I Can't Do It

She had suspected it; when she was young she had heard theories about how stars bless people and help them conceive. It is believed that this is how the first stellar-blessed people began to be born when modern civilization started in Algebar. The last thing she expected was that she herself would be part of that hypothesis.

Circe looked at the sky. It was taking on a terrifying and unnatural orange color. If she truly was the direct descendant of a divine spirit, then her power was much stronger and more powerful than that of any member of the Helios clan. She closed her eyes and felt it. Her hands, her chest, her heart began to warm up with a different, even special power—different from the one she used when making any of her potions.

Although flustered, Cyrus concentrated on the road. There was no time to lose. It was like seeing shooting stars fall. Three shooting stars that fell straight onto the avenue where they were. Cyrus slammed on the brakes upon seeing three witches from the Splendor clan standing right there. They looked like zombies.

Cristina could see how her body was surrounded by a strange orange energy with a color similar to the fruit of the same name. At the same time, it seemed to radiate a strange corruption: the orange combined with a black color that made it look like something coming directly from a nightmare.

“It's magical corruption” Circe whispered.

Eliana trembled, Cyrus cursed. It was obvious they were not in condition to fight. Neither was Cristina. He watched her tremble with fear while her face contorted into one of terror, of confusion at not knowing what was happening. All her body was shining with those sparks, detonating her fear.

Circe got out of the car. She activated her magic, causing her solar tattoo—located, of course, on her right hand—to appear. Circe was sure of what she wanted to do: she would protect her family, her friend, the town where she was raised. She raised her right hand, and a white light enveloped her.

Cristina witnessed how her friend's appearance changed: her hair acquired a golden tone, almost white. Her clothing transformed as well: she was wearing two layers of a dress. Over top was a white dress that looked like a cape; it was white and had a belt featuring a decoration: a kind of flower that looked like a star because its petals resembled solar rays. Beneath this dress was a black skirt that covered her thighs down to almost her knees.

Circe wore on each of her hands a long golden bracelet that covered her wrists. On her shoulders were two shoulder pads that fell softly onto her forearms. The white dress also had golden straps that left part of her shoulders exposed. From it seemed to fall a cape made of fire, radiating a tone between gold and orange.

Finally, Cristina was surprised to see what looked like a solar crown rising vertically upward from the top of Circe's head. It was like seeing a kind of goddess, a divine entity.

“Don't think about make a move!” Circe ordered. Her voice was the same, but it sounded deeper, with more authority.

Cristina got out of the car and walked closer. She felt the corrupt magic of those beings who, upon seeing her walking toward them, attacked all at once. That was when Cyrus finally reacted. He tried to get out of the car, but he felt a  strange force was pushing him backward. He fell to the ground. He cursed. If only he had ingredients nearby to create potions... if only he had the necessary power to protect his daughter...

Circe didn't defend herself; she heard her friend scream because of the attack. They had only launched a wind assault, but it was powerful enough that she couldn't defend herself. 

“Cristina!” Circe shouted, looking at her friend who was trying to get up. “I need your power.”

“Eh?”

“Help me stop the enemy” Circe insisted. She looked rushed. She didn't know when they would attack again. “Do what Eos told you.”

Cristina took a few steps backward. She couldn't. Her first thought was to run away. She tried to, Cyrus stopped her firmly. Cristina began to cry, trying to get free from the man who brought her to where Circe was. The tattoo on her left hand appeared, and the arrow pointing upward toward her fingers tilted slightly to the left, toward the part hat represents night, releasing raw power that affected everyone. Hot orange and lilac sparks appeared.

Cyrus let her go. Circe evaded the power as best she could, and the three attackers laughed. That girl's power was raw. It’s true it was powerful, but useless. One of them noticed it. The sparks were a mere illusion, something useless on its own. At the same time, they were tangible. That power was neither stellar nor lunar.

“Let's go” the one who looked like the leader ordered. He was ignored.

