A week had come and gone quickly, but today was an important day for Jayden.
It wasn't just any day — it was his first official date with Shaley.
They were going to the Mana Activation Centre to awaken her magic.
The plan was to leave around four in the evening, when the crowd would have lessened.
The Activation Centre was in the middle of a bustling plaza filled with shops selling magical trinkets, shimmering robes, and enchanted crystals.
Other stores had cleverly built themselves around the centre, hoping to catch customers fresh from their activation — new mages eager to buy magical accessories to match their newfound powers.
It was already half past three, and Jayden was on his fourth set of clothes.
"Ugh, if Nadia had just picked something earlier, we'd have been done by now and I'd have more time to prepare,"
Jayden grumbled, even though deep down he knew the delay was his fault.
Earlier that day, he'd asked Nadia to help him pick a gift for Shaley.
Within fifteen minutes, she'd found something perfect — a pink beret with embroidered flowers and a matching scarf.
But Jayden insisted they keep looking for something better.
After an hour of wandering, they ended up buying the same set Nadia had chosen at the start.
Now, with little time left, Jayden was fussing over his outfit.
Marigold had just finished wrapping the gift box. She fluttered over to Jayden, pouting, then pointed at a simple three-piece outfit — plain trousers, a white top, and a knee-length hooded sweater — with a suggestive tilt of her tiny head.
Jayden picked it up, examining it. "Hmm, it's simple… but it's got a cool vibe. Let's go with this one."
Marigold sighed in relief as he dressed quickly and headed out, the neatly wrapped gift in hand.
The afternoon sun painted the sky gold as he soared toward Shaley's house.
Over the week, Jayden had grown skilled with wind magic — his favorite element — and now used it with ease to glide across the rooftops.
When he arrived, he knocked twice. On the third knock, the door opened, and Shaley stepped out.
She wore a silver gown that clung gently to her figure, with a matching feathered hat and silver slippers that glimmered under the evening light.
Her radiant smile nearly stopped his heart.
"You look beautiful," Jayden said with his most composed smile.
For a moment, his emerald eyes glowed faintly, and a soft breeze swept around them, stirring Shaley's hair as the orange sky blushed behind him.
Later, she would remember that moment vividly — Jayden, standing before her, looking almost majestic.
Her cheeks flushed pink. Turning slightly away, she called for her father. "Thanks," she murmured, glancing back shyly. "You look perfect too."
It was Jayden's turn to blush, though he hid it behind a practiced chuckle, perfectly timed and pitched.
Then came Shaley's father. He stepped out, eyes sharp and assessing, the aura of an overprotective father thick in the air.
Jayden met his gaze head-on, mana flickering faintly around his eyes — a test between men.
For a tense moment, they stared at each other, their unspoken challenge heavy as thunder. Jayden's gaze said, Trust me. Not as a boy — but as someone worthy of his daughter's trust.
Finally, Shaley's father broke the stare with a small smile and extended his hand. Jayden shook it firmly.
"You may go," he said quietly, "but let no harm come to my daughter… or else."
The threat lingered as he turned and walked away. Yet Jayden knew — he had earned the man's faith.
They soon boarded a carriage taxi. The city glowed around them, lanterns flickering to life as dusk deepened.
"What was that back there?" Shaley asked, still amazed. "It's like sparks were flying between you two!"
"It's called a battle between men," Jayden said, smirking. "My dad taught me that. If I'd looked away, it would've meant I couldn't protect you. But I didn't — so, I passed."
Shaley leaned closer, her voice soft and teasing. "Are you sure you can protect me?"
"Are you testing me?" Jayden replied, inching closer too.
"Hey, you two lovebirds can save that for later," the driver muttered gruffly.
Flustered, they both pulled apart, and Jayden paid as they arrived at the plaza.
_______
Earlier That Morning
_______
Jessica Symon, the senior mage in charge of activations, was tidying the ritual room — aligning crystals, polishing the orb — when the door creaked open.
