Chapter 1:

  My story, as far as I can recall, was quite interesting. I was the headmaster of a prestigious magic academy well known far and wide across all of the Vyrmora Nexus, known for its ability to teach all magic, and for having very few banned magics. I was also one of the most powerful Mages known to this realm. However, this would be quite a boring story if there wasn’t anything interesting that happened, wouldn’t it? Well I thought it was very interesting just as it was, however as fate would have it, it wasn’t to stay the same for long.

  A demon academy that is almost on the other side of the world, was threatening a global cataclysm. As chaotic demonic blood moon magic had been developed without the consent of the other 6 academies. Through a failed experiment in trying to further develop this magic a blood moon was rising from their academy. Side note, for those who don’t know, blood moon rays are very dangerous as is, they can cause you to break out in hives and even kill you from the reaction. Demons and some other subspecies of them are immune to this, making them the perfect ones to develop such magic. However, to develop such magic they had to imbue the weak ancient blood moon magics that still lingered in today’s world, with demonic magic. Making the rays even stronger, to a point where the rays were literally melting the flesh off of some lesser demons. Although, this blood moon was quickly getting out of hand and becoming more powerful. The rays were now beginning to cause reactions to even some powerful demons.

  In an attempt to contain it, I had to use portal magic to traverse the vast expanse of the world and began my work immediately. I already had to use numerous different spells and enchantments to protect myself from the deadly rays, however in my attempt to contain the growing moon that was now floating higher and higher into the sky, the magic became chaotic and unpredictable. Soon the sheer mass of the magic was far too overwhelming, and it shattered my defences. In a last ditch effort to save myself, I went to the headmaster’s chair to share my farewells with him, and thank him for his cooperation. But nothing could stop this ever looming threat. As its gravitational pull became more stronger, it began to tear the academy’s roofing and some entire towers with it. I couldn’t stop this, I couldn’t save myself, I couldn’t save the students, I couldn’t, I just couldn’t. I wasn’t strong enough, I wasn’t good enough, I wasn’t capable enough, I wasn’t enough. Everything I cared about would be stripped away from me, because I couldn’t, and I wasn’t enough. And as I closed my eyes for the final time, the excruciating pain set in and all was lost.

  Except it wasn’t, because somehow, someway, I opened my eyes again. This time to a very different world, and something very, very, special was gone from me and seemingly this world too.

  Chapter 2:

  Awakening to this new world was very different from the one I left. What must have been the ruins of the demon academy were scattered around me, and everything was seemingly bathed in crimson light. And what seemed to be a glyph carved into the floor, it was still faintly glowing red, and black? Like the glyph burned with red and black flames? There were cinders everywhere, like an explosion had just happened. The glyph in question was very complex, having depictions of death and rebirth, and demonic glyphs I didn’t recognize.

  Something was missing from this world, or at least very faint compared to how it used to course through the world before. And something was different about me too, a different alignment than I used to have, it was like I was a different person, having the same soul. I couldn’t put my finger on it, and I was still rather dazed in this state. As I looked past the ruins I sat in, I noticed that the world was very much unlike the one I once knew. The world itself was bathed in red light, and now nature itself seemed untamed again. Like the creatures ran rampant and the very world was untampered with. A village in the distance dotted a foothill, and it was surrounded by a mystical blue forest. However the leaves looked more purple because of the red hue from, well I don’t actually know where. I turned my head up to the sky, and to my shock, there was the moon. The blood moon. The one that had desecrated the land before, now bathed it in a stunning scarlet glow. It was beautiful, and I couldn’t deny it. As if on cue, out from behind the rubble and still sizzling stones, crawled three young adults. An elven lady who was probably older than she looked, a tiefling man, and a shadow paw young man.

  Chapter 3:

  “Haha! It worked!” shouted the shadow paw jubilantly.

  “Hush Flick, we don’t know if this demon is hostile” Said the elven lady to the shadow paw who must’ve been called Flick. She pointed a long ornate gilded rapier at me. Not exactly threatening, rather protective.

  It was then that I realized exactly why I felt off, I wasn’t myself anymore. I was resurrected as a demon, and I had lost my mage magic. Now replaced with an affinity for demonic arts. From the shadows stood the tiefling, a sub species of demon. I stood and brushed off my robes that I hadn't realized were there, and immediately noticed my new height. I must be a rather higher class demon, given my height and build. I slowly examined my new form. No wings, not fully demon either, I was maybe 7 feet tall. I had ash grey skin, not scales. Apart from my skin, horns, and hair I was relatively human looking.

  At this time I noticed an oni mask on the floor, which would have been beside me, now it all made sense. I was an upper class oni, capable of assuming a powerful demon form, but choosing to appear near human. I grabbed it, and examined it closely, it was rather plain, having only some glyphs carved into the horns. This meant I was a very powerful oni, and meant I was capable of learning nearly any demonic magic and some other magic with practice.

  “So tell me, demon, who were you? And what would be your current motives?” Said the tiefling in a low voice.

  “Well, if I must tell you. I was once the greatest mage in the world, and human. I was the one who attempted to stop the blood moon from rising. Tell me, what exactly did you just pull off? And approximately how many years since the cataclysm has passed?” I said in what I tried to make a normal sounding voice. But it came out in a light and almost trickster-esque way, as most oni spoke. “And might I have the honor of knowing your names, dear travelers?”

  “Well, how very intriguing, I’m Flicker, but most people call me Flick.” Said Flick the shadow paw in an interested manner.

  “Flick, you shouldn’t be so head on. It's not unlike demons to be tricksters. Don’t be too trusting so soon.” Said the tiefling.

  “Oh Thorn, have you ever thought you're too careful? You forget, Flick can sense simple lies.” The elven lady chided the tiefling. “Hello demon, many have heard of the story of the man who tried to save the world, and failed. If it is true you are that man, then maybe now you can save it.” Her gold eyes surveyed me. “I'm known as Elora, and I’ve lived about 75 years.” announced Elora the eleven lady. Her silver white hair was bright against the dark ruins. “And if it wasn’t enough, the rude tiefling there is Thorn, though it isn’t his real name, just the nickname I gave him because he's a thorn in my side.” She finished irritably toward the tiefling Thorn.

  “Well, since I was introduced already, I figure you should know my real name. I’m known as Corax on my home island.” He paused, looking perplexed for a moment before continuing. “But I must comment on your hair, eyes, and horns. They bear striking resemblance to the first demon, right down to the same glyphs carved into your horns. Even the way your eyes glow a deep red, and the way your hair fades from black roots to red tips is the same.” Commented Thorn. His own pair of red eyes peered up at me. He has cherry red skin, as most tieflings do and gray and black horns. His hair too was ink black.

  “Well I thank you kindly for your inhostility, but you’ve yet to answer a few questions yet. How many years has it been? And what do you mean I could save the world now?” I asked them.

  “Well, your first question is easy, it's been roughly 300 years since the cataclysm.” Elora began, “However, since the cataclysm, magic has been receding from every corner of the world. The innate abilities we were born with, or the arts we learned, fail us now. They soon won’t even exist, even as is, it is difficult to produce even the smallest amount of mystical energy. Even the most gifted people have lost their attunement with the ley lines, the very things that connect us to the very heart of this world, and by extensions the very heart of magic itself.” She finished. Her voice was filled with sorrow.

