Once a beautiful, awe-inspiring bedroom, their accommodation now became a fiery death trap.
Bright hot flames crept along the walls, turning the elegant paintings and wallpaper into black ash. Smoke, dark and dense, filled whatever space the fire hadn’t.
A hand tugged on his wrist. “Raine!”
He snapped out of the trance, tearing his eyes away from the destruction. Nikolay urgently motioned towards the window, their bags in his other hand.
Not wanting to waste another second, Raine nodded and let himself be dragged towards their only exit.
Very quickly, though, their plan for escape ran into a roadblock.
“Shit,” Nikolay cursed under his breath. “Window’s locked too.”
If they hadn’t been under the pressure of burning to death, maybe Raine or Nikolay would have suspected that something was wrong. But with half of the room already long consumed by the insatiable flames, there was no time to throw speculations around.
“Cover your face,” Nikolay told him.
“What?”
Raine didn’t even get the chance to follow Nikolay’s suggestion. Glass shards sprayed like shrapnel, raining down onto the sidewalk outside.
He stared at the broken window, then at Nikolay’s impatient face.
“Come on,” Nikolay urged. “We’re jumping out.”
Staring out the window, Raine realised just how far up their room was. The drop down to the concrete pavement was dizzying to even look at, let alone survive. If it had been any other person, this would’ve been an ultimatum between being a burnt crisp or a bloody pancake.
It was times like these where Raine was wholly grateful for Nikolay’s absurd magic capabilities. If floating them across the bridge was an option, then softening their fall from a few stories was just as feasible.
That didn’t mean Nikolay was gentle, though.
No magic appeared to slow their plunge down the side of the building. Right before they hit the concrete, blue magic finally appeared to cushion their fall.
“Ow,” Raine complained. “Couldn’t you have made it a little less nauseating?”
Nikolay retracted his magic in a swift motion. “There was no time.”
They had escaped their room successfully, but as they looked around, a much more horrifying truth came to light.
It wasn’t just the main hall on fire — roaring flames consumed the entire town, each majestic building reduced to a glorified wood pile for the fire to burn down.
The otherwise dark streets now were as bright as they would’ve been during the day. What was more eerie, though, was the fact that not a single scream or shout accompanied the crackling of the flames.
Were they already dead? Had they all escaped?
No such answers presented themselves immediately, and instead they were faced with yet another problem.
From the harsh, dark shadows, figures cloaked in black emerged around them. If their sheer number wasn’t enough, the signature glow of their magic auras hinted at their strength. Judging from the way their positions surrounded Nikolay and Raine, it wasn’t a stretch to assume that they’d been waiting outside their window for a while.
As much as the current situation looked to be against their favour, Nikolay didn’t hesitate for a second. Blue strings burst forth, tying down the assailants with ruthless efficiency.
“Are you with the Order of Truth?” Nikolay demanded. “Did you set the town on fire?”
It was wishful thinking to expect an answer, of course, because they didn’t even acknowledge whether they’d heard Nikolay. Instead, they brandished their weapons, glowing a myriad of colours from their respective magic. It did little to improve their situation, though, as their weapons failed to sever Nikolay’s ties.
“Your struggle is futile. Answer my questions,” Nikolay shouted.
Despite his complete control over the numerous sorcerers, they still showed no signs of surrender. Weapons still stayed unsheathed and pointed at their throats. Black fabric covered the faces of the organised group, but it wasn’t difficult to imagine the straight faces underneath.
Raine frowned. This was unusual, even for an already strange situation.
He turned to Nikolay. “There’s something wrong-”
As if his words were a summoning ritual, a loud rumbling resonated throughout the empty streets. It started at a volume equivalent to the roaring fires, but rapidly grew into a deafening uproar that shook the ground with its thunderous might. They didn’t have to speculate the source of the sound, because it showed itself shortly after.
Hundreds of townsfolk, rushing forward in a large mass, streamed down the roads from all possible openings. Pitchforks, heavy swords, knives, and other household weapons stuck out from the mob, the metal glinting menacingly in the firelight. The fine garb and exquisite silks from mere hours ago had long been abandoned, nothing but a facade for their carefully constructed trap.
Nikolay grit his teeth in annoyance. He couldn’t handle so many people at once — at least, not with the method he’d been using before.
Swivelling his head around, he quickly realised that all previous exits no longer worked. The sheer number of people crowding around them left no room for escape, locking them like human walls. Fire still raged all along the streets, licking at their heels to remind them of its unsated hunger.
