There was only a handful of candles flickering, illuminating the chalk lines I’d scribbled onto the floor. Their flames danced, and I noticed that I’d smudged the outer circle already. With a heavy sigh, I resigned myself to trying to fix the mistake. Every line in the rune must be whole, perfect, without a hint of doubt. Unlike myself. I was filled with doubt, flaws, and I always felt as if I were lacking. The sweat dripped down my forehead; I wiped it away hurriedly, smearing chalk dust on my cheek. The outer circle wasn’t perfect, but it was the best I was going to manage with the time I had left. I eyed the hourglass, the bottom growing dangerously full, each grain of sand seeming to mock me with its downward velocity, perpetually slipping through the eye of the glass.

When that hourglass was empty, my time of reckoning would come. All I had to do was pass this portion of the test, and then I could continue on to fulfill my purpose, the legacy my parents handed on to me. I didn’t ask for it, didn’t want it, and honestly? Couldn’t do it. I’ve failed this step three times before, much to my mother’s disappointment. I wiped away another bead of sweat, the chalk dust mixing with the salty water to form a thin paste on my skin.

I was alone in the testing room, but the door was open. I was allowed the luxury of not having a proctor over my shoulder just because of my mother’s status. It was something no other initiates were allowed to have, but I think the elder council decided I needed all the help I could get. And they were right, I did need it. I suspect also that my mother had argued for them to grant me this privilege; this suspicion soured in my mouth. I both felt grateful and resentful of the privacy; it just spelled out how much I had to live up to. I wish I didn’t need the advantage of a reduced stress environment.

But all in all, it would amount to nothing. Never before in my life, despite my many attempts, had I ever successfully powered a magical rune. They were always dead, nothing more than wiggly and ugly lines of chalk or paint. Where others could light fires, summon light, bend matter and other extraordinary things with their runes, mine were always dormant, sleeping, waiting. Disappointing. It always felt like I had that in common with them. My mother, though she wasn’t affectionate, didn’t speak outwardly poorly of me. The pity and disappointment in her eyes were usually enough, though. They always were haunting the backs of those windows into the soul, showing a room without a place for me.

Footsteps echoed down the hall, approaching where my mother waited just outside the door. They stopped. Someone must want to speak with her. I glanced at the hourglass again, sitting back and giving up on fixing the rune. I didn’t have enough time, anyway. There was never enough time.

“We have almost everything we need for the reawakening,” whispered an excited, deep voice. It must come from this mystery visitor.

I shook my head, deciding to return my attention to my inevitable failure. I narrowed my eyes and squinted through the candlelight to see what else I could improve before the time was up, and my fate would be decided. Mother had mentioned this would be my last try, and even though I think it would fail, just like always, I couldn’t just give up entirely, right?

“Be quiet, Zel, Tomas is in there. He’ll hear you if you’re not careful!” my mother scolded, her angry whisper a familiar tone. “What else do we need?”

“Bah, he can’t hear me. And he’s too stupid to figure out what we mean anyway,” Zel replied. “We just need an Ahool’s Claw.”

I bristled, irritation at the jab at my intelligence fueling another burst of inspiration for my rune. But it wasn’t as if it was completely off base. I resigned myself to the insult, having heard them so many times before. Glancing down at my rune, I noticed another flaw, a line in the wrong direction. Or was it supposed to intersect at the other perpendicular? I scratched my head, surely ruffling the dark locks with stark white chalk.

“Then we’re not almost ready! You know how hard those are to track down,” hissed my mother.

“Not any harder than our other ingredients, and we’ve managed to get those.”

Whatever they were talking about was probably some kind of high level spell, something I wasn’t allowed to hear about. The Demon Hunter’s Guild was led by an elder council filled with prestigious human sorcerers, my mother and Zel were both on it. They were discussing council matters, things I shouldn’t know about. I tried to block it out, but their words slipped through the air too easily; I couldn’t ignore them.

“I suppose you’re right, Zel. In no time, we will have what we want, thanks to Zaavi the Cursed,” said my mother, her voice’s volume rising with her excitement. “Those demons will finally be gone, the Guild’s purpose realized. We will be the only voices of reason.”

“As soon as we dispose of him afterwards, of course,” added Zel quickly.

“Obviously,” my mother huffed. “We will succeed where our predecessors have failed.”

“I was thinking we could start – “

My mother cut him off before he could continue. “Hush! We will speak more on this later. I see Tomas’ hourglass is nearly finished – come inside and complete his test with me.”

