Adonai:

Six months have passed since I figured out how to filter mana particles and transform them into pure mana. Thanks to the system I created, my assimilation and filtering process became much faster, and with enough meditation I managed to get rid of the extra concentration part required to filter.

Now the process comes naturally, but the only thing I can't seem to accelerate is the time it takes for mana to get refined. Either way, now I can go on with my day without having to think about how the process itself works, and I can focus on different stuff.

My sleep schedule is almost back to normal, not too bad, all things considered. I've also started exercising following the conclusion I drew from the previous meeting. Speaking of which, the next one is scheduled today, and we're going to Kathlyn place.

Anwir should've been back yesterday, but unfortunately due to a bombing incident, his flight got canceled, and he will come back today. He might not make it to this one but tomorrow we will meet up and go drinking, like the old times.

Going through my thoughts of what happened in the recent months I arrived at my destination without noticing. The Duska residence, Kathlyn home.

*Ring*

"Coming!" A voice said from inside the house, an unfamiliar voice.
"Young master! Welcome home!" A relatively tall woman, and a bit chubby but with a gentle look on her face welcomed me into the house, with a strange greeting.
"I must've got the wrong house, I'm so sorry." I apologized and started leaving.
"Haha, I'm sorry young man, it was all m'lady idea, you're at the right place, but since you arrived last, the young lady decided to play a prank on you. My name is Margarete, I'm the head maid of the house, pleased to meet you Mr. Melek." She said, clarifying the situation. "If you would please come after me, I'll show you where the others are."
"Ah yes, thank you Lady Margarete."
"Just Margarete is fine, young man."
"Then you shall refer to me as Adonai as well. Because it feels very weird to address someone which I assume is much older than me in such a casual manner."
"I see ... you're a fine gentleman, as she said. Now please follow me."

Oh, like she said huh, interesting.

"Please, right this way." She said as she showed me the door.
"Thank you." I said as I bowed in a sign of respect.

As I opened the door I saw a rather tidied room? Nothing from what I was expecting, the room itself, it was quite simple, in fact empty. White walls, with a desk, a bookshelf with a few books on it, quite dusty, a tv and a closet.

"Oh my lady, the young master has arrived home, where's the welcoming hug?" I said trying to make a joke out of the situation that happened at the door.
"Oh young master, I see that Margarete made a fool out of you, as I expected, now get here and sit down or I'm gonna kick you out."
"So merciless." I retorted
"Should we leave?" Maverick asked while pointing at the door.
"Ah.. uhm. hello." Stella greeted as she waved, a bit shy but in a much better shape than three months ago.

Taking the sight of the three of them in front of me I felt a sense of relief, unfortunately we're still in an incomplete formation, that is not for much longer still.

"Your room is much emptier than I expected. It's not uh, as girly as I thought it would be?" I remarked.
"Oh but what do you happen to mean by not girly?" Kath looked at me, eyes closed, holding a cup in her hand, something that can be considered a weapon with the expression on her face.
"But you're right, this is not my room, this is a spare room, we keep guests in here." She answered, as a matter of fact.
"It's uhm ... still a nicer room than what you witnessed at my place ... I'm so sorry for that." Stella said, keeping a low voice.

It's a relief to see Stella here, and in a much better shape than before, she was always a bit shy around people but that time she seemed like she completely lost hope. Seeing her here means she probably started taking care of her again, and step by step getting back to her natural state.

"It's okay, it's good to see you here, glad to see you're making progress into becoming your usual self again." I said to her.
"Maverick ... helped me a lot after our previous meeting, he really made sure I took care of myself." Stella said with a hint of blush in her cheeks.
"Hmmm" Kath and I seemed to have the same response when we heard that, as we both took a look at Maverick, brows raised, and a smug on our faces. Sensing our stares he started talking.
"You know, I can't bear to see someone in a state like that, someone close to us as well, so I had to make sure she's getting back on her feet, you know." He said.

Guess that's how it is then, even if he might not realize it now, from Stella's response and face, she took it for more than just a pure gesture of kindness. Well that's intriguing, Anwir reaction to this will be legendary when he comes back.

