A world bathed in eternal gloom,

Here comes the Lich King to bring your doom.

You can't run, you can't hide;

for death is always by your side.

- Poem from the Necromancer Wars

Erebus gazed at the titles on the spine of the books, reminiscing over their contents.

The Modern World, detailing the existing nations. The only known continent is shaped in a rough circle with four countries in existance. The Aether Kingdom, the Northum Republic, the Rvern Empire, and the Sleare Coalition. The Sleare Coalition, by far the most powerful, consists of various non-human tribes such as elves and dwarves, allied together in a confederation. The other nations are humans, each with their own way of governing their people.

The Pillars of Magic, which discussed the basics of magic in the world. Magic consists of the elements fire, water, wind, earth, and lightning along with light and dark. Which pillar of magic one can use is dependent upon which one a person is most compatible with. However, not everyone has the ability to use magic.

Divine Deities, referring to the supernatural existances that controlled each pillar of magic. Occasinally they would show themselves to the mortal realm and speak, but only once in centuries.

Getting lost in his thoughts, Erebus was quickly struck with a sudden realization. Tomorrow is his fifteenth birthday, the 15th of the month of Morte. Today is the day where he undergoes the Aptitude Ceremony where it is discovered if he has the ability to use magic, and if so, what kind. Those who couldn't use magic were sent back home to pursue a career of their choice. However, since magic users are quite rare, anyone who can use magic is automatically placed in a Magic Academy that fosters their growth and eventually have them serve their nation. Every country has their own school to teach their students. However, at the center of the continent there is an international academy that accepts students that have high potential. Not only that, but in order to give the students as much experience as possible, located nearby is a facility that trains talented individuals from all across the continent to be soldiers.

Erebus sighed, and started to hope that Ms. Eckenbar would forget about his Aptitude Ceremony. His hopes were quickly dashed however when he heard a shout, "MR. NOX, GET YOUR REAR END DOWN HERE! DON'T THINK THAT I FORGOT ABOUT THE CEREMONY!"

Grumbling to himself, Erebus slowly heaved himself up from the ground and slowly walked towards the source of the noise. Reaching the front of the orphanage, he could see Ms. Eckenbar waiting for him to show up.

"Lets go," she said, "I've already gotten a horse carriage to take us there." Erebus silently nodded in response.

Sighing, Ms. Eckenbar left the orphanage through the front door and got into the waiting carriage with Erebus quietly following behind her.

The way towards the Aptitude Ceremony was filled with silence, Ms. Eckenbar knowing that she wouldn't get more than a few words out of Erebus if she tried her hardest. Instead, they spent the carriage ride staring out at the scenery.

After several hours, they reached to where the Aptitude Ceremony would take place. Despite its name, it wasn't anything grand. Since the ceremony took place everyday for children that were a day before they reach fifteen, it was a rather casual affair. It took place in an open field that had a stone on a pedestal in it, with several robed figures and children with their guardians already there. Ms. Eckenbar and Erebus got out of the carriage and joined the group of people in the field.

"Alright," announced one of the robed men, "We," he paused, indicating to the other robed men, "are the mages that are going to administer today's Aptitude Ceremony. All you have to do is to put your hand on the stone that's on the pedestal, and we will do the rest. Come on now, line up, line up."

Responding to his words, the children with their guardians lined up, with Erebus and Ms. Eckenbar last.

The first child approached the pedestal and put his hands on the stone. The mages formed a circle around him and started chanting, with arms outstretched, "lassen Sie die Macht versteckt innerhalb! lassen Sie die Macht versteckt innerhalb!" Orange circles formed in front of each mage as they chanted. However, after repeating the chant several times, nothing happened.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

"I'm sorry," said one of the robed men, "It seems like you don't have any magic power."

The child, looking dejected, walked away from the pedestal to the arms of his guardian that started to comfort him. This process repeated itself several times with the same result until a girl with dark brown hair timidly approached the pedestal. As the mages started chanting again, water started to spiral up from the ground, surrounding the girl in the center. While her dark blue eyes widened slightly in shock, she stood still. When the mages ceased their chant, the water suddenly fell back down, drenching the girl.

"Sorry about that," another robed man apologized for soaking her clothes. "Well, it's quite obvious that you have quite the strong affinity with water," he continued. "Give us a second to decide." The robed men clustered together as they started whispering to one another. In the meantime, the girl's parents rushed up to her and tried to dry her off with a cloak as the others looked at them with jealous eyes. Soon, the mages finished consulting one another, and one of them announced, "We have decided that your magic affinity is strong enough to warrent you to go to the International Sanr Magic Academy. I've seen quite enough of people only have enough power to get a small puddle."

At this news, the girl's parents cheered and hugged one another as the jealous gazes intensified. Walking to the sidelines, they continued to watch as the ceremony progressed. However, no other child had a magical affinity, much to the disappointment of their parents. It was then Erebus' turn as he approached the pedestal with Ms. Eckenbar wishing him luck.

When he put his hands on the stone and the mages started chanting once more, he heard a deep, gravelly voice in his head.

"DEATH! DESTRUCTION! DESPAIR!" it demanded. As soon as Erebus heard this voice, miasma bursted from the ground near his feet and rushed quickly towards the circle of mages.

Reeling back from the shock caused by the sudden appearance of the miasma, the mages quickly responded, with three of them barking "zashchishchat!" At once, green circles with a picture of a tree enscribed within them appeared as a wall of earth grew from the ground to try and contain the miasma.

However, the miasma started to eat away at the earthen barricade and a rotten stench filled the nose of everyone present. Everyone except for the mages and Ms. Eckenbar bolted away, the girl with the water affinity reluctantly allowing herself to be dragged away by her parents. As cracks started to appear in the earthen wall and wisps of miasma could be seen trying to escape, the miasma receded as quickly as it appeared. The battered earthen wall collasped into a pile of dry dirt. Looking at the cause of the miasma, the mages and Ms. Eckenbar could see Erebus standing in the center of a circle of death. Plants withered and insects died as soon as the miasma touched them. No doubt it would have been fatal if it came in contact with a human.

"Necromancer," growled one of the mages, "I thought we were done with your kind." As he said this, he chanted, "Uro" as a red circle with a flame inscribed within it appeared.

"Hold!" cut in another mage, and the fire mage reluctantly dispelled his circle, "We no longer discriminate people through their magical affinity. Only how they use them. It's the law," he reminded the mage.

"Doesn't stop them from being scum," replied the fire mage. Ignoring the fire mage's statement, he shouted towards Erebus, "You are coming with us! We are going directly to Sanr Academy!"

Ms. Eckenbar, who stood rock still due to fear, came alive.

"You can't do that!" she argued, "He has yet to say goodbye to the rest of the children and we don't have his luggage with us!"

The mage calmly replied, "I think it's best for the safety of everyone if he went directly to the academy. Who knows what would happen to the boy should people find out that he's a Necromancer before then. You can send his luggage over through mail, and he can always send letters."

Ms. Eckenbar, seeing the sound logic behind the mage's argument, reluctantly backed off.

The mage proceeded to becken Erebus to walk towards them, and Erebus followed his directions, slowly walking over, under the wary gaze of the other mages present. While Erebus was calm on the outside, inside, he was in turmoil.

"Necromancer huh," he thought to himself. When the miasma was released, he didn't feel any fear. Instead, he felt a strange sense of calm wash over him, as if it was about time that the miasma was unleashed. However, it was common knowledge that Necromancers were feared and discriminated against. Ever since one Necromancer went power hungry and turned himself into a lich, fear was in the hearts of every inhabitant of Necromancers. It took the combined forces of all the humans and non-humans alike to crush the Lich King and his allied Necromancers. That war, dubbed the Necromancer Wars, ended fifty years. Since then, there hasn't been a single notable Necromancer. Perhaps the divine beings decided to punish Nyx, goddess of darkness, for giving too much power to one individual by preventing the creation of more Necromancers. However, now Erebus is a Necromancer, with affinity to darkness, the first in decades. Nevertheless, Erebus didn't feel afraid. He felt like that this was his calling. He would control the darkness, and make it obey his every will. Perhaps then he can find a purpose with his life. Even better, people will stop trying to associate with him. He would get the life that he always wanted.

He would be alone, forever and ever. No more goodbyes, no more pain. Erebus broke out into a small smile, unnoticable to those around him as he approached Ms. Eckenbar and the mage.