Today was like another day in my repetitive life, repeating the same chores as always.

I am Jax Liden, a college student, an average guy without any talents. Only my hard work pushes me through life.

My life is dull and boring, but its not bad either; my hard work always yield good fruits, but not sweet. I never had a lot of friends, and my family shunned me for my lack of talents long ago.

About my family... Each of them are gifted individuals, and every one excel in one field or other extept me... Even my little brother of 5 years old is more talented than me.

When I entered college I moved out from my home, because I wanted fresh air. and I never called that place home actually.

Now I lived alone in a small flat, but didn't felt alone since i had my computer and most of the time i was playing a game called Magic Masters.

Truth be told... I was slacking a lot lately from my college tasks and instead I was playing that game. Maybe because I was tired from my life, or maybe because I actually was good in the game... I don't know.

The game itself was about magic fights and tournaments. It wasn't like any other game where numbers mattered, instead it was all equal but the player had to choose beetween all the known spells to win, to learn the spells you had to learn the spell from a player or another source and memorize them.

When i first played I did what most of the people didn't do at first; I spent most of my time in the giant library reading a lot of books and becoming mesmerized because the lots of details and content that they provided.

After learning a few new spells I always became excited and went to the testing fields to try the new magic. It was one of the only things that was actually very easy for me to do, and soon I discovered creative ways of using the magic spells that I learned.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

And without trying too much or wanting it, soon I was one of the best magic users in the game. I had a lot of spells and I used them in ways no one ever thought. I was known as Grissla, the purple witch, and I was well known in the game since I won my first tournament and finished my last oponent with my signature spell: Two purple bolts that rotated each other and went in a straight line.

Playing a female character was a strange experience for me, because I had a lot of emotions about this game and I felt detached at the same time. I really felt talented for the first time in my life, and I was reaching high places, but at the same time I felt it wasn't me because I felt that my character didn't suit myself.

I don't know why I created a female character in the first place, but when I reached the top rankings I started to embrace it because it was my first success and I didn't wanted to change it in any way, but I never was being used to it because I was a guy inside.

On the contrary of what one could think about online games, this game was popular among girls too, because it was very realistic, and everyone wants to try using magic. So nobody thought I was actually a guy, but the opposite, and I got a lot of attention because of that, but I didnt mind, because they admired me as a good player.

…

…

I logged in the game. I had a new mail from the system.

“You have been invited to the Magus Royale, a great tournament held every year where the most powerful mages fight to claim the title of Archmage!

More information available when you sign up.

- You agree to our terms and conditions when you sign up.

- Is it different from other tournaments

Do you want to participate? Yes/No”

I inmediately clicked the “Yes” button; it was another tournament to win, to feel good about myself, to feel talented...

But no a mere second passed, and I felt a bad sensation for no reason. I never heard the name “Magus Royale” before and it will probably be difficult, so I decided to search about it.

To my surprise, no results were found. Accepting defeat I just went to plan B, practising. But when I logged to my character something strange happened...

“Character Grissla isn't available”

My face became pale as soon I readed that... I have been banned? Hacked? Or perhaps the server was down? I tried to enter again many times, but the game gave me the same response again and again.

Suddenly I felt a pain in my belly. It felt like it was burning but wasn't very painful at first, then the burning propagated through my body. I tried to reach the phone to call for help, but it was futile; I felt my energy draining itself and the burning becaming more intense, with my belly as the epicenter.

As heat was being unbearable I removed my clothes and looked at my belly. The sighting of a tatoo shocked me. I couldnt see it properly but I could saw that it glowed dimly in purple. What is happening? This is all unbeliable!

Purple flames started emerging from my skin; I was being in a lot of heat, but I wasn't being consumed, instead I felt very weak. Before I passed out I could see the big flames surrounding my body...