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previously, after mash had literally punched his way through the maze, he was soon (verbally) attacked by the other applicants. numerous rude and insensitive comments were thrown at him as he responded to each and every single one.
at one point, you were urged to step in, however, someone else had stood up for him instead. that someone being a girl whom you noticed exited the maze alongside mash, a ditsy looking blonde with an orange ribbon headband.
she was the one to defend mash, even risking her failure of the exam. you commended her for her bravery... until you found out she was openly delusional, in a sense, having claimed that mash spoken about marriage to her (false. did not happen).
nonetheless, delusion aside, she stood against the examiner, claude lucci, and exposed him in front of each and every student for abusing his authority as examiner.
he had told the girl to prevent mash from reaching the goal, and in exchange, he would pass her. desperate as she was, she admittedly agreed, yet mash had returned to save her from the sphinx and the cliché riddle even though she had deceived him (not really. it didn't quite work). mash even offered to support her despite the physical burden, that of which she had mistaken his means of support for emotional burdens.
it didn't take long for claude to admit his scummy scheming, asserting his authority with threats, or rather statements, to fail both applicants and going as far as to raise his wand against the two.
but mash being mash, he had snapped the professor's wand in the blink of an eye whilst, in pathetic attempts to save his pride and dignity, his ego had spoken for him.
though, he was interrupted by the one and only wahlberg baigan. a man you thoroughly respected as a mage, but had no care for as an individual.
(...)
"SILENCE!!" the booming voice soared through in waves, drawing the attention of all present to the speaker.
you recognised the figure that hovered above the applicants. you weren't particular stunned, as you had encountered him a number of times, but he was when his gaze fell on you.
wahlberg baigan, headmaster of easton magic academy, and by far the strongest mage you knew. his expression became stern as he momentarily stared at you with increasing suspicion.
"we will move onto the interviews. from this point on, i will be in charge of my examination." wahlberg stated, the atmosphere growing more grim by the second.
"headmaster, why are you here...?" the professor meekly questioned.
"lucci. i wish to see you in my office after this."
the man fell to his knees, uttering a barely audible 'yes'.
"now, for the first interview." the same viridescent hurricane of flames that claude had previously casted for his flashy entrance swirled and enveloped mash.
you wanted to intervene, unsure of whether the headmaster could be trusted, but you found yourself unable to cast any spells ─ damn, that wahlberg.
you clicked your tongue, having no choice but to be separated from mash. you sighed in defeated, having your doubts about the headmaster.
"he's the friend you got lost from in the maze, right? guess you two are bound to be separated, maze or not." lance made an awful attempt to joke.
you only scoffed at his approach. you let out hand slip out from your cloak, your wand in hand.
"i intended to intervene, but i guess that man struck me first." you confessed, staring at your unique wand.
"are you a psycho? you really think you could strike the headmaster?" lance looked at you as if you had lost it.
"when it comes to me, it's really just a matter of who gets the first hit." you vaguely stated, toying with your wand.
"uhm, excuse me.." you heard a voice perk up. it was the girl from before. she looked bashful, blush dusting her cheeks as she twiddled with her fingers.
"you're friends with mash burnedead, right?" she asked. you froze up, already knowing where this was headed.
"we've been friends for less than a week. please, don't expect anything..." you backed away, slowly. unnoticeably slow.
"it doesn't matter! you're still friends. so, tell me, does he have a girl─"
the green flames had taken her away, ultimately saving you from being the middleman between the two. you heaved a sigh of relief, physically slumping forward.
you looked up at lance.
'he's staring at his locket again.'
drip...
'and his nose is bleeding.'
"your nose is bleeding, y'know..." you pointed out, holding a bunny patterned hankerchief to him.
"oh. thanks." he muttered, taking the hankerchief whilst keeping his gaze on the locket.
you let curiosity get the better of you, peeking over to peer at whatever image the locket─
GAAASP
you stumbled back, a good distance from him.
"she's just perfect, isn't she?" he turned towards you.
"i-i can't be seen with you... no way..." you uttered to yourself, backing up more and more.
"what?" lance only furrowed his brows at you.
"lolicon... you're a lolicon, dude. what the hell?" your face cringed up in disgust.
"i'm not a lolicon.." his head turned down to glance at the locket before he lifted it to give you the full view of the image.
"i'm a siscon."
"that's not any better?! she looks 11, you loli-siscon!"
