The door to the room opened, and everyone looked up, including Demund.

Davis was standing there with a dull look on his face. His eyes glanced around the room, eventually falling on Demund.

“Hey,” he said. “I want to join.”

Already, Demund knew that something seemed off.

The club members had a brief meeting while Davis waited outside.

“He’s part of Edan’s group,” Rhyne whispered. “For all we know, he may be here to scout on us.”

“Rhyne’s right,” Riley agreed. “This feels a bit off. Anyone here close to that guy?”

Everyone shook their heads.

“Who knows? Maybe he’s here to genuinely learn magic,” Kacy said. “From what I’ve seen, he wasn’t particularly close with that group.”

“I’m not sure what’s going on, but if he wants to join, we should let him, right?” Alina suggested. “I thought we wanted more members.”

Demund looked towards the door. Just thinking about Edan made his stomach tense. He was getting used to those kinds of situations now, but at that moment, he’d hated it. Davis was the guy who’d said that Demund had misunderstood things, even if it had been implied and not said directly.

“Demund, are you going to send him away without giving him a chance?” Alina asked.

She didn’t know what had happened. But even if she did, he had the feeling that she would have said the same thing. She was always the person who did the right things, same as Jothan. They’d been raised well by their parents and he’d always envied them, but at the moment, he wished that she hadn’t been there.

He wanted to reject Davis. It wasn’t his problem. But if he did, Alina would be disappointed, tell her parents, and eventually Jothan. He didn’t want that.

“We’ll let him join for now,” Demund decided.

So Davis was let into the clubroom. The guy watched them while they practiced magic and filmed. Demund couldn’t help but be conscious of him, wondering what the heck was going through the guy’s mind. Was he a spy? An imposter? Or was he genuinely here to learn magic? Demund hated that he had to be the one to decide. He wasn’t much of a leader.

“How do you do that?” Davis eventually asked. It was Alina who cheerfully replied first.

“Demund taught us all,” she said proudly. She’d also managed to replicate the magic, and now, she, Riley, and Rhyne filmed most of the recent videos while Demund taught Alina one-to-one.

“Taught?” Davis asked.

He looked surprised. “Superpowers can be taught?”

“It’s not a superpower,” Rhyne rolled his eyes. “It’s magic.”

“Magic? You mean like from games. I know, people like to call powers magic.”

“No,” Kacy stated. “This is real magic from another world.”

And now his power was being revealed to everyone. Then again, it was only a matter of time before everyone discovered how he was teaching spells. Demund decided to keep a cool head and see what happened.

“Real magic?” Davis asked.

“Demund has access to his memories from another world. There, things like magic and spells and sorcerers exist. He teaches us what he learned in that world. So, it’s not just a superpower. This is a revolution. This is something that could change the world.”

Davis looked momentarily shocked by what she had said. Demund felt the same. Kacy had a way of emphasizing things.

“A-a revolution?” Davis stuttered.

“Yes.”

“I see.”

Davis got up. “I have to go now. Can I come back?”

“Demund’s the leader,” Kacy shrugged. “Ask him.”

Their eyes met, and Demund gave the guy a smile.

“You’ll be welcome,” he said without missing a beat.

“Thanks.”

Davis left, leaving the club emptier than before. And Demund couldn’t help feeling disturbed by how well he’d said words he hadn’t meant. His techniques of becoming who he wasn’t were getting better by the day, but he hadn’t expected to use it for something like this. No one suspected a thing, not even his closest friends.

“Do you think he’ll come back?” Rhyne yawned, adjusting the camera. “He was really quiet.”

“Maybe,” Riley replied.

A short while after, Demund saw Davis walking towards the MMA Club building through the windows. He was returning to Edan’s group, no doubt. Maybe he would report what they were doing, or give them a bad name. Whatever was the case, Demund didn’t care as much anymore.

He would distance himself from the things he didn’t like.

⤙ ◯ ⤚

“So you’re saying that it can be taught.”

Davis had come again. Demund nodded.

