~*~

A faint orange glow flickered above my palm before fizzing out of existence. I had let out an embarrassing yelp when the sharp heat pricked my hand but thankfully none of my classmates noticed. Well, they usually ignored me anyway.

I stared at the tendrils of smoke as they twirled a slow dance and dispersed. The smoke was proof that it wasn't my imagination.

I had finally done it.

Sure, half an hour of concentration for a puff of smoke sounded pretty pathetic but it was my best result so far. Fine, my only result so far.

It was my last month attending Master Grishaw’s beginner magic class. The course on the fundamental theory of magecraft was free for anyone over the age of fifteen in the towns the Mage Guild operated in. Even folks from nearby villages would sometimes send their kids in for lessons. Apparently the King made a deal with the Guild Master. It was a simple win-win: more citizens would be equipped with basic magecraft and the Guild got their hands on talents they discovered.

I had been looking forward to becoming a mage and following in my mother’s footsteps. I even had absurd dreams of being so abnormally gifted that the Guild recruited me on the spot. As it turned out, I had an abnormality alright—my lack of elemental affinity was to a degree that was previously unheard of. Master Grishaw proclaimed that I wouldn’t be able to cast anything worthwhile even if I dedicated my life to the craft.

Damn if I wasn't going to prove him wrong.

Taking a deep breath, I looked up at Master Grishaw before quickly darting my eyes to the right where a clock hung by the window. Fifteen minutes left before class ended. Not good.

The lesson had progressed while I was lost in concentration. Master Grishaw droned on about the history of mankind’s magic. It was something about how the first High King was bestowed the knowledge of magecraft after he led his people against a demonic invasion. Master Grishaw waved his arm around as he recounted the tales of the legendary battle, his staff tapping along with each step he took. Nobody really paid attention, not that he seemed to mind. An eccentric old man, though that was to be expected from a mage his age. At least he was kempt; his cloak always ironed and his long white beard trimmed and tidy.

A retired Master Mage from the Guild, I thought, no other reason for someone of his caliber to be at a frontier town like this. The Guild didn't even have a proper presence here after all, besides him and the school building.

I shifted in my seat. Ten minutes left. Everyone was practicing their magic. Our teacher finished his story and sat down by his desk before taking a swig from his mug. I looked to my right. The boy sat next to me had a small fire over his hand. I don’t know his name, but I’m pretty sure he’s from the villages. He balled up his fist as the magic extinguished before opening it with a flick, summoning an even larger flame.

No way I could do that.

Still, I tried practicing, struggling for a few moments. Useless. I couldn't concentrate. I took another deep breath, my breathing was steadily getting out of hand. I closed my eyes for a few seconds until I felt like I was in control. Then I stole a quick glance towards my left.

Sitting by the doorway was Sarah.

She was the popular one. She was smart, good in magic, and had an affinity for one of the rarest elements—that of Light itself. Awakening it had caused her hair to turn snow white. It seemed she was set for recruitment to the Guild, and people wanted to be friends with her. To everyone, she was kind and talented. Beautiful too. Not the sharp, seductive type of beauty but the pleasant, girl-next-door kind that made you drop your guard around her. She was a charming yet powerful wielder of the Light. An angel.

A stark contrast to me, a thin, frail-looking girl with messy dirt-brown hair who was utterly useless in magic.

Bile rose to my throat. Five minutes left. My head started to hurt. I inched my notes towards myself, my other hand already poised to grab my bag. I quickly went through my plan in my head: the things I needed to do; the route I would take; the contingencies I made. Then, a clap.

"Alright, that's enough for today. Remember to practice," said Master Grishaw as he stood and picked up his staff. As usual, he was the first to leave.

Shit.

The other students quickly got up and mingled about. Chatter filled the room. The social groups were well established and everyone had their obligations. Not me though. I was always alone. The weird kid in class nobody spoke to, lest they contracted my magical inaptitude.

I placed a palm over my chest, feeling along the edges of the crescent amulet my mother left me. It was hidden under my shirt though; I wouldn’t dare let anyone see me with anything vaguely valuable. I shoved my notes into my bag and silently counted to ten before standing up. I kept my head low as I made my way to the exit. I wanted out but I couldn’t be among the first to leave; that would attract too much attention. Near the doorway, I quietly joined the stream of students that were leaving, making sure to keep my eyes down.

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We walked along the dirt path towards the town square. The school sat by its lonesome off the back of the town so the journey to the housing districts took a few minutes. Meanwhile, I did my best to meld into the group.

Then, as we got past a set of alleyways, I slipped out of the crowd and into the darkness. I stumbled a little as I half-sprinted to the back of the alley, careful not to make too much noise. The shadows cast by the evening sun meant that nobody would notice me unless they really looked. This was my safe spot. It helped me survive the past week, and I would continue using it until I completed Master Grishaw's course.

I stayed on alert. A few minutes passed as my eyes darted between every passing person on the street as walked by the alley. Thankfully, I wasn’t followed. Now, I just had to wait it out. Half an hour or so would be enough. I let out a deep sigh and squatted, massaging my trembling hands. With the tension in my shoulders finally released, I found myself once again wishing I had the ability to wield magic.

