No Mana, No Problem

Leo pointed at the bus, wiping the sweat off his forehead under the scorching sun. His voice was calm yet firm as he said,

"Get inside, all of you. This place feels like a small inferno, and standing around won't help. We have things to discuss."

Edgar looked at him for a moment before shrugging and walking toward the bus. The driver hesitated before following suit.

Once inside, the air was still stifling, but it was better than the relentless heat outside.

A heavy silence settled over the bus, broken only by the sound of uneasy breathing and the distant howl of wind slipping through the partially closed windows.

Leo leaned against one of the seats before speaking in that same calm yet commanding tone,

"Alright, I think we need to have a serious discussion about what comes next."

Edgar shot him a sideways glance, crossing his arms before letting out a short, mirthless laugh. His voice dripped with sarcasm as he said,

"Oh? Would you like to feed us more lies first, or shall we skip to the solutions?"

The driver shifted nervously, avoiding their gazes as he wiped his sweaty forehead with a trembling hand. He didn't dare respond—he simply lowered his head, as if awaiting judgment.

At that moment, Seraphina lifted her head, gently stroking her sleeping son's hair. Her voice was soft, yet laced with fragile hope as she asked,

"Are we leaving now? Have you found a solution?"

The driver couldn't meet her eyes. The weight of guilt bore down on him as he took a small step back, lowering his head further. His voice was barely a whisper, filled with regret.

"I'm sorry, ma'am..."

Seraphina's brow furrowed with concern, but she said nothing, giving the driver a moment to continue. His voice trembled with uncertainty as he admitted,

"I tried to call for help, but the signal here is terrible... I couldn't reach anyone."

There was deep frustration in his tone, but before Seraphina could respond, another voice cut through the tension like a whip.

"Is that all you have?!"

Violet's sharp words shattered any remaining composure in the air. She glared at the driver, her eyes blazing with anger.

"You completely wasted our time with your recklessness, and now you expect us to sit here without a clue when—or if—we'll ever get out?!"

Seraphina turned to her with concern, while Edgar cast a side glance at the driver—who now looked like a shadow of a man, shrinking under their gazes as if the earth itself had swallowed him whole.

But Violet wasn't finished. She pointed a finger at him, her voice laced with accusation.

"You're the reason we're stuck in the middle of nowhere, aren't you? What kind of 'professional driver' takes the wrong route? Were you playing the role of an adventurer or what?!"

The driver's head sank lower. He clenched his hands on his knees, as if trying to make himself smaller. His voice shook as he mumbled,

"I... I'm sorry... I shouldn't have..."

But Edgar, still fuming, cut him off with a sharp glare.

"Apologies won't fix anything now. We need a solution, not empty words."

Before the situation could escalate further, Leo raised a hand, signaling for silence. He took a deep breath before speaking—his voice steady, brimming with authority.

"Enough. Complaining and shouting won't solve anything. No one wants to be stuck here, but we need to face the reality of our situation."

His gaze swept over the group—first to the driver, then to Seraphina, then to Violet and Edgar—before he added,

"What's done is done. There's no point crying over spilled milk. Now, instead of pointing fingers, let's focus on finding a solution."

A tense silence followed.

Seraphina let out a quiet sigh. Violet stepped back, arms crossed, still unconvinced but at least refraining from more sharp remarks.

Edgar exhaled heavily, turning his head to the side as if trying to cool his anger.

Leo seized the moment and continued, his eyes locking onto each of them.

"I have a plan. But it requires all of us to work together."

Edgar raised an eyebrow, arms still folded.

"A plan? And what exactly are you thinking, Leo?"

A small smile played on Leo's lips—the kind that hinted at a well-thought-out strategy, waiting for the right moment to be revealed.

Then, in a calm yet challenging tone, he said,

"If we want to get out of this mess quickly, we'll need to work together."

The group exchanged uncertain glances as Leo asked,

"How skilled are you all in magic?"

A brief silence followed before Violet furrowed her brows, her voice dry with skepticism.