  I couldn’t believe my ears, the very thing my entire life had revolved around, was dying. It hit me, that's what was missing from the world, magic isn’t blossoming like it used to. How could this be true? I can’t let this continue.

  “Do you know where the nearest ley line is? I need to examine one.” I said with urgency. “You may explain to me on the way, how you three managed to resurrect me using such powerful magic, especially in a world that is dying.”

  “The nearest one is in the academy graveyard. Though, you won’t like to see the state of it.” Said Flick looking upset.

  “Tell me shadow paw child, you are beastfolk, correct? You are a shadow paw because you have unique snow leopard characteristics, yes? Then you have an affinity for nature, what about the ley line pains you? Can you sense more than just lies, but furthermore nature and the nature of people as well?” I inquired.

  “You’re quite perceptive, but yes, everything you just said is true. The ley lines, as their life force wanes, so too does my innate ability to sense nature itself.” Replied Flick.

  “How unfortunate, I've loved many of my students who were similar to you, and I'd heard of shadow paws, but never had I ever dreamed I’d get to meet one. It is truly an honor. Now for the pressing matter at hand, the ley lines, I must see one.” I said with awe and a twinge of sadness.

  “Of course Mr… What should we call you?” Said Flick curiously.

  “Oh, how forgetful of me, and how rude, I’m Corvinus, however you three may call me Corvy or Corvus. I'm honestly not as serious as many depicted me, I’m more like a child, always bewildered and awestruck by magic” I stated. “Now we may continue to the ley line.”

  We made haste to the academy graveyard. Along the way Flick explained with much enthusiasm, how they were exploring the academy ruins and found my soul trapped in a stasis of a half completed glyph ritual. How it seemed that someone else had been creating that ritual, because it had several candles and other seemingly random objects strewn about the area. However, looking back on the scene everything had been strategically placed. And so when Flick drew the rest of the circle and it began to shake unstably, the three of them hid behind some rubble before it exploded violently. And then in the place of the near completed ritual was me.

  The sight of the graveyard was beautiful, but the state of the ley line was sickly. Beautiful red and crimson willow trees that their foliage seemed to glow under the moonlight. However the ley line, also looking very much like a tree itself, except it had what looked like color changing fluid flowing through vein-like channels throughout the ley line. The leaves looked sickly and near dead, the glyphs carved into the bark were flickering, unlike how they normally should have been glowing. The fluid was fading between weak reds and maroons to just grey.

  “This is a sad sight indeed, never have I ever seen such a sick ley line. It would seem that with the new moon every night, while the flora has seemed to prosper, the ley lines are slowly being killed and poisoned.” I stated.

  “Do you not know? That moon doesn’t happen just every night, but rather it is eternal. There is no day now, only night.” Said Elora solemnly.

  I couldn’t breath for a moment, it felt like hours but it was only seconds. This night hadn’t ended since it started 300 years ago?! And because of it, millions had been killed and it was slowly killing the magic of the Vyrmora Nexus itself. But this realization brought on an idea, maybe, just maybe, if this worked I could save the very magic that astounded me when I was young. I had to try. I couldn’t let the thing I loved and held so dearly die without any effort to save it.

  Chapter 4:

  “Are any of you familiar with the ancient glyphs?” I queried as I turned to face them. I watched in real time as Flick’s face lit up with curiosity and wonder. It was wonderful to see, and it made everyone melt just a little. Even Thorn’s expression softened just a little before he realized and returned his stern expression.

  “Of course, they're so fascinating, especially considering they draw on the magic of your soul, your passions, and your emotions to cast rather than the magic of the ley lines and the world’s heart. Though because of this it makes them so difficult to actually use in practice. I've only ever managed to create light for a few moments or create a spark with these glyphs, though it's always fascinated me.” Replied Flick excitedly, tripping over a few words as he tried to get them all out.

  It was funny and cute to watch him begin to realize what I was intending to do. Elora was seemingly the most intrigued by my epiphany, however Thorn seemed down right unbelieving. Not for a second did he think I could pull some stunt like this off.

  “Good, then you all know of protection and revitalization glyphs? And that we can combine glyphs to attain different results?” I paused a moment between my sentences to watch Elora and Flick nod their heads, Flick nodding so fast it seemed like he was going to explode from the suspense. But again Thorn seemed unconvinced, I think I even saw him turn his chin up before I turned to the sickly ley line tree. “You all know the name of this runic alphabet, yes? Elder Futhark, for those who didn’t. It originates from beyond our world, however they are the most powerful runes, because they are carved into the very heart of magic for this world. But furthermore, they are carved into our souls because of our ties to the heart. It is some of the only magic that is tied to something other than the heart of magic. Flick can you tell me the name of this heart of magic?” I finished.

  “Of course! It’s known as The Nexus Core, or its ancient name is Aetheerium. Are you actually going to use the ancient runes?! It's so fascinating, please continue.” Flick exclaimed

  “Yes I fully intend to use the ancient runes to heal and protect this ley line. And if I’m successful, the results should be immediate. Now can you tell me the rune for protection, and the rune for healing?” I stated while preparing my soul for what I was about to attempt.

  “Um… Yes I can, the protection rune is… Algiz. I believe. And healing.. Is Uruz? At least they should be for these purposes.” Questioned Flick.

  “Very good Flick. Now, you're familiar with rune binding, as I’m sure all of you are, because it is how we combine runes to achieve different purposes beyond the simple individual runes by themselves. So, if we… mirror Uruz to have two of them, their strength is doubled, and then take Algiz and align them with the central staff. The central staff is created by the double Uruz. Combine them all together and we have a protection rune with enhanced healing.” I imagined the runes while saying my thoughts aloud. “This creates an image that when completed at the bottom, resembles that of a seedling, which represents growth and new life.” I began to draw the glyph directly in front of the ley line, and as I completed the seedling it glowed a soft but brilliant green, it was a little weak, but it would still work.

  “And we cast a glyph by drawing a circle around the completed symbol.” I said as I drew a golden circle around the seedling. I placed my palm on the glyph and pressed it into the bark of the ley line.

  Immediately it carved the symbol into the bark and it glowed with a deep crimson that seemed to change colors with the ley line’s ‘veins’. A blue sheen showed on the tree before it disappeared, and then something absolutely magical happened. We all watched in what felt like slow motion as we watched this ley line return to near perfect health. The leaves weren’t grey or sickly; they changed to hues of crimson and blood red, and glowed in the moonlight. The bark turned from grey to a vibrant white as is normal for ley lines. And the reds and crimsons in its ‘veins’ went from desaturated and near colorless to vibrant glowing shades and radiant colors of red, crimson, maroon, and even burgundy. You could feel some of the magic of the world return, it was a huge feeling. It was astonishing to watch, a beautiful sight, and for a moment everything seemed perfect.

  Chapter 5:

  Suddenly, to break the silence of the awe and the beauty of this seemingly perfect moment, came a slow condescending clap, from behind us. I looked around, none of us saw anyone, until what looked like from the shadows itself came a cloaked woman. She looked sickly and pale, like she should have been dead, her cheeks and face were sullen, and sunken in. She was practically a skeleton. But what stood out wasn’t of her general appearance, but rather of her eyes. They were seemingly ablaze with green and black fire. A fire full of destruction and discord. The green of her eyes were completely different to the mossy forest green of Flick’s. She stopped clapping, and I saw her hands for the first time, they looked like bones with pale skin stretched over them. All of her skin seemed to be tightly stretched over her bones. It felt wrong to see her like this.