I gulped. I’d known Zel all my life, of course, as I’d grown up here in the massive mansion of a compound that the Hunter’s Guild called home. The Guild was generally formed of several different prominent families, and we all lived together here. New members were born into the Guild, as we rarely took on strangers. Unless they were powerful mages, unlike me. I had always seen Zel around, and he had always scared me a little, with his gigantic height and build. He was on the elder council, but he was known for his ruthless execution of contracts. Or in other words, the high number of demons he’d successfully eliminated. I shuddered to think of the bloodshed he’d seen - and caused.

“Tomas,” my mother called, “your time is up.”

I had the time in the hourglass to draw and prepare the rune, and now that it was up, the last part of the test was imminent. I gulped, swallowing my fear as best as I could. Unfortunately, it didn’t work. I was still terrified of what would become of me after this. If I failed, I didn’t know what would happen. The Guild wasn’t in the business of keeping around catastrophes, no point in housing and feeding someone who was incapable of supplying the Guild with income.

I stood, my toes and feet tingling. They’d fallen asleep while I was sitting cross legged in front of my rune. I brushed off chalk from my pants. It was everywhere; there was no use in trying to remove it.

My mother stood before me, wearing the ceremonial robes of an elder council member. Her robes were long and black, with a red hood covering her hair. Her sharp eyes peered through, seemingly right through my soul. Their brown depths were dark and angry, cold and unforgiving all at once. Automatically I shot my eyes downward. It was hard to stare her in the face. Next to her stood Zel, towering over her in similar garb. He was at least a head and a half taller, and twice as thick.

“You may speak the incantation at your will,” she said, the traditional words flowing easily from her mouth. Normally, it wouldn’t be her giving me this test. The other attempts had been other elder council members, but I think my mother wanted to keep an even closer eye on me. Dare I hope that she was invested in my success? Was she trying to stop me from failing? “If your spell is successful in summoning flame to the center of your rune, you will have passed this round of confirmation, and shall be admitted as a novice Demon Hunter within the esteemed ranks of the Hunter’s Guild,” she continued.

I nodded sharply, while she watched me silently. I closed my eyes, trying my best to block out everything else but the magic that I supposedly had the ability to call upon. My brow furrowed, the sweat pooling in the creases of my forehead. A single drop slid down into my squinted eye.

I mumbled the foreign words, ones I’d practiced millions of times and committed to memory long ago. My mouth with a thick tongue, my lips awkward as always around the sharp syllables and unfamiliar vowels. I stared down at the haphazard rune, hoping beyond hope that this would be the first time I would see a flame.

The center remained dead and silent; the chalk circle just as empty as it had been a moment before. The candles that lit the edges of the room flickered, the flames dancing and mocking me with their light.

I spoke the words again, the desperation slipping through my words and fumbling them even further. I knew the words were correct, but the very feeling in my gut felt wrong. There was nothing behind the fancy words I was speaking, nothing powering the artful yet messy intricate circles I’d drawn.

Still empty, the candles laughing at me with their consistent and ambling flickers.

My mother sighed, one of a thousand sighs. That one single sigh held multitudes within it, each lamenting for a different reason. Disappointment, sadness, failed expectations. I could feel it. This was the end.

“Tomas.”

I didn’t answer.

“You should know how important it is for you to do well. And yet you have failed again.”

I couldn’t muster up the courage to speak, instead feeling tears well up behind my eyes, my throat tight. I had to hold it back; I couldn’t give her the satisfaction of seeing my pain.

“Your father would be disappointed in you, Tomas.” She sighed again. “It’s a good thing he’s not here to see this.” She looked up to Zel, turning her cloaked head to the side to look him in the eye. “Wait outside for a moment, please.”

Zel quickly turned tail and left, eager to flee the uncomfortable situation of my failure. I ached to follow him and run away, but at the same time, wanted nothing more to stay and try again. I watched him leave, letting my mother’s words sink in, the meaning absorbing into my brain.

The sharp pain that stabbed through my chest at the mention of my father destroyed the last of my resolve. A droplet fell from my eye, despite how tightly I squeezed my eyes shut. I couldn’t imagine what my father would think of me, now. He’d died when I was so young, I didn’t know him at all. Mother would barely speak of him, except to warn me not to end up like him.

“You will not be admitted as a novice,” she continued. “You will never learn our deepest secrets. You must leave.”

I looked up in surprise, the water glistening on my face.

“…Mother?”