"And how exactly will that help? I don't suppose we can cast a spell that teleports us straight to Blackrift in the blink of an eye."

But Leo didn't respond immediately. Instead, he gestured toward the bus before saying,

"We may not be able to teleport ourselves... but we can push it."

He took a slow breath, organizing his thoughts before speaking again.

"For this to work, we need to understand what abilities we have at our disposal. So, let's start by introducing ourselves and our magical capabilities."

The group hesitated before Edgar was the first to speak, placing his hands on his hips with a confident smirk.

"I'm Edgar. I have control over gravity. I can increase or decrease the weight of objects—within a limit."

Leo raised an eyebrow in admiration.

"That's a perfect ability to lighten the bus."

Violet stepped forward, arms still crossed, her voice firm yet controlled.

"Violet. I control the wind. I can generate strong air currents, but don't expect me to summon a hurricane."

Leo nodded thoughtfully.

"You can use that to help push the bus once it's lighter."

Seraphina glanced between them, then at her sleeping child in her arms. Her voice was quiet yet resolute.

"My name is Seraphina. I can generate electric charges, but they're not strong enough to power an engine this size."

Leo offered her a small smile.

"But they might help kickstart some of the electrical components, even just a little."

At that moment, the driver cleared his throat and spoke shyly:"Well… my name is Gerald. I have a minor ability called Earth Shielding. I can enhance stability and balance, but it's not particularly strong."

Edgar smirked and gave him a strong pat on the back."At least you won't let the bus tip over while we're trying to push it."

Everyone chuckled a little, but then their eyes turned to Leo, who had remained silent. He sighed and spoke in a quiet voice:"I'm… Leo. Or rather, Leonardo. But just call me Leo."

Everyone waited for him to continue, but he stayed silent. So Edgar asked him directly:"And what about your ability?"

Leo looked down for a moment before replying in a soft voice, filled with a mix of shame and sorrow:"I… don't have any magical ability. No mana, no spells… nothing."

A brief silence followed, until Violet spoke, her voice laced with disbelief:"You're magicless?"

Leo nodded calmly. It wasn't news to him, but it still stung a little. He could feel their eyes on him, and yet he was surprised when Edgar patted his shoulder and laughed:"If you've got no magic, then you've more than made up for it with brains. This plan alone proves you're more useful than all of us."

Seraphina smiled gently and added:"Yeah, thanks to you, we actually have a chance of getting out of here."

Even Violet, despite her sharp demeanor, gave a small nod of respect:"Well, that doesn't change anything. Let's get to work, then."

Leo felt a faint warmth in his chest, though he couldn't fully hide the sadness in his eyes. Still, he took a deep breath and said with a faint smile:"Alright. Let's get started before it gets dark."

Everyone began carrying out the plan under the watchful eye of "Commander Thomas."

Edgar stood in front of the bus, eyes closed, focusing on his magical energy. With a wave of his hand, the gravity around the bus began to shift, making it gradually lighter.

At the same time, Violet raised her hands. A light breeze swept through the air, quickly turning into a strong gust. She directed her energy with precision, pushing the bus forward with all her strength.

In the back, small blue sparks danced around Seraphina's hands before she placed them on the bus. The vehicle shook slightly as electrical energy surged through it, trying to jumpstart its mechanical parts.

Gerald, meanwhile, kept his hand on the ground beneath the bus, using his magic to stabilize the wheels and ensure the vehicle stayed balanced without veering dangerously.

While everyone was hard at work, Leo stood beside Thomas, who was watching with wide-eyed amazement. Leo leaned toward him and whispered jokingly:"So, Commander, how's everything going according to plan?"

Thomas laughed enthusiastically, then waved his arms:"Push harder! We're almost moving!"

Just then, the bus let out a soft creak… and began to move—slowly at first.

A renewed sense of hope surged in everyone's hearts, and they doubled their efforts. With every passing second, the bus picked up speed until it was rolling smoothly along the road.

Thomas shouted with excitement, raising both fists in the air:"We did it! Commander Thomas has led you to victory!"

