An Opportunity

Changed it into First Person View

I was drifting in and out of a vague dream. It felt like I was sitting in a car, the darkness of night all around. A woman was driving, her face partially illuminated by the soft glow of the dashboard lights. She was talking to me, her words barely audible, blending with the patter of rain on the windshield. I couldn’t make out what she was saying, but her voice was soothing. The road ahead was wet, headlights cutting through the mist, and despite not understanding anything, I felt at ease.

Then, just as a flash of light broke through the rain, I woke up.

Blinking, I realized I wasn’t in the car anymore. Where am I?  I thought as I scanned the room. It was dim, the bed beneath me soft and comforting. Everything felt calm, though the unfamiliar surroundings made me uneasy for a moment, with only the faint glow of light creeping through the window.

That’s when I saw her, a blonde-haired girl standing by the window, staring out at something beyond.

“Excuse me, miss,” I mumbled, my voice breaking the silence.

She turned to face me, and for a moment, everything stopped. Her hazel eyes, soft and glowing in the dim light, her gentle lips, she looked like an angel, dressed in white. The room grew silent as I stared at her. My mind went blank.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, her voice soft but clear.

“Huh? What?” I stammered, completely lost in the moment.

She smiled slightly and repeated, “I said, how are you feeling?”

“Oh… I, uh… I’m feeling alright, I guess,” I replied, still trying to grasp what was happening.

"It's such a relief, I'm glad you're okay," the girl said, and I nodded in response.

"Anyway, I received the gifts and letters you brought. Senna seems to be doing well, and she told me to take care of you since you don’t possess any magic or mana. Why is that?" she asked curiously.

"You must be Selene," I replied.

"Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. Yes, I am Selene, Senna's older sister," she confirmed.

"You two look alike," I said.

"Well, of course, we’re sisters," Selene replied with a soft smile.

Then, I noticed a girl standing shyly behind the door, wearing a red cape and holding a scythe.

"Oh, so you’ve noticed her. Rhea, come in!" Selene called, and the girl with the red cape stepped into the room.

"I’M SORRY!" she suddenly shouted while bowing. I jumped, startled, and tried to calm her down.

"Hey, hey, you don’t need to apologize. It’s okay," I said quickly, trying to ease the tension.

Rhea looked up with a guilty expression and explained, "It’s my fault you were bitten. I kind of just let the wolf bite you because I thought you could handle it on your own since it’s a lowly monster that most people can kill."

"Oh..." I muttered, slightly disappointed but trying not to show it.

"When big sis Selene read the letter, she said you don’t have any mana. I regretted my actions right away. I’m really sorry!" Rhea shouted again, bowing deeply.

"No, it’s fine, really," I said, trying to maintain a poker face but knowing I probably looked ridiculous. Selene giggled softly at the sight.

"In all seriousness, it’s really okay, uh..." I started.

"Rhea," she replied.

"Right, Rhea. How old are you, by the way?" I asked out of curiosity.

"Uhmm, I’m 10," she answered proudly.

"What the fu—" I stopped mid-sentence, shocked that she was so young and had killed the wolf so effortlessly.

Selene laughed again. "Anyway, Jam, I’m sorry I wasn’t there when the incident happened. Senna said you were injured, and it took you a month to recover. But since you’re here now, I went ahead and healed your leg too."

"Wait, really? I can walk properly now? Thank you so much!" I said, a big smile spreading across my face.

"How were they?" Selene asked softly, a sad look on her face.

I knew exactly what she meant. "They were such good grandparents. They helped me when I was lost. Even though I didn't spend a lot of time with them, they took care of us really well," I replied, my voice tinged with gratitude.

"I'm glad to hear that," Selene said, though there was still sadness in her eyes.

Suddenly, a loud voice erupted from downstairs, "WHY IS THERE BLOOD EVERYWHERE IN THE LIVING ROOM!?" The voice was raspy and mature, clearly belonging to someone older.

Selene glanced at Rhea and whispered, "You didn’t clean the living room??"

"Oh... I forgot," Rhea replied with an innocent smile.

Selene sighed, and I could feel the dread settling in. "Oh, we are so dead... so am I, I guess," I muttered, realizing that the blood in the living room must have been mine from the wolf attack.

Just then, the door burst open with a blast of fire magic, and a man wearing a leather hat, looking like he was in his 40s, stormed into the room. His presence was intimidating, and we were all startled by the sudden outburst.

"Alright, whose blood is it downstairs?" the man demanded furiously, his eyes scanning the room.

Without missing a beat, both Rhea and Selene pointed directly at me.

“Oh come on… yes, it’s mine, sir,” I replied, my voice shaky with nerves.

The man crossed his arms and glared at me. “What the hell happened down there?”

Rhea jumped in quickly. “It’s my fault, sir. I let a Dark Wolf attack him.”

“A Dark Wolf? That lowly monster did  that  to him?” he asked sarcastically, giving me a once-over. “What is he, some guy without magic?” He paused, then his expression changed as realization dawned. “Oh... you really don’t have any mana. That’s... unfortunate.”

“Yeah…” I muttered, uncomfortable with the attention.

“Alright, so what are you doing here? I assume you have a reason for showing up with all those clothes in your bag,” he asked, genuinely curious now.

“I… I’m here to avenge my grandparents. A monster in ragged armor and a cloak killed them,” I technically did not lie, knowing the truth would sound absurd to them, though, I want to kill the monster who killed my grandparents.

The man studied me for a moment. “Okay, that’s enough reason for me. Everyone here has a purpose when they join this clan. Usually, there are trials to pass, but you... you’re an exception. Congrats, you’re in.”

“Wait, who says I’m joining this clan?” I asked, confused by how fast this was moving.

“I did. And you don’t have a choice,” he said in a straightforward tone. “Now, go clean the blood in the living room since it’s yours,” he added as he walked away.

I turned to Selene, feeling lost. “Does he realize I’m, like, super weak?”

“Don’t worry, I think he has a way of making you stronger,” Selene replied, trying to reassure me.

“Who is he, anyway? He’s kind of… bossy, no offense.”

“That’s Cameron, the president of this clan and the strongest mage and fighter here. He uses fire magic, which is common, but his is... incredibly powerful. Did you see how he blasted the door earlier? he just pointed at the door” Selene explained.

“Damn… that’s impressive,” I said, feeling both intimidated and in awe.

With that, I sighed and got to work cleaning up the bloodstains, with Rhea helping me. After we were done, I approached Selene again. “Hey, do you know where Alex’s clan is? I want to meet him.”

“They went on a three-year mission. He won’t be back anytime soon,” she replied.

That hit me harder than I expected. He’s already out there on missions. How strong is he now? I need to catch up, even without magic... But how? I wondered, feeling more hopeless than ever.

Suddenly, Cameron’s voice boomed from upstairs. “Jam! Catch!” He tossed a scroll down to me.

I caught it, confused. “What’s this?”

“Meet that person tomorrow. He’ll teach you some tricks,” Cameron said as if it was no big deal.

“Thank you, sir!” I called out.

Selene smiled at me. “See? I told you he’d find a way to make you stronger.”

I nodded. “Thanks, Selene.”

The next day, I followed the instructions on the scroll early in the morning. It led me deep into the forest to a small cottage. After a few minutes of walking, I arrived and saw an old man in his 60s chopping wood in front of the cottage.

This must be the guy… I thought, uncertain of what to expect.

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