  “Congratulations, Corvinus. You’ve managed to save some of the magic of this world.” Said the lady. All of us backed towards the ley line. Her presence sent chills down our spines, I knew exactly what she was, it was obvious from the start. “But will you be able to save yourself?”

  “What do you mean?! What could a Lich like you possibly want with me?” I asked, but I feared the answer, because I already was starting to understand what she meant.

  “I think the answer to that question is obvious, isn’t it? You know there can be some nasty side effects of an incomplete ritual. You knew as soon as you heard that he had completed the ritual circle, and by some miracle it worked. It was no miracle, your friends have tampered with my work. And now it may just cost you your life… again. I will not stop you in your attempt to save the magic of this world, but know this, your soul will tear itself apart if you don’t tether it to your body entirely. You may have noticed it is unaligned, that is because of the incomplete ritual. Your soul isn’t properly tethered to your body. More like a fraying rope that will eventually snap. If I had to guess, you might have a little less than 2 weeks to do so. Closer to a week and a half.” Said the Lich.

  “You provide interesting insight, it is unlike a lich to not be hostile. Your predicament is very interesting. You must be the first person to successfully become a lich and not lose yourself to madness. You’re of completely sound mind, and were even capable of complex magic outside of lich abilities. You say less than 2 weeks, I’ll just have to make the most of my time then.” I began “You must be significantly weakened from the ritual, why do you help me?” I questioned.

  “Well, I can see magical resonances. It was an ability I possessed during my mage life. That and I was someone you trusted dearly before the cataclysm, however my memory fails me since my ritual to become a lich. You were important to me, and I don't know why. I had to save you, because of moral conviction, but I lack the understanding. Your life is measured now, and the magic I’ve used to bind your soul and body must eventually return to me. Such is the plight of a lich, any magic I use will eventually come back to me by any means. Even if it means that your soul will be torn apart in the process.” She said with such conviction that I questioned my knowledge of liches.

  “I have a sneaking suspicion that you were my most promising student, the same one who was expelled for attempting necromancy. You were expelled, because such is forbidden magic. It is said that if any amount of necromancy was ever performed then it would begin the corruption of the heart of magic. It would seem you might’ve attained lichdom to continue developing your own magics.” I began, “Your name was Sarah, you were human. It pains me to see that you may never remember me. Such is the cost of Lichdom”

  “Thank you for your insight, but I must be going now. Farewell, Corvinus.” She said waving slowly before disappearing into the shadows, as if she was never there to begin with. I turned my attention back to the Ley line, which now produced a fragrant and sweet smell.

  “Elora, I've noticed you’ve manifested a weapon. This is the demon’s leyline, so unfortunately for you Flick you won’t be able to manifest one here, at least not easily. However, for me and Thorn, because we are demons, we can manifest our weapons here.” I explained glancing at Elora’s rapier.

  “Yes, it was difficult, but this is Elegance and Glory. She has seen me through many battles, but it is sad because I’ve never had the honor of seeing her beautiful magic. It is said in my home, that she only manifests every few thousand years, and that the one who manifests her is destined for greatness.” Elora explained.

  “Good, it was as I thought. Now Thorn, manifesting a weapon with an active ley line is far easier. Don’t expect anything, your weapon is determined by your spirit.” I said to him, he was still a little in shock from everything that just happened, but he recovered quickly. He grunted which I assume was him telling me he was paying attention.

  “Do as I.” I said, before I traced the circle of the glyph on the ley line. I pressed my palm against the center, and instead of it colliding with solid bark, it went right through. Disappearing into the heart of the tree.

  Chapter 6:

  I plunged my hand deeper into the tree, waiting for a feeling of anything at all. That's when I felt it. I knew my weapon wouldn’t be the same, but this came as a shock. I grabbed hold of a smooth wooden handle and pulled. Out came a long and knobbed handle that was almost perfectly straight until it got to the blade. The wood arched back and then straightened again, and that when it connected to a beautiful black and crimson scythe blade. I had manifested one of the most deadly demonic weapons in history. I knew its name, this weapon was very well known throughout the world despite being a demon weapon. This was The Whispering Blade. The handle was ashwood, the name of the wood comes from its ashy color. But the blade, from the top, faded from black to a deep crimson as it reached the sharp edge. And etched into it were various golden demon runes, each set corresponded to a special ability that could be used. Depending on what ability I announced would activate a different set of runes.

  “It’s absolutely stunning, how, how did you manage this?” Spoke Thorn softly.

  “I don’t have the slightest clue… Though I do believe it's your turn to try.” I said after I had turned to him, but I was still a little shaken not only from manifesting something so astounding, but also from hearing Thorn. I would have never expected that he would speak so softly, nor would it be so sweet. I can’t truly convey how he sounded except to say it was unreal. And that I was honored to hear him speak like that.

  “I’ve never attempted using glyphs before though? I don’t know how.” He said, a little ashamed almost.

  “That is entirely fine, this proves an excellent time for me to teach and you to learn. First, for this particular magic, you want to be calm. The biggest factor that determines if your glyph will be successful is the emotion you use to cast it. Some are more demanding than others, they might require specific emotions, some require a generic emotion such as this, you must be calm. And once you have done so, try to visualize that emotion being focused into a fine line that you can draw with your finger. Or if you’ve used Aetheerium magic before then imagine focusing your own magical energy as a line.” I conveyed, he seemed skeptical at first. But after a moment of thought he stepped up to the ley line. I took a couple paces back and waited patiently for him to make his first move.

  He placed his finger on the top of the circle, clearly doubtful. But to his own astonishment as he traced the circle, a gold line appeared. And after he completed the circle, he waited a moment before he placed his hand on the glyph and plunged it deep into the ley line. After a few seconds he pulled out a bow and parrying sword. They had some gold engravings. The bow itself had a few simple demon runes.

  “Very impressive, these weapons will require quite the practice to be a master with. You hold Fate’s Wound & Defiance.” I said in awe. “Notice how the bow doesn’t have a bowstring, the bow uses a magical bowstring and arrows. You will have an infinite supply of arrows as long as you focus.” I explained. The entire time this was unfolding, both Elora and Flick were progressively getting more and more shocked.

  “Corvus, does this mean,” Flick paused, starting to realize something “That we can use some Aetheerium magic now?!”

  “Well, I suppose it’s worth a shot, you may not be able to do anything cra-” I stopped halfway through my word as I watched Flick drop to his knees and plunge his hands into the dirt.

  Within a few seconds the ground where his hands were began to glow a soft green. The light danced around, and I noticed Flick's eyes for the first time, I assume they were such deep green they looked black normally. But right now they were glowing a radiant Viridian. And then he did something wonderful, he had been staring intently at the spot where his hands were. Out of the earth in the entire graveyard soft mosses, wild flowers, even red grasses were growing now.