Left with no other choice, he released the blue strings on the assassins to gather all of his energy. Though their binds were gone, they didn’t have a chance to retaliate.
Nikolay’s magic exploded like a supernova, wiping the entire town with a blue shockwave. The powerful force slammed into Raine, the initial impact so strong that it felt as though his spirit momentarily separated from his body. He stumbled and fell to his knees, lifting his head to see what was happening.
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
At the centre of the detonation was Nikolay. Light blue markings flowed across his skin like molten metal. Blinding light filled his unseeing eyes, shining the same shade as his magic. The playful flurry of magic usually surrounding him became a howling tempest, swirling in a self-consuming vortex.
Behind him, a pair of azure wings stretched into the air. With the wings that sprouted from his back, he almost looked like an angel. A terrifying angel — one that brought death.
Raine simultaneously wanted to reach out in admiration and shrink away in fear.
A fleeting glance at the hordes surrounding them revealed the true purpose of the explosion. Instead of raised weapons and riled up expressions, the townsfolk were all lying on the ground, motionless. Even the sorcerers, with their own magic to protect themselves, fell victim to the same fate.
It was suddenly quiet again, leaving them to face the aftermath in stark silence.
“Did…” Raine tried to swallow, but his mouth was too dry. “Did you kill them?”
Nikolay didn’t respond. The empty streets still took up his attention, vigilant blue eyes scanning the area for any survivors. Every muscle in his body stayed tensed and ready to strike, his breathing low and fast.
It was a long time before Nikolay finally calmed down.
At last, he replied, “No. If I had killed them, it would’ve been much easier.”
Raine wasn’t sure whether the answer was as comforting as Nikolay thought it was.
“So… what did you do, then?” he tentatively asked.
“Something new. I overloaded their brain with magic, causing them to fall unconscious.”
Raine’s jaw dropped. “Wouldn’t that hurt?!”
“I have no idea. This is the first time I’ve attempted it. Besides, it’d still be better than dying, wouldn’t you agree?”
“That was your firs- No, I don’t ag-” Raine shook his head, trying to organise his thoughts. “I thought you weren’t the type of person to experiment with stuff.”
“No, you’re right,” Nikolay hummed thoughtfully. “But if I hadn’t adapted, I would’ve been powerless to protect anything. I guess even an old dog can learn new tricks if their head is on the line.”
Raine winced at the gruesome metaphor. “Sure. Was that wing transformation also a new trick?”
“That’s the furthest thing from new, actually. The transformation…”
Nikolay paused. A conflicted expression flickered across his face.
“We should tend to your wounds first,” he eventually said. “Then I’ll tell you about it.”
While Nikolay might’ve grown in terms of magic technique, he hadn’t changed at all when it came to dodging questions.
Sensing that Raine wasn’t satisfied with his answer, Nikolay added, “I promise I will answer all of your questions. Just let me treat you first. Please.”
No matter how stubborn Raine could be, one heartfelt ‘please’ from Nikolay and suddenly everything seemed easier to just agree.
“Fine,” Raine unwillingly replied.
Wasting no time, lest he change his mind, Nikolay grabbed Raine by the waist and hoisted him up to sit on a nearby untouched wooden crate. He quickly rummaged through their suitcase and pulled out a small first aid kit.
First, Nikolay cleaned the minor cuts and scrapes on his arms with some rubbing alcohol. It barely stung, which was most likely because the wounds weren’t serious to begin with. Raine was sure that they really didn’t need any treatment — the cuts weren’t from the fight, but from jumping out of the window. But any complaints quickly dissolved on the tip of his tongue as he saw the unabated concern written across Nikolay’s face.
Then it came to the actual problem: a red cut on Raine’s cheek, extending down to the corner of his lip. He couldn’t see the injury himself, but judging from the warm blood trickling into his mouth, it wasn’t a pretty sight. Raine had to thank the adrenaline still coursing through his bloodstream, because he wasn’t sure whether he could handle the undiluted pain.
Nikolay approached the wound with a gentleness and cautious fear akin to somebody holding a fragile egg, liable to break apart at a wrong touch. His hands were steady as they applied damp gauze to the cut. Raine noticed that the cotton was always completely soaked red when pulled away, no matter how many they went through.
