A Magical World

A sudden surge of wind burst into the clearing, scattering dirt, leaves, and grass as it rushed past. The force knocked Cael off balance, sending him stumbling backward and nearly into Val, but she caught him and steadied him with her arms.

"Sorry," Cael murmured, his cheeks flushed from exertion and embarrassment.

They had been at this for nearly four hours now, and the sun hung high in the clear blue sky. Birds sang in the distance, and a gentle, natural breeze rustled the trees that brought the fragrance of wildflowers and grass.

"It's okay. You are doing good," Val reassured him. She ran a hand up and down his back to calm him. "Just breathe. Sakeq. Focus. You can do it."

Cael nodded, taking a deep breath. He closed his eyes and concentrated. Instead of imagining droplets, this time he thought about a strong gust of air.

Focusing on his palm, he willed his mana outward. The air around him stirred, forming a faint current. Energy coursed through him, filling his body with a vitality unlike anything he'd felt before.

He was doing it.

"Focus," Val reminded him in a soothing voice. Her touch was soft as she continued to stroke his back.

He exhaled slowly, trying to let the magic flow through him naturally instead of forcing it.

*WHOOM!*

A sudden blast of wind erupted from his hand, rippling through the air like the shockwave from a toy air cannon. Though it quickly dissipated, the force was enough to send Val’s hair flying back and rustle the leaves of the nearby trees.

Cael staggered as his strength drained in an instant.

He collapsed to his knees as his legs gave out, panting. The world spun, his vision blurred, and a sharp ache pounded through his skull.

"Cael!?" He heard Val's panicked voice calling out to him, and when he looked up, her worried face was hovering over him.

"Did I do good?" he asked with a weak chuckle, though his voice shook a little.

She didn’t answer right away and instead placed a hand on his forehead. After a pause, she sighed in relief.

"You did amazing. Just worked too hard." She helped him sit down on a nearby log. "Are you okay? Can you hear me?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just tired," he admitted before leaning against her for support.

Val let out another relieved breath before settling beside him. "Good. Don't scare me." She rested her cheek against his shoulder and wrapped her arms around him in a loose embrace.

Cael lacked the energy to resist. He let his head rest against hers, his eyes slipping shut. He still didn’t understand why Val had no hesitation about being so close to him, but right now, he was too drained to care.

"I'll try not to."

"Good…" She trailed off before tightening her grip on his waist. "I'm happy. I can teach you magic. I can share it."

"I am happy too," he replied quietly, opening his eyes and glancing over at the clearing. "Thank you, 'Master' Valeria."

She looked at him curiously. "'Master'? What does that mean?"

"Uh…" Cael faltered, realizing she hadn’t caught the meaning. He’d used the word in his own tongue both as a joke and because he wasn’t sure of the exact equivalent in hers.

"A master is a person who is… amazing. An amazing teacher." It wasn't exactly the perfect definition, but it was close enough.

Val frowned in thought before breaking into an embarrassed smile. "I-I'm not a master. I'm just… Val." She averted her gaze as a light blush dusted her cheeks. "I'm still a novice."

Cael recalled the word from a book they had gone over earlier—novice: a beginner. He had to disagree.

"But you control wind and water easily!" He waved his hands and made exaggerated sound effects to emphasize his point.

She let out a nervous laugh. "Maybe. But Val's master was more amazing."

"Your master?"

Her expression shifted, and a speck of melancholy flickered in her golden eyes. "Father and Mother. They taught me… everything."

Guilt twisted in Cael’s stomach. He immediately regretted asking. From the little she had shared over the past few days, he had pieced together that neither of her parents were around anymore. He still remembered the look in her eyes when she had asked about his own family. He could only assume hers had met a similar fate.

"Sorry." He lightly patted her shoulder. "I didn’t mean to make you sad."

"It's okay. I like talking about Father and Mother. Besides, they are still here." She touched the pendant hanging around her neck. "My mother is… lost. And my father's ftosog is still with me."

Cael glanced at the necklace and then back at her. He wasn't sure if he had understood that last part correctly.

She noticed his confusion and suddenly stood, offering him a hand. "Come on, I want to show you something."

He took her hand, and she pulled him to his feet, leading him toward a part of the clearing they hadn’t gone to yet.

This clearing wasn’t the one where they had encountered the monster a few days ago. It was smaller and nestled close to the house, with a small pond at its center. A trickle of water ran down from a rocky outcrop, feeding the pond and leading toward a brook. Strange glowing crystals surrounded the area, and grass grew thick and wild dotted with the occasional wildflower.

