{~Sam~}"Welcome to the world of the living Samuel."My eyes adjusted to the stark white sterile medic room and I slowly sat up to see a nurse smiling at me with a clipboard and a pen in her hands. I rubbed my eyes as I looked around the room seeing many of the phalanx class laying in beds with varying wounds. I groaned as I laid back exhaustion forcing its way to the forefront of my head. I looked back over at the nurse who chuckled and continued "You got beaten up pretty bad, well you and the rest of your class. I don't think anyone got off without injuries as was expected. Now, we're just going to run some tests on you then the doctor will decide if you're good to go." I nodded as she started asking me the usual medical mumbo jumbo that I kinda tuned out but answered nonetheless. A couple of minutes went by with the questioning and I groaned when she finally left.Silence filled the room except for the occasional groan or snore when I heard a soft snicker that seemed to come from everywhere at once. Needless to say, I freaked out. But, I managed to keep quiet. I still jumped and barely muffled the horrible noise that was undoubtedly about to come from my mouth. Looking around, there was only me in the room until a small shimmer appeared on one of the seats, and a human-like figure slowly coalesced until I could make out their features. A large smile graced their lips as they locked eyes with me and their feminine voice echoed in my head "Samuel Degray, it is so good to finally meet you."My mouth fell open in confusion as I looked around the medical room seeing that no one else was awake or at least looking my way, I turned my attention back to the currently see-through female. Her red and gold eyes matching my own were sparkled with amusement as she spoke once again, her voice sounding from her general direction this time. "I can tell you have many questions however, now is not the time nor the place:" She stood and made her way to the side of my hospital bed, hovering over me she extended a hand. I watched frozen as she pushed me back onto the bed and my eyes started to shut, her words echoing as she pushed me into unconsciousness, "Do not worry, time will tell all. And so will Mother."I awoke once again to the white of the sterile medic room, bolting up I quickly glanced around searching for the female figure. Not seeing her, I noticed I was alone. Slowly getting out of bed, mindful of my wounds I searched the medical room before making my way to a set of double doors. Opening them, I'm met with the same nurse who had given me a checkup. Looking up from the desk she was sitting at she gave me a smile and beckoned me over. Hobbling over and giving her a smile for a greeting, I asked; "Where is everyone?"She replied without skipping a beat, "Everyone has been checked and discharged an hour ago, the doc said to leave you asleep to heal from your wounds. I was just about to come to check up on you. Is there something you need?"I nodded "Am I able to leave?"Her eyebrows furrowed and I was met with a sort of concerned, worried, and blank stare as she responded "The doctor wishes to give you a checkup before you can leave, and you will want to be here to hear what he has to say. I can get you some food and water if you wish?"I shook my head "No thanks, I'll wait until I'm out." I replied in a slightly frustrated toneI turned and trudged back to one of the hospital beds in view of the door. A couple of minutes later, the door opened, and in walked a couple of people dressed in guard robes, that were the normal robes but with a guard insignia on them, that were shadowing a tall man dressed in a lab coat that was holding a clipboard and b-lined towards me. I stood and the man in the lab coat held up a hand with a grim face as he spoke in a gravelly voice "Oh please, take a seat. You're going to need it."I nodded slowly as I responded, "Uh...okay Mr...?"He chuckled "Brackenfield. Now Mr.Degray, I may have some...disturbing news for you."I nodded with a skeptical look as he held up a picture of what looked to be an x-ray of a human body, however, it was lit up with lines throughout the entire body colored orange and brownish-green. The brightest were the areas around the hands, heart, and brain. The doctor had a grim look as he stated "These were your body scans at the start of the test, and these-" he held up a copy of the diagram but instead of orange and brownish-green, it was red and black. And instead of having large areas, it was spread evenly through the body. Doctor Brackenfield sighed as he continued "And these are scans that we took about six hours ago. I assume you see the difference, but let me explain. The orange and brownish-green is your magic style, orange for fire, and brownish-green for earth. Now herein lies the problem. We have never encountered anything like this before. Until about twelve hours ago. On record, we only have six accounts of