“Yes. It takes some time, but it’s possible.”

“Could I learn it too?”

“That’s the whole point of this club, right?” Alina said cheerfully. “Of course you can.”

No, Demunnd thought. The point of the club was to spend time with friends and teach them magic. Eventually, outsiders would come, and he wouldn’t have minded them—but it was Davis who was there. Davis who had rejected him when he had offered to help that night.

Demund held Davis’s finger and summoned an orb of light at its tip. Davis looked at the spell with awe, his mouth slightly widening.

“Did I use magic?” he asked.

“No. To use it by yourself, you have to remember the feeling,” Demund explained. “It takes a while.”

“How fast did everyone else learn it?”

“One week,” Rhyne said proudly. “I was the fastest.”

“A week?”

Davis looked happy about it. “I want to join,” he said. “Let me into the club.”

“What happened to being in Edan’s group?” Demund questioned. “Are you out of there now?”

“I was tired of working out,” Davis answered with a hint of annoyance. “I want to take a break.”

“How did you even find us?”

“I heard it from a friend.”

“Who is?”

“You wouldn’t know him,” Davis muttered. “What, I can’t join?”

Demund wanted to smack the guy on the head and yell at him for being rude. Such behavior back at Fort Avagal would get him pummelled into the ground. He’d seen some soldiers being punished by being tied to a post for hours.

But he smiled. His friends were watching—Alina was watching. “You can join.”

“So, do we practice more?”

“Basically. I’m teaching at the moment. You’ll have to wait a bit.”

“Can’t you do both at once?” Alina suggested. “You did that for us.”

“Yes, but it makes my head hurt,” Demund told her, wishing she’d be less kind. “Kacy also needs to learn it quickly for us to go on to the next spell.”

“Davis is part of the club now too,” Alina said. “Do we wait for him too?”

Jothan had frequently complained about how annoying Alina was. Demund had never felt it since he’d never spent much time with her, and her actions towards Jothan had seemed cute—a friendly sibling banter. He’d always envied their small fights, wishing that he had a sibling as well.

“I think we’ve kept Rhyne waiting for too long,” Demund smiled. “We’ll see what happens.”

“Okay.”

He returned to Kacy, who was staring at him. After holding her hand, he made his magic flow through it, making light appear in her palm. He was getting used to pushing his mana through other people’s bodies, and doing it through the whole hand would be quicker than using just the finger. All the while, Davis watched them, his eyes fixed on the light.

“You just like holding my hand, don’t you?” Kacy chuckled, leaning her chin against her free hand. “I think I’m pretty good at telling when people are lying. You can be honest with me.”

“I think anyone would like holding your hand,” Demund sighed, “so it’s not really lying.”

“Woah!” Rhyne yelled, his head twisting around abruptly. “Dude! No flirting in the club room!”

“Demund?” Alina said softly.

Riley only nodded slowly, looking as if he was inspecting an alien from outer space. “Interesting,” he said, crossing his arms.

“What?” Demund reasoned. “Rhyne, you would like holding Kacy’s hand. So would you, Riley. Alina, you and Kacy hug all the time. Did I say something wrong?”

“But dude, you don’t, I don’t know,” Rhyne scratched the back of his head. “Yeah?”

Riley shrugged. “It hits differently.”

Demund didn’t particularly feel like what he said was flirting. He’d been around women too much as of late, complementing them on the smallest things. Most wouldn’t even bat an eye in his direction. He’d practiced exchanging banters to appear more sociable during his missions as Shaden, so what he’d said had come out naturally without much thought.

His friends were the ones who were overreacting. Alina was also looking at him funnily like he’d stated that the moon was made of cheese.

“Focus,” he told Kacy. “Did your understanding of the spell improve?”

“No,” she said.

“Using their abilities while practicing seemed to have worked for the others. Maybe you could try that as well.”

Come to think of it, he didn’t know what Kacy’s ability was. She’d never told them.

“Mhmm,” she nodded.

