted to help. But I can see now that I might’ve gone a bit too far..”

Okun tried to place a smile on his face. "Cassandra lives in the Pink house, by the way. I did tell her soon so maybe you want to get there within the next hour."

Okun managed to keep his smile but sweat started to drop from his face. "Well, have fun!" He made a quick retreat after that comment.

Aliana took a step forward, intent on chasing him down, but Elena and Gaiza grabbed her arms.

"Princess Aliana, maybe you should—" Gaiza began. "—let him go, “Elena finished.

Aliana's face reddened. She yanked her arms free from their grasp and facepalmed.

"How dare he!" she screamed loudly through the street. "Every time, it’s like he’s trying to make things worse on purpose!"

Aliana, Elena, and Gaiza stood before the imposing pink house. The memories of Aliana's past encounters with Cassandra flooded her mind, causing her to hesitate.

Elena felt the turmoil inside Aliana, so she spoke first. "Aliana, are you sure about this? You’re meeting Cassandra again after all these years… It won't be easy."

Aliana nodded. “Cassandra was the one who always pushed me to become stronger, even if it means facing harsh truths. I…have to do this."

Gaiza chipped in. "Whatever that may happen, we are here with you, Princess Aliana."

Aliana felt touched by the support of her friends. She took a deep breath and said, "You are right. For better or worse, I have both of you with me. What could go wrong?"