  “You’re a very special person Flick, this is beautiful.” I managed to say after the initial shock wore off. His head snapped toward me like he hadn’t realized I was there. His eyes slowly returned to the normal deep green black they usually were. And the green glow in the earth stopped almost as suddenly as it appeared. The plants that had sprouted stopped growing and were now just there as if they had belonged there the entire time.

  “Thank you for giving me back… a part of myself” He said, his voice cracking. And then a single tear rolled down his cheek, then another, and another. Until he was crying in the soft grove he had just created. And a few moments later he seemed to fall asleep like that. Silently crying until there were no more tears, then he was just peacefully sleeping in the cozy moss.

  “He’s so peaceful when he’s sleeping, hush now, let's leave him to rest.” Spoke Elora softly as she glanced longingly at Flick. It was evident that she cared a lot about him, much like an older sister. We all left the grove, he would be quite comfortable considering the tree canopy and the warmth from the moss. Besides he was a shadow paw, this was literally his element. As we made it back to the center of the academy I began to ask a few questions.

  “Thorn, are you aware of what grimoires are? We need to find a couple of the demonic grimoires here in the academy. They will have invaluable knowledge for our disposal. And because I can read almost every language, we can practice every spell they have to offer. I take it, you’ve never used Aetheerium magic before?” I inquired.

  “Well, I’m not familiar with grimoires, but I know what they are. And I love Aetheerium magic, but you would be correct, I’ve never actually used it.” Said Thorn, his head slightly fell a little. His confident facade cracked slightly after others knew that he wasn’t as cool as he wanted them to perceive him.

  “Ah, that makes you an excellent student then. Because you’ve already tapped into your own magic. This means you will be more open to learning Aetheerium magic, because your soul will be more willing to control said magic.” I said as I began to walk towards where I believed the academy library was. Elora had decided to wait just outside the grove while Flick slept, she didn’t want him to wake up alone. Thorn intently followed close behind me, listening to anything I told him. He was very interested in learning about the magic that he couldn’t do before, but was now literally at his fingertips.

  We both entered the library and glanced about the rubble. The roof had caved in from the cataclysm when the gravity of the rising moon and quite literally had picked up parts of the academy. Through what was left of the stained glass windows and also through the gaping hole at the top of the library filtered in the moonlight, giving the entire area an ethereal glow. Books were strewn about the floor, from toppled stacks of books, to literal pages that were torn dotting the room. A few books and grimoires were still on the shelves themselves. I took action and gathered the best titles I recognized; Beginner Demon Spells, How to Get in Tune With Your Black Soul, The Demonic Sanctum and it’s Rituals Explained, Advanced Demonic Sorcery, and personal grimoires that were left blank for you to inscribe new spells or spells you want to remember.

  “These should prove more than adequate. I’m surprised such good books survived this long. I even found a couple personal grimoires.” I Said, but my attention was drawn away from me when I saw Thorn standing in front of two ornate books. They were both Black as coal, with gold clasps and lettering. I knew exactly what they were before I had to ask him, I didn’t want to ask him what they were. I didn’t want him to think I was cruel for not teaching him all magic, for there were very few banned magics for demons. And although the magic contained in those books weren’t banned or forbidden they were very dangerous.

  “What did you find… Thorn.” I said hesitantly. “Hopefully something interesting.”

  “I found some very interesting books here. And I can plainly see you very much dread these types of magic.” explained Thorn as he picked up the two books. One read: Blood Magic at its Finest. And the other read: Black and Shadow Magic, For the Skeptical and Wary, and the Generally Interested.

  “While I’m quite hesitant to approach such magic, It isn’t technically as dangerous as it used to be. I resist such magic because I’ve seen how it’s been used in the wrong hands. It can be absolutely horrible, but when used with caution and respect, I don’t imagine you’d misuse it.” I said, weighing my words carefully. “Now, let us return to the remains of the sanctum and grove. I imagine Flick will be waking up soon, Shadow paws tend to sleep in rather short spurts during the day.”

  We made our way back to the sanctum, which was a very spacious and relatively untouched area compared to the rest of the academy. It was just before the grove and the perfect place to practice magic. As we returned, Elora glanced towards us intrigued by the stacks of books. Flick had yet to wake up, which was rather surprising to me. But Elora looked more concerned on the outside than how I felt on the inside. It was clear she was worrying about him. After setting down our books, I strolled over to her.

  “He will be fine, I’m certain of it. It probably took a lot out of him to use Aetheerium magic after so much time. You should be happy he’s regained some of his personality again. He'll probably learn faster than us, and the nature ley line isn’t even healthy right now.” I reassured her.

  I turned back to Thorn who was now engrossed in Beginner Demon Spells. I smiled to myself, I was in my element again. I was about to teach again, and yet I didn’t feel like the great mage I once was, I felt like a kid again. Wasn’t I always anyway? It was funny thought to me, it was almost like I was living again. I turned to look back at Elora again, she's so sweet, and kind, and she cares about everyone so deeply. She’d do anything for the people she cares about, I didn’t realize how long I was looking at her. Not only was she so kind, but she was beautiful. She must’ve felt me looking at her because not but a moment later she turned to look at me and gave me that sweet smile. I blushed a little and turned back to Thorn quickly, she made me feel warm and I didn’t know why.

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  “Lets start with the basic demonic flame spell” I said

  Chapter 7:

  Over the course of a few hours Thorn had managed to learn several demonic spells. Almost any magic he saw in a grimoire he could master within a few tries.

  “Excellent, you’re quite a natural you know, very few students of mine have mastered such magic at quite the astounding pace you have!” I exclaimed.

  “Thank you Corvus, it’s very interesting to me and I quite enjoy learning it.” He said as he summoned yet another tennis ball sized flame and shot it at me. I easily deflected it, but the impact behind it was surprising.

  “You cast with such passion, it’s incredible. Even the simplest spells you cast have such force behind them.” I conveyed as yet another flame shot towards my face. “Alright, timeout. We’ve gone over the simple flame spell, multicasting, power casting, deflection magic, speed casting, and combining those principles to attain desired effects. Are you ready to learn something new?”

  “Of course!” He said so fast I almost didn’t hear him. It made me giggle a little seeing someone so enthusiastic about learning magic.

  “Alrighty then, let's have a look at one of these books here. Is there anything that catches your eye?” I asked.

  “Well, how about this?” He said as he pointed at the page. I looked down and saw the tendril spell, known for being very useful, even for very powerful mages.

  “And this one, look at this!” he continued down the page. Pointing at various spells like: Shadow Flicker (a minor teleportation spell), Void Burst (used to disorient enemies), Rend Armor (a spell to corrode armor), Crimson Bolt (a quick flash of red black energy to shock enemies), and even Shadow Bind (a spell to expend ones shadow to anchor a person).

  “You’ve chosen some very good spells indeed. Let’s start with the more utility related spells, like Shadow Flicker, Shadow Bind, and Rend Armor.” I began to explain, “We’ll start with Shadow Flicker, the minor demon teleportation spell. If used successfully, you can melt into your own shadow and teleport to another before reappearing there.”

  “That sounds so cool! So I know to cast the flame spell we had to visualize manifesting it with full intent, is it something similar for these?” He questioned.

  “All Aetheerium magic works the same for casting, some just require more intense focus to cast than others. Simply visualize it and have full intention of where your intended destination is, don’t try to teleport too far though. The farther you go the more concentration and intent you need, it can be quite taxing to try anything huge.” I explained.

