On a distant mountain was a colony of grand homes that thrummed with an almost palpable rhythm—a pulse of magic power that seemed to echo through the walls of each mansion. Yet, in one particular home, there was no peace, only a quiet, suffocating tension. The soft hum of magic that usually brought comfort instead felt like a distant, mocking reminder of the chaos within.
Inside, Olivia moved like a shadow through the house, her hands trembling, her heart racing. It had only been a few hours since the message arrived—the news about their son. She could barely comprehend it, the grief like a thick fog clouding her mind.
She had wanted to tell Marcus immediately, but she couldn't. Not like this. Not when she could hardly stand to breathe, let alone hold herself together enough to speak. She paced in the hallway, her eyes red from the tears she hadn't allowed herself to shed. She couldn't be seen like this. She couldn't break in front of them. Not when the clan was so full of eyes, and whispers could spread like wildfire. The last thing she needed was to be seen crying, especially when the consequences of such vulnerability were so great.
She could feel the weight of her own grief pressing down on her chest, but she held it in, willing herself to stay composed. She had to hold it together until Marcus returned.
When he did finally come home, the moment she saw him, the floodgates broke open. She couldn't keep it inside any longer. Olivia ran to him, her voice cracking as she screamed, "Marcus! Marcus!" Her heart pounded as her hands reached out to him, as if her body knew the truth before her mind could fully process it.
Marcus immediately felt the shift in the air—the distress in her voice, the panic in her eyes. Something was terribly wrong. He didn't need to ask what happened; he could already sense the gravity of it. His eyes locked onto hers, searching for any kind of answer, but none came. He pulled her into his arms, his own pulse quickening as he whispered, "Olivia, what happened? Tell me, what's wrong?"
Through broken sobs, Olivia gasped for air, struggling to form the words. "I don't know how to say it... Marcus…" She choked on the sentence, barely able to get the words out. "I don't know what happened... but they killed him. Our son... they killed him!"
Her voice rose, becoming desperate. "How could they? How could they do this after everything? They promised us... they swore they wouldn't lay a finger on him!"
She reached out with trembling hands and cast a small magic apparition into the air—a shimmering wisp of light that hung before them. It flickered and pulsed, but the image it showed wasn't what they expected. It was blank, void of any form—just the empty, cold image of death. Nothing but stillness. Nothing but the absence of life.
But the apparition wasn't something conjured by an outsider. No, this was their magic. The spell they had cast on their son when he was born to protect him, to ensure his safety. The spell they trusted, the one that had been meant to safeguard him for his entire life.
But now, all it showed them was death.
Marcus froze. The blood drained from his face as he stared at the apparition, his chest tightening with a feeling he had never known before. It was one thing to hear the words, but to see the reality—nothingness where their son's life had once been—was something else entirely. His mind refused to grasp it, to accept the finality of what had just been shown.
Olivia collapsed into his arms, her body wracked with sobs as she clung to him, her cries echoing through the room. Marcus stood there, still and silent, feeling like the weight of the world had just pressed down on him all at once. There was no consolation, no comfort he could offer her in this moment—only his presence.
He swallowed hard, trying to process it, but a cold fury began to burn in his chest. His mind raced, his thoughts a blur of rage and disbelief. This wasn't supposed to happen. No one was supposed to touch their son. No one.
Marcus pulled away from her for a moment, his eyes dark with resolve. "Stay here, Olivia. Don't move. I'm going to find out what happened."
He turned toward the desk, his movements sharp and deliberate. He reached out, touching a shimmering crystal on the table—a magic communication device, one that would send his command instantly across the lands.
He spoke into it, his voice low but full of barely contained fury. "Find me my son. I want to know exactly what happened to him. I want to know every detail, I want to know every single mosquito that came near to him and where did it came from?"
His hands clenched into fists as the weight of the situation settled in. "You have three hours," he continued, his voice growing cold, his words filled with ice. "If I don't have answers by then, it's time for some heads to roll. And just because I'm quiet, doesn't mean I'm weak and you'll see it firsthand."
Marcus' gaze hardened, his pulse quickening with a lethal calm. He wasn't just angry—he was out for justice, for vengeance. "Find me Miles. Now!!!"