Now she looked grumpy. Maybe it was because he’d been around adults often as of late that everyone felt a little…childish. Especially today.

“Do you feel it?”

“Mmmmm…”

Kacy yanked her hand away, sighing deeply. She hugged her knees on the chair and pouted, burying her face into her legs.

“I don’t feel anything special,” she muttered. “We haven’t had a good video in a while.”

She looked up. “I think we should move on. It’s time to learn the next spell.”

“It’s too early to give up,” Demund encouraged.

“I don’t feel anything,” Kacy muttered. “I must be very bad at this. Just move on to the next part.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. Don’t mind me.”

Even Rhyne, who had been excited to learn new spells and would have been joyful at Kacy’s proposal looked cautious, looking around while coming up with something to say. Despite Kacy’s words, she looked very disappointed, her expression dark and gloomy. Demund scratched his cheek.

“Okay. We’ll start, but I’ll still be teaching you,” he decided. “There’s no need to rush. Those three, they’re simply beyond average. From what I can see, you aren’t doing too badly.”

“I’m not?”

“Of course not.”

To be honest, he didn’t know what the ‘average’ rate of progression was. But he’d learned to cheer people up. Goodness, he’d learned a lot of things. But this time, he meant what he said.

“Fine,” Kacy sighed, leaning against the table. “Give me the camera. I’ll film.”

They were setting up the scene when Davis interjected.

“Can I be in the video?” he asked. “I know you’re uploading it to Viggle.”

“Maybe another time. We’re doing something different today,” Demund told him. The guy pursed his lips and leaned back against his seat. At least he wasn’t persistent.

They went through a simple introduction with Kacy guiding them on what to do. Demund displayed the next spell—conjuring water—on top of a bucket they’d prepared. He’d discovered that using the water creation spell was easier and used less mana when a water source was nearby. He suspected that he didn’t actually create water but rather took it from somewhere else, oftentimes from the air itself. Thus, having a bucket half-filled with water made things simpler.

Water could be used to create steam and ice, all of which were possible through incantations—but in this case, they weren’t available. Not to mention that Demund himself was a novice at water manipulation. He’d been practicing other spells as of late, so he hoped that his friends wouldn’t be so quick this time around.

“Conjure Water,” he said, though there was no real power behind the words. A ball of water manifested before his hand, dropping into the bucket a few seconds after.

Oh no, Demund thought.

Unlike light, water had mass. After teaching light magic for so long, he could clearly feel the difference in mana output between the two spells. Maintaining a water ball required a basic form of telekinesis—something that hadn’t been necessary for light. Of course, his mana pool was large enough to cast it many times by himself, but given the fact that he would have to cast the magic through his friends’ hands continuously, he could tell that he would tire much quicker this time around.

But he didn’t show it. He’d make it through somehow.

“This is the water spell,” Demund said. “The main points for this spell are gathering and maintaining. It’s different from the light spell, which was only changing mana energy into light energy.”

Or so he suspected. He himself wasn’t a professor of magic.

He took turns teaching his friends who frowned each time it was their turn.

“It feels very different,” Riley commented.

“I—I don’t get this at all,” Alina groaned. “This is so different.”

“Mmm. Mmm,” Rhyne nodded slowly, looking like he had a family of frogs inside of his mouth. “Tell me again how this is possible?”

“You’re extracting moisture from your surroundings,” Demund explained. “You have to feel the swirl and pull of mana. When you cast the spell, mana goes out of your hand then concentrates back into it with water.”

Even as he said it, it sounded vague and ridiculous. His friends had no idea how to control mana in the first place.

After an hour of complete failure, he decided that it would be necessary to teach them how to circulate.

But how?

⤙ ◯ ⤚

“Isn’t there a faster way?” Shaden asked. “Something that works within a month?”

“If they’re talented, they will learn in a month,” Shpiel replied. “If not, only time will tell. I have told you before. Tampering with someone else’s mana flow can be dangerous. It is better to stimulate them with a little jolt of mana and allow them to learn by themselves. Is this for your sister or mother? If you wish, I can find suitable masters of circulation for them.”