  “Alright, sounds simple enough.” He said

  “If it makes it any fun for you, you can add your own visual flares. Aetheerium magic is very special, because you can customize your own magic and even create your own new spells with enough effort. And you can even combine spells, like glyph binding there’s spell binding.” I said. I waited but a moment after he had finished reading the spell on the page, he stood up and his eyes glowed that exotic scarlet. He snapped his finger and his whole body turned black like his shadow, starting from his feet. It happened so fast it was unreal. The only thing that wasn’t black were his glowing eyes and a white line of a creepy smile. And then it looked like he melted into the floor. For what felt like a whole second there was silence.

  “Where’d you go?” I said smiling at his success. And then from right behind my ear I heard it. Sssh, I turned around and saw Thorn with one finger to his lips.

  “Wouldn’t want to wake up Flick, now would we?” He said in a singsong voice. He was smiling the same smile that the shadow had.

  “Impressive, such flare and passion. You’re a very powerful caster.” I expressed.

  “Thank you. It’s been quite a pleasure.” Thorn said. Over the next couple hours he mastered all of the basic demon spells. He even experimented with different flares, and multicasting. He even managed some spell binding. A short while after we were practicing and dueling Flick began to stir.

  Chapter 8:

  As he began to move and sit up straight, he opened his eyes. That's when I saw it, his eyes weren’t the same green black that had looked almost empty or dead. They had lightened, not a lot, but they no longer looked black. You could now distinctly see they were green. His magic was returning to him, it was a wholesome sight indeed. He looked more full of life than when I had met him. His ears flicked back and forth as he picked up on distant noises. And his tail swished with what I could assume was joy and excitement. He stood up, brushed off his pants and glanced back at the ley line and the grove before he strode towards us.

  “I hope I didn’t miss too much.” He said with a smirk on his face.

  “Oh not at all, just learning some magic!” Replied Thorn with excitement

  “Yes indeed, it was quite the fun to watch.” Said Elora who was smiling but a tear had run down her cheek. She realized it only after I saw and she quickly wiped it away before the other two could see. She was happy to see Flick returning to his normal self? Or was it something else?

  “It was even more fun to duel!” Continued Thorn.

  “That's amazing to hear! I can't wait to practice with you two!” Flick said.

  “It is good practice to duel with friends, just don’t hold back.” I said. Elora was smiling, it was such a beautiful sight.

  “Now, on a matter of utmost importance and pertinence. We now have the ability to save the magic of this world, as demonstrated by Corvinus. We must visit each of the other five ley lines, and inscribe a seedling glyph into each. The world ley line, The Aetheerium Wellspring, that connects all of them, is a different matter. Its state is dire as is, as it has been reduced to just a sapling because of the weakened state of Aetheerium magic in today’s world. In theory it may be able to return to a near-normal state if the other ley lines are healed. The next ley line we go to is up to personal preference. It would be wise to travel in the most efficient way, considering the limited amount of time Corvinus has. And it would most likely be more desirable to travel to the Elven ley line first. As there is only one ley line between that one and the nature ley line.” She explained. As she spoke she used an elven Aetheerium sorcery I hadn’t witnessed in a long time. From the floor she created golden particles that resembled a scale model of the Vrymora Nexus. It was incredibly detailed apart from a few select spots. You could clearly see where each of the ley lines were though. Each was marked by a tress icon, and as she spoke of the most efficient path she drew a line in the map of the path she described.

  “I am in complete agreement. This is an excellent plan. My biggest concern is the Luminaras, they reside with the Lumina ley line. Their magic is tied to the stars and they can be quite difficult and even hostile to outsiders. Normally they would celebrate when I visited, however I don’t exactly look the same anymore. As well as the beasts of the mountain past the nature ley line. They aren’t exactly living, rather machines powered by Aetheerium cores and their master’s memories. If they are hostile after we save their ley line they can be quite difficult to deal with. Primarily because they developed the manifested weapons of the world. And they can even go as far as disabling our weapons’ abilities. And as there is the Light weavers, the Lumininaras, there is also the shadow weavers, the Umbras. Essentially almost everywhere other than the Elven citadel and the Sacred Forest will most definitely be hostile towards us.” I conveyed.

  “What are the six magic majors?” Asked Thorn, he had been listening but grew more and more confused as we talked about the different ley lines. “I want to know exactly what we’ll be seeing and against in some cases.”

  “Well, we of course have Demonic , Elven , and Nature . The other three are Light , Shadow , and Artifice . The one that probably needs the most explaining is Artifice Aetheerium magic. It is the ability to condense Aetheerium energy into cores and to use those cores to power machines, or to manipulate vessels. It has been tied to electricity and raw energy. Some artifacts need to be powered by Artifice magic to work and even some of their weapons too. It is quite interesting magic.” I answered.

  “And you said shadow magic? I thought Demon magic had shadow magic?” He questioned.

  “Well, yes Demon magic does have shadow magic. But it has been adapted from Umbra magic to be used by demons. It is the whole reason the cataclysm happened. Because demons were trying to adapt ancient blood moon Umbra magic.” I replied.

  “Thats very interesting! So how do we plan to travel? Because that is a lot of walking. Just saying.” He said.

  “That's a very good question. Considering I cannot perform portal sorcery because of the weakened state of the Aetheerium, I’m not entirely sure.” I answered.

  “Well, we might be able to use the ley line, considering they are connected to each other. It may be difficult, given the state of the Aetheerium.” Elora suggested.

  “That is quite a possibility, ley line jumping isn’t impossible, but it will take a great deal of effort.” I began, “And correct me if I’m wrong, but don’t elves have a strong connection to the ley lines. So you may very well be our only way to perform this advanced magic.” I finished.

  “Yes… you’re correct… I am probably the only way… that this is possible.” She said, but her voice cracked every time she paused.

  Her gaze had fallen to the floor, and she looked like she might cry, and she probably wanted to. But she didn’t want us to see. Tears had begun to form in her eyes, but she wouldn’t let them fall. Her resolve had cracked ever so slightly, for what reason I was unsure. I didn’t think it appropriate to ask her either, although I was yet unsure about this decision as well. She wiped them away, something about what I had said had triggered her perhaps?

  “Shall we go to the ley line then?” I asked them.

  “Absolutely, there's not a moment to lose! And what a great adventure it will be! Think of all the places we’ll get to visit, and the different magics we’ll see! I can hardly wait.” Flick exclaimed. We all made our way to the ley line tree, and arranged ourselves in a circle around it.

  “When I count to three, everyone place your hand on the tree. When you do this, think and feel the pure raw magic and energy of the ley line. Feel its connection to the earth and sky, feel the invisible interconnected web that links all the lands of this world. And then follow me.” She began, “1…” we all readied ourselves, “2…” we raised our hands out in front of us, “3!” We all touched our hands to the tree. I could indeed feel the ley line, it was alive and coursing with unbelievable magic. I could almost perfectly visualize the web across the world. It was like a map that was color coded to the different magics, except… this map was incomplete only this ley line was active. I was shocked, the other ley lines were barely alive, if at all. And the Aetheerium Wellspring was… almost gone entirely. In spite of this, I focused on the line that connected this ley line and the Elven ley line.

