Braxill and Levy wandered side by side, eyes darting from shelf to shelf.
Levy pulled out a bright, colorful comic. "Steamboat Willie Mickey Mouse? Sounds dumb."
Braxill snatched it from him. "No way, this is a classic. Look at the art style!"
Levy shrugged. "I'll pass. I'm tired of reading fiction anyway, hey your looks longer."
Braxill "It grows pretty fast."
Braxill's eyes glowed faint green as he flipped the pages.
Levy squinted. "Why do your eyes keep doing that?"
Braxill smiled softly. "I'm adding everything I see to my imagination."
Levy tilted his head. "Cool... So you can really imagine anything?"
Braxill nodded. "Yeah, but I need enough Abi to shape it. The bigger the creation, the faster it drains me."
Levy frowned. "Do you have to know what you're imagining?"
Braxill shook his head. "No. If I've seen it, life itself understands how to make it real."
Levy whistled. "That's kinda OP. Good thing your Abi sucks."
Braxill grabbed another book. Inside were drawings of children holding their parents' hands, captions that said I love you. He turned another page, a man and woman holding hands, the same words glowing faintly beneath them.
He sighed.
Levy picked his nose, flicked a booger... then, for good measure, ate one.
Braxill wrinkled his nose. "Levy?"
"Yeah?"
"Does your mom ever say she loves you?"
Levy looked up mid-chew. "Huh? Yeah, kinda a lot actually. It's annoying, but I guess that's what mothers do."
Braxill's gaze fell to the book again. "I don't think I have a mother."
Levy blinked. "Everybody has a mother."
"Maybe," Braxill whispered. "But I don't remember mine. And whenever I try to remember... it hurts. My stomach twists. Like I'm scared of her voice."
Levy's teasing expression softened. "You really don't remember."
Braxill shook his head. "No. It's all fog."
Levy frowned, studying him. "You forget a lot."
Then Braxill's eyes widened suddenly. "Wait, I actually remember something."
Levy jumped. "What? That fast? You remembered your mom?"
Braxill shook his head. "No... Ninja Brax."
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
Levy blinked. "Ninja who?"
"The portal!" Braxill said, eyes lighting up. "I remember now. I went looking for someone to fight. I fought an Elda Knight named Venku."
Levy's jaw dropped. "You what? No way. Father says Elda Knights are monsters! That's like... fighting a giant!"
Braxill grinned. "You do know I can imagine a giant T-Rex, right?"
Levy rolled his eyes. "Yeah, whatever. But how'd you remember that now?"
Braxill's tone softened. "When I got scared... it was like Ninja Brax was reminding me I don't have to be."
Levy squinted. "Who even is Ninja Brax?"
Braxill smiled slyly. "Another power source, it's a lot different from my own."
Levy "hmm, maybe Ninja Brax can help you."
Braxill "I don't know how."
Levy smirked. "You can imagine anything, right?"
Braxill nodded.
"Then imagine him."
Braxill's eyes widened. "Levy, that's... actually genius."
Levy grinned. "Comes with the bloodline."
Braxill raised his hand and released his Abi. Sparks shimmered in the air, and from that light, a figure stepped out.
Ninja Brax blinked around. "Oh, shit. You actually imagined me."
Levy's jaw dropped. "He just said a bad word!"
Ninja Brax grinned. "White boy please. Ain't no adults around. We say what we want."
He looked around the towering shelves. "Hold up... are we in a library? Ohhhh hell yeah. Where the manga at?" He dashed off, flipping through shelves like a child possessed.
Braxill sighed. "Ninja Brax! I didn't summon you to read, I need your help. I'll erase if you don't."
Ninja Brax chuckled without looking up. "Don't threaten a brother and then ask for help, lil homie. That's not how life works."
"Seriously," Braxill said. "I can't remember my past. Can you?"
Ninja Brax closed the manga slowly, his tone changing. "I don't know, man. What I do know is this, I exist because you made me."
Braxill frowned. "What does that mean?"
"It means you're empty," Ninja Brax said quietly. "Ain't nobody ever loved you right. That's the only time Hip-Hop's born, from heartbreak. From pain. From being unseen. Eminem, Tupac, Biggie, they were ghosts in their own worlds, but Hip-Hop gave them power."
Levy blinked. "Hip... hop? Is that a drug or something?"
Ninja Brax rolled his eyes. "No, fool. It's music." He pointed at Braxill. "And my existence means one thing, if nobody loved you before, then the world made room for someone who will, me negro but I ain't he for that lovey dovey bull shit, I'm here to make people fear you, you feel me."
Braxill stared down, his eyes glistening. "So nobody has ever loved me."
Levy leaned over. "Hey, cheer up. You got me. And the bear tribe."
Ninja Brax grinned. "Na, the only one you got is me, ima real ninja you can't trust nobody else, together we almost smoked that Elda knight Venku. My power had that fool about to nuke himself hehehe."
Levy blinked. "You really fought a royal knight?"
"Damn right," Ninja Brax said. "That's something you Artimancers could never do."
Levy's temper snapped. "You're annoying."
Ninja Brax smirked. "You're a lil brat."
Ninja Brax punched levy in the face. Levy return the favor punching Ninja Brx in the face.
He summoned a glowing Glock made of pure Abi. "What's up, ninja? Do something."
Levy raised his Mancer staff. "You first!"
Levy scoffed "I bet you think you can beat me because you say a lot of bad words but, bad words don't win fights."
Ninja Brax "I bet you think you tough because you hate women, bitch."
Ninja Brax laughed. "You know what they say, don't bring a staff to a gun fight."
"Enough Go away!" Braxill shouted, pushing him back. Abi exploded out from his hands, shattering Ninja Brax into shards of light that faded into the air.
The library went silent.
Braxill stared at the falling embers. "You can't talk to my friends like that."
Levy stood frozen, eyes wide.
Without another word, Braxill turned and walked deeper into the library, red cape trailing behind him like a dying ember.