It was cold at first, the very fiber of his being shivering. Then it was suddenly warm, like winter had just ended and summer was in sight.
Jan-Paul Asterios was floating weightlessly in the air. He felt as if he was in a trance; his mind was clear. However, his body was nowhere to be found, appearing instead as a ball of glowing light.
"What am I?" Paul questioned. His voice echoed in the void.
He tried to reach out, but his hands were nowhere to be found. His body had transformed into a light, like a ball of flowing energy.
"Is this the shape of a soul?" he pondered. He looked around, seeing only the plain he had created. How did he do that? When he manifested the plain, he felt a pain in his soul, followed by an electric sensation coursing through him.
The sensation was alien to him, but within this space, he felt he could potentially do anything. First, he tried to move, and the soul moved according to his will. However, moving was still difficult.
Jan focused his mind, putting all his effort into manifesting his physical body. Yet, all that happened was a shake in space.
***
Rich lay on the ground, unmonitored. His enemies were now resting. One put a cigar in his mouth and smoked, while others quickly prepared for their next mission.
"I see that it was worth it to hire you guys," said the old man, looking at Rich on the ground. He sighed.
"It's no problem; this kind of task is easy," said the bald guy.
"Easy? We spent much more time chasing this rat," mumbled one guy.
It was supposed to only take a few minutes, but it turned into a long chase scene. They didn't expect this guy to have an ability. In addition to his innate talent for running away, they spent a few hours chasing Rich.
"Well, I do not care. As long as my shop is safe," the old man said in resignation. He was tired.
He tapped his cane on the ground. Then a magic circle appeared. A hue of purple surrounded the old man. "I'll be going back now; it's up to you to deal with that robber," he said, clearly not caring what happened to Rich.
Then a blinding light signaled the activation of the magic. Seconds later, the light subsided, and the old man was nowhere to be found. He had left, using a teleportation spell to vanish into thin air.
Rich lay on the ground, unmoving, contemplating his decisions. Should he have stolen less? In this world where assistance is scarce and many people hold great power, those found inept at magic are shunned. Because of this, his sister, who wielded no magic at all, lived in constant struggle. While his parents worked in a mining factory, he, as the eldest, had no choice but to study and take care of his sister.
"Where did I go wrong?" His mind darted from hope to despair. He could not see the reason for his sister's hardship.
He was desperate, biting his lip in frustration. In his mind, all he could do was hope, even if it meant turning to a devil. Even if his decision would lead to the destruction of the world, he did not care. It was for the better, for the world that had forsaken his family to be obliterated. Then, as if some unknown force responded to his wish, the world shook.
*Rumble* *Rumble* *Rumble*
"Whoa, what's happening?" said one person in concern.
"An earthquake?" asked another.
The group looked around, seeing the trees swaying. The magnitude of the tremor was unlike anything they had ever experienced. Leaves were falling, followed by the trees collapsing.