a person's magic completely changing on its own, and all have been replaced with this red and black coloring. We refer to them as The Six for now." I swallowed slowly as I digested what I heard before letting out a shaky breath "S-so what you're telling me. Is that whatever happened to me in that cavern...completely replaced my magic?"The doctor nodded as he set the diagrams down and gestured towards a tv that descended from the ceiling that started to show what I assumed happened to me after I passed out. After it ended the scene changed five more times, each showing a similar process that happened to a different person. Most were similar, they were surrounded by a large ball of energy often the color of their magic; blue, orange, brown, green, white. And soon turned to a mixture of red and black. But two were different similar to mine, one was in a battle situation like mine when large chains made up of a twisting red and black magic sprung from the ground and attacked their opponent before wrapping themselves around the girl and sinking into her skin. The second was a guy, who was battling a monster in a standoff. He was holding off a wave of fire with a wall of water and earth when a large blast of fire blew through his wall and sailed towards him, just as it reached him a large dome of that same colored energy surrounded him in a bubble before slashing through the wall and into the monster from the outstretched hand of the human.The doctor turned back towards me and continued "I hope now you can see our problem, here are you and five others who have been gifted with an entirely new type of magic that no one else on record has, one that seems to be super powerful if evident by the videos. The ley line of this magic was discovered weeks ago and investigated by the council of grand mages, but this introduces a host of new problems. The dean has proposed a plan for you to continue your studies at Pixonia, you will continue your classes as normal. However, your curriculum will include a check-up at the end of every week, as well as supervised tests of your magic, headed personally by the dean themself."I nodded and attempted to wrap my head around this, casting my glance back at the tv that was still showing various different instances of the seven videos before asking "Where are the other five? They can't all be in Forga can they?"He shook his head "That, I do not know. I'm sure the council is investigating it and making contact with them but for now, you are here and you will continue your studies if you wish. Unfortunately, our time is almost up but before we go. The dean wanted us to field some tests for you to get used to your new abilities and for us to have some data to work with. These two mages will-"He was interrupted by the door swinging open and a frantic nurse rushing in and exclaiming "Doctor Brackenfield! There's a mob outside calling for the arrest of the student? Security is having a hard time keeping them down, what should we do?"The doctor got a worried face before nodding to the nurse and replying "I will be right out, Franklin, Turner. Can you please escort Mr.Degray to the training pitch and help him with his tests?"Two of the four guards nodded and Doctor Brackenfield gave me a solemn look with a final "Be careful young mage, I fear protests will be the least of your worries in the coming future. Until we meet again." With a final look and grabbing the diagrams of my body, he left with the last two guards and the nurse in a hurry. I sighed before standing as one of the guards, a larger one in orange guard robes handed me some clothes that I recognized as a school uniform, he said "I'm Franklin, change into this and we'll take you to the pitch. We'll be outside."I nodded and stood as they left the room, turning to undress when my eyes landed on the same chair that the female had occupied, and who had reappeared with a smile "My my, the doctor is well-informed. But he doesn't know the full truth. No one but mother does." Her eyes sparkled red and gold and I bit my lip as I retorted "And who might 'mother' be?" I lowered my hands from the air quotes and she giggled as her form flickered between transparent and solid before becoming solid, letting me make out more of her features. She was lightly tanned and wore a simple dress with her dark red hair in unruly curls, she also had a scar over her right eye that moved with her expressions. She replied "All in due time. You are not ready. But I will help. We are a team now! A duo. Each of the six has a special role. I am yours."I groaned as I quickly changed into my school robes and muttered out "Of course. As if my life wasn't hard enough. I am stuck with some omniscient ghost. Can I at least get your name?"Hearing nothing, I turned only to see I was once again alone. I sighed and rubbed my temples as I muttered "Oh I hope I am not going crazy."I joined the two guards who with a quick