Dark Dimension (2)

With her little magic demonstration, Aurora had set the bar very high. But I wasn’t going to let myself be intimidated so easily. Determined to show her what I was made of, I planted a candle in the sand myself. I knew full well that I had no chance of matching her years of training, but I could make her swallow her pride by doing better than she did at the start.

I recalled the performances of some royal magicians during the grand talent demonstrations. When they cast complex spells, they used high-quality magical crystals and combined their strengths to perform the same spell. Even without pulling out all the stops, I could assure you that Aurora surpassed their level by far. She completely disregarded safety rules when using her magic, and as if that wasn’t enough, she saw it all as just a game.

A game where she risks her life.

The vital source is a form of energy that is very limited in humans. It is the flame that makes our heart beat, powers our brain, and keeps us at the right temperature for decades until it suddenly runs out.

That’s why even the slightest spell performed without consumables, no matter how minor, represents a reckless risk. It is like deliberately choosing to shorten one’s lifespan.

In addition to incantation sand, humans need to recite formulas aloud to modulate magical energy according to their will. Being able to use magic without fulfilling these conditions required undeniable talent. One could say that doing what Aurora did so calmly with her fiery serpentine could be interpreted as suicidal!

I had come to the conclusion that the girl in red and silver before me was a true genius. And for some reason, genius seemed to go hand in hand with madness.

The only explanation for her audacity was that she had an affinity with magic. These chosen ones of nature attracted ambient magic to them, just like magical creatures did. Their bodies naturally absorbed magical energy, allowing them to use it without worrying about affecting their vital source.

Anyone with such a coveted gift was destined for a bright future. A clear place at the kingdom's only academy: the Court. This place alone housed the majority of these chosen ones. All students swore, during an official ceremony, to use their talents to ensure the prosperity of the kingdom. By the end of their studies, most became honorable soldiers or officials.

When I looked at Aurora, all I saw was a colossal waste. All that talent was only being used to commit horrible murders. My second thought was that there was something wrong with the way she used magic. She denied having a magical affinity, but she had no proof to back it up

It was clear that she was lying. Was she too ashamed to admit that she had an affinity? Did she hate nobility so much that she refused any resemblance to it? And what was her elemental type? How could she use such a wide variety of magics while being limited to a single element?

Her, a chosen one of nature? Indeed, she doesn’t deserve such a gift.

Aurora abruptly extinguished the green flame with a clench of her fist. Without regret, she replaced the melted candle, tossing it aside where it would soon join a heap of softened wax.

“Go ahead. If you have any questions, now's the time.”

“We close our eyes, bring our hands close, and then? How do you trigger the magic? Is there a trick?”

“Hmm… Maybe visualize it. You might be able to use it better if you understand what it is.”

“But it's so complex that the scholars at the Court have never been able to define it universally. How do you perceive magic?”

Aurora suddenly became very thoughtful. She pondered while staring at me with her fiery red eyes. I shivered with discomfort. I preferred when she kept them closed; it made me feel less assaulted.

“I think magic is a lot like electricity. It’s kind of like a technological mineral if you think about it. Other countries have electricity; we have magic. It requires a raw material, follows specific physical rules, and you can do pretty much the same things with it.”

Her perspective was very different from what I was used to hearing. She took a step back, maintaining a broad view and didn't hesitate to challenge opinions by daring to compare our national treasure to that of our worst enemies. If everyone thought this way, we wouldn’t have a reason to engage in trade wars driven by petty rivalries.

“Enough beating around the bush. Everything will be clearer once you’ve felt it. We’ll start directly with a lit candle. Clear your mind and shut out external stimuli. There’s only you and what you want to control. You and the candle.”

“How do you mean, ‘feel’?”

Her dirty finger abruptly pressed against my lips, silencing me. “Do what I say, and you’ll see.”

Frustrated, I watched Aurora transfer the flame from the magical lighter to the twisted wick. When I closed my eyelids, I could see a glowing spot in the darkness that matched the candle. I tried to trace its outline in that spot. Just it and me. Easier said than done. I couldn’t ignore the predator standing to my right. She had killed people coldly; I might have been one of her victims if I hadn’t been the so-called ‘ideal candidate’ to become her apprentice.

Lowering my guard like this was akin to offering myself up to a hungry predator. I was in the same vulnerable position as the night of my kidnapping. You can understand that ignoring her to focus on a magic exercise was unthinkable.

“Now, focus on each of your senses. Feel the warmth it radiates.”

Despite myself, I concentrated on my tutor’s voice. The memory of the candle faded, replaced by sounds and sensations. The warmth caressing the tips of my fingers, the rustling of leaves, the chirping of birds, the feeling of being watched...