  I watched as the four of us seemingly melted into the ley line as almost pure light. I did my best to follow closely behind Elora as we travelled across the line. We were flying over the purple forest I saw earlier and quickly approaching an elegant Elven citadel which appeared to be carved out of an entire mountain. From base to tip, the entire citadel was a smooth almost glossy stone with intricate details and gold embellishments. But Elora wasn’t okay, whatever had bothered her earlier was taking its toll now. It began insignificantly at first, she wavered a little here and there as we shot across the land at high speed. Soon she was shaking, then she was tipping left and right until eventually she just fell out of the line. As she did she turned from the golden light, back to her normal self. And without her Elven magic to guide us through the line, we fell too. All four of us were rapidly falling hundreds of feet, we were so high up I hadn’t realized just how high. Elora was unconscious, with her back to the ever approaching ground. Tears were streaming from her face into the air. I shot towards her, determined to save her. As I caught up I noticed Flick and Thorn preparing to use their own kinds of Aetheerium magic to break their fall.

  I caught Elora and immediately began to perform an advanced demon sorcery. I could temporarily gain wings if I did this correctly. I thought long and hard, and built up my resolve before I tapped into my Aetheerium energy. Just about a couple hundred feet before we hit the ground, I used my Aetheerium sorcery, the crimson and black tipped wings sprouted from my shoulder blades. As excruciatingly painful as it was, it was worth it to save us. I dived towards the ground, and just before the treeline I pulled up. I was holding Elora in my arms and gently descending towards the floor. The moon, despite how horrible it was, actually made the scene all the more beautiful. Elora’s eyes fluttered open, and the first thing she saw was me. I looked back down at her and smiled, or I was smiling until she burst into tears and covered her face with her hands.

  Chapter 9 Part 1:

  As we descended and eventually landed on the ground, Elora had begun to cry even harder. The forest was calming and beautiful before, but the magic embedded in this particular forest is not one to take lightly. Nothing can be hidden or kept a secret here, everything comes to surface. You will be forced to face your past here, that is why it is called: The Forest of the Forgotten Souls. Because the things you forgot about yourself, or pushed away, or the person you used to be will either haunt you or strengthen your resolve. Elora had practically leapt out of my arms the moment we touched the ground. And as my feet had touched down, and hers did too, magical energy from the forest connected with ours. I couldn’t feel my past memories though, it was like the forest didn’t recognize me. Like my memories weren’t mine, like I was an imposter to my own self. I felt an emptiness that had been lurking inside me. An emptiness I had ignored. Elora ran off deep into the forest, but I didn’t follow.

  I fell to my knees, my blood wings melted back into my body with another twinge of pain. I wanted to cry, I wanted to scream, I wanted to be myself, I wanted to fit in. But no tears came, I made no sound, I felt empty and hollow, and above all I felt like I didn’t belong. Like I shouldn’t be here, like I wasn’t supposed to be here, like I had cheated death. To which I would say I have cheated death, but not of my own accord, as thankful as I am. I was brought back to save The Aetheerium, but I wasn’t the same person, I had been pretending to be the same person I was 300 years ago. But the truth is, I’m nothing like the strong confident man I was, I’m not the powerful mage I was, I’m not the same.

  The magic of the forest had formulated itself as ghosts and spirits of the person I was, of people I knew, of my mistakes, of things I regretted doing. I couldn’t make out the words the spirits were saying. There were so many things I failed, so many things I regretted, so many things I would’ve given anything to have done differently. But I can’t change the past, and it is wrong to ignore it, or push it down or away. I must accept that these things are a part of me, that these mistakes don’t define me. I won’t let them weigh me down, I will be strong and my own person. This feeling of emptiness isn’t something to hide or drown, instead I will make new memories, I will be a different person while still being the same. I don’t have to change myself, just change the way I react, and act.

  I stood up, and brushed off my pants. I glanced around, Thorn was already up. Flick stood up a few moments later, and the three of us met up.

  “You two understand the magic of this forest now? You cannot avoid your past, and it would seem you’ve both learned to accept yourselves as you are.” I began, “I am a person who has made a great deal of mistakes, a person who has regretted much, a person who has felt empty and like he didn’t belong. But I know that I will make new memories, that I will learn from my mistakes so as to not have regrets, that I indeed belong. Know yourselves, and be true to yourselves”

  “Yes, I do understand. I’m a person who was abused and called a monster, I was shunned for being born a demon. My parents weren’t demons, I was left to die because they couldn’t hide the fact I was a demon. I’m cruel on the outside, but deeply protective of the ones I care most about. I don’t let my past shape my future, but rather let it shape me into a better person.” Thorn said.

  “As I understand,” began Flick who was looking a little more hurt, “I’m so kind and happy, because I’ve seen others get hurt. I’ve seen many get abused and mistreated, even me myself has been abused before, emotionally. But I don’t want anyone else to go through that, so I give them kindness, I give them a smile, even though I hurt. I would give anything to save others from the same cruelty I’ve witnessed and felt.” Flick finished.

  “That is insightful about both of you, I thank you both for your honesty and openness." I marveled.

  “We should go find Elora, she seemed deeply upset.” Thorn said as he glanced around. I saw a trail of golden magical intertwined threads, much like the threads across the map that Elora had made earlier.

  Chapter 9 Part 2:

  I was terrified as I fell, it was an unexpected event. I watched as Corvus caught Elora and Flick prepared to use some form of nature magic, but I couldn’t think of anything to break my fall. I was quickly approaching the treeline when a thought crossed my mind. Corvus never said shadow flicker couldn’t be used while I was moving, only that it would be difficult to pull off. Especially because I would need a shadow to melt into. So I focused as hard as I could on a specific shadow of a tree, and waited until I had just barely crossed the treeline. It all happened so fast, one moment I was in the air, the next I was a shadow and not a second later I was safely on the forest floor.

  My back was to a tree as I stood up. I surveyed the area, I’d never been to this forest before. That's when it hit me, I watched as the magic of the forest connected with mine. I slowly slid down the tree until I sat with my knees close to my chest. I was feeling the abandonment from my past all over again, the cruelty my parents had shown me. My hatred for them, my hatred towards people I didn’t even know. It hit me hard, A few tears streamed down my face. I only acted strong and confident, very rarely did I actually feel that way. Oftentimes I felt stupid for not knowing something, or felt hot headed because someone unknowingly triggered a memory of mine. But it wasn’t their fault, they didn’t know. They didn’t mean it, it was my own fault for not being open or telling them anything. Even the people I trust most and care most about know hardly anything about my past.

  Then the spirits appeared. They took on the form of my parents who mocked and hated me. They took on the form of peers who avoided me for being a demon. They said things only I knew about or had heard.

  “You’re a disgrace, how could you be born a demon, you absolute monster” the spirits said, “How could you think for a second that we would be friends with a demon, I mean look at you. Your parents are humans and nobody in town is a demon.” the spirits continued, bringing new waves of hurt and pain, “We can’t hide the fact that you’re a demon from anyone anymore, we’ll just have to get rid of you. Then we’ll be the normal couple in the village again, without you all our problems will go away. You’ve always been a problem, we’re tired of pretending to love you.” Finished the spirits.

