Cornelius Snow combed his hair in the mirror. It had long ago turned grey, but he still remembered a time when it was a pale brown colour. He studied the lines on his face, badges of honour from his hard-earned years. It was his sixty-fifth birthday, a number he hadn't been looking forward to. It had snuck up on him when he wasn't prepared, but now that it was here he wasn't entirely sure how he felt about it.

"You look handsome," Enza said, coming up behind him. She wrapped her arms around his midsection and leaned against his back. Cornelius was far from what anyone would call a large man, and yet compared to Enza he felt gigantic. She was, after all, such a petite little thing.

"And you look as lovely as ever," Cornelius chuckled. He turned in place, gently extracting himself from Enza's embrace so that he could face her. He held her right hand in his left, and rested his other on her waist. He half-dipped her before planting a kiss on her lips.

"Cornelius," Enza giggled, staring deep into his eyes. Two eyes. Bright blue and practically glowing with life. "You dog," she said, extracting herself from his hold. "Save it for the party tonight."

"You mean the surprise party that I'm not supposed to know about?" Cornelius smiled, the corners of his lips tugging up to his eyes.

"Shhh, I wasn't supposed to tell you," Enza said, giving him a light tap on the chest. "But yes."

Cornelius took Enza's hand by the fingers and kissed each knuckle in turn. "I won't tell. It will be our little secret."

Enza smiled warmly. She always smiled warmly. There was a light in her eyes the likes of which Cornelius had never seen in another person. The way the room lit up when she walked in. The way sunlight reflected off her white-blonde hair. Like Cornelius, she was greying. She covered up some of her missing colour with dye, but the white roots were unmistakable.

That didn't bother her in the slightest. Enza wore her age like a badge of honour. She was proud and graceful and as beautiful as ever.

Enza carefully extracted her fingers from Cornelius's grip and straightened his black and white tie. She fiddled with the collar of his shirt, making sure it was straight before gently caressing his face. "Do you think you're presentable enough for what we have planned today?"

"I apologize, I couldn't find my powdered wig," Cornelius joked. "It's the opera, dear."

"Yes, but I've been looking forward to this show for months. I bought the tickets in advance," Enza reminded him. "We're going out in public and need to make a good impression."

"Of course, of course," Cornelius said. He quickly checked the mirror again and combed his hair with his fingers. There was little else he could do to get it straight. "I think the blue jacket would be appropriate, no?"

"I was thinking the tweed jacket," Enza countered. She had already extracted the coat from the armoire at the other end of their shared bedroom. She quickly dusted it off with a roller before holding it out to him. With her assistance, he shoved his arm in one hole, then the other, before tugging it up around his shoulders. He had to admit, Enza was right. The tweed jacket paired much better with his tie and khakis than the blue would have.

He finished the ensemble with a pair of cufflinks. Nothing too fancy, just a pair of simple silver adornments that Enza had bought for him on his fiftieth birthday. All in all, he was the very picture of a modern gentleman. Satisfied he was dressed for their day out, he turned to Enza and studied her.

She was wearing a simple red dress and carried a handbag. She had her glasses perched atop her nose, and an elegant silver necklace around her throat. As always, Cornelius found her beautiful.

As ready as they could be, they donned their shoes and hopped into the car. Cornelius's old sedan had seen better days, but he still took excellent care of it. His mechanic often told him he should consider trading it in—it would be cheaper than constantly repairing and replacing parts. Cornelius had no interest in replacing his car, though. He liked this old thing, and anyway he had no interest in learning how to use the computer that all new vehicles seemed to come with. Besides, if he could maintain the Crown Victoria in his garage, there was no reason he couldn't maintain this old clunker.

Humming a tune, Cornelius pulled the vehicle out of the driveway and headed into town. It was already early afternoon. They didn't want to reach the opera house too early for the matinee, nor did they want to reach it too late.

As he drove, Enza had her playbook in hand and was reading through the first few pages. She had taken the bus into town earlier in the week, while Cornelius was at work, to acquire one. "Oh, it says here that the Queen of the Night will be performed by veteran actress and singer Corletta Rosa. We saw her in Pride and Prejudice, didn't we?" Enza asked.

"I believe we did. That was… Almost six years ago now, wasn't it?" Cornelius answered, turning into the city. In truth, he didn't quite remember. Six years was simultaneously a lifetime and the blink of an eye.

"She was excellent as Misses Bennet, I expect she'll be no less excellent as the Queen," Enza chuckled.

At the mention of the character, Cornelius's memory of the performance seemed to snap back into place. He nodded his agreement, and his excitement to reach the opera house increased.

They parked their vehicle among a gaggle of others, and Cornelius helped Enza out of the car. She stumbled for a moment, and he was ready to catch her without a second of hesitation. With a glower, she held a hand out to stop him.

"I'm fine," she insisted, though he could clearly see her knees wobbling. She had opted to wear flat shoes instead of high heels, a decision Cornelius was thankful for.

"At least bring your cane," he quietly urged her.

