At the tender age of five, I witnessed the onset of the Dark War, a day forever etched in my memory. A historic moment unfolded when, for the first time in history, the world seemed on the brink of peace. Nations had, at long last, united under a treaty with a ten-year promise of tranquility. The jubilation resonated globally as adults were granted respite from work, and children, myself included, were liberated from the confines of school. The chilly November morning bore witness to this newfound hope.

Seated on the couch with my mother, I marveled as she wielded magic to warm up a cup of hot chocolate for me. Every television station broadcast-ed the momentous event. The president, in the midst of his speech, became ensconced in a dark shadow. At my tender age, the gravity of the situation eluded me. As the president crumpled to the ground, a domino effect ensued, with other world leaders following suit. A figure, draped in dark robes, ascended the stage and proclaimed, "I am the chosen one of Erebus, the rightful ruler of the world. This is a message to all the followers of Inti. We will be the supreme magic wielders. Your days are numbered." With a theatrical puff of smoke, he vanished from the stage, leaving an unsettling message lingering in the air.All the cameras abruptly shut off, plunging the screen into darkness. In the midst of the disconcerting moment, my mom enveloped me in a reassuring hug. Concerned, I asked, "What did that man mean? Is he going to hurt you?"

"He's not going to hurt me, sweetheart. It just means that things are going to get a little difficult now," she replied, her voice carrying a mix of reassurance and concern.

With the onset of the war, life took a grim turn, becoming increasingly challenging and complex. Dark magic users in one's family tree became grounds for prosecution, and anyone aligning themselves with Erebus faced immediate imprisonment, notwithstanding the occasional jailbreaks. For me, it was a frightening period. Despite the adversity, my mom endeavored to wear a brave face. As I matured, I strived to alleviate the burdens she carried, especially as the headmaster of one of the world's leading light schools.

The school faced frequent attacks from groups sympathetic to Erebus, adding to my mother's challenges. Yet, she remained steadfast, presenting a facade of courage for my sake. Unlike many light users who grew apprehensive about practicing magic at home, my mom fearlessly continued to wield her magic around me. Movie nights became cherished moments, especially when she would expedite the hot chocolate preparation, sparing us the wait.

Despite her unwavering confidence in my innate goodness, there were moments of trepidation where I feared the possibility of becoming a dark magician. In response to my concerns, she consistently reassured me that everything would be fine. One day, finding it impossible to conceal my lingering anxiety, I summoned the courage to inquire, "Mom, what would be your reaction if I were to become a follower of Erebus?" Her expression shifted to one of sorrow, and she replied, "Honestly, I don't know. It's something that has occupied my thoughts frequently lately. With an increasing number of people succumbing to darkness, I find myself contemplating that scenario. However, you still have a few years ahead, so there's no need to worry about it."

Then the day came that much of the world had been waiting for the war to end. After ten years of suffering it was over. Several years had passed since the ending and it was time. I had waited for this day for eighteen years, today was the day I got my magic. I rushed down stairs to see mom fixing all of my favorites to eat. She handed me a cup of hot chocolate. With a tear in her eye she said " This will be the last time I warm you up a cup of hot chocolate. My little girl will be able to do it on her own."

I took it from her and said " I will always be your little girl."

She smiled and we sat down and ate breakfast. After eating we headed to the sanctuary . The sanctuary was a part of the great church. It was the only place allowed to do the ritual since the war started out. It seemed like more and more people were becoming followers of Erebus. I knew I had nothing to worry about since I came from a long line of Inti followers, but I still had that small fear in the back of my head of what if another god wants me?

The sanctuary was huge. It was like a castle out of a book. The doors were made out of solid wood. I felt like a princess walking through the doors. While filling out the paperwork the receptionist asked " So which god do you want to follow?"

" I want to be like my mom and follow Inti."

The receptionist smiled and said " good luck then."

 After everything was filled out we followed a priest to the back. He explained that I would be led to the center of a magic circle and that several priests would chant the saying and my hair would change instantly. He also told me that my mom will be watching from the sideline when I asked if she could be in there with me. When I was all set up they started to chant " We call upon the ones that can hear. We ask you to grace this child with a fraction of your power." 

