The capital of Lorthraine emerged from the horizon like something out of myth, its towers and spires stabbing the pale sky, impossibly high. Ellie stood at the edge of the road, staring up at it, a knot of awe tightening in her chest. It felt too vast to be real, the walls gleaming under the sun as though carved from solid stone by giants. The sheer scale of the city overwhelmed her.
“I never thought I’d see it,” she muttered under her breath, her voice swallowed by the wind.
Greymire had been small, familiar, a place where the streets were narrow, the people predictable. But this… this was a world apart. The city sprawled like a living thing, its veins the streets that twisted through markets, districts, and estates, as chaotic as rivers winding through a mountain valley. It pulsed with life, a rhythm that throbbed beneath the noise of the crowds, the clang of metal, the distant hum of magic.
She had never felt anything like it, even back in Velsorin. But then, she never left the Valquinn’s, and their territories were quiet, secluded, with nothing but rolling hills and ancient forests untouched by time.
The gates were wide open, but heavily guarded. Sentinels in full plate stood watch, their faces stern beneath heavy helmets, their presence as imposing as the stone walls. Mages, too, lingered in the shadows, cloaked in deep blue robes, their eyes aglow with faint enchantments. Symbols flickered in the air around them, tracing patterns Ellie didn’t recognize.
“Keep your head down,” she whispered to herself, drawing her hood tighter around her face. Her steps quickened as she passed through the gates, heart hammering in her chest.
“Move along,” one of the sentinels barked, his voice cold but indifferent.
Ellie flinched but kept moving, her eyes fixed on the ground. She could feel the mages’ gazes sweeping over the crowd like predators searching for prey. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end. Even the air tasted different here—thicker, as if saturated with magic.
The streets swallowed her whole, an endless tide of people pushing her deeper into the city. Merchants shouted from stalls overflowing with strange and exotic wares—crystals that shimmered with inner light, weapons engraved with ancient runes, potions glowing faintly in their glass vials. Ellie moved through it all in a daze, the sheer scale of it numbing her thoughts.
"Fresh fruit! Straight from the Southern Isles!" a vendor called, holding up a spiky, green fruit that looked more dangerous than appetizing.
She ignored him, slipping through the crowd as quickly as she could. Every step made her feel smaller. In Greymire, she could hide, slip through the cracks, but here… there were no cracks. The city saw everything.
A man brushed past her, his robes trailing behind him like smoke. A mage, old and powerful, his feet hovering inches above the ground. He didn’t even glance in her direction as he directed glowing glyphs into the air, the symbols spinning like living things.
Ellie shrank inward, pulling her cloak tighter around her. "I don't belong here," she murmured, her voice barely audible. She wanted to turn back, but the city was a web—once you were caught in it, there was no easy escape.
Suddenly, two adventurers, clad in shimmering armor and swords crackling with energy, brushed past her, their voices loud and arrogant.
“Did you see the size of that chimera? Damn thing almost ripped Kellen’s arm off!” One of them laughed as though near-death encounters were sport.
“It’ll make a fine trophy for the guildhall.” The other glanced over his shoulder with a grin.
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Ellie flinched as their gazes passed over her, but they barely registered her presence. She wasn’t part of their world. They had power. Legends clung to them like shadows. She had nothing.
Her breath quickened as the streets twisted around her. Every corner revealed more magic, more power. A market hovered a foot off the ground, shopkeepers standing on invisible platforms, their wares floating beside them. A statue of a long-forgotten hero turned its head to watch her as she passed, its stone eyes glowing faintly with enchantment. It all felt like a dream she had wandered into by mistake.
Or a nightmare.
“Watch it!” A voice broke through her haze as a woman stumbled into her, nearly knocking her over. The woman’s eyes narrowed. “Where are you even going?”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to—” Ellie started, but the woman waved her off, muttering under her breath as she disappeared into the crowd.
Ellie’s face flushed with embarrassment. She didn’t belong here, and it was only a matter of time before everyone realized it. Her hands tightened into fists beneath her cloak, her stomach churning with anxiety. “I’m not like them, they'll find out..."
She passed a broad plaza, her eyes drawn to the towering structure at its far end. A massive, spiraling tower that reached so high its peak disappeared into the clouds. Lorthraine’s Mage Academy. Even from this distance, the power radiating from it made her skin prickle. The most powerful mages in the kingdom were there, studying, living. People who could unravel her entire life with a single glance.
Ellie stood frozen at the edge of the plaza, her heart sinking. There was no place to hide here. Every step she took, every breath she drew, would be watched, judged. And if they saw through her… if they realized she had no magic, no power…
A sudden shout broke through the steady hum of the city, jolting her back to the present. Two men were arguing at a nearby stall, their voices rising above the noise. A crowd began to form, some watching with interest, others whispering.
“I paid full price for this!” one of the men growled, holding up a vial of shimmering liquid. “This is watered-down trash!”
The vendor, a short man with a patchy beard, crossed his arms, unfazed. “You get what you pay for, friend. Maybe next time, buy from someone who sells real magic.”
The first man’s face flushed with anger, his hand twitching toward the sword strapped to his back. The crowd tensed, waiting for the inevitable escalation. Ellie took a step back, her pulse quickening. She didn’t want to be here when things got ugly.
Just as the tension reached its breaking point, a figure stepped between them—a woman in flowing silver robes, her eyes gleaming with authority. “Enough,” she said, her voice calm but firm.
The effect was immediate. The man with the sword hesitated, his hand dropping to his side. The vendor’s smirk vanished.
“You’ll settle this without violence, or you’ll deal with me,” the woman said, her gaze flicking between them. A soft glow pulsed from her fingertips, barely noticeable but enough to send a clear message. She was a mage, and not one to be trifled with.
The two men muttered apologies and backed away, the crowd dispersing as quickly as it had gathered. Ellie exhaled, not realizing she had been holding her breath.
The woman’s eyes swept the plaza, landing on Ellie for the briefest of moments. Their gazes locked, and Ellie felt her stomach twist. There was something in that look—something knowing, as if the woman could see right through her.
Without a word, the mage turned and disappeared into the crowd, her silver robes shimmering in the sunlight.
Ellie stood there, rooted to the spot, her heart pounding in her ears. The city was full of people like that—mages who could unravel her in a heartbeat. She was in over her head, and she knew it.
Her eyes drifted back to the towering spire of the Mage Academy, the weight of her situation settling heavily on her shoulders. She had come too far to turn back now. But with every step she took, the walls seemed to close in tighter.
And then, as if on cue, the wind picked up again, cold and biting, carrying with it the faintest whisper:
“They're watching.”
Ellie’s head snapped up, her breath catching in her throat. She scanned the plaza, but no one was looking at her. No one spoke. Yet the feeling lingered, a chill that crept up her spine.
Someone, somewhere, had taken notice of her. And in this city, being noticed was the last thing she wanted.