Chapter 5: Friends

Chapter 5: Friends

MIKO

Three days passed, and Kayla still had a high fever. Since that incident, she had not fully woken up. Whenever she opened her eyes, she began to whimper in pain until she cried herself to sleep again without saying a single word.

I have never felt so awful, I watched her suffer, and I could do nothing.

It was my fault that she overused her magic so much that she could have died from it.

While Lilith lectured me about my failure, I just stood there and could say nothing in my defense.

I was frustrated with my own ignorance. I had never cared too much about other people's lives, but Kayla was different. It is my responsibility to look after her.

The biggest problem was that her fever was coming from her mana system. You can think of it as another circulatory system in the body, and this system was damaged.

This led to the problem that her body did not accept the newly produced mana and started a defense mechanism. She was in fighting mode the whole time, heating up to eliminate this false infection.

At first, I thought she had just used up all her mana, but her body's reaction was far too drastic for that. Fainting due to a drained mana system wasn't that unusual, but vomiting blood and developing a high fever is something else.

Lilith told me that these symptoms are also not unknown in the world of mages. But normally, it was not possible to stress the mana system to this extent… it seemed that Kayla was missing some kind of limiter.

After telling Lilith what happened, I begged her to find someone to help Kayla, but she assured me that no one could do that now.

She was sure that she wasn’t in any real danger and only had to endure the fever. I'm almost certain Lilith simply didn't want to pay for a healer…

◆◆◆

It was the fifth day, and her fever was finally going down. I was taking a nap on a chair next to her bed when she finally started talking again.

“Did he make it?”

Her first concern was wondering if she was able to save Krystoff. That idiot really didn't care that much about herself, did she?

"He is doing well. His wound is not completely healed, but he will fully recover," I explained, looking at Kayla with a smile. I was relieved to hear her voice again.

"I'm glad, and I'm sorry that I worried you... I.. I know you were always talking to me, but I couldn't speak. Thank you for staying by my side."

She still sounded very weak, but from now on, it could only get better.

"It sucked talking to a literal corpse, so don't ever do that again," I said, pouting.

Now that she's better, I actually feel a little embarrassed and also a little angry because I've done nothing but wait for her all this time.

“I promise not to disappoint you again.” She said, smiling slightly.

"You have never disappointed me. You have done a great job. Some of your patients sent you flowers and wished you a speedy recovery." I pointed with a nod in the direction of her desk, which was full of vases and various boxes of candy.

Kayla breathed out heavily. “I still feel like shit.” She started to laugh. “What exactly happened to me?”

I started to explain everything I knew about the condition she had.

“Lucky me, I guess.” This was her only comment after I finished the explanation. She definitely was lucky, and we didn’t know yet how that incident would affect her in the future.

I was sure she needed training. She needed to improve her mana control so something like this could never happen again.

“Miko?”

“Yes?”

"Is your offer still available?"

"What offer?"

"The boot camp, I think I need it."

"If we can convince Lilith, yes."

I hadn't worked out a plan for the camp yet because I didn't know to what extent we could respond to mission requests, and if I'm honest, I don't want Kayla doing any work until I know that she will be fine if she uses similar amounts of mana again.

“But you should not think about anything like that now. Get well first.”

"Okay, master," Kayla said, turning to the wall.

Master? I guess she noticed how I treated her from time to time. But it actually didn't sound so bad because, in the end, she's somewhat like my apprentice.

"And I have one more request."

"Spit it out."

"I want to know more about you. I understand if you don't want to talk about your past, but I'm genuinely interested."

"Ah, you're curious about why I was banned, aren't you?"

"To be honest, that's only a small part of what I want to know about you, but yes, that too."

"I see you're taking advantage of the fact that you almost died. Just to let you know, I'm not going to tell you anything just because I feel guilty."

KAYLA

I don't know how long I was out. The moments when I was awake were so rare and painful that I preferred to forget them immediately.

But I haven’t forgotten and don’t want to forget that Miko was always there for me. Even when I slept, I felt her presence, sitting by my side.

She was the only reason why I wanted to wake up again as soon as possible.

The reason she cared about me didn't matter that much to me. Whether it was guilt or affection was irrelevant.

Strange that the first thing I did after I regained consciousness was to ask about Krystoff. The last thing I remember about that day is how his blood splattered on my face and body.

I was honestly relieved to hear that I was able to save his life. So, in the end, the pain I endured was not for nothing.

After thanking Miko, she acted a bit differently than usual. Until now, she was always very professional and friendly but distant.

At that moment, I felt that she had come closer to me, and after she explained what had happened to me, I took the opportunity to ask her about herself.

“So, what do you want to know?” she asked, looking at me with a slight smile.

I want to be careful not to ask any uncomfortable questions.

“Let’s start with your ban. What happened?”