It’s for my friends in another world, Shaden wanted to say. But the man was right; if he tried to forcefully try to circulate his friends’ mana, there was no telling what would happen. As Shaden, it could be possible. As Demund, he knew for certain that he would fail. His mana control wasn’t that good, and he knew it.

“Ah,” Shpiel suddenly said, clapping.

“Oh? What is it?”

“Though certainly costly, there are concoctions and potions you can take which stimulates your mana greatly,” Shpiel stated.

“Ah. No, that won’t be necessary,” Shaden shook his head. “This isn’t for my mother or sister. It’s…hard to explain.”

“I understand,” Shpiel nodded understandingly. “We all have things we wish to hide.”

He’d finished a short morning mission with Shpiel when he’d asked how to allow others to circulate quickly. Recently, most of his learning time was spent with Shpiel; Practol’s son had taken over while the older man had begun attending to other matters. Something about making arrangements for the princesses of the country. Shaden had asked if he would be able to see them, maybe even talk to them, but Practol had shaken his head.

“I do not have that kind of authority,” he had said. “My work is in the background. I smoothen incidents, take care of royal errands—you could call them—and teach others to do the same. And though I am not certain, the eyes of dragons can perceive magic very well. They can see through illusions. They may be able to see through your invisibility.”

Shaden knew the last part wasn’t possible as a dragon had failed to detect him when he’d first arrived at Raconel. But he understood Practol’s message. Don’t try to get close to the royal family.

But how could he not be interested when they were holding a giant procession for the princesses? He still remembered that day when he’d seen the princess parade through the central road of Danark. The armored soldiers, the banners, the shieldbearers—it had been glorious. He’d never seen anything like it.

He wanted to see it again.

“What will you be doing now?” Shpiel asked, preparing to return home (or wherever he went when he was done). “The princesses are leaving the country after lunch. Will you go to see them off?”

“Can I? I thought your father was against meeting the royal family.”

“He is simply cautious. Anyone is free to see them.”

“I might,” Shaden shrugged. “Thank you for today. It was fun being a beggar.”

“Truly? We can do it again some time.”

“Well—we have to practice other things as well, right?”

Shpiel laughed. “I understand. But have a good afternoon. May I take it that you will be eating with your family?”

“Yes.”

“Then, I will see you tomorrow.”

They parted ways, Shaden heading towards Sol Atalia where his family was waiting. While the food at the great hotel was good, they’d decided to eat lunch outside given the occasion. Whenever a member of the royal family moved in Melern, the day would become a pseudo-holiday of sorts. It was why Melany wasn’t at the orphanage but with their parents; everyone was going to see the procession.

The people adored the royals. They were a symbolic figure of absolute authority in the country as well as being perfect rulers that were just and benevolent. Of course, Melern was officially ruled by a trinity of the Royalty, Nobility, and Elected. But according to Practol, the Nobility and Elected were only there to take care of the minor, regional things; it was the Royalty, namely the King who held most of the power. Not because of his political abilities, but because of his sheer might. For hundreds of years, it had remained that way. Not once had a revolution—though very rare and minor—succeeded.

The power of dragons was something to fear indeed. It intrigued Shaden the more he learned. He’d only learned enough history to appear like a proper citizen of the country, but he wanted to learn more. Not about history, but the Royal Family and the dragons themselves.

He met his parents and prepared to go outside.

“This place is wonderful, but don’t you think we should live in a proper house?” Melsei said, helping Melany get dressed. “I will forget how to cook at this rate. Also, I feel out of place surrounded by all of this…gleaming.”

“We shouldn’t take advantage of the Seine’s kindness,” Garthan said softly.

“A normal house will be less expensive than this place. We will have to return to Danark when Shaden is done learning. All of this luxury is harmful to Melnay’s growth. What do you think, Shaden?”

