"Just put your hand on the crystal. The colour that appears will represent your magical affinity."
Looking at the sphere, my hands shook.
"What if I don't have one?"
She patted my shoulder. "It's super rare; you'll most likely not have one, so don't worry."
I hesitated, a drop of sweat rolling down my face.
"Plenty of people with no affinity get into Crownspire. If you don't have one, nothing changes; you'll still work as hard as possible to get in, right?"
I nodded. My heart pounded as I inched my hand forward.
"Best-case scenario, you have one, and it's something you can use to impress the examiners," she said, directing my hand forward.
Slowly, I placed my hand upon the crystal ball. It was cold, making me shiver. The inside of it was clear, allowing me to see through the other side. Waiting for a few seconds, my heart pounded, a drum beat in my head.
But nothing happened.
I clenched my fist, my red eyes locking with Liora.
"Hey, it's okay. The chances of you having one were so low; don't be upset." She said while patting me on the head.
My hand slightly trembling, I tried to pull away, but I couldn't. Yanking harder, my body strained, but the crystal ball did not release me. It felt as if the ball was stuck to the table, and my hand was stuck to the ball. Standing up, I grunted as I tried to pull away, but I couldn't.
A shiver travelled through my body, causing me to fall back onto the couch. Liora initially smiled, but as the ball's reaction intensified, the expression quickly disappeared from her face. I tried to speak, but my voice had failed me. A pain appeared in my chest, a pain that seemed to disregard Pain Nullification. I tried to yell out, but nothing escaped. Tears flowed from my eyes, and it felt as if they were burning. I looked at the ball, seeing it begin to darken.
My eyes hurt so much; I tried to cover them with my remaining hand, but all I saw was red. Opening them, I felt the pain grow even stronger, as a massive red light illuminated the room.
What's happening?! My eyes, they're glowing. They're so bright... It hurts so much!
Looking upon the ball, I lay on the couch, silently suffering. I watched it transform, its clearness fading. An abyssal darkness engulfed the ball, transforming it. Small flashes of red lightning echoed within, like a miniature storm. My hand that was upon it felt something terrifyingly familiar.
Badump... Badump... Badump...
Three seconds between each beat.
Badump... Badump...
Then two seconds.
Badump... Badump...
Then one second.
My body tensed instinctively.
Badump
My body went limp as my surroundings vanished.
Then flashes of red began cutting through the darkness.
Opening my eyes, I found myself surrounded by darkness. I tried to yell out, but I couldn't speak. I tried to move, but only my eyes were able to. I looked around the darkness, fear building up within me.
I felt the ground rumble; a bright red lightning bolt stretched through the sky. In front of me was a massive beast, a creature made of rotten flesh, with mouths covering its entire body. Tentacles stretched through the darkness, wrapping themselves around me.
Pained screams echoed louder around me as the tentacles covered me head to toe; I couldn't breathe, I couldn't think. My eyes bulged as they were covered. I felt the slimy tentacles writhe. Feeling myself begin to fade, I stopped resisting.
The screams faded.
I let go.
The floor beneath me seemed to disappear, and so did the tentacles.
I fell, falling through the darkness; my mind raced, I gasped, my limbs flailing out, and I struck a liquid.
The liquid filled my mouth and ears, distorting my surroundings. I felt the cold travel through my body. Pushing up, my head breached the water, gasping; my eyes fell upon the sky as a red lightning bolt cut through it. Thousands of creatures floated above me: rotten flesh, disembodied figures, and evil screeches.
They roared, diving towards me. I closed my eyes as a rotten talon fell upon my head. I froze; my body tensed, waiting for pain, but it did not come. Opening my eyes, my mouth fell agape. In the last moment before the creatures reached me, dark red circles had appeared above each of them; from them dark chains reached out, piercing deep within each of the monsters.
My eyes widened as each of the creatures screamed out, ripping their own flesh and limbs to try and remove the chains. They shrieked but could not escape, instead being dragged back; the circles pulsed as they devoured each of the monsters. With one final pained wail from each of them, they disappeared within the crimson portals.
The world was quiet for a moment, but it did not last; from below, I felt something pull. My body froze, my movements abandoning me once again as I sank deeper and deeper. My eyes tried to find something to help, but there was only darkness. I felt a pull from below, but I couldn't fight it, descending slowly as it tugged.
For a moment the pull stopped, and a burning pain exploded from my head. A blinding red light escaped my eyes, revealing my surroundings. It was blood... I was submerged in blood. My eyes wandered the endless blood, searching for anything. Finally they drifted down, revealing a massive jagged hole.