"she's 12. get it right."
lance only glared at you before the green flames had taken him next. you were at a lost for words, pinching the bridge of your nose. lance was weird. mash was weird. blondie was weird.
minutes had passed as you were the last to be teleported by the flames.
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you stood in front─ no, wahlberg stood in front of you, a good distance away, rather than his usual spot at the highest seat in the hall. you noticed the lack of teachers around, leaving you and wahlberg alone in the dimly lit room.
"i will now begin the interview for (y/n) kairos." he announced, hands behind his back.
the atmosphere was thick with suspense. you were unphased. the darkness of the hall only went hand-in-hand with the creepiness of the room and the silence was just consuming. you could hear your own heartbeat at that point.
"first question. did the bureau send you for mash burnedead?" finally, wahlberg had spoken.
"no. i'm here to be a student." you lied with a straight face.
"so you learnt to lie with a straight face? learn to at least make believable lies next time."
"darn. i got flamed."
"answer the question truthfully." wahlberg exhaled, closing his eyes as he awaited your response.
"i'm only here to make sure mash burnedead survives in this school, even if he doesn't have magic. i won't be hostile unless you intend to take action against my orders." you sharply glared at him, recalling your aggression the last time he tried to interfere.
"protecting a lackmagic? does the bureau know about this?" wahlberg perked up, the atmosphere ever so slightly lifting.
"nope. not an order from the bureau." you scratched the back of your neck.
a chuckle escaped wahlberg before he started to laugh. not in a hundred years would he ever expect this from you, or maybe, he hadn't known you at all. it was simply just amusing. he cleared his throat, being met with your face written with confusion.
"i was wrong, (y/n). completely wrong." he mused, grinning at you.
"wrong about what..?"
"about you. in truth, you never cared about the bureau or the law. do you?" he let out another laugh. you were really wondering if he was santa claus' incarnate.
"what are you on about? oh no, has that blondie infected you with her delirium..?" you covered your mouth with your hand, backing up. was it contagious?
"define yourself. are you a cruel or kind person?"
"is this the time for philosophy?" you tilted your head.
cruel or kind? you didn't have an answer for that. none of that mattered to you. not now, at least. you've been shunned, you've been praised, and you've only carried out orders. who you were, what defined you, everyone you've ever met has had their own definition of who you were to them.
but what were you, to you?
"you don't know, do you?" the man spoke up. you only huffed, not seeing what the interview had to do with this.
"you don't have to attend easton just for mash burnedead. attend easton for yourself, you're still young; you can still learn." he said.
"i know all there is to know about magic." you furrowed your brows.
"it doesn't have to be magic. friends, relationships, trust, independence; you can have all of it if you just step away from the bureau of magic." wahlberg held out a hand towards you.
step away from the bureau of magic? leave? the only thing you've ever known? it sounded as if it were the impossible, and as if wahlberg had lost his mind. seriously, you couldn't, you─
"leave the bureau, (y/n). just once, trust in me."
you remained silent as all thoughts rushed through your head. leave the bureau. was that an order?
wahlberg only took a deep breath in, slowly exhaling. he took out his wand a flicked it. a list appeared in front of you. a list with very familiar names, too familiar for comfort. your eyes scanned through each and every name listed. it seemed endless, until you finally reached the final, yet the very first, name.
alistair kairos.
you flinched, connecting the dots. the names of those whose magic had been sealed away by you, most of them being death row inmates who were destined to die alone; not even magic by their side.
"shatterer of dreams, you don't have to be that anymore." wahlberg addressed you with an alias you hadn't heard in decades.
and truth be told, you shuddered. a cold shiver ran down your spine as you knew what you wanted. you wanted nothing more but for the death of that alias. only one person has ever named you that, former divine visionary, and your eldest brother, alistair, the night cane.
"don't call me that." you scowled at wahlberg, who only smirked.
"then make a new name for yourself. on that condition, i'll let you pass the exam." he turned his back to face you as you stared at him.
you sighed. not like you had a choice, you needed to pass to carry out the orders given to you. and soon enough, maybe you wouldn't have to go through extreme extents for pesky demands.
"understood."
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ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁
proofread.
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ᝰ.ᐟ ︎︎ ︎︎ ︎︎ ︎︎ ︎︎AUTHOR'S NOTE
；i don't like this chapter,
it's so... corny/cringey, ngl.
BUT it's 4am & i've delayed
this chapter long enough 3_3