Chapter 2: Chapter 1: Back, To The Future!
Mana Year 564, September
Blink
Blink blink
Darkness.
The first thing Ko Erzum saw was darkness.
At first, he wondered if this was hell and the devil had actually taken his soul. But as his consciousness became more aware his ears picked up the sounds of wildlife and the wind rustling through the trees.
This is definitely not where I was a moment ago.
Ko remembers the sound of silence. It was deafening.
Ko raises his right arm...And waves it in front of his face. He was sure his eyelids were open. He blinks again.
"Nothing, I guess the devil took its end of the bargain huh, but did it fulfil its side of it?"
Ko turns his head left and right before 'oh right, I can't see'. He lets out a breathy laugh, then closes his eyes shut and stands still. With his arms crossed he starts thinking about the predicament he's found himself in.
"Well first things first, where exactly am I?"
The area surrounding Ko was a dense forest. He was stood in the gap between an avenue of trees.
Of course, he had no idea of this, not until the sound of something trudging along cobblestone caught his attention.
"I wonder..." Ko's words were cut short as the steps came to an abrupt stop behind him. He felt the rush of wind hit his back and something monstrous breathing heavily next to his right ear. "...I sense the huffing of a wild beast behind me. I hope it's friendly."
A door slammed behind Ko, alerting him to another presence.
"What on Kreta's graces is going on here?!"
Ko knew immediately by the tone of the man's voice that he was a noble, and that also sparked the realisation of the panting beast behind him. It was a Mana powered horse pulling a noble's cart. They were popular with the nobility whilst travelling.
The bald, round and well-dressed man stormed towards Ko with purpose.
Ko doesn't have a chance to move before the man is turning him around to face him and shaking his shoulders relentlessly.
"Are you mad boy, standing in the middle of the road like a stop sign?!"
Ko's head lolls back and fourth like a rag doll, his eyes straining to remaining closed. He places his hands on the middle-aged man's shoulder, halting the shaking, and puts on the most charming smile he can offer.
"Dear kind sir, you wouldn't happen to know where we currently are? I seem to be lost." Ko deepens his voice, speaking to the older man as formally as he could muster, that charming smile on his face twitching at the corners of his mouth.
I hope he's not one of those stubborn nobles.
With a tilt of his head, the well-dressed man removes his hands from Ko's shoulders and takes a step back. He looks Ko up and down, the latter keeping his eyes shut, that dashing smile coming ever closer to a frown and takes in his clothes.
Ko wears an inky blue kimono, white waves rolling down the silk with a crimson sash sharply contrasting around his waist. On his feet are sandals and tied around his forehead rests a red bandana that keeps his hair out of his eyes. A large hession sack sits on the ground next to Ko, it was waist height to Ko, full of clothes and other necessities.
"We're about a mile away from The Royal Academy of Entia."
Ko places his right hand under his chin, tilting his head sideways in a thinking pose.
The Royal Academy? Could it be?
"And the year?" This confuses the well-dressed man even more as he furrows his eyebrows.
"...It's Mana Year 564, September 12th and the time is currently..." The bald man looks down at the expensive hi-tech watch on his wrist. "...10:44am."
Ko bows deeply towards the bald, round man, arms at his sides.
Thank you oh kind noble man who I can't see. I won't forget your voice.
"Thank you greatly, kind sir."
Ko steps to the side, hitting his sack, then picks it up as he shuffles over to the side a few more times. The well-dressed man frowns, shaking his head and then turning around to walk back to the cart, climbing up the step. Before he closes the door he looks over his shoulder to Ko, who's stood still, eyes closed and smile still plastered on his face.
"Next time maybe DON'T stand in the middle of the road to flag someone down. I doubt the next noble will be as kind as to stop."
The older man steps inside the cart and shuts the door behind him. The Mana powered horse gallops away, pulling the cart along with it.
Ko bows as the cart goes past him. He then straightens back up, the smile from his face back to neutral.
"It's not easy speaking to nobles..."
Now that Ko knew the year he was in, he runs his hands over the silk of his kimono and down to the sash around his waist. He then brings his hands up and feels over the bandana wrapped around his forehead, to ruffling his dark, short and wild hair.
"No doubt about it, this is the day my life changed...I'm 15 again."
He turns his head up to the blue of the sky that he remembers but can no longer see.
"I really am back...everyone."