Enza's glower darkened, but she didn't argue. After a moment's hesitation, she nodded in defeat. Still holding her hand to keep her from falling, Cornelius reached into the back seat of the car and pulled out a cane. It was a long, wooden thing with polished bronze sphere as its head. Enza had originally carved it for him from a piece of wood she collected on one of her hikes. That was nearly twenty years ago, before the countless trips to the hospital and equally countless surgeries.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Cornelius asked.

"I'm fine," Enza insisted, leaning her weight against the wooden rod. It was a bit too big for her, but she refused to use any other cane.

"If your legs start feeling numb, we can leave—"

"Lewis," Enza hissed. Cornelius flinched at the shortened form of his name. She knew he hated when people called him that, and she only did it when he was grating on her nerves. "We paid good money for these tickets. Besides, it's your birthday. I'm not going to let something like a pinched nerve get in the way of enjoying the opera, especially not today of all days."

Cornelius tightened his lips before nodding in defeat. With a gentle hand hovering just over the small of Enza's back, he guided her towards the opera house. Already there was a procession of people lining up for entry. Enza fumbled with her hand back to extract the two paper ticket stubs, handing them to the usher before being allowed inside.

Enza had paid extra for a private box for the show, not that Cornelius minded. It wasn't like they couldn't afford it. It surprised him to find a bottle of his favourite sparkling cider already waiting for them in the box, along with a card.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

"So that is why you came to the theatre earlier in the week," Cornelius smirked, turning to give his wife a sly look. She was already taking her seat and was fumbling with the bottle to get the cork off.

"Happy birthday," Enza said, blushing as he gently took the bottle from her hands. With an expert tug, he extracted the cork and poured her a generous cup. She took a sip and nodded in approval.

Cornelius poured himself a cup as he took his seat next to her and sipped at the cider. He had always prefered cider to wine. The taste of apples helped better mask the tang of alcohol than grapes. He didn't do much drinking anymore, since he worked so much, but that didn't mean he couldn't stop to enjoy a glass now and then with his wife.

By the time the lights dimmed and the curtains were drawn, the Snows had already finished half the bottle. Cornelius relaxed into his seat as he sipped his cider and held hands with his wife, enjoying the aria as it echoed through the theatre. For a blissful moment, he was no longer Cornelius Snow, tenured professor and doctor of applied physics. He was just Cornelius, watching a show with the one person he loved most in the world.

Half-way through the Queen of the Night's aria, a song that was already incredibly difficult to perform, a rumble shook the floor. Cornelius frowned, thinking he might have imagined it, when the actress singing suddenly stumbled mid-note. Her high pitched yodel turned into a momentary squeak of terror, before she caught herself and continued.

"Did you feel that?" Enza asked, keeping her voice to a polite whisper so as to not interrupt the performance more than it already had.

Cornelius nodded. He had only felt earthquakes a few times before: once when he went to California for a convention, and again in Quebec when they were skiing.

The actress was in the middle of another string of high notes when suddenly the ground shook again, this time harder. The poor girl tumbled onto the stage, and the orchestra abruptly stopped playing. More whispers drifted up from the audience and musicians alike, confusion about the sudden interruption.

"Enza, should we go?" Cornelius asked. He had already made his thoughts about leaving in an emergency known, and he didn't want to upset his wife.

Enza, to his relief, nodded. She carefully pointed to the light fixtures hanging above the audience. They were swaying precariously. "Good tickets or not, I'd rather not risk it."

Cornelius helped Enza to her feet, and together they stepped out of the box. No sooner had they taken three steps did the floor shake again. It was harder this time, enough that Cornelius stumbled towards the wall. He was thankful for the well-carpeted floors of the theatre, because they at least helped Enza's cane keep her steady.

"C-Cornelius?" Enza squeaked, fear and worry creeping into her tone.

Cornelius took her by the hand. "I've got you," he said, his voice hard and confident. He kept the other hand on the wall for balance, and together the two of them walked down the ramp to the front entrance. Already some of the other patrons were filing out of the theatre, only to pause in the front doorway.

"Move, dammit," Cornelius growled, though he kept his voice low enough not to be heard over the growing distress.

Another rumble shot through the floor, and this time one of the light fixtures fell. Sparks erupted from the fluorescent lights, and several people screamed in alarm. That was enough to get people moving again, and they started filtering through the doors and out into the streets.

As Cornelius and Enza finally left the building, they saw what had given the others pause. The parking lot was alight with brilliant blue flames. It was like a pillar of fire, the fury of Hell itself, was shooting from the earth. Cornelius spotted his own car, parked near the front doors in a handicap spot, and breathed a breath of relief. They could get in and drive away. They would be fine.

Another earthquake shook the ground, and a smaller pillar of fire burst out of the ground not too far away. A couple narrowly managed to avoid getting swallowed by it, falling aside just as the ground swelled and burst.

