Heavy miasma hung in the air, suffocating and choking Avon's lungs. Time itself seemed to be frozen as the desolate plains stood at a standstill; even the wind was afraid to breathe in the presence of such an oppressive atmosphere. Clouds the colour of poison dotted the bloodstained sky, flashing with silent lightning and razing dark patches into the ruined ground.
Avon clawed at his throat as he wheezed out a shaky gasp, arms quivering and legs akimbo as he struggled to crawl onto his knees. He moaned in pain, his head pounding in agony as he tried to clear the fog that filled his mind. The air seemed to cling to his skin, each breath burning a path through his brittle lungs and setting his throat on fire.
'Where am I?' he thought wearily as he forcibly dragged his unresponsive body off the rocky ground.
He tugged at the lapels of his loose-fitting jacket, dusting the sand and crushed rocks off his clothes before turning his attention to the sight before him.
A palatial temple, made entirely of black glass, stood grandly before him. Huge spires rose from its ends, tapering endlessly into the skies. Glittering runes wound across its glassy surface, each thrumming and burning with endless power. The smooth surface of its gates was marred with countless magic circles that were carved into the stone, pulsing and glowing with a brilliant light every few seconds.
The charred ruins of a broken city surrounded Avon, spreading as far as the eye could see. The oppressive structure stood at its center, and towered over the abandoned capital- standing tall against the weathering of time.
Without warning, a low rumble pierced the thickening silence, and the world burst into faceted fragments. The terrifying city crumbled into oblivion before his very eyes, giving way to a void of murky darkness that pulled every atom in its vicinity into its horrifying depths.
The ground beneath his feet crumbled, spiralling away into infinity- yet his feet remained planted on the ghost of stability, unable to move an inch from where he stood.
As Avon lay suspended in the chilling night, a voice- low and slithering- crept into Avon's ears, awakening an unknown terror in the boy's thumping heart.
'Find me.' It whispered inside his mind, sending a rippling wave of agony through his veins. 'Fulfill your duty.'
Pain. It burst through his body, branding itself on his insides, leaking out of his skin. It seemed to tear into his very soul, ripping it apart and transforming it into something different, something stronger, something more.
Avon let out a guttural scream, tearing bloody patches into his own throat as he tried to quell the soul-shaking pain. He collapsed pitifully on the ground, writhing in torment as his temples throbbed in agony.
The edges of his vision darkened, and the last thing he saw before he lost consciousness was the sight of his body lighting up in a brilliant white.
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Avon awoke with a gasp, eyes flying open as he scrambled onto his feet. Pulse thundering, he took in a shuddering breath as he looked at the familiar sight of the study before him. Sighing in relief, he leaned against the bookshelves, clutching his head in the palms of his hands.
'It was just a dream.' he thought wearily as he rubbed his knuckles against his drooping eyelids.
"Gods..." Avon mumbled, focusing on calming his frantically beating heart.
He shivered in horror as he remembered the pain that had thrummed under his skin, unable to believe that it was nothing more than a product of his tiring imagination. He let out a small groan in exasperation, willing himself to forget that damning nightmare.
It was then that he remembered that he had been hidden inside the study for the better part of the day, and may have alarmed the building's occupants into thinking that he had disappeared. Sporting a slightly sheepish expression, Avon clawed at the walls with his fingertips till he felt the tell tale press of a button rubbing into his skin.
The lights spluttered to life at his command, their searing brightness momentarily causing Avon's eyes to prickle in agony. He immediately covered the upper half of his face with a slender palm, squinting lightly through pale fingers as he waited for his vision to adjust.
He noticed them then- swirling wisps of white akin to brightly lit stars that cluttered the air surrounding him, moving lazily in the non-existent breeze.
"Huh?" Avon let out an unintelligent splutter as he looked disbelievingly at the roving orbs that seemed to cover the field of his vision.