look started down the hallway, I followed casting my gaze around the bare hospital wing nodding to the one or two nurses before coming out in a glass hallway. I raised my arm to my eyes as the sunlight glared and stopped as my eyes adjusted, I stared at a large crowd that was gathered and currently shouting and chanting words I couldn't hear. A hand touched my shoulder and I turned to see Franklin with a grim face "Aye, it's only gotten bigger. They call it chaos, and they're calling for your imprisonment."The other guard spoke "An appropriate name for the magic."My eyebrows furrowed as I turned back to the window, my eyes roaming over the very angry crowd that had their attention on someone that I made out to be Doctor Brackenfield. He was surrounded by guards who were keeping the mass of people back but only just. Many held signs that I squinted to read, and I gulped as the words registered and my soft voice filled the silence "Death to the chaos mage..death to the abomination" I turned to the two guards who wore hard expressions before turning and continuing to lead me towards the pitch without a word. I took one last glance at the crowd before I lost view as I turned the corner and glimpsed the same girl that had appeared twice before staring down with an unreadable expression, her hair flowing as if on a windy plateau. We soon arrived at the training area and I stretched as Franklin and the other guard, Turner, stood opposite me. They watched me with calculating eyes, Franklin spoke "We will be doing simple drills as the doc said. We will help as best we can Mr.Degray. For this first test, simply call on the magic,"I nodded and steadied my breathing, falling into the rhythm that I was so used to when I called upon magic. I felt my body warm as I closed my eyes, the familiar pull of magic echoing throughout my body. I opened my eyes and envisioned a ball of magic forming in my palms, the pull in my gut growing as nothing appeared and my concentration deepened. I gasped as I cut my concentration and took deep panting breaths, the pull in my gut getting unbearable before fading with my concentration. My eyebrows furrowed in confusion as I wiped the sweat from my brow and I said "I don't understand, nothing happened. Even when I first learned magic, I could make a spark pop or a seed shake. But there's nothing. I feel the familiar pull of magic when I use it but nothing."The two guards shared a glance as I tried again, the same reaction happening. I groaned as I looked over at the two and said "I don't know what else to do if I cannot call upon it.."Franklin gave me a sympathetic look as Turner was deep in thought before he spoke "Perhaps because you are trying too hard. You are used to the feeling of roaring fire and the richness of the earth. Pulling from both inside yourself and the environment. But, chaos is new. Chaos can be anything, from out of control parties to natural disasters. And this chaos seems to come from you. You are calling upon your magic. But you are not calling upon it right. Look inside yourself. Take your time. You are starting from scratch as if you never had magic in the first place."I frowned as I thought it over then nodded, closing my eyes and envisioning myself floating in an abyss of nothingness in a state of meditation. Until it wasn't. A blast of energy enveloped me, settling as a galaxy of red and black. Writhing, seething, then calm. It was anything and everything, yet nothing. I saw animals and monsters, humanoid beings, cities built then sieged down. Entire nations imploded in on themselves. And there I was, in the middle of it all, seeing it yet not. Feeling and experiencing it all in an instant yet an eternity. I floated along from the birth of a galaxy to its death.I opened my eyes to see the female once again, we locked eyes as she reached forward and placed her hands undermine. She smiled and I could see and feel the satisfaction and understanding in her eyes. I let out a breath as I called upon the magic flowing inside me, I felt the turmoil and calm. Echoing inside every part of my body, aching to be let out. Slowly a writhing mass of red and black magic appeared in my hands, growing from the size of a seed until it was the size of a football. I took a deep breath as her velvet voice echoed in my ears "Feel the magic, it is a part of yourself. It is you. And you are it. But you are in control. You control the chaos. It will flow regardless of what you intend, but if done right. It will be whatever you want. You direct the flow."I let out a steady breath and willed the chaos onto my arms as I sunk into a practice stance, copying the female who fell into a dance. We flowed together, sinking in and out of various stances, using the chaos as an extension of myself. Flowing the chaos in and out of my body and around it. From using it as an extension of my body through my arms and legs to making it into