Kai sat up, watching his sleeping sister with anticipation. Earlier than usual, Mari woke with a start.
Today was the day.
Her day.
Her fifth birthday.
From what Kai heard, it was the moment she had been waiting for since she first watched her parents work their spells for their patients.
She sprung up in bed and let out a sharp squeal with her hands balled into fists trying to contain her excitement.
Kai laughed, watching and imagining how he would feel when his time came.
Through the wooden shutters of their shared bedroom, rays of the morning sun blanketed everything in a golden light.
The door slowly creaked open, and their mother stepped inside with a warm smile.
"Good morning! Do you know what day it is?" She knelt by the bed, brushing a hand over Mari's wild curls.
"Magical assessment!" Mari replied.
"That's right! Are you ready for your big day?"
Mari grinned, nodding rapidly. "I've been ready for ages!"
Garret appeared in the doorway, arms crossed, a proud smirk on his face. "That's my girl," he said, ruffling her hair before she could duck away. "Whatever your magic is, it'll be strong, I can feel it."
Kai, barely able to sit upright on the floor, babbled excitedly in his own way. He lifted his little arms toward Mari, his chubby hands reaching for her. "Mah-i!" he said.
'I can almost say everything I want. Stupid vocal cords.'
Mari scooped him up, awkwardly as always, spinning in place as she laughed. "I'll make you proud, Kai! I promise!"
Lila chuckled. "Come eat breakfast before you leave for Ylthara."
'Ylthara, that's a big city, I think. The merchants who come in for treatment mention it sometimes.'
As Mari was led downstairs for her meal, Kai watched her go, his small fingers curling into his palm. He was excited for Mari, truly, but this was also an opportunity for him.
The moment the door shut behind them, Kai turned to Bert.
The arcane puppy sat still, his glowing eyes locked onto Kai with unnatural focus. Though the others saw Bert as the same playful pet he had always been, Kai knew the truth. After spending hours upon hours with Bert, he quickly realised the dog's heartbeat no longer drummed in its chest. His breath was a mere performance, a trick played upon the living.
Somehow, Kai had kept Bert in a constant state of animated death.
An undead arcane creature.
Kai closed his bedroom door and pressed his tiny palm against the wood. A faint shimmer of dark energy pulsed from his hand, sealing the door with a quiet click. A magical lock—something he had been practicing in secret.
He turned to Bert.
"Alright, let's try again."
Bert tilted his head, as if waiting for an order.
Kai exhaled and focused, reaching deep into the strange energy that had first surged through him the day Bert had died. He extended his hand, feeling the unnatural current beneath his skin. Something different from the usual mana he felt when others performed magic. A wisp of black-violet energy slithered from his fingertips, coiling around Bert's paws like mist.
'Approach!'
Bert twitched, and for a moment, his body seemed to move without will. He took a single, precise step forward, unnatural in its stiffness.
Kai shuddered.
'This isn't healing. This is something else.'
Kai took a deep breath, rolling his shoulders as he sat back on his heels. His magic had been growing stronger. Not stronger as in bursts of power, but in endurance.
Through a constant circulation of mana around himself, he trained in secret, making sure no one could sense it while simultaneously growing accustomed to the feeling of magic moving through him.
Tonight, he wanted to push further.
Extending both hands in front of him, he let the dark mist pool at his fingertips, tendrils coiling together like living threads. He concentrated, willing it into shape. The surrounding air crackled with an unnatural hum, and before him, something dark formed.
A shadow-like creature, no larger than a rat, flickered into existence. It was nothing more than a vague silhouette. Four legs, a tail, no discernible features. The moment Kai tried to will it forward, it collapsed in on itself, dispersing like smoke.
Kai grit his teeth.
'Again.'
---
He repeated the process dozens of times over the next few days.
The energy responded faster this time. The creature reappeared, twitching slightly, holding its form for a few moments longer before dissolving once more.
Excitement surged in his chest.
'I'm getting closer.'
He prepared to try again.
A knock at the door startled him.
"Kai? Are you in there? I'm back!"
Mari's bright and excited voice reached Kai through the door.
Kai jumped, shaking off the energy and waving his hand toward the door.
The doorhandle wriggled, and the door shook as Mari tried to enter.
The magical lock dissipated. He quickly scooted away from Bert, feigning innocence as Mari burst in.
"I did it!" she announced, nearly vibrating with excitement. "I got my results!"
Lila and Garret followed, both beaming with pride. Kai clapped his hands together, mirroring their excitement, though he was mostly relieved his secret was safe. "What is it?" Lila asked, urging Mari forward.
Mari took a deep breath and looked around, making sure everyone was looking.
"I'm a Divine Cleric!" She declared.
Gasps filled the room.
Garret breathed deeply and his chest swelled with pride.
"A Divine Cleric?" he repeated. "Mari, that's a great honour!"
Lila covered her mouth, her eyes shining. "Oh, my sweet girl... You'll serve the archbishop himself, and even the gods!"
"Those filthy undead and malevolent arcane creatures..." Garrett looked at Bert and coughed. "Well, not you, Bert. All the other ones."
Kai tilted his head. He heard the term before from a villager in town, but never paid much attention to it. Chosen to wield holy magic, Divine Clerics were the enemies of beings that defied the natural balance.
Mari knelt beside Kai, taking his hands with hers.
"At fifteen, I'll join the church," she told him. "I'll be protecting people, standing beside heroes! I'll be fighting against dark things like monsters, spirits, undead..." she laughed. "Can you believe it?"
His stomach twisted.
'Undead. Like... Bert? That's what he is, right?'
Kai forced a smile, though his mind raced. Mari was now, unknowingly, sworn to fight against magic like his. Against things like Bert.
His heart pounded.
He wanted to be happy for her, and he was, but a shadow of fear loomed over him.
[Name: Kai Tensen | Age: 8 Months | Languages Translated: Imerian | Skills: Mana Manipulation, Mana Tempering, Shadow Manipulation, Sealing Magic | Spellcasting: Novice | Spells: Rejuvenate, Thrall Control, Shadow Conjuring, Sealing | Specialisation: ??? - To be revealed upon Magical Assessment]
'Those are some crazy changes. I guess I have been tempering my mana by circulating it? And sealing sounds useful. I thought I was just locking the door, but I guess it didn't have a lock in the first place. Seriously, what am I becoming?'