Devil's Coming

Magic's In Your Blood

Michael thought long and hard, but did he have many choices? Angel and Mark were dead; their lifeless bodies being put into a black bag. He had nowhere else to go. No home, no life.

Michael watched as the uniformed officers held people back from the crime scene, camera flashes and news crews filled the air. What once was a quiet street now saw more action than ever before.

Deciding that he had seen enough, Michael walked away from the hill he sat upon, making his way to Vidia's hideout. Michael remembered every memory he had of Mark and Angel during his walk, both the good and the bad. He knew it wasn't his fault, but to give up his feelings so quickly, not so much.

Finally reaching the old burnt-out house Vidia calls home, he noticed her watching out an ash coated window.

"You came." Vidia began, "I knew you would. Especially after your first taste of danger."

"You promised answers, I want them."

"And you'll get them in due time. I heard from Oscar by the way, not that you even asked."

"I watched two people I care about die in front of me. Forgive me for not asking about Oscar."

"I know Michael. I thought you might like to know that's all."

Vidia bowed her head in shame and began to walk away from Michael. "If you want to learn about yourself, you need to do one thing." She picked up different herbs and glass bottles, crushing them up into a liquid. "Drink this."

Michael looked confused, "What is it? Why is it? What does it do?"

"If you want to find out where you came from, you need to trust me." She said this forcing the cup of liquid into his hands. It smelt like a mix of pumpkin juice and mint.

Michael held the cup in his hands before holding his nose and drinking the liquid.

Nothing happened.

"What am I supposed to do now?" Michael asked. Vidia clicked her fingers and Michael collapsed to the floor like a bag of rocks.

Michael was sent deep into his mind, flying past what could only be described as bubbles of time, each one holding a different memory - none were his. He saw faces, people from different times. Watching them help people and kill monsters like the Langsanyar. Michael felt them live - he felt them die. He watched an entire empire rise and fall. A brotherhood destroyed.

Then he awoke.

As Michael started to open his eyes, felting like he had been asleep for days- with a pounding headache, he began to stand up, stumbling onto Vidia.

"Woah! Easy now. How are you feeling?" She asked.

"I have all these memories! Like I've lived a thousand lives!" Michael sounded scared as he said this.

"Well in a way you kind of have. What you just witnessed was your ancestor's history. You lived all of their lives in two days."

"I've been asleep for two days!" Michael asked angrily. It was no wonder that he felt so well rested!

"Usually, it takes longer. I've been taking care of you. Making sure you've been okay. Here, it's water." Vidia passed a glass of water to Michael, hinting him to drink. "What did you see?"

"I saw so many different things! Monsters dying, the families being made. And a Great War. So much death and destruction!"

"What about a building? Anything like a society of magicians?"

"Now that you think of it, yeah. It was almost like a whole religion of wizards were beneath the town!"

"Good. I don't have to explain it too much then. That religion is known as a Coven. A group of powerful witches and wizards banded together. Except we don't call ourselves that. We are Magicians. They had a hideout themselves, not as fancy as this one," she said with a smirk running across her face, "but impressive enough. It was always referred to in history books as the crypt. I've never been able to find it, though. I've been looking for years now. The closest I've ever got was you."

"Me? Why me?"

"Because you're ancestors Michael, created the Creed. The Magician's Creed. Your family dates back to the oldest living magicians in history. You are a magician Michael. And can easily be the best with my help."

"What do you mean, best? Are there more of us still alive?"

Vidia's head lowered as she paused. She slowly looked at Michael and softly replied, "We are the only ones left."

Michael didn't know what to say. He knew the Great War played some part in it and caused some sort of pain to Vidia.

"Anyway, that's enough sentiments," Vidia said, "You are to stay here with me and train exactly as I tell you. Go to school in the day. Magic training at night. Understood?"

"Does that mean I can finally start to fight as you did?"

Vidia looked at Michael with a smile.

"You're just like I was when I started to learn. First of all, sit on the floor. Cross your legs and close your eyes with your hands out." Michael did as he was told. Vidia continued, "Now imagine you have a ball in your hands. Move your hands around the ball to shape it. Do you feel it? That energy? That's magic. It's inside of you. You need to visualise it. Imagine it's there. Then see it for real. To make the ball bigger, move your hands apart and visualise the ball getting bigger. This is your first step in your training. Meditation. There are three types - Void, Focused and Visualisation. I will teach you all three. You need to master these before you can ever make a ball of light from your hands. It's not enough to know how to meditate. You need to practice. Only then can your training begin. Spell work is 10% prep and 90% manifestation."

Michael opened his eyes, expecting to see some sort of magic in his hands, but nothing. Slightly upset by this, he stood up and asked what the bo staff she gave him was for.

"It was to defend yourself. Magic can be offensive and defensive, but the use of physical force is always a good skill for Magicians to use. The Japanese magicians tend to use them a lot. A useful tool if you know how to use them."

With this, Michael began his descent into this crazy world. This new world of darkness and light. Where nothing truly exists, nor doesn't.

"Oh, and by the way, my name isn't Vidia," she told, "Its Opal."

"As in the gem?" Michael asked, "I like it."

'You always did' Opal thought to herself.