Prologue

Once upon a time, the world was filled with magic.

It made up every part of the world. Both living and inanimate objects were fused with its power. Some humans could access this magic and use it to bend the world around them. These humans became known as sorcerers and wielded their magic to make their lives easier. Some helped others; some only themselves. As magic became more commonplace, the people grew more reckless. There was no way to police this powerful force without one just as powerful.

Magicians became a people to be feared. The magic was misunderstood and divided by those who could not comprehend its beauty. Labels were cast about and some of these sorcerers were called villains while others were revered as heroes. The famous became infamous as history tarnished their names. This corruption carried on until it became the new reality. The attraction of magic was lost, and it became a terrifying thing. There were those who sought to protect it and those who sought to see its demise; they clashed in dreadful magical battles.

The world was stricken by war between the sorcerers of the dark and light realm. The horrific fighting lasted until both sides were exhausted. Though the war ended, magic fell into oblivion, leaving few behind. The mages that remained fell out of favor. Hundreds of years have passed since the bloody war, but the hatred for magic has turned sorcerers into renegades and outlaws.

The magic still remained, lurking in the deepest parts of people’s souls. Most people hide their magic abilities, if they should even ever discover they have them…but there are a few who hold their magic dear to their hearts and find it disrespectful not to use their gifts. These sorcerers are hunted down by what is left of the kingdom’s army. Bounties are placed on their heads. Every day is a fight for survival.

At the head of the chaos rides the Church in its newfound glory, punishing those who have sinned against it. To prevent this so-called darkness from rising, it was decided that children of the kingdom would be bound twice: once at birth, and the second at the age of nine- if they could catch them. This was meant to prevent the magic from growing or going out of control, but it had a more heinous effect: the magic became a curse.

Still, for those with magic, it’s all they can do to continue living. Being chased out of their homes, they are apt to become wanderers. They keep their abilities hidden and only use them when absolutely necessary. They lack training and end up hurting those they would protect. This vicious cycle is ingrained in magic. It is impossible for those with it running through their bodies to ever remain in one place.

For people like him, home and safety are little but a far-off dream. The world has made it impossible for him to sit still. So, he keeps running, trying to escape the darkness that threatens to overwhelm him. He holds fast to the light, dragging it with him at every turn. His only wish was for her to be happy.

A star shot through the night catching the man’s attention. He craned his neck upward, blinking at the shimmering dots that floated over him. He brushed a stray strand of dark purple hair back behind his shoulder. He kept watching closely, begging the stars to give him the answers.

And give him answers they did. They always did. He did his best to interpret it as all came rushing towards him. The stars told many stories: glimpses of the past, tangled images of the present. What always caught him most were the distorted visions of the future. He could only understand them so well, but they always told him of the sadness that awaited. He could care less about his own future; what upset him was the path those he loved would be burdened to take. Regardless of whether they would come to pass, it hurt him so much to think there was even a possibility of what she would have to suffer. She had suffered so much already.

“Papa?” a small voice spoke up from behind him.

He put on a smile and turned to face his daughter. Her blonde hair was wild and slipping free of the tie that held it while she slept. She rubbed her eyes sleepily, the grogginess still weighing her down. She stumbled over to him, still unsure on her feet.

“What are you doing up, dear?” He knelt down and held his arms open. She snuggled into his chest, and he lifted her up. He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

“I had a bad dream. When I woke up, you weren’t there.” She pouted at her father, sleep slowly leaving her eyes. He laughed and gave her one more kiss before setting her down.

“Sorry, dear, I was just stargazing.”

As he turned his gaze back upwards towards the night sky, she followed his eyes. She settled down beside him, reaching out with her small hand to clasp his chilled one. He gave her hand a squeeze and held fast. If it were up to him, he would never leave this light in his life, never let her go. After his wife had been taken from him, she was all he had left.

His daughter tilted her head to the side, the last of her drowsiness leaving her. “Because you can see the future in them?”

He chuckled softly and shook his head. “No, it’s not quite that simple. We read the stars to gather what information we may. They hold in their light the past and present. They can guide us to the future, but there is no certainty. The future is fluid and changes every day.”

His daughter’s frown deepened. “But you told that grandpa you could read the future! You told him about the flood!”

“No, dear, I told him about the possibility. The stars showed me a path and I used my own experience and logic to ascertain its probability. With all that rainfall in the area, it was not surprising that was the outcome. Even someone with no special powers could figure that much out.”

His daughter turned back towards the stars, staring at them with wide eyes. Her fingers tightened their grip on her father’s hand.

“One day, my dear, you’ll be able to read the stars. Then you will understand. I think you have much more natural talent for it than I.”

She suddenly turned to look at her father and met his eyes. For as innocent and carefree as she usually seemed, she could have profoundly deep moments. It scared him how serious she could get, how much she resembled her mother in these moments.

“Is there any hope in the future for people like us, papa?”

His smile faltered. He wanted to reassure her that everything was fine. He wanted to lie to her and assure her that the future would be better. The girl had spent her entire life thus far moving from place to place, never settling down. She had learned parlor tricks and basics skills like cooking and cleaning to help him make their ends meet as they traveled. They mostly camped, and in rare times when they had some luxury afforded to them, they lived out of hotels. She knew the life as part of a wandering caravan more than she knew the short happiness her father and mother had when she was first born.

Oh, how he wanted to lie to her and tell her it would all be alright! But he was not foolish enough to think that for a moment he could trick her. She saw through him with ease. He owed her his honesty, after everything he had put her through and would continue to do so.

He took a deep breath and squeezed his hand. He broke eye contact and returned his gaze to the stars. He fumbled with the right words to tell her. He pleaded with the stars to give him this answer, but on this they were quiet.

Finally, the words took shape in his mind, simple words with no static meaning. Even if she didn’t understand it, he felt it would be enough to calm her frazzled mind for the night. He hoped to have plenty more years with her to help explain the world as he knew it. That feeling kept the light burning inside of him. She was his light, after all.

He finally averted his gaze from the stars back down towards his daughter. With a sly little smile, he told her, “As long as one person has hope, the future will be brighter. Great changes await us. It’s written in the stars.”