Damp stone walls pressed in around her. Water dripped somewhere in the dark, rhythmically like a ticking clock.
Tick... tick... tick...
'Do they really think this place could hold me forever?' Ruby thought, her arms stretched forward, bound in enchanted cuffs. Heavy, ancient things etched with runes she once taught others to fear.
Even without magic, I ended lives more powerful than they'll ever be.
But rage alone didn't snap enchanted iron. Not these.
She clenched her jaw, recalling that day the day it all fell apart. Her body trembled with the memory, not from fear, but fury. She had been moments from reclaiming everything. Power. Control. The prophecy...
And now this.
Her thoughts turned inward. The Collision awakened magic across the world. I was proof of that. So why can't I feel it anymore?
She tried again.
First, flying. Nothing.
Then the things she learned from the clan. Still nothing.
She sat cross-legged and closed her eyes, reaching deeper. But where there was once fire, there was now only ash.
Two days passed. The stone walls whispered her failures back to her. She stopped trying. Maybe it was only temporary, she rationalized. The Collision's energy surge. That's all it was. A flicker, not a flame.
But it will return. Her hands curled into fists. And when it does, I will burn everything down.
The clank of a heavy door snapped her from her thoughts.
Boots echoed down the stone hallway.
Then a voice familiar, smug, and unwelcome.
"Step outside for a while. I want to speak to her alone."
The guards obeyed without hesitation.
Ruby sat motionless as the clan leader entered.
He smiled like a man visiting an old friend, but the warmth didn't touch his eyes.
"Ruby," he said, almost fondly, "It's nice to see you again. There's a comfort in familiar faces, don't you think?"
"Cut the pleasantries," she spat. "You've ignored me for two days. So why now?"
He shrugged and took slow steps toward the bars.
"Call it curiosity." His tone dipped low, calm, venomous. "have you been wondering why you haven't used magic yet. You, of all people, should have felt the spark after the Collision."
Ruby flinched slightly, masking it with a glare. He leaned closer, lowering his voice.
"You want to know why?" His smile widened. "Because I sealed your magic myself."
Her breath hitched.
"These cuffs you're wearing? Relics of the Old Age. Once the Collision hit, they reawakened just like our bloodlines. But here's the thing: they don't just suppress your magic."
He paused.
"They strip it away."
Ruby's eyes widened. She lunged toward the bars and grabbed at the cuffs Zzzt!
A blast of raw pain surged through her body. She collapsed, smoke rising faintly from her fingers.
The leader looked down at her, unmoved.
"Oh, did I forget to mention?" he said, his voice sickly sweet. "Old magic bites back."
She gasped, barely conscious, but still glaring.
He crouched down near the bars. "You want to know why I'm here?"
He waited. She didn't respond couldn't.
"Because something's changing, Ruby. Deeper than magic. Deeper than blood. And I need to know if you're still of use to me."
He stood, turning away.
"But it looks like you'll have to wake up for that part."
He left with a chuckle that echoed down the corridor like a curse.
And Ruby, bleeding pride more than anything else, laid in the shadows of her own making.
This isn't the end. she thought, teeth gritted, eyes burning.
It's only the delay.
*****
They began explaining how and why I'd been accepted.
First, they told me about Artiha now known as the Sanctum of Orison a massive school that spans from kindergarten to college, with separate buildings spread across its vast campus.
Before magic returned, Artiha only accepted disciples those trained in ancient knowledge and tied to magical bloodlines. Disciples were believed to be the most likely to awaken magic once the Collision occurred.
"School usually starts around this time," Olsen said. "I'd say we have about two months. We just got early acceptance. I think they're still trying to find more people without magical backgrounds. Guaranteed disciples like us got in early to make things easier."
Aqua nodded. "And they're strict. Even though we couldn't use magic yet, we trained in combat. Olsen's top of our class and he's still never beaten one of the instructors!"
Olsen sighed. "You really didn't need to bring that up."
I had no doubt they were good in combat but something didn't add up.
"So... how do they plan to teach magic," I asked, "if none of them have used it either?"
Olsen shrugged. "No one really knows. But there's a rumor that Artiha the founder is immortal. They say he was around when magic first existed. Supposedly, he could give magic to others even before the Collision. The ones he chose were trained to master their powers and, when the time came, to pass that knowledge on. But again... that's just a rumor."
The way he said it, I could tell he believed at least part of it.
And maybe... I did too.
Night had fallen, and our conversation was over. Olsen and Aqua said I could stay with them at the clan until the school year started. They guided me to a guest room in the second building the same one where they stayed.
The room was big. Too big. And dark. Besides a bed and a dresser, there was nothing but empty space.
With nothing else to do, I decided to sleep early.
---
Buzz…
I woke up with a jolt. Only six hours had passed. A strange buzzing rang in my ears, and I realized it was coming from a clock somewhere in the room.
The clock was on top of the dresser, but I couldn't see it clearly in the dark. I shuffled over and squinted at the numbers.
"5:00 AM?!"
Why the hell was it buzzing this early?
Then I heard something else heavy breathing. I turned to the window, still half-asleep, and saw exactly why I was woken up.
Outside, in front of the house, was a sprawling training field. The Abarice Clan members were already wide awake training in full swing. The grounds were divided into three sections: weapons, hand-to-hand combat, and magic. Even more impressive, it was organized by both age and talent.
I almost crawled back into bed… but then I thought about it.
If I start training now, I might actually be ready by the time the school year begins.
Excitement stirred in my chest.
I made my way downstairs and nearly bumped into Olsen.
"You're up already?" he asked, looking a little surprised. "Sorry if we woke you."
"Nah," I said, rubbing my eyes. "I was wondering… could I join you? I won't be great, but-"
"Sure," Olsen said with a nod. "Let me check with the Clan Leader first, just in case."
He left, and I wandered down to the base of the building. It was even bigger than I thought built like a half-circle, with staircases curling down each side. From my window, I'd only seen one part of the training field. Now I saw all three front, side, and back each one huge and alive with movement.
I found a bench on the outer edge and sat down to wait.
"Hey, you new here or something?" a voice said beside me. I turned to see a girl flopping down next to me. "'Cause if a teacher catches you slacking, you're gonna get punished."
"Then why are you sitting?"
She smirked. "Touché. I'm skipping."
She stood, brushing imaginary dust off her pants, just as Aqua's voice rang out:
"Eli?! Flora?! Not with my best friend! What a betrayal!" Aqua pretended to faint, dramatically falling back.
Flora rolled her eyes and caught her. "Relax. You know I only like girls."
Then Olsen returned, almost like he appeared out of thin air. "Clan Leader said yes. You're cleared to join."
"Wait Clan Leader?" Flora raised a brow. "You had to ask permission? Hold up you're Eli? Eli Whitlock? The guy Aqua never shuts up about?"
Aqua blushed. "I do not..."
"He's cute," Flora interrupted. "Hot, dumb. She's got a type." She turned to leave. "Welp, I better-"
"Where do you think you're going?" Olsen cut in, his voice suddenly serious. "Training resumes in five minutes. Skipping again? I'm sure the teachers would love to hear about it. I bet they'll give you a real 'acceptable' punishment this time."
Flora sighed in defeat and turned toward the training grounds.
The rest of us followed and just in time.
A sharp voice rang out over the field:
"Now… let's begin!"