Eventually, Nikolay moved on to the stitches. They didn’t have any anaesthetic on hand, but surprisingly, the initial sting didn’t hurt as much as he anticipated.
The treatment felt very considerate in the beginning, but it was taking way too long for a simple cut like his.
“It doesn’t hurt that much,” Raine groaned quietly. “No need to act like I’ve been mortally wounded.”
“Shh. Stop downplaying the cut. It looks deep.”
“Well, I learn from the best, after all,” Raine deadpanned. “That scar on your arm definitely didn’t feel like roses and daisies.”
“Keep talking and moving your face, and the entire town will have finished burning to ashes by the time I’m done.”
Raine huffed at the sudden sass coming from Nikolay, but he kept his mouth shut for the remainder of the treatment.
Now that they weren’t talking anymore, there was nothing to distract him from how close their faces were. Raine couldn’t stop himself from staring at the way Nikolay’s fringe would move slightly with each exhale he made. Absently, he wondered whether his breath tickled Nikolay like the other’s breath did for him.
Once Nikolay had finished placing all the tape down to keep everything in place, he realised that he was hesitant to move away. They stayed unmoving, faces still mere centimetres away.
Nikolay’s eyes trailed down from the wound, coming to a stop at his lips. Suddenly self-conscious, Raine licked his cracked lips, tasting the metallic tang of dried blood. His drumming heart felt like it was about to beat straight out of his chest at any moment.
“So, are you going to explain those wings now?” Raine quickly stuttered out, eager to dispel the weird atmosphere.
Nikolay pulled away just as abruptly, returning to a normal distance. “Y- Yes, I suppose there’s nothing else that needs to be addressed. It’s… a ‘true spiritual form’, for lack of a better description. Since it’s tied to my spirit, the markings and wings stay the same regardless of which vessel I inhabit. Each sorcerer’s spirit is different, naturally. The form varies between individuals.”
“What does it even do? I’m guessing it’s not just a cosmetic transformation.”
“This requires a bit of a lesson in magic. You recall that humans have three components: the body, mind and spirit, right? This true form is essentially the manifestation of the spirit — all other inhibitions from the mind and body disappear. As a result, you become exponentially more powerful with those barriers removed.”
“If it’s so powerful, why don’t more sorcerers use it often? I haven’t seen anybody else use that form.”
“There is a cost to maintain a true form. As with all things in life,” Nikolay curtly replied.
Raine frowned immediately at the mention of a ‘price to pay’, but decided to wait for Nikolay’s justification. He kept silent while Nikolay put away the first aid items, anticipating a follow-up statement. Very quickly, however, he realised that no such elaboration was coming anytime soon.
His patience left unrewarded, Raine finally sighed in surrender. “And what is the cost?”
There was another long stretch of silence in response, as Nikolay pressed his lips together and looked away. “I don’t think you need to know.”
This made Raine’s heart drop into his stomach. He had already seen Nikolay’s true form twice: just now, and the time when his tank malfunctioned at the Temple of Time.
“Nikolay, I think this is something that I definitely need to know.”
“No. I’m very certain that you won’t be better off from hearing it.”
“I’m going to keep pestering you until you tell me,” Raine argued. “I’m tired of you hiding things from me.”
All too familiar with Raine’s stubbornness and ability to annoy him, Nikolay gave in with a resigned sigh. “You can’t control yourself inside that form.”
“Do I even need to tell you how bad of an idea it is to keep using your true form?”
“It isn’t completely unpredictable — since it’s the true form of your spirit, it’ll act on your strongest desire while activating the form. Once it achieves that goal, the spirit recedes back to normal levels.”
Raine didn’t want to ask his next question, but he had to know the answer. “And if you don’t reach that goal?”
“That is precisely why this technique isn’t accessible to everyone. Most sorcerers would end up burning themselves out of existence. But there’s no need to worry about me: as long as the goal is simple enough, there’s no life-threatening risk.”
‘As long as…’ But what if it wasn’t? Was Raine supposed to just accept that risk? To gamble on the probability of Nikolay returning to himself, safe and sound?
“I don’t-”
Nikolay interrupted him, putting a finger to his lips. “I know. I know, Raine. And I’m sorry for not telling you sooner. I promise I won’t rely on the true form for something so trivial again.”
He’d taken the words straight out of Raine’s mouth. Even still, there lingered a shard of anxiety in his mind.
But if he couldn’t even bring himself to trust Nikolay, then there was nothing in this world that he could trust.