Chapter 27

Dam that sucked. Nate was disappointed with himself. He used the God’s Javelin, even though it was incomplete. That was his mistake.

The God’s Javelin occupied all his mental energy and concentration. During his fight with the demon he couldn’t enhance his body, nor was he able to use telekinesis because everything was focused on keeping the incomplete spear in his hands.

I would’ve done so much better if I didn’t use that dam spear. Stupid. Nate realized such a stupid mistake could’ve cost him his life.

The space where the fight took place began to warp. Nate looked over and grew alarmed. Is it the ghosts again?

Nate invested all his mental energy into enhancing his body. The portal grew larger before disappearing. In its place was a white-haired man in their thirties.

“Kiru?”

“Nate,” Kiru looked around, “I felt the fluctuations as I was teleporting from Mage’s tower. Re-directed the drop-off point. What happened here? Only powerful magic could cause such fluctuations.”

Nate didn’t know how to respond to Kiru’s line of questioning. Mainly because he didn’t know whether Kiru would kill him for being a demon.

“The demon that killed my family, it was here.”

“Here? You sure?” Kiru asked.

Nate nodded his head. “Don’t know why but it was here. Gone now.”

“And it just left you alone?”

Nate detected a hint of doubt in Kiru’s question. “Look you said so yourself, powerful magic brought you here. You know I’m just a novice so what else could it have been?”

“I’m going to be straight with you Nate. You are a half-demon, I know it, and you know it. The fact that you’re eighteen, with no signs of awakening your demonic side tells me you might never awaken it, but I need to be sure. Have you felt yourself feeling different lately?”

“No.” Nate replied without hesitation. Even if I was feeling different, would I tell you?

“Okay, now let’s get out of here. We need to talk.”

An hour later Nate and Kiru were in an old office building. The rooms inside the office building were now full of tents and make-shift beds for prisoners to sleep on. The two climbed up the stairs until they reached the roof.

“We decided to give you a chance.” Kiru began. “You’re a half-demon, usually your kind will awaken their demonic side and be kicked out of our world and into the NetherRealm. The fact that you haven’t bodes well for you.”

Nate smiled at that.

“But, we cannot afford bringing you to the Academy and teaching you magic. You might awaken one day, so giving you inside knowledge would be dangerous to us. You understand?”

“So why’re you here then? To tell me to fuck off?” Nate said getting annoyed. They were already writing him off, as if he was a rabid dog that might bite at any moment. It wasn’t a good feeling to be looked at that way.

“There is another option. You can sign a blood oath. With this, you become a trusted member of our society.”

“This is good.” Kiru reassured Nate after seeing his frown. “In fact all students sign this blood oath once they reach their fourth year. You’re just doing it a little earlier.”

“What’s the catch?”

“No catch. Sign the blood oath, you get free education. If you decide after graduation that you don’t want to use your power to help mankind, then that is your decision. As long as you don’t terrorize mankind with your magic.”

“What happens if I break the blood oath?”

“You won’t.” Kiru said, avoiding the question.

Nate sent out tendrils of mental energy, slipping it into Kiru’s mind. “What happens if I break the blood oath?” Nate repeated.

“You’re struck by tribulation lightning.” Kiru said in a monotone voice. His eyes flashed with surprise as soon as the sentence came out of his mouth. Suddenly Nate’s tendrils of mental energy were severed, causing Nate to grab his head in pain.

“That was really stupid of you.” Kiru said in a chilling voice. He began walking over to Nate.

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“I had to! It’s your fault for trying to hide the truth.” Nate said recovering from the shock of having his mental threads cut. It wasn’t a permanent damage, but it was painful.

Kiru stopped in his tracks. Shaking his head, he spoke, “Listen kid, the only reason why I’m taking a chance with you is because demons slaughtered your whole family, so I don’t think you’d ever join their side. But I don’t see within you the motivation to protect this world. Most mages join with the intention of making sure no human ever suffers from the supernatural ever again. But I don’t know what drives you.”

When Nate didn’t speak Kiru continued, “I’ll give you time to reconsider. I know you can be a great help to our cause, Nate.” Kiru walked over and handed Nate a ring with an emerald jewel embedded in it. “Whenever you decide you want to learn magic, just focus your intent on the ring and you can communicate with me.”

Nate took the ring. “Neat trick, but we have cellphones nowadays.”

“Cellphones can be tapped. Besides, this ring’s communication is instantaneous, and is a direct line connecting you to me, and vice-versa.”

Kiru walked away from Nate, towards the edge of the building. He began preparing a spell. “Wait!”

When Kiru turned back, Nate spoke, “When you were fighting against Anza, you produced a book out of nowhere. How did you do that?”