She avoided my gaze, turning her head away as she adjusted her hood over her eyes.

“Zel will escort you out. You must not be allowed to remain here.”

“Mother!” I shouted, indignant. Surely, she couldn’t mean this. But in my heart, deep down, I knew she did. I knew this was what she wanted. I would be gone. Could she really hate me this much?

“You will never be able to serve the Guild. Never will you taste the glory of felling the evil creatures we call demons, those too sinister to be allowed to live. Take the clothes on your back and leave.”

“…Mother, stop with all the formal talk!” I insisted. She kept speaking as if I were a stranger, unfamiliar with the Guild’s functions. She didn’t need to explain to me what I was losing – I was already well aware.

“Fine, Tomas! You want to hear it straight?” she spat, turning back to me, her lips thin and teeth gritted together. “You’re twenty-three, and still haven’t passed the novice test, despite many attempts. You’ve never shown any promise. All you want to do is hang out at the retiree’s village with the old Hunters and listen to their old, stupid, stories.”

“Tell me how you really feel, mom,” I whispered. “But I know that’s just the shit you’ll write on the paperwork. Tell me why you want to get rid of me so badly. Say it to my face and I’ll go, I’ll leave quietly, and you’ll never see my face again.”

“Fine,” she said, the anger fading from her words and giving over to pain. Her eyes bore into mine, the shadows from her hood cloaking the half of her face. “You look just like your father. Seeing you brings me pain. Seeing you, looking like him, the skills you have, and you’re even still a failure? You’re a mockery. A disgrace. Your existence brings me only anguish.”

I stared back, teeth clenched and fists flexing in anger. It hurt, but she had finally said it out loud. For once, the pain of her words didn’t reduce me to nothing. Instead, they powered me. I would show her I wasn’t a failure, and I would do it on my own standards. She said I had to leave. Fine. I’ll be the best damn rogue Demon Hunter the continent has ever seen. I’ll prove to them I don’t deserve to be treated this way.

Zel appeared at the doorway, probably having heard our shouting match. Though the Hunter’s mansion was huge, the walls are only so thick. I was sure every single occupant in the general vicinity knew my status now, and my mother’s thoughts on my existence.

“Escort him out,” ordered my mother, nodding at Zel.

Zel nodded, gesturing towards me with a politely blank look.

We left the hallway, making our way down to the exit. The hallways were empty, the usual hustle and bustle of the Guild hidden away in rooms, probably afraid of running into me. I was grateful for the silence. We walked together quietly, our footsteps the only sounds, echoing through the corridors. We were nearly to the front door when I realized something. They weren’t going to stop to give me any provisions – I was leaving right now, with what I had in my pockets as my worldly possessions. How fucked up is that?

“Wait, I don’t even get like, rations for the road? What the hell?”

Zel paused, apparently feeling chastened. “I suppose that’s unduly cruel.” He stopped fully and turned to look at me. “We can stop by your room. I’ll give you two minutes to bring whatever you can carry with you. I recommend a change of clothes,” he said, eyeing my chalky outfit.

I nodded shakily, oddly perturbed by this violent man’s compassion for me. We turned around; our pace hastened as we approached my room. I didn’t know what I would grab there – there wasn’t much that I had collected that meant anything to me. Several silent minutes later, and we arrived in front of the door. Nondescript, brown wooden door, a little worn at the handle and the hinge that always creaked when opened.

I stared at it, knowing this would probably the last time I’d ever see it again. The knowledge didn’t make me feel a single thing, only numbness. Probably in shock over the events of the day, I reasoned.

Zel shuffled his feet and cleared his throat. I burst into action, opening the door and exposing the messy bedroom inside. Clothes were strewn everywhere, piled into heaps wherever I felt like throwing them, the bed unmade, sheets crumpled, the closet door open and the second dresser drawer slightly ajar. I never could bother to clean up. While it hadn’t ever bothered me before, I felt slightly embarrassed that Zel was witnessing my state of affairs.

“Two minutes,” Zel reminded. He gestured that I enter.

I did, then turned back to look at him.

He stared back at me, impatient.

“Are you going to watch me change my clothes, or do I get a small modicum of privacy?” I asked.

He reddened and shut the door in my face.

I twisted around, panic rising. What could I bring that would help me survive? Zel said they would provide food, but what did I have that I could use to regain status here? I tore through my dresser, searching for a pair of clean clothes. I didn’t want to ever look at the chalky, sweaty outfit I was wearing ever again. I ripped them off, tossed them wherever, and threw on a clean shirt and underclothes. I thrust my hands back into the drawer.

