After cleaning his room and making up his bed, Alistar sat on the cushioned chair by his desk with his mother’s locket in hand. Lately, he had been growing worried that one of the house servants might happen upon his magic crystal, and he feared what could happen if they came into contact with it. As luck would have it, it fit comfortably within the hidden compartment of the locket, and the chances of it coming free without his notice would be next to none once the lock was safely in place.

Every man should have a place to hide something special, don’t you think, Alistar?

The words of his father resounded within his heart as he tucked the locket beneath his neckline and set off to meet his family for breakfast. He was dressed in the clothes Anice had worn the day before, which were freshly laundered. Once upstairs, he detoured through the art hall and spared a few minutes to appreciate his mother’s painting, the one that he and Anice had argued over on the day they first met. Apparently, she had painted it before she made the move to the Baldor Empire.

Once his hunger got the better of him, he resumed his walk to the dining hall, bumping into Patricia along the way. She was ambling along with a basket of clean linens, her eyes sunken and her complexion pallid.

“Good morrow, Alistar.”

“Good morrow, Patricia,” he responded, concern colouring his tone. “Is everything okay?”

“I’ll be fine. It’s just the aftereffects of the crystal rupture from yesterday.” She shook her head. “What was Master Caedmon thinking, handling such a powerful crystal?”

Alistar relieved her of her basket. “How does a crystal become ruptured?”

“I don’t know the specifics,” she shrugged, black hair swaying. “But I think it happens when the energy within a magic crystal is released all at once. Only those gifted in the arcane can manipulate the energy within such crystals, so something must have happened when your uncle tried to do so. Oh, and thank you for carrying the basket. You’re a dear.”

Smiling slightly as they headed to the third floor, he asked, “So the energies left the crystal and ran wild throughout the house? And that’s why you’re not feeling well?”

“Indeed,” she said. “Aside from myself, only Madeline, Stason, and a few others are fit to work today, and I should say that we’re hardly fit at all.”

“How can that be? I feel fine, and I was right next to Uncle when he used the crystal. It was unpleasant, but I feel as if I had the most wonderful sleep.” Peculiarly enough, he’d never felt better, at least physically.

Patricia stooped over and pinched his cheek. “That just means that your energies are nearly upon you. For people like me, whose body isn’t used to processing energies, a sudden and powerful exposure can do all sorts of harm. But that isn’t the case for those who’ve come into their magics—or those soon to do so—since their bodies are built to process them.”

“Does that mean…that I will be able to do magic?” Alistar couldn’t hide his delight. Him, using magic? If only Kaila could be here to hear this.

“In due time,” Patricia said gently. “Most children come into their energies around the time they turn ten-years-old. That’s why one’s Name Day is held on their tenth birthday, you know. By the way, how old are you Alistar?”

“Nine,” he boasted, “soon to be ten.” Soon to do magic. His birthday was less than a month away, and after that it would only be a matter of time before he came into his energies. He just had to wait until July.

“Just make sure not to rely on it too much. I’ve seen many a lordling lose himself to the convenience that magic brings. It would do you well to never forget the meaning of hard work, even after you’ve mastered your energies.”

“You don’t have to worry about that with me,” he grinned, hefting up the basket.

Something had been distracting him for the past few moments, what seemed a combination of a low buzzing sound and an almost indescribably feeling, as if someone were constantly circling him just outside of his peripherals. As he became aware of the strange sensation, he began to hear an odd sound that seemed as if it were coming from all directions.

“Do you not hear that?”

“Hear what, dear?”

“That sound. It’s like a bunch of bees buzzing from close by.”

At first, the noise had come from down the hallway. He and Patricia had just entered a large bedroom that was reserved for guests, where the house servants made a habit of folding clothes each morning. The noise had been indistinct, a constant, low riding hum hovering on the edge of his notice.

“What is this?” he muttered.

Oddly enough, the moment he addressed it, the sound transitioned into a feeling as smoothly as the moon being replaced by the sunrise. This feeling was both unfamiliar yet oddly recognizable, as if he were experiencing some forgotten emotion. Suddenly, he was aware of a similar sensation that seemed to emanate from Caedmon’s study. As he paid more attention to it, more points of distraction started tugging at his focus from throughout the house.

How strange…

While he couldn’t see the oddities themselves, he was suddenly aware of them. The most noticeable feeling came from his uncle’s study. After that was the one that he sensed within the dining hall, followed by some from the front gardens, a weaker feeling from the central courtyard, and several others from all over the property. It was as if somebody had lit a bunch of lanterns that only he could see.

“Alistar?”

“It’s nothing.” He placed the basket on the wooden floor, which was polished to the point of reflection. “I think I’ll head to the dining hall now. I’m going to stop by Uncle Caedmon’s study, so if you need any help, then you know where I’ll be.”

“Just this is enough, thank you,” she smiled weakly. “Run along now.”

Stopping at the doorway to give her a pleasant smile, Alistar followed his curiosity down the hallway, eager to discover what his uncle was hiding in his study that might give him such strange feelings. Surely it was some sort of magical object.

Oddly enough, the doors were open when he arrived, though only by a sliver. Caedmon and Alder stood by the main desk with their backs to the entrance, lost in conversation. Or at least it looked like they were. Though their mouths were moving, not a sound left their lips.

Anxiety shot through Alistar. Had something happened to him? Why couldn’t he hear them? The distant crash of an unknown object saved him from that train of thought, someone having dropped something elsewhere in the manor house. It wasn’t that he couldn’t hear, but that no sound escaped the room.

Pushing the door open a crack, Alistar slipped in unnoticed with the intention of questioning his uncle over the soundless state of his study.

Will he even be able to hear me?

Suddenly, his ears popped as if surfacing after a long time spent underwater, and his uncle’s voice filled the otherwise silent room.

“It would draw too much unwanted attention. For all of our sakes, we must put it off for as long as possible.”

“I’m glad you agree,” sighed Alder. “But it will be difficult. How long do you think we can go on like that? Something is bound to happen, and when it does, it won’t escape people’s notice.”

Caedmon shook his head, keeping his back turned as he walked around his desk. “I knew he wouldn’t have been able to control it, Alder, not this early. A reaction was expected, but never would I have imagined such intensity! I’ve had all those affected believe—”

Alder noticed Alistar standing off by the doorway. The man touched a hand to his friend’s arm, signalling with his eyes about the sudden intrusion.

“Alistar!” Caedmon all but jumped in surprise. “But, how did you...?" Mastering himself, he strode to the doorway and peeled a small square of parchment from the wood of the door. He inspected it briefly before crinkling it up and stuffing it away in one of his pockets. He exchanged a look with Alder. “No matter. Please, do come in.”

Uncertain, Alistar remained in place. “Is now a bad time?”

“Nonsense! I was just about to send for you. Though, I expected you to be enjoying breakfast with Anice.”

“I was just on my way there when I felt a strange feeling coming from your office,” Alistar explained. “It sort of reminded me of yesterday’s incident, so I wondered if you were using some sort of magical device, like the crystal from before. I came to see it.”