weapons. Chains, whips, pure energy balls, and shields. Until finally coalescing it inside my body and letting it seethe and calm in my blood. I steadied my breathing as she nodded in approval and slowly disappeared once again. I turned my attention to the two guards who were watching me with impressed looks on their faces. I sheepishly grinned and said "I think I figured it out"Franklin scoffed as Turner chuckled and the former said "I'd say, dancing like a council monk. If I didn't know that the magic was new, I'd say you were a master. Looks like the rumors of you being a prodigy were true. Well since it looks like you are accustomed to it now, we're going to up your tests. They want us to test its reaction to other magics. Turner if you will."The guard nodded and stomped his foot once causing three large holes to open in the ground and soon fill with fire, water, and dirt. The air picked up and he dangled an amulet out that floated off his arm and hovered next to the holes before a tornado formed next to the floating amulet as the five elements stood before me. Turner nodded as he finished and said "Alright. Your turn."I nodded and focused on the ones I wasn't accustomed to, air and water. The tornado spun lazily in place before I reached a hand towards it, the familiar pull of magic flowed throughout my body and I closed my fist imagining chains reaching out and trapping it in place. Chains materialized from my arm and sped through the air towards it before wrapping themselves around it and securing it in place, the tornado flared in response gaining size and ripping the chains apart.I glanced over at the two guards who gave me a disinterested look and grumbled as I tried again, this time with both hands. The chains shot from my arms once again, looking as if they were coming straight from the blood in my arms. I gritted my teeth as the chains wrapped around the tornado once again and it flared hitting the chains in different directions. They slowly disappeared in my arms when Turner spoke up "I see the problem. You've never fought with purely magic before, have you?"I replied, "Not purely, I have used magic to enhance my weapons and martial arts, often by altering the environment to my favor."He nodded and stepped forward encasing his arms with air magic, they formed large blades on his hands, before settling into a martial arts stance and going through various practice moves while saying "Your magic is a part of you, Samuel. Using your magic is like extending yourself. It can carry over with weapons and even in daily life. Magic is a part of all of us and in everything. You are using it like a weapon yes, but not like an extension, like a hand or foot. You exhibited it when you were familiarizing yourself with the chaos. Integrate it into your fighting style and you will be as proficient as you are with weapons."I nodded and steeled my breathing as I disappeared inside myself and, appeared in a room. It was similar to when I first looked inside myself but not as deep. The room changed on a whim as I settled inside myself before it slowly changed to a large plains landscape. I turned around looking at everything until her familiar voice reached my ears "Need my help again so soon?"I turned to see her with a smile on her face as she gestured towards me "Come with me. I want to show you something."I raised an eyebrow as she turned and walked towards an upcoming rise before following, I caught up to her and went to speak before she held up a hand shushing me. I grumbled but continued to follow her, we walked for what felt like hours before the lush prairie grass slowly turned into a black rocky obsidian type of gravel. She stopped ahead of me and pointed down towards something "Look there"I walked to her side and looked down, we had just come upon a hill like rising that looked down upon a large valley. Looking around the area it was more like a large divot in the ground as if a meteor had struck and hollowed it out. In the center was a glowing writhing mass of energy, her voice echoed in the silent area "Do you know what you are looking at?"I shook my head and she continued "That is your heart." Upon my confused look, she let out a sigh and motioned for me to follow her "Come"She slid down the embankment with me close behind, the air was silent with only the occasional sound of wind before we stopped 40 feet from it. She turned towards me and pointed towards the center of the writhing mass. I moved to her side and gazed at it before glancing at her and saying "My heart? It looks like a giant ball of magical energy."She sighed and her solid form distorted into a smoky appearance and she poked my chest right over my heart "Put that big brain to use prodigy." she turned and slowly floated into the energy ball as I retorted "I don't even know your name." Her response was to simply turn and give me a smile and say "You do, you have since I was born to you."I