They lit on something cold, hard, and metal. I grinned. I just had an idea.

Jumping quickly into a pair of pants, I shoved the contraband into my pocket and returned to the door where Zel was waiting for me. I slowly opened it, careful not to hit him with the door as I wouldn’t want to piss off the biggest, meanest Demon Hunter I knew, and stepped outside. He was leaning against the opposite wall of the hallway, so I needn’t have worried.

“Let’s go. We’ll stop by the kitchens to get you field rations,” he said.

I fell in step behind him, careful not to draw attention to what I had in my pocket. My future entirely depended on if I could successfully escape with it.

An uneventful stop at the kitchens later, including a piteous look from the head cook and an extra bag of rations later, we were at the front door. We stopped in front of it. Zel turned to look at me, his dark eyes examining mine. I shrank under his gaze and intimidating form. He had to bend down to look me in the eyes, the effect rather frightening.

“Be careful, Tom,” he warned, “and good luck.”

I nodded. “Thank you,” I said.

He opened the door for me, the heavy wood straining and resisting his efforts. The hinges protested and squealed agonizingly, as the door rotated outwards painfully slowly.

I stepped outside onto the marble steps, looking out into the fresh air beyond. It was too cheery for a day like today.

“Don’t come back,” Zel growled.

The door fell shut, slamming an end to this chapter of my life.

I didn’t allow myself to look back. In the Demon Hunters’ eyes, I was a failure, incapable of the most basic functions of a Hunter. But now, I had a plan, and I would prove them wrong. I would show them I could do what was necessary, that I didn’t need to pass all of their tests to do things right. Besides, I had a wild card up my sleeve, one that my mother barely acknowledged. If I were a real Demon Hunter, it would be the best asset anyone has ever had.

With my ability to see demon auras, I’d be the best Demon Hunter the continent has ever seen. I took my first step down and away from the mansion, determined and planning. It would only be a matter of time before I’d be right back here, triumphant and grinning. I relished the moment. But first, I had a demon to catch.

~

My feet were sore and blistered. My heels were raw from my shoes, my calves ached and protested each step. Sweat poured down my forehead and dripped into my eyes. I was constantly wiping it off, so much so that my sleeves were just as wet as my forehead, rendering it rather ineffective. The sun beat down on me, sapping my strength and burning my skin. The humidity choked me, and it felt as if I’d been traveling for days instead of hours. But I’d been following the main roads diligently, trekking on the dirt, twisted and wound through the continent and inevitably led to the capitol.

My plan wasn’t complicated. There were just a lot of variables I didn’t know how to account for yet, so most of it was called ‘improvisation’. I knew what I had to work with, and that was my ability to sense demon auras. That, and my little secret contraband. My fingers went back to the metal in my pocket, reassuring myself that it was still there, intact.

All I had to do was find a demon to capture and present it to the human Queen of the continent, Queen Selissa. She ruled from the capitol, providing order and stability throughout the country. Or at least, that’s what I’d heard. I’d never been to the capitol, never been farther away from the mansion than our occasional visits to the retiree village where old Demon Hunters lived out the rest of the golden years. My entire plan hinged on the idea that if I brought a caged demon to the Queen, then she would be able to vouch for me and send me back to the Hunter’s Guild with high honors. A recommendation from royalty could not be ignored. I hoped.

Queen Selissa and the Hunter’s guild generally kept out of each other’s way. It wasn’t our place to interfere with politics, so we were almost recognized as a government on our own. We weren’t a threat to humankind, only demon kind, so the ruling family treated us like a neutral force. We weren’t allowed to mess with their business and vice versa. I breathed heavily; the thick air was difficult to inhale. When would I make it to the city? And where could I hope to find a demon?

I kept climbing the hill I was on, the terrain becoming less flat and more rolling, the main roads curving on and around the landscape. Finally, I’d reached the top of the crest. I sat down to breathe, the dirt billowing up in clouds as I flopped into a cross-legged pose.

Then I saw it.

Civilization, just ahead!

I spotted my first building, some small village, just a few more hills away. In the distance, I could see the buildings becoming closer and closer, and finally, off in the distance, was the capitol. It was bounded by thick, tall walls of stone, and the castle in the center boasted towers that defied gravity, pushing into the skies. I’d been so focused on making sure my feet didn’t trip over themselves that I hadn’t looked ahead in quite a while. If I had, I would’ve noticed at least the towers before. But this meant I was so close to the capitol!

