“And where do you think you’re going?” Questioned Eudora cheekily.

“Well, I was hoping to take a long, hot bath,” explained Leo, “But, I’m guessing you have other plans in mind.”

“Oh, do not act so stingy,” she patronized him. “All I ask is that you teleport me to your Aunt Sayuri’s.”

Eudora’s favor sounded rather too perplexed for the young sorcerer.

“Why can’t you teleport yourself?” He asked.

“I only wish to spend more time with you Leo,” Eudora replied, pouting a lip. “And also, I would love to see how well you perform.”

Leo huffed a loud groan of frustration, tilting his head all the way back. His mother’s been practically begging to have time alone with her son lately. And for the young teen, it was beginning to be far too obnoxious for him to handle. But the least he could do was give her what she wanted without it escalating.

“Alright,” Leo surrendered, then added, “But! I’m teleporting back home to take my bath afterward.”

“Oh, fine!” settled Eudora, crossing her arms. “The thanks I get for being a good mother to you.”

With that, the sorcerer rolled his eyes, taking hold of his mother’s hand. They disappeared just a second after Leo thought of where he wanted them to go. When the two emerged from his spell, they both looked around to see where they were.

“Leo! Eudora!”

But their search was cut short when mother and son heard a woman calling them.

“Oh, Sayuri!” Eudora called back.

Sayuri Nishimura, loving mother to Kazu and wife of Akira. A former Kagemusha like her husband, but still practicing in the art of magic and stealth. Especially at times when she’s left alone with her son to teach him new techniques. Her hair was cut short, wearing only a sleeveless beige shirt with black-long pants. She ran up to Leo and Eudora and hugged them one after the other.

“Hi, Aunt Sayuri!” Leo greeted and asked, “How are you?”

“I’m wonderful,” answered his aunt. “Or at least more so than your uncle is right now.”

Both Leo and Eudora were clueless as to who Sayuri was talking about. But when she gestured past her shoulder, they saw something that made it clearer. Fredrick and Akira were coming up toward them, except Akira seemed to be walking funny. His face cringed at every step he took with his legs spread apart wide. Leo figured he was in some pain, but whatever could’ve caused it was unknown.

“Why is Uncle Akira walking like that?” Questioned the sorcerer.

“Um, well…,” Sayuri attempted to explain, “Let’s say Kazuya found a way out of his hugs.”

That explanation raised more questions until Leo heard a thud hit the ground. He saw his uncle down in a position that answered absolutely everything. The former Kagemusha on his knees, cupping both hands between his legs. Fredrick was first to snicker over his friend’s pain, followed by Leo laughing uncontrollably. Eudora and Sayuri joined in also, giggling behind their hands like young children.

“I-It’s not… f-funny!” Gritted Akira.

Of course, no one was listening to his objections on the matter. They kept onlaughing until the humor of it subsided on its own.

******

Evening finally came onto Sanctum, and Leo was relaxing in the family room. He returned shortly after spending time engaging with his family and friends. It was a bit of a hassle, having adults ask of his business as though it would seem interesting. But the sorcerer managed to endure it all without having to be rude or impatient. Now he was freshly bathed, fully fed, and ready for a long night’s sleep.

“Argh, I’m so tired!” Leo yawned. “What could be taking Mom and Dad so long in coming home?”

He stretched his arms and legs out as he laid on the sofa. His parents hadn’t been home since morning, but the young sorcerer wasn’t all that worried. Leo always thought of Sanctum as too friendly of a place for any real danger to come. Probably because its location was secluded from the rest of Savína, the sorcerer thought. As his mind kept wondering, his eyelids grew even heavier, filling him with the need for sleep.

“Maybe if I close my eyes for a few minutes…”

Without even finishing that last thought, Leo closed his eyes and immediately nodded off.

“Leo.”

The young sorcerer shot up from the call of his own name. The voice that caught his attention since morning in the training grounds. Except he was even more shocked over what he was seeing around him.

“W-Where… Where am I?”

Leo looked and saw that he was no longer in his house. In fact, it didn’t seem as though the sorcerer was anywhere near the village either. He saw the night sky hovering over him, providing minimal light from all the stars. But everything else around Leo was still shrouded in complete, and utter darkness.

“Hello?!” The sorcerer called out.

His voice echoed in the distance, not receiving a single response. Then, Leo decided to summon a luminous orb of magic from the palm of his hand. It provided enough light for him to see only the ground beneath his feet and nothing more. Searching for a way out, he was careful not to hit whatever might be lurking in the darkness. The sorcerer almost lost his footing, however, when he stumbled upon what could be a ditch. Leo shined his magical orb at it, which he recognized as something familiar.

“This looks like the hole from Kazu’s exploding replicate,” he recalled and wondered, “Am I… back in the training grounds?” 

The sight of ashes and soot were still visible from that morning. Though, Leo remained skeptical about it, which left him with another option to be sure. He turned his attention to the starry sky, throwing the orb from his hand high up in the air. Soon enough, the sorcerer quickly yelled…

“Illuminate!” 

To be continued...