“I should explain some other stuff first, but I don’t want to, so I'll try to do a short summary. Every five years, we elect a king and queen of mages. This is a pretty big event for all magic users. High-ranking mages nominate candidates who have to go through a committee to get a chance to be elected. Three years ago, Lilith was a favorite, and I was also a candidate."

What? It's exciting enough to hear about these elections, but my two colleagues were about to become the Queen of Mages?

"Since I was only fifteen years old at that time, most of the elders despised the idea of me becoming queen, so I didn't even try to convince them but instead tried to support Lilith because I felt she deserved the title more than anyone else."

So Miko is eighteen now, two years younger than me.

While she took little breaks in between, she glanced at me and waited for questions, but I just looked at her, so she kept going,

"At the decision-making event where the king and queen should have been chosen, the venue was attacked by an organization of terrorists, a bunch of mages who specialize in killing people instead of monsters."

I gulped. That sounded scary. If this incident had become public, I don't know what would have happened to people's opinion of mages.

I could not imagine how great the uproar in politics and the media would have been.

“In the end, we helped defend everyone but finally got punished for different reasons. I was banned for killing some of the terrorists because the Court for Mages felt that we should not kill other people, no matter what they do. Self-defense does not seem to exist in their world." Miko shrugged.

"And Lilith was punished a bit more harshly for using an actual spell. Something where you recite otherworldly phrases to cast magic that's so powerful it's banned everywhere. She even got this tattoo under her eye as a sign to warn others that she was the witch who used this spell."

I was at a loss for words. This sounded like something straight out of a fantasy novel, with action and drama... everything you need for an exciting read.

"Since I was banned from participating in combat missions and entering dungeons, she was banned from using magic indefinitely. That's why we created the guild. I didn't want to leave her, and she didn't want to leave the world of magic behind. And supporting missions were not against our conviction."

Was I even allowed to ask more questions after she told me a story like that? I wasn’t expecting something that severe.

“I don’t know what to say. Sorry for asking about that.”

"Don’t be sorry. You need to know things like that. I bet anyone who hears you're with us will look at you in disbelief. We're kind of famous delinquents. Most mages are outright afraid of us, especially those who didn't know us before the election.” She grinned.

"Can I get something from the fridge?" she asked suddenly. "I'm thirsty after all that talking."

“Of course, you don’t need to ask,” I replied, smiling.

She returned with two glasses of ice tea, handing me one of them.

“Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.”

We both chugged the whole glass so we could continue our Q&A.

"I just had an idea. For every question I answer for you, you have to answer a question of mine." Miko suggested.

“Ah, I feel so weak again.” I jokingly said, closing my eyes and hanging out my tongue.

“After answering the question that has been bothering you so much, I have one that has been bothering me a lot,” Miko said in a more serious tone.

“I will try to answer,” I said in anticipation.

"How come you didn't work as a witch earlier? Do you have any more mages in the family?"

I sighed heavily.

"My mother was a witch, but she died when I was in middle school. She had cancer, and even with the help of magic, no one could cure her."

Nowadays, it's not a problem for me to talk about my deceased mother, but that wasn't always the case.

"My father can't use magic, and I have a half-brother who is supposed to be a mage, but I never had any real contact with him. He started working when my mother was still alive, but even then, he decided to live with his father."

She smiled at me. She didn't want to tell me she was sorry. Losing someone, even a loved one, is something natural that you can't change. Even if you spend the rest of your life being sad about it, you won't be able to get them back. I’m sure Miko felt the same way.

"Your brother, does he have the same color hair as you?"

“Yes, you know him?”

“Not yet.” She winked.

“How is your family situation?” I was curious since I was pretty open about my circumstances.

“I don’t know my biological parents. They gave me away the moment they knew that my body produces mana.” She shrugged, smiling, despite telling me that horrible fact.

"Well, I was taken into an orphanage, went through a few foster homes, and started working after my magic exam at the age of eleven. But beware, on paper, I am officially the adopted daughter of Lilith. But don't talk to her about it. She says she's too young to have a daughter that old. We're only ten years apart."

I started laughing. It was strange to picture Lilith as her mom.

“But is she like a mom to you?” I asked.

She sighed. “I don’t think it is good to label the people around you. It does not matter if she is a friend, a sister, or a mother to me. What is important is the fact that we deeply care for each other.”

That's true, but it was normal to put a label on everything. So, it was also normal to put a label on relationships. You can't get close to someone without wondering if there's more to it.

"Sad that you don't like to label people… I would love to know what I am to you?" I am unsure if I really wanted an answer to that. It could hurt to hear it from her mouth.

“I can make an exception for you,” she said, batting her eyes.

“Yes, please.”

It seemed like she had to think about her words quite a bit.

“Ok, first of all, I see you as my apprentice, then a colleague, and maybe we could become something like friends. But what is certain is that I already care about you to some degree, so is it really that important to know why that is?"

I had to let her words sink in first. Somehow, I had expected exactly that, but that we are on such different levels still shocks me a little.