"Well then, shall we start with our progress?" Kathlyn suggested.
"Very well, I'm proud to announce that on my journey of staying a nobody I succeeded, making it so that I can be naturally a nobody." I said proudly.
"Yes yes, congrats, next one, Stella." Kathyln said, brushing me off completely.
"I confirmed your assumption that I can indeed read other people's minds through my magic ... IF I TRY TO DO SO, DON'T THINK I DO IT ALL THE TIME, I LEARNED TO CONTROL IT." She said in a rather panicked tone, an unexpected tone coming from her.
"Hahaha." We all started laughing.
"That's all?" I asked.
"Uhm .. I can seemingly influence other people's emotions as well... I tried it on Maverick."
"Hoo, what you did to find that out." I asked.
"We don't talk about that." Maverick responded in a rushed tone, brushing the question off.
"Have you found a speciality yet, Maverick?" Kathlyn asked.
"No, but I'm making steady progress in all the base four elements so far, and it looks like I inspired someone else to start working out as well." He said, looking at me.
"How did you even notice?"
"Tsk, tsk, after you're in it for a while, you start to notice even the smallest changes in another person." He said proudly.
"Woah, and I thought he's only good at reading books and staying inside." Kathlyn said mockingly.
"I exercise inside, so your point still stands."
"Well, thank you then."
"Pfu ..." A small noise left Stella's mouth, almost like a laugh. "You both truly get along as well as ever." She said smiling.

Yea we do, despite everything that happened, we still are as close as ever, and now, at this very moment it feels like there's no danger coming towards us, spending our time like this. Almost like we're outside of the whole natural order of the world.

"So what's your progress, lady of the house?" I asked.
"I'll seriously kick you out." She retorted and then continued "Well, I've been progressing in both my fields and focused on others as well and trying to get a grip on a few more concepts, but it seems like I hit a wall. Perhaps it's better to focus on what I can already control."
"And what do you want to do when the time comes?" Maverick asked.
"I'll join the military service, hopefully I pass the test to join, if there's no need for the military, I'll continue living my life." Kathlyn said with a decisive tone.
"Military sounds scarry ... I hope I don't get there." Stella said.
"Don't worry, you're probably fine." Maverick tried to reassure her.

Military huh, thinking about the future is scary, but I probably won't be drafted anyway. I mastered this technique of being a nobody, that's what I like to tell myself, but if the worst comes to the worst, will I regret this decision? If there comes a time where I need to do something but I can't ... will I regret my choices?

As I was looking at my happy friends I was reminded of the question I started asking myself not too long ago. Even if I say 'I'll go with the flow' and 'whatever happens happens' I can't shake the question. I can't shake the fear of the unknown itself. I started working out on the premise that it goes well with magic, having a trained body as well, but I also forgot I have no control over magic, as I did no training in it except trying to hide it.

As to try and shake off the feeling of uneasiness I started making conversation.

"Kath, I have an important question for you." I said as seriously as I could manage.
Kath took a moment to look at my face and with an audible gulp responded "Ask away."
"How many maids do you have in the hou..." I couldn't even finish the sentence as I saw the fist of a woman coming in contact with my face, thankfully, I dodged.
"That was your 'important' question?" She said with a look of frustration on her face.
"I mean it's a serious one, your house, not as big as Anwir's, is still huge, the main lobby is bigger than Stella's room and kitchen." I said.
"Are you throwing hands at her?" Maverick interjected.
"Please ... don't fight, he's right." Stella intervened trying to calm all of us.

As everyone took their original positions Kathlyn said.

"It's more than an average home, the decorations are pretty big, the dual staircase sure is nice when looking at it, but it's tiring to move here with the house being so big, and as for maids around 30. We also have a gardener, one cook, butler and ... ."

The silence is so loud at this moment, the three of us that are not so well off feel the same thing, the problem of the rich people.

As the discussion about her house and other trivial things went on, the night was approaching, and so a set of rushed footsteps could be heard coming for the door.

As the door opened, what came into vision was a small relatively young maid.

"M'lady, I'm so sorry to interrupt but there's something I think you all should see, please turn on the tv."
"Calm down Octavia, breathe in and out, what's the issue?" Kathlyn asked.
"It's about the flight your friend was supposed to come home with, m'lady."

And so she opened the tv, none of us expecting what we were about to see.

"We're here next to the ocean where the APEX plane fell. About two hours ago, the control room on land received an important request call from the plane in midflight, they said there was a bomb on the plane, and the ones talking were none others that the suicidal terrorists who planned to go down with it. The call was reported to be nothing more than a declaration, a declaration that even in these times where we should be united, some cults will do as they please. The search for survivors ended, unfortunately, everyone is dead ..."

As Kath stopped the TV and as the voice of the report drifted away from everyone's mind. We all put on the same expression, an expression that couldn't be anything more than pure blankness, an irreversible truth just hit everyone present, something no one was expecting ... Anwir is dead.