Y’know… I don’t think they ever actually told us how magic worked.

Wait… really? I could’ve swore they talked about it at the beginning.

Nope, all we get is something something affinities and something something souls.

Ha! That explains a lot actually, I was wondering why Apathy just bust out with corruption magic all of a sudden. I mean it’s cool, don’t get me wrong, but I didn’t even know corruption was an element.

The writers need to be fired. You can replace them, Lord knows you’d love to insert your OC’s.

Really? You think so? I-

Why are you boys watching this devilish show again? I thought I’d raised you two better than that. Viran, come, it’s almost 3.

Seriously ‎ ‎ ‎ ? Viran-

Yes, ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ .

.

.

.

“Do you know your affinities?”

Viran looked up from his daydreams at Damian’s question, startled.

“Oh… ah… no.” Viran responded quietly, still feeling faint from his outburst earlier.

“Well we know dark is one of them, I doubt you can conjure a non-affinity as you are. But we’ll have to test for the rest… h-hey no need to look so glum, it’ll be easy, I promise.”

Viran absentmindedly ran his fingers over his lips and found a frown imprinted into them.

He must’ve looked miserable.

He was miserable.

“I’m not…” The lie died on his tongue. “So… what do we have to do?”

“First… would you consider yourself stable? Or sturdy?

There was a second of silence before Zack coughed awkwardly.

“Nevermind. Earth doesn’t suit you anyways.”

Before Viran could ask what that was supposed to mean, Zack pointed down.

“Spit on the ground.” He commanded.

“Excuse me?” Viran choked out.

“We’ll start with water, but we don’t have any water. I mean, unless you’d rather use sweat?” Zack responded, seeming far more comfortable with spit and sweat on his floor than Viran would be.

“Wha- You- This is your house!”

“House is a stretch, and besides, it needs to be broken in anyways.” Damian said with a wink and a laugh.

“You break in houses with spit?!”

“Would you prefer something else to break it in then?” Damian raises an eyebrow teasingly.

Viran promptly spits in the floor, face burning.

“More.”

Viran spits again.

“Come on buddy, do you really think you can only lift a single drop of water. Have some confidence.”

Viran spits again, quickly wiping a line of spittle from his lips before making a realization.

“You’re… making fun of me…”

Damian laughs heartily and smacks Viran on the back.

“Just a bit. But I’m also helping. Magic is based on the soul, and emotions come from the soul. That’s why people call mental stuff soul magic instead of mind magic. Newbies like us need to channel an emotion to channel a magic. And water magic is ruled by obedience.”

Damian nods at the look of utter confusion on Viran’s face.

“Yeah, not really an emotion in my opinion, I don’t really get Water myself. Fire’s much simpler, it’s just about wanting something. And I want a lot.”

Damian flashed his sharp teeth at Viran.

“Okay, so I… what, try to channel magic while feeling obedient? That’s weird.”

Viran complained to the Damian as well as the universe. A bit of meta knowledge leaked through, reminding Viran that Road to Godhood never had a canonical explanation for magic. So why, of all things, did it pick this.

Damian gave a sympathetic look.

“Yeah, it is kinda weird at the start. I’m still getting used to it myself. I never really focused on magic til now, so we’re kinda in the same boat! Just… focus on moving the water while feeling obedient. A memory helps me, it might help you.”

A memory… of obedience?

That was odd. Was Viran ever really obedient? It seemed to him that more often then not, he was only disappointing others.

Nevertheless, he tried.

He thought about his parents, his brother, his teachers.

He thought about the lessons they tried to impart, the skills they attempted to teach him.

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“Don’t slouch, stand up straight, shoulders back, puff out your chest. Yes, like that. Now you look manly.”

“But Papa, it’s only an art show. They won’t even be looking at me…”

“Ah, but when they take a glance, what do you want them to see? A man, or a…

----------------------------------------

“Well look at my little boy, all dolled up. You… why… why are you standing like that? Hahaha!”

“P-papa said to look manly. Do I… do I look manly enough?”

“Oh baby, there’s no… quota… for manliness. No one’ll lock you up because you’re some… sissy, not that I like that word much.”

“But… but Papa said-“

“Your dad says a lot of things. Don’t tell anyone I told you this, but you don’t have to listen to some things he says. Now don’t get it twisted. I ain’t talking ‘bout no outside rules, see, I’m talking about yer insides. That’s all you boy, right there, and you can’t let nobody lord over your insides. Understand?”

“I understand Mama. But won’t he…?”

“Okay, maybe do that funny lil walk around the house for him, just to keep the peace.”

----------------------------------------

There it was.

That was it.

Water was flowing. Through every crack and cranny, it flowed into any shape, molded into any container. It never rose, only fell, only spilt, never reformed.

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

Water was entropic. It yearned to return to its base state, to be calm. To become a puddle, a lake, an ocean. Even when it was whipped into a frenzy, thrown into a storm, water yearned for peace. It yearned for the quiet. To spread out as far as possible and to return to it’s orderly disorder.

Water was subservient. Obeying the whims of all. Always patient, always willing to do what was asked of it. Even when it tore through rock and drowned and killed, that was only because it was acting on behalf of the forces that controlled it, as well as it’s own nature.

Water was flow.

Water was change.

Water was entropy.

Water was subservience.

Water was obedience.

In that moment Viran Kate felt he knew the nature of water as well as he knew himself. So little, and yet the tiny fragment of insight he’d gleamed felt endless.

And in his contemplation, it was only Damian shaking his shoulder and pointing up that led him to notice that the spit was floating above him.

”What? How? I didn’t even give it a command, I was just…”

”I know, I know. It was the same for me. Try to make it move on purpose.”

Viran nodded, silenced by the novelty of it all.

”Go left.”

The water went left.

”Go right.”

It went right.

“Loop de loop.”

It looped the loop.

Damian grinned down at Viran, gripping his shoulders.

Viran barely noticed as he stared up at the water. Though he did notice when a small stream of sparks began to chase after his water.

He looked at Damian, who winked.

They both watched as the opposing elements battled. It was rather unfair. Damian claimed he’d used a similar amount of mana to Viran (Viran obviously didn’t have the knowledge to verify), and yet his fire seemed stronger then Viran’s water.

It was fun. He didn’t even realize how long he’d spent with the boy until…

“Why were you scared of me?”

Viran paused, and so did his stream of water, which allowed Damian’s fire to accidentally consume it.

“Huh?”

“Back during the exam. You… seemed scared of me, you ran from me.”

“It was basically a warzone, I was scared of everyone.

“But you were staring at me.”

“Apathy was also there.”

“The sword kid? How do you know his name?”

“Doesn’t matter. Point is, I wasn’t running from you.”

“Prove it.”

“How am I supposed to prove that? And either way, I don’t have anything to prove.”

“Don’t you? I don’t want anyone to be running from me.”

“That’s not something you can control.”

“I’m not a monster.”

“I never said you were a monster.”

“I’m not a bad guy.”

“I never said you were a bad guy.”

“Then why did you run?”

“Why does it matter?”

“Because I’m being really nice right now and you still seem nervous around me.”

“So what? I’m just supposed to be your best friend after one visit?”

“That was the plan.”

Viran froze.

“The… plan?”

He asked quietly.

“I be really nice to you, you don’t have a reason to be scared of me, we both come out happy.”

Viral grit his teeth.

“So you planned all this? You came out there looking for me, set on being my savior?”

“Well considering the state of you, you clearly need a savior.”

Viran pushed the other boy off, it stung how it only happened because Damian let him.

“Oh I get it now. This is a trick. See the fat boy worship you. Well I’m not that fucking gullible.”

Damian frowned, tilting his head like some innocent puppy dog. But he wasn’t innocent, no way.

“…What? What are you even talking about?”

”I’m talking about the fact that I’m no idiot. You think this is the first time this has happened? Oh Vi, my friend thinks you’re cute. Hey Viran, come sit with the guys- I’m not doing this anymore! Not here! Not where it’s supposed to be safe!”

Damian frowned, annoyance inching its way into his expression.

“I don’t know what you think is happening, but you’re wrong. I smelled your mana, and I came to help, because that’s what good guys do. It’s what my dad would’ve done, and it’s what I do. Now calm your ass down and let’s get you ready for the test tomorrow.”

Viran laughed.

“No way. No way! You’re looking at me just like you did Apathy!”

Damian grabbed Viran’s shoulders, a sudden fear in his eyes.

“H-hey! That was just an accident! I didn’t mean to… he just… I’m not a bad guy, okay?”

Viran stumbled back.

“Of course you’re a good guy, why would… I’m going crazy. I must be. None of this is right, you shouldn’t be… ugh!”

Viran storms out of the room.

“Go hang with Eric, he’s more your speed.”

Viran says before closing the door behind him.

This wasn’t how this was supposed to go.

Viran knew that, but why?

Damian was being nice, that’s good, that’s normal.

But he’s also being mean, he’s upset with me. That’s… also normal. Viran couldn’t imagine the man wanting to interact with him, but he was.

He was being mean but he was also helping me. What was this? What was his game? Viran didn’t understand.

’Damian shouldn’t like me.’

’I want him to.’

‘Damian shouldn’t be mean.’

’I’m not worthy of his kindness.’

‘Damian terrifies me.’

Something churned underneath Viran’s skin. Something he was realizing with dread might be magic.

The dam inside Viran’s mind burst open again, reacting to his panic, searching desperately for help.

’Death. Instructor Death. He’s an adult, he was nice to me, he’ll fix this.’

Viran emptied his pockets and picked up the Realm key with shaky hands.

For a moment he thought about using the pink stone to somehow contact Jack, his Hall Leader, but the idea scared him.

He knew Death, he knew his personality, even if some small things had changed.

Death would make everything better.

Viran jams the key forward until it strikes something solid, then turns.

The air vibrates as streams of light exit the key and expand, carving an oval into the air, which quickly is colored in to form a long hallway filled with offices, in that oddly modern style Viran was beginning to associate with the Academy.

As Viran hesitantly steps through, the portal snapping shut behind him with a burst of air, he notices a sign to his right reading ‘Administration’.

Behind him was the door, likely leading to the rest of the campus.

Virna shakes his head and steps further into the building, hands trembling with sudden and familiar anxiety.

What would he say? What was there to say? How did he phrase this? How would Death take this?

What did he do?

He didn’t find an answer as he passed the offices, reading the plaques until he found the one inscribed with ‘Professor Death’.

Despite this floundering for words, he politely knocks on the door.

.

.

.

There’s no response.

Viran knocks again, slightly-less-politely.

.

.

.

Checking the plaque again for any sort of office hours, and not seeing any windows to check for light, Viran decides to just open the door.

After all, Death didn’t have any hobbies in the show other than sadism.

Thinking this perfectly reasonable, Viran opens the door.

It swings open far more easily then the boy intended, flying inwards to bang into a cabinet.

Viran almost shits his pants. At least until the cabinet settles and he breathes a sigh of relief.

Looking up at what appeared to be a dark room, then looking at the cabinet and finding it undamaged, he shrugs and turns to exit.

That’s when a single piece of paper falls off the cabinet and slides under his feet to land directly in his sight line.

Viran, not realizing he’s just landed in a scene that’d light TV Tropes on fire, picks up the paper and glances at it as he goes to return it to its home.

Then he freezes.

Notes on Viran.

I’ve pulled up his transcript and everything seemed to be in order.

A few Gates to his hometown and back confirm his story; A poor little orphan just trying to survive, blessed with a chance at greatness.

Even got Ezekiel to sense out his channels, and they’re fine. Hell, they’re even weaker then the average Academy student. Barely used, a little frayed, must’ve Burned recently.

Normal, for the most part.

But why would an untrained boy stink of spatial magic like that? His affinities nor his skill level suggest he did it himself, and a Gate from Atfoli to the Academy is expensive, not to even get started on the permit to Gate on Academy Grounds.

And then there’s his clothing, and his accent, and his everything.

Will keep observing, but for now I’ll say that Viran Cate is not a threat to the Academy, despite his oddities, and does not need to be subject to a intervention from the Soul Sage. He

Oh… oh god. Oh god, oh god, oh god.

They knew he’d teleported from somewhere else! How?! Why would go magic be traceable?

And the Soul Sage?! Were they going to fucking mind-rape him?

And worst of all! Worst… of all… Death had just been… investigating.

He didn’t actually care, and why would he? He’s so cool, he’s so hot, of course he’s just doing his job.

‘Of course… he didn’t really believe in me.’

Something pulsed under Viran’s skin, and it was beginning to annoy him.

Was everything in this stupid story going to be fucked up?!

Zack’s fucked up, Death’s fucked up, magic’s fucked up, it's all fucked! It’s all stupid! Nothing was going right, and it’s not fair!

‘Twice in a day was way too much,’

Viran dryly thought to himself as he sprinted out of the building and collapsed on the steps.

Who knows how long he spent there, sobbing.

“Are you… Burning? On the first day? Gods above, get a grip.”

A voice growls at him, and he looks up to see the familiar face of Apathy glaring down at Viran.

Viran sniffled and wiped at his eyes.

”What even is ‘Burning’?”

Apathy scoffs.

”You don’t know what Burning is, seriously? Burning. Soul Burn. Mana Burst. Spell Burn. Backcasting. I don’t know any other ways to say it. Gods… How many idiots is this academy going to let in?! Look at your arms, dumbass, that’s Burning. Now can you stop it before someone sees? You’re embarrassing your house, and the name of Dark Magic.”

Viran lifted his arms to his face, and saw wisps of shadow drifting off of them.

“I don’t know how to stop it. I… I don’t know anything. They’re gonna kick me out, I don’t have anywhere else to go. I don’t know what to do, I don’t… I don’t…”

The wisps multiply in number as Viran begins to sob again.

Apathy rolls his eyes as he takes a golden key out of his pocket and jams it in front of him, space breaking apart into a portal around it.

“I don’t have time for this.”

Apathy grumbles, before pausing.

“I mean… unless you could make it worth my time.”

Viran slowly looks up, eyes flashing with both hope and wariness.

“What… what do you want?”

Apathy smirks down at the boy from Earth, like a Cheshire Cat, or the devil.

“I want a lot. We’ll discuss payment after. Come now, I haven’t all day.”