The morning sun barely peeked through the tall curtains of our manor when a soft, urgent knock echoed through my room. Hootle stirred on my shoulder, ruffling his feathers.
"Zackie… wake up," whispered a tiny, shadowy figure by the door. It was Lina, though she had somehow managed to sneak past the usual household supervision. Her eyes sparkled with mischief. "Come on! I found something you have to see."
I yawned, rubbing my eyes. "What… what is it?"
Lina beckoned, glancing over her shoulder as if the walls themselves might have ears. "A secret library. Not just any library—forbidden magic books. Hidden beneath the manor's east wing."
Forbidden magic? My curiosity instantly overrode my sleepiness. Hootle tilted his head, giving a little approving hoot.
"Secret… books?" I asked.
"Shhh!" Lina whispered, dragging me down the grand staircase, past rooms that gleamed with enchantments and portraits whose eyes seemed to follow us. "If anyone finds out, we're doomed. But I know you—you can handle it."
---
The hidden library was smaller than I imagined, yet impossibly tall. Shelves of ancient tomes stretched to the ceiling, some glowing faintly, others murmuring in languages I almost understood. Dust motes danced in the streaks of sunlight that fell through a stained-glass window, giving the place an ethereal glow.
"This…" I breathed, stepping cautiously among the towering books. "This is… amazing."
Lina handed me a small, leather-bound volume, the cover cracked with age. "Start here. These are basics… well, forbidden basics." She grinned. "Perfect for a toddler mage."
I opened the book. Strange symbols swirled and hovered above the page. As I traced them with my tiny fingers, a chill ran through me—a mixture of excitement and fear. This magic was… different. Raw, dangerous, and powerful.
"Careful," Lina whispered. "Even one wrong move can—"
Whoosh!
The air shimmered, and I felt mana responding instinctively. I whispered the incantation, feeling it ripple from my tiny hands through the room. Shadows twisted, a faint wind lifted the pages, and then… a small, flickering glyph hovered in front of me, glowing with golden light.
"I… did it?" I squeaked.
Lina clapped softly. "Yes… but don't get cocky. This is just the beginning. Forbidden magic is tricky. It's powerful, but it can consume you if you're not careful."
Hootle gave a soft, approving hoot, perching on the edge of the shelf as if guarding me.
---
Days passed in a blur of secret lessons and whispered chants. I learned spells to manipulate shadows, read hidden symbols, and sense magical currents in the air. Each discovery thrilled me, but also warned me: forbidden knowledge was… not ordinary magic.
One evening, as I practiced a particularly tricky spell to summon a small, controllable shadow, Clara appeared silently at the library entrance. Her eyes were calm, but sharp, assessing me.
"Zackie," she said quietly, "I know what you're doing."
My heart skipped a beat. "I… I was just… learning…"
Clara's gaze softened, just a fraction. "Learning is fine. But forbidden magic is dangerous—even for me, and I've studied it for decades. You must respect it, or it will consume you."
I nodded solemnly, tiny chest heaving. I understood. This magic wasn't a game. Not like levitating toys or splashing water. This was… serious.
Elena appeared silently beside Clara, notebook in hand. "…Promising," she murmured again, her calm voice more commanding than any warning. "But caution. Knowledge without control is chaos."
Lina, sensing the tension, nudged me with a grin. "See? Even adults take you seriously. You're growing up fast, tiny mage."
---
That night, as I lay in my crib, Hootle perched nearby and shadows dancing on the walls, I felt the weight of what I had discovered. Forbidden magic was thrilling, but it came with responsibility—just like combat magic, just like Earth, Water, and Fire.
I closed my eyes, whispering a tiny promise to myself:
I will learn. I will master. And I will use this power wisely.
Even as a six-year-old, the world of magic was expanding before me—wider, deeper, and darker than I had ever imagined.
And I knew… my journey had just begun.
---