Leo laughed and patted his head, saying:"Yeah, all thanks to you."

Seraphina let out a relieved sigh, while Edgar looked at Leo and said with a smile:"No magic, but you still found the solution. Looks like you're stronger than you think, Leo."

Leo smiled faintly, but inside, he felt a surprising sense of joy. Even without magic, he had been part of something meaningful.

The bus rolled along the rugged path, moving steadily despite all the challenges.

Inside, everyone continued doing their part to keep it running. Leo took the wheel with full concentration, his eyes locked on the dark road that stretched endlessly ahead.

Night had fallen, and the sun had long disappeared beyond the horizon, leaving the sky painted in a soft violet hue. No one spoke. Their mana had been drained during the journey, and exhaustion was written across their faces.

Violet, sitting near Seraphina, wiped sweat from her brow with the back of her hand. She glanced at Edgar, who looked unusually pale.

She frowned and whispered:"You okay? You look like you're about to collapse."

Edgar slowly lifted his eyes toward her, then let out a sarcastic exhale and said in a tired voice laced with his usual irony,"If you were that worried about me, you could've carried the bus yourself instead of talking."

Violet let out a choked laugh, but it died quickly as the air around them grew heavier.

Leo was watching them through the front mirror. He spoke in a low voice,"We need to stop soon. Your mana is nearly depleted."

Before anyone could respond, a loud explosion shook the entire bus!

The steering wheel jolted in Leo's hands, and a sudden force slammed the vehicle sideways.Sparks burst from one of the tires, and a piercing screech echoed as the bus began to lose balance.

Violet screamed, "What's happening?!"

Seraphina clung tightly to her son, while a sharp gasp escaped Thomas,"Mom!!"

The driver shouted in panic, "The tire blew! We're losing control!"

The bus tilted harshly to the right. Edgar's body lurched forward, but he caught the seat in front of him just in time.Leo gripped the wheel tighter, trying desperately to regain control, but the bus wasn't responding.

The uneven road only made things worse. Suddenly, the bus started veering faster.

"Shit!" he muttered through clenched teeth, then yelled,"Hold on to something!"

But deep down, everyone knew—it was out of their hands now. The bus flipping was only a matter of time.

Seconds stretched painfully long, each one drenched in the dread of impending doom.

Then, one voice cut through it all—"To hell with all of you! I'm not dying here!"

It was Edgar.

He raised his hand with effort, as if it bore an unbearable weight, and a blinding white light burst from his body.

Everyone felt it—A strange force pulling them downward, like they'd suddenly become anchored weights, unable to slide or be thrown.

The bus was still moving, but unnaturally slow now, as if something invisible was holding it back from flipping over.

But Edgar wasn't done yet.

His body shook violently, teeth chattering from the strain.A guttural scream ripped from his throat, raw and agonizing, as the light in his hands flared even brighter.

"Stop it, you idiot!" Violet shouted, but Edgar didn't hear her—or maybe he just ignored her completely.

He screamed again, this time drenched in pain, like every drop of mana inside him was burning from within."Move, you damned thing… MOVE!!"

With that final roar, the bus jolted to a sudden stop!

All sounds ceased, except for their ragged breathing and the wind whipping through the windows.

It took a moment for everyone to realize—they were still alive.

Then… Edgar collapsed.

His body slammed against the floor of the bus like a puppet with its strings cut.He lay there, completely still.

"Edgar!!"

Violet rushed to him, dropped to her knees, and shook him hard—but he didn't respond.His body was cold, his face pale in a way that sent chills down her spine.His breaths were faint, barely audible.

Leo, still frozen at the wheel, felt his stomach twist.He quickly got out of his seat and hurried over, eyes locked on Edgar's motionless form.

Seraphina held Thomas tightly, while the driver just stared at Edgar in silence.

They were all alive—but at a heavy cost.

Silence lingered for a few moments before Seraphina whispered, her voice trembling with the question they were all too afraid to ask:

"Will… will he be okay?"