Ko sits cross-legged on the ground next to the road, arms crossed and deep in thought.
"What do I do now? I can't exactly see where to go..."
The devils deal was starting to feel like a mistake, one that couldn't be taken back. But Ko was determined to change the future no matter how many things the devil took from him. His lack of sight wouldn't stop him from saving everyone.
"This is quite the dilemma."
He uncrosses his arms, rubbing his forehead with his hands - they touch the bandana and Ko hums to himself. He clicks his thumb and middle finger together as an idea strikes him.
That's it!
If he couldn't see the normal way, then he'd use what he learnt from his master in the future.
"Mana Sight."
Ko focuses his mind, feeling the Mana in his body run through him like blood. Purple Mana runs up his neck, up his face and then over his eyeballs, channelling into his retina. He opens his eyes, their colour becoming a bright purple with the Mana swirling through his iris like waves.
"By focusing one's Mana, one can use it as a means of seeing all the Mana around them, until said Mana runs out. Thank you master."
Mana is the source of the world. It runs through everything and everyone. Without Mana there is no life, and there is no world. Mana begins to appear all around Ko. Yellow, the colour of nature Mana, runs through the trees and the grounds - becoming visible to Ko's sight.
The sack that sat a short distance away glowed a dense orange, the sign of creation Mana. Nearly all objects were created by creation Mana.
The Mana Sight outlines the area for Ko to see.
Even if he couldn't see the finer details, being able to see the outlines to everything would help him immensely.
Ko pulls the bandana down and over his eyes, fastening it behind his head. It had been a gift from a mysterious woman he'd met at his parent's funeral as a child. He remembered her claiming it had special properties, being created without the use of Mana - and special it was.
"What the-?" Ko could suddenly see everything around him like normal. He could SEE through the bandana?!
He pulls the bandana back up onto his forehead, his sight turning back into colourful outlines of the area. Untying the bandana, he holds it in his hand, but all he sees is the outlines of his hands.
"What kinda bandana IS this? It really does have no Mana..." Ko is baffled by this revelation. Why did he miraculously have something that helped him be able to see?
He turns his Mana Sight off, the world around him going pitch black. He then brings the bandana over his eyes...
Darkness.
"I guess it only works whilst using Mana Sight huh? So not entirely special..."
This would mean Ko would be able to see normally as long as he was continuously using Mana Sight, a skill that drains Mana over time.
Mana Sight was only taught to fully fledged Mana Knights. A special skill that helps them in all kinds of situations, and very difficult to maintain without proper practice.
He activates Mana Sight again, the world around him becoming colourful and detailed, then ties the bandana back around his eyes. Not only does the bandana cover his eyes so people can't tell he's using an advanced Mana skill, but it also allows him to see normally.
"Who was that woman? And why did she give me this bandana in the first place?"
These were questions that Ko knew wouldn't be answered anytime soon, so there was no point dwelling on it too much. He was just glad that by some strange twist of fate he wouldn't have to navigate through the forest without sight.
"I wonder how long I can keep Mana Sight up for. I don't exactly have a noble's Mana capacity...yet."
Ko stands up, picking up the sack and swinging it over his shoulder. He turns to the west, looking at the avenue of trees that stretch far.
"My body may be young again, but I've still got the knowledge from the future inside of me. This time. This time things will be different."
Ko starts walking on the side of the cobblestone road.
"Best get myself into gear. That noble guy said I'm a mile away from the Academy, and it's probably way past 11am...Don't wanna be late to the entrance exam!"
Ko breaks off into a jog and then a sprint as he makes his was to the Academy.
I also hope my Mana doesn't drain too quickly.
It does.
xxx
At the end of the avenue of trees was a wide open green space which stretched for miles. In the centre of the open space was a small city with a mixture of traditional Japanese buildings and futuristic buildings.
This was The Royal Academy of Entia.
It was located on the far west of the country, nearest to the capital but still a large distance away.
The cobblestone road that lead out of the forest crossed all the way to the gates of the Academy entrance and through into the small city.
Ko stepped out of the forest, seeing the outlines of Academy buildings in the distance.
"There it is – The Academy of Entia. Looks different than I remember it."
A dry laugh escapes Ko's mouth before he realises it. His Mana was near empty before he knew it, his sight back to seeing the outlines and the Mana around him. He takes in a deep breath and exhales.
"Gonna need a lot of Mana if I want to be able see normally huh."