He could already feel the storm building within him. The ones who had done this, who had stolen his son's life—Marcus would make them regret ever crossing him. No more promises. No more waiting. It was time for them to see what true wrath looked like.
The sun was still low in the sky, casting a soft, golden light across the town as Miles woke up. His heart was light, his mind racing with thoughts of the day ahead. This was a morning unlike any other. He had awakened. The magic that had eluded him for so long was finally his, and with it, the promise of a future he had only dared to dream about.
Miles couldn't help but smile as he lay there for a moment, the warmth of the morning sun filtering through his window. He had always admired his father—always looked up to the man who stood tall and strong, the one who had commanded respect from everyone around him. He had often wondered what it would be like to be as powerful, as capable as his father. And now, he was on the path to becoming that very person. The magic coursing through his veins was proof of that.
He let out a soft laugh, imagining the look on his father's face when he learned of his awakening. He wondered how his dad would feel. Would he be proud? Would he finally see Miles for who he truly was, and not just the boy who had always been overlooked, bullied, and dismissed? The thought of his father's recognition made his chest swell with excitement.
But today, he had a plan. He wasn't going to let anyone ruin his mood. He wasn't going to let the usual taunts and sneers from his classmates darken his newfound joy. So, he decided to leave early. He would get to school before the others, before the bullying started. Today was going to be his day, and nothing could take that from him.
He moved quickly, washing up and getting dressed in a blur of energy. His hands shook with anticipation as he buttoned his shirt, the simple act of preparing for school now infused with the thrill of his awakening. With a final glance in the mirror, he grabbed his bag and rushed out the door, nearly running to the school.
By the time he reached the gates of Aurelia School of Magic, his heart was racing with excitement. He could already feel the magic inside him buzzing, as if the very air around him responded to his presence. The gates, grand and imposing as always, loomed in front of him, but this time, they felt different—welcoming, even.
He grinned ear to ear, his excitement palpable. The guards at the gates, who had always seen him as just another quiet, bullied student, exchanged confused glances as they saw him. They'd never seen him like this before—not with such confidence, such hope in his eyes. For the first time, he wasn't the kid who was picked on. He wasn't the one who slunk through the gates, head down. No, today, he was someone different.
Miles walked through the gates, his feet practically floating with each step. The school that had once been a place of discomfort, of constant judgment, now felt like a realm full of potential. His heart beat faster as he made his way toward the student council office.
When he reached the office of Maria Jane, the student counselor, he was nearly bouncing with anticipation. Maria Jane was the one person at Aurelia who had never looked down on him. She had always listened to him, never judging, always offering kind words and guidance when the world around him felt dark and cold. She was the only one who saw him for who he really was—not just the kid who was always on the receiving end of cruel jokes, but someone who had potential, someone worth caring about.
But when he reached her office, he found the door closed. His stomach dropped slightly, and he sighed, glancing at the clock. It was only 6:30 AM. He had arrived earlier than usual, eager to speak with her, to share the news of his awakening. He had hoped she would be here by now. He wondered if she'd had a late night or if there was some other reason for her absence.
The minutes seemed to drag as he stared at the closed door. Time felt unbearably slow, each second stretching longer than the last. He could almost feel the weight of the silence in the air. Normally, students weren't at the school this early, and the emptiness seemed to magnify his impatience. School wouldn't start until 8:00 AM, so Maria Jane wouldn't likely arrive until 7:00 AM, but that was still a half hour away.
Frustrated but unwilling to let the moment slip by, he decided to sit down in front of her office and wait. His heart still thumped in his chest, the excitement of his awakening filling him with energy, but now, a sense of impatience began to grow. He didn't want to waste a second of this perfect day.
He shifted in his seat, glancing up at the sky and then back at the office door. Today was his day. He would tell Maria Jane —about his awakening, about the magic he could now feel within him, and about how it was time for the initiation ceremony that he always looked forward to.
As he waited, he allowed himself to imagine what the future could hold. A future where he wasn't just a forgotten child, but someone who could stand tall—just like his father. Someone worthy of respect.
Today, everything was changing.