  “SHUT UP! ALL OF YOU!” I screamed, “I JUST WANTED TO BE ENOUGH! I just wanted… to be loved, I just wanted… to be a part… of something, I just wanted… to belong, I just…, I just…” I choked out between sobs.

  I looked up from my tear stained palms. The spirits were gone. I stood up, wiped my tears, and decided on one thing. Nobody was going to hurt me like that again, I won’t let my past shape my future, but rather I’ll let it shape me into a better person. I glanced around, Corvus was standing up. Flick stood up a few moments later, and the three of us met up.

  “You two understand the magic of this forest now? You cannot avoid your past, and it would seem you’ve both learned to accept yourselves as you are.” Corvus began, “I am a person who has made a great deal of mistakes, a person who has regretted much, a person who has felt empty and like he didn’t belong. But I know that I will make new memories, that I will learn from my mistakes so as to not have regrets, that I indeed belong. Know yourselves, and be true to yourselves”

  “Yes, I do understand. I’m a person who was abused and called a monster, I was shunned for being born a demon. My parents weren’t demons, I was left to die because they couldn’t hide the fact I was a demon. I’m cruel on the outside, but deeply protective of the ones I care most about. I don’t let my past shape my future, but rather let it shape me into a better person.” I said.

  “As I understand,” began Flick who was looking a little more hurt, “I’m so kind and happy, because I’ve seen others get hurt. I’ve seen many get abused and mistreated, even me myself has been abused before, emotionally. But I don’t want anyone else to go through that, so I give them kindness, I give them a smile, even though I hurt. I would give anything to save others from the same cruelty I’ve witnessed and felt.” Flick finished.

  “That is insightful about both of you, I thank you both for your honesty and openness." Corvus marveled.

  “We should go find Elora, she seemed deeply upset.” Thorn said as he glanced around. I saw a trail of golden magical intertwined threads, much like the threads across the map that Elora had made earlier.

  Chapter 9 Part 3:

  It was a shock of cruelty that we should be stopped so early in the start of our journey. Even more so that the four of us be dropped into the heart of a forest. But this forest was familiar, but not in a good way, this was a terrifying forest. This was The Forest of the Forgotten Souls, a cruel cruel place to be. I had a deep seeded fear of this place, I’d been here once before in my entire life. All 436 years of my life. Shadow paws live just about the same lifespan as elves, but are far more prone to exploring the wilderness. So as I rapidly approached the treeline, I used my Aetheerium magic to manipulate the vines on the trees. I enlarged them and weaved them together to create a web-like net. I landed on my back and bounced once or twice before I returned the vines to the trees. I stepped down and watched to my horror as the forest’s magic connected with mine. I fell to the floor on my back and passed out.

  The forest was about to force me to look inward on myself, and about to force me to relive my worst memories. I prepared myself mentally, but I knew no amount of preparation would be enough. Then the emotions hit me. The feeling of hurt, the feeling of helplessness from watching others be hurt and not being able to do anything, the feeling of being used, the feeling of disappointment in others, the feeling of disappointment in myself from being so naive I didn’t see others were hurting me. So many memories flashed through my mind, all so fast. I felt so many different emotions all in quick succession, it was so overwhelming.

  And then it was quiet, I had already worked through this before. The things that used to haunt me wouldn’t break me, especially because they don’t bother me anymore. I decided a long time ago that I would be the one to show people the kindness others had forgotten to show or disregarded all together. I woke up then, my cheek wet from tears. I stood up from the floor and glanced around to find both Thorn and Corvus already up, the three of us met up.

  “You two understand the magic of this forest now? You cannot avoid your past, and it would seem you’ve both learned to accept yourselves as you are.” Corvus began, “I am a person who has made a great deal of mistakes, a person who has regretted much, a person who has felt empty and like he didn’t belong. But I know that I will make new memories, that I will learn from my mistakes so as to not have regrets, that I indeed belong. Know yourselves, and be true to yourselves”

  “Yes, I do understand. I’m a person who was abused and called a monster, I was shunned for being born a demon. My parents weren’t demons, I was left to die because they couldn’t hide the fact I was a demon. I’m cruel on the outside, but deeply protective of the ones I care most about. I don’t let my past shape my future, but rather let it shape me into a better person.” Thorn said.

  “As I understand,” I began, “I’m so kind and happy, because I’ve seen others get hurt. I’ve seen many get abused and mistreated, even me myself has been abused before, emotionally. But I don’t want anyone else to go through that, so I give them kindness, I give them a smile, even though I hurt. I would give anything to save others from the same cruelty I’ve witnessed and felt.” I finished.

  “That is insightful about both of you, I thank you both for your honesty and openness." Corvus marveled.

  “We should go find Elora, she seemed deeply upset.” Thorn said as he glanced around. I saw a trail of golden magical intertwined threads, much like the threads across the map that Elora had made earlier.

  Chapter 9 Part 4:

  I should’ve said something to them before we began this journey. I began to think as we shot across the forest toward the elven citadel. They deserve to know more. I’ve lied to them by telling them nothing. And now the four of us are heading to the very place I fled from so many years ago. And this forest, something feels off about it. It’s definitely magical.

  But as I was thinking I had lost concentration, and began to waver without realizing. And it got worse, I only realized when it was too late and the four of us were plummeting to our deaths. The last thing I saw was Corvinus before I blacked out. He was so cute, and kind. What felt like a moment later I opened my eyes again to see that Corvinus had caught me and sprouted blood wings. He must’ve been hurting a lot from that kind of sorcery because he was wincing a little. But when he saw I was awake, he smiled that same sweet smile that made me forget my problems. It made me feel warm inside, I just wanted to cuddle up to him and fall asleep.

  As we slowly descended I began to cry as reality hit me again. And what a cruel joke it was. As soon as we landed I ran. And I ran for a long time, well at least it felt that way. I was balling my eyes out and could barely see through the tears. I wanted to hide and never be seen, I wanted others to stop needing things from me, I wanted to be free from it all and run away with Corvinus. Or should I call him something sweeter, because he makes me feel a way I haven’t in a long time. I want to show I care about him, but what would be enough? Didn’t he mention a nickname some close people called him, Corvy was it?

  Lost in my thoughts and blinded by the tears I was shedding, I tripped over a root and fell hard. I was seeing things now, visions of my past, all the problems I had run from. I wanted to hide, to die, but Corvy, I didn’t want to leave him. The visions began to talk, replaying horrible memories that I never wanted to relive again. Ones I tried so hard to bury and erase from my mind.

  “Elorabeth, we need you to go to this party, it will make us look better.” They said, “Elorabeth, what a pretty name, and how beautiful your magic is. Would you mind doing something for me?” They continued, “Elorabeth, don’t forget about your speech tomorrow.” They wouldn’t stop, “Elorabeth! Why did you say that about us in that speech! The outrage! You horrible little rat! You will be making a public apology, and you best hope that they believe you!”

  It was all too much, “Shut up mother! I’m tired of being your daughter only to improve your self image! And father, how could you let her do this! You two are no proper parents, and aren’t mine! Just drop dead, I hope I never see you again! In fact I won’t!” My voice echoed in my ears, the horrible things I said to them. Was I the bad guy, was I the disobedient child? Was I the problem? What would Corvy think of me? Or Flick? Or Thorn? Would they leave me, like I had left my parents.