Shaden looked up from his clothes. He liked the luxury, but a normal house didn’t seem so bad. “I wouldn’t mind it,” Shaden said. “A normal house is cozy.”

“I knew you would understand.”

A normal house. It had been Practol who had insisted that Shaden and his family get the best possible treatment while they were there, so if they asked to change places to a cheaper place, the man would likely agree. Or disagree, but in a good way.

It was for Melany. Was luxury bad as his mother believed? He hadn’t felt it much as Shaden, but as Demund, he had been envious of his friends. He didn’t quite understand why his mother was against luxury. Then again, it did seem uncomfortable for them to be surrounded by the rich-looking people in the hotel.

They went out of the building while the servants opened the doors for them. He could see why his mother wanted to leave. They ate lunch at a small restaurant that couldn’t be described as luxurious, but rather a local specialty of sorts—a kind of sweet steak dripping with butter and potato balls filled with a kind of thick, brown gravy. It was simpler than the food they’d eaten on his birthday, but it was good. It felt great, eating with his family.

If he felt a little sad, it was because Rother and Eilae weren’t there to talk with him. Rother was closer to a friend than a brother, perhaps the closest male friend he had as Shaden. Eilae was the person he’d had the most conversations with. He missed them dearly, though it would only be a year before he finally got to see Eilae. And Rother—their paths would cross eventually.

It was a slow, uneventful life. He’d grown used to it. With his family there, things were back to what he considered normal; happy and peaceful without all of the hardships he’d had to endure. What trials he did have were reasonable and fun.

“Should we go see the princess then?” Melsei suggested. “It’s about time.”

“Yes!” Melany agreed.

It was late summer, and the sun was bright as ever in the sky, painting the city in a golden radiance. The clouds looked like the softest cotton, floating in a sea of clear, sky blue. There were squeals, laughter, cheering, and small talk all across the smaller streets; the main road had been blocked off by guards, making way for the carriages that would pass through.

The princesses of one country going to another was no small matter. It could mean submission or danger, but also an invitation for peace. While large wars had long stopped since the appearance of Saiton the Sage, the symbolism remained. Not one, but two princesses, heading towards a foreign empire. All the citizens could hope for was for them to return safely, bringing with them good news of culture and new ideas.

Though Shaden cared little about those things. He, at heart, was not a Melernian. But what he did share was admiration and curiosity. He was an heir of a mighty family—or so he believed—but all he’d received during his travels was mediocrity. Not much reverence from the Jakhar Kishaks, and borderline oppression from the Nieuts. The Watayurks at the Wall had treated him with more reverence. So seeing all of these people bubbly and full of adoration made him feel a little down since he’d never received that kind of treatment before.

Comparing was bad. He knew that. But he was a genius, stronger than anything he’d come across, armed with a limitless supply of magic power. He…wanted some respect.

Shaden shook his head. These were thoughts that would never come to him in the waking world. His power was filling him with pride, and pride—he’d read—was unhealthy.

But how would everyone react if he suddenly flew into the sky and summoned a giant, blazing inferno?

He threw the thought away. It was a dangerous daydream, something he’d never do.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a blaring horn that echoed throughout the air. A great clamor filled the streets as people began to raise their arms and yell—very similar to the fans he’d seen on television whenever a celebrity appeared. These people were not so different—only that in this case, the scale was completely outrageous.

It wasn’t mandatory, but the whole city had come; Shaden could barely see the main street on top of his father’s shoulder along with Melany. Shidey meowed nervously in his sister’s arms, looking at him with wide eyes. Something was coming. Shaden could feel it as well.

A mighty presence. The mana in the air was swirling like there was an invisible gust blowing through the city. It blew from where the princesses were supposed to come from—the direction of the palace. Shaden muffled his mana as best as he could. He wouldn’t let his power leak out carelessly.

“Mom, are you okay?” Shaden asked, looking down. Strangers were cramming into each other, and though people were careful not to upset Garthan, who was tall and muscular, it still seemed suffocating to be surrounded by so many.