No, it wasn't a hole.
It... was some monster, its mouth the size of an entire village. From within, I watched as rotten bones drifted up, escaping the monster's maw. They floated towards me, wrapping themselves around me. I struggled, but they completely entangled me. Screaming a voiceless scream, I felt myself being dragged down. The bones continued to wrap around me, until I was fully covered.
Darkness engulfed me once again. The bones rattled around me, and I felt as they started to bend and break. They pierced into me; my mouth opened, but I couldn't scream. One by one, the rotten bones dug into me; I felt as they melted into my flesh, fusing with me. My body spasmed, and my eyes opened. I watched as the final bone pierced my head. I couldn't close my eyes; instead, it felt as if I was forced to watch as the bone dug deeper and deeper into my skull. With a final thrust, it disappeared within me.
I fell back, floating calmly within the blood. My eyes were heavy from the pain; I could move my body again, and it felt different... But it hurt so much. My hand reached up, a red lightning reaching down towards me. I tried to grab it, and it tried to grab me. My hand met it, and I closed. A flood of relief echoed through my body. I smiled as the monster's mouth shut, cutting off the only light I had. I drifted alone in the darkness; every second that passed, my eyes' glow grew dimmer. With a final blink, everything went dark.
A warmth entered my body, and with it, my eyes shot open. I screamed, a scream that finally came. I looked around. My body shivered... I was back in the same spot, on Liora's soft couch. I gasped, remembering the blood that flooded my mouth. Coughing, my eyes fell upon the ball, which was pitch black.
My hand, trembling, slowly pulled away, and with it the darkness faded from it. The crystal returned to normal. My ears rang, and my eyes were blurry. Liora stood above, shaking my shoulder while yelling something I could not understand. After a few minutes, I escaped my daze, the world's clarity returning to me.
"Luna! Luna! Are you ok?" Liora yelled out.
Opening my mouth, I grabbed my head as it throbbed. It feels like there's something that my mind can sense but that my eyes can't see. "Yeah, I think so," I said.
I watched as her mouth moved, but her voice faded as a purple screen appeared in front of me.
You have awakened your magical affinity, Demonic.
My eyes widened.
Oh no... is that bad? Will Liora know I'm a demon?
Looking at her, a bead of sweat dripped down my face.
"You had a very violent awakening. Are you sure you're alright?" she asked.
I nodded.
She breathed out, "This is very interesting; black crystal, violent awakening. I've only ever read about it." She said while tapping the table. "Well, Luna, you did it. You officially have one of the rarest magical affinities. Demonic."
"Is that bad?"
"No, the opposite actually, your special Luna... But it's dangerous." She walked away slowly. "You'll need guidance... So Luna, would you let me personally oversee your magical training?"
She grabbed a book from a shelf and scanned through it quickly. "I see... There have only been a few instances of people who have awakened demonic magical affinity"
She sighed, "The majority of which have turned evil."
I looked at her. "Is that because of demonic affinity?"
"No, it's just that they followed the wrong path and didn't have the proper guidance. Don't worry."
She walked to her back door, signalling for me to follow her.
We went outside into her backyard. It was very nice with beautiful flowers and trees. Surrounding the yard was a sturdy metal fence, and to the right, on the other side, was the alleyway that I felt Liora's guest run through. Looking up, the sun was still high, and it blazed brightly.
Squinting slightly, I dropped my gaze to instead look at Liora. She stood in the middle of the yard, underneath a massive tree. The book she grabbed was now at her feet.
"The time right after awakening is the most dangerous time for the mage and the people around them." She said.
She walked up to me, pressing her hand against my head. "You feel different, don't you? Like there is something that you can't see."
I nodded, my head still throbbing.
"Close your eyes, let me guide you."
I did as she said, shutting my eyes. Her finger pressed against my head, and my head began to feel warm. It felt as if she was pushing something into me. She breathed deeply, and instinctively I matched her pace. For a moment, in the darkness, a blue light flickered.
"Open your eyes, Luna."
I did, but nothing had changed.
"What did that do?" I asked her.
"It allowed you to feel the mana in the world closely. Now focus, Luna; find the mana. Search for that feeling, for that light."
I gulped slightly, straining my eyes. I searched the yard, but could not find what she was asking for.
"Luna, use more than your eyes; use everything."
Listening to her words, I stood still, my eyes focusing on the world around me. I listened and heard a small melody. My hands extended, and it felt as if the air contained something else. I closed my eyes, searching for that blue light. Through the darkness, I found one, then two... then ten... There were so many of them.
