Warlock Ch 11. The Magic City
Malthus's laughter died away, replaced by a low, menacing growl. "You've made a mistake," he snarled. "And you'll regret it."
Suddenly, the room flickered with a strange, violent light. The air crackled with dark energy, like a storm about to break. Damian's skin tingled, and his instincts screamed that something bad was coming. Malthus wasn't going to let him walk away from this easily.
Evelyn's eyes snapped to his, her expression fierce and determined now. Whatever she had been chanting under her breath, it was done. Her hands glowed with faint light, and Damian saw something shift in the space around them—a magic formation, etched in shimmering lines, glowing beneath their feet.
"We need to go," Evelyn said, her voice sharp, all hesitation gone. "Now."
But before Damian could respond, the room exploded with power. A massive surge of dark magic tore through the air. A clear destruction aimed right at them. It was Malthus. His fury was clear, and he was done talking. He was going to destroy them both.
Damian's heart leapt into his throat as the magic crashed toward them, raw and destructive. There was no time to move, no time to react.
But Evelyn was faster.
Her hand shot out, grabbing Damian's arm in a tight grip. The magic circle beneath them flared with bright, blinding light, and Damian felt a sudden lurch, like the floor had dropped out from under him.
"Hold on!" Evelyn shouted, her voice barely audible over the roar of the magic.
The light consumed them, and everything went white.
For a moment, Damian felt like he was floating, suspended in nothingness. The world around him spun, disoriented and chaotic, but there was no pain. No destruction. Just the faint, steady hum of magic.
And then, just as suddenly as it had started, it was over.
They landed hard, Damian stumbling as his feet hit solid ground again. The air was still, the roar of Malthus's attack gone. He blinked, his vision slowly clearing as the light faded. They were no longer in the building, no longer in the alley where they had fought the shadows.
They were somewhere else entirely.
Damian looked around, his breath coming in sharp gasps as he tried to take in his surroundings. It was dark, the only light coming from a few scattered lanterns hanging on tall iron posts. The streets were cobblestone, slick with rain, and the buildings around them were old, looming over them with ancient stone and wrought-iron balconies. Everything about this place felt strange—unfamiliar, like he had just stepped into a world out of time.
The air was heavy, thick with an eerie stillness that pressed in on him. Even though the street was deserted, it didn't feel empty. Shadows moved in the corners of his vision, slithering along the walls of the buildings like living things. The dim light from the lanterns flickered, casting long, shifting shadows that made the place feel alive, almost breathing.
"What the hell..." Damian muttered under his breath, taking a slow step forward. His shoes echoed against the wet cobblestones, the sound swallowed by the strange, oppressive quiet that hung over the street.
The buildings themselves were massive, towering over him like giants. Gothic spires jutted into the sky, their dark silhouettes barely visible against the thick clouds that loomed overhead. Ivy crawled up the walls, twisting around the stone like it was choking the life out of it. It all looked ancient, but not in a way that felt comforting or nostalgic. No, this place felt like it had been pulled from a nightmare—a place where time stood still, dark and uninviting.
"This... this isn't Haven City," Damian said, turning toward Evelyn, who stood a few feet away, her face illuminated by the faint glow of the lanterns. "Where are we?"
Evelyn didn't respond immediately, her eyes scanning their surroundings with a calm, calculated gaze. She didn't seem fazed by the shift in location, as if she had been here a hundred times before. Finally, she turned to face him, her expression unreadable.
"This is Haven City," she said simply.
Damian blinked, confusion flooding his thoughts. He shook his head. "No... no, this isn't Haven City. Haven City is skyscrapers and busy streets. Neon lights and traffic. Not... this." He gestured to the dark, ominous street around them, the old buildings that looked like they'd been pulled straight from a gothic horror novel.
Evelyn's lips curved into a small, knowing smile. "It's still Haven City, Damian. Just not the part you're used to."
Damian frowned. "What do you mean?"
"This," she said, gesturing around them, "is the secret part of Haven City. The Magic City. It exists alongside the part of Haven you know, hidden from normal people. It's where beings like me—like us—live."
Damian's stomach tightened. "Like us?"
Evelyn's gaze was steady, and for a moment, there was a softness in her expression that he hadn't seen before. "Yes, like us. Warlocks, witches, supernatural creatures... we all exist in this part of the city. It's where we live, where we hide. You couldn't see it before, but now that your mana core has awakened, you're a part of this world. You can see it. You belong here."
Damian's breath caught in his throat. The words hit him hard, like a punch to the gut. Belong here? He didn't belong here. He belonged in the normal part of Haven City, where things made sense. Where the world didn't feel like some dark fairytale came to life. He shook his head again, stepping back instinctively. "No, I... I don't belong here. This is... this is crazy."
Evelyn took a step closer, her voice gentle but firm. "It feels that way now. But trust me, this place is your home now. It's where you'll learn to survive."
Damian's mind raced, trying to make sense of everything. He stared up at the buildings again, the shadows shifting ominously in the corners of his vision. This place—this Magic City—felt wrong. Cold. Unforgiving. And yet, there was something... something deep inside him that responded to it. No matter how terrifying, was where he was supposed to be.