He furiously rubbed at his eyelids again, and when the sight remained unchanged, he pushed a knuckled fist between his teeth as he tried to calm his hysteria from erupting. Thoughts spun rapidly in his head as he recalled the words that he had read inside a book not too long ago.
'The mark of a mage's awakening is the advent of their ability to see mana. Newly-awakened mages will be able to peer through the fabric of the universe and witness the movement of ambient mana with their own two eyes.'
He had awakened- and that too a year before most of his peers!
Avon suddenly recalled the contents of the dream he just had, and wondered if the pain that seemed to rip through his very soul was the cause behind his premature awakening- but then dismissed the thought due to his incredulity.
"This... makes no sense." he said softly, eyes glazing over as he fell into deep contemplation.
Eventually, he decided not to look a gift horse in the mouth, and pushed the matter to the very back of his head, resolutely ignoring his unease. With a sigh and a shake of his head, he pulled open the door to the hidden study, flinching slightly when his mind unhelpfully conjured up images of the Headmistress' disapproving expression and hurriedly thought of a few excuses to justify his conspicuous absence during breakfast.
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Avon's eyes darted around as he carefully surveyed his surroundings, making sure that a certain blonde teen who had taken to sticking to his side like glue wasn't in his vicinity, before scurrying out of the building with all the intensity of a man possessed.
A poorly-made rucksack hung off his shoulders, its shabby appearance at odds with the precious spell tomes that were hidden inside- Avon would have laughed at the dichotomy if his nerves weren't alight with anxiety. He walked out of the gates of the orphanage, subconsciously squaring his shoulders and straightening his spine in mock confidence.
Avon ignored the gazes that fell on him as he traversed through the city, knowing that they were undoubtedly surprised by the colour of his hair- pearly white, a colour that was said to belong only to those blessed by the gods, not that Avon ever believed that he was- someone who was blessed didn't need to spend their time wiping grime off the bottoms of cookware.
He trudged through countless alleyways as he made his way to the forest that bordered the town, wiping beads of sweat off his brows as the sweltering heat chipped at his stamina.
Evening descended, and Avon let out a cheerful shout when he finally arrived at the outskirts of the forest. Invigorated, he strode into the dense thicket of trees, body vibrating with excitement as he readied himself to cast spells for the first time since he awakened.
He walked forward, all the while carving sloppy slashes in the wooden barks of trees with the help of a bronze dagger- courtesy of the hidden study- in order to mark the path that he traversed. He soon made his way into a clearing, and his eyes gleamed in satisfaction when he took in the abundant mana and the lack of living presences in it.
He unceremoniously dumped the rucksack onto the grassy ground, rolling his shoulder to dispel the stiffness that had set into the limb. Satisfied, he dug into the sack, pulling out a book that talked about elementary elemental spells in great detail.
He gave it a cursory flip through, having already memorized it's contents due to his well-placed eagerness. Humming in delight, Avon settled himself in the middle of the clearing, intending to learn how to feel and control mana with nothing more than his consciousness.
A minute soon turned into thirty, and Avon found himself grumbling simultaneously about nothing and everything as he failed to conjure up a single spell. The words 'for beginners', that were embossed on the tome's cover, seemed to be mocking his capabilities.
He once again hardened his resolve, threatening himself with an abstinence of his favourite sweetmeats if he couldn't form at least a single tiny flame in the next hour. Spurred on by the threat, Avon passionately applied his complete focus on the task at hand, and finally received some semblance of results after half an hour of mindless meditating.
"Yes!" Avon hollered in delight when he felt the mana surrounding his palm take shape, and waved a blazing fingertip against the night sky, admiring the roaring flames of gold and brimstone.
Suddenly, a loud howl interrupted Avon's cheerful whooping, making the boy freeze in fright. A low rumbling gradually approached the clearing, the sound of rapid footfalls echoing through the silent night.
Avon had forgotten that changes in the ambient mana tended to attract monsters and beasts.
And for the first time since he had awakened without any memories, Avon felt the strong urge to curse.
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