Kiru smirked, “Part of me says I shouldn’t answer, to let your curiosity grow to the point you decide to join us. But that’d be joining for the wrong reasons. Anyways, once a mage absorbs enough World energy they establish a magic core within their chest. The spell-book you saw is something created within my soul, a physical representation of all the spells I’ve memorized.”

“So if something is in your soul how do you bring it out?”

“You’re not hearing me. The book is something I created within my soul. In ten years when you establish your magic core you’ll see that its empty. It might resemble a familiar place to you like a forest where you went camping—“

“Or a church where your family went every Sunday.” Nate said to himself as realization dawned on him.

“Yes, but none of it will be real … are you saying what I think your saying?”

Nate nodded his head. “I think I already established my magic core.”

Kiru’s face lit up in surprise. “But that can only mean… no, it makes sense… but how…” Nate could barely hear Kiru as he began to mumble.

He wanted to tell Nate about the gifts from his mother, the book that wouldn’t open. He was desperate to access whatever was inside that book. But a part of him hesitated.

Kiru suddenly looked up at him. “When demons use magic, they use their bodies to command it. Their bodies become one with the elements, even though they cannot use long-range magic, they’re still very dangerous in one-on-one combat. The fact that you developed a magic core means your human blood is stronger than the demon blood. This is good!

But how? It usually takes ten years of absorbing world energy for the magic core to establish itself, so how’re you already established?”

Nate wanted to tell Kiru there was no such thing as World energy. That it all came from the NetherRealm, but he felt like he was already on thin ice with this one, therefore he remained silent. He shrugged when Kiru looked at him.

“Doesn’t matter. Anyways, it’s a waste if you don’t learn magic, especially since you’ve already established a magic core. You should come back with me.”

Nate shook his head. “If magic is saying a bunch of Latin words I think I can manage on my own.”

Kiru snorted. “You think just because you cast some low-level magic that you’re capable? The words are in Latin, yes, but there is a principle behind each magic spell. You were able to cast ‘Impetus’ because it is a rank zero spell. You already understand the basic concept of a gust of wind, therefore you were able to cast it. Higher level spells require you to study the elements and experiment, only then can you cast a spell.

Latin isn’t special either. You can cast the spell in any language you want. We chose Latin because it’s a dead language and it wouldn’t be confused with English. Hell, you can even cast a spell without using any words. We only use words because the human brain can recall the process, and everything that’s tied to that specific word. It’s like a key.”

Like a key… That sentence reverberated within Nate’s mind. If his mother left him a book that cannot be opened, then maybe it required some sort of key. A word or phrase.

“I won’t take up anymore of your time, not that that’s an issue obviously. You know where to find me when you decide to learn some magic.” Kiru waved his hand, then with a few words he turned into a flash of lightning and disappeared into the sky.

Nate sat down on the roof and focused on his soul. Within a few seconds he was standing in front of the altar looking down at the two gifts his parents gifted him. Picking up the book he looked at the note and read it aloud.

Nothing happened. Nate was hoping some key words were in the note but nothing. “Nathaniel… Nathaniel Prescott… Natalia Prescott.” Nate sighed as the book remained sealed shut. He thought furiously about what the answer could be.

Maybe it’s not a verbal key? Nate looked down at the book. He imagined a little knife in his hand. Cutting his palm, he spilt some blood on the book. Immediately the book disappeared.

“What the hell?” Nate went back to the Altar. Empty.

“Where the hell did it go?” Nate grew panicked as the book disappeared. He went over to the black box, the one he used to train his mental energy. As soon as his bloody hand touched it the box disappeared.

“What the fuck?!” Nate grew annoyed. With all his attention focused on the box, he failed to notice his physical body had two new things on top of it.

After searching the whole church, he decided to give up. Once he left his magic core he found the black box, and his mother’s book before him. Nate felt like slapping himself.

Picking up the book he saw that it was finally un-sealed. He flipped open the book and began reading.

To my son Nathaniel,

This is my Mage’s diary. Every new Academy student was required to keep one. I thought it would be most beneficial to you in your early days. I hope you do not go to the Academy. They’re a bunch of hypocrites who live tucked inside their turtle shell, afraid to face reality. Don’t be like them son, become your own man and form your own Ideas. I love you, and I hope one day I finally get to meet you.

Sincerely,

Natalia Prescott.

P.S. The magical artifact, I call it the mind-bender, is a very expensive tool. One that would cause wars between the demonic clans if they ever found it. There aren’t many tools that train one’s mental energy. This tool, not only does it teach control, but it also refines your mental energy. But, using it inside the soul only teaches control so if you want to utilize it to its fullest then use it in the real world, not just in your soul. Start slow, and be careful. Take care son.