Your Name

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Your Name

Alez watched as blue sparks ran through his friend's arms like an actual electric current, he moved further away when sparks begin to fly off him. His eyes swept around the vast sea and he wondered if it'd work.

In the distance, he noticed sounds coming from ahead and even if he couldn't see it, the weight of the foot steps sounded like it belonged to a person. "Wait, is he walking on this sea? Um… Alexandria…"

In a spur of moment, Alexandria released all the current in his joints into the sea.

"Ahhhh!!" Currents in blue streaks ran into the sea and disappeared without going far in the distance.

Slowly, they went farther and farther as Alexandria kept pushing all the sparks he could muster away from his body.

This went on for about ten minutes, yet there was no visible change in the sea apart from more ripples.

Alez absentmindedly tapped him to show him the figure that stood clearly on the sea, but the instant electricity buzzed through his body, he moved back.

It snapped Alexandria from his concentration and he turned to him worriedly. "Are you alright? Why did you touch me—"

Alez pointed at the figure and Alexandria followed his line of sight. It was clearly a human, wearing a blood-red attire that matched the surface they stood on.

"He finally showed himself, didn't he?" Alexandria tried standing but felt too weak. He stared at his hands and they had slight bruises and burnt marks. In such short time, did he expend a lot of essence that it made it hard to move?

"Stay down. We might just speak to him or subtly threaten him with Sir Zenith's name and he'd not kill us. He'd not kill us and we'd get saved somehow." Alez whispered to his friend.

The figure tapped the sea's surface. The boys knew this because multiple ripples spread from the person towards them.

They wondered what exactly the Dark Mage tried to communicate. His presence didn't affect them as much and they guessed it was because they were within his space.

"You, what's your name?"

Alexandria frowned, looking from his friend to the Dark Mage. Who did he ask and why did he expect them to tell their name like he's not a villain?

"No."

Alez mentally face palmed. What did 'no.' mean? He cleared his throat. "We are students of Gaden High, our names aren't important, really—"

"I don't care to know about your name." the Dark Mage interrupted. "The boy with the flashy element, what's your name?"

Alexandria froze. He meant him? Specifically?

The Dark Mage continued walking towards them. "I felt a tingling aura and then you were able to shock my sea with 20% effect. Not what I'd expect from a high schooler but Zenith might've rubbed off on you."

Only 20% effect? Alexandria's shoulders fell and he couldn't accept the Dark Mage's compliment. It felt so backhanded when that took all his efforts.

The Dark Mage stood at a visible position and Alez tried to identify if he's a villain amongst the Wanted in their current realm.

The Dark Mage had long straight dark hair that he let pour down his back. His attire was a red hanfu with a long skirt that subtly hid the black trousers. Alez also recognized the sword on his face that had nearly split his friend in two parts.

"He's from this realm. He seems to style his hair like Sir Zenith too." Alez whispered to Alexandria while keeping eye contact with the Dark Mage.

The Dark Mage's frowned. "That's something. I really couldn't hear what you said. Is that your element? Even when I striked earlier, I only noticed electric boy but not you. I only noticed you after I struck."

Alez didn't want to feel proud about the moment and stayed quiet. That doesn't mean he had perfected Absolute Absence.

The Dark Mage was from their realm and usually Dark Mages from their realm were less violent as they still had an attachment to the realm and its people. That might be why he didn't go on rampage.

It was vague but since he let his hair grow that long, he'd probably be from Asteria Clan, were the SSSSS-Rank Mage originated from.

They were talented Mages there and also had the highest rate of Dark Mages that sprouted from them.

That's the main reason why people had a biased view towards Sir Zenith as they believe he might have a twisted side that could turn Dark one day.

None of those people even stopped to think of what'd happen to their realm if their strongest Mage becomes a Dark Mage. They'd be all dead with a single thought.

Alez sighed as these thoughts ran through his mind. If this young man had a connection to Sir Zenith, then he'd not readily kill them.

Also, since he hadn't done so and even complimented them, then he might not be looking forward to it.

"What do you want with us?" Alexandria asked the obvious question. He accepted that talking it out with the Dark Mage might be the only way to go.

Right before their eyes, a golden throne grew out of the water behind the Dark Mage. He sat on it and gestured with his hand.

The bones that the boys stood on began to rumble and slowly, it moved from its position towards the Dark Mage.

Alez pushed his friend behind him, since he had more essence and in case it was their last fight. The bones stopped at four feet away from the Dark Mage. They could see his face clearly and he didn't seem much older than them.

"So what do I want with you?" the Dark Mage relaxed on his throne. "Well first, to kill you, but you spoke of Zen outside the barrier and I thought, 'hey, friends of Zen? Impossible, but I should kidnap them and make him find me!'. However, you were just students, weak students."

Alexandria frowned at his phrasing.

The Dark Mage continued. "Which actually means, he'd come faster to save you when he finds out you're gone—"

"That's the thing." Alez sighed.

The Dark Mage paused. What thing?

Alexandria huffed. "Jokes on you, because we left the school and headed home, our teacher wouldn't even have the slightest clue that we got kidnapped."

That realization scared Alez because this Dark Mage might stop being nice to them since he'd get nothing in return. He looked at his face and saw the slight confusion on his face.

"You think he wouldn't come?"

Alez wanted to say 'he would' but if the teacher didn't, then they will experience different shades of doom.

The sea of blood underneath shook and the bones cackled lowly. The throne dissipated and the Dark Mage was on his feet with a bored expression. "You think he wouldn't come, huh?"

Alez's heart flew to his mouth but he didn't break eye contact with the Dark Mage, he had to be able to avoid any attack that comes. "W-Well, as we said, we left—"

A crack formed at the sky above them and all eyes went up. It seemed it was smacked again and the crack widened. The Dark Mage jumped back. "He finally found us. I knew you guys will be useful."

The two boys stared above them, with opened mouths.