If only I was a mage; I could then conjure myself a warm relaxing bath to soothe my aching muscles.

~*~

The sound of feet striking the dirt road broke me out of my reverie.

Instinctively, I held my breath and froze. My eyes shot towards the entrance of the alley. Three silhouettes came into view. All three were female.

“Oh my! Elizabeth, is that you?” One of the girls exclaimed in glee.

Pain shot through my back and I found myself greeted by a view of the evening sky. I gasped as I struggled to take in a breath before realizing what happened—a gust of wind had lifted me up and slammed me onto the ground. Then, I felt a boulder smash into my gut and explode.

A choked whimper left my lips as I curled into a ball. Again I couldn’t breathe. I blinked back tears; all I could think of was pain. And cold. Wet. I wasn’t struck by a piece of rock: it was a condensed ball of water. My sides burned, probably from scratches against the dirt ground when the impact skidded me back.

I tried to get to my feet, to get away somehow. I could feel dirt crumble off me as strands of wet hair stuck across my face. My limbs ached and my stomach throbbed as waves of pain washed through me. Not looking forward to the nasty bruise tomorrow.

Another gust of wind crashed into me, making me slip on the wet ground and sprawl face down into the alley. A foot smashed onto my hand and I bit back a cry. I felt a jolt through my scalp as an arm grasped my hair and yanked my head up. For the first time that week, I found myself staring into Sarah’s eyes.

She looked so pretty up close even through my tears. Her petite face, round eyes, and that bright innocent smile she flashed at me was everything I didn’t have. I was plain, average, inept. Inferior.

White light shone from somewhere above me and Sarah’s pupils started sparkling. I flinched, but managed to not look away; I wasn’t going to give her that at the very least. Warmth radiated from the top of my head before it spread through me. Wherever it touched my pain lessened, and soon even the throbbing and nausea dissipated. She held me in the same position throughout, her smile unfaltering as the warmth slowly worked its magic.

Then, suddenly, it was over. Sarah’s smile grew even wider.

“How careless of you to slip and fall like that. Oh, what will you do without me?”

She tilted her head and brought a finger to her lips, her expression turned pensive.

“Please do be careful, I hear dark alleys can be quite dangerous,” she said as she finally let go of my hair, shifting her weight onto my hand before stepping off. I winced as her heel dug into my flesh, but the pain was nothing compared to what I just went through.

I stayed silent, staring as she turned around and strutted away. She started shaking her hand as if she had just touched filth while her two friends giggled and followed behind her.

I lay there, unmoving. I was wet, my shirt slightly torn and I could see in my peripheral that my bag had been thrown against the alley wall, its contents strewn all over the soaked ground.

“You can’t hide from me,” Sarah’s sing-song voice echoed as they turned the corner and left.

I crawled to my feet. My cuts had been healed, though a dull ache still radiated from my stomach. The girls were more physical than usual today. I never had any evidence against them though, and I probably never will. I made my way towards my bag, picking up the things that fell out. The small knife I carried with me was half-buried in mud, but at least my coin pouch was intact and my quill didn’t fall out.

I gathered the scattered sheets of paper one piece at a time. These were notes from Master Grishaw’s class, written on paper that the Guild provided. I didn’t have many left, and I couldn't afford more. They were all soggy and disgustingly brown. Even the cleaner spots had ink that had smudged into a hideous, illegible mess. Hours of hard work from the past week gone just like that. Destroyed. Ruined.

"FUCKING BITCH!" I screamed as I flung the bundle of paper against the wall.

I cursed my weakness. I wished I was stronger. I wished could stand up to them. But what could I do? They had magic, damn it. Maybe I could stall them for half an hour before smothering them with a puff of smoke, make them choke on their saliva when they coughed or something.

I laughed as strength left me and I slumped against the wall.

Pathetic.

I hated this. I hated being powerless. Hated being weak.

My headache came back in full force. My ears started ringing.

I needed to get stronger. I needed power. Then I’d tear her facade apart and reveal the monster beneath. Heck, I’d even tear her face apart. I’d ruin her and hurt her just as she had hurt me. I'd cut her. Watch her bleed. Yes, I'd break her. Make her pay. Make her—

No, stop, Elizabeth, I told myself. You're better than this.

I shook my head, my breathing ragged. Grasping my crescent amulet in both hands, I closed my eyes and pushed everything away. I thought of my mother. I recalled her teachings, her lessons on kindness. I saw her explaining to me her values as she tucked me into bed, the memory still clear as day despite the passage of time.

No, that was wrong. It’s our values.

I remembered her smile, the touch of her hand as she stroked my back when I cried, the tune she used to hum when she carried me. I remembered my promise to her. My headache was gone now, the ringing stopped. I was calm. I knew what I had to do.

I'd get stronger. I'd awaken my magic somehow and prove them wrong. Then I'd use my powers to stop others from going through what I experienced. I'd do good and right wrongs. I’d be so strong, nobody would ever look down on me again.