It was a good thing he realised he would need to reserve what little Mana that he could, in case of fully draining it using it to see normally. This would be something he would make sure to remember.
He shrugs his shoulders, knowing this was going to be no walk in the park, and makes his way towards the Academy entrance. A few Mana powered horse and carts trot passed him.
As he gets to the gates, two guards dressed in the Royal military uniform stop him.
"Halt! Name and town?"
The two uniformed guards were equipped with swords that were attached to the belt at their hips, helmets that obscured their faces, and held holographic tablets that showed the name and faces of applicants trying for the exam.
"Ko Erzum, the village of Saigo in the far south of Entia."
One guard flicks through the tablet whilst the other one looks Ko up and down.
"A commoner from a tiny fishing village huh? You sure came along way just to be disappointed."
Ko cracks a smile at this. He remembers a similar conversation that went on between him and this guard the last time, so he pats the hand not carrying his bag over his chest.
"One can only be disappointed if they graduated from the Academy and became guards of the same place."
The guard that engaged in a conversation with Ko steps up towards him, a visible angry expression by the curve of his mouth below the helmet.
"Why you-"
A Mana powered horse and cart pulls up beside Ko and the two guards, halting the guard from saying anything more. The same guard turns his attention to the door of the cart as it opens.
Out steps a tall and well-built teen with shoulder length wild red hair, carrying an expensive bad over his right shoulder. He's dressed in a simple white tank top that shows off his muscles, coat draped over the bag over his shoulder, black sweats and trainers. He hops off the step and onto the ground.
"Here's fine, I can walk the rest of the way myself."
Ko's head snaps up to the taller teen, lip quivering with emotion over a voice and face he recognises well. He doesn't move an inch, just stands and stares up at the teen in emotional turmoil.
Evane…
"Master Evane, your father tasked me to guide you to the Academy, not the entrance!" A slender man, dressed in a butler's outfit and glasses perched on nose, pokes his head out of the cart.
"And you have, we're here. Look around you Felton, no-one's going to attack us out here."
Evane waves him off, walking towards the guards, who bow towards him courteously. The red haired man looks to the guards as they straighten back up.
"Evane Von Schild from the capital, Entia."
The butler shakes his head and sighs, closing the door of the cart. With a sharp turn, the Mana horse and cart trots back off into the forest. The guard opens the gate and bows again towards Evane.
"Please head to the Exam Area. It's located at the Sacred Grounds which is at the right side of the Academy and at the end."
Evane nods and takes a step towards the gate, but then halts. He cranes his neck and looks down to Ko – who's still stood in place and looking his way.
Evane had been one of those who Ko had failed to protect. A dear friend and comrade. Someone who Ko had looked up to during their Academy days and had become friends with. Ko was going to make sure he and Evane held that same relationship in this present too.
Good to see you again, ol' pal.
"You here for the exam too, lil dude?"
Ko's eyebrow twitches at the familiar nickname.
I forgot he used to call me that!
Evane stands at 6ft, where as Ko is barely 5"4. Something the bandana clad teen forgot about…
Damn me and my late growth spurt!
Ko clears his throat.
"Yeah, that's right."
Evane nods enthusiastically, a big smile on his face as he wraps his bare arms around Ko's shoulder.
He nudges the smaller teen towards the gate entrance.
"Then let's go!"
The guards can only stand and watch as Evane pulls Ko along through the gates and into the Academy grounds. They turn to look at each other.
"Did you find that commoner in the applicants list?" The guard asking motions to the holographic tablet in the other guy's hands. With a slow nod the guard shows the tablet screen that has Ko's face and name on it.
The young boy in the picture wears the bandana over his forehead, his brown eyes clear as day.
"Huh, he's not covering his eyes with the bandana in this picture…" The guards are confused as to why Ko wore his bandana in such a way.
"Maybe it's an injury from his journey here? That tiny fishing village is a few weeks travel by foot, could have been attacked by monsters or something along the way?"
The image of Ko being surrounded by a pack of monsters enters the guards minds. Although Ko turns into a tiny rabbit with a bandana over his eyes, fending himself off from a pack on hungry wolves. They shake the image out of their minds.
"Nah, he'd be dead not blind."
"What's it matter anyway? We'll be seeing him walk out of these gates and heading back to his poor village soon enough."
They turn to look up at the blue, cloudless sky.
"The weather sure is nice today."
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone