prompts used: no.1 “this wasn’t supposed to happen, no.4 waking up disoriented, no.7 silent panic attack, no.15 emotional damage, no.20 it’s been a long day, no.21 “you’re safe now”, no.28 anger born of worry, alt.7 protective, alt.8 made to watch, alt.15 tears
Seeing
The voice of his teacher faded into the background as Luken rested his head on his desk. He really needed to understand these equations, but his eyelids were heavy, and in no time at all, the world around him dissolved completely. A flash of white, and suddenly he was awake. But he wasn’t in the classroom. He wasn’t in school at all. Disoriented, Luken looked around, only to realize he was in the thick of the woods outside town, leaning up against a tree. It was happening again. Great.
Ever since he got his powers, Luken saw things. Visions of the past, premonitions, bits of truth. More truths when he opened his mind up to the possibilities. And then his power grew. Sometimes he wouldn’t just see things unfold, he’d be in it. Able to interact with the world he saw. It wasn’t long before he figured out what was really happening. He was travelling timelines. Seeing parallel worlds where someone made a decision differently, and watching as the consequences played out. Luken was glad to have these powers. If he could see how things went wrong in other worlds, maybe he’d be able to steer his own timeline in the right direction. But it wasn’t easy.
“I’m serious, Adrian!” A voice came from his left, shouting through the trees. “If you don’t stop following me, I will put you in a coma.”
That was Lilika’s voice. Not usually an unwelcome thing to hear, but bad because she would absolutely make good on her threat.
“Maybe if you stopped plotting behind everyone’s back, I would,” Adrian retorted. It sounded like they were getting closer.
“I haven’t done anything wrong!” she yelled back.
“Lilika?” he called out to her, hoping to prevent the argument from inevitably escalating.
“Luken?” There was a rustle of leaves, and Lilika rounded into view. She looked at him with an unreadable expression. “Were you waiting here for me?”
“Maybe,” he responded. Truthfully, he wasn’t sure, but it seemed probable. Lilika tilted her head, studying him. She looked so knowing sometimes, and Luken had no idea how she pulled it off. He was supposed to be the one with powers over knowledge and the like. Then again, he didn’t know the extent over her own powers.
Adrian came into view behind her, scowling when Luken made eye contact with him. No doubt, he was upset that he was suddenly outnumbered. Luken stared him down coldly for a few more moments before he finally caved and walked away with a scoff. Lilika was still watching Luken. Her hazel-green eyes locked with his own.
“What are you up to?” he asked softly.
“I might’ve found something really good. It could be a game-changer. I had thought about sharing it with the others but…”
“I get it. What is the something? Where is it?”
“It’s in Ireland. There’s a portal in the mountains that’ll take us there.” She paused. “That is if you’re coming with?”
“Of course.”
He followed her deeper into the woods until they reached the mountains. It was hours of hiking, but he didn’t really mind it by her side. And it helped when she used her powers to lift the exhaustion off his shoulders.
“We’re here.” She stopped them in front of a rockface with a large fissure running through it.
“This is the portal?”
Lilika looked back at him, then reached her hand into the fissure. The air in the gap shimmered and warped and her hand disappeared completely. She smiled at him, then stepped through and vanished. Luken followed without hesitation.
It took a moment for his eyes to adjust as he stepped out into what appeared to be the ruins of a small village, long forgotten. This was, presumably, Ireland. Lush green everywhere, twisty trees, and rolling hills. Lilika was already walking off toward a small house that was mostly rubble. But peculiarly, the front door and frame were whole. She looked back at him, her hand hesitating on the doorknob.
“This should be it.” She said to him.
“The door?”
She shook her head. “What’s behind it.”
Luken looked at it, trying to use his powers to see what was past it. But no matter how hard he tried, his vision was blocked. Feeling uncertain, he stepped up next to his friend anyway. She turned the handle.
The old wooden door creaked open slowly, revealing behind it, a huge space beyond. A corridor sized for giants, bright, gleaming white. The walls stretched up into pure whiteness far above. At the end was an archway, and something in the room beyond. He followed her through the doorway, feeling nervous. Their footsteps echoed through the chamber as they crossed it. The more time they spent there, the more unnerved Luken felt. As they got closer, he looked carefully at the object past the arch. It was huge, hovering, and made of cubes. Like two large, blocky crosses intersecting each other, taller than they were wide. When they finally reached the archway, he realized there were words written on the stone above.
“Proceed if the venture suits you…” Lilika read out. “Well, yeah. I think it does.”
“Lilika…” he started, and she turned to him. “What is this thing supposed to do?”
“From what I heard,” she responded, sounding almost uncertain, “it grants us all the knowledge and understanding of our own domains, in relationship to the universe at large.”
“What does that mean?”
“If I’m right, it should unlock the full potential of our powers. I’d like to see if that’s true.” She turned and took another step, and Luken was about to follow, but they both noticed something at the same time. Another message in the stone, smaller, much closer to eye level, and clearly done by hand. Scratched right into the marble by some predecessor, the words: KNOWLEDGE DAMNS.
“Lilika, are you sure about this?”
“Your domain is knowledge. Do you feel damned?”
He said nothing. No matter how much he thought about it, his answer was always going to be a no. Even when his visions and his knowledge felt like a curse, he knew he needed it. If not to benefit him, then maybe to help her. She didn’t look back as she approached the strange floating shape, and reached out to it. But as soon as she touched it, everything changed.
The three-dimensional cross suddenly folded and started rapidly changing size and shape in midair. Lilika was thrown backward through the air by some unseen source, hitting the marble with a sickening crack. Luken rushed to her side immediately, breathing a sigh of relief when he saw she was still alive. But that relief didn’t last long. Her spine didn’t seem to be at the right angle, her gaze was distant and unfocused, and when he looked closely, he realized he could see reflections in her eyes of things that weren’t there. They flashed by so fast, he couldn’t get a read on a single thing. Just colors and shapes flickering by. This went on for a long time. The flashing images and unresponsiveness just didn’t seem to end. All he could do was hold her hand throughout it all.
And then, her eyes went back to normal for the smallest of moments before turning a bright, unnatural, yellow-green, with cat-eye slits that narrowed immediately. He’d seen her eyes like this before—they looked like this nearly every time she used her powers. Her spine snapped back into place as if it was never damaged. She sat up abruptly before turning away from Luken and puking on the gleaming white floor.
“Luken?” her voice was faint, but desperate.
“I’m right here.”
She turned to face him, and Luken startled at the sight of tears in her eyes. “I need your help.”
“What is it? What happened?”
She sniffled. “I saw the entirety of my domain in relation to the whole universe. Life. I saw the entire life of the universe. I saw everything.”
“It’s okay, you’re safe now. I’ve got you.” He held her close but she shook her head.
“It’s all still up there, in my head. Get it out. Please.”
Luken hesitated. He wanted so badly to help her, but he hadn’t practiced his powers over the mind that much. He could do it; he could erase the memories from her mind, theoretically. But if he fucked up, he could do a lot more damage than good.
“Luken, please.”
He took a deep breath, and placed his hand on her forehead. Closing his eyes, he could see bits and pieces of what she saw. The most beautiful moments alongside the most horrible. Letting out his breath slowly, he willed all the burdensome knowledge away. Lilika sighed.
“Thank you,” she murmured, but when she opened her eyes, they were still unnervingly yellow-green.
“Lilika, your eyes…”
She sighed again. “I think that thing did exactly what I wanted it to. It opened my powers completely. But… I think it opened that door permanently.”
“Meaning?”
She didn’t respond.
Luken was able to get her home safely after that, and they didn’t really bring it up afterwards. Days turned into months, and things got worse in their group. People kept taking sides, Adrian kept blaming things on Lilika. No one seemed happy at her new power-up. The worst was when Adrian and Lilika got in a bad enough fight that he shot a beam of pure death energy at her. Luken’s heart dropped, but Lilika seemed completely unaffected.
“Alright,” she said one day, “clearly, I’m not wanted here. I’ll just go.”
Lilika stormed off, and Luken chased after her, panicking. “That’s not true! I want you here!”
She whirled around. “It doesn’t matter! I mean, it does, but… I don’t belong here anymore, Luken. I’m sorry.”
“This is because of that thing you messed with that day, isn’t it?” Luken yelled, unable to keep it in anymore. “You’re too reckless, Lilika! All the signs were there that it was a bad idea, but you did it anyway.”
He felt bad for snapping, especially when she looked away, her eyes watering. But he was terrified to lose her.
“Luken,” she said softly, not looking at him. “I think I’m immortal.”
“What?”
“That thing. It forced the door to my powers wide open and I can’t close it. My domain is life, Luken. It makes sense.” She looked back up at him, clearly exhausted. “I’m not going to stick around and stay the same while you all grow old and die. I have to go.”
“Lilika…”
She shook her head and turned away. “I’ll see you at the end of the world.”
And then she was gone.
It took Luken hours to get to sleep that night. But when he did, he found himself in another vision. He was standing on dark cobblestone, bits of rubble around him. The cobblestone eventually ended, dropping off suddenly like a floating island. And all around, on every side, nothing but void. He heard something behind him, like humming. Turning around, he saw there was a person sitting cross-legged at the center of this island. The humming stopped, and the figure twisted to look at him.
“You came.” It was Lilika sitting there, looking just the same as he’d seen her earlier, and her eyes still yellow-green. She smiled at him. “I was getting worried.”
He sat down beside her, and before long at all, her head was on his shoulder.
“Lilika, where are we?”
“The end of the world. Just like I said.” Her voice was soft. Peaceful.
“This is what’s left of the universe?”
She nodded. “I’m the only reason there’s this much left, actually. But not for too much longer.”
“What do you mean?”
She didn’t answer, instead going back to humming. It sounded like a lullaby. After a while, she moved to lay down, her head in his lap, and he let her. She gazed out pensively at the void around them. There was nothing in the reflection of her eyes at all. Luken stroked her hair, not knowing what else to do. It felt like they stayed like that for hours, the disc of cobblestone around them slowly eroding and getting smaller, but Luken didn’t mind. He just wanted to keep holding her.
Eventually, there was barely enough world left for them both to sit on. The void was creeping closer and closer to their feet. Lilika looked up at him. Her eyes faded back to their normal, human, hazel-green. Her pupils became round again. He could see the reflection of his own face in her eyes, and she smiled.
“I love you,” she whispered.
“I love you, too.”
And then she closed her eyes, and went still. Tears started streaming down his face as he held her. But her body dissolved in seconds, and Luken watched as his own body became ghostly and transparent. The stone beneath him crumbled into nothing and he fell through the inky black. There was a white flash.
Luken woke with a start in the middle of his calculus classroom. The teacher was still droning on and someone was humming a lullaby next to him. He looked up and made eye contact with Lilika.
“Luken?” she whispered softly. “Are you alright?”
He noticed then; he was still crying. The classroom fell silent as everyone else seemed to notice. Luken wiped the tears away quickly, still reeling from what he just witnessed.
“Luken?” the teacher was addressing him now.
He stood up abruptly, all eyes on him, and grabbed his backpack. “I have to go.”
“Are you feeling sick?” the teacher tried to ask, but Luken was already gone, sprinting down the hallway.
prompts used: no.13 fracture, no.14 hanging by a threat, no.23 forced to kneel, no.25 duct tape/you better start talking, no.29 defiance, no.30 manhandled/hair grabbing, alt.7 protective
When There’s No Weak Links
Bean was being pulled along roughly by the strong hands around her arms. The duct tape over her mouth and sack over her head were nuisances, but she was pretty sure she was being led down a long strand of corridors. Her captors hadn’t bothered to say a word to her the entire time. And then finally she was shoved forward, and stumbled into a space that felt airier. The sack was pulled off her head, and she saw in front of her, in all her terrible glory, the high priestess. Akash’s older sister.
“What, no curtsying?” The priestess asked Bean.
She simply answered with a glare, and the priestess rolled her eyes and gestured to the guards. They came up behind Bean and shoved her down onto her knees so that she was kneeling.
“There we go,” the woman smirked. “Respect is important, you know. Now could you gentlemen please remove the duct tape? We have a lovely conversation to get to.”
The tape was ripped harshly off her face, and Bean held in a wince.
“Now, that’s better, isn’t it?” the woman asked, smiling. When Bean didn’t respond, the priestess’s face turned cold. “Right down to business, then? I can work with that. I’m sure you already know why you’re here, so I’ll only bother asking once. Where is my little brother?”
“Yeah,” Bean finally spoke up, “I’m for sure not answering that.”
“You should,” the woman shot back. “No telling what’ll happen to you if you don’t.”
She nodded to one of her guards. Suddenly, Bean was being restrained by one man while the other hit her hard in the ribs with the pommel of his sword. A faint but nauseating crack could be heard as pain shot through her body. Bean wheezed, doubling over before she was pulled back upright by her hair.
“Oh, don’t be such a wimp,” the priestess mocked. “My guards are professionals. He only hit you with enough force to fracture your ribs, nothing more. But if you keep being stubborn, we might just start breaking things. So, you’d better start talking.”
Bean grit her teeth. She wasn’t about to betray Akash, not after years of trust. She could handle a bit of pain. “I’m never going to let you hurt him, you hear me?”
The woman gave an exaggerated sigh. “I guess it’s time to start breaking things, then.”
Caelus was bored. As he always was, at functions like this. Sometimes his life just felt like one social event he had to appear at after another. Surrounded by people who covered themselves in glamours and other magics. Not a single person in sight was worth his time.
And then Caelus spotted something rather peculiar in the corner, near the buffet tables. The shimmer of an invisibility charm. He focused on it, squinting, until the figure of a girl appeared. She looked about his age maybe, but too thin, with messy ash-brown hair, and shabby clothes. It seemed she was in the process of eating her way through the appetizers. That was a person worth speaking with.
Caelus sidled over and cleared his throat quietly enough that the nearby socialites wouldn’t notice. The girl glanced at him only briefly, then did a double-take, her eyes widening as she realized he was staring right at her.
“What’s your name?” he whispered to her. Her eyes darted around quickly with a panicked look. “Hey, it’s fine. I’m not going to snitch on you or anything.”
“I’m supposed to be invisible,” she whispered back, finally looking right at him. “Did the spell break?”
“No, no. Only I can see you, I think.”
How?”
Caelus shrugged. “When everyone around you wears illusions, you learn to see through them. You’re different from anyone else here, though. That’s why I wanted to come say hi.”
The girl pinned him with a searching look. “How rich are you?”
He hesitated. “Is there a right answer here?”
“Yes. An honest one.”
“… I might be the richest person in this room.” It was silent for a moment, and then Caelus started. “Oh shit, I’ve been rude, haven’t I? My name is Caelus.”
He held out his hand to her and after a moment, she shook it.
“My name is Cairn.”
“I want to be your friend.”
Cairn stared at him wordlessly for what felt like several minutes.
“I’m from the surface...” she eventually said, in a soft voice.
Caelus lit up. “Really? I’ve never seen the surface up close. What’s it like down there?”
“Bad. I guess we can be friends. What’s this?” She had wandered over to the dessert table, and was inspecting the dishes there.
“Oh, that’s a cream puff.”
“What’s a cream puff?” She tilted her head curiously.
“Uhh, it’s like a puff. With cream in it. Have you never had one?” She shook her head. Caelus walked over, happy when he noticed how she didn’t move away, and picked one up. “Here, try it.”
She took it carefully, looked it over, and then bit into it. Immediately, her eyes lit up, and she shoved the rest of the puff in her mouth.
“It’s really good!” she whispered excitedly, and he grinned. She grabbed several more and ate them just as quickly.
“You should try some of this other stuff, too. We’ve got black forest cake, eclairs, blackberry tarts, lemon pie, and that over there is gelato.” She looked around, her eyes wide with excitement, still eating cream puffs. “Do you want to try it all?”
She nodded fervently, and he smiled. Caelus was thrilled to spend the rest of the party showing her all the best foods in the buffet.
all the hugs|bedtime stories|candles, lanterns, fairy lights|love language
Bean stared down at the pages in front of her. Neatly lined, but otherwise blank. It was an exercise her teachers wanted her to try, in the hopes that it helped her learn to read. With some trepidation, she lowered her pen and began to write.
Dear Diary,
My name is Bean. I have an older brother named Mint. I have no friends. I like it here, though. The school is warm and the teachers are nice. I’d like to stay.
That was all she wrote for several days. She didn’t know what else to say. But time passed. Bean’s handwriting improved and she could read longer words The teachers were stunned by how quickly and earnestly she learned.
Dear Diary,
I met a strange boy in the cafeteria today. His name is Akash. He doesn’t have any friends either, so I think I’m going to try and be friends with him. Supposedly, his parents are farmers, but I think he’s lying. I won’t pry, though. I think he might be weird in some of the same ways as me.
Days turned into weeks, turned into months. A lot had changed.
Dear Diary,
Synnove and Kamaria are arguing about religious philosophy again. I really don’t get why it’s such a big deal to them. Maybe there are gods, maybe there aren’t. Bottom line is, there’s no point worshipping something that left you and your brother struggling alone for years on end. Akash is pulling away again. He’s definitely hiding something big, but I won’t ask about it. He’ll share his secrets with me when he’s ready. I don’t think Mint feels the same, though. He’s worried. I can tell. I’m going to keep reading as many books as I can. Turn knowledge into power, so I can help my friends.
reunion|“I hate you”-”I love you too”|touch-starved|mask|broken nose|throne
Calandre watched her brother as they stood in the middle of the forest. Calum was gazing in awe at the colors around them. Autumn was in full swing, painting the trees rich reds and oranges and yellows. A soft carpet of leaves was under their feet, and the sunlight above was dappled as it fell through the trees.
She knew what he was feeling; she’d felt it too. The first time she saw nature up close like this. All the beauty and life. No longer painted on a canvas or far away from the windows of a ship. The biggest smile crept onto Calum’s face.
“We’re free, Calandre.” His voice was soft, and there were tears in his eyes.
Caelus scanned the room full of stuffy-looking people. It was, as many would say, “his crowd.” Rich snobs putting on airs, and throwing parties just to show face. He hated it. Black and white parties, in particular, pissed him off to no end. Something about the forced formality of it all. The lack of color. The lack of any fun. But he came here for a reason, tonight. Glancing behind him, he spotted Cairn, as she lurked near the buffet table. Her black feathered mask and dress matched his own raven black suit and mask, likewise adorned. She gave him a subtle nod to indicate she’d scoped out what they wanted. With a sigh, Caelus turned back toward the crowd, searching for someone mildly interesting.
His eyes landed on a girl about his age, maybe, looking like an angel in her own feathered dress and mask, both pure white. She hovered near a wall, waving off offers to dance and occasionally glancing toward the grandfather clock on the other side of the room. Maybe she could be what he was looking for. He sauntered over.
“Care to dance?” he asked, smiling at the girl. “Come on, it’ll help pass the time. Where’s the harm in it?”
The girl, who looked two seconds from rejecting him, hesitated, before sighing and taking his hand. He led her onto the floor and they began to waltz. They fell into a comfortable rhythm easily, but Caelus noticed the apathy still present on the girl’s face.
“I take it this isn’t where you’d like to be right now?” he asked, a hint of amusement coming through in his voice.
“Let’s just say, black and white parties aren’t my favorite. They’re… dull.” She responded with a sigh. Caelus tilted his head in thought before realization struck him and he broke out into a grin.
“Nivia? My oh my, it is you, isn’t it? I never knew you could feel negativity toward high society.”
“What? I didn’t say that! How did you…”
“Oh, come on, Niv,” Caelus smirked as they continued to waltz. “I saw you stealing glances at the clock. All this time I was talking about how much these things suck, and I thought I was alone. Come to find out, you actually agree with me.”
“Wh— Caelus? Where have you— don’t call me Niv! The hell are you doing here? You’ve been missing for months!”
Caelus shrugged. “I’ve been traveling with my friend.”
“You don’t have friends.”
“Sure I do, you met her.” He nodded toward Cairn. “She’s been showing me the world.”
“Is that the homeless girl you smuggled into class that week?” Nivia asked, and Caelus nodded. “Wait, so the rumors are true? You’ve been down on the surface this whole time? That’s dangerous! People think you’re dead, you know.”
“You almost sound like you’ve worried for me, Niv,” he laughed softly.
“Stop calling me Niv! And don’t get it twisted, I still hate you.”
“Mhm. So, you have worried.”
“What are you doing here, Caelus?”
“I thought I’d stop by for a picnic.”
“A picnic?”
“Cairn over there is going to steal some food so we can have a picnic on the roof.”
“You’re going to get caught.”
“Without a distraction, sure. Want to help?” Caelus watched as Nivia’s expression turned unsure and uncomfortable. “Come on, Nivia. This party is boring, you think so, too. Don’t you want to have a bit of fun for a change?”
Nivia hesitated. “What did you have in mind?”
“Are you familiar with Augustus Moreau’s Starlight Strain Tango?”
“Of course.” There was something both haughty and challenging in Nivia’s tone, but her eyes held a glimmer of excitement. Caelus grinned in response, then guided them to the middle of the dance floor.
The song wasn’t over yet, and the crowd around them kept waltzing, but Caelus and Nivia stopped, and he took several steps back. Then, he snapped his fingers, and magic rippled throughout the room. Several things happened in succession. First, the waltz music cut off abruptly and a bright spotlight appeared on the two of them, drawing immediate attention from all the party-goers. Second, Caelus’s suit shimmered and changed into a colorful, opulent, and borderline flamboyant outfit. Complete with gold accents, sheer lantern sleeves, and a peacock feather mask. And third, the crowd, previously full of whispers, fell into a hushed silence as Augustus Moreau’s music began to play.
The room seemed to hold its breath for the next several minutes as Caelus and Nivia flawlessly executed the tango. They danced and twirled, so stunningly alive that not a soul could look away. Meanwhile in the background, Cairn snatched sandwiches and beignets and a bottle of wine, loading them carefully into a basket hidden under the table. By the time the song was over, she was out on the roof waiting, the party-goers none the wiser.
Caelus took a bow as the room stood still, and Nivia followed suit. Applause broke out all around them, and Caelus thought he caught Nivia beaming at him, but then her face contorted into uncertainty as she looked at something past him. He turned, and saw an unpleasant looking woman, presumably the party’s host, approaching with a scowl. Grinning, he snapped his fingers again, plunging the room into darkness, and grabbed Nivia’s hand. As soon as they stepped out into the cool nighttime air, she burst out laughing. It wasn’t long before Caelus joined in.
“Oh my god! That was amazing!” she said, looking happier than he’d ever seen her.
“Right? You were incredible!”
“You were incredible!” As soon as the words left her mouth, Nivia blushed deeply. Caelus tried to pretend he didn’t feel himself blushing, too.
“Come on, let’s get on the roof.” After he helped her up, they made their way over to Cairn and saw the spread she had laid out.
There was a full three-course dinner worth of food she managed to steal. Grapes and beignets and turkey sandwiches and cake and even a whole cheese and charcuterie board. And three glasses of wine, already poured. While the party beneath their feet went back to being dull and lifeless, the three of them spent the evening under the stars, laughing, eating gourmet food, and enjoying being alive together.
“I hate you”-”I love you too”|touch-starved|mask|broken nose|throne
Calum ran through the city in a panic, his heart pounding and his fancy clothes making it harder to breathe. It was only a matter of time before his keepers regrouped and came after him. He pushed through the gathering crowd of onlookers staring at the crashed airship in the distance. Once past the gawkers, Calum took the first side street, hoping to find his way out. But then he heard footsteps behind him on the cobblestone, and his heart skipped a beat.
“Calum?”
Wait… he recognized that voice. He stumbled to a stop and whirled around to see his pursuer.
“…. Calandre?”
The girl standing there was undeniably his twin sister, though she seemed to have gotten a makeover since disappearing months ago. Her dark brown hair was up in a braid, asymmetrical bangs framing her face. Gone was her stuffy overly-formal dress and coat. In its place was a sensible white shirt, brown pants, black boots, and a worn, dark green tailcoat with a matching waistcoat under it. More than that, she seemed to radiate confidence. Calum wanted to be like that.
“It really is you, isn’t it…” Calandre sounded awe-struck as she stared at him. And then she broke out into a wide grin and sprinted toward him, tackling him with a huge hug. “Gods, it’s good to see you. I missed you so much.”
“I missed you, too,” Calum responded softly, hugging his sister tightly as tears started to fall. “I knew you weren’t dead.”
Calandre hugged him a little bit tighter before pulling back to look at him. Gently, she wiped the tears from his face.
“I was worried, too. When I saw the crash… But we’re alright. It’s alright now.” She beamed at Calum. “You escaped! How’d you do it? I want to hear all about it. Oh! The others will want to hear this too. We have friends now! We’re not alone anymore.”
“We have friends?”
“Yes! They’ll be so happy to meet you! You and me are never going to be prisoners again, just you watch!” If it was possible, Calandre’s face lit up even more. “I can’t wait to help give you a makeover!”
She tugged on his hand, grinning ear to ear, and started pulling him down the street, but Calum stopped short. Calandre looked back, confusion mixing with concern on her face.
“Calandre, wait.”
“What is it?”
“Just this.” Calum surged forward and grappled her in another hug, almost afraid she’d disappear if he let go. She let him hold on as long as he wanted, and then when he was finally ready, she led him through the city and into the next chapter of his life.
It was dark outside the windows of their camper van. The moon and stars hiding behind storm clouds. Everyone was getting comfortable in their own favorite spots. Leola and her girlfriend cuddling under a blanket on the top bunk, one of their friends on the bottom. Raphael and Alyssa had set up several layers of blankets and pillows on the floor, and huddled under their own blankets. Rune was crashing on the couch, shivering under a thinner, more worn blanket.
“Leola,” Rune whispered, and the girl cracked an eye open.
“Yeah?” she whispered back, peering over the edge of her bunk down at Rune.
“Can you hand me another blanket?”
“Sure thing.” Careful to not make too much noise, Leola opened a cabinet by her head and pulled out a thick spare blanket. She balled it up and chucked it down at Rune, who caught it.
“Thank you!” Rune pulled the blanket around themself and fell asleep in no time at all.
Asterope turned to see Elvira, grinning, her eyes a vivid glittering green. Her black hair was pulled half-up with braids forming a sort of halo around her head. She was undeniably stunning in her sleeveless v-neck dress, which was a shade of green dark enough to pass as black until she spun in the light. Asterope shook herself out of her thoughts and cleared her throat.
“I am! How about you? Do any dancing yet?”
“Yeah, I’ve danced with a few people.” Asterope didn’t miss how Elvira’s eyes flitted over her body before meeting her gaze again with a smile. “Care to be my next partner?”
Elvira held out her hand, her eyes no longer straying from Asterope’s own. A blush crept onto Asterope’s face as she took the outstretched hand, and Elvira beamed. They spent the rest of the night twirling each other and laughing under the ballroom chandeliers.
prompts used: no.1 adverse effects, no.4 waking up disoriented, no.6 “I’ve got a pulse”, no.19 repeatedly passing out/knees buckling, no.22 toxic, no.27 pushed to the limit/muffled screams/stumbling/magical exhaustion, alt.3 dazed and confused, alt.6 sensory overload
Unexplored Magic Means Unexplored Consequences...
Paragon Academy did well in educating its students about the dangers of magic. There were procedures to follow to keep yourself safe, and avoid corruption. The problem was, there were no procedures for magics that had yet to be explored. But that wasn’t going to deter Mint. He had reasons for messing with the magics he did.
Which brought him to now, lying on the floor of his dorm, flickering in and out of consciousness as commotion descended. There were shouts. Panicked voices saying things Mint could hardly make out. He mutedly felt someone grab his wrist.
“I’ve got a pulse!” The shout came from just above him, but it sounded distant, like he was hearing it through water. Then another voice, warbled and faint.
“Something is keeping him from waking fully. Let me just…” Without warning, Mint’s world went from dull and far-away, to too loud, too bright, too colorful, too much. He opened his eyes but immediately squeezed them shut again. Everything around him was just shapes and colors and noise, and he couldn’t make out what a single thing was. “Mint? Mint, I need you to look at me. Open your eyes.”
Mint tried to do as he was told, but he couldn’t tell if he was looking the right way.
“Hmmm,” the voice spoke again. “This isn’t good. Can you stand?”
All he could manage in response was some kind of pained sound as he struggled to sit up. Several sets of hands grabbed onto him and helped him stand, but as soon as they let go, his knees buckled and gave way again. With the tornado of sensory clutter surrounding him, he could just barely process that he was being helped up again, and led down the corridors of the school. They came to an abrupt stop, and something went into his hand as he was guided to a chair.
“That’s a clarity potion. It’ll help you process what’s happening, but you might find yourself in pain. You don’t have to drink it, but—” Mint downed the potion immediately. It took a few moments, but his vision seemed to clear a bit, and he was able to register where he was. The potions classroom, empty of students at this late hour. Another moment, and the words of the professor helping him became true. Pulses of pain traveled from the base of his skull, all the way down his spine and across his limbs. “You’ve got an advanced case of magical corruption. Whatever you’ve been messing with, we’ve never seen anything like it before. It’s seeping into your blood like poison. We won’t be able to cure it through any normal means.”
“Can we do anything?” Mint asked, groaning.
“…. Yes. Possibly.”
“Possibly?”
“It might not work, and it’ll be incredibly risky. But it might be your only option.”
“Yes.”
“I haven’t told you what it is, yet.”
“I don’t care. I want to do it.”
“Very well,” the professor responded solemnly, and offered Mint his hand. Mint took it, standing up, uncertain if his legs would support him this time. Soon enough, he was stumbling along down staircase after staircase until they finally stopped in a large underground cavern. Whatever this place was, it was not a part of the school anyone knew about.
“Where are we?” he tried to ask, but got no answer.
The professor guided him gently to the center of the space. “Stand here. The other teachers will be here shortly.”
So, he did, trying to ignore the continuing pains and the grave look on the man’s face. It wasn’t long before every single professor was stood in a circle around him
“What happens now?” he asked, softly.
“Now,” the man answered, “we funnel as much pure light magic into your body as we can.”
Mint scrunched his brows. “Doesn’t that also cause magical corruption?”
“Yes. There is a chance it could be fatal, or not even work at all. But if it does, it will purge out and eternally protect you against any other form of corruption. Side effects are guaranteed, but we will do our best to keep you safe and alive. Do you consent to this process?”
Mint hesitated. Did he really want to go through with this? If he died, he wouldn’t be there for his little sister. But if he turned back now, he wouldn’t be able to do much for her anyway.
“Yes. I consent to this process.”
The man nodded and every professor raised their hands, and began to chant. A beam of pure light energy surrounded him, and he felt when it started to soak into his skin. At first it felt warm, and tingly. But in an instant, that changed. An excruciating pain encompassed his whole body, and his vision went white. He felt himself fall to his knees once more. A scream threatened to rip from his throat, but Mint clenched his teeth to keep it in. The pain went on and on and on, getting hotter and brighter in flashes until finally it stopped altogether.
The whole cavern fell still and quiet, and he took several ragged breaths, bracing his hand on the floor. He could feel the light magic pulse along his nerve endings, but it didn’t hurt anymore. Slowly, Mint staggered to his feet. Every professor was staring at him with intensity, as if worried he could explode at any moment.
“Remarkable”, murmured the professor who brought him down here. “You seem to have embodied the pure light flawlessly. It’s almost as if… it lives in you now. That may be a lot to adjust to.”
Mint nodded, not really understanding, but sure he’d find out sooner or later what that meant. The odd sensations fell away, leaving him with nothing but exhaustion.
“I feel like I’ve been awake for days.”
“Ah, yes.” The professor looked unsurprised. “That tends to happen when you channel far more magic through your body than a person is meant to survive. Go back to your dorm, and get some rest. Don’t worry about class tomorrow, your recovery is more important.”
Mint nodded, and turned away, navigating the tunnels back to a part of the school he actually recognized. As soon as he went to bed that night, he was deep asleep.
morning person|candles, lanterns, fairy lights|game day|love language
Synnove hugged like nothing was wrong with the world. Her hugs were warm and bright like sunshine, instantly making you feel better and coaxing a smile onto your face.
Bean hugged fiercely, like an oath to protect you with her last breath. She made you feel safe, protected, like you’d never have to face something alone again.
Kamaria hugged like it was a promise. A little bit more stiff, formal even. There was something solemn about the way she hugged you. But with an air of devotion, not ever given lightly. She didn’t hug you unless she meant it.
Mint hugged like you were family. Like a protective, caring older brother would. His hugs were warm and safe and made you feel like you could just relax and be yourself.
Akash… Akash hugged like it was a lifeline. Always given without a moment’s notice, and always clinging on like you were the only person left in the world. He attached himself to you and didn’t let go for a long time. His hugs conveyed a level of trust no words could express. He hugged like your hugs were the most important thing in the world.
Asterope and Elvira were, without a doubt, the strangest pairing in the entire school. Whether it was the unavoidable class divide, the extreme difference of opinion on magical theory, or some unknown cosmic reason, they hated each other quickly.
Day one, before everyone was even settled in their dorms, their contention started. Allegedly, their original disagreement was over the respectability of the school’s own headmistress. Asterope admired the woman for all her accomplishments—the greatest being her establishment of modern magical theory and invention of dozens of spells. Elvira, on the other hand, seemed to chafe against the theory, and even claimed the headmistress cared about reputation more than anything else. But when questioned, she’d have no evidence of this.
And then, the two girls were unpleasantly surprised to discover they’d be roommates for the year.
Asterope had an arsenal of complaints against Elvira. How she was privileged whilst Asterope had to work hard to get in on scholarship. How the other girl refused to cast a single spell in any class, but insisted she was capable of doing so. How she seemed to excel in each class nonetheless. Even the girl’s habit of eating in class wore on Asterope’s nerves.
Questioning Elvira didn’t shed much light on the subject. She seemed venomously resentful, but only ever restated her points on the headmistress and how modern magical theory was just a theory. Elvira may not have been actively hostile, but she didn’t seem keen on making friends either, whereas Asterope was friendly toward everyone. With the one exception.
It was odd. Their animosity was very odd, but it wasn’t long before it felt normal. Expected. The two girls hating each other was the status quo.
And then in a single night, it was like the whole world was spun on its head.
They went from staying as far as they could from one another to being nearly inseparable before anyone even knew what happened. Allegedly, Elvira had used magic to save Asterope from a gargantuan wolf. And that was enough for them both to sweep every difference they had under the rug. Where they’d been glaring at each other from across rooms, suddenly they would be found giggling in corners. Where before, Asterope would complain about Elvira’s snacking habits, suddenly they’d be sharing bags of chips daily.
By all accounts, and without knowing what really went down in those woods, it made no goddamn sense. As far as anyone could tell, there wasn’t a single moment of uncertainty in where the two girls stood. Mutual hate from the moment they met, and then abruptly the best of friends. It was like they were incapable of not having extreme feelings toward the other. Something about them was polarizing, but no one could ever figure out why. At this point, everyone was just making bets as to how long it’d take them to kiss.
After the incident with the gargantuan wolf, the whole school seemed to go crazy with gossip. Between the confirmation from Asterope that Elvira apparently could do magic, and the abrupt change in the two girls’ relationship…. People were losing their minds over rumor and conjecture.
“Did you hear?” one student asked another, as they sat in the courtyard. “Asterope and Elvira are friends now.”
“What? I mean yeah, I heard it. But there’s no way. It’s just a rumor.”
“No, I’m telling you, I’ve seen them,” another student chimed in. “They’re damn near inseparable now. It’s weird.”
“They hated each other a week ago. Asterope snitched on her in front of her mom. And Elvira doesn’t like anyone. How did this happen.”
“Well it’s because Elvira saved her from that wolf, right?”
“Yeah, I still don’t know if I believe that. I mean no one saw it. For all we know, Elvira set the wolf on her in the first place.”
“Don’t be silly. The least believable part of that story is Elvira casting a spell. Which she would have had to do to summon the wolf, too. Your argument has no real weight.”
“Oh, there’s definitely something fishy about that. Elvira invented a whole new spell? And used it to get rid of a gargantuan wolf? I don’t think so. Even ignoring the fact that making new magic is impossible, girl hasn’t cast a single charm all year.”
“Well, she must have done something. I don’t see any other way they’d be all buddy-buddy all of a sudden.”
“Oh! Speaking of, have you heard Asterope dropped the request to move dorms?”
Several feet above the conversation, the two girls in question were sequestered on a small balcony, listening in with amusement.
“Yes, actually. I have heard,” Elvira joked, and Asterope had to stifle a laugh. The conversation eventually moved on, but the girls stayed on the balcony, finishing up their lunches until it was time to go back to class.
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