“No, no… I think I am happy that you care for me.”

“You think? Did I hurt your feelings?” she tilted her head to the side and looked me in the eyes.

I averted my gaze.

“Just a little bit.”

“I’m sorry.”

Slowly, she placed her hand on my head and began to stroke it gently, and again, I felt like being her pet, but I guess I am fine with that for now.

We remained in that position for some time until my stomach growled loudly.

“What do you want to eat? I get some takeout for us.”

Right now, I do not care what I would get to eat. I was just hungry and would probably eat everything.

“You decide… I am just your apprentice. Show me the ways of ordering food.” I stuck out my tongue, and we both started laughing.

“Do you know the kebab place near the gas station?” she asked, staring into the air.

“I take a spicy durum.”

“Which drink?”

“A Coke, please.”

“Got it. Something sweet for dessert, my dear princess?”

“That would be delightful.”

Again, we started laughing. Yes, she said I wasn't her friend, but in those moments, I got the feeling that we would get to that point pretty soon.

“So, I’m off then. Give me thirty minutes.” She stood up and walked to the door, just to return a second later.

“Apparently, you got a guest.” She said, raising her eyebrows.

Krystoff, the mage I saved, entered the room with a bouquet in his hand, staring at the floor even more awkwardly than even I could.

Miko walked over to my bed and sat beside me, blocking me from his vision. “Do you like to cover yourself a little?”

I looked down at myself and realized that I was wearing a widely unbuttoned shirt that didn't show everything but definitely too much skin. My face turned red, and it became warmer than it was when I had that fever.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do anything shady. I simply wanted to check on you. I wanted to thank you for saving my life, for giving me a chance to become a better mage, someone who can save people as you do." He talked way too fast, but I managed to listen to him while buttoning my shirt.

“Didn’t you send me some flowers before?” I asked cautiously.

"Yes, I did, but I wanted to give you something in person!"

“I appreciate it a lot. How are your other guild members? Are they doing good?”

"Everyone is in good health, and we are trying to analyze the mistakes we made, that will help us accept what we had to suffer."

“I am very sorry for your losses.” At the dungeon site, I quickly forgot that several mages and witches died that day. Miko told me one of them was a young girl who could use healing magic just like me.

Thinking about all that did not make me afraid of dying. The thought that terrified me was to lose someone close to me. To not be able to save the persons I love and care for.

Sometimes, I even blamed myself that I wasn’t able to save my mother. I am pretty sure that I used magic for the first time in my life when I sat next to her some days before she died. Her condition became worse and worse, and every time I visited her, I imagined how I would heal her, how I would cure her cancer.

◇◇◇

I remember the day my father stormed into my classroom during the lesson. Without saying a word, he dragged me through the whole school building and straight into the car.

The whole ride, he didn't say a word, even though I was crying and begging him to tell me what was going on.

Of course, I could have guessed it was about Mom, but I prayed it was unrelated to her.

When we arrived at the hospital, he lifted me and carried me in his arms through the corridors to the room where my mother had been lying for the last few weeks.

He set me down in front of the door, gave me a gentle push, and finally began to talk to me.

"Please say goodbye to your mother."

At that moment, I finally managed to stop crying. I entered the room and walked over to her bed. I knew my mother was weak, but even at that moment, she gave me a beautiful smile.

“Kayla… I’m so happy to see you… I was afraid that I could not talk to you.” Her voice was so gentle that it instantly calmed me.

"There are some things I wanted to tell you before I go. So please listen carefully."

I did not want to listen.

"First of all, thank you for always visiting me. Seeing your cute face was the best medicine I could ever get."

"Thank you for never being upset with me because I couldn't play with you anymore."

Stop talking

"Thank you for always loving me despite knowing I will leave you soon."

Please stop

"I really, really wanted to see you grow up."

I felt like suffocating while waiting for her next words, but she would never speak to me again.

My father entered the room, walked slowly toward my mother, took her hand, and dropped to his knees.

It was the first time I saw him cry. This sight was nearly more unbearable than my mother's death.

From that day on, I tried to do everything so my father could be happy again. I never wanted to see him cry again. I never wanted to be reminded of that sight.

◇◇◇

"Kayla, are you okay? Why are you crying?" asked Miko, bringing me back to reality.

I quickly wiped away my tears. "I don't know."

"You should go now. Thank you for visiting." Miko said, looking over to Krystoff.

"Of course." He placed the flowers on the table and left my apartment as quickly as he had appeared a few minutes ago.

Miko sighed, "I'm really bad at this stuff."

“What do you mean?” I asked with a snotty nose.

"You're so down all of a sudden... I don't know what to do."

"You don't have to do anything. You just have to bear with me a little longer."

I carefully laid my head on her back since she was still sitting on the bed before me. I could hear her heartbeat. It was calm and steady.

"Is that comfortable in any way?" she asked.

“Not really. But I like it.”