Opening my eyes, my vision expanded, small blue lights dancing through the world. I saw them; there were countless. Reaching out, I felt and watched as they parted where my arm moved. I looked at Liora; she had so many within her as well, but they seemed more controlled. It was like she was a world with rivers that flowed along her.
"Well done, Luna, you've figured out how to see mana."
I looked at Luna while smiling. She smiled back. I reached out to touch more of the blue lights, but my head exploded with pain. With my eyes closing, my head felt as if it was getting overwhelmed.
"But beginners can't see it for too long," She said while approaching me. Reaching out, her fingers tapped my forehead. "This is a trick to shutting it off and turning it on."
I opened my eyes, the pain dissipating quickly. The blue lights were gone, but they weren't truly gone; I could still sense them. The environment felt full; even though I could not see them, they were still there.
"The stronger you get, the longer you can see them for," she said. "Mana sight is useful for learning how to control mana."
I nodded.
"Turn it on again, and watch closely"
Doing as she said, I tapped the center of my forehead. The blue lights appeared again.
She pulled out a small knife, cutting her palm. I saw as blood dripped from the wound. To my amazement, she spoke silently, and mana in the air began to move towards her and form in her palm. The blue dots turned bright green. In reality, a green light glowed, enveloping the wound. I watched as the mana began to take shape, and after a second, it healed her hand.
Turning on mana sight, my mouth was left agape.
"That was so cool!" I yelled.
"Now I want you to try and cast a spell," she said. "Remember, magic is all about drawing the mana into your body, converting it to match your affinity and using your imagination to create what you want with that mana."
I looked at her. "How am I supposed to create something with my imagination? Does it have to be Demonic?"
"Just think about what you want the mana to do and make it listen. And it doesn't have to be demonic, but it is much easier," she said while grabbing the book and opening it to a page near its end.
"These are all beginner demonic spells written and described by Demonic magic affinity mages," Liora said while pointing at the page. "Try one and imagine it; use your mana to do as the spell describes."
My eyes fell upon the book; there were only a few spells: Demonic Summoning, Hellflames, and decayed weapon.
The book descriptions read.
Demonic Summoning, Demonic Magic.Opens a temporary portal between Clara Astrum and Mortuus Lux, allowing the caster to summon a true demon from the realm of decay. The strength and type of demon that can be summoned depend on the caster's mana, control, skill level, and the stability of the portal. Summoned demons are real beings pulled from Mortuus Lux.
Hellflames, Demonic Magic.Creates unnatural flames fueled by demonic mana. Hellflames burn hotter and cling longer than ordinary fire, and are unusually difficult to extinguish through normal means. Their intensity, size, range, and duration increase with mastery. The flames appear deep crimson at the center with black edges, making them different from regular Fire magic.
Decayed Weapon, Demonic Magic.Forms a temporary weapon from demonic mana. Created out of Demonic flesh, the weapon can take a shape the caster understands. Objects struck by it are gradually weakened as the weapon's mana disrupts their structure and magical integrity.
My eyes fell upon a picture on the next page, a small illustration of a horrifying beast being pulled through a crimson portal.
It's just like my vision!
I tapped my head and breathed in, focusing on the mana around me. I felt how it moved and started to pull it in. As the blue mana entered me, I watched as it started to turn black. I envisioned what I wanted to do, thinking about the flying monsters that I had encountered myself in Mortuus Lux. Filling myself with mana, I released it, and to my amazement, a portal began to form. It was crimson in colour, and swirled ominously.
I observed it, the size growing rapidly. Reaching the size of a tree stump, it started to swirl even quicker. To my dismay, the portal grew bigger, and I felt as if my mana was being drained rapidly. Underneath the pressure of the spell, I collapsed, my mana site ceased, and the portal began to fold in on itself. I coughed violently, blood soaking my hand. Looking at where the portal had been, I saw that the grass had turned black and rotten.
Liora rushed over, casting some spell on me; I felt my mana recover slightly, and my coughing ceased. "You were imagining something too big, Luna! Find your limit; you're a beginner. Go smaller."
Nodding, I slowly stood up.
"Try again, one more time," Liora said.
Thinking about the spell again, I absorbed the mana in the air, directing it into the portal. I watched as it grew to the size of a small tree stump. Feeling the Mana in me, I realized that was my limit. I looked at the portal and halted its growth. The red swirling vanished and was replaced by a dark hole. From the other side, I heard a noise that sent a shiver through my body.