Magic is the most powerful and deadly drug I’ve ever known. It’s like a sugar craving you can’t let go of once it’s activated. Soon, I would learn just how addictive it was.
—
Two weeks after my first test in the basement, I tried again. This time, I’d read about magic and some new tricks that could be useful in the future. After midnight, I snuck down with my bag of rings and books. Tonight the basement was extra cold, the floor like a frozen river.
As I sat down, I put both hands on the floor and bent down. I first channeled fire magic, euphoria filling every part of me. The world seemed to bleed out as fire circled around me. Then, I started to channel lightning and earth magic. I put my hand out as I rose in the air and pushed one side of the elemental column toward the nearby stone wall. A smile painted my face as the wall began to crumble. Then the realization, as cracks started to appear throughout the basement, came to me. I let go of all the magic and stumbled toward the door. My head hurt and my body felt like hell. The cracks got bigger and bigger, and I needed to get out. One push after the other, I tried to climb the stairs. Finally gaining the energy, I ran through the agony. Behind me, everything was falling. Running faster, I reached the top and found the main hall as quickly as I could. No one could see it yet but the castle was going to fall apart because of me. The main hall was empty except for a few servants. I was going to yell, but my voice was completely dry. I exited the castle and collapsed on the cold stone. The night seemed to calm, yet it was quickly disrupted as the whole castle collapsed.
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I awoke amidst the rubble. The smell of ash filled the air, seeming to trap me even more. Using all my strength, I stand up. The city had been attacked and the castle destroyed all in one night. There were no more raiders, yet the carnage and blood were everywhere. Bodies lay deformed and strewn on houses and bridges. The once beautiful city had become a nightmare. Staring back at the castle only reminded me of all I’d grown and progressed in magic. My magic lessons had gone well, and I’d learned so much from the rings. It was time to use what I had learned, to survive in a world not dominated by lords and ladies but by people trying to get by. I couldn’t help but wonder where my parents had lived if the king had done what was promised. So much of what I’d done was for my parents. The thought of them laying on the streets made me want to throw up. The rings on my hands were untouched, yet I felt it all. I wanted to sleep and regain everything back, but that was not possible now. I remember as a kid when I and my parents would play in the fields, may it be a tag or chasing each other around. It was such a gratifying experience, to feel safe. That was a luxury I would never have again, not until this war ended, or even beyond that.
The markets were hit the hardest. No food was left, but bodies certainly were. Fruits and vegetables were smashed to pieces. Homeless people were attacked the worst, some were decapitated while others had limbs torn off like a savage animal.
As I neared the main gates, I looked back at all that had happened. King Elrop was dead all because of me. It was all my fault, with a broken city and empire to show for it. I left the city and into the countryside. From then on, I remember the constant tiredness that overtook me at times. Oftentimes, I’d sleep in old, broken farmhouses and even castles and keeps from millennia ago. Every day seemed to bleed into the other, and for a long time, I’d scavenge for food from nearby forests. Mushrooms were a staple. It wasn’t until I finally found a military post that I decided it was time to change my fate.