A woman in a flowing black-and-purple gown glided in, her presence silent yet suffocating.
"Veronica? Is that you?" Jessica gasped.
The woman smiled, but her grin was sharp and wrong. "Did you miss me? I've been gone a long time, haven't I?"
Jessica's instincts screamed. Something was off. This wasn't Veronica — not anymore. Every bone in her body told her to run.
She turned to flee, but two purple skeletons materialized from thin air, seizing her by the arms.
"Are you afraid of me? I thought we were best friends," the woman mocked. "Such a pity… but I'll be taking your body now. That's what friends are for, right?"
Jessica screamed as dark magic surged. Her skin tore away and wrapped around the intruder.
The body of Jessica Symon fell lifeless, leaving behind a pile of bone and flesh that twisted into an undead slave.
The woman — now wearing Jessica's form — smiled coldly. "Now then, time to absorb some magic."
Back in the present, Jayden and Shaley arrived at the crowded Activation Centre.
"Seriously? It's this packed?" Jayden sighed, seeing about fifteen people ahead of them.
Then he heard familiar voices. Turning, he spotted Nadia and Ren — and another boy beside them.
"Ren, Nadia! What are you guys doing here? And who's that?" Jayden asked.
"This is Reece," Ren explained. "He's from my dad's orphanage. He can't talk, so if you have any questions, ask me."
"And I just came to help," Nadia added, waving.
"Oh, so the whole gang's here. By the way — happy birthday, Shaley," Nadia said warmly.
Jayden smiled faintly, though the long queue dulled his mood. He had a plan for later tonight — and he didn't want it ruined.
At the front desk, "Jessica" — or rather, Sabrina — scanned the crowd, bored. She had planned to drain high-level mages unnoticed, but none had appeared all day. Her irritation faded, however, when she sensed an aura that made her heart skip — Jayden's.
She nearly lunged at him but restrained herself. Too soon. She needed a plan.
"Is there a Jayden Reginald here?" she called sweetly. "Your mother made a reservation for you."
Jayden blinked in surprise. "My mom did?"
"What are you waiting for? Let's go!" Ren urged, pushing him forward.
The group moved past the annoyed onlookers. Sabrina's gaze flicked to Shaley holding Jayden's hand — and a wicked thought bloomed.
"Girl, sit down and hold the orb," she instructed. Shaley obeyed.
As the ritual began, Sabrina secretly altered the orb's flow, intending to imprint her mana into Shaley — a hidden curse she could exploit later.
But when her mana entered the girl's body, it suddenly vanished.
"What—?" she hissed, startled.
A shimmering figure appeared behind Shaley — a spirit, visible only to Sabrina.
"Whatever you tried to do has failed," the spirit's voice thundered softly. "Be grateful my host's mana is weak. Otherwise, I would have ended you where you stand."
Then the spirit vanished. Sabrina slumped back in shock. The activation orb flashed:
Magic Type: Guardian Manifestation
Shaley exhaled, unaware of the danger. Reece followed, awakening Speech Magic.
With the process complete, they all began to leave — except Nadia, who stopped to use the restroom.
When she finished and turned to leave, Sabrina appeared silently in the doorway, eyes glowing violet.
Before Nadia could react, two undead soldiers seized her.
"Let me go!" she cried, summoning water spears — but they shattered with a flick of Sabrina's hand.
Crouching, Sabrina whispered, her voice like silk and poison. "You're lucky my plan failed earlier. Otherwise, I'd have killed you. But… I think I'll use your body instead."
Purple tendrils of mana slithered into Nadia's mouth. Her eyes rolled back, and she collapsed, unconscious.
"I've rewritten her memories," Sabrina murmured, smiling. "She'll think she just slipped and fell. Enjoy what little time you have left."
As she left, her form flickered briefly — not entirely stable.
Returning to the activation chamber, she smiled darkly.
"Phase one… complete."
Outside, the evening wind howled faintly through the plaza. Jayden felt a sudden chill — unaware that something ancient and evil had just set its sights on him and everyone he cared about.