“I’m fine! Try your best to catch a glimpse of the princesses,” she told him. “This might be your last chance!”

“Okay!” Shaden smiled.

Ten minutes later, Shaden smacked his forehead. The carriages still hadn’t arrived, but he blamed himself for being so stupid. He had power—and if he didn’t use it now, when else?

“Dad, can we go into an alley somewhere where people can’t see us?” he asked, tapping his father’s neck. “I could use some magic to get us a better view.”

“Even with stealth, it will be difficult to get through the crowd,” Garthan warned. “It’s okay. I’ll hold you up high.”

Shaden leaned closer to his father’s ear and whispered.

“But Dad, I can fly.”

“Fly?”

Garthan grinned. “When did you learn to fly? Is it wind magic?”

“Not really. There’s this feeling—like telekinesis—but it’s different.”

“Telekinesis?” Garthan chuckled. “But you can make us float?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm. How good is your stealth magic?”

“I heard from Lytha that I’m as good as her. That was two years ago.”

“So I have heard as well. And your mana pool? Is it sufficient?”

“Dad, I restored Rother’s leg, remember?”

“So you did, so you did,” his father nodded. “But even so, I believe that we should remain where we are. You can never underestimate the things that may happen. I’m not doubting you, son. You’ve done more than I ever could. But there is something powerful nearby. Can you feel it?”

“I can.”

But I could take care of it if things go wrong, Shaden wanted to say. But he wasn’t going to start an argument. To be fair, he and Melany had better views than everyone else around them.

“Then we can stay here,” Shaden agreed. But can I at least give Mom a better view?”

“How would you do that?”

“Earth magic.”

“Breaking the street is not a good idea.”

“I can fix it afterwards.”

Garthan snorted, shaking his head with a smile. “It’s not good to solve everything with magic. But if you insist—could you hold your sister and Shidey?”

He did, and Melany clung to his shirt while Shidey made herself comfortable around his neck. Garthan put all of them on one shoulder, holding them firmly, then reached out to Melsei. She looked up to him with an eyebrow raised.

“I will lift you,” Garthan stated.

“Garthan! We’re outside,” Melsei blushed. “You can't treat me like our children.”

“This is Shaden’s request.”

“Shaden?”

“Well, uh, yeah,” Shaden nodded, curious to see his father lift all of them. He was strong enough, but he’d never seen him do it.

“We can see them together!” Melany laughed.

Melsei held her cheeks in her hands, sighing deeply. “I am too old for this,” she said.

“You won’t be able to see the princesses from down there,” Garthan said.

Melsei lowered her arms and sighed again, turning her body away from them. But she came closer. “Then do it quickly,” she said quietly.

With a huff, Garthan raised Melsei into his arm.

“Oh.”

“What?”

“You’re quite heavy.”

It got the man a pinch on his cheek.

“You’re blocking the view!” Someone yelled from the back. “What’s a lady doing up there!”

Melsei blushed, and Shaden instantly surrounded them in magic, hiding their presence from everyone else. Garthan looked surprised but otherwise nodded to him.

“Good job,” he muttered. “Now, my dear, no one will see us.”

“You did that invisibility thing, didn’t you?”

“Our son did. Shaden is better at it than I am.”

“Really? That’s wonderful!”

Shaden scratched his cheek, smiling broadly. Just to make sure his father wouldn’t be crushed to death by those who didn’t perceive them, he put up a barrier around them, covering it with more stealth magic. Now, they had a comfortable space all to their own. Some people might have found it strange that a family of four suddenly vanished, but no one would particularly care.

Though to the keen eye, a small, open space in the middle of a crowd would seem unusual. But then again, the crowd was vast; very few would notice.

“Here comes the princesses!”

Shaden could immediately tell who they were. Their long, silver hair hung down their backs like the softest, finest silk, and their grey eyes were mystical even for a world with magic. Shaden was glad that his eyes were good. Because perched on the princesses’ shoulders were silver dragons, each too big to be carried comfortably. But the princesses smiled and waved as if they were carrying air.