"We have to move!" Cornelius urged, looking worriedly at his wife. Enza was staring wide eyed and horrified at the flames. He practically dragged her towards the car, throwing the door open for her to get in. With a lot less care than he would have liked, he shoved her into the seat and sat her down. She was clearly in shock, and if he didn't get her away from here, things would only get worse.

"Cornelius, I love you," Enza said, her eyes wide with fear locked on his. "I love you."

"I love you too," Cornelius said, shutting the door. He jogged around the vehicle towards the driver's side door, but just as he was about to open it, the worst happened.

The earth beneath his feet gave way to another quake. This one was stronger than the last and it knocked him to the ground. He hissed in pain as he banged his knee against the pavement, only to roll down the elevated ground. He tried to scramble back to his feet as he realized what was happening, but too late.

"Cornelius?" Enza's voice was quiet and worried.

The ground erupted in a brilliant tower of bright blue flames. Enza's screams went silent as quickly as they started.

"ENZA!" Cornelius roared as his wife and car were swallowed in light and heat. The blast was enough to knock him off his feet, the shaking ground rattling his head against the pavement. He tried to push himself back up, but it was no use. He could feel a sharp pain shooting through his knee, and realized that it was probably broken.

That didn't matter! Enza! He had to get to Enza!

Biting back agony, Cornelius pushed himself back to his feet. He stumbled forward, trying to find something he could use to keep his balance. The flames under his car were dying down, but already he could see the vehicle was still ablaze with blue fire. He shielded his eyes in a vain attempt to see through the haze and light.

He couldn't see Enza! She wasn't in her seat!

"Enza!" He called, desperately hoping to hear her voice.

All around him, people were screaming in horror, fleeing from the explosions and quakes. Enza's voice was not among them.

Without thinking, he reached out towards the car and grabbed the door handle. Pain exploded up his arm and into the very core of his being. He didn't dare pull away, though. He gripped the handle and yanked it back, desperate to find his wife.

The car seat was empty. Enza was gone.

"NO!" Cornelius roared. His hands were charred and burned but he didn't care. Even with fire blazing within the vehicle, he would find Enza! He couldn't let this happen, not to her! Not after everything she'd been through!

The ground shook again, and this time Cornelius could feel the pressure beneath his feet. The fire was going to burst out from under him if he didn't move. He took two steps backward just in time to dodge a lance of cerulean flames that shot from the earth and into the sky.

He wasn't prepared for the second.

It didn't hit him, but rather it ripped through the car. It was fast, a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment. Fire tore through the burnt husk of his vehicle at an awkward angle, launching something out. Cornelius didn't have a chance to dodge before it hit him in the left eye.

He screamed in agony as it fell away, but the damage was already done. He could feel his eyeball melting in its socket, the organ blistering deforming. His squeezed his eyes shut, but that only increased his agony as his eyelid fused shut. He wiped at his face and his hands came away burning with blue fire. He quickly shook them out, vaguely aware that the structure of these flames were wrong.

It's not fire, a voice at the back of his mind told him.

Then clarity snapped into place. "Magic?" He breathed in a mixture of confusion and awe.

It was like he suddenly understood the fundamental nature of the world around him. He looked around in a panic, spotting the nearest blaze. With trembling fingers, he reached out to the fire and commanded it to come to him. Thin threads of energy swirled from blaze and twirled around his hand.

"H-how am I doing this?" He asked.

No sooner had the question popped into his head did he understand. This was his element to command, his power to wield. Magic in its raw, untempered state was dangerous and wild. Cornelius was the one who could bring it to heel.

With a defiant roar, he commanded the magic, the aether to disperse. All of a sudden, the fires around him died. Threads of rainbow light still drifted up out of the ground, but they were nowhere near as wild or untamed as the blaze before.

Taking several deep breaths, Cornelius looked around. There were several charred bodies laying on the ground, though a few of the less wounded people were trying to help the others to their feet.

But Enza? Where was Enza?

Cornelius reached out with his hands, trying to sense her. He could feel the ebb and flow of magic in the air around him. Surely, this strange power would point him to his wife.

There. It was a light tug, barely noticeable if he wasn't specifically looking for her, but it was unmistakable. The very thing that had burst from the car and struck him in the eye. It looked like a crystal, maybe as thick and long as his thumb. Cornelius bent down to pick it up. It was warm to the touch, and glowed faintly on the inside.

"Enza?" He whispered, gently cupping the crystal in his hands. He could feel the magic within the stone. It was faint and weak, barely noticeable if he wasn't specifically looking for it.

But he could feel her. It was unmistakably her presence, the same energy she had when they were together. He squeezed the crystal tight and started to cry.

"No, no, no! Enza! Oh, my Enza!" His words were choked, tight in his throat. "I swear, I'll find a way to fix this, to bring you back to me."

The crystal didn't respond. Cornelius didn't think it would ever respond. That didn't matter. He had made a promise to his wife, and he intended to keep it.

After all, his was the element of magic. He didn't know how he knew it, but he did. If anyone could find a way to reverse this transformation, it was him.