One Month Later
Saint drives Prince down a quiet hallway in a wheelchair toward his room. The aftermath of Prince's devastating attack against Nas had left him paralyzed and critically damaged.
"Here we are, Prince," Saint says with a faint smile.
Prince stares straight ahead. His body barely moves. Prince struggles to even speak,
Saint's eyes soften. "Let's get you in bed…"
He gently drapes Prince's arm over his shoulder and helps him lie down. Prince settles onto the mattress, eyes empty as he stares at the ceiling.
Saint exits out of the room, shutting the door with care. He leans back against it, a deep exhale slipping out.
"Hey…" a soft voice calls.
He glances to the side. It's Jane.
"Hey," he replies, coldly, barely acknowledging her before walking off.
Jane hurries after him and grabs his shirt from behind, resting her head against his back. Saint pauses.
"What do you want, Jane?" he asks, his voice distant.
A tear rolls from her cheek and falls onto the warehouse floor.
"What's wrong with you? You know it wasn't your fault what happened to Prince… so stop…"
Saint stays silent for a moment. Then, without warning, he pushes her away.
"I'm gonna kill that guy for doing that to Prince. With or without you all."
He continues down the hallway, leaving Jane behind, trembling.
"But Jovi said we should keep a low profile!" She shouts.
Saint grits his teeth and turns around, "I don't give a damn what Jovi said! Prince is family, and yet we let Nas leave breathing."
A nearby door creaks open. Mari steps out, eyes looking sleepy. "Am I interrupting something?" she asks, rubbing her eyes.
Saint scoffs and walks off without a word.
Mari raises an eyebrow, watching him go. "What's with him?"
Jane wipes her eyes. "He wants to get revenge for Prince…" she says softly.
Mari's nose twitches. She pulls Jane into a comforting hug.
"He's just mad… we all are… but Jovi said to stay put. He's still recovering from his injuries."
Jane nods weakly in her arms.
…
Elsewhere…
Ari arrives at Taiho's instructor room. Inside, a few familiar faces are already there, Monita, Tlen, Hazu… and a girl he doesn't recognize.
Taiho enters with a clap of his hands. "So these are my beloved disciples for the year?"
He quickly scans each of them, stepping back.
"Why don't we start with introductions? From left to right, start."
"I'm Ari, first-year," Ari says casually, stepping back.
Monita moves up next. "I'm Monita… first-year… and this is Dori Dori…" she says softly.
Tlen steps forward. "Yo. Tlen, first-year."
Then Hazu walks up with his head held high, "Hazu. Number 1 ranked. Second-year."
The unfamiliar girl steps up with a cheerful smile. "I'm Tanya, second-year. Let's have fun, 'kay?"
She's cute, with long brown hair and blonde highlights.
"Look at all of you go!" Taiho grins.
"With that out of the way, let's talk about how the rest of the year will look until the main tournament."
He pulls out a whiteboard and begins writing.
"For a month now, I've trained each of you individually. But from now on, we'll be working in groups. You'll be heading out on missions tailored for your skills. Your job is to send me updates and keep detailed logs of everything you do."
Ari raises a hand. "Yes?" Taiho says, pointing to him.
"What type of missions?"
Taiho strokes his chin. "Mostly handling Psychomaners, securing key people, investigating crime scenes… stuff like that."
"Psychomaners?" Tlen says nonchalantly, leaning against the wall.
Hazu answers before Taiho can. "Psychomaners are Mana users that use their powers for evil."
Tlen lifts his eyebrows, nodding slowly.
"Yes, exactly," Taiho says, writing again.
"Your first mission will be investigating an abandoned warehouse in Citrobal. You all know where that is, right?"
The group nods.
"If any Psychomaners are there, you may dispose of them if you have the evidence, or bring them in. Entirely up to you. Just make sure you log everything."
"Any other questions? If not, let's start your first group training."
As everyone disperses, Taiho stops Ari and Monita.
"I have to tell you two something."
They sit while Hazu and Tanya stretch nearby.
"Your previous classmate, Saint, has been reported as a Psychomaner. He's wanted for the murder of an Instructor. If you put the pieces together… I'm sure you know who."
Ari's eyes widen. He stares at the ground, covering his mouth in disbelief.
"Are you sure?" he asks.
"I'm afraid so. I'm sorry. I'm only telling you two out of personal concern. No other students know this. Please keep it under the radar," Taiho says.
Monita watches them quietly.
…
Later That Night…
Saint walks into the cold night air, distancing himself from the warehouse. His hands stay in his pockets as his mind replays everything, Nas's arrival, Prince stepping in, his own inaction.
"Damn it…" he mutters.
He looks up at the sky. It's dark blue and dotted with stars. Owls hoot and birds chirp in the distance.
Time passes, and he realizes he's wandered too far.
"Crap… I got lost in thought…"
He starts heading back, but a wave of Mana suddenly crashes behind him.
"What the?!"
The air tightens. Saint slowly turns, eyes widening.
"This feeling… is this?"
Another pulse hits him from behind. He turns around again.
"It has to be… there's no mistake!"
Two figures step from opposite sides, a man and a young woman.
"Saint, descendant of Nibiru," the man calls out.
Saint spins around again, shocked. He drops into a fighting stance.
"Who are you?" he demands.
The man lifts his hands. "We're not here to fight. Viola, get over here."
The woman playfully brushes past Saint and joins the man, whispering something in his ear.
"Focus, Viola," he says, irritated.
Saint doesn't lower his guard.
The man steps forward. "You're a descendant, like us. My name is Stain. This is Viola. We're also descendants of Nibiru."
…