Without a word, without obeying and, ignoring the warnings. He attacked Cristina with fire magic.From his hand, he launched what was a fireball capable of burning metal until it melted. A white light blinded him, and the attack was deflected toward an abandoned house that began to burn. Circe had defended her friend.

“Domain of Sacred Fire!” Circe shouted, raising her right hand, from which a circular white light emerged that enveloped her hand. It looked like fire, which she throw at the three enemies. “With the power of my father, I summon the Call of Judgment!”

The three enemies, who began to "burn." What those people felt wasn't like their skin burning; it was as if their skin and organs were being ripped away. The magic they still had was fading, and with it, their lives. Cristina tried to help; she tried to put out that fire.

She couldn't. At the same time, she noticed that fire didn't affect her. Cyrus watched closely. Eliana finally reacted. Noah was crying desperately. She tried to comfort him.

Finally, the divine fire consumed itself, and the lifeless bodies of the three members of the Splendor clan lay inert in the middle of the street. 

“What did you do!” Cristina shouted to Crice while crying. “Why did you kill them? You could save them!”

Circe returned to normal, Cristina still continued crying, and Cyrus watched, listened, and meditated. He went to check on his wife to make sure everything was fine. While this was happening. A few meters ahead of the lifeless bodies were the spirits of the attackers, the members of the Splendor clan.

“How do you feel now?” Circe asked one of them.

He had the appearance of a middle-aged man with slicked-back black hair. He had a blank stare. He turned to look at the witch who had asked him the question. He observed his lifeless body on the ground, burned and deformed by his magic, and his expression shifted to one of relief and tranquility. The other two reacted as well. They were free.

“You... you have freed us” the man said to Circe. “Thank you very much.”

“You're welcome” Circe said with a smile. “Now I need answers. Why are you doing this?”

“We are forced to do it” answered one of them, whose appearance was younger, with messy hair and the look of someone who wore glasses. “The magic of our star is dying. We are being forced by our deity to do it. It possesses our body, it takes away our autonomy…"

“If he falls, then other clans will fall too” the one with slicked-back hair interrupted. “Everything that has happened in this town has been our fault. Please…" the spirit begged Circe. The three of them watched Cristina crying over their lifeless bodies. “Help the clan, save our people.”

“I'll do what is necessary” Circe replied with a smile.

The three spirits began to be surrounded by a strange orange light. Cristina and her friend's parents watched in silence. They couldn't see what was happening; they only knew that Circe was talking to someone only she could see.

Circe kept watching as the orange light that enveloped the spirits. It was a warm, pleasant light. She concluded it was the light of the star Splendor, a pure light representing the star before its corruption. Before disappearing, the spirits thanked Circe and finally vanished, surely to rest in peace.

Cristina got up, confused, and approached her friend. She was no longer crying, but she looked upset, sad and angry.

“What was that?” she asked at her friend. Circe just looked at her emotionlessly.

“I told you” Circe said calmly. “I am a soul collector. I can see people that had recently died and help them.”

Cristina looked at her in confusion. That wasn't her question.

“You killed them!” Cristina shouted, which unsettled her friend, who stepped closer with a serious look.

“It was necessary” Circe answered, her gaze fixed on her friend, a look that was reprimanding her. “It was them or us. Besides, it was the only solution.”

“The only solution?” Cristina asked with furious.

She was agitated; she put her hands on her head and shook her hair. She didn't understand her friend's attitude. Magic was meant to help, for having fun. Maya would never allow Circe's attitude toward what was happening. Yes... Maya surely she would find another solution.

A new tremor was felt—less strong, but equally terrifying. Circe understood. That tremor, the attack, was caused by the divine Spirit of the dying star. It was somewhere in Espliego, and she has to find it.

“Let’s go” Circe said, taking her friend's hand to lead her toward her... to her father's car. “We have to leave.”

“I'm not going” Cristina said, pulling away from her friend's grasp. “Magic shouldn't be used to cause harm. I'm going to look for my family. I'm going far away and I'll give up the magic that that Eos gave me.”