What I needed now, was a demon. And possibly a break. Perhaps a nice drink.

~

I had continued walking, motivated by the capitol ahead in sight. I had passed through that first village I’d seen, and a few others, each one slightly bigger than the last. Then, I noticed I’d entered the business district. The buildings here weren’t so much residential, complete with signs depicting their wares, the streets speckled with a few roadside stands, the density of people increasing the closer you got to the castle walls. I must have reached the city limits. The first building I saw was a coffee shop.

I would kill for a latte right now.

The café’s cute sign bragged that it made the best coffee in the city. Right now, I would settle for a sip from a stream. I could take a break here and regroup, plan, and see what I could do on the next step. Finding a demon couldn’t be too hard, right? I felt more nervous the closer and closer I got to the café’s entrance. I knew that the humans had some sort of agreement with the demons – it was covered in the history of the Hunter’s Guild – so was it possible that there were no demons here at all? Would this search here be for nothing? How stupid could I be to think that a demon bold enough to break the treaty would be hanging out in the city’s capitol, right under the queen’s nose? I remembered that the treaty between the humans and demons meant that neither would enter each other’s realm, but there was more than one faction of demons. I gulped. If I encountered a follower of Zaavi, the kind of demon that the Guild usually hunted and had contracts out for, I didn’t know what I would do. I hoped I could retain the element of surprise. As far as actually capturing a demon, I didn’t have much in the way of a plan except for what was in my pocket.

I pushed open the door into the café, a little bell announcing my presence as I did so. I inhaled deeply and automatically, intaking the lush aromas of coffee beans roasting and brewing. The café wasn’t crowded, as it was nearly dinner time, but I ignored everyone inside as I waited in line to order. I was determined to do this one step at a time. After I got my coffee, I could plan.

The barista mixed up a perfect latte for me, beautifully pale. I liked my coffee hot, despite the weather and my exertion. I’d drink a hot latte in a heat wave. I smiled at the drink, the best thing I’d seen all day, momentarily forgetting the catastrophe of the morning. I made a beeline for the closest seat, plopping down onto a comfy couch that sank down much farther than I’d expected.

I raised my eyes casually, sipping at my steaming hot latte, and was met with the darkest, blackest, most potent aura I’d ever felt and seen. It was a demon, and a powerful one, sitting right across the café from me.

Waves of black, inky clouds emanated from the most petite, delicate, and cutest girl I’d ever seen in my life. I almost dropped my latte, spilling a few drops on my hand. Was this fate? I quelled the tremors of fear as best as I could, hoping I didn’t just draw her attention. If this really was an uber powerful demon here, then I couldn’t raise suspicion. I had to retain the element of surprise, my only advantage. I had no magic, no skills, no training, only my ace in my pocket.

This had to be the strongest demon I’d ever seen – not that I’d seen many. I’d gotten glimpses of demons that the other Hunters had brought back, giving me my only experiences with seeing their auras. Was this fate? I knew this was an impossible task, but here was this demon sitting right in front of me, unassuming, and the ticket to the future I’d been working for my whole life! If I could bring her to the queen, I could ask her to recommend me back into the Guild, and maybe my mother wouldn’t hate me anymore. I grit my teeth. How could I do this?

Carefully, I watched her while I gripped my coffee so tight, I was afraid it would burst. Thankfully, the ceramic mug was much stronger than my fingers. She sat in an oversized plush armchair, sipping at a tiny cup of what was probably espresso, reading an excessively thick tome. She turned the pages slowly and luxuriously, taking in every word. Her black eyes darted across the page, reading impossibly fast. Her skin was so pale, I wondered if she’d ever been outside. It was a stark contrast with her midnight black hair, cropped short with fringe bangs straight across her brow. She was so petite and small, her short legs wrapped under her, that the chair looked as if it might swallow her whole.

It was almost comical to see, this woman of black and white, enveloped into a massive chair, reading a book entirely too large for her hands, all while drinking from a tiny espresso cup that fit her fingers perfectly. Her statue appeared almost childlike. How was she a demon? Her aura of black clouds was so dark, it almost looked like she was sitting in the shadows.

Apparently, she’d noticed me staring at her, because she looked up, a strange and uncomfortable look on her face as she eyed me with growing concern. I realized my jaw had fallen slack as I stared, and I probably didn’t even look like a sentient being, let alone an intelligent one. I shut it abruptly, slamming my teeth together and nipping the corner of my tongue. Ouch.