Shaden could practically smell the thick mana. It wasn’t simply mana; he could sense the slightest amount of magic from it, too subtle to make out what it was. But the awe and wonder he was feeling probably meant something. It didn’t seem forced, but rather a part of their nature to exude such a presence—

A magical existence.

“They’re pretty,” Melany giggled, twirling her hair.

“Beautiful,” Shaden agreed.

“Bewty full?”

“It means very pretty.”

“They are,” Melsei agreed. “I’m glad you lifted me, dear.”

“As am I. This is a wondrous sight.”

The procession progressed, and before they knew it, the princesses had exited their field of view. While Shaden was aware that they had been enchanted, he hadn’t felt the need to guard against it, much like how he wouldn’t be too wary of a cute tiger cub. He’d enjoyed the feeling of being enchanted. Now that it was gone, he wished he could know how to replicate it. How wonderful was magic that made the people around you feel happy and awed?

A lightbulb flashed above his head. He knew what to do.

“Dad, could you hold Melany?”

“Of course.”

The people were still there, chatting with each other about how wonderful the event had been, but Shaden had other plans. After gently handing Melany over to his father after his mother was let down, he undid the stealth on them and gradually changed their appearance with the gift of deception—so that it wouldn’t look like they’d popped out of nowhere. Fading into existence slowly, he told himself. Then he hid himself again and flew to the top of the tallest building near him.

He couldn’t simply let such wonderful people go. Though they would separate here, maybe he would run into them someday. Becoming friends with princesses who had dragon pets was a new goal on his list. He would put markers on the dragons so that he could tell where they were when needed. Who knew? Maybe he could learn dragon magic from them.

“Ah. There they are.”

The carriage hadn’t gone far. Even from his spot, he could put markers on them. Taking in a deep breath, he stretched his hands towards the two dragons and gathered his mana within him.

No one will notice, he smiled. Ah, there we go—

It took a few seconds for the magic to secure itself onto the beasts. Their bodies were overflowing with power, rejecting his spell, but intricately, he weaved his markers into their wings where the magic was thinnest.

The dragons didn’t seem to notice. Shaden smiled to himself. He blinked—

Shaden couldn’t blink again.

His legs were glued to the ground. His arms were stone, his open mouth stiff as a corpse, unable to move. His eyes were wide open, never turning, only able to stare at the figure before him.

“Foreign magic.”

A man with pale glowing eyes watched him on top of a mighty throne. He was the only person in the room, yet his mouth did not move when he spoke. With each syllable, Shaden felt as if a hammer was crashing into his skull, imbedding each letter into his brain.

“Tell me, young one. Why do you touch my children?”

Shaden’s head involuntarily smashed into the cold floor, his vision becoming an explosion of stars. As much as he struggled to get up, his limbs refused to respond.

The mana was overwhelming.

He gritted his teeth and closed his eyes. Mana surged within him, filling his veins and cells. He balled up his fists with fury, smashing them into the floor, cracking the surface. With extreme force, he raised his head to glare at the man on the throne.

The man’s expression hadn’t changed. Shaden slowly got up, regaining control over his body. The pain on his forehead was gone, replaced with clarity.

The man hadn’t shifted. His eyes radiated with power.

“What abundance of power.”

Shaden braced himself.

“It will be mine.”

He stood his ground. Something swept over him, touching his body. It was magic, but with enough mana circulating through him, he could fend against any spell.

The clarity in his mind began to fade. His body grew heavier, and he began to gasp for breath. The air was oppressive, hard, and solid, pressing down on him.

Shaden felt a drop of sweat roll down his forehead. His back felt terribly cold.

He was shivering.

He found himself powerless, empty of mana, standing before an unknown presence who had robbed him of his magic.

“What—”

Shaden saw something black and icky at the corner of his eye. Feeling something wet, he touched his ears and nose. He brought his hands before him, trying to make sense of everything.

Blood.

All he saw was blood amidst an ocean of darkness.