As they neared the far side of the pond, Cael noticed a headstone.

It was rough, unpolished granite, partially covered in moss and lichen. A bouquet of dried flowers tied together with a simple string rested at its base, and there were familiar looking words etched into the stone. He had seen similar characters on items in the house.

"This is my father's grave," Val said, stopping in front of the marker. Cael watched as she knelt down to brush away some of the dirt that had collected on it. "Mother and I buried him here after he died."

Cael remained silent. He knew words wouldn’t ease the ache of loss. Instead, he knelt beside her, his gaze lingering on the grave.

"What was your father's name?"

"Alaric." She smiled, but the smile was tinged with sadness. "His name was Alaric Evernight."

"Alaric Evernight," he repeated softly. It was an impactful name, like an echo of someone significant.

"Val, is your last name Evernight?"

She nodded; her golden eyes glittered with pride as she said the name. "Valeria Evernight. That is me."

"And your mother? What's her name?"

"Isolde Evernight."

"Isolde Evernight. That's beautiful."

He turned back to the grave and bowed his head, closing his eyes in silent prayer. He wasn't sure what kind of customs or beliefs existed in this world regarding death, but he hoped that his gesture would be understood.

"Where is your mother's grave?" He scanned the area, searching for another headstone.

"Ah! No, my mother isn't dead. She's alive." She reached up to touch the faintly glowing pendant around her neck. "She is just lost. I… tried to find her. That is the reason you are here."

Cael blinked. He recalled her maybe saying something similar a while ago, but he hadn't been able to understand her fully at the time. Now, however, he had the vocabulary to at least get a rough idea.

"You summoned me to… help?"

"No, I tried to summon Mother. Bring her home… But something was bad. I did not summon Mother; I summoned you, Cael."

"I see…"

The pieces finally clicked. He had suspected his summoning was an accident, but now he understood exactly why.

"How long? Your mother being lost," he asked.

Val hesitated before responding. "Six years."

"Six… years?"

She nodded. "She was lost when I was twelve. I’m eighteen now."

Eighteen? That made her the same age as him—assuming years worked the same here.

"Six years… that's long," Cael muttered under his breath, trying to process this new information.

Valeria nodded, and her expression grew somber. "Yes… Too long."

"What happened?"

She pointed off in the direction of the city in the distance. "She went to the city for stuff. She did not return."

Her voice cracked slightly, and she bit her lip to stop it from trembling. Tears welled up in her eyes, threatening to spill over.

Cael felt both sympathy and empathy for her. He knew what it was like to lose family to death, but at least he knew where his own mother, father, and eventually aunt had gone.

She gripped the pendant tightly now. Cael felt like it was probably related somehow.

"That. Was that—?"

"My mother gave it," she preemptively answered. "If it is glowing, she is alive, and I'm not alone."

Cael felt the words sink in as she started to tremble.

"I'm sorry, Val. That you did not summon your mother. That you summoned me."

"No! Don't be sorry! I'm happy you are here! I mean, I am sorry for summoning you. But I'm happy."

She reached out and grabbed hold of his hand, squeezing it tightly. "I only spoke with my parents before. Now I can speak with you. Speaking with Cael makes me happy."

"Thanks," he murmured, squeezing back gently.

But… something about what she just said felt off. He wasn't sure if he understood correctly.

"Val, you said I'm the only person you've spoken with?"

"Yes. The only person."

"You didn't speak with other people?"

She shook her head and gestured around them. "No. I am only person. We are the only people."

He blinked.

"…The only people?"

"Yes, besides my mother."

"…"

She saw his perplexed expression, and she tilted her head. "…Are you okay, Cael? You look unwell. Do you need to sit?"

"Y-Yeah," he felt weak and slowly sat on a nearby rock. There had to be some sort of miscommunication going on now.

"Um, I don't know what the right words are to ask this. Can you repeat what you said? I am the only person… besides you?"

"And my mother. Yes."

"But the city."

"The city?"

"Yes, the city. Do you not talk to people in the city?"

The city looked far, but it wasn't that far. Surely, she must've talked with the people there occasionally.

"City has no people. City is empty." She gestured around her. "The biskv is empty. We are alone."

"…Biskv?" He didn't quite understand that word.

Val deliberated on something before pointing toward the ground and then all around them.

"Home is in biskv. Forest is in biskv. City is in biskv. Name of biskv is Elansium."

The gears in his head turned as he pieced together what the word meant, then suddenly, his eyes shot open.

"Val, are you saying the 'world' is empty?"

She nodded.