The constant sound of city bluster runs throughout the city of Reigar, boasting a population size of roughly 150000 living in the actual city itself, with an even larger population living along the outskirts.

In the Eastern District the sound of a young boy’s laughter echoes through the streets.

“Jax bring Dog(lol) inside its time for dinner.” ???

“Who is this Jax you speak of wench I am Jax the Hero!?” Jax

“Jax call your mother wench one more time and you can forget about going to the festival with your friends” ???

“Its fine Kerin he’s just playing, isn’t that right Jax my big Hero?” ???

“Hur hur it is good to finally get some respect around this house, let us venture inside Dog.” Says Jax attempting to speak like his dad in a deep rumbling voice.

Kerin watches as Jax and Dog run inside to the kitchen then looks over to Lana.

“Lana you shouldn’t let him talk to you like that.” Kerin

“Oh relax Kerin he’s 7 let him have some fun.” Lana

“Hmph he’s 7 now but in a few days hell be 8 and that means he has to take the examination, he’s going to have to be on his best behaviour for the examination coming up we can’t afford to have our son calling a mage a wench or peasant!” Kerin

“Look I’ll talk to him tonight, it’ll be fine, he’s actually quite shy around people he doesn’t know anyway.” Lana

“*Grunts* Sorry darling it’s just I hate these compulsory examinations to check people for the talent. Everyone knows that the power generally only manifests in those with a bloodline! But because those arse hats living in the tower have found a few within the so called ‘peasant’ ranks we are all forced to go through with it!” Kerin

“We both know there is nothing wrong with the checking of the talent Kerin it’s the people who are the problem…. They’re all so kind and friendly before the test but as soon as they know that you have no talent those smiles turn to disdain.” Lana

“It’s not their appearances I’m worried about Lana, people that are ill-tempered have been known to disappear when they’ve gone to the examinations” Kerin

“All we can do is be on our best behaviour and hope we don’t do anything wrong *Sighs*…. I can’t believe Jax is about to turn 8, they grow up so fast.” Lana

A few days pass

I’m walking with my father and about to pass into the central district were the King and all the Mages live, my father told me that im going to be tested to see if I have any magical power and that I have to be on my best behaviour or I’ll get in big trouble.

I’m looking around in awe at the differences between the central district and my home, all the buildings here seem to tower into the sky and shine with such a bright radiance, as I’m looking around I notice Pa looks really grumpy for some reason.

“Remember Jax you have to be on your best behaviour only speak when spoken too, ok?” Kerin

“It’s okay Pa, I’ll be good and when I become a Mage and a hero ill make us all rich and well live in this nice place” I say sporting a huge smile on my face

Pa seems to be upset at what I said he never has smiled much but he looks really upset.

“Just don’t get your hopes up” Kerin

I nod my head but all that’s going through my head is how I’m going to be the greatest Mage that’s ever lived and how happy my family will be when were rich.

As we continue on our trek we eventually come towards a wall that surrounds a tower that stands taller than every other building.

We approach a gate that has some Guards standing at ease. They’re uniform looks so cool with all that shiny metal I think that when im a Mage I want to wear armor like that, it looks way cooler than all those stupid dresses the mages wear.

One of the soldiers who looks like he might be the boss gazes at me and Pa and when we get a bit closer and yells.

“Halt! State your name and purpose.” Guard

“Kerin Farrst and im here for me boys examination Sir.” Kerin

The guard looks me up and down like he’s examining how much im worth, I’ve already made up my mind and decided I don’t like him.

“Move through the gate follow the main road to the tower and wait at the first floor, someone will come and collect the both of you.” Guard

My Pa nods his head in acknowledgment and we head through the gate toward the tower.

As we arrive at the entrance I look up and think to myself that it looks even bigger when you’re right next to it.

“Remember what I said Jax, behave you could get yourself and your mother and I in a lot of trouble.” Kerin

My father looks really serious so I know I can’t play around so I assure him I’ll be good.

We move into the tower which is illuminated brightly by blue crystals along the wall I pause at the entrance looking around at the pretty crystals.

“This way Jax.” Kerin

My father leads me through a door to the left which takes us to a room filled with people along the sides and a table and someone wearing a dress sitting behind it with 2 doors behind him.

We approach the table and my father says

“Kerin Farrst and my Son Jax Farrst here for his coming of age examination.” Kerin

The man doesn’t look up at us but tells us to take a seat somewhere and that well be called when its my turn.

After taking a seat I look around and see that a lot of the adults and some of the kids like me look really nervous.

I don’t understand it, shouldn’t everyone be really excited and want to become a Mage. I want to ask why they look so nervous but I promised my Pa I wouldn’t speak unless spoken too.

Me and my Pa have been sitting here for what feels like yearsssssssss theres been people coming in and out of the doors by the man wearing a dress for a while now. I saw a few families that looked like they might of lived in the eastern district going in, upon coming out the parents always seemed to be happy and itching to leave but the kids mostly looked sad.

Eventually my Pa and I are called to come forth where a different dress wearing man collects us and takes us to a room where my Pa was told to wait and observe if he wishes.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

The Man looked at me with a smile but when I looked at him it just didn’t look like a smile fitted him, he looked like a grumpy old man.

“Follow me through the door” Grumpy Mage

I briefly glance at my Pa and he nods his head to tell me to listen to the man.

I follow him through the door and we enter a dimly lit room that has 6 different sections splitting the room with a big empty orb sitting in the middle of each section. In the very centre of the room is another orb sitting on a bench.

“Place your hand on the Orb, it will draw in your mana and then distribute it to whatever element if any that you have a attunement with” Grumpy Mage

I nod my assent and walk toward the centre with dreams of being a Hero and Mage running through my mind.

I Gather my courage and place my hand upon the Orb.

Grumpy Mages perspective

“I don’t know why they insist on testing these filthy peasants, ive been here for 4 years and not one of these filth have had the gift.”

I Stare at the boy approaching the Attunement Orb not even trying to hide the disdain on my face.

He pauses before the Orb as if he’s thinking about something.

“Probably another one of those children peasants who think theyre going to become a Hero, Gods get on with it.”

The boy finally places his hand upon the Orb and nothing seems to happen at first.

Then I see blue specks start to form in the centre orb and my jaw drops in astonishment

“Gods he actually has the gift, hmph but that is irrelevant just having the gift isn’t enough you need to have talent with a high attunement to a element.”

Jaxs POV

When I placed my hand on the Orb I felt like something strange , I don’t know how to describe it other than that I felt something around my heart being ‘pulled’ out of me.

Im staring at the Orb and I can’t contain my glee! My Pa told me about how when those with the talent get examined that you can tell if you have what they call ‘Mana’ by the blue specks in the orb.

My Pa explained to me after I nagged him about it that just having Mana wasn’t enough to be a successful Mage you need to be highly attuned to a element, he said that the elements are Earth, Fire, Water, Air, Dark, Light.

He didn’t seem very hopeful but he said if I have mana I should look at the orbs in the sections of the room and depending on how much they glow shows how much talent I have.

I look around me but none of the bigger orbs are even glowing in the slightest, I look back to the central orb in confusement.

The little blue lights are swirling around like normal but suddenly they stop and form multiple blue droplets that fall to the bottom of the orb.

From behind me I hear a gasp and hear the mage yell,

“Liquid Mana!? Impossible!.” Grumpy Mage

"Hmph didn’t he know im going to be a rich and famous hero I don’t know what this liquid mana is but it sounds special." Jax

Im still confused though the central orb is quickly filling up like a cup of water but none of the section orbs are glowing at all.

Suddenly the force that’s pulling something from around my heart stops.

“Such condensed Mana but with no attunements… Truly a waste but it seems you have no talent.” Grumpy Mage

I can barely contain my tears as I feel all my dreams ruined before my eyes, my Pa told me not to get my hope up but for some reason I just felt like I was special.

I guess it was just a dream….

All of a sudden a tearing pain comes from where my mana was being pulled from. Before it had felt like there was a slight suction force that sucked up the loose mana (picture a apple covered in morning Dew) but now it felt like I was being torn inside out.

Kerins POV

“My God the boy actually has the gift, how is this possible.”

I stare at the orb with dense blue lights swirling around the central orb, I look to the sector orbs but I don’t see any sign of glowing or flickering lights.

I hear the Mage gasp and say something about liquid mana and how it should be impossible but I still haven’t overcome the initial surprise that  my boy has the gift.

“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH”

I flick my head back to the central orb and see my boy with his head tilting back screaming like a banshee. My first thought was to run in there and grab him, somethings clearly gone wrong.

Just as I have ran to the door ready to open it a large shockwave sends me flying into the wall and smashing my head against it. I collapse into a heap and struggle to think, my heads slumped down and I see blood dripping on to the ground. I struggle to lift my arms and gently touch the roof of my head, my hand is covered in blood my eye sight seems to become blearier and blacker by the second.

As I feel consciousness slipping I use the last of my energy to lift my head to stare at Jax.

There’s blue flecks swirling aggresivly all around the room and all the section Orbs I can see appear to be quickly filling.

“Gods Jax….. What are you…. You know Papa loves you and you too Lana…. I love you both.. so… much….”

Jaxs POV

“IT HURTS!!! MAKE IT STOP” I scream tears falling like a waterfall down my face, it felt like my heart was being torn out while the rest of my body was being stabbed everywhere all at once.

Through my clenched eyes I saw the room becoming bright like a sun all the orbs I could see were being filled with Mana like a tap was turned on in them, I couldn’t even move my head to look at the remaining orbs as I had already collapsed due to the pain and was unable to move but my hand was stuck to the orb.

Suddenly the central orb exploded and a ginormous shockwave erupted from me leaving me unscathed. Even without the orb the pain didn’t stop and I could still feel my Mana being pulled from me. Then I felt a new feeling almost the complete opposite like I was breathing in air but on a far larger scale. It felt like I was pulling something in from my surroundings. This feeling also resided in my heart I could only assume with the little coherent thought I had left that I was somehow pulling in Mana but for some reason the mana being pulled from me wasn’t affected.

The pumping and sucking forces escalated rapidly and I could feel consciousness slipping.

All of a sudden both forces stopped and I briefly hoped that it was over as the pain had resided I unclench my eyes but am instantly forced to clench them shut again as the light was blinding like staring in to the sun.

And then the feeling of me sucking in the mana from the surroundings started again but this time it felt like I was a blackhole I could feel an endless flow of Mana entering me. I attempted to open my eyes again and all I could see was blue light flying towards my heart and disappearing. I was able to see small amounts of my surroundings now and the room was in tatters at somepoint all the section orbs had exploded, the grumpy mage was nowhere to be seen and the room where my Pa was watching looked as if it had collapsed.

“No Pa! Please I didn’t mean too I’m sorry please be okay I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry I’m so sorry!” I screamed in a hoarse voice.

The feeling of me sucking in Mana continued to escalate and I started to have the feeling of a bloated stomach but near my heart.

I started to panic due to the pain returning on a even larger scale, this continued on a for few seconds and then I felt completely numb but the I could tell I was still sucking in Mana.

“I don’t want to die, I’m going to be a hero and save everyone and Ma and Pa will be so proud…. Yeah this is all a dream… Just a dream I’m going to wake up soon. We’re all going to move to the central district and we’ll have no worries and…..” Darkness claims Jax.

??? POV

I was in Valhalla meditating when I felt the pull, I could only feel at first the surrounding Mana being gently pulled toward somewhere. I instantly lost my composure and was unable to continue meditating, I could feel that whatever was attracting the Mana was escalating rapidly.

I tried to sense around Valhalla to see which God was causing the phenomenon but soon realised that it was not coming from here.

“Impossible the mortals are incapable of using such power” ???

All of a sudden the suction force stopped, I waited for a few seconds to see if it started again but it did not. I was about to recommence meditation again, I was curious but when you’re immortal there is no need to rush things.

And then I felt even my Mana being ripped from me, albeit only a fraction of my power but I sensed that no one was spared. The entire world was having its Mana drained.

It was easy to detect where the suction force was coming from and I was preparing to leave Valhalla to quench my curiosity and anger at the mortal with the audacity to try steal my power.

And then

A shockwave that shook even the shining city of Valhalla.

The planet quaked at the fury of whatever caused the shockwave. The world continued to quake for a long drawn out minutes and i couldnt help but think that the end had come.

“What…. What could possibly cause that” I spoke to my self and was ashamed of how my voice trembled.

I gathered myself and teleported into the high skys above where the suction was coming from.

Upon arrival I see my Brothers and Sisters all staring down with slack jaws and when I look down as well I’m not surprised by their reactions.

Complete and entire decimation as far as the eye can see….

Somewhere Else

“Oh what the fuck was that!!! FUCKKKK!!!! What the fuck Vault!? I said make me powerful not a fucking nuke?!” Jax

“You ordered me to make you have the potential equal to the most powerful beings on the planet and I did.” Vault

“….. Are you fucking with me!?” Jax

“I am incapable of ‘fucking’ you” Vault

“………….” Jax

Nearby planets started to explode and be reeved apart, suns collapsed and moons were thrown around like tennis balls.

Sometime later

All the destruction that occurred has been reverted and Jax is floating in the void of space with his mouth twitching.

“You know I thought you were like some emotionless assistant Vault but turns out you’re just a prick.” Jax

“Let try this again but this time, ILL MAKE THINGS VERY CLEAR ON HOW I WANT IT!!!!” Jax

……