watched as her form slowly was encased inside the energy ball and disappeared, my mind racing as I attempted to think and solve the problem that was her name. I racked my brain before exclaiming in frustration and rubbing my hands through my hair, I looked around before deciding to simply bite the bullet. I steadied my breathing and took a step towards the writhing mass when my ears exploded with the rushing sound of air. I clasped my hands over my ears and fell to my knees as sounds just erupted around me, hitting me from every side. I screamed silently and struggled to my feet, I opened my eyes to see large tendrils of magic were pointed toward me. Reaching out and wrapping themselves in a large circle around me, I staggered closer to the center when tendrils snaked out and wrapped themselves around my arms turning into chains and anchoring me to the ground. I gasped in pain as the sound assaulting my ears intensified, I screamed louder but no sound of my voice reached my ears. The writhing mass got bigger and intensified, ripping around the air and twisting more violently. Pain hit every bit of my being as I grabbed the chains desperately pulling in futility, my eyes clenched in pain before I felt a hand on my face. I opened my eyes, still seeing the same twisting, violent mass of chaos energy. An unfamiliar voice echoed in my ears "Now, why are you forsaking your heart little one? You were chosen for it, yet you refuse to use it. You are a great warrior, just like the other chosen five. Each of you is special. Ask yourself, what about you is special? And you'd better hurry. I doubt you will last any longer."I gasped in pain as I was jarred from my thoughts by tendrils that latched themselves onto my legs and started to pull. I struggled fruitlessly as they tightened around my arms and legs, I struggled harder but the chains only tightened. I growled to myself as I thought 'Use your head, Samuel. You got through harder things than this. Think!' My eyes settled on the form that was floating in the middle of the ball before it was moved from view, I gritted my teeth as I gripped the tendrils in my hands until I felt my hands start to bleed from the strain. I growled as I felt the familiar tug in my gut as I pulled on my magic and attempted to force my way out of the tendrils, as magic encased my arms and legs in layers. The tendrils screeched in protest as I pushed magic into them before ripping them apart, I dropped to my knees and gasped for air when I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end and throw myself to the side as four tendrils pierced the ground where I just occupied. I looked up to see multiple tendrils snake off the writhing ball of energy and face towards me, I loaded my arms with chaos magic and spread more like an outer shell over my body. The familiar tug in my gut panged as I settled myself into a fighting stance before the tendrils shot towards me. 'I am in control. Not you. ME.'{General POV}The two guard mages watched in interest as Sam retreated inside himself before the air tingled with power and small red lightning bolts jumped off his body and a large black mark appeared horizontally over his closed eyes, the ground around him cracked and crackled as his focus intensified before his eyes shot open, his normally brown eyes replaced with red and gold.{Samuel's POV}I panted heavily as I stood staring at the bubble of magic that encased the body before reaching forward and slowly grabbing their hand. The body slowly floated towards me as I pulled before I caught it as it left the bubble, their features unrecognizable as they slowly came too and stood. I backed up as they looked around before focusing on me and tilting their head and staring at me.I asked as we stared at each other "Who are you?"They responded "You."We stared at each other before they turned and stared at the writhing mass of chaos magic, my heart. Before they pointed towards it with a single word "Look."I walked to their side and gazed at my heart before glancing at them and asking "What? All I see is a writhing ball of magic."They shook their head "Look harder."I sighed exasperatedly before turning my attention back to the magic ball. It writhed and whirled with an intensity I was unfamiliar with before going calm then once again churning and writhing. Their voice, my voice echoed throughout my head "For someone so smart, you are truly shortsighted. You say that you only see a ball of magic. Yet I see your future, and your past."I watched as the writhing ball continued as the words sunk in before I walked towards it and gently placed my hands on the outside. When my skin touched the ball it ceased all movement, all but a gentle beat that very slowly got stronger. Words echoed in my thoughts as I muttered "My heart huh?"Slowly I pushed into it, the magic crossing and caressing my body as if I was crawling through jello until it swallowed me whole.