“Do you feel any tingling on your skin?”

“Um, yes. But shouldn’t I be focusing on the warmth of the flame?”

“Yes, you need to be aware of that. However, I’m afraid that’s not the key to the exercise. The key is those tiny tingles. They’re particles of magical energy always present in the air, somewhat like static electricity. Without magical affinity, you can’t absorb them, only feel them. But it’s more than enough because you have those same magical particles naturally flowing through your body. Those are the ones you’ll use. Breathe deeply and feel those same tingles, but inside you. Sense their agitation and their movement through your muscles.”

I slowed my breathing and opened myself to my surroundings. The darkness enveloping me was no longer disturbed by any light. It felt as though my sight had been replaced by touch; I could see without really seeing…

Quickly, I perceived the thousands of tiny tingles Aurora had mentioned. They were buzzing on every part of my skin, tickling me slightly… At the same time, I listened to my heart beating tirelessly in my chest. Despite my intense desire to become a magic magnet, I felt no change. Her instructions were too abstract for me to make any progress…

I need to do better than this. You have to succeed on the first try or you’ll be a failure!

I furrowed my brows fiercely, but to no avail.

“Don’t make that face, it’s normal not to get it on the first try.”

“How many attempts did it take you to get it?”

“It’s not about the number. Focus on the magic, not the success. That’s why you’re not getting it!”

Humph! Hide behind cheap excuses if you like, but don’t think you can fool me. I bet it took you a hundred tries!

My teacher abandoned the method she was trying to instill in me after a few minutes. She let out a growl of impatience, and I felt her hand almost immediately take mine hostage. I dared not open an eye, fearing I would return to square one. Her touch had a rather unexpected effect: I was overwhelmed by a wave of heat. It came from her hand and flowed into me in a continuous stream.

Magic. She’s transferring magic to me! Her magic…

Her dirty magic that caused so much suffering! The magic she used for her own gain. I didn’t want her help, that darkness that made her a monster! And yet… My body still craved more. I had always felt unfulfilled, deprived of expressing myself, reduced to a passive observer. This magic, this heat and strength filled that indescribable void. It offered me infinite possibilities and made me feel alive again. My fatigue vanished; I suddenly felt strangely revitalized. I wanted more, I needed it—it was comforting. This is what I needed to gain my freedom and bring a smile back to Mother’s face!

Magic… but certainly not her magic! I wouldn’t become like her, I wouldn’t work for her, I wouldn’t kill anyone! I wanted to pull away from her hand, reject it all… But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t bring myself to move or return to reality. My body refused to obey me. A part of me didn’t want it to end. I needed this magic, no matter how corrupted it was. Despite my struggles, this desire was overpowering me. Good grief, this can’t continue!

I should never have agreed to touch magic, I realized in horror.

I was trapped and gasping in a web of contradictions.

Make it stop! Make it never stop! Let me go, you filthy murderer! More, I’m starving, I want more!

The pressure was becoming more intense, like when I had something weighing on me that I couldn’t externalize. In the past, I had only one way to expel that unbearable frustration. I had to hit, scream, make my despair… physical.

At the Hiven Palace, I unleashed my rage on grain sacks kept in the kitchen annexes. I couldn’t afford to disappear for too long, so I wasted no time. I used secret passages discovered by chance to get there faster. I often came out with terrible pains in my knuckles, but nothing worse than temporary redness. Here, I couldn’t escape, nor make that horrible sensation of oscillation stop.

Magic was delicious—such a thought made me sick.

Anxiety continued to gain ground, and I hated enduring all this frustration. I hated losing control, I hated everything that kept me here more than anything in the world. If I could just reduce the intensity of this damned unleashed flame even a little, then Aurora would free me from this Hell.

Turn green, go out, just show a sign of magic, damn it! I need to get as far away as possible, so I command you, stupid candle, to perform magic!

Why was magic so absent in us when magical creatures were overflowing with it? Were we not supposed to use it beyond just keeping ourselves alive?

“What’s wrong with me?!”

I held my breath. Something had changed. I no longer felt the magic fizzing inside me, nor the panic it had caused. My voice… I had just heard my voice as if I was speaking aloud. In fact, no, I had just spoken aloud. And my hand… I could see it without even having opened my eyes. It was holding nothing.

Aurora had vanished, and my invisible chains with her. Could I see in the dark? I blinked several times in confusion.

I was engulfed in darkness and noticed the blatant absence of life around me. My eyelids were wide open; I wasn’t dreaming. It was real—I could move my body freely in this sort of… void filled with darkness, with no color or light.

It seems like… another dimension. The same dark void I experienced during the accident yesterday.