A radiant barrier enveloped me, pushing back those around. Fearfully closing my eyes, I heard a reassuring voice, urging me to open them. Before me stood a man with long blonde hair and golden eyes, accompanied by a swirling mass of stars and dust. The blonde figure identified himself as Inti, the god of light, while the celestial entity named Rahu claimed to be the god of darkness.

Perplexed, I questioned the contradiction, recalling Erebus as the god of darkness. Rahu chuckled, deferring the explanation to Inti, who sighed and disclosed how Erebus had supplanted Rahu as the god of darkness, exploiting Inti's pursuit of freedom and power. Unbeknownst to Inti, Erebus harbored intentions to seize the top god position.

The revelation shattered my belief in equal divine standing among gods, as Rahu explained the constant power struggle among them, influencing the prevalence of different magic types in various eras. Now, their attention turned to me, urging me to learn Erebus's actions and assist Rahu in reclaiming the god of darkness title.

I questioned my role as a potential spy, wondering if I would acquire darkness powers. Inti clarified, stating they would both bless me, a feat possible through a parent blessed by each deity. As I grappled with the information, Rahu conveyed the urgency, revealing that outwardly I would appear as a dark magician, yet possess both light and darkness within. Their advice: when approached with an offer from Allurian, accept it to uncover more about my destiny.

With a flash of light they were gone. I fell to my knees as nausea washed over me. I looked up trying to find my mom. I got up and started towards her. I felt pain in my chest as she took a step back. She had tears in her eyes. She looked like she was about to say something when a couple of the priests started to usher me away. I turned back trying to reach for her. She reached her arm out to me . I was dragged away. The Dinginess and the smell of water filled my nose as we made our way down. We soon made our way down to a long hallway of doors. People were yelling to be let out that they have a mission that they have to do. They stopped in front of one of the doors and said " welcome to your new home. "

I was shoved in and the door closed with a thud behind me. I don't know how long I was down there. They brought me only one meal every so often. I was not given the chance to take a shower. The only things that were in the room were a bed, a toilet and a small sink. There was no mirror on the wall. The person beside me tried to talk to me but I ignored him. One day my door opened and a priest said " follow me you have a visitor."

I followed him up the stairs into a small little room. Sitting at the only table in the room was a man in a suit. He had Blue hair. He motioned for me to have a seat and said " I am Jordan Afterdew. I am the headmaster of Allurian Academy and I am here to offer you a chance to study there."

" What is Allurian Academy?"

"We are one of the few schools in the world that are still able to teach dark magicians."

" Why is that?"

" When the dark magicians took over the government they offered us a type of deal. They would fund us with grants and things."

" Why did y'all agree to it"

" We thought that it was unfair to all the young people that got locked in a cell. How did you feel when you were thrown in that cell? The school founder thought that it was best to give them every opportunity that he could."

" What if they turn on you?"

" That is a very strong possibility but he is convinced that something is going to happen and change that."

" So if the academy is government funded then how much is this going to cost me?"

" Normally it would cost you a lot. We are government funded but we are still a private school. But for you, someone will sponsor you so it will not cost you anything."

" They sponsor me? Who was it?"

" I can not tell you that. But this is all up to you. I will give you some time to think about this."

He got up to leave but I stopped him and said " I will do it. If I don't, I'm pretty sure I will be back in that cell."

Mr Afterdew smiled and said " That is great. I will inform the priest and then we can get you cleaned up and we will head to the school."

The next hour felt amazing. I took a nice long shower. The water started out black. It felt so nice to finally be clean. Mr. Afterdew gave me a set of clothes. When I looked at the clothes I started to cry. It was some of my clothes from home. It was one of my favorite ones. I got ready and met Mr Afterdew in the front lobby. We rode to the airport in silence. Instead of going to the normal check in to get tickets we went to the private counter. The lady at the counter was very nice. She recognized Mr. Afterdew. She informed him that the plane was ready to go and that we were ready to go. We went straight to a very nice plane. We boarded and it was a very high end plane. We were the only ones on the jet. Once we took off I was told to get some rest