  The vision of me walked out of the imaginary room from my past. The voices were swirling in my head, all of the visions yelling at me now, they’d gone from the peaceful blue spirits to angry red poltergeists. They were frowning at me and yelling their disappointments at me. All at once they yelled at me, it was just too much. I was curled up in the center of this maelstrom from hell. I was crying so hard my throat hurt. The red magics swirled around me, cutting me off and isolating me from the world.

  I couldn’t see through my tears. The tangled web of my life, my lies, my failures, my disappointments, was all spread out before me. The weight of it all was suffocating me. I couldn’t take it anymore, I just wanted it to be quiet, for the world to forget me and let me die, here and now. Corvy deserved a better person than I could ever be. It was the truth, it was all right, I fled the only family I had because I couldn’t handle responsibility. I couldn’t meet the standards they set for me. I was still the same child I was 100 years ago. Being 227 doesn’t make me wise, it just means I managed to live to this age despite my stupidity, despite me being sensitive, despite being a failure, despite being worthless, despite being an idiot. And I’ve even lied to my friends about my age! Who was I to think that the person who was once the greatest mage in the world, would want me? Me of all people?

  Chapter 10:

  I followed the golden strands of silk through the forest. Each step built up a growing sense of dread that something horrible had happened to Elora. I had grown quite fond of her, I realize this now as I begin to worry even more for her. The silk glowed and twisted through brambles and tree branches. But the soft golden glow was progressively getting dimmer. I could feel a great presence along with Elora’s, it was her emotions and as I ran around another tree I saw her.

  The spirits embodying her past were looming over her as she cried. She had allowed her emotions to hold power over her, now they were consuming her. All I heard were words like failure, and disappointment, and why would he want me? Was that last one about me? I didn’t know, but I did know that there was no time to lose.

  “Flick, Thorn, I’m going to enter Elora’s dreamscape. It is probably the only way to save her from being consumed by her negative emotions. This is why this forest is so dangerous. Because it can turn people into monsters. I need you two to draw Aetheerium energy out of the spirits to weaken them.” I explained.

  “Be… careful. Elora cares very deeply for you. You will see her deepest emotions, you will see just how much she loves you.” Flick warned as he grabbed my arm. ‘Loves’ that word hit differently, I hadn’t had a word to put to the way I felt about her. But maybe, just maybe, that was the right word.

  “You can see it in the way she smiles at you, the way she blushes when you’re around, the way she fidgets and her gaze drops to the floor. You may not have realized it, but you will soon.” He finished.

  And everything he said was true, everything she did was now made obvious she was infatuated with me. How could I be so stupid. And now she probably thought I didn’t want her, or she isn’t good enough for me because I ignored the signs.

  “Thank you Flick, for seeing what I was blind to, and showing me how to see. But don’t forget to be true to yourself, you’re not the only perceptive one here. I know you think he’s cute.” I smiled as I told him and glanced at Thorn when I said ‘he’. Flick blushed a deep scarlet before glancing at Thorn as well, I didn’t think it was even possible but he blushed even more before the color returned to his face. He looked back at me, Thorn had been completely oblivious to the conversation, which only made Flick more embarrassed.

  “Shut up.” He said under his breath as he blushed, “It's not that obvious, is it?!” He said with a little panic on the last line.

  “Well, it is to me. I think it's adorable. While I’m helping Elora you should tell him. In fact I’ll help you.” I said with a smile. The color drained from Flick’s face as he repeatedly mouthed the word ‘no’ over and over in quick succession. I strode over to Thorn.

  “I’m about to help Elora, thank you for your help. Also while you two are waiting you should talk to each other. Also Flick thinks you’re cute.” I said with a smile. I watched both Flick and Thorn’s faces go through several different colors before settling on a deep crimson as their gaze darted from each other to the floor. I walked away from both of them, I figure I’ll let them decide how to feel about each other. I walked slowly and carefully to Elora who was sitting on the floor with her legs to either side of her. Her head in her hands while she cried as if she had never before. I knelt down in front of her and gently wrapped my fingers around her head and placed my fore head to hers.

  “I accept you, for who you are, and I want to be with you.” Were the only words I said before I hugged her and we fell slowly to the floor together.

  When I opened my eyes we were in a dark space devoid of color or shape, just us together. Well rather I was standing about ten feet away from Elora as angry red poltergeists swarmed her, saying all kinds of cruel things. Both our lives were about to be laid bare to each other. I heard it all, how cruel her parents were, how they used her for personal benefit, how everyone wanted something from her, how nobody was kind to her without wanting something from her. She was abused emotionally, not allowed to be herself, not allowed the time of day just to know who she was. And when she finally broke, they called her a monster. They said she was wrong, they called her a rat. It broke my heart to see her like this.

  I carefully walked to her, dispelling the cruel words from the poltergeists. They couldn’t touch me, and I wouldn’t let them hurt her anymore. I grabbed her shoulders, I stared into her eyes of which she wouldn’t return my gaze. Her hands had fallen to her lap moments before, and her cheeks were stained with the tears she’d never cried before. Her eyes were puffy and pink from crying. I knelt down and continued to look into her eyes, and what beautiful eyes they were. I knew what I needed to say.

  “Elorabeth, look at me.” I spoke softly, she finally met my gaze, “They are wrong, you don’t need them. They won’t hurt you anymore, I won’t let them. Not now, not ever. I want ALL of you, the good and the bad. I don’t care how much you hurt, you will ALWAYS be good enough for me. Because WE will be here for each other. You don’t have to be alone in your struggles, I. AM. HERE. FOR. you.” I said the last word softly, and I hugged her. And for the first time she returned that hug. We held each other for a long time, she cried long and hard. I didn’t care how long she needed to cry, because I was finally here for her.

  “I… Love… You… Corvy.” Was all she could choke out between sobs. And it was all she needed to say. A while later after she had calmed down a little she began to speak again.

  “I see how you hurt now, and despite this I love all of you too. And I want to be with you too. I can only thank you for being here for me, and I can only wish I had met you sooner.” She said her voice was a little raspy from crying. We were still holding each other, and what happened next was inexplicably wonderful.

  We kissed. Slow and soft. It felt like I was existing only with Elora. Her white hair against the green of the forest. Her gold eyes shone with true happiness. Her irises caught the sunlight. They shown a honey gold. Almost like sunlight itself was in her eyes. I smiled at her, whispered words of love between each kiss. She was perfect no matter what anyone was going to say.

  Our eyes were closed and it was the most wonderful feeling. And when we opened our eyes, we were in the forest right where I hugged her. We both got up off the soft mossy floor, and to our astonishment,Thorn and Flick were kissing. It took them a moment to realize that we were back, and when they did they both leapt apart and blushed deeply. Flick had begun twiddling his thumbs and Thorn had begun to whistle like nothing had happened. Me and Elora looked at each other and we had the same idea. That we weren’t going to mention their kiss.

  “So, you two are a thing now?” Asked Flick who must’ve picked up on our emotions.

  “Yes, and so it would seem you two are as well. Cute."said Elora with a smirk. Both Flick and Thorn blushed even deeper.

  “Well, I suppose we should all start making our way to the elven citadel, again.” I said.

  Chapter 11: