The Mage's Flame

Prologue

Daniel Kramer always felt warm. A summer day would burn him up and a winter's night was cool against his heated skin. It was a wonder amongst his family how someone could keep such a temperature without it being harmful but Daniel had learned to tolerate his own warmth. Some days he doesn't even notice the heat of his skin and usually wore jackets and tight jeans despite the concerned looks his parents would give him for wearing so many layers. He accepted the abnormal flaw of his and gave the same answer to everyone: "Some people are just different."

Other than that, Daniel would say he had a fairly normal life. Of course there were those family fights between his mother and father which would just go away as soon as they came and everything went back to as they were. Daniel wouldn't say that he was a lonely kid, he's been doing just fine without friends since he can remember. Besides, he'd rather be with himself than deal with everyone else's bullshit all the time. School drama and all that wasn't his thing.

Maddox on the other hand wasn't going to give him that, though. Any time he could, the blonde teen would do anything just get a reaction out of him. He supposes it all started back when they were in elementary. Maddox was pretty much the school's bully; shoving kids in line, throwing things at everyone, even tried fighting a teacher once. Whenever Daniel had caught him stealing his homework (multiple times), he was finally suspended for a few days. He guesses Maddox just never let that go and that's why he seems to be number one on his hit list. Daniel chalked it off that Maddox might have a rough life at home especially since the teen is still causing trouble with other students. It's amusing to Daniel that even though he's a Senior and Maddox is a Junior, the other still tries starting fights with him. Maybe it's just easier to pick on the schools's 'emo' that makes the other so eager to antagonize him, Daniel thinks in distaste. 

Whatever it is, it's been getting old since Freshman year and Daniel is just ready to finally choke the guy out for once. That's part of the reason why he's deciding to drop out. He could talk about how even the other kids give him judgmental stares and talk him in whispers just because he doesn't fit in with the rest, but they could all go fuck themselves for all he could care. His beef was with Maddox, not them. His grades are a little below average which, well, isn't good, but he's accepted that he won't be getting anywhere big in the future anyway, why care about it now? 

Daniel isn't aiming for much. He just wants to find a small apartment, find a decent job, maybe write some music that he could make a living off of. He's daydreamed about doing something bigger, better with his life but he always forces him away from thinking about something so unrealistic for himself. He's reached a point to where he wants to stop trying to finish something so pointless to him. He's tired. Waking up everyday thinking that just being alive is pointless is too much for him to deal with and go to school. Daniel has noticed that everyday he seems more and more tired and just hopeless about everything and he isn't sure what to do about it. A counselor seems to be too much of a hassle and it might not even be worth it. He's ready to start somewhere new on his own.

Flopping down onto the black sheets of his bed, Daniel slides his headphones on, sets his phone on full volume while listening to Nirvana and lets his mind go silent for the day. Maybe one day he'll be able to sing as good as Kurt Cobain, or end up smashing his guitar and start screaming like him instead. Daniel relaxes and settles into his own warmth like logs being consumed by flames. He still isn't sure where his life is headed yet or the